Where do you find INSPIRATION?

One of the questions that writers often get asked is 'where did you come up with the idea for your book?'

I admit I always like to hear the behind-the-scenes details of how a story started.

 
But, I know from experience it's one of those questions that's difficult to answer because often the 'idea for your book' starts as just a tiny kernel of a thought. Like the idea for THE FAERIE RING really just started with a pickpocket in Victorian London. I had my character - now what? It's hours of hard work at the computer: writing, thinking and developing characters, that eventually morphs that little crumb into a full-blown story.

I guess the good news and bad news for me is that I never seem to run out of ideas for stories.  What I don't have is enough time to write all the stories I think up. Or at least, I haven't had enough time yet....

Anyway, I saw a video yesterday that was TOTAL inspiration for a story. This is EXACTLY how a story begins in my head - some intriguing little fragment that catches my fancy and off we go. The video has gone viral so you've probably seen it. If you haven't - take a look:  (This guy is quite chatty so you might want to skim forward to the black and white footage (but I do love listening to those Irish accents...)

Is that not FASCINATING?  I LOVE stuff like that.  So much possibility. I can tell you now - there will be a time-travel book in my future (and probably in the future of 5,000 other writers too - ha!)

So that's the sort of stuff that inspires me to think about a new story. What inspires you?