I know that most writers spend the majority of their time in front of their computers or some dictate to an assistant. I personally can't dictate my work out loud, it seems my own voice interrupts my train of thought.
I've even tried buying and installing one of those Talk It Type It programs so I could try talking to my computer. How Star Trek of me. But not only are they time consuming to get to understand you good enough but even then they make alot of mistakes and don't do the punctuation. So I have to rely on old fashioned type it myself for the moment. Once I have settled on the method of delivering words to paper out of the way, then where do the ideas come from?
Recently in bookstores hawking my latest book The Charon Covenant, I've had several people ask me, "How do you get the conversations?"
I believe it's a bit different for each writer. For me, they just start talking in my head. I have an idea of where I'm trying to get them and use conversations some of the time to get them there. I have always had several of my own conversations going around in my head, so why not assign them characters to play and make them work for their living.
I was also asked if I ever get stuck, you know, the old writers block thing. Yes and no. I know where I want the story to go and usually have the ending from the beginning. I do sometimes find a struggle with a choice of directions and can't make up my mind, especially if I like both ideas.
This is where I can get in trouble. I like to go driving to think it through. I have a voice activated tape recorder in the seat next to me and take off down some long back road. I don't completely trust myself to think and drive defensively, so back roads with few cars is a good thing. Almost always this will help me find the answer. Although sometimes, it spurs new ideas and then I end up with more choices.
I'm always surprised at how many people believe they could never write a book. I tell them there is probably a book in every one but you have to be a bit obsessed to write one book after another. Writing one book is easy, to keep writing book after book is the real challenge. It has to be a sweet obessession.