{
  "id": 6733353,
  "title": "Harlan Coben Answers the Age-Old Question: “Where Do You Get Your Ideas?”",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/harlan-coben-answers-the-age-old-question-where-do-you-get-your-ideas",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-11T09:09:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Literary Hub",
    "slug": "literary-hub",
    "url": "https://lithub.com/harlan-coben-answers-the-age-old-question-where-do-you-get-your-ideas/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Harlan Coben often ponders the question, \"Where do you get your ideas?\" The answer, according to Coben, is simple - curiosity. He states, \"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.\" Coben believes that genuine curiosity, particularly childlike curiosity, is essential for generating ideas. He explains that true innovators continue to ask \"what if\" questions, which lead to the development of ideas.\n\nFor instance, Coben shares a story about overhearing teenagers discussing drinking and driving. Feeling obligated to help, he approached the teens and made a promise to them. He used this experience to craft a novel, \"Promise Me.\" The novel begins with a teenage girl, Aimee, calling a hero, Myron Bolitar, at 2 a.m. due to this promise. As the story unfolds, Myron drives to pick Aimee up and drop her off at a friend's house the next day, only to find out she's missing. This series of events creates conflict, situations, and a world for Coben to explore.\n\nCoben highlights the importance of asking \"what if\" questions, as they lead to conflict, situations, and a ripe world. The key is to keep the writer's mindset, constantly asking questions and exploring different possibilities. Coben's backpack is always with him, filled with writing tools and snacks, ready to capture any idea that strikes him. His advice is to always be ready to write, as the \"muse\" may wander or find another partner.",
  "summary": "This first appeared in Lit Hub’s Craft of Writing newsletter—sign up here. Cultivating a writer’s mind frame means looking at the world a certain way—that is, as a source of material. Everything you see is a potential writing prompt. Everything you experience",
  "key_points": [
    "Harlan Coben believes genuine curiosity is essential for generating ideas.",
    "He shares story of overhearing teenagers discussing drinking and driving.",
    "Coben emphasizes importance of asking \"what if\" questions to create conflict and situations."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Harlan Coben's emphasis on curiosity and asking \"what if\" questions reveals that a childlike mindset and openness to exploration are essential for generating creative ideas and driving innovation.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}