http://www.writing-world.com/fiction/giles.shtml
I like browsing writing guides because examples that they give sometimes inspire new ways of looking at my own characters or scenes. This article, however, just inspires me to find a better article. Do you really want to read the work of anyone who suggests “sources of inspiration” like this?
16. Life events
Take an incident in your daily life and bring it to an extreme. For example, suppose you go to the doctor for a routine checkup and find you’re healthy. Why not go home and write a story about a doctor telling your character she will die?
17. Consumer products
Current products represent life today. If you’re writing contemporary stories or articles, people want to read about things they know or use. Even the back of a cereal box can start you off.