Wow. Just wow. Roy Peter Clark can really write, and he offers such good advice about writing.
Whether you consider yourself a writer or not, do yourself a favor, take five minutes, and read this piece: Need a Story Idea? Check Lost and Found.. Your day will be the better for it. I promise.
(If you’re a writer, you’ll be doubly blessed—by the story itself, and by the lesson it reveals about our craft.)