Where do writers get their ideas?

A common answer to this question may be: anywhere and everywhere. So what can they do if they hit a writer’s block or don’t know how to describe something historical? Our suggestion is–try Nebraska Memories! The photograph and description of Dr. Muriel Anderson, a blind osteopath who practiced in David City, Nebraska, from 1924 to 1971 can generate many questions and ideas. What would it be like to be a blind doctor? How would your other senses take over when you couldn’t see a patient? What kind of challenges did she face in her medical education in the early 1920s–as a woman, as well as being blind? What other challenging occupations did women with disabilities become successful in during that time? What would it be like to be a patient of a blind doctor? What would happen if a patient tried to pull a fast one on the doctor? What if … ? Now you fill in the blank. A writer may have an idea but might not be sure how to describe the scene. Say your heroine is working in a state institution caring for patients with tuberculosis, what would the patient housing be like? What type of buildings were at a state institution? What type of people were cared for at state institutions? What was life like at a state institution? What did rooms look like in homes, schools, stores, manufacturing plants, and other buildings? A writer might wonder: what did people wear when they were working? What did they wear to have a studio portrait taken? What did they do for fun? What did small western towns look like? What did bigger towns look like? What kind of pets did they have? Find images and stories about all of these at Nebraska Memories. Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. Nebraska Memories is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Historical Projects Librarian, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.