[ OT ] How do you come up with the stories you write about ?

I generally just sit back and imagine the scene. 
 
 I start off with a sketchy image, for example a man sitting in a bar drinking to forget about his worries. From there I have to decide what the focal point is. Usually you'd pick the protagonist, or the drinker in this situation, but occasionally I'll select something else, like the crystal tumbler full of amber liquid, probably whiskey. From there, I flesh the focal point of the scene out. Why does it matter that its a glass of whiskey, not any other hard drink? Is the drinker remembering something or someone related to it? Maybe the drink is just a drink, but that does n't mean that the scene ca n't focus on it. 
 
 Now fill out secondary details, the barkeeper, a balding Australian, his accent mostly covered up by the Bronx lingo that tends to overpower most verbal traits. The dartboard, hanging slightly skewed because when it was nailed in it was placed too close to a wall light. The bartop, old, scarred and worn but clean, reflecting its owner. 
 
 And then come the tertiary points, the other people in the bar. The smokey interior. The old fashioned neon lights. The pictures on the wall. 
 
 Now you have your scene, let it play out. You know where you are starting, but where do you end? Does he leave the bar with a one night stand that he regrets? Does he collapse black-out drunk? Does he get in a fight? Or does he meet someone he was hoping had forgotten him? Let the scene run naturally and do n't let your personality overcome that of the characters. You are just recording what is happening, not having a conversation with yourself. 
 
 This generally works for me, if I have a starting point for a scene in mind. 

