Before If I Die Before I Wake was a novel, it was a shared daydream scribbled in the margins of high school notebooks. My friends and I would trade chapters like secrets, each one filled with magic, mystery, and multiverse mayhem. The story grew out of one late-night “what if” conversation: what if our dreams were real glimpses into another dimension…and sometimes, people didn’t come back? Fueled by sci-fi, fantasy, and a dash of Stargate SG-1 inspiration, that idea became the first book I ever finished.

Writers can find inspiration just about anywhere: chatting in the grocery line, wandering down a hiking trail, or battling pixelated monsters in a video game. But let’s be honest: books are the ultimate fuel for the creative mind. They shape how we write, spark new ideas, and occasionally make us rethink every word we’ve ever put on a page.

A good story is nothing without an engaging cast. While your main characters might get all the glory, and your supporting characters get the spotlight moments, it’s the background characters, the innkeepers, merchants, and chatty townsfolk, that breathe life into your world.

In video games, we call them NPCs (non-playable characters), those delightful weirdos who sell you potions, warn you about nearby monsters, or mumble something vaguely prophetic before you move on to your next quest. They’re the spice in your storytelling stew. Without them, your world might still exist… but it’ll taste pretty bland.