Story ideas surround us, like a roomful of strangers at a party. Potentially, there are more possibilities than we could ever manage. But there are certain ones that don't interest us at all (like the kid who wants to tell you all about this science fair project on cats' hairballs), and there are others about which we instantly say to ourselves, "That one looks fun." Sometimes an idea—like a friendship—can seem interesting and full of possibilities at first, but the relationship doesn't go anywhere and eventually fizzles out. Sometimes an idea seeks us out and demands our attention and won't go away, and eventually we say, "All right. This might work out after all." And sometimes a project is like a blind date, like an editor saying, "I know what you can do. How about some nice author notes—"
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Curses, Inc. And Other Stories Page 15