Inspiration can come from the most interesting places

One of my favorite writers Richard Lee Byers (Forgotten Realms series) said that if you're going to be a writer in a specific genre, it's best to read outside of that genre. 

With the popularity of fantasy novels rising in young adult readers, most likely do to Harry Potter, Eragon, and the Lord of the Rings movies, authors who aspire to be great fantasy writers have a lot of material to draw on.  I do respect Tolkien, Rowling, and other fantasy writers, I do not hold their works above any other, nor do I see them as the absolute basis for fantasy writing.  Writing is a collective pool of ideas where everyone steals from everyone.

While reading fantasy novels have helped me in my fantasy stories, I have also drawn story ideas from reading classic authors like Alexandre Dumas and Homer, to more modern authors like Stephen King, James Patterson, and Agatha Christie.

By going to college, I have not only learned to fine tune my writing, but I've also used ideas I have studied for stories.  Learning about other cultures have helped me with ideas of how cities are structured and how hierarchies can be established within a society, while I have learned about current events that could easily be transcribed into a story.
Television and Movies have also provided me with inspiration. Like books, there are standards for epic fantasy, like the Lord of the Rings movies and Star Wars to a degree.  However I've drawn concepts from action and drama.  Watching cheesy marital arts movies, pro wrestling, and MMA that can helped me coreograph a fight scene by showing me that how the character's feet and body is moving is just as important as showing the reader how their weapon is moving. 

Buddy comedies and sitcoms have shown how companions can interact with one another as the best of friends, but still have conflict with one another, whether it is a grudge because one friend dated with his best friend's sister, or there was a dispute of beliefs within the group.

Many sports movies have that formula where a team that is last place goes through struggles and victories to make it to the top of their league and win the championship. 

The one scene where I want to include in a story is a scene from Major League II where Willie Mays Hayes (Omar Epps) gets a fight with Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn (Charlie Sheen). This quick brawl escalates in the whole Indians dugout fighting, with a drunk Harry Doyle (Bob Uecker) commentating on the scene.

Ideas for characters concepts have come from not just stuff I read or watch, but my friends, coworkers, and peers.  I've also cultivated story ideas from them, whether it's reflected on an old game of DND, or just talking in the news alley about the weird stuff we did as little kids.

Off the top of your head:

What has been the most unlikely place where inspiration came to you?

Links

The Major League 2 fight scene I referenced earlier 

Richard Lee Byers homepage

How College has helped make me a better writer

Near the end of my senior year of high school, my step father suggested I put together the short stories I had written and send them in for publication.  I said no, because the only writing I had actually done at that time were fantasy stories for my creative writing class and articles in the school newspaper, all of which were not the quality of writing that should be even allowed on near a publisher's desk. 

Even as a aspiring high school graduate, I knew that if I wanted to be an accomplished fantasy writer, I needed to go to college and improve my writing.  For many reasons, this would be the smartest decision I ever made.

The benefit of going to college, especially Spokane Falls Community College, is that many of the professors I have had for my classes have real world experience as writers. They have given me advice and constructive criticism on the writing I submit to them for a grade.  They have also have given me interesting stories and tips they learned in their experiences in their careers.

Another thing college has done for my writing is that it's helped me be more open to other people reading my work.  In all of my classes that required writing assignments, I had to let one or more of my classmates read my drafts and review them.  This made me nervous at first because I thought that my writing would simply be trashed by my classmates either because my writing was not of good quality, or that what I had written had no interest to them. 

However, I quickly learned that my peers were not as merciless when it came to looking at my writing.  They gave their constructive criticism, like my professors, and suggestions to help improve my writing.  Much to my surprise my classmates seem to enjoy reading my writing.  I have also learned to critique my classmates papers in the same manner, offering them advice and complimenting them on their work.

Some of my college classes have had me go outside my comfort zone by introducing me to reading material and writing techniques that was new to me. 

Although fantasy and mystery are the genres I want to base my novels around, my journalism and English classes have pushed me towards the way of writers like Hunter S. Thompson, C.S. Lewis, Henry Fielding, and Jonathan Swift.  From these authors, as well as material covered in my sociology, psychology and history classes, I've drawn various ideas and have used them in my own short stories. 

By writing argumentative essays, after-pieces, and articles for the college newspaper, I have learned to do in-depth research on subjects I really like and even subjects that I don't have a particular interest in.  I have also learned to write in ways that were difficult for me at first, but have become easier with experience.

My professors have also suggested to me other ways I can branch out as a writer with the use of the Internet and multimedia for my stories.  They also suggested that I have a career to fall back on like teaching or public relations.

Although college has given me tools that I can use for writing, I still have improvement that I need to make before seriously devoting my time to a writing career.

Off the top of your head:

How has college or technical schools helped you towards your goals?  Is there anyone in school (teachers or peers) who has influenced you?