Yes, Ellie Autor is just a pen name. No, my stories aren't self inserts or anything like that. 

But I find that the best of stories are spun from truth. Your day may have been bleak - normal work, classes, etc. - but that doesn't mean that one small thing can change you and your perspective on things.

Remember that glass of orange juice you dropped? Or the girl you talked to in the hallway? I know that you do.

That could be the start of a story that hits the top charts in only weeks. The orange juice can turn to the start of a great novel revolving around a man who witnessed a man being shot. The girl could be someone you base a story off of, her blue eyes turning to red in your imagination.

No matter what happens, there's always going to be that little voice in the back of your head screaming "Let me free!" And, when you finally listen, so many beautiful ideas will pour out of you.