Inspiration from the most unlikely of places

There's a time in every novelists day when the dust at the bottom of the cornflake packet has been devoured by his/her hungry family, and the plaintive cries of children, husband, and dogs gets too much. Yes, its off to the supermarket.

As we all know, the dedicated novelist writes all the time. Even when not sitting down in front of the computer, there's the one sided conversations, trying out dialogue in the car, and the endless thinking about the next scene. There is for me, anyway. Right. Mini trolley tokened, and off I go, pushing around the shelves, searching for bread, milk, ham, cheese and the National Enquirer. The basic staples of life.

It started innocently enough, pushing past the end of the aisle a large sign caught my eye which gave me an idea for a new romance. There it was, proclaiming Millionaire Tarts. More a title than an idea really. I paused, wipped out the trusty notebook, and jotted it down.
Next, the cheese aisle. Strong and Mature, a package promised. Hmm, perfect hero material, although perhaps not so mature might be better. In to the notebook, and on I went. I had a bit of a revalation in front of the marmalade. Was my heroine Thin and Bitter or Thick cut? Maybe Strong and dark.
Scan it quick and get out of here, ignoring packets proclaiming Crispy Treats. There's only so much shopping one gal can take!