Where Do You Get Your Inspiration?

Question:

hi i have been reading your books since i was 7 no affence but i thought you were a boy cos i couldnt say your name. i totally love your books. my quesion is where do u get your insperation is this your life story or do you just have a realy great imagenation and excused the spelling mistakes.

Phyllis replied:

I get ideas and inspiration from things that happen to me, all mixed up with imaginings.  The front page of the newspaper itself is full of ideas for stories, but not necessarily for me.  Probably most of what I write is simply from imagination.