I think Sir Terry Pratchett probably has it right when he writes about particles of inspiration going through the universe. Sometimes they hit the a receptive mind. Most people get none, some people get more than they can deal with, and sometimes they hit the wrong people. HistoryWes, that also explains why they often arrive when you are about to fall asleep. Other common places include the shower, the beach, or falling down the side of a mountain - all of them being places where a pencil and piece of paper are unlikely to be conveniently at hand.
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