Where do you get your ideas? The question can drive an established author bonkers, but for aspiring writers, it can make all the difference in the world.

At the BEA panel Paranormal Fiction for Teens: From Vampires to Werewolves to Zombies and Shape Shifters, three writers shared their other-worldly influences.

Urban fantasy author Richelle Mead (pictured) explained: “I looked at a snippet of Romanian folklore. It was enough for me to start building a world [for Vampire Academy series].”

“I hadn’t read the kind of paranormal fiction I wanted to read,” said Ivy Devlin. “So I said, ‘What the heck? I’ll write it.’”

“I was like, ‘Why don’t I like werewolves?’” laughed Andrea Cremer. “I grew up around wolves, and I thought they were beautiful…I wanted to create a paranormal character where the werewolf change was a strong thing.”

Finally, Holly Black explained her inspiration: “I loved noir, and I wanted a paranormal world that could have that…I thought, ‘What if I used organized crime [in a world where magic is illegal]?’”