'Where do your ideas come from?' a short bonus feature for the next WIP

Not that anyone asked me this yet, but the question does bother me. Writing isn't easy for me. It isn't easy because I don't write generic genre stuff. I don't write about the good guy chases the bad guy in the world of global espionage nor do I write about On Golden Pond stuff where boy meets girl, boy marries girl after difficult romantic courtship. I don't think I write much about great insights to modern behavior or society.

Anyways, I digress. I wanted to remember this moment as I'm having trouble with a story and this could be part of an 'extras' feature, like they did with DVDs, some bonus content at the end of the book. Maybe this is a turning point (nah) but I guess it does help give a hint or two as to my process in writing this stuff that I question people would want to even read in the first place.

I have a man returning (under extenuating circumstances) to the town where his ex lives. People think he ran out on her, as he simply disappeared one day and never came back. They had a fight over procreating (she for, he against) and that was the last they saw of each other. 

Now, he just came out of the woods to discover the world went full-nuclear. There is no more society as we know it anymore. Nobody wants to tell him 'the news' and thinks it should be her to tell him.

That's not really a spoiler as that is pretty much the first thing he finds out so he's already adjusting to that. 

The question was, what could be so hard to hear after he's been told that the world is basically a radioactive wasteland that nobody wants to tell him?

Now, the immediate thought i think readers would have is that she is pregnant. I don't want to do that because it's completely cliche, and the man has had a vasectomy. I mean, it creates drama, it's part of the reason why he disappeared and adds in the 'well, whose kid is it then?' But then again, he's only been gone for maximum three weeks, so she really wouldn't be showing or anything yet.

So I've been racking my thoughts as to what could be so important that he has to be told personally by this woman but yet the whole town appears to already know.

It took me about three days idly returning to this question.

Then I got it today, just driving home from work. It might change but this is the best I have so far and I'm looking forward to writing the confrontation these two wind up having when he finally finds out what nobody else would tell him; she's dating someone else. It's such a paltry thing in the big picture of the Nuclear Apocalypse. I had thought perhaps maybe she got a couple of cats. But that doesn't seem worthy enough of everyone keeping that info away from the guy.

Yeah, this could work.

edit; I'm liking the idea she has a few cats better...