That is a difficult question to answer. I find ideas for stories at the most random places and time. It feels a bit like the stories find me, but I usually get some new interesting ideas when I am travelling.
I have not had a complete writer's block yet when I did not want to or could not write at all. But I felt I had enough of a story for a little while, I needed some time to work on something else, something completely different and then return to the original story again. I think it is very useful or at least works for me because I can write more than one novel at the same time.
For me the best things are telling stories, creating characters that I and hopefully others will like or even dislike, depending on their personalities and roles in the story.
To to Shire in Middle Earth of course! Well, I can be quite shy, but if I could find courage I would knock on Bilbo's door and invite him for a cup of tea & cake. I would love to hear about his stories, because I am sure he would have some more to tell apart from those which we, who read The Hobbit, know so well.
Talendia has a long story and I must admit I cannot tell you where the exact idea came from as I wrote the first version or we can call it the back spine of the novel when I was 14 years old. I have always had a story or tale in my mind to tell ever since I was a child to entertain my cousin and other family members or myself. The first version of The Lost Boy was no more than 26 pages long. I somehow forgot about it during the years, but when it was found in a box 20 years later and I read it I immediately decided to work on it, extend the story line, include new chapters and new characters in the novel.
I am currently working on the sequel of the first Talendia book with the title of The Forgotten Folk.