How did Stephenie Meyer get the idea of The Host?

Answer 1

in an interview, she said the idea came to her mind when she was in the car driving her kids somewhere; Stephenie loves to tell herself stories, and the idea of an alien invasion that actually won struck her attention and before she knew it, she was writing a story based on it. so i guess it actually started with just the idea of the alien invasion, not the actual plot going on

Answer 2

She was driving through the desert one night on the way to visit some relatives that lives a bit away, and her kids were alseep and she got tired of listening to music, so she began imagining stories to keep herself from going crazy, and THE HOST was the story she was telling herself.

Answer 3

Stephenie Meyer got the idea for The Host from a vivid dream she had about a young woman and an alien soul forming a strong connection. This dream sparked the concept of a love triangle involving the human protagonist, the alien invader, and a male resistance fighter, which became the central plot of the novel.