Brainstorming 101

One of a writer’s best tools is brainstorming.

Concept of creativity. Tin can.But how exactly do you brainstorm effectively? Here are some tips:

When to brainstorm: whenever anything happens or whenever your character has any type of choice. You can also brainstorm when you have no idea what’s going to happen next – or when you have too many ideas and need to narrow them down.

How to brainstorm:

  • State your objectives – this can be as simple as “How would my character react to what just happened?” or as complex as “What’s going to happen in this story?”
  • Number a paper from 1-100 and start writing ideas. It starts getting hard somewhere around 50, and your creativity will really kick in then.
  • Freewrite. Set a time limit and write down whatever comes to mind during that time, even if that thought is “This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever done.” Freewriting gets you into the habit of writing and stimulates your creativity.
  • Report. Answer the five journalistic questions: Who? What? When? Where? and How? This is another way to state your objectives, focusing in on the specifics you need to complete the story.