As I talk about in my book Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration, some ways of brainstorming are more likely than others to put you in the way of viable ideas.
Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration (affiliate link)
Valuable brainstorming methods include:
- Mind maps
- “What-if” questions
- Writing prompts
- Freewriting
From Where You Dream by Robert Olen Butler (affiliate link)
They all have one thing in common: they allow you to move past the critical, analytical side of your brain and get in touch with the “dream zone” in the back. This kind of brainstorming is what Robert Olen Butler, in his thought-provoking book From Where You Dream, refers to as “dreamstorming.”
10 Tips to Help You Learn How to Brainstorm
So how do we go about this dreamstorming business? A few tips:
1. Clear your mind.
2. Try not to direct your thoughts too much.
3. Point your imagination in the right direction and let it drift where it will.
4. Don’t censure yourself.
5. Write down everything, even the silly ideas.
6. Listen to your body (if you suddenly can’t breathe, you’re probably on to something good).
7. Put your notes aside for a while to “cool.”
8. When you pull them out, put the logical side of your brain to work.
9. Start asking questions: What if? Why not? How?
10. Train your subconscious to continually dreamstorm in the background.
Inspiration is everywhere, just waiting for writers to find it. Once you train yourself to be open to those ideas, they’ll flood you from every direction until you have so many ideas you won’t live long enough to take advantage of them all!
