Brainstorming. Ugh. For a lot of people, brainstorming anything can be daunting, let alone a decent idea to run with and write a whole book. Sometimes inspiration strikes on its own, but when it doesn't brainstorming is the only way to start the creative process. I can't guarantee it'll work for you, but here's how I do it.
The setup
To properly focus on generating new ideas unprompted, I need an environment that's quiet, clean, and pleasant. Let's delve into each of those in a little more detail.
- Quiet: This doesn't just denote a place where there's not a lot of sound, but also a place where there's not a lot going on in general. You can't just throw on noise-cancelling headphones anywhere and expect to be inspired. Likewise, dead silence is ill-advised for most people, because your brain will fill in the gaps, and sometimes it won't be with what you want to be hearing. Some light white noise like a fan, a rushing stream or a cool breeze can help.
- Clean: I'm not talking about floors you can eat off of, though those are always good. I mean a place that's not cluttered, and smells nice, or at the very least, doesn't stink. If you have kids and cats, for example, a living room strewn with toys where the cat has recently dropped a deuce is not going to cut it. Your best bet, if it's feasible, is to step outside. Failing that option, pick an area that doesn't have a lot of stuff sitting around. You'd be surprised how much a disorganized space can disrupt your mind.
- Pleasant: By all means, brainstorm at Disney World! Right? Right...? Nah. Rather than an area where there's something going on meant to actively please, I mean an area that you like being in. This generally also means an area that you don't associate with other activities. Sitting in your favorite speaker-laden gaming beanbag in the den with a ThinkPad across your lap is a recipe for distraction, and settling into an area usually used for less pleasant work to do some brainstorming and writing will result in bad juju, so to speak. Your brain won't be in the right mode.
The tools
Here's what I use when I brainstorm. This is all gear that's meant to get out of your way and serve its purpose, leaving you less to think about besides what you're trying to brainstorm.
- Lenovo ThinkPad X220: My personal daily driver laptop, and one of the last to feature IBM's great classic ThinkPad keyboard. It's just powerful enough for anything besides heavy gaming or graphic design, the keyboard is amazingly comfortable, and thanks to the TrackPoint, you never have to take your hands off of it during use. It also sports great battery life, so long as you buy a genuine Lenovo battery for it. It's the perfect writing machine, in my humble opinion, and if you want one, you can find them by the dozen on eBay, all with dirt-cheap price tags.
- SkullCandy S2CDW "Method": I found my pair lying on the beach, and I love them. (I searched for the owner, I promise) I honestly wouldn't have bought a pair on my own, but that's dumb of me. I highly recommend that you do, if you're in the market. Sound is great, though not amazing, and the battery can last up to 8 hours of continuous listening on the lower volumes. Above all, they're extremely comfortable, and that's key when it comes to headphones you're going to use while doing something mentally intensive.
The actual process, step by step
Step 1: Scout a spot
Take your paper notebook, laptop, phone, stone tablet or other recording or writing device to a good area as described above. Settle in, then wait five minutes to see if you're going to be disturbed. Use this time to mentally prepare yourself.
Step 2: Tunage
Put either calm or blood-pumping music on the headphones. No understandable lyrics. This means either music with no vocals, or music in a language that you don't speak. I personally prefer Japanese rock and Korean pop, but to each their own. If you'd like to hear some of my favorites, here's a song that I personally think of as the pinnacle of J-Rock, and here's an acoustic K-Pop mix that'll get your brain juices flowing.
Step 3: Think of what type of story you want to tell
Are you looking to make something that centers around romance? Something with a lot of action? An intrigue drama? Maybe a whodunit? Think about your genre, let some story ideas flow, and think of genre mainstays. Horror writers may look to Stephen King for inspiration, for example.
Step 4: Write your character's name
Seriously. Just pick a name, it doesn't matter what it is, and write it down. Then write an action, a feeling, a descriptor, whatever. This is a quick way to put an anchor point in a story and start on a solid foundation. This is how you'll make your idea and outline. Once you've got something to jump off...
Step 5: Start writing in earnest
Don't sweat the first draft. Seriously, just write. Even if what you write ends up sucking, it's better than not writing at all. You lose all races that you never run in, after all. Write some run-on sentences, write some dialog, write pointless drivel for all anybody cares, just get an idea in your head and start writing. Focus, reason, coherence... those will all come. You can always trim the fat later.
If you followed this tutorial, then congratulations, you've just brainstormed a story idea, and are well on your way to becoming an established writer! You can put your stuff on a blog like this one, like i did over on my fiction blog, or you can wait until you've completed a book and throw it on Amazon, or anywhere else you want to put it. There are also literary agents and other people you can interact with in this space who will help you amplify your creativity, refine your product, and reach more readers.
Step 3: Think of what type of story you want to tell
Are you looking to make something that centers around romance? Something with a lot of action? An intrigue drama? Maybe a whodunit? Think about your genre, let some story ideas flow, and think of genre mainstays. Horror writers may look to Stephen King for inspiration, for example.
Step 4: Write your character's name
Seriously. Just pick a name, it doesn't matter what it is, and write it down. Then write an action, a feeling, a descriptor, whatever. This is a quick way to put an anchor point in a story and start on a solid foundation. This is how you'll make your idea and outline. Once you've got something to jump off...
Step 5: Start writing in earnest
Don't sweat the first draft. Seriously, just write. Even if what you write ends up sucking, it's better than not writing at all. You lose all races that you never run in, after all. Write some run-on sentences, write some dialog, write pointless drivel for all anybody cares, just get an idea in your head and start writing. Focus, reason, coherence... those will all come. You can always trim the fat later.
If you followed this tutorial, then congratulations, you've just brainstormed a story idea, and are well on your way to becoming an established writer! You can put your stuff on a blog like this one, like i did over on my fiction blog, or you can wait until you've completed a book and throw it on Amazon, or anywhere else you want to put it. There are also literary agents and other people you can interact with in this space who will help you amplify your creativity, refine your product, and reach more readers.
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