Four Ways to Make Brainstorming Work for You as a Writer

by Sarah Sally Hamer @SarahSallyHamer

One of my favorite things to do, brainstorming is usually defined as a way to formulate new ideas from the creative side of our brain by allowing those ideas to flow. 

Our brains are amazing, allowing us to coordinate thoughts and ideas based on our experiences. We get triggered, usually by an outside stimulus, and millions of brain cells start to vibrate. That stimulus finds cells which are all connected to a specific memory—an association and conglomeration of concepts about a specific thing—and causes a visceral response. In other words, the sight of a snake is going to bring up layers upon layers of associative memories about what your parents, your siblings, your teachers, your preachers, and your own experiences have led you to believe about snakes and your body will immediately react, usually either with interest or fear. 

So, how does this help us with brainstorming our writing?

The beauty of brainstorming is two-fold: 

• a) We can plumb the depths of our own brain to create characters and situations that leap off the page, and/or 
• b), we can also get feedback from people who all have different experiences. 

Imagine this scenario: 

You're having problems with a character or a plot point. You've thought and thought and thought and you're still struggling. So, you call a friend. Or two. Around a table with a hot beverage you all start talking about the story line, utilizing the experiences and creativity of all of you. Soon, the ideas are flying, some great, some just silly. But, as you build on each other, perhaps something amazing will come out of it, something you can use to make your book work the way you want it to.

Now with all this information, how can we make brainstorming work better?

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• 1. Pick people who help you to let go of at least some inhibitions. I find my long-standing critique group of dear friends help me the most. We find a table at a restaurant where we can giggle and get excited and make all the noise we want and go to it. Even strangers might have useful information—ask people what they think. Listen to folks around you as they tell their stories—sometimes, truth is indeed stranger than fiction. 

• 2. I can also brainstorm on my own. I use the mind mapping program www.brain.com (they have a free level), a notebook, or even the back of a napkin to write down ideas. Start with a notion and come up with as many ideas as you can, even if they sound crazy!

• 3. Just let the things flow. Don't censure anything. You may not use anything you come up with, but you may find a crazy idea that leads to the perfect one for your story.

• 4. Don’t feel that you have to take even a single idea that comes up in a brainstorming session. It's not about specific situations, it's about loosening up your creativity and finding great ideas inside of you.

Bottom Line 

The power of brainstorming is in the flow of creativity. In this crazy world of ours, all too often we get restricted by too many things going on and we can't let our minds wander. Remember, Burton Rascoe said: A writer is working when he’s (or she's) staring out the window. So I hope you can find a window to stare out of.

Do you brainstorm? How?

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4 Ways to Make Brainstorming Work for You as a Writer from @SarahSallyHamer on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Sarah (Sally) Hamer, B.S., MLA, is a lover of books, a teacher of writers, and a believer in a good story. Most of all, she is eternally fascinated by people and how they 'tick'. She’s passionate about helping people tell their own stories and has won awards at both local and national levels, including two Golden Heart finals.

A teacher of memoir, beginning and advanced creative fiction writing, and screenwriting at Louisiana State University in Shreveport for over twenty years, she also teaches online for Margie Lawson at WWW.MARGIELAWSON.COM. Sally is a free-lance editor and book coach, with many of her students and clients becoming successful, award-winning authors. 

You can find her at info@mindpotential.org 

From Sally: I wish to express gratitude to the giants upon whose shoulders I stand and who taught me so much about the writing craft. I would list every one, if it were only possible.

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I get asked this question a lot. There is so much information out there—and most of it incorrect or at least misleading—that we’re all afraid to just ask Google for help. So today I’m going to share some of the places I got to get information and verify the information I get. 

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Choosing to be a writer can be a daunting prospect. It involves courage, creativity, and yes, commitment. When we’re unwilling to make that commitment, we can doom ourselves to failure before we’ve had a chance to succeed. 

This post isn’t meant to beat anyone up, but rather to make us aware of some of the things that could be holding us back on our writing journey.

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The following is what I experienced one spring, following a difficult winter. 

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Simply put, your audience needs to believe it. They need to be convinced that you are giving them an accurate depiction of who your character is, what they are like, and what they must accomplish over the course of the telling. Here are a few key tips to help writers enhance the credibility and believability of characters.

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We’ve all heard story is about conflict and tension. And that is definitely true.

Stories about happy people living in Happy Valley don’t excite readers. Frankly, they can be boring. 

The story becomes a story when something disrupts the status quo. As John LeCarré once said, “The cat sat on the mat is not a story. The cat sat on the dog’s mat—now that’s a story.” 

Here’s another way to look at it: Stories are about the pursuit of happiness. It’s even in the Declaration of Independence. Happiness is unique to each individual.