The Benefits of Brainstorming for Writers: Part 1

by Cindy K. Sproles @CindyDevoted

Brainstorming—who needs it? Right? But for the record—we all need to brainstorm with a like-minded person from time to time. Brainstorming is a valuable skill that can help a writer in a pinch or help develop an already “in play” plotline. 

I have a friend who is a gifted brainstormer. Give him one line and his brain runs in a hundred different directions. I gave him my idea of a Civil War soldier with a secret and a box of gold. That was all it took before he’d spit out numerous ideas in minutes—one of which I used. 

The problem is that most don’t understand what this strange bird is much less how brainstorming can benefit them. Let’s begin with the obvious. Not everyone is gifted as a brainstormer. It has to do with how the creative mind works. Just like some are amazing descriptive writers, others can churn out story after story in no time. If your gift is not at the top as a brainstormer, it doesn’t mean your input isn’t just as important. In this two-part blog we’re going to first look at the possibilities of brainstorming and then next month, we’ll delve deeper into some techniques. (Yeah, I know, who’d have thought there were techniques?) But to begin, here are a few tips on brainstorming that will help you understand how the process works.

Types of Brainstorming for Writers

The overachiever brainstormer: That’s my give-him-one-line-and-he-spits-out-a-zillion-ideas friend. Early in our writing careers, I frequently went to him to brainstorm. After a few sessions of back and forth, I began to think I wasn’t the least bit creative. It took some time for me to understand that I really was very creative. Just in a different way. Where my writer friend could conjure up multiple ideas, my gift was taking the idea into a descriptive form. We’re all different. If you are not the lead dog in the brainstorming race, refer to your talents. For me, it was taking the idea and twisting and turning it into the unexpected. I learned just how important it was to bat ideas back and forth with my overachiever brainstorming friend. He could rearrange a plot and pull me out of a writing corner in no time flat. Point: Don’t compare your talents to the overachiever brainstormer. Each one of us is unique and brings a necessary component in the process to the table. It takes practice to learn to banter in the brainstorming process. Be patient. You’ll find your niche and fit right in.

Don’t be afraid to brainstorm: Brainstorming can make a good story, great. So often, new writers feel extremely possessive of their ideas. I hear it frequently. “Someone may take my idea.” Well, I suppose they could, but I refer you back to the Book of Ecclesiastes, and the reminder the writer of the book gives us. There is nothing new under the sun. There is nothing we can do to prevent someone from choosing to be dishonest, no more than we can prevent the rain from falling. Unless you are keeping some shady company, the overwhelming number of trustworthy writers far exceeds those who are not. Choose good peers. Find a great critique group, or buddy up with that one writer who is great with ideas. Brainstorming is a tool that should be in your toolbox and one that is used. As I stated earlier, brainstorming can make a good story great. Your input is important in this process so don’t be afraid to share your ideas and then take them up a notch.

I can just use AI to brainstorm: Yep. You can. AI is a great tool when used properly. Simply type in your plot points, tell the AI you need two or three scenarios and press enter. AI will spit out a couple of ideas. The problem is that you can’t depend on the suggestions to fit into your full story. And, with AI, you lose the personal aspect of one writer striking up an idea and being able to “what if” it. AI is a great tool but use it with caution. Remember, your creativity long outweighs a computer-generated idea that doesn’t understand the feel of your story. The added plus with your writer friends is the relationship factor. There is much more value in a person-to-person relationship versus your local AI.

The Importance of What Ifs: There is nothing better than laying an idea on the table and your writing buddy says, “What if…” They give their idea, and that idea sparks a “what if…” Folks, that is brainstorming. It’s learning to “what if” situations. Let your imagination take an idea and then reimagine it. Some of my best plot twists have come from a writer saying, “But what if…” 

I recently contacted a writer friend to run my changing plot past her. I gave her some of the historical research I’d found, which sparked a memory in her. We began to bounce what-ifs back and forth, each one sparking a new idea until we found the “one.” Suddenly, the tiny piece that made me uncomfortable in the story came to light and everything fell into place. Taking the time to brainstorm with her saved me hours of wondering, worrying, and writing in the wrong direction.

Getting You Out of a Writing Corner: It’s so easy to start down a trail writing in a story and suddenly you’ve written yourself into a box with no way out. I picture this like I’m painting a floor in a room. Suddenly I look up, the door is on the opposite side of the room and I’m in a corner surrounded by wet paint. It happens to writers. A plot that looked so good, pushes you into a corner and becomes unresolvable. Brainstorming can get you out of the corner. Sometimes it just takes other eyes to see the overall picture. Our heads become locked in on a scene or plot that we not only love, but we become so involved in that we forget in its development that we have to add doorways hints, or situations that allow us to get past the scene we’re in. Brainstorming helps find those exits and it helps make the resolve believable. We may find a way out on our own but it’s so pushed that the resolve seems unbelievable to the reader. When others come in behind you and work ideas alongside you, the things you’ve missed will become clear and suddenly you can backtrack, insert, and rework. Then, there’s your answer. Never underestimate the power of two heads working together. There’s meaning to “two heads are better than one.

Finally, don’t be afraid to try something new: This is hard for many of us. We find ourselves snugged into a comfortable spot unwilling to make changes to the work we’ve done. Mary Kay Ashe, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics once said, “Much is lost if but for a little more work.” Wiser words could have never been spoken. Learning to be open to new ideas is scary especially when it means considering changes to the labor of love we call our work in progress. Brainstorming offers us a wonderful opportunity to hone our story. But, we have to take the risk. I’ve often been asked what my best writing advice is. I would have to say it’s don’t marry your words. When you marry your words, there is no room for the unexpected. Remember, there are always better words. We simply have to be open to taking risks, opening our minds to new possibilities that can swing open the door to amazing things. You only have to be willing. 

Give brainstorming a try and see what develops.

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The Benefits of Brainstorming for Writers: Part 1 from @CindyDevoted on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Cindy K. Sproles is an author, speaker, and conference teacher. Having served for a number of years as a managing editor for Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas and Ironstream Media, Cindy now works as a mentor, coach, and freelance editor. She is the co-founder of Writing Right Author Mentoring Services with Lori Marett and she is the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference. Cindy is also the co-founder of Christian Devotions Ministries and WWW.CHRISTIANDEVOTIONS.US, as well as WWW.INSPIREAFIRE.COM. Her devotions are in newspapers and magazines nationwide, and her novels have become award-winning best-selling works. She is a popular speaker at conferences and a natural encourager. Cindy is a mountain girl, born and raised in the Appalachian mountains, where she and her husband still reside. She has raised four sons and now resorts to raising chickens where the pecking order is easier to manage. You can visit Cindy at WWW.CINDYSPROLES.COM or www.wramsforwriters.com.