There are many ways you can generate ideas you can use for your stories, articles and other creative pieces. Start with the three ways given below:
1. Put Your 5 Senses to Work
A simple but effective way to generate fresh ideas from a single concept, idea or object is to describe or illustrate it using the 5 senses -- sight, smell, touch, taste, sound.
For you to do: Generate 5 specific images or concrete examples (one example for each sense) for the following:
2. Take Advantage of Your Conflicts
Conflict is a part of life. It's also a source of creativity. You only need to look at yourself and examine your experiences to come up with ideas based on conflicts.
For you to do: What's stopping you from doing something? Who is in the way of you getting what you want? What's stopping you from taking a career leap? Brainstorm for conflicts in your life and come up with at least 15 in your list.
3. It's OK to Call People Names
Generate nicknames or terms that capture the lifestyles, attitudes or characteristics of certain groups of people.
For example, the nicknames I came up for the kind of people I encountered on the bus when I used to commute to work and back were: space-hog, slumper, fidgeter and refined. The terms described how the people on the bus behaved as they sat. [They were useful because I was able to avoid the space-hogs and the fidgeters when choosing a seat. Sitting beside a slumper was all right, since most slumpers kept their slumps within their space ;o)]
For you to do: Generate nicknames or terms for the following groups of people:
Begin using these 3 simple ways of generating ideas today. Before long, you'll be churning out one idea after another with ease. That's creativity at work!
About The Author
Copyright (c) 2004 Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ
Shery is the developer of creative, motivating and fun e-mail courses for writers. Sign up and take an e-mail course today...free! http://writingbliss.com
maide service in Lincolnshire ..I've seen it time and again. One of the most... Read More
Writers are notorious collectors of slips of paper. They tear... Read More
Think you can't write a book that will sell? You... Read More
Not all writers write good grammar. That's a fact. It's... Read More
The first five pages of a novel are critical.Editors make... Read More
According to one of my previous articles, whenever a Southerner... Read More
Remember back in the dark days of your school years... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?Your theme has to be something you... Read More
It would be very selfless or noble of me to... Read More
Quite a few years ago, I enrolled in a Degree... Read More
If your dream is to get published, the chance is... Read More
Finding the time to write a novel is one of... Read More
Interesting characters that readers care about are the most important... Read More
Becoming an author is probably a lot easier than you... Read More
Sometimes I can be dense when it comes to realizing... Read More
Building a new website can be extremely exciting. Seeing your... Read More
As writers, we initially tend to be either more cerebral... Read More
Writing a sales letter doesn't have to be that difficult... Read More
Creating incredible characters can be easy if you know of... Read More
If you think proofreading equals editing, then you're wrong! Editing... Read More
Writing can be more difficult that just compiling your thoughts... Read More
Proofreading worksheets are a great tool to help individuals open... Read More
By far, I have found that the lack of discipline... Read More
Q. My writing sounds stiff and stilted. Help!A. Memories of... Read More
There are three ways to write a first draft. One... Read More
cleaning lady near Deerfield ..To write books for readers at an elementary reading level... Read More
Technology vendors often contribute bylined articles to trade journals. The... Read More
Whether you are working for a small business, large corporation,... Read More
If your writing muscle isn't in shape, writing a novel... Read More
10 - You will always have a job. As long... Read More
I've seen it time and again. One of the most... Read More
Writing papers and book reports has long been the bane... Read More
It is certainly true that we don't get a second... Read More
Next time you're tempted to use italics for emphasis... STOP!"Why?"... Read More
Want to write your book? But, need a blueprint on... Read More
Many writers stare at the blank page or clean computer... Read More
EditingExpect, allow, and accept that every first draft will represent... Read More
The dash--that curious mark of punctuation people use in their... Read More
If you dream of turning your book into a best... Read More
Having trouble finding a solution to a nagging problem? Try... Read More
With the advent of email communications in the workplace, it's... Read More
Many writers write for the experience. Others dream of having... Read More
What am I going to write about?Which topic is the... Read More
It was reported that the great American author Sinclair Lewis... Read More
There is a psychological nuisance so powerful that can deflate... Read More
You are the only one who knows what being a... Read More
There are various forms of structure, including frameworks, work processes... Read More
If you are like most writers, you're constantly searching for... Read More
'Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always... Read More
The first five pages of a novel are critical.Editors make... Read More
Writing |