My favorite brainstorming method is combining the thing I want to get ideas for and random words.
THE FORCED ASSOCIATION METHOD
Here's how to do it: First generate a list of whatever words pop into your mind as you go through the alphabet (you get to skip X and Z). For example:
ARCH
BLOWHARD
CRISIS
DEPLOY
EAGLE
FRANCE
GOLEM
HYSTERIA
INSULATION
JOCULAR
KINETIC
LABOR
MICRO
NEEDLE
OVERWHELM
PUS
QUERY
ROYAL
STANDARD
TREMBLE
UV LAMP
VICTIM
WASTEGROUND
YOUNG
I like having at least 2 or 3 lists like this at the start of a brainstorming session. Then it's time to start combining.
Let's say I'm trying to come up with ideas for short instructional videos about different aspects of scriptwriting.
"Arch" makes me think of the arch dialogue in screwball comedies.
It also brings to mind movies in which a mysterious setting, like a cathedral with many arches, is important.
How to write screwball comedy dialogue, How to use setting to create the tone of your script: two viable topics.
It works for pretty much anything. Let's say you want to come up with a way to promote your self-published book.
"Blowhard" is what people might call you if you blow your own trumpet too much, so maybe you'd create a character who could do it for you, and feature that comedic character on your blog or in a video.
"Crisis" might make you think about the biggest crisis in your book (if it's a novel), and that might make a good hook for your promotions: "What would YOU do if you (describe the biggest crisis)?"
GO WHEREVER THE COMBINATION LEADS YOU
Sometimes the prompt word leads you to think of something which in turn leads you to think of something else, and the idea you come up with ends up not having much of a relationship to the original prompt--that's fine.
For instance, staying with the book promotion challenge, the word "deploy" makes me think of the military, which makes me think of battles, which makes me wonder whether another author and I could generate interest in our books by having a friendly feud on social media.
DON'T GET STUCK
If a word doesn't generate any thoughts, move on to the next one.
QUANTITY OVER QUALITY
The key is to generate as many ideas as possible as quickly as possible, without judging. Some of them will be bad! Maybe most of them. That's OK. One gem may be all you need. Hold off judging the ideas until you have a lot of them.
YOUR TURN
Give it a try. Let me know how you get on, either in the comments or via email to [email protected].
