Some say that writing is thinking. And thinking begins with questions. So one of our main tasks, as writers, is to ask good questions.
But how do you come up with them? You have two options: use ChatGPT or use your brain. Some help with the latter approach can be found in “The Elements of Writing: The Only Writing Guide You Will Ever Need” by Charles Euchner.
In the chapter “Questions and Brainstorming,” he writes that “the mind … works like a search engine. When you ask a question, your mind Googles the brain.” He then goes on to list the nine steps for brainstorming ideas.
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1. Prime yourself
Before brainstorming, do as much research as possible. When you read a book or article, write down a label for each major idea in the margins. That way, when you go back to brainstorm, you can review all the key concepts in a few minutes.
2. Keep a notebook
Bring a notebook wherever you go. Whenever you have an insight — especially about the topic of your writing — jot it down. Some people like an old-fashioned paper notebook.
Others prefer to use their electronic devices. If you go electronic, try Evernote. This free app helps you jot down ideas wherever you are — on your phone, tablet, or computer. When you write in one place, it syncs automatically.
3. See everything at once
Too often we think serially. We have one thought, then another, then another, and so on. But you need to see all your ideas at once. So grab a big sheet of paper to hold all your ideas.
4. Ask lots of questions
The brain loves questions. When you ask yourself a question, the brain shifts into search mode. It comes up with all kinds of possibilities, rather than resistance.
That’s why brainstorming is so powerful. It sends our brains into search mode. And when it searches, it opens up your whole mind — even ideas that have been buried for years.
5. Rush
Too often we suppress our good ideas before they have a chance to flower. We self-edit, deleting half-baked ideas when they might offer value. So let the ideas just flow. Don’t worry if they’re good or bad. You can sort out them later.
By rushing, we have a chance to make creative associations. Innovation occurs when we connect two things or ideas that no one connected before.
As Einstein noted, “combinatory play seems to be the essential feature in productive thought.” We cannot combine unlike things if we don’t think of them first. So release all restrictions on your mind, at first anyway.
6. Move from sloppy to ordered to sloppy
Once you have filled your sheet with a mass of divergent ideas, see if you can spot patterns. Arrange items into different categories. Draw lines to indicate connections between ideas.
Don’t worry if all the ideas do not fit under your categories or groupings. That’s a good sign. It means you have room to grow. So start to brainstorm again, with abandon.
Then look for ideas to eliminate, either because they are redundant or just uninteresting.
7. Use idea prompts
To discover ideas, sometimes we need a gentle push. We need the beginning of a thought, with the implicit challenge to complete the thought. Prompts provide those nudges.
Idea prompts put you right in the middle of a problem, like this: Your company’s energy costs are twice as much as your competitor’s — so how can you compete? Your hospital just cut its budget for critical diagnostic equipment — how can you serve patients just as well? Commuters can’t take the main highway for a year during reconstruction—how to accommodate the region’s growing traffic?
8. Mix Words and Images
Whenever possible, draw charts and pictures. Show how ideas relate to each other. When you scribble images, you excite your mind. You move away from linear thinking — first one thing, then another, then another … You can see a whole bunch of ideas, and how they relate to each other, at a glance.
Simple stick figures work fine. Use them to illustrate the relations among characters (who), their passions and activities (what), the timing of actions (when), the location of activities (where), the reasoning behind activities (why), and their methods (how).
Try storyboarding. For every scene of section of your writing, draw a simple picture that expresses what’s going on. Use 4×6 cards. Make a card for every idea. When you have all your ideas—or most of them—start arranging them into different formats. You’ll discover at least a few ideas that are missing.
9. Chunk and Sort Your Ideas
Once you display all these ideas, you need to arrange them. Grab another sheet of paper and create a schematic drawing of all your ideas. Try to identify the three or four major themes. Give each theme a memorable “tabloid headline.” Create a hierarchy. Use arrows to show causality. Use big letters to show the fundamental ideas, smaller letters to show lesser ideas. Use bullets to indicate evidence.
Euchner concludes:
After brainstorming, you will have a messy piece of paper with all you need to figure out complex problems. Think of the ideas on that brainstorming sheet as raw materials. With those raw materials, you can now design and build something of value.
Complement “The Elements of Writing” with our article that answers this question: “What is the most important skill in the age of AI?”
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