A Tree Full of Ideas

To this point, I’ve been offering insights like you already have an idea to write. Silly me, I forgot that this isn’t always the case. Though I will also note that you aren’t alone if you can’t sit down and just start writing -- that blank page intimidates people.

Some writers need to unwind their mind so that they can write. J K Rowling always talked about playing Mine Sweeper on her blog when writing the Harry Potter series. Personally, I play a few games of solitaire, either Spider or FreeCell, to release the burden on my mind.

But that’s just wasting time! Actually, it’s not. Most gurus of Eastern Philosophy would call it “freeing your mind of the mundane world.” Psychologists might call it “disassociation.” Creative types like us, we just call it “unwinding.” Whatever it’s called, the primary act is to open the pathways to allow ideas to flow. If the mind is stuck in the worldly problems of finances, home repair, work stress, and general life issues, it won’t want to allow that elf to frolic with the centaur through the trees.

As Morpheus told Neo in The Matrix – “Free your Mind.”

Go ahead. I’ll wait.

It’s still not working?
Okay, let’s try something else. Think about your favorite movie, television show, book, song, or webpage.

Whoops! Stay with me, I’m not done yet.

The trunk of your Idea Tree is the item you’re thinking about. Forget the plot of the item you’re thinking about and start writing down concepts that they throw out within the script or text. Just remember, as you do this, you’re not looking for plot points. What you’re looking for is the broad concepts. These create the larger limbs of the Idea Tree. Think of these as the limbs that you could use to climb the tree.

Once you have a list of broad concepts, start thinking about each of the concepts and breaking them down. These are the branches that fill the tree and make it large and fluffy. You may have to create a few branches from one subject to find a concept that works. Whittle the concepts down to find a unique idea that works for you.

The final fruit from this will be a concept from which you can write a story.

Let me offer an example to show where I got one of my many ideas.
The movie was I, Robot starring Will Smith.

Broad concepts:
Robots, police, motorcycles, cars, war, civil disobedience, war, medical advances, death

All of these are very broad categories. I needed something more narrowed so I started with the first one on the list.

Robots – artificial intelligence, androids, useful tools, human like, functional, mobile

As I did this, I realized that the narrowing might become something like a vine as it pulled in parts of other concepts already listed.

Robots – Useful Tools – in construction, in war, in medicine
Robots – Useful Tools, Artificial Intelligence – In War – revolts, revolutions, battle lines super soldiers

My final concept came out of this line:
Robots – Useful Tools, Artificial Intelligence – In War – Revolts

It became a series of questions: WHAT IF humans no longer fought wars, but they sent robots to do the fighting? And WHAT IF they lost control of their war robots as they developed an artificial intelligence?

This concept does draw some from its source. I won’t deny the inspiration of the story. It’s hard to avoid leaning on Asimov in science fiction when dealing with Robots. That said, I still must create a unique story. From my perspective, it looks like I might have.

Now I used a piece of popular media as a convenient starting point for these trees because they have base concepts that are easy to find and break open like eggs. After a while, you’ll find that broad concepts that want you’re writing to bring into focus. They don’t require a media focus for the trunk, they become the trunk.

For me, because I do these regularly, it takes five to ten minutes to develop a story concept. When you first start, it will take longer. It may absorb your writing session -- or the next two. That’s okay. You’ll have the ideas bouncing around your melon, forming plot, setting, and character, until you sit down again for another writing session.

Then you’ll be good to go.

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Today's post was inspired by the topic “Where did you get your latest idea?” as part of the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour, http://merrygoroundtour.blogspot.com/. This ongoing tour allows you, the reader, travel around the world from author's blog to author's blog.

Don’t miss tomorrow’s posting over at: http://www.sjreisner.com/

If you want to get to know nearly twenty other writers, check out the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour: http://merrygoroundtour.blogspot.com/

A Gathering of Ideas

Okay, so we’ve gotten into the habit of writing. We found a good spot, a good time, where we can concentrate on the page and put the words forth from our brain to the paper or computer screen. That first idea is moving right along. Characters seem to almost talk to us as we write. The Muse broke from her chains of educational restriction and she’s stretched her wings to allow your imagination to flow.

As such, our mental door receives a knock when we sit down to write.

This is a new character, a new story idea. It’s something shiny and new. Wait a minute! The previous idea isn’t complete yet! What do we do?

This is where pundits in the field differ in opinions and where your true journey gains its first hurdle. Listen to your fellow writers, but also listen to yourself, as it’s your journey, not theirs.

From my experience, this point gives you choices. These choices base themselves on what works best for you, the writer. I’m going to touch on three, but it covers a whole spectrum between the three. You’re first choice is to grab that clean piece of paper, or open a new document in the word processor, and begin writing that new idea. Keep going until the idea won’t flow any more. A second choice is to write the idea’s concepts and basics out, but continue writing the first idea until you complete it. The final choice is to ignore the new idea entirely, maintaining just one writing project at a time.

Each choice offers their positives and negatives. It’s why I said this is the first hurdle. Within your mind, you know which works best for you and your personal organization. Let’s look at each one a little bit.
Choice one has us just begin the new idea. Let’s look at a few concepts about this. We don’t lose the idea. The idea rolls from the pen or fingers, like a shiny new car off the lot of a dealership. We write new words. If each session, we constantly start new ideas, the old ideas start to tarnish, to fester, and they may never reach completed status. Characters from the other ideas will look hurt, may not want to work with you and your Muse. However, this is just my thoughts, and you may be different. Complete the idea each session, this doesn’t become problematic.

Choice two offers a middle of the road solution. Here’s a few concepts to consider for this choice. Again, we don’t lose the idea. You can develop the idea better, as you have concepts and characters. List the research of what you want to accomplish. It may lead to a stronger piece, one better than the first idea. It may not. From your concept sketch, you may find that the idea is crap and trash it. It might need more time to develop until you feel ready for it, or until more details come to you.

Choice three hits the opposite extreme, with completely ignoring the idea. It allows you to concentrate on the idea that you’ve already started. The present characters work well with you and your writing. You’ve lost the new shiny idea. It may never come back to your mind. If you run into a wall with the present writing, you can’t switch to the idea you chose to leave behind. It’s your choice on how to proceed.
No one can say that any one choice is right.

I know writers that have four drawer legal sized filing cabinets filled with story ideas. Others have spiral notebooks with quick jotted notes about this concept, or that character, or overheard dialogue that sparked something and encouraged their Muse. Still others, many started files on their computer. Personally, I have a little of all three, with files of ideas, many computer files, as well as quick jotted notes.

Your personal organization will dictate your best approach to new ideas. For those that already write, I'd love to hear what your approach is.