Writers On The Move: Brainstorming

Showing posts with label Brainstorming. Show all posts

Creativity Sparks the Writing Practice

Creativity Sparks the Writing Practice by Deborah Lyn Stanley

Brainstorming is a technique for generating ideas and creative solutions. It’s a wonderful way to grab a bundle of topic and story ideas. Several pathways can be used for group or solo gathering.

Creativity of any kind is helpful.
* Do you love art? Check out paintings from the masters online.
* Do you stitch or work with yarn? There’ are lots of videos on YouTube.
* Do you paint or draw? A walk-in nature is sure to inspire!
* Ever wished to paint? Check out Facebook groups or Pinterest.

My first experience of brainstorming happened during a company training session. A problem was presented and discussion began, guided by a facilitator. Throughout the discussion, ideas written on small pages lined the walls. Each participant was encouraged to contribute, no idea is too quirky to build upon. When each member is involved in developing solutions, it’s more likely to find a solution.

Four Techniques have been used for Effective Brainstorming:
1.    Starbursting focuses on forming questions instead of answers, beginning with who, what, where, when, and why.
2.    Mind Mapping may be the most classical approach and the one seen most often. The written goal is noted in a center circle, with lines branching out to subtopics, and again for subcategories. Circled notes continue as ideas continue to form.
3.    Blind Writing is free-form writing, forcing you to put pen to paper for a minimum of 10 minutes to open up fresh ideas. The one rule is that you must keep writing for those 10 minutes.
4.    Reverse Storming is idea generation in the opposite, gathering ideas of how I can stop a goal from succeeding. It helps to uncover fresh approaches.

For additional information see: https://www.edrawsoft.com/MindMap-Examples.php

Deborah Lyn Stanley is an author of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and stories. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts.
Visit her My Writer’s Life website at: https://deborahlynwriter.com/
Visit her caregiver’s website: https://deborahlyncaregiver.com/

Mom & Me: A Story of Dementia and the Power of God’s Love is available:
https://www.amazon.com/Deborah-Lyn-Stanley/
& https://books2read.com/b/valuestories

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Create a Strategy that Delivers Great Content

What does it take to promote your writing, be it articles, stories or books? Indeed, the answer is much more than Sales Pitches and Events.

How do you tell your readers or a prospective publisher what you are about? How does your promotion offer benefit the reader? The answers are: your Author Platform, your Branding, and your Website. It’s the way you inform and engage your audience. This week we’ll talk about Great Content, and developing a Strategic Plan.

Points for brainstorming your strategic plan to deliver great content:
1.    The WHAT: Writing a series of five, six or ten articles focused on one theme
2.    The HOW of delivery is via quality information in text, graphics, video and audio. We are not entitled to our reader’s attention. Deliver content that grabs their interest early, and make it good for the quick-look reader.
3.    Change up the presentation by offering an article in text with audio as well.
4.    Make it original, relevant and valuable while staying focused on your theme.
5.    Also, make it substantial and in-depth even when it requires 1000 words or more.
6.    The WHY: Connecting with your audience which leads to engagement and sharing
7.    WHEN you build Connection, readers are more likely to follow by taking Action
8.    Build an archive of your content articles in preparation for creating a good online course. An organized file archive is enormously helpful in repurposing your best articles for additional opportunities.

Use proven structures essential for effective SEO:
1.    Headlines, and sub-headlines, that command attention
2.    Focused introductory sentences
3.    Provide information that solves a problem
4.    Limit the message to one central point
5.    Stand out with lists or listicles, for quick reads
6.    Use relevant links, and test them

Great Content = Successful Marketing
Be the best in your niche!

Shake it Up: A Creative Writing Activity

Are you itching to start a new project? Want to work on something different? Stuck in a rut? Shake things up.

Here's a fun exercise that will get you out of your normal writing routine and will hopefully help you embark on a fun, creative journey.

Take a piece of paper and write out at least 50 possibilities. Anything goes. This can range from story ideas, genres, and formats to marketing initiatives (create a contest, start a newsletter, plan an event) and social media options (go live on Facebook, post a quote graphic, update your LinkedIn).

Note: If you prefer, you can type up your list - double-spaced - and print it out.

Now, cut these out into individual strips. Put them in a hat or box. Then, when you have some downtime or scheduled writing time, "shake it up," and choose one. Whatever you choose, you must do.

Here are a few optional rules/variations:

1. You have the option to put the first item back, but you have to do the second thing you pick. And then next three times, you are not allowed to choose an alternate.

2. Divide your ideas into different boxes, based on the amount of time the activity will take, and choose based on your schedule.

3. Separate them into different boxes. One for ideas and another for formats. Pick one from each box, and then you have to write whatever idea you pick into whichever format. For instance, if you choose "blue" and "social media post," you must find a way to write a post on that topic, however you interpret blue. Could be the color or emotion. It's up to you.

No matter what you are working on as your primary project, it never hurts to explore a different genre or format. You never know where new ideas may lead! Good luck and have fun.

What items are going on your list? How do you plan to shake things up? Please share in the comments.

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Debra Eckerling is a writer, editor and project catalyst, as well as founder of Write On Online, a live and online writers’ support group. Like the Write On Online Facebook Page and join the Facebook Group. She is author of Write On Blogging: 51 Tips to Create, Write & Promote Your Blog and Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages, and host of the Guided Goals Podcast and the #GoalChat Twitter Chat. Debra is an editor at Social Media Examiner and a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.

Writing - Brainstorming for Ideas

Brainstorming is a technique for generating ideas and creative solutions. Several formats and can be utilized for a group, one on one, or independently.

My first experience was during a company training session. A problem was presented and discussion guided by a facilitator. Throughout the discussion, ideas written on postett notes lined the walls. Each participant was encouraged to contribute, no idea too quirky to build upon. When each member is involved in developing solutions, they’re much more likely committed to see it through.

It is interesting that in studies individual brainstorming generates more and often better ideas than group storming because people find they can be freer and more creative without dread of group egos.

Five Techniques for Effective Brainstorming:

1.    Brain Writing is a technique to get everyone in a group involved in the generating of ideas. The basic process is to separate the idea generation from discussion. Each individual writes their ideas then submits to the facilitator directly. Often, away from distraction and public opinion, this format develops more unique ideas.

2.    Starbursting focuses on forming questions instead of answers, beginning with who, what, where, when and why.

3.    Mind Mapping may be the most classical approach and the one I've seen most often. The written goal is noted in a center circle, with lines branching out to subtopics, and again for subcategories. Circled notes continue as ideas continue to form.

4.    Blind Writing is freeform writing, forcing you to put pen to paper for a minimum of 10 minutes to open up fresh ideas. The one rule is that you must keep writing for those 10 minutes.

5.    Reverse Storming is idea generation in the opposite, gathering ideas of how I can stop a goal from succeeding. It helps to uncover new approaches.

For additional information see: https://www.mindtools.com/brainstm.html
https://www.edrawsoft.com/MindMap-Examples.php

Deborah Lyn Stanley is a writer of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and story. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts, which she often writes about. Visit her web-blog: Deborah Lyn Stanley : MyWriter's Life .

“Write your best, in your voice, your way!

Journaling: A Writer's Best Friend

Whenever someone asks me how to get unstuck - and believe me, I get this question a lot - my immediate response is journaling.

Whenever someone asks me how to improve their writing, I tell them to start journaling.

Whenever someone asks me how to develop a new idea, I say - you guessed it - journaling.

The concept of journaling typically conjures memories of a tiny book, which harbors your deepest thoughts and secrets, and is locked up with a small key. However, whether you call it journaling, brainstorming, or free-writing, the process of getting words out of your head and onto the page can be cathartic, practice, or solve any number of problems.

Here's how to use journaling to improve your writing, as well as your quality of life.

1. Problem-Solving. It is nearly impossible to solve a problem - writing or other - solely inside your head. Yet, when you write things out and look at them objectively, it helps with clarity and direction.

For example, let's say you don't know what you want your character to do next. Put yourself in your character's shoes and start journaling from their point of view. This will help you take a deeper dive into their background ... and enable them (your characters) to give you a suitable direction.

Let's say you are having trouble with your outline. Journal several scenarios, set them aside, and look at them fresh the next day.

Stream-of-consciousness writing, whether it's as the author of the character, can help you solve a multitude of problems.

2. Practicing. The best way to improve you writing is by writing. The more you do it (practice), the better you become. It's like any sport of form of exercise.

What's a better way to practice writing than journaling. You are writing for yourself, and so you can pretty much put anything you want down on paper ... no audience, no judgement. It also helps you to develop your style and tone. When you write about the things you observe and experience, you don't need to think about it. You can just write, explore, and improve.

Note: Beginning writers, especially, may want to read their journal entries out loud (in private, of course), since that's the best way to catch any mistakes.

3. Pondering. Whether you are deciding the next step in a writing project, or trying to determine what to work on next, take it to your journal. Schedule a little bit of time each day to brainstorm on paper, as a way to explore your options. When you hit on something exciting, you'll know, because that will be all you will be able to journal about. It can also serve as a repository for ideas for future projects. Next time you are ready to start something new, turn to any page in your journal, and see if what you have written ignites a spark.

However you choose to use the practice of journaling is fine. And, remember, you don't only need to use it when you are stuck, need to practice, or explore what's next. It can be used on an ongoing basis to track ideas, observations, and adventures.

How do you use journaling? Please share in the comments.

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Writers On The Move