Brainstorming is considered to be the essential part of any kind of paper writings. It is a preliminary stage that helps the writers understands what’s going into the project. If you are one of those who just wait around for ideas to get to them, completing work can be very difficult. Brainstorming is all about harnessing the power of thinking outside the box. It’s key to finding amazing and unique ideas.
It works best, especially when you are facing writer’s block moments. Brainstorming had been an appropriate method for getting innovative ideas. Like a grammar checker , it is also a perfect tool to develop interesting ideas and contents. This is also a good technique for helping teams learn to work together. It is a simple skill, and all you need is a topic, a pen, and a paper.
This should be your first step towards your writing process. When you know what type of content you will write, the rest of the process becomes easier. However, brainstorming comes with some specific rules and planning. In this blog post, I have shared some ideas that will help you master the art of brainstorming ideas.
- Prepare yourself
You must review the topic and objective of the brainstorm before you start the brainstorming process. You must let others know when and where the session will take place. Give enough time to people to consider research and initiate ideas. These tips especially apply to the introverts who require a bit more time than usual to come out of their shells. Allot enough time for your brainstorming session in a way it does not get distracted by other plans. Consider choosing a more relaxing time where you can concentrate.
However, if you are doing brainstorming alone, make sure that you read through all the notes and research-related topics.
- Note down the main points
When you have a clear direction, brainstorming will work in the best way. It is easier to find ideas when you know exactly what you are looking for. You must write these areas as category titles or headers are the best way to start brainstorming. Just take a piece of paper where you jot down all ideas. It helps with foreseeing what ideas you may want to put on the paper.
- Keep a record of the initial ideas
Make sure you note down the ideas that had been coming into your brainstorming session. It is necessary to write down the easy ideas, no matter how obvious it seems to put down. It will help you get all the ideas in one place. It will help you see what exactly is missing. When you write down your ideas, it creates a neurological effect that involves increased attention. Treat is as a method of clearing your head to “make rooms” to develop new ideas.
- Look out for patterns
Analyse the ideas once you have formed a list of the basic ideas. Find the pattern in your ideas by choosing the ideas you liked most and also the ideas you liked least. You may use any patterns to shape new ideas around what works best for you and steer away from ideas you don’t like. These ideas will be a good opportunity to discuss what you have so far.
- Practice fun writing
If you are involved in doing technical writing or writing something important, your creativity may get rusty. Along with doing important works, it is essential to schedule some time for practicing fun writing. You can earmark for at least 10 minutes a day for fun writing. Just take a blank page and set a timer for 5 minutes. The first few minutes may seem difficult, but after giving some time, your creativity will kick in and surprise you.
- Generate new ideas for missing parts
It is high time to fill in the gaps that you have discovered in the previous step. Brainstorming might be the hardest part of any writing. Often, coming up with new ideas in the missing parts is the difficult part. Here are some brainstorming techniques that you can try:
- Word association
- Pose different “what if” scenarios
- Ask questions
- Develop a swipe file
Maintaining a swipe file is another good idea for this method. Just collect all your interesting copy of the ideas you find in the folder. This can be a great source of your inspiration.
- Brainstorm on a unique title
Before you start your piece, brainstorm a good title. Jot down a list of titles that you think go well with your content. Make sure you do not discard a single idea. Remember, an idea breeds more ideas. So you need to have an open mind. You never know which idea gives you the perfect title for your content.
How to Organise ideas after brainstorming?
By now, your brain has a clear picture of all the points you need to make in your content, it’s time to get into the more straightforward phase of the process. So your next step will be outlining your ideas, so you know where to add specific information. This will help with organising or maintaining the proper order you want. Suppose your title is “20 Ways to Complete Homework Faster”, write down numbers 1 to 20 under each other. Now you have an overall idea of the total length of your piece so divide it by creating planned sections.
Wrapping up,
It is a true fact that you will have better results when you are thinking clearly. If you are too tired after heavy brainstorming, call it a day and come back refreshed on the next day. You will find a step-by-step guide in this blog post on how to develop thoughts and foster inspiration. Coming with great ideas often the hardest part, but brainstorming is a proven technique that can help you generate the best ideas.
