This Tuesday’s Tips is brought to us by Dr. Eric Stottlemyer.
I never like to interfere with a writer’s process if that process works or leads to a desired outcome. If Never Brainstorming works for you, then Never Brainstorm away, I say. If you’re feeling adventurous, however, brainstorming can be a wonderfully creative and profoundly engaging way to access your inventive mind, and I guarantee that it will lead you into surprising mental territory. Think of your brain as a primordial sea and the act of brainstorming a 15-million-volt electrical charge: life emerges suddenly from nothing (or seemingly from nothing). We don’t write to reflect our thoughts, but more accurately to create them, and when we brainstorm by using writing, we do so without judging or restricting ourselves in any way whatsoever. This is critical, so it’s worth repeating: when brainstorming—whether free-writing, concept mapping, thought bubbling, or whatever else your amazing mind can generate—don’t judge. Just write. Then witness the amazing ideas as they emerge from the primordial sea.