No Ideas? 8 Techniques to Spark Ideas
Generating ideas to write about can be very difficult for writers. Many get stuck in Writer's Block due to lack of ideas or not being able to generate enough ideas to find something they like.
It's really common to get stuck on the idea generation part of the pre-writing process. Talk to any writer and they will tell you they've been stuck before while trying to come up new ideas.
This can be for any kind of writing, blogs, short stories, articles, research papers, essays, and novels.
Idea generation is a vital part of the pre-writing process because all writing comes from an idea that someone had at some point. Sometimes ideas can be mixed and matched, combined, or altered in our brains (or on paper).
Without ideas we wouldn't have any art, including stories.
Luckily there are ways to get the most out of the brainstorming and idea generation process!
1) You need to be bored.
Boredom can be a good thing. Sure, it's annoying and frustrating to sit through, but you might be able to generate ideas better while bored.
If you're constantly bombarded with stimuli from your phone, your work, or your life, you might struggle to generate new ideas.
Embrace being bored for a short period of time per day. Sit and do nothing. Stare at a wall, think quietly, or meditate. Go outside and watch a tree or a blade of grass. Your thoughts might land on some idea and inspiration.
2) Note-Taking: Writing the idea NOW
Ever had an idea hit you and then forgot it almost instantly? Yeah, that happens to many, many people.
That's why it's super important to always keep a notes app or notepad handy. Some notes apps even allow you to dictate your thoughts directly to the notes (or use voice notes) so you don't have to take the time to type it.
When the idea hits you, you want to get in the habit of recording it immediately. Even if you jot something that might remind you of the idea to look at later.
If you're busy, try repeating it in your head over and over again until you can get to a place to record it.
3) Do Activities
Ideas can strike suddenly while doing something else. They can strike when cleaning, cooking, shopping, doing laundry, or taking a shower.
This is why you want to make it a habit to do other activities that help you relax and generate ideas.
Bake something, make a meal, do some chores, exercise. Any of these are great options when you're stuck and need to generate new ideas.
4) Bounce Ideas Off Others
When stuck on generating ideas, one of your best resources is other people in your life. Reach out to a friend, family member, or partner to talk to about your ideas or project.
Talking to others about writing can help generate new ideas. This is because everyone has different thought processes, ideas, and ways to communicate. A simple conversation can spark a million ideas or fix problems you were stuck on previously. It can also solve problems you didn't even realize you had.
5) Routine/Habits
Make generating new ideas a habit. Try any of these tips for a few minutes a day. Write everything down. You never know when a random idea generated on one day will be helpful a few weeks or even months/years later.
Keep an idea notebook or journal. Or if you want, keep a document full of random ideas that you can look back on whenever you need to. It might help you someday.
6) Sleep and Rest
The phrase "sleep on it" usually refers to choices and decisions so we don't act irrationally. But sleep and rest are also incredibly important for idea generation.
Our brains need to sleep to function. Not getting enough sleep or rest can cause issues with thinking and ideas. Make sure to get enough sleep for you.
If you have a thought in the middle of the night, refer to tip #2 and write it down as soon as you can. Keep a way to take notes near your bed.
7) Web Connections
There is a way to generate ideas using web connections. Web connections are those visual charts/illustrations that have us connect one topic or idea to another using bubbles and lines. This is most often done for school assignments but can help those who are visual learners.
With a web connection you can see each line connecting each idea and random thought together. Combining these can also generate more complex ideas.
8) AI is a LAST resort
With the rise of generative AI, many have turned to use AI for idea generation in their pre-writing process. If you've tried EVERYTHING on this list, AI can be a useful tool to generate ideas. However, due to AI's ethical concerns in stealing from other writers work and ideas, I'd refrain from using it often. It should only be used as a last resort if you're up against a strict deadline and need ideas.
Thanks for reading Story Otters! Ironically, I came up with the idea for this post while generating other ideas of things to write about.
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Keep an eye out for more creative writing coming soon, as well as my first post for Otters Underwater, a subsection where I dive into my mental health journey.
See you next week!