Three brainstorming activities for writers

Three brainstorming activities for writers

Pre-writing is one of the hardest parts of the creative process for me. I have a lot of ideas for projects, but then when it’s time to brainstorm plot points or characters, I get a little stuck. That’s why today I’ve put together three brainstorming techniques for writers. Trying one or more of these exercises will help you generate the ideas you need to make your project shine and move on to the fun part: the actual writing!

Brainstorming activity: Freewriting

My first brainstorming technique for writers is freewriting. This is the simplest to do: all you need is a pen and paper (or a word document, but I do recommend writing by hand if possible) and a few spare minutes. Set a timer and take some time to write whatever comes into your mind.

It’s important when using this brainstorming technique that you don’t judge what you’re writing. The purpose isn’t for it to be beautiful, or poignant, or even grammatically correct. The point is to force words out of your head and onto the paper. Even if you feel like you’re not saying anything, force yourself to keep writing until your timer goes off. 

When you’re done writing, go back and read over what you’ve written. Yes, some–probably a lot of it–is going to be unusable. However, you might find some real gems in there. Highlight anything that feels like it could benefit your story and add it to your brainstorming document. You can repeat this exercise as needed; some folks even do it before every writing session to get their brain going.

Brainstorming activity: Clustering

This brainstorming technique for writers has a few names: clustering, mapping, webbing, and there’s probably more. However, at the core, these things all refer to the same thing. First, get a large sheet of paper or a white board and write down your central topic in the middle. This could be a character, a setting, a scene, or a plot point. Then, around it, start writing related words around it. No idea is a bad idea, just write down what comes to mind! Remember, you can always get rid of something later. 

Once you’re done writing down ideas, start circling them and connecting the ideas that seem related. For example, if you’re writing about a character and you’ve written “childhood trauma” and “strict upbringing” you might connect those two thoughts. Eventually, you’ll have a vast web of clusters connected to the main idea. Some thoughts might end up on their own, not connected to any of the others, but that can be helpful as well.

Brainstorming activity: Listing

My final brainstorming technique for writers is listing. Listing is another simple one: you’re just creating a list! Easy, right? Well, yes and no. 

Start with a piece of paper and a general topic. Let’s say you’re focused on plot. Start making a list of every single plot point you can think of to include in your story. Nothing is too small or too silly. Like with freewriting, you can set a timer, or you can decide to make your list a certain length.

Once you’ve completed your list, read the whole thing. Circle or highlight the stuff that you think is really good. You may find that you have a good grasp of your plot, or you might find that there are some holes you didn’t anticipate. Either is fine! You’ll put it all together later. Right now you’re just brainstorming.

Are these brainstorming activities for writers something you think you’ll try out? Do you have other tried and true techniques that you want to shout out? Tell us in the comments below!