The online course I’ve just completed (Get Writing! Bootcamp) has taught me some amazing techniques for unblocking my creative thoughts.
My favourite is the idea of using Spider Diagrams, also known as mind maps. The idea is to start with a central idea which you put in a bubble in the middle. This makes up the body of the spider. Then, as you brainstorm, you can add details and further ideas to the ‘legs’. So you end up with something like this Spider Diagram.
If you have an imagination like mine, you’ll find you need the largest piece of paper imaginable. It’s also important for me that it’s not a ruled piece of paper. I don’t like to feel restricted by boundaries. This is a creative process, after all, so best to let your mind roam free. It’s also a wonderful excuse to indulge a stationery fetish, if you have one. Think flip charts, coloured pens, yet more notebooks. You get the idea.
So far, this technique has yielded an idea for a novel, which I hope to get under way very soon but is still in the planning stages right now. Science fiction fans please be patient!
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