Ch 1 Blunders: Premature POV Changes

(Photo Credit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Don't blur your reader's vision of your story!
Last month, I received some fantastic feedback on the first quarter of my current MS. For this series of articles, I will draw from the remarks of my wonderful Beta readers and discussions I have had with other writers on these topics.
In some ways, I made it difficult for my readers to connect with my characters. Here were three bloopers that I made in the first chapter...

• Establish the character first before changing points of view. This may mean that you keep the first chapter mostly or entirely in the main character's (or villain's) POV. Give the reader space to invest in a character before you change POV. A point-of-view switch will build reader if done after the reader cares about the character you are leaving for the moment.
• Confuse the reader. Aside from caring about the character and needing to identify the main character, rapid POV changes can confuse the reader. Changing points of view means looking through another seet of eyes -- and the minds behind those eyes. Gender, assumptions, mood, emotions, involvement, goals, and focus all change each time you change perspectives. Confusing!
• Who is the MC? Okay, I did not use on in this book -- but I have in others! Typically the character given the most POV scenes is the main character. the importance of other characters is often determined by the reader according to 1) the order in which the characters are presented and 2) the amount of "air time" each character is given.

DISCLAIMER: This was feedback for one author's MS and should not be taken as all-or-nothing advice for all stories.

(cartoon) too many characters or too few?

(Photo Credit: Zooky World)

Flash Fiction: Opening

Okay. As part of my learning about flash fiction, I've decided to break down the short structure into its opening, middle, and end. While some of the advice will be true for any story, some is especially important for word-limited format.

• Character: Set up in two sentences. At least one of these sentences should be an active description. What is an “active” description? Other than it not being passive or static, the description should achieve more than one task at a time – which tasks are up to you.
• Setting: Start with a powerful, evocative image. For instance: a sunset can mean an ending, the coming of darkness, give unusual color to the story, is easily visualized, sets a time limit.
• Back-story: If you need a preamble, set it down in the first paragraph (not paragraphs). Become a master of the implication and unsaid. This will let you fit in more world building, back-story, and description.
• Story: If you have a large issue, break it down. Take small pieces of it. Start in the middle of things. This is true of all books and poems but flash fiction takes the process of breaking down almost to its most basic level. One conflict is probably all the room you will find.

Flash Fiction: Why Try It

Minolta Dimage 7Hi, digital camera, front left with flash (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Maybe it is because my WIP is so long but I've recently become interested in flash fiction. Depending on who you ask, flash fiction usually runs between 300 and 1000 words. Micro fiction is even shorter! I am no good at short stories but maybe I will give flash fiction a try.

• Plot: One benefit to flash fiction is a quick way to test or encapsulate a story idea. If you can't think of enough to fill this many words, it probably does not need to be told in 80 to 120 thousand words. On the other hand, if you have3 an idea you can't use now, a flash fiction piece or three might provide the prompt that you need later when you come back to the idea.
• Characters: You can test characters you want to use in your WIP by cresting one or more flash fiction stories about them. Use the format to showcase different relationships, roles, flaws, and strengths. Experiment with dialogue and mannerisms, then give test readers finished products to compare.
• Scenes: Can't bear to let the material go to waste? Write and polish a flash fiction story! The piece can be offered as supplementary material later on your site.
• Practice: Dialogue is not the only skill that can be practiced. Setting, mood, voice, fight scenes, suspense, and more can all be practiced. And you can practice the skill of revision – something that people with long first drafts can have trouble with. The small word counts alone almost guarantees that words will need to be cut.
• Pitch: This might or might not work – I haven't asked any writer friends yet – but wouldn't the skills acquired and polished through writing flash fiction help during the submission process? A proposal and pitch should be engaging, touch on the crucial points of the story, and all in as few words as possible.
• Self-improvement: Why can't I write short stories? Because I think I can't – even though I can write poems and long fiction. I have no such barrier erected against flash fiction. By learning to write flash fiction, I can expand my writing horizons and maybe work my way around to the frustrating short story.

Strategies to Reach 50k: Linear/ Nonlinear Approaches

 (Photo credit: SelenaAnne)

      Basically, you can write a story in two ways: you can write front to back (linear) or you can skip around (nonlinear). Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages.

       The linear approach is probably what first comes to mind for a writing strategy since you read a book in a linear fashion. It may be necessary to write your scenes in order if you are going without an outline. This approach can be a wonderful way to let your story initially unfold.

      Unfortunately, I think linear writers are more prone to get stuck when they do not know what happens next. Another drawback of linear writing is that when the story takes a life of it own, the new characters or events or back story do not have a foundation. It is important to remember that linear drafts are not set in granite.

      Nonlinear writers, when faced with the dilemma of not knowing what comes next, are free to write a different scene, earlier or later in the sequence of events. Nonlinear writers also have an easier time rearranging scenes since they are less susceptible to the belief that their scenes are set in stone.

      On the other hand, scenes written out of sequence are more likely to be out of harmony with one another since the writer's perception may have changed drastically between Scene 1 and Scene 2. And massive tweaks are still needed. Some writers might find it even more difficult to go back and lay the foundation for future developments because maybe not all the foundation scenes are written yet.

      You just need to find what works for you.

Panster Help: When Your Story Stalls

  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you are doing NaNoWriMo, then about now things start to slide. The story stalls as you something doesn't pan out, you hit a dead end, or a character doesn't work out. These problems may be especially prevalent among pansters – people who write “by the seat of their pants” instead of by an outline. Here are a few tricks to get your story moving again...

 

Introduce a good guy. This could be a new ally to be won over, a romantic interest, or a relative who comes to live with your main character (to name a few). All of these people – while “good guys” – can complicate the life of your main character. Maybe the person is reluctant, secretive, and/or comes with his or her own agenda.

 

Add a bad guy. This could be a false ally, a rival (romantic or otherwise), or a new all-out antagonist (just to name a few). All these people have goals that directly oppose those of the main character. Maybe they want the character to fail, or they are in competition for the goal, or they mean well but act at cross-purposes to the main character.

 

Introduce a subplot. A subplot is a mini-story or event arc that somehow ties into the main story and/or the theme. Subplots begin in the main body of the book and conclude any time from that point to just before (or very rarely just after) the final battle. Subplot ideas can include a romantic subplot between secondary (or primary) characters, the mending of a damaged relationship, or a personal growth arc.

 

Add a phase in the struggle. This is sometimes known as a “story arc”. In trying to reach the story goal, your main character may try different angles, travel different places, meet different people. Whatever way your story progresses, add another step, another obstacle, another dead end or lesson learned.

Pantster Help: Moving Forward Without Plot

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

      Some people prefer not to plot or can’t plot without loosing the drive to write. In writing lingo, this person is called a “panster” while people who prefer to plot are called “plotters”. Because they have at best has only a vague idea of where the story will go, pansters face some unique challenges. The “Panster Help” articles that appear scattered through this month are attempts to address some of these issues.
      Pansters may not know where their characters are going but they do have characters. Story action happens when characters set goals, obstacles appear, and they go against these obstacles. The character may win, loose, appear to win, partially win, or win for now.
      The goal gives the character a reason to act. If the character does not act, there is nothing to write about. By the end of the Beginning of the book, the character will have a long-term goal in mind but the in the Beginning, Middle, and End, the character will always need concrete, short-term goals. Concrete, so physical action or dialogue can occur. And short-term because each of these goals will be a step on your path to reach the greater goal.
      The obstacles make the goal interesting to the reader and promote character and/or story growth. The reader likes (maybe even loves) your character but if the character does not struggle, the reader will loose interest. Obstacles need to be external – in the form of a person, action, or object – but the primary effects can still be internal.
      The conflict arises from the character with the goal who faces the obstacle(s). Maybe the character questions previous beliefs, refuses to face fears, or realizes something about another person. A path of action may be removed or a new door of possibility opened.
      When you are stuck, look at what has just happened to the character, what new immediate goals the character could make in an attempt to reach the long-term goal. Next look for obstacles to throw down on the path to that goal. Then decide how your character will react to those obstacles (considering fears, knowledge, and resources). Now you are writing again!

Strategies to Reach 50k: Concept

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

      Your story concept can emphasize characters , plot, or theme. Of the three, characters and plot are by far the most common. And to keep our story going, you need to develop plot and/or character obstacles, complexities, and backstory.
      An obstacle hinders your plot or character (not that the two should truly be separated but authors tend to emphasize one over the other). You will need a character and/or plot that is attracts obstacles like windows attract birds. You need obstacles that will slam into the character/plot so hard that one or the other will break. One way to do this is to adjust your character/plot so that it encounters people with conflicting viewpoints and goals. A second way is through rich settings that hinder or challenge the character’s personal journey or provide physical obstacles to reaching the goal. A third (almost fundamental) way is to develop characters who act as rivals, opponents, and deceivers.
      A complexity is a detail or cluster of details or hints that you can later explore either because you are stuck or because you want to enrich your story. This could be a character’s necklace or a beggar in the street who your character helps, avoids, or abuses. It could be ruins in an ancient forest or a scar. Any of these details can be brought back later and explored more in depth. They can become the source of new conflicts, goals, or revelations. Explaining details is also an excellent way to get unstuck.
      A particular type of plot and character complexity is backstory. Backstory is the past events before your story started – either in the plot or in a character’s life. Backstory helps you better understand character and plot because it explains why people and events now are what they are. Backstory can explain character motives and what plot paths are opened or closed. Relationships between groups (political, for instance) and individuals (animosity, perhaps) all have backstory. But so does the land, the nation, and cultures that your plot and character lives among. This is why so many writers advocate character and setting sketches and why writers of certain genres spend so much time on world-building. What happened before shapes and generates current (and future) characters and plots.

Character Template: Past

This section of the character template has only two sections but I think you will usually write lots in here. Feel free to share in the Comments section any additions or modifications you make – your insights might be helpful to others!
  

CHILDHOOD:

LIFE-CHANGING EVENTS (3+):

Character Template: Schedules

Your character's schedule is a reflection of their past, present, and future socioeconomic status. It also gives insight into who your character interacts with regularly. This template looks at work, public, and private life. I include how the character sees others and how others see the character. I also include sections for how each area of life affects the others. Feel free to share in the Comments section any additions or modifications you make – your insights might be helpful to others!

 

WORK LIFE

CAREER:

STATUS:

CAREER PATH:

ASSOCIATES:

CURRENT PROJECT & GOAL:

PERFORMANCE:

PROBLEMS:

ATTITUDE & ASSUMPTIONS:

VIEWS ABOUT OTHERS:

VIEWS OF OTHERS:

EFFECTS ON PUBLIC & PRIVATE LIFE:

SCHEDULE:

PUBLIC LIFE

ROLE:

ACQUAINTANCES:

CURRENT PROJECT:

GOAL:

CURRENT PROBLEMS:

ATTITUDE & ASSUMPTIONS:

VIEWS ABOUT OTHERS:

VIEWS OF OTHERS:

EFFECTS ON WORK & PRIVATE LIFE:

SCHEDULE:

PRIVATE LIFE

ROLE:

FAMILY (include effect of birth order):

PARENTS:

SIBLINGS:

EFFECTS OF BIRTH ORDER:

OTHER:

FRIENDS:

ENEMIES:

GOAL:

CURRENT PROBLEMS:

ATTITUDE & ASSUMPTIONS:

VIEWS ABOUT OTHERS:

VIEWS OF OTHERS:

EFFECTS ON WORK & PUBLIC LIFE:

SCHEDULE:

Character Template: Skills

What your character can and cannot do – as well as how he does them – goes a long way toward opening and closing options for scenes and scene tension. Something your character struggles with can be an obstacle in a scene or an area for growth. Proficiency at a skill gives insight into your character's upbringing, attitudes, and lifestyle. Here are skills that I consider important for my stories. Feel free to share in the Comments section any additions or modifications you make – your insights might be helpful to others!
 

SKILLS

NEGOTIATION STYLE:

MONEY MANAGEMENT:

CAMPING SKILL:

PHYSICAL ABILITY:

COMBAT TRAINING:

TEACHING ABILITY:

ABILITY TO RECEIVE INSTRUCTION:

MEMORY(ability & tricks):

MAGIC:

OTHER:

Character Template: Attitudes and Personality

Attitude affects your character's thoughts, your character's actions, and your character's perceptions. I include education in the attitude section because I believe the educational experience is an important influence on attitude. My character sketch embeds attitude into several other sections. Feel free to share in the Comments section any additions or modifications you make – your insights might be helpful to others!

EDUCATION

TYPE:

EXTENT:

FOCUS:

SOCIAL:

PERFORMANCE:

ATTITUDE & ASSUMPTIONS:

EFFECTS ON WORK, PUBLIC, & PRIVATE LIFE:

SCHEDULE:

HOBBY:

VICE:

DISLIKE:

RELIGION:

POLITICAL STANCE:

MOST LIKES:

MOST ADMIRES:

MOST VALUES:

MOST INTIMIDATED BY:

LEAST TRUSTS:

MOST RELIES BY/ON:

GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT:

GREATEST REGRET:

GREATEST EMBARRASSMENT:

GREATEST FEAR:

GREATEST SECRET:

SECRET FROM OTHERS:

SECRET FROM SELF:

RECURRING DREAM:

FAVORITE COLOR:

FOOD:

ANIMAL:

ROMANTIC PREFERENCES:

ALTER EGO:

PERSONALITY TRAITS (strengths & weaknesses, degrees & exceptions)

INTELLIGENCE:

COMMON SENSE:

HUMOR:

COURAGE:

CREATIVITY:

FLEXIBILITY:

MORAL STANDARDS:

PERCEPTION OF EVIL:

EMPATHY/ KINDNESS:

MODESTY:

Character Template: Physical

The world of your book is a very visual one so it is a good idea to know how your character looks and acts. Your characters appearance affects the assumptions made about him and how he is treated both by other characters and the reader.

This character template is designed for people – both human and nonhuman – but can be modified for cases when the character is a group with similar features (like a small village). Feel free to share in the Comments section any additions or modifications you make – your insights might be helpful to others!

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CHARACTER TYPE:

CONNECTION TO LEAD:

STORY GOAL:

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONS

GENDER: RACE: SKIN TYPE:

AGE: BIRTHDAY:

HEIGHT: EYE COLOR: BODY TYPE:

DISTINCTIVE FEATURE:

HAIR COLOR/STYLE:

STYLE OF DRESS (based on time period and season):

ACCESSORIES:

BEARING:

AFFECTATIONS:

ABNORMALITIES:

MANNERISMS

SPEECH:

WALK:

SIT:

EATS:

GESTURES:

FACE:

EYES:

ENERGY:

LAUGHTER:

POLITENESS:

PLEASURE:

ENJOYMENT:

ANGER:

ANXIETY:

FRUSTRATION:

RELAXED:

UNCERTAIN:

EMBARRASSED:

SUPERIOR:

DISTINCTIVE SPEECH PATTERN:

Distinguished Characters

Here's Alina Chase, kicking off our blog series for characters. Over the next few days, we will be sharing character templates: Physical Traits, Attitudes and Personality, Skills, Schedules, and Past. Good luck!

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 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Distinguished Characters
Create One Trademark Feature

 By Alina Chase

      Whether you’re writing a novel or interviewing a football player for an impossibly short article, you can’t afford to babble. Every description must be relevant. Every word should be intentional.

        That means choosing telling details, details that show more about a person than appearance, details that clearly distinguish your protagonist from other characters in your book and from protagonists in similar books. Especially powerful are traits that hint of contrast or conflict.

        Why waste words describing the football player as tall and muscular? Unless you say otherwise, we assume that he is. Surprise us by noting how shy he is, that he sits like a girl or that his feet are so tiny it’s a miracle they can support his bulk.

        And creating a single trademark feature for each character in your novel can save a lot of mental energy dreaming up, describing--and keeping track of--less distinguishing attributes. Let your readers fill in the mundane details.

        Picture a woman with very wide-set eyes. It’s fairly uncommon and can be attractive. Jackie Kennedy had eyes like that. But push those eyes apart another half inch and your woman looks like a lizard. In real life, aren’t unusual features like this, and particularly imperfections, what we notice first and remember longest? So give us the unexpected!

        And note how easily nature’s quirks provide unique and welcome springboards for conflict. Make your FBI agent so short that all he can see in a crowd is boobs and navels, or so tall that he’s always noticed (and then send him undercover to Japan where he towers over natives like Godzilla). Give your gorgeous heroine crooked teeth. Give your defense lawyer a lisp.

        All you need is one distinguishing feature to begin bringing characters and their stories alive in a way readers are sure to remember!

         National Novel Writing Month is coming up fast – just a month away – and I'm getting excited. Whether you have trouble meeting the 50k word goal or want to stretch yourself a bit more, this month's blogs were tailor-made for you.

First up is the 7 Point Plot Structure, styled after the popular “Save the Cat” format. There are many plot structures (my personal favorite is the Hero's Journey) but I will be using this one because of its conciceness. I will cover inner and outer turning points, touch on reader psychology, and look at the diffferent narrative paths that these plot points can take.

        Next up are Character sketches that go beyond physical description to attitudes and personalities, public and work and private lives, even important skill sets. I designed these character sketches based on the various books that I've read. I encourage you to modify the sketches for their own needs and share those changes so that other people can take advantage of your insights.

          Third will be an overview of world building. Namely, creating history, myth, cultures, geography, politics, religion, and potential fantasy elements. Even writers who write in the contemporary world can benefit from these articles since these elements (except, potentially, the fantasy portion) are present in the real world as well and could impact the story.

         Finally is a crash course on creating your writing philosphy. Your writing philosophy includes why you write what you write. I find it a valuable resource to return to when I am feeling discouraged or frusterated. I hope developing your own personal writing philosophy will give you clarity of thought, peace of mind, motivation, and something to say when people ask you why you write and why you write that?

Enjoy!

Boost Your Creativity: Create Starters

View-from-the-starting-line-at-Indianapolis-motor-speedway-1985 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

       I'd like to go back to the quotation by Lyn Hejinian that started this arc of blogs. I, for one, feel the double pull of conciseness and expansiveness. But they do not need to be at odds with one another. In fact, your personal balance of the two influences your style.

        When I started using starters, my writing became concise to the point of being limited in scope and voice. It took some time to realize the problem was not with me but with the type of starter I was using. Most starters use contemporary scenarios. I write medieval fantasy. So I started written starters that played to my strengths. Once I started writing my own starters, I saw several possibilities for self-made starters.

       Relevance. Not everyone writes contemporary prose or poetry. And most starters out there have contemporary set-ups. And you may have trouble finding starters that fit your needs. A few examples of this are characters, setting, and theme.

       Scene seeds. A natural next step is to use starters as scene prompts. If you are having trouble getting a creative start, I suggest brainstorming several starters. then experiment with merging several into a more complex starter. And/or try triangulation (explained in an earlier blog in this series).

       Outlining for pansters. Not being a pantser myself, I am on shaky ground here. But I think that when inspiration disappears, pansters are even more stuck than plotsters. Creating your own starters might circumvent this by providing a starting point for a scene. And the next.

        Once you get used to making your own starters, I think you will find them far more helpful than the ready-made ones. If you like, make one now and share it here.

Boost Your Creativity: Use Starters

Mascot Character of KUT (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Starters are writing prompts. A starter can be a set of rules, a pool of words, a scenario, a quotation, a picture, or any combination of these. When placed in your fiction world, starters can help you explore characters, setting, and craft.

       Character. Starters help you learn about your view-point character by placing him/her in a variety of situations. An part of character development is learning how characters behave in public, in private, and under stress. To make these behaviors logical, you will need to figure out your character's motives and back story. When writing off a starter, try to draw on your character's powerful motives rather than the more shallow driving factors. Hint: try to incorporate inner conflicts.

       Setting. Starters help you develop your world by forcing you to think about your setting. The most obvious level of your world is the current physical setting. Your character needs a place to stand, after all, and the setting you choose will affect the action. People often act differently in private or semi-private settings as opposed to public settings,  feel more confident on their own turf as opposed to standing in the enemy stronghold. How your character is dressed can affect him -- especially if the opposing character is dressed differently (ghetto versus business suit, for example). Is there a physical barrier that a threatened character can move behind? Is the threatened character sitting while the opposing character looms over her?

       Craft. Like flash-fiction, starters are a great way to hone your craft. Their short length makes them easy to finish and revise. They also contain all the elements of a scene or short story. their short length also makes it easier to identify your strengths and weaknesses -- especially if you ask other people to read your revised product.

       When using starters, don't take the easy way out. Try to be every bit as creative with your responses to the prompts as you are when writing in earnest. There are a lot of ready-made starters out there and I've listed a few sources at the bottom of the article. But if you find them limiting, uninspiring, or irrelevant then the next post -- Create Starters -- was written with you in mind.

http://www.writersdigest.com/prompts
http://www.writing.com/main/writing_prompts
http://www.thewriteprompts.com/
http://quote-prompts.livejournal.com/
http://poewar.com/poetry-prompts/
https://www.facebook.com/PoetryDailyPrompts
https://www.facebook.com/DailyWritingPrompts
http://pinterest.com/

Boost Your Creativity: Scheme

think stencil art & graffiti cat (Photo credit: urbanartcore.eu)

Sometimes creativity needs a little prompting. It is useful to have several plans of action in place for when inspiration refuses to strike. Maybe it just isn't angry enough. Brainstorming and experimenting offer a fallback plan. They also offer a way to enhance those inspired ideas. They are ways to be more creative but I also think of them as being very structured ways. Then again, I'm a very structured and analytical person (in case my writing voice doesn't give that away). I come up with plans. I scheme. What do you do when feeling uninspired? What are some less structured options?
      
        But "scheme" has other definitions that fit brainstorming and experimenting. A scheme is also a group of related ideas. When you brainstorm with a purpose, the ideas are usually linked somehow. Because they are linked (by a common character, cause, or cliché), they can be combined to make that kernel thought more unique, complex, and surprising -- more creative.

       I even think the notion of a "scheme" being something crafty comes into play. Or your scheme may be simply clever instead of crafty. You still want to surprise your reader. Looking at the bigger picture, you might want to lead your reader's thinking in one direction and then effect a dramatic reversal. This is especially true in mystery plots and subplots. Brainstorming and experimentation still help you anticipate the reader's thinking and assumptions. Brainstorming and experimentation help you circumvent the obvious and overused while still letting you get to where you want to go.

Boost Your Creativity: Experiment

idea (Photo credit: Tony Dowler)

     Creativity is about more than ideas -- it is also about the consequences those ideas have for your story. I chose the word "experiment" in the title of this blog because experiments focus on finding or exploring cause-and-effect relationships. I realize that a consequence is a kind of idea but thinking about an idea's consequences also can trigger more ideas.
      Ask questions about the idea to expand on it. How can you justify it (motives and backstory)? How can you tweak it to have more impact on your character? How can you make it more original? What effect will it have down road on the main character, other characters, or on setting?
Mix-and-mismatch. Yes, mismatch. Many people's early brainstorm lists will have simple ideas. Combine items from your list to make the idea more multi-dimensional. Give special attention to items that seem contradictory or unrelated (like that "octopus apple"). Come up with one or more ways to combine them -- the more interesting the better! Sounds a lot like brainstorming, doesn't it?
      Triangulate.  An example of this is if you have been brainstorming conflicts for a chapter. Divide your chapter into a beginning, middle, and end. This gives you three key conflict points. Choose conflicts from lower down on your list (after the clichés have run out). They don't have to appear to be related on the surface. If the three crises do not appear related, so much the better -- you are more likely to surprise the reader. Just be sure to link them in a logical manner! With triangulation, the first two crises can seem unrelated (as long as they intensify) but they need to join forces to cause the third crisis. Remember, it is context and character reactions that decides the intensity of each crisis.
       After you brainstorm, you can take one or more ideas and use that as a seed for more ideas by looking at effects on character, conflict, or setting (or some other element like theme). You also can combine ideas to create a new product. And you can take existing ideas to see how they relate. All this is really just a more advanced form of the basic brainstorm. What are some strategies you use to increase your creativity off of a basic brainstorm session?

Boost Your Creativity: Brainstorm

_brainstorm_01 (Photo credit: faroekat)

       By studying your real and fantasy worlds, you gained a better grounding in facts, rules, opinions, and possibilities. Some of what you learn will probably trigger spontaneous ideas. But what can you do when the words just won't come? You scheme -- come up with a plan of action. The first step is usually brainstorming. The second step is experimentation (which we'll see tomorrow). Brainstorming is coming up with ideas that share underlying assumptions. These assumption may be about the starting point, ending point, and included characteristics.

       Lists are the most common starting-point for brainstorming. What comes out first will be the most obvious ideas but if you keep brainstorming, you will be forced to come up with more creative ideas. But if you simply can't seem to think of any new ideas, here are a few tips.

        Try index cards. I do this when first coming up with characters. Each card has a trait, conflict, or habit. By using cards that don't repeat, I can create characters that don't repeat or overlap too much. I can also more easily make heroes and heroines who complement one another. I doubt I could make complete characters from this strategy but it is a useful starting point if you are stuck. And over time your pool of cards will become more diverse.
 
      If you like lists, set a ridiculously high (but still doable) minimum for the number of ideas you will generate. The thoughts that appear at the top of the list are what occur to you first. Your reader is probably expecting to see some of these ideas so avoid them. the ideas in the middle of the list probably feel like your best ideas but don't ignore the ones at the bottom! these were the ones you struggled to create and most may seem pretty impossible. But that means the reader is not expecting them. Look for ways to combine ideas from the bottom with ideas from the middle to surprise your readers.
 
      While brainstorming, do not forget to draw on ideas that interest you from the real world. I find salamanders fascinating. I hate racism. So in my fantasy novel I create an enslaved race of modified salamanders left over from a mage war. The heroine must recognize them as intelligent and of intrinsic worth before she decides to free them from their enslaver. This is just a subplot in the book (I don't believe in hitting people over the head with my personal beliefs) but is an example of how personal interests can generate ideas. Many writers keep a file of articles, pictures, and quotations that catch their eyes. This gives them somewhere to go for ideas while brainstorming.

       But what do you do with your ideas once you have them? You experiment. That will be covered tomorrow.

Related articles

• The Art of Creative Brainstorming : Top 10 Tips. (glasshousecreative.wordpress.com)
• Creative brainstorming techniques (dailyinspirationboard.com)
• Screenwriting Tip: Index Cards (gointothestory.blcklst.com)