What is Brainstorming?

Introduction: What is Brainstorming?

When you consciously strive to come up with new suggestions or remedies for issues, you are brainstorming. It is a helpful first step in writing that enables authors to know exactly what will be included in their work, whether they are academic, business, or artistic.

Brainstorming is a critical step in the writing process since ideas are the most precious resource in any communication. However, brainstorming can be challenging or even unpleasant for those who like to wait about until inspiration strikes.

How Brainstorming Helps to Write Better

It is advisable to begin the entire writing process with brainstorming, as the subsequent stages are so much simpler when you know the material you want to add straight away.

The option of "wing it," which involves coming up with ideas as you go, may be effective for a small percentage of people. However, it does not work for the majority. Proactively creating ideas tends to result in not just more ideas, but also ideas of higher calibre. Not to mention that, as opposed to sitting about, you have greater influence over when these ideas emerge during a focused brainstorming session.

Think of writing-related brainstorming as compartmentalising. Why not set out time specifically for ideas the same way you do for editing and outlining? When your mind is already in a brainstorming frame of mind, it is simpler to generate ideas in large quantities.

Group Brainstorming versus Individual Brainstorming

While brainstorming is sometimes viewed as a group activity, it may also be done independently for assignments with a single author (for example, if you're brainstorming a personal essay based on your own experiences). Don't assume you need other people to brainstorm; the process and best practises are the same whether you do it alone or with someone else.

However, there are certain advantages to group brainstorming, such as fresh viewpoints and approaches. You may always ask some friends for assistance in coming up with suggestions for your "blind spots" even if you are the only author.

Be cautious how you structure a group brainstorming session if you're planning one. Encourage your group to think freely and creatively and tell them to refrain from being negative (although, scrutiny can be useful later when deciding which ideas to keep and which to scrap). Don't shut out somebody just because they don't appear to be "creative"—you never know when they could come up with the precise concept you were lacking.

Different Steps in Brainstorming

Let’s now look at the different steps for brainstorming −

Prepare

The objective is to create an environment that fosters original thought. The most important thing is to make time for yourself or plan a meeting with your group. Make an appointment for brainstorming and allocate enough time so that you are not interrupted by other plans.

Next, you need the appropriate location. Pick a peaceful location where you can focus. Eliminate any outside noise and think about making it a "no internet" restriction until after the session. If it will help you think, add some music, incense, or dim lighting to the environment if you wish. Go with what seems comfortable to you because everyone has various ideas of what is relaxing.

Last but not least, you'll need a writing surface for keeping your notes. Once more, select the method that gives you the most comfort—computer, phone, paper, etc. Try using a whiteboard so that everyone can see if you're doing a group brainstorming session.

Obtain the Primary Focal Points

Before you begin your real brainstorming session, make a list of your primary emphasis topics. When coming up with ideas for an essay on literary irony, for example, place the term "irony" in the document's middle or at the top. When you become distracted, this serves as a visual anchor to help you get back on track.

Also include any subtopics or supplementary categories for tasks that require additional thought. Use distinct sections to categorise different facets of a character’s personality, such as "fears" or "motivations," while you're brainstorming to develop one, for example.

When there is a defined direction, brainstorming performs best. Finding anything is easier the more you know about what you're looking for. To remember why you're brainstorming in the first place, It is a good idea to write these areas down as headings or category names.

List All Your Original Thoughts

In other words, even if an idea appears apparent, write it down. This includes all the ideas you had before to the brainstorming session as well as all the low-hanging fruit.

In order to organise your thoughts and identify any gaps, it is advantageous to have all of these concepts in one location. Writing your thoughts down also has intriguing physiological impacts, like improved focus. Imagine doing it to "create place" in your thoughts for fresh concepts. Do not forget that there are no bad ideas! Write down anything that comes to you since brainstorming is about quantity rather than quality. The fat can be removed at a later time, but for now, more is better.

Seek Out Patterns

Analysis is necessary when you've compiled a substantial collection of fundamental introductions. Look for trends in both the concepts you like best and the ones you dislike the most. Perhaps you have too many ideas in one area but not enough in another. In such case, you can decide to drop the weaker category and divide the more substantial one into two.

List the Gaps or Unfulfilled Goals

What is absent? What further suggestions do you require? It is a good idea to assess what you have—and don't have—when your brainstorming session reaches a standstill.

You may focus on the more challenging concepts after getting the "easier" ones out of the way. However, it is important to make a list of all the sections that are missing before you start filling them in. Make a list of all your ambiguous story aspects.

For example, if you're planning a novel. Using this as a checklist, go over each item one at a time until you have suggestions for each.

Think of Fresh Solutions for the Gaps

To fill in all the holes which you found in the previous stage, it is preferable to deal with these issues now rather than later. Here are some brainstorming strategies to get your creative juices flowing if you're stuck −

• Writing down the first new term that comes to mind after seeing a word is referred to as word association. For example, the words "ice" and "cold" may make you think of "mountain" and "valleys”. Even though it is robotic, this practise might help you discover fresh theme connections that you hadn't seen previously or simply keep your mind occupied as more thoughts percolate in your subconscious.

• Imagining the worst-case scenario, consider posing several "What if?" situations as an extension of asking questions to see what you can think of.

Conclusion

When brainstorming, it is simple to burn out, but it works better to take a break and try again later rather than "push through." You'll get greater outcomes when you're thinking clearly because of the nature of brainstorming. You're welcome to break off for the day and continue later; it helps to reflect on it and return reenergized.