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Where do you get your ideas? | 20 comments (14 topical, 0 hidden)

Brainstorming Multiple Ideas (3.50/2) (#6)
by Starling on Mon Jan 12, 2004 at 03:25:15 PM PST

One thing you didn't mention, or at least I didn't get the implication of, is when people brainstorm as a group there is often no "idea originator" but rather a bunch of people who all get together to originate many ideas on the same subject. There is the "barn raising" brainstorm where one person gathers everybody together and says, "I have this problem, any ideas on how to solve it?" People don't like those though, as most people could care less about one person's problem. The only brainstorms I've ever successfully put together as a group have been something like, "Hey let's write a group story!" (chorus of affirmitives) "So, any ideas on how to start?" It's not so much one person's idea, as one person offering an idea that many people can treat as a subject for their own ideas.

Starling

True enough (none/0) (#7)
by janra on Tue Jan 13, 2004 at 06:35:58 AM PST

Which is why I said it can be hard to find a group to brainstorm your idea with. The only successful group brainstorm I've ever done was as part of a workshop at a writers conference; one of the writers in the audience was asked to explain her story, then the presenter acted as the director and asked questions of the author and the rest of the audience. Since we were all there to learn how to develop ideas into stories, everybody was happy to participate.

To get a group to focus on your idea, you may have to promise each person help with something in return, something which will vary depending on the person, how close you are with them, and what they do. But then, to get anybody's assistance with something that doesn't benefit them, you often have to promise some sort of compensation...
--
Who needs to be big and burly when you can just apply physics?
[ Parent ]

: Loss of ownership (5.00/1) (#11)
by Starling on Sun Feb 15, 2004 at 08:37:39 AM PST

Understood. What is important to realize is that once you gather a group together to work on your story, it is no longer entirely your story. Expecting them to provide you with all kinds of good ideas you can use or discard at your discretion is a formula for disaster. Compensation probably should be giving them a sense that they have some control over the story, and aren't handing ideas over for your consumption. That means if the original author's desire to expound on a dark cloaked figure in the shadowy corner with super powers is countermanded, discarded, ignored! then instead of becoming outraged or possessive, one must keep an open heart and mind, and consider that far from attacking your core, the next person down the line might be having a better idea.

[ Parent ]

Where do you get your ideas? | 20 comments (14 topical, 0 hidden)

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