By Kelley
Lindberg
1. A list
captures thoughts quickly before they escape into the ether. Thoughts are
slippery little devils, after all.
2. When you
start making a list, word-association becomes a common by-product, leading to
creative tangents that sometimes prove to be exactly the thing you were looking
for.
3. Writing a
list makes you look busy, and when you look busy, no one interrupts you, even
if you’re just listing TV shows you wish were still on the air, or vegetables
that might taste better breaded and deep fried.
4. No need
for transitions.
5. Or
backstory…
6. …Although
a list can explore elements of backstory without derailing the main story
that’s running in your head.
7. Less
editing—no one’s going to see your list but you.
8. Unless
you post it on your blog.
9. You can
try out—and discard—a dozen terrible plot ideas before breakfast, all without
wasting a whole chapter (and untold hours) on each one.
10. Lists
tell your mind it’s okay to brainstorm, fast and furiously, without having to
be logical, practical, or linear. A wild, logic-free brain is where the most
creative stuff lives, after all.
11. Lists will
sit around quietly and patiently for years, until you’re ready to go back and
explore those ideas again. They never sigh loudly and make you feel guilty for
taking so long.
12. Creating
a list feels exactly like writing—without the pressure of all that writing.
No comments:
Post a Comment