Ordinary People with their One-Liners. Overheard lines in a conversation can sometimes spark your creative mind. Write down these one-liners in your notebook. They can be great story starters.

Something You Read. Read good books. Keep a file of memorable lines or quotes. Write down quirky billboard ads. Scan papers for one-liners. These are good idea stimulators.

Emotions. Describe what you feel at any given moment. If you feel angry right now, write what your anger feels like. Descriibe it. Use vivid words.

Writers are similar to store owners. Store owners stock their supplies in their shelves, while you stock ideas between pages of your little writer's notebook.

You can make your stock endless, bottomless. You can reach down again and again for inspiration without exhausting your notebook of reserve.

So start stocking your writer's notebook today. A week from now, take a peek in it and you just might find something there that could connect your pen to paper.

Copyright (c) 2003-2004 Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ

3. It's OK to Call People Names

Generate nicknames or terms that capture lifestyles, attitudes or characteristics of certain groups of people.

For example, nicknames I came up for kind of people I encountered on bus when I used to commute to work and back were: space-hog, slumper, fidgeter and refined. The terms described how people on bus behaved as they sat. [They were useful because I was able to avoid space-hogs and fidgeters when choosing a seat. Sitting beside a slumper was all right, since most slumpers kept their slumps within their space ;o)]

For you to do: Generate nicknames or terms for following groups of people:

- cashiers - waiters - teachers - employees - actors

Begin using these 3 simple ways of generating ideas today. Before long, you'll be churning out one idea after another with ease. That's creativity at work!

Copyright (c) 2004 Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ