How to Think of Ideas

Take a few moments and sit down and simply write. Write whatever comes to mind. This is what I am doing right now and I'll show what happens:

A ship

Take a trip
History in the making
Vintage
Retro
Camels
Time Travel
Silk Dresses
Loving to hate
Purses

Now, these are the ideas that just popped into my mind as I wrote. No meditating. No reading someone else's book or article. I started with the word ship and simply wrote down the first thing that popped into my mind. Now, I am going to take a couple of the thoughts and turn them into a one line idea that I may be able to expound on in the near future.

A ship- Like the Titanic. Unsinkable, yet not promised and someone actually paid the passengers to gamble with their lives.

Take a trip- To an exotic island where a known murderer has been hiding for 5 years, alone, and wants to make things right with his victims family, but is tempted to take on the visitors to his island.

History in the making- A cure has been discovered for Aids, but at what risk to the developers of the cure?

Vintage - A young girl becomes enamored with a vintage trunk that contains a vintage dress and finds it holds more secrets than she can bear to reveal to others: the secrets may jeopardize her family and her life.

Retro - A disco? Hmm... A novel set in 1960, centered around the mystery of a missing boy.

Camels-??

See how I took a simple word or phrase and turned it into an idea?

Improve Your Writing

What is your main objective in writing? Do you even have an objective? Just about anyone can throw together some words on a piece of paper, or computer screen, and call it writing. But if you want to write a strong, compelling article, one that will help others see through different eyes, you must do more than write for the simple sake of writing.

Great writers always have one goal in mind - to change their readers.

You must really know who your targeted audience is and write from their perspective. Walk in their shoes for a mile. Learn their lingo and language. For instance, if your targeted audience happens to be between the ages of 18 and 35, you will want to write in a fresh, new, creative tone. Use modern words such as cutting edge, innovative, and brand new. This is the language of a younger generation.

For older people, words that connect them to the tried and true methods and way of life will draw them in to what you are writing. Words such as safe and sensible or proven and effective will relate to them.

By writing to your audience in ways they are most comfortable with, your readers will be more likely to respond to your book, or article. Moving pieces will move the world - change the way people respond and interact with those around them. If that happens because of your writing, then you have accomplished more than many writers ever hope to achieve.