Magic Words that Spark Ideas
Abracadabra for the writer’s soul.
I read an essay this week by Neil Gaiman where he talked about being asked where his ideas come from. In it, he talked about some questions that are like little spark plugs for creative juices.
You can read the original article here. I wanted to do a little bit of a dive into those spark plugs, though, and think about how they’ve helped me. I also have method for capturing those ideas as they pop up.
Here are the magic words that I find really spark ideas for me:
- What if…?
- Maybe…
- What would happen if…?
It’s a game really. All you have to do is follow the elipses.
Here’s something you can try. Start with one question and let it lead into the next.
Like this:
What if peak oil happens? Maybe the world will revert back to feudal times — with the very tiny, very rich population lording over the poor masses. What would happen if the poor realize they have the sheer numbers to revolt?
