Creative Idea Generation for Writers

Scott Myers shares strategies for writers to brainstorm effectively. He emphasizes being open to ideas from various sources and being intentional about generating story ideas daily. Myers suggests generating many ideas to find good ones and assessing them for potential. He highlights the importance of identifying a story's hook and audience, using examples like K-9 and INCEPTION to illustrate successful concepts.

What is one of the key suggestions for writers to brainstorm effectively?

• Ignore conversations in public places

• Avoid reading newspapers

• Focus on one idea at a time

• Be aware of ideas in everyday life

What is a common source of ideas for writers?

• Dreams

• Conversations in coffee shops

• Watching TV

• Reading novels

How did David Rabinowitz and Charlie Wachtel come up with the idea for BlacKkKlansman?

• During a brainstorming session

• By stumbling upon a Facebook article

• By reading a book

• Through a dream

What should writers be intentional about according to the speaker?

• Ignoring feedback

• Focusing on one idea

• Generating a lot of ideas

• Avoiding new ideas

What should writers do every day according to the speaker?

• Watch a new movie

• Read a new book

• Come up with a new idea

• Write a full script

What does Dr. Linus Pauling suggest about generating good ideas?

• Avoid keeping a record of ideas

• Only work on ideas that are perfect

• Generate a lot of ideas

• Focus on one great idea

Why is it important to keep a file of ideas according to the speaker?

• To publish them in a book

• To share with friends

• To sell them later

• To work the creative muscle and surface good ideas

What is the benefit of having a lot of ideas, even if most are not good?

• To avoid writer's block

• To sell them all

• To have a variety to choose from

• To confuse others

What is a critical question to ask when assessing if an idea is big enough for a movie?

• How long will it take to write?

• Is it similar to other movies?

• Who is the audience for this?

• Is it based on a true story?

What lesson did the speaker learn from selling K-9?

• Always agree with compliments

• Focus on historical events

• Never pitch ideas in bars

• Avoid using animals in movies