Of all the tools in my writing toolbox, this is one of the most important.
If you’ve never heard of it, let me introduce you.
Meet the List of 20.
You know how sometimes you’ll be cruising along in your book and then all of a sudden you’re not sure what to do next?
Perhaps you’re at a pivotal scene and the hero needs to say something profound. Or perhaps it’s time for your bad guy to deliver a killer parting line. Or perhaps you need to figure out why your heroine doesn’t want to go home for the holidays.
Enter the list of 20.
The idea is to grab a scratch sheet of paper or open a new file and start listing all the possibilities.
I don’t remember where I learned this trick but I know that I use it frequently and feel like every writer should know about it. Whenever I hit a roadblock, this is the tool I reach for. I might still need to brainstorm with a buddy or do some research, but it’s frequently used because it works.
You see, your first ideas are predictable.
They’re boring.
They’re lazy.
They’re expected.
They’re the first ones that come to mind and maybe they’re right, but more often than not, you can do better.
For me, the sweet spot is somewhere north of number six. Past number fifteen you’re probably grasping for straws and writing any crazy idea that comes to mind.
That’s fine. Keep adding to your list. These ideas are what you need. Maybe the perfect idea presents itself at number seven. Maybe it’s number nineteen.
Maybe it’s a combination of two ideas.
The goal is to get as many ideas onto paper as you can so you’ll knock the perfect idea loose.
Have fun. Good luck. Happy Writing.
