Pebblepup's Writing Den

My idea bank is simply a list of ideas that I keep in one place on my computer. That’s it. These are ideas that come to me during brainstorming sessions or just from the ether. I note them down as they come to me. If I have notes on the topic, I put those with the idea. I feel it is helpful to maintain such a bank for the times when I have no idea what to write about.

I started this bank when I got several ideas from a brainstorming session. I thought some had potential and knew I’d forget them if I didn’t keep them. So I did. So when I needed another idea to develop into a story, I looked at my idea bank and chose one. It saved me time. I didn’t need to brainstorm new ideas. That was very helpful when I felt pressed for words.

To make an idea bank, you simply save all the ideas you generate during a brainstorming session. You can also list ideas as they occur to you. You can also note any thoughts on each idea with it in your bank. That can be quite valuable. So the next time you brainstorm ideas, don’t discard the ones you didn’t use. Keep them in an idea bank for later.

Anyone who regularly brainstorms ideas should consider making up an idea bank. This can make it easier to write on the fly. If an idea you initially chose doesn’t work out, you can choose one from your idea bank. That can save you time. If your bank is low on ideas, you can brainstorm more when you have the time. No idea is a bad one. They may not be right for the moment they are generated, but they might be good later.

Your idea bank can be a simple list in a word processor document, a paper notebook, a series of text files in a computer folder, or even pieces of paper in a physical folder. It’s really up to you. Whatever method you choose that works for you is the method to use. All you need to do is be consistent. Whether it’s a simple list of ideas, or something more elaborate, if it works for you, that’s what you should do.

You can start building your idea bank any time you brainstorm. Maintaining it is an ongoing project. You can add to it as you brainstorm again. The point of this idea is to have ideas ready when you need them. That way, you can take your time when brainstorming without worrying about results. That’s the key.

An idea bank is just a list of ideas that you didn’t choose in your initial brainstorming session. These should not be discarded, because they might have hidden gems that you can use in another project. So consider making an idea bank. Good luck and keep writing.