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Boosting Your Creativity
by D'Arcy Mayo

Ask yourself if you have quick, effect ways of breaking through the mental blocks that stop you coming up with fresh ideas?

The two techniques offered here may be for writers yet anyone faced with the challenge of idea creation will benefit from applying them whenever the mental cogs jam up.

Traditional forms of outlining rely upon a linear approach based upon the logical, functioning of your left-brain. This produces a neatly sequential format which automatically carries us from one concept to the next and keeps our writing focused on each point.

This focus, despite its benefits, is a major deficiency of linear outlining. Henriette Anne Klauser puts it this way: "The fallacy ... is believing that the concepts we leave behind have been thoroughly thought out and needs no extension."

Clustering and non-linear outlining overcomes this deficiency by radiating out in a naturally expansive way to grow organically from your central concept.

Afterthoughts become some of the most valuable aspects of your final outline. You find yourself being able to retrace your steps and easily add in these new ideas without disrupting the neat structure that you would have if you'd started with a linear approach. It defies the 'begin at the beginning' shibboleth of many writing schools. You can start anywhere you wish and leap about in any direction your creative senses wish.

Three good books on this topic are:

• Writing on Both Sides of the Brain by Henriette Anne Klauser
• Writing the Natural Way by Gabriele Lusser Rico
• Use Both Sides Of Your Brain by Tony Buzan

Copyright © 2002 D'Arcy Mayo

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