Brainstorming is like freewriting around a specific topic. It helps you bring your subconscious thoughts into consciousness, identifying as many ideas as possible that are related to a particular topic.
To brainstorm, let your thoughts about a specific topic flow, and list those thoughts.
Example:
Squirrels
- How to get them out of the garden
- How to get rid of them ethically (without killing)
- Squirrel traps
- Repellents for squirrels
- Types of squirrels
- Brown vs. black vs. red squirrels
- Flying squirrels
- What they eat
- Different types of play
- Training squirrels
- Hunting squirrels
- Squirrels and cats
- How they nest
- Build nests in the same place each year
So, what happens once you’ve brainstormed a topic? Look over the list. Are there items that group together? Are there items that catch your interest as a thinker, researcher, and writer—items you want to know more about? Are there items that seem unrelated or not useful? Use your list as a starting place; it creates ideas for you, as a writer, to work with.