How to Keep an Idea Journal
Be Ready., Have a Theme., Tell what the inspiration was for this idea., Make it much more complex by adding things like observations, evidence, conclusion, etc., Use Them!
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Be Ready.
Great ideas will come at any and all times, and you must be ready for them.
Always walk around with a notebook and a pen in your pocket so you can record it at a moments notice.
When you get home, or whenever you have access to your computer, transfer the information onto a Word® Document.
This Must be done in a specific order. -
Step 2: Have a Theme.
The theme is what the idea is about.
The definition of theme is: the subject of a talk, a person's thoughts .
To properly show this, you must summarize the idea in one sentence; two at most.
It's not easy to do, and it still sometimes causes trouble for experienced writers. , If you forget what the inspiration was, the concept will no longer have the desired meaning it had to you.
The definition of inspiration is: the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something .
Your inspiration could be something as simple as a funny thing your friend said, or as complicated as an alien conspiracy theory that you read about. , but I think that just makes it worse.
If you are able to think of that much based off of one little moment, then you are way over thinking it.
Keeping it short and sweet will ensure that you didn't add things later that you didn't experience in the moment.
All that this will do, is give you a headache.
And if you have a headache you won't be able to think straight, and that will screw up your thought process. , Every twenty or so ideas, print the paper out and put it in a binder.
Next time you have writer's block or just feel the urge to write something, just go back through and pick the idea that you want.
When you use one of the ideas, don't rip it out! Simply put a check mark next to it, because you never know when you might need to use it again. -
Step 3: Tell what the inspiration was for this idea.
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Step 4: Make it much more complex by adding things like observations
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Step 5: evidence
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Step 6: conclusion
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Step 7: Use Them!
Detailed Guide
Great ideas will come at any and all times, and you must be ready for them.
Always walk around with a notebook and a pen in your pocket so you can record it at a moments notice.
When you get home, or whenever you have access to your computer, transfer the information onto a Word® Document.
This Must be done in a specific order.
The theme is what the idea is about.
The definition of theme is: the subject of a talk, a person's thoughts .
To properly show this, you must summarize the idea in one sentence; two at most.
It's not easy to do, and it still sometimes causes trouble for experienced writers. , If you forget what the inspiration was, the concept will no longer have the desired meaning it had to you.
The definition of inspiration is: the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something .
Your inspiration could be something as simple as a funny thing your friend said, or as complicated as an alien conspiracy theory that you read about. , but I think that just makes it worse.
If you are able to think of that much based off of one little moment, then you are way over thinking it.
Keeping it short and sweet will ensure that you didn't add things later that you didn't experience in the moment.
All that this will do, is give you a headache.
And if you have a headache you won't be able to think straight, and that will screw up your thought process. , Every twenty or so ideas, print the paper out and put it in a binder.
Next time you have writer's block or just feel the urge to write something, just go back through and pick the idea that you want.
When you use one of the ideas, don't rip it out! Simply put a check mark next to it, because you never know when you might need to use it again.
About the Author
William Ross
A passionate writer with expertise in organization topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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