How to Make Good Ideas Great Ideas?

Is there a magic word to use?

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

We are constantly bombarded by ideas, some are good and some are not so good. There are a few ideas that keep returning to us, after days, weeks or even years. Those are the ideas that want you to give them a voice. Those returning ideas want you to develop them into stories, poems or articles. Your muse wants you to focus your thoughts on those ideas.

How do you develop an idea, into a good one and then into a great one, and is there a magic word to do the magic trick?

Here is my step-by-step instruction on how you can take an ordinary idea, convert it into a good idea and then transform it into a great concept, as a story, article or a poem.

1. When you find that an idea returns to you or hits you, and you are inspired, do not wait. Write that idea into a journal or in your writer’s diary.
2. Secondly, write down the place, time and day, when you received that idea and what were the circumstances when you received it. Were you on your way to work or were you sitting at the breakfast table.
3. Keep the idea in your notebook for a few hours, and come back to reading that idea. You will find that you are inspired to flesh-out the idea. This is the first stage in developing an ordinary idea into a good one.
4. If you would like to create a great idea, return to reading your journal after a few weeks.
5. Meanwhile, over the period of a few weeks, you will find that the idea fills your mind, and you start to brainstorm several possibilities. Try looking at the same idea from different angles and perspectives.
6. The best way to create a great idea is to make a note of all the simple, complex and out-of-the-world ideas that come to mind, form that one.
7. Spend time a day later, mining through all the creative materials that you have generated in your mind, with your idea.
8. Choose the one great idea that speaks to you and which you feel does justice to the simple idea.
9. Now build your story, poem or article around that energy powered great idea.
10. Always remember to infuse the literary work that you create with the same love and passion that you used to create the idea. Now say, the magic word, it can be something as simple as, “Hey Presto”, “Abracadabra”, or “Kalamazoo” and you will have your great idea, waiting to be released into the world.

If you enjoyed reading this article, leave a comment. Readers, fellow writers and I, would love to know your method for transforming ideas, into good and great ideas.

Photo by Per Lööv on Unsplash