2. Active Idea-Generation Techniques
Priming our mind as the foundation for writing is something we do all the time even when we do not have to write in particular. But if we feel like writing or need to finish some writing work right now, DeepSeek also has some useful and actionable techniques for us to get the ball rolling.
*A. The "What If..." Game
This is the writer's most powerful tool. Take a normal situation and break it with a "What if."
What if I can choose any job to do? What will be the ideal one for me?
What if today is the last day of my life? What will I want to do the most?
What if I can not have access to all the mobile devices starting from today? What will I spend my spare time doing?
What if I can have one superpower? What superpower will it be and what will I do with it?
What if my favorite hobby is suddenly made illegal? What else can I do?
What if I can turn back the clock? What changes do I want to make to the past?
All of those questions will open a new world for us and make us look at things from different perspectives. This “what if” practice can expand our thinking and release our imagination for more novel ideas to pour in.
*B. Use Prompts
Prompts provide a constraint that can actually boost creativity by giving you a starting point.
Image Prompts: Find a strange photo or piece of art online. Write the story of what happened just before or after this moment. Word Prompts: Combine three random words. (e.g., "lighthouse," "spoon," "regret"). First Line Prompts: Use a compelling first line to launch from. (e.g., "It was the day the moon fell in love with the sun, and everything went wrong.")
This technique seems pretty inspiring to me. With a prompt as a starting point, we can let our imagination and creativity run wild. Personally speaking, I mainly struggle with having a topic or an idea to start my writing. Writing just becomes easier and fulfilling with some captivating ideas and a focused mind ready to get into the flow.
*C. The Snowball Method (Idea Clustering)
Start with a single word or concept in the center of a page. Set a timer for 5-10 minutes and write down every word, phrase, or image that comes to mind, connecting them like a web. Don't judge, just brainstorm. Patterns and ideas will emerge from the connections.
Center word: **"Key"** -> **"Skeleton key"** -> **"Old house"** -> **"Hidden room"** -> **"Family secret"** -> **"A letter"** -> **"A forgotten heir.
A small word can snowball into a huge web of connected concepts and ideas which can get us on a roll. We start to realize the power of our brain and mind if we just give them enough space and time to work wonders. But to make the most of this ideas generator,we have to avoid judging each random idea coming naturally out of our mind.
*D. Browse the news
Scan news for creative sparks. Novel stories or events can pull us out of the banality of unchanged daily life. Thinking about some trending topics or reading some intriguing news will naturally drive us to think about things different from what we are always thinking when living on autopilot. It is a great way to be creative for expressing and writing.