Brainstorming Basics

Posted on Mar 3, 2009 in Writing | 0 comments

For writers always trying to squeak in a few extra minutes for writing it may seem counter-intuitive to say that the best way to develop an idea is to stop thinking about it. But at least for this author it’s true.

Very rarely has an idea that I truly loved come from the conscious act of trying to dream up something to write about. The majority of the time the ideas that are captivating come, not from out of nowhere, but from the periphery of my consciousness…an offshoot of another idea or a random combination of ideas that have rattled around, unused, in my head for months or even years.

Unfortunately, most writers have never been taught how to brainstorm. I graduated from college with a degree in advertising. I’ve never used the degree professionally, but it was the heavy instruction in different styles of writing that stoked my passion for writing.

And in the first week of Copywriting class we got instruction in how to brainstorm. It was drilled into our heads that there are no bad ideas…just ideas you may not want to pursue. But the act of writing down all your ideas, even the lesser ones, and keeping them close by allows your subconscious to keep things simmering.

So for all of you who never learned the proper way to brainstorm ideas, here are some tips:

• There are no bad ideas. You’ll get farther, faster if you stop telling yourself your ideas are bad.
• Write down ideas no matter how complete they are. Even if it’s just a sentence fragment.
• Write it all down. Or record it, or something similar.
• Every once in a while, review the bits and pieces you’ve jotted down.
• Use cluster diagrams to link similar ideas (write a main idea in the center of the page, then write related idea around it in a cluster, then connect things that go together with lines; you’ll quickly identify the parts that don’t quite fit).
• No idea is too small. Somewhere in the back of my mind is a story about the dual meaning of the word spell (the correct use of letters, and the use of magic).
• Don’t give up on ideas. What does keeping an idea around for a decade really cost you? A small scrap of paper, and the time it takes to reread it once a month?
• Steal freely and unashamedly from others. Both personal and famous. Of course you won’t be able to use their ideas directly, but combined with some of your ideas you never know what it may spark.
• Have fun with it. Who is going to see all this aside from you? There is no need for decorum.

So what about you? Do you have any advice to add?

This post was originally posted on Write Anything—
where six writers talk about the trials and
tribulations of their writing lives. And each
Tuesday the soapbox belongs to me.

How I Learned of My Own Death

Posted on Feb 23, 2009 in General Silliness | 2 comments

I died yesterday.

I know this because the internet told me so.

Actually my own blog told me.

As I’m sure many of you do, I occasionally check my blog stats. The plug-in I use includes a section that gives me the search results that someone used to find my blog. Yesterday, three rather curious searches showed up within a few hours. Two people on separate computers searched for “dale roe death” while a third searched for “the death of dale roe.”

Now this was a little disconcerting to say the least. When you think about dying you think that…well, that you’d be the first to know. Or at least right up near the top.

But no, it seems that I was, at best, the fifth to find out this disturbing news.

Further investigation revealed that a gentleman by the name of Dale Roe, who was the Athletic Director of a high school in Viginia, was the one that passed away.

My Kids Grew Up Too Much Last Week

Posted on Feb 23, 2009 in Brats, Family, Lessons | 1 comment

Parenting is an odd mix of pushing your kids to grow up while at the same time trying to keep them young and innocent. Much of childhood, and it seems the entirety of the teen years, pits the child against the parent as they take opposite sides of this battle. They want the ability to stay up late and go out alone while not helping around the house and coasting through school; while we want them to work hard and help out while staying home safe and sound.

But sometimes outside forces tip the balance, and before you know it they’ve taken a few steps forward. Steps you wish hadn’t been necessary.

A week ago today a friend died. He was very close—And even though he was no relation, the kids all called him Uncle Rob. He was that family friend who acts responsible, if a little funny, around adults, but hams it up for the kids every chance he got. They adored him.

And last Monday night, at dinner, when we told all four of them the bad news of his passing, the hysterics were instant. As only kids are capable of, the rest of the week they handled their grief easily.

Then, Thursday night we took them all to the viewing. We had taken the time to explain what a viewing was, and assured each of them that they wouldn’t have to see the body. In fact, there was a special room set up for all the kids to hang out in. And for most of the night that’s what they did.

But gradually, one by one, they each slowly walked into the viewing room. And each slowly walked up to the casket and said their goodbyes before backing away and dissolving into tears.

I was a little surprised when the 13-year-old did it, but after all she is a teenager as is always trying to prove to us and to herself how grown up she is. I was a little more surprised when the 11-year-old took his turn—he’s very mildly autistic and just about any conversation that involves emotion embarrasses him. Once those two had said their goodbyes, I knew the 8-year-old was next, and she would never let anyone outdo her in anything.

But I have to admit being both shocked and apprehensive as my little 6-year-old took slow cautious steps, and peeked over the edge of the casket. The majority of my head, and every bit of my heart wanted to dash forward and shield him from it all. 6-years-old is just too soon to have to understand death. But the part of my head that held me back thought that at least this way he was facing death on his own terms. If I stopped him here who knows how he would deal with it in the future.

But my little trooper quietly spoke his mind to his Uncle Rob, and when he’d had enough he turned away and collapsed, crying into his mother’s arms.

About 15 minutes later I saw him go up to Uncle Rob’s 17-year-old son and offer his condolences.

I guess they’re going to grow up, no matter what we do to stop it.

Some Free Advice to a Future Sports Hero

Posted on Feb 19, 2009 in Rants, Society, Sports | 6 comments

So you’re good enough to play sports…maybe professionally…maybe in college, but you think you can be more. And you’re looking at the current landscape of professional sports and you’re sick of all the steroid talk. You’ve worked hard all your life and it gets under your skin that a number of very high profile cheaters are changing the landscape for everyone.

Here’s a little PR plan that I’m giving away for free. Follow it and you’ll become the hero of the working man (and woman…this is man in the mankind sense), the family man, and amateur coaches everywhere.

Dale C. Roe’s Certified Sports Hero Program

1. Be clean. No recreational drugs, no steroids. Let me repeat, no steroids. If you can’t do this one, just skip the whole thing.
2. Go find a testing lab and work out some sort of program with them—a program of scheduled and random tests that will allow them to certify that you are steroid free.
3. Call a press conference. Stand up on a podium, with doctors from the testing lab, your parents and kids, your coach, the owner of your team, and anyone else you can think of who should be in on this kind of thing, and announce to the press and to the world that you have taken it upon yourself to prove you are clean and that you play fair. And that you will continue to have that lab certify you, both on- and off-season.
4. Let the testing lab answer the technical questions. Heck, offer the reporters a tour of the operation.
5. Now, here’s the critical part. At some point the reporters will look at you and ask “Why?” Your answer is critical, and you must believe this deep in your heart:
   

   Because when I was a kid, and I got a solid hit and ran the bases pretending I’d just won the World Series I had fireworks in my head and stars in my eyes. Never once did that dream include needles and pills, and shady doctors.

   Because my dad told me that hard work pays off, and that if you work hard enough you will get your reward.

   Because my coach taught me batting practice and fielding drills, not how to hide needle marks and ruin my body to beat guys who worked harder than me.

   Because I’m tired of press conferences where cheaters insist they just made a mistake.

   Because I don’t want a kid to put down his baseball bat, because he thinks he’ll have to do drugs to make it big. And even more, I don’t want that kid to think he has to pick up the needle to keep playing.

   Because I want all the kids to know that you don’t need the needles to make it to the top.

   Because I want parents to have someone to point to, and say to their kids ‘he didn’t cheat’. And because someday when my kids ask me if I ever cheated, I want to be able to look them in the eye when I say “No”.

6. Now challenge your teammates to do the same.

I guarantee you’ll have at least one new fan for life.

Who’s with me?