This week, I spent part of my private classes explaining to my students why it’s so difficult to come up with great plots. It’s because our brains are hardwired to survive by seeing the general patterns in life to make sure nothing has changed, so safety can be maintained.
I spent the rest of the class introducing techniques to help students see beyond this survival zone and write more creatively. One of my students – Mikal – found these exercises very helpful and sent me this NY Times story which he saw as a continuation of what I had discussed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/health/06mind.html?_r=1
Take a minute to read this article, as it may suggest other styles of brainstorming to expand our plotting capabilities.
