One of the most magical parts of being a writer is jumping into the brainstorming stage for story and wrangling in ideas. Sometimes they come in with a flood. Sometimes as a series of trickles. It’s exciting when you feel the first threads of your story weaving together but it’s also safe to say that brainstorming can be hard. It’s both the magic and the heavy lifting of storytelling. And another truth? Waiting for inspiration to strike won’t always serve you. So the question may arise…where can you get ideas? And how can you come up with one that hasn’t been done a million times before?
The Myth of the Brand-New Idea
When you consider how long human civilization has been around and the billions of stories there are in the world, how can there be any original ideas left?
Well the truth is, most story ideas have been told in some form. Star-crossed lovers, quests for power, underdog heroes, found families. These patterns, often called tropes, stretch back centuries. But here’s the twist: you might not even recognize something as a trope when you first start dreaming your idea up. You may just be following an image, a question, or a spark. Later, you may realize, oh, that’s enemies-to-lovers or that’s the chosen one archetype.
That doesn’t mean the idea is stale. Tropes are tools. They’re story shorthand for themes readers already have connected to. The magic comes in how you spin them, subvert them, or make them your own.
Take Shrek, for example. On the surface, it’s a fairy tale about a knight rescuing a princess. But instead of a dashing prince, we get a grumpy ogre. And, instead of a beautiful maiden, the princess is also an ogre. This happily-ever-after feels fresh.
Or look at Frozen. We all know the “true love’s kiss” trope. Disney could have gone with a prince. Instead, they spun it into an act of sisterly love. This surprised audiences and ended up tugging on deeper heartstrings.
Familiar, But Fresh
Here’s another the secret. Readers actually like a sense of familiarity in their stories. A trope, an archetype, or a recognizable setup gives them an anchor. It helps them with stepping into the story world on steady feet. That’s why “enemies to lovers” or “the chosen one” keeps popping up across genres and generations. Familiarity feels comfortable.
However, if a story is too familiar, then it risks becoming predictable and the kiss of death—boring. That’s where the freshness comes in. You want the twist, the unique character voice, the unexpected combination. Think of Encanto, which looks like a classic “magical heroine saves the family” tale, until it flips into a story about the only non-magical member being the true heart of her family.
So not too familiar… ok, well, on the flip side, if a story is too out there—so strange or abstract—readers are likely to feel lost or disconnected. Even the most imaginative ideas need something familiar for readers to hold onto.
That balance of being familiar enough to feel grounded while fresh enough to feel exciting will be at the heart of great brainstorming.
How to Keep Brainstorming Fresh and Exciting
- Spin a Trope Tropes aren’t the enemy. They are building blocks. The freshness comes from how you twist them. A “chosen one” can become a “chosen family” (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse). A “slay the dragon” quest can become a friendship that changes a whole culture (How to Train Your Dragon).
- Lean into “What Ifs” One of my personal go-tos. Asking what if… sparks endless possibilities. Like what if magical only worked if the spell was sung and the hero of the story was tone-deaf? Or what if not all werebeasts were evil… some actually jumped into vigilante justice? Or maybe what if the world existed inside a picture in a children’s book that had been on display in the library but now all the old books are scheduled for recycling?
- Push Beyond the First Answer Once you get some ideas the question you ought to be asking is “what else?” Your first idea will usually the most obvious. Keep asking the “what else?” three, five, even ten times. You’ll find the “real gold” appears after you get past all the “low hanging fruit.”
- Mix Ingredients That Don’t Belong Smash together two unrelated ideas. A barista whose latte art predicts the future. A banshee working as a motivational speaker. A detective in a town where doors open into other worlds. You’ll often find that originality often comes from collision. I had a bank manager ask me once where I got my ideas and on the fly I picked things in his office to smash together. I said well how about someone comes in with a magical cold. They sneeze on your papers and that stack becomes spelled with sentience. The stack of paper was also in a bad mood because last they remembered they had been parts of trees. So, all the paper fanned out and flooded the bank, biting people’s noses and slicing with paper cuts and… Well, you get the idea.
- Thread in Your Life No one else has your exact blend of experiences, humor, fears, and questions. Take some of the magic which is you and infuse those into an idea. Suddenly you have something that carries a voice no one else can replicate.
Techniques to Spark Ideas
- Mind Mapping – Start with one central word—like betrayal or forest—and write your word in the center of a page and circle it. Then, let your brain wander. What images, emotions, or related words come to mind? Draw lines outward and jot those down. From forest, you might branch to roots, secrets, wolves, sanctuary, or darkness. From there, keep branching—wolves could lead to pack loyalty or a hidden enemy, while darkness could spark fear of the unknown or hidden treasure.
Mind maps are powerful because they give your imagination room to zigzag instead of trying to stay within straight lines. You have opportunity to explore connections you might not notice otherwise. Often the best story ideas come when two branches collide in unexpected ways like betrayal + forest turns into a story about a knight betrayed during a midnight hunt, or a faery grove that punishes liars.
✨ Pro tip: Don’t stop too soon. The first few branches will be obvious. The deeper you go, the more surprising and original the ideas get.
- Scenario Storming – Throw characters into odd or extreme situations just to see what they’d do. Sometimes the best arcs come from surprising reactions. Think of Moana, where the “villain” Te Kā isn’t defeated but revealed to be a goddess in need of restoration.
This isn’t about writing polished scenes—it’s about stress-testing your characters. Take your hero, villain, or sidekick and drop them into situations outside their comfort zone. What if your stoic knight has to babysit a mischievous toddler? Or, what if your villain is invited to tea by their grandmother? What if the healer who always saves everyone else wakes up to a strange cut on themselves that won’t stop bleeding?
These little “what if” experiments reveal hidden sides of your characters. Maybe your knight softens in unexpected ways. Your villain might has a tender streak that complicates the whole story. The love interest has an unhealthy competitive streak when playing boardgames. Even if the exact scene never makes it into the book, the insights you gain will shape how your characters act when the real crises come.
Scenario storming also works for plot. Imagine a story beat and ask: what’s the worst thing that could happen here? Or, what’s the most ironic outcome? The beauty of scenario storming is that it pushes you past predictable choices. It invites drama, tension, and surprise. It also keeps you from relying on clichés, because you’re actively exploring how your specific characters respond—not just how “a hero” or “a villain” is supposed to act.
✨ Pro tip: Treat scenario storming like improv. Don’t worry if the situation feels silly or over the top. The more you play, the more unexpected truths you’ll discover.
- Borrow from Myth and History – Folklore and history brim with sparks waiting to ignite. A superstition, a legend, or even an obscure historical event can become the seed for an entire novel. When you borrow from myth and history, you’re tapping into timeless human fears, hopes, and questions… basically things readers connect with on a gut level. It stirs resonance.
Start simple and pick a culture, a time period, or a region, and explore its stories. Norse myths might give you frost giants and trickster gods. Celtic folklore offers banshees, selkies, and enchanted wells. Japanese legends bring fox spirits and moon princesses. Medieval Europe brimmed with tales of saints, miracles, and curses. Even everyday superstitions—like spilling salt or knocking on wood—carry story seeds.
History, too, is full of strange and inspiring material. What if you spun a novel out of a half-forgotten peasant revolt? Or took the story of a Venetian merchant and reimagined it in space? The Mongol postal system, the Black Death, the rise and fall of empires—all of these can be refracted into something fantastical and new.
The key is transformation. You don’t want to retell myths and history verbatim—you want to twist them, reframe them, or ask “what if?” What if the Trojan War was fought over something other than magical dragon eggs? What if Robin Hood failed, and the Sheriff’s line ruled for centuries? What if selkies were not tragic kidnapped wives but cunning sea generals leading underwater armies?
One example of this done well include: Percy Jackson with the reimaginings of Greek myths in modern-day America.
✨ Pro tip: Keep a “myth & history inspiration” notebook. Every time you stumble on a strange superstition, obscure historical event, or quirky legend, jot it down. You never know when it’ll be the spark for your next story.
- Step Outside the Page – Sometimes the best ideas don’t come when you’re staring at a blank screen—they come when you step away from it. Creativity thrives on cross-pollination, and exposing yourself to different sights, sounds, and experiences can shake loose the story sparks hiding in your subconscious.
Go for a walk in nature. Notice the texture of bark under your hand, the way wind rattles dry leaves, or the hush that falls before a storm. Each of those sensory details could anchor a scene, spark a metaphor, or reveal a character’s mood. A forest trail might become the setting for a betrayal, or the golden light of dusk might inspire the tone of your climax.
Read poetry. Unlike prose, poetry distills language into rhythm, imagery, and emotion. A single striking phrase might inspire a character’s worldview, a prophecy, or even the cadence of your narrator’s voice. Poets train us to look closer at details—an invaluable skill for storytellers.
Look at paintings or photographs. Ask yourself: What’s happening just outside the frame? That woman gazing out a window—what is she waiting for? That crowded marketplace scene—what secret deal is taking place in the shadows? Art invites us to imagine stories behind the image.
Music works, too. A haunting violin piece may whisper the mood of your villain. A cheerful folk song might trigger a subplot idea about village life. Even shifting genres—like listening to heavy metal when you usually prefer classical—can push your imagination into new territory.
Don’t forget everyday observation. People-watching in a café, wandering through a museum, or overhearing snippets of conversation can all plant seeds. That odd gesture between two strangers or that unfinished sentence at the next table could become the hook for an entire novel.
✨ Pro tip: When you step outside the page, bring a notebook or voice memo app. Inspiration fades fast—catch it before it vanishes.
- Meditative Visualization – Sometimes the best way to find your story is to quiet everything else. Meditative visualization combines mindfulness with imagination—helping you slip past distractions and tap directly into the creative well of your subconscious.
Start by closing your eyes and focusing on your breath. Let your thoughts settle. Then, invite an image to surface. It doesn’t have to be dramatic—it might be a flicker of light, a half-formed landscape, or a single character’s face. Don’t force it. Let the image expand on its own.
Once you have something, gently ask questions: Where am I? Who is here with me? What’s about to happen? Often, details will fill in naturally. Maybe the “flicker of light” becomes a lantern swinging in a cave. Maybe the “character’s face” belongs to someone whispering a warning.
The trick isn’t to control the vision but to explore it, like walking through a dream with your senses wide open. What do you smell? Hear? Touch? By immersing yourself in the sensory details of this inner scene, you give your brain raw material for story seeds.
Some writers find it helpful to set the mood—light a candle, play ambient music, or sit somewhere comfortable and quiet. Others use guided meditations (there are many apps or YouTube tracks) designed to stimulate imagination.
✨ Pro tip: After a visualization session, write immediately. You don’t need a perfect scene—just fragments that can grow into something bigger later.
Brainstorming and Personality
Since I use the Myers-Briggs car model for my characters, I though it would be interesting to dive into how different writers would naturally lean toward different brainstorming methods based on this method. And please remember, these are ideas only but if it resonates with you, it’s worth the look so you can play to your strengths.
- Introverts often prefer solo brainstorming—journaling, free-writing, or reflecting quietly before sharing ideas.
- Extraverts thrive on group energy—whiteboards, rapid-fire idea bouncing, or “yes, and…” collaboration sessions.
- Intuitive types (N) gravitate toward big-picture what ifs, metaphors, and speculative prompts.
- Sensing types (S) feel inspired by concrete prompts like photos, objects, or real-world history.
- Thinking types (T) brainstorm through logic, cause-effect chains, or analyzing scenarios.
- Feeling types (F) generate ideas best when exploring motives, relationships, or themes tied to values.
- Judging types (J) like structure: lists, prompts, and targeted goals.
- Perceiving types (P) enjoy open-ended free association and chaotic creativity.
No type is “better” than another—your best brainstorming comes from leaning into the way your brain already sparks. As an ENFP, I can tell you that the what-if’s and big picture stuff is my bread and butter. I also delve deeply into motives, relationships, and values…. And yes, I do enjoy open ended free association. However, I also know that I need parameters so I don’t go too far down rabbit holes or land myself off the cliffs of the too-bizarre.
Making Brainstorming Work for You
- Write Everything Down – Don’t filter. Even the wildest idea may transform later. And if you are filtering you are using your editor brain. Don’t get me wrong, editor brain is awesome but this is the wrong role for it. It’ll stand like a guardian and may scare off the truly amazing ideas.
- Switch Mediums – Notebook, sticky notes, voice memo, whiteboard. Sometimes the medium changes the flow.
- Give Yourself Permission to Be Wild – You’re not committing yet. Go big. (If editor brain is still there, tell it “Thanks for showing up. Don’t have anything for you right now. Why don’t you go have fun, and I’ll call you when you’re up.)
- Circle Back – Ideas that don’t fit today may be perfect for another project. Keep an “idea graveyard” or inspiration journal.
✨ Final Thoughts:
Brainstorming isn’t about inventing something the world has never seen—it’s about making it feel alive through your lens.
Sometimes that means twisting a trope (like Encanto turning the “magical heroine saves the family” trope on its head).
Or sometimes it means chasing a wild “what if.”
Sometimes it means stepping outside with open eyes and letting a tree, a painting, or a poem whisper the spark.
Either way, it’s where imagination runs wild, where story seeds take root, and where the magic—and heavy lifting—of storytelling begins.
This and other topics are frequently covered with presentations, lectures, discussions, and more on David Farland’s Apex-Writers. To learn more, visit apex-writers.com
TF (Tammy) Burke is a YA fantasy author, journalist, and community builder passionate about weaving worlds where magic, resilience, and wonder collide. She’s the author of the Heart of the Worlds series, including the bestselling Faeries Don’t Lie and Faeries Don’t Forgive, with Faeries Don’t Hide releasing in late 2025.
A former newspaper journalist with over 400 published articles, Tammy blends a love of storytelling, folklore, and medieval history into her work. From local meetups to international zoom calls, she energizes audiences with dynamic author presentations.
She is also an admin, active host and content creator with the Apex-Writers group, an international writing community founded by New York Times bestselling author David Farland, and has served as president and conference chair of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group (GLVWG).
