The Process of Creative Problem Solving

In my internet searches of late, I came across this article by William J. Altier, which discusses creative problem solving. The gist of the article is that in order to problem solve creatively, we need to be open to new ideas, new answers, and to see things through fresh eyes. Assumptions are the enemy.

This theory can be applied to writing. His approaches to creativity work perfectly. The first step being Forget Everything You Know (the relationships).

When writing, you want to avoid cliches. You want to avoid ideas that have been over done and that are expected. You need to think about your characters without applying old tried and true traits to them. Same with plotting. Avoid taking the easy way out. Come up with something new and unexpected. Let your mind wander into different territory. Head down twisted paths you're not used to taking and see where they lead you and what comes up.

The second step, Remember Everything You Know. Altier quotes, Nobel laureate Albert Szent-Gyorgyi: "Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different." See things in a different light. Look for beautiful flaws, unique angles. What could turn a scene idea into something unique and fresh? Something that resonates and stands out?

The third step in Creative Problem Solving is: Rearrange Everything You Know. When I write, I use what's called a Mind Map. I open a Word document and place text boxes on that blank page, and type in possible scenes and plot threads. Often times I don't even know the relationship between one thread and another until near the end, when inevitably I have a eureka moment when I say, "That's why I planted that there! That's why I wrote that scene!" Something along those lines.

It takes a lot of faith to allow something to stay in a book I'm writing when I don't know why I've written it in there to begin with. But if I trust myself, it all works out. That tiny little thing that seemed so irrelevant has become very important to the plot.

I move these boxes around a lot. Pretty soon I begin to see other ideas emerge in between those boxes. New relationships between characters and scenes. Sometimes it's like looking at those freaky pictures that you have to stare at and defocus your eyes for before the new picture emerges for you.

Some of these text boxes get deleted as I discard them as possible scenes for the story. The point is to get all your ideas down, even the ones that seem silly, and rearrange them many times on the screen. See what could work.

Most importantly, keep an open mind. Trust yourself.