Writing Tip: Capture those ideas

Feb 4, 2013 | Better Writing

Everybody has good ideas. It’s something human beings do naturally. But if you want to make something of those great ideas, you have to capture them first.

You have to capture those ideas because you’ll forget them. That’s not criticism. It’s the way nature works. Here are three things to do to grab those ideas so you can use them later.

Have a way to capture ideas. A pocket notebook, index cards, a small digital voice recorder or you smartphone may do the trick. Find out what works best for you by trying them all.

Capture every idea. You never know in advance which ideas will turn into something really great. So keep your capture method(s) with you all the time.

Master the art of “excuse me.” When an idea pops into your head while you’re with other people, say “excuse me” and capture it. When you’re done you can say, “I apologize, but if I don’t capture my ideas right away, I lose them.”

That’s all it takes to make it possible to use all the good ideas you get. Develop a method to capture ideas. Develop the discipline to use it for every idea. Then do it.