Writing FAST - Jeff Bollow 2012

Throw your ideas in the BIN
Harness your idea overflow
Apply

When I was a kid, I had a wonderfully active imagination. I always dreamed I would grow up to be a huge movie star. Whatever shows I was watching on television, I had invented characters for myself.

I was Sam’s long-lost son on Cheers. I was Alice’s other son on Alice. I was Nancy McKeon’s boyfriend on The Facts of Life. I was Dr Caldwell’s nephew on St Elsewhere. (As you can see, I would always be related to the central characters, so I’d have a regular part instead of some guest appearance. Even as a kid, I knew the value of a steady gig.)

My little imagination ran rampant. I used to carry around a notebook to put all my ideas in. I called it my “Big Idea” notebook.

I would jot down storylines, and crazy ideas. I would put doodles in there, and poems (oh, I was quite the poet), and whatever short stories came to mind.

I stopped carrying around that notebook when I became a teenager. After all, it wasn’t very cool. And I couldn’t be a dork, could I? (I turned out to be a dork after all, but at least I wasn’t carrying a notebook.)

It’s a shame I didn’t hold onto that old thing.

Because it’s absolutely the best way to capture your ideas.

Remember, ideas are slippery. If you don’t capture them while they’re in your face, they’ll be gone a few minutes later.

Well, I’ve returned to that tool.

And I call it the BIN. Your own “Big Idea Notebook.” Think of it as a recycling bin. It’s a place to chuck something that might get used later.

Here’s how to use it.

When you’re writing, keep two files open on the computer. One is the file you’re working on. Right now, mine is the page I’m typing these words into. But in the background is an open, empty file. It’s my BIN.

(You could also keep a blank sheet of paper by your side.)

If a stray idea pops into your head, quickly switch over to that page, jot the idea down, and come back here and continue writing. That way, you won’t lose those few “big ideas” that are valuable. But you won’t get sidetracked by the ones that aren’t either!

Remember, you’ll only get through your writing fast if you focus on the target and write as fast as you can. Slowing down for even a moment will let the Overflow rush in.

Don’t let it happen!

Throw those ideas into the BIN, and get back to your writing. You can decide later what to do with them.

Maybe you’ll empty the BIN. Maybe you’ll recycle. For now, just chuck stray ideas in there, and get back to your writing.

The BIN is deceptively simple. It really doesn’t seem like a breakthrough technique. But the faster you write (especially when you start applying Talktation), the more powerful it becomes. You’ve given yourself a way to stay focused.