 You and your friends are hanging out. Someone says, I'm hungry. Anyone else? Should we grab something to eat? And everyone starts listing restaurants. McDonald's, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Mel's Diner, Fuzzy's Pizza Palace, the All You Can Eat Buffet, and the local corner store. After a bit of discussion, you and your friends head out to grab a bite. You may not know it, but you are just part of an unofficial brainstorming session. Brainstorming is a common technique that generates ideas and creative solutions to problems. In this case, where to go for dinner? Brainstorming is a creative process. It starts with a question, topic, or problem. Then, you write down every possible idea or thought you have that relates. It encourages quantity over quality. You'll edit later, but it also allows you to build on ideas. One crazy thought may lead to other, better thoughts that you wouldn't have had otherwise. During a brainstorming session, there's no right or wrong answer. Be as creative and open as possible and write down whatever comes into your head. You never know what the next great idea is going to be. If you're brainstorming in a group, don't edit anyone's ideas. Everything needs to be written down. Many novice writers worry that once they put something on paper, it can't ever be changed. That's not true. In actuality, you want to use all the ideas to help shape and form your work. To begin the process in a more formal manner, for your paper, project, or speech, write down your topic or problem on top of your whiteboard, piece of paper, or word doc. Then, spend a few minutes writing down every idea you have that's connected to your topic. Using single words or short phrases. No complete sentences. Let's practice. For this activity, start with the problem that needs to be solved. Does Bigfoot exist? Now, spend the next two minutes brainstorming and writing down anything and everything you can think of relating to this question. Ready? Press pause to stop the video. Then, write your list and press play when you're ready to continue on. How did that go? This is our list. What does yours look like? It's definitely going to be different than the list we came up with. But that's the point. Brainstorming helps you figure out what you already know and where you may want to start your research. For instance, we might start our paper or speech with a history of Bigfoot sightings and research. Then, move on from there. We certainly wouldn't use every idea in this list, but it would help us narrow down our focus. A good brainstorming list would do the same for you. Now, let's practice again. But this time, use a topic or question from one of your upcoming papers, projects or speeches. You can even use a project you've done already to see if you could have come up with more ideas. Ready? Press pause to stop the video and press play when you're ready to continue. How'd it go this time? Was it easier or harder this time? If you found this difficult, that's okay. Just like any other skill, brainstorming needs to be practiced. People can find it difficult because they self-edit ideas. They're so worried about an idea sounding stupid that they don't write it down. Remember, this is a creative process and there's no wrong idea. As you work, don't worry if you don't see an immediate connection between an idea and your topic or question. For some reason, you were thinking of that idea at the time, so it was worth writing it down. Write everything down and then edit later. Remember, every time you brainstorm for a project, paper or speech, make sure you relax, take your time, and have fun. Brainstorming is a creative process and a great way to generate ideas. It's also a technique that you've already used, even if you didn't know it. Keep this in mind the next time you and your friends are trying to decide where to go for dinner. Someone might suggest something new that surprises you and leads to a great evening. You've completed Thinking About the Topic Brainstorming