By Sharla Rae

Some writers brainstorm on their own, some do it with another writer or a group of writers. My personal favorite is ‘what-ifing’ with my critique group. Along the way I learned a few things. I think the biggest lesson was that if I walked away disappointed, it was probably my own fault.

There are websites that go into scientific details, spouting lots of brainstorming terms you’ll soon forget. I’m not going there. I’m speaking from plain old practical experience and what’s worked for me. I hope it works for you too.

Pinpointing exactly what you want to brainstorm is the first step.

Sound easy? Sometimes it is. But sometimes, puzzling out exactly what’s missing in a story needs a brainstorm session of its own. If time is short and you need to pinpoint the problem yourself before taking it to your posse, here’s a few blogs that…