I just finished reading Mark Levy’s Accidental Genius, a short book on the power of freewriting. Basically, writing nonstop on a set topic for a predetermined amount of time. I’ve used this technique with both creative and business projects to  to great success. You don’t need to read Levy’s book to benefit from freewriting — just pick a topic, set a timer and write! — but he offers a number of clever tips and hacks to optimize the value of your effort. Given that his guide is just a pinch over 100 breezy pages, it’s worth your time.

In particular, I appreciated his advice on freewriting on one topic for one session, highlighting the best results, picking one and freewriting on that one next. Most of the time, the best solutions aren’t right in front of you. This is especially true for writers. Whether you’re crafting an ad or telling a story, the obvious is usually a cliche, usually boring and usually a mistake.

But that’s how our brains are wired. We’re programmed to find the simplest, most obvious solution first. You have to identify these missteps so you can avoid them and start to uncover more novel, more poetic, or more telling solutions. Part of the reasons these new solutions are so engaging and enjoyable is because the audience — well-versed in story and advertising norms — is naturally and automatically expecting the cliches. Even if an outcome has to be cliche — the superhero is going to stop the villain — how they accomplish that outcome shouldn’t be. There’s always room to innovate.

You know you’re getting somewhere when you can’t think of any more easy solutions. Neither can your audience. Keep writing. Your solutions now have the potential to really make an impact.

Mark Levy’s Accidental Genius