Take a piece of paper and a pen – or a felt tip and a whiteboard – and take a potent word from your last piece of writing. Write it in the middle of the page and circle it. Now start free-associating outwards, in chains of words and spider diagrams. Open up your mind to whatever turns up. When the page is full, draw lines between the words that feel connected. Are there any interesting combinations or oppositions? Where might they take your story?
