The subconscious is the greatest asset a writer has; yet by nature it lies hidden away, beneath the conscious mind.  There are many ways to access the subconscious, and one of the best is by making lists.

Lists are a great help at the beginning of any project, when nothing has yet been set in concrete.  For instance, you can make lists of names for your principal characters and lists of possible professions; lists of locations and of screenplay titles.  This is a form of brainstorming, but by using a list, your analytical left brain stays happy and is less likely to interfere by tossing out critical, negative thoughts. 

The key to the success of technique method is in making sure the list is literally mind-numbingly long.  In other words, you should attempt to come up with more items for your list than you believe is humanly possible.  Say you are looking for an unusual, interesting occupation for your lead.  Write the numbers 1 to 50 down the sides of several sheets of paper, and then go.  By making the list too long, you allow your subconscious to spew out everything, without the conscious mind censoring any “dumb ideas.”  You will also dispatch with the obvious, clichéd responses quickly, allowing the more original ideas to come through.

Once you are working on your script, lists can help as well.  In this case, the list does not necessarily have to be as long.  If you are having trouble with a patch of dialogue, for instance, try writing it five or six different ways.  When you are trying to restructure a story, make a list of the scenes you already have, then make a separate list of the scenes you feel you need. 

At any stage of writing, it is worth making lists of possible plot developments that could result from your set-up.  Doing this before you start writing can help you come up with a more complex, unpredictable storyline than if you had merely followed your first outline.  Once you have a draft, this same list can help you find the complications you are missing.  You can also make lists for how a character might react to a plot point, or for ways to add comedy or background texture to a flat scene.  In fact, it is impossible to list all of the ways lists can help you at any stage of development.

Lists can also help inspire new ideas.  The aforementioned list of titles is one way of doing this.  Another is an exercise mentioned in an earlier Buzz essay, in which you make a list of professions, a list of locations, a list of goals and a list of obstacles, then randomly match them up to come up with a basic premise.  Or you can simply make a list of premises.  Try jotting down ten loglines for comedies, ten poster tag lines for thrillers, etc.

Lists are one of the easiest and simplest ways to get yourself unstuck, whether you are struggling to come up with a new story or are plowing through a difficult rewrite.  Lists are quick to do and the surprising results you come up with can renew your enthusiasm for your story.