January 2015

There’s a psych term, functional fixedness, for a concept about being stuck thinking about an object only in the way it was intended to be used. Binder clips are only for holding together a stack of papers and you wouldn’t think of using them for anything else.

I have a good memory for concepts but not always for their formal names, so I referred to that idea as the opposite of what MacGyver has. He can solve any problem with simple objects (like paper clips, duct tape, and a Swiss army knife) because he thinks beyond common uses.

I’ve been thinking about what functional fixedness looks like in writing. It could mean that you stick with initial ideas instead of thinking of other possibilities. It might mean that you don’t look beyond usual genre tropes.

So how do you get unstuck? Or maybe a better question is, how do you keep your mind flexible?

One answer is, look at stories and pull them apart. The story could be in any medium—look at novels but also look at TV, movies, comic books, podcasts, plays…whatever interests you.

Ask questions about the characters, story structure, plot, writing style, tone. Figure out what works and what doesn’t. Think about why you like or don’t like the story.

Stay flexible by paying close attention to stories.

Photo credit: Hallvard E via photopin cc