I love lists, but I often forget to use them. However, they're a superb creativity technique, and while creating a list takes time, it often saves time in the long run.
You can use listing in any kind of writing project, and at any stage of the project.
Here are some examples:
* When writing a report on customer complaints in an industry: list 20 ways to deal with customer complaints;
* When you're developing an article on bird flu, make a list of 50 words and phrases that come into your mind. This is an associative exercise, so if you seem to be straying from the topic, keep listing. Often when you're digging for an idea, the best idea is a combination of several thoughts;
* When you're writing headlines for a product's sales page, create 50 headlines, the wilder the better.
Your thesaurus and dictionary will help you to get started listing.
Listing software: I use SlimList on my PC; Idea Knot on my Mac. Both are free.
Technorati Tags: 100 ways to be more creative