What's Your Big Idea?

 

What’s the big idea?

 

I heard that phrase a lot growing up.

 

It was a way to question, “what are you doing?” or “What were you thinking?”

 

Now, when I say it, I literally mean, “What’s the big idea today?”

 

I told you, I practice writing down 10 ideas a day so I can train my brain to solve problems on demand.

 

Some days, it’s easier than others.

 

A lot of times, I’m thinking about money, I’m thinking about revenue, and cost.

 

I’m thinking about family, and kids, and plans.

 

I’m thinking about beer, and the day ahead of me.

 

Sometimes, I’m thinking about more sleep, which is my body’s way of telling me I’m pushing hard and it’s time to rest.

 

It’s hard to rest when you have Big Ideas.

 

I have so much to say, and I want it out in the world now.

 

Like the mountain bike trail in Pine Bluff.  It’s going to take 6 months before that could be a go.

 

Yet today, the weather is good, but cold.  It would be a great day to explore the area where I want the trail built, a great day to grab a coffee with the head of the grant writing committee, and a good day to start negotiations on the land purchase.

 

But I can’t pull the trigger yet.  Someone has to sign off on it.

 

There are one hundred more little tasks like that, over a dozen projects.

 

Build a western box set for release on Kindle. Write blurb. Check cover. Upload.

 

Set up promotion for weekend sci fi series.

 

Write newsletter to existing fan base for 2^nd day of 12 days of Christmas promo.

 

Check and invoice 3 advertisers for Dec edition of magazine.

 

Set up auto email sequence for thriller series.

 

Write 3k in series.

 

None of those are Big Ideas.

 

The Big Idea came yesterday, and now I need a new one today.

 

I have a book called MOON MEN. It’s one of the first novels I wrote to be published on Amazon, based on a movie script I pitched in Hollywood for a few years.

 

It’s a stand alone novel, which means it doesn’t do very well in KU or on Amazon because whale readers like series.

 

I have another series outlined for work in Jan called SUPERSONIC.

 

Yesterday, it hit me how Moon Men fits into SUPERSONIC. And what’s crazy amazing, it turns this stand alone book into the lead in for a 12 book series.

 

If I find 100 readers for that series next year, I’ll make a couple thousand dollars.

 

All off one little idea.

 

I told my friend a few days ago over beer that I needed a benefactor. That if I had $1000 - $5000 for every good idea, I could build my own R & D department and put people to work implementing the ideas.

 

She took a sip of her own blueberry wheat and wondered why I didn’t just write a book to fund it myself.

 

And that’s the idea for today.

 

Self funding an idea factory.

 

Experimenting with new pathways, new plans and finding people to work with so that we call grow together.

 

What do you think?

Want to See Some Big Ideas?