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Another strategy for generating ideas is word association. Start by listing one potential topic (as you do when brainstorming). Then write whatever comes to mind when you think about that first idea. The second idea may suggest yet a third one, and so on. Write each new thought next to the previous idea. Word association (as well as mind mapping, which we discuss next) enables your mind to function somewhat like a search engine. Your brain is your database, and when you write down a word or phrase, your mind “searches” for other terms that you associate with the original idea. If you use word association for every topic idea you generated while brainstorming, your set of options will grow even more.

If you have done research for topic ideas, a current news story may also suggest a variety of topics through word association. For example, a story about wildfires could result in the following topic sequence—firefighters, fire prevention, smoke detectors, lie detectors. With this technique, even a topic that would not be a good choice may lead you to an appropriate one. Consider what Mike, a public speaking student, experienced. His assignment was to deliver a speech on “a tip for college success.” One of Mike’s starting-point ideas was “my football coach,” an unlikely topic for this assignment. But he associated his coach’s name with the coach’s favorite saying: “Success comes when preparation meets opportunity.” That quotation formed the basis for Mike’s excellent speech on study habits.