I once followed a correspondence course in writing (stories) and was introduced to the concept of 'automatic writing'. Write down your thoughts quickly as they popup in your head without any hesitation - no matter what it is you think of. Do not let the right part of your brain (or was it the left) censor your writing. The result is often really interesting and can give you a lot of 'raw material' that you can use, adjust, throw out, etc. One tip: Don't let your mother (wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend) read what you have written down!
