New research has proven what writers have known for years: devising ideas to entertain and delight your audience is what stimulates one’s creativity. Don’t just focus on what’s interesting to you personally, as that might just fail to engage the interest of people who might want to buy and read what you’ve written.

Apparently, bearing in mind how someone will benefit from your idea can help you devise solutions that are of more interest and value to the people who will use the product of those ideas. The researchers advise spending more time networking, as you should think seriously about the needs of people both inside and outside the organisation and how they could benefit from your contribution.

“People who focus on others tend to be more creative than those who are just out for themselves, because focusing on others forces you to consider a wider range of perspectives,” said Adam Grant, an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

For writers, I think that, while it’s hard to think outside yourself while trying to create, it’s important to bear in mind that a reader will, ultimately, want to engage and interact with what you’ve written – so you might as well make it targeted, relevant, and focused.