How to Identify a Bad Idea

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The more ideas you have, the better your shot at stumbling onto something truly original. You need a lot of bad ones to get a few good ones. Sometimes we fall in love with terrible ideas because we're really passionate about them. In other cases, we actually don't see the potential in good ideas. So self-assessment is hard. It's hard even for creative geniuses.

Andy Weir is the bestselling author of The Martian and Project Hail Mary. He’s known for weaving deep, carefully researched science into his novels, building intricate sci-fi worlds that have captivated millions of readers. But here’s a plot twist: Andy doesn’t actually love the act of writing itself – so how does he motivate himself to do it anyway? Adam talks with Andy about the creative process, the skills involved in discarding bad ideas, finding joy in worldbuilding and research, and why you should never be writing with a sequel in mind. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts