The common belief is that lack of structure and randomness enhances creative output, whereas in truth, creativity is enhanced when it is organised, systematic and based on highly structured processes. This article will use Episode III of the Star Wars trilogy – Revenge of the Sith – to demonstrate that point.

First, some basic concepts.

a) We can measure creativity by observing the number of ideas produced, their novelty and diversity and the frequency of production. This allows us to gauge which of the two methods indicated above, produces more output. Using it, we can say for example, whether a structured approach with incremental deadlines and goals yields more of a screenplay than a “do your best approach.” Graham Green, the famous English writer, insisted that his success was due to writing, without fail, 500 words a day. Similar examples of incremental goal setting, the experience of people who regularly have to generate ideas (e.g. creatives in advertising) and experimentation reveal that incremental deadlines do indeed help us complete that screenplay much faster.

b) Creative output versus applied creative output. Creative output is enhanced to some degree by unstructured and random thinking. This is the essence of lateral thinking, where ideas are generated for i) the sake of generating them, ii) without direction, iii) without evaluation, iv) using random stimuli to open up pathways and so forth. However, applied creativity results from i) the use of frameworks that relate to the problem and ii) critical thinking – reducing the idea pool to feasible ideas. In effect there are three stages, first creative thinking which is a combination of lateral and logical idea generation and second, critical thinking.

c) Structures and formal processes trigger a problem finding and resolving attitude and induce the goal state. This establishes boundaries, consistency, focuses creative energy and is a major source of motivation. It is commonly noted that people seem to be creative when constrained to some degree.

d) Prolific output. Structures such as incremental goals force output and lead to prolific production, which increases the likelihood of quality. It can be declared with great certainty that quality positively correlates with quantity. The single best creative product appears at that point in the career when the creator is being most prolific.

e) Incubation. Incremental goals can be short and longer term. Short-term goals increase output. Longer terms goals allow problems to incubate at various cognitive levels and lead to richer insights.

With the above in mind then, how did George Lucas go about writing the screenplay for Revenge of the Sith? He didn’t just sit there and hope for the muse to strike. He had a deadline, a budget was involved and distributors and marketers had expectations. So he used structure.

As screenwriters know, the

About the Author: Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller.