Creativity Machine: How to Innovate, Brainstorm, and Hatch Great Ideas on Command

by Scott Dikkers

A foolproof system for brainstorming innovative solutions—whether you want to disrupt an industry, enhance your team’s productivity, or simply get unstuck—from one of the most influential pioneers in comedy history

In this outrageously enjoyable guide to productive inspiration, discover a four-step, repeatable process for thinking better, leveraging your mind’s every resource, and developing winning ideas in any context.

The wheels of creativity are spinning faster than ever thanks to the democratization of information, the proliferation of digital platforms, and the rapid rise of AI. In Creativity Machine, bestselling author, comedian, and the Onion’s longest serving editor in chief Scott Dikkers shows you how to make these tools work for you.
How an idea-generation structure can yield remarkable outcomes and stronger teams Ways to utilize these practices everywhere—for business, hobbies, and homemaking Strategies for incorporating AI in your creative process without diluting the unrivaled power of the human mind Why “eureka moments” aren’t as important as you think The vital importance of having fun
With guidance from a mentor to the best of the best delivered with his trademark humor, you’ll tap into a goldmine of amazing creative ideas.

Creativity Machine is a timely roadmap for the future of work in a world that requires more than just everyday creative powers—it demands creative superpowers. Unmask yours in these pages.

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 23, 2026

About the author

Scott Dikkers is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of “How to Write Funny.” He's also the founder of TheOnion.com and The AV Club.

Scott sends out a daily tip on Substack:

https://scottdikkers.substack.com/

Be sure to follow him on BookBub for insiders deals on his books!

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/scott...

Reviews

[Jerry Edward Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do ideas come from? That is the essential the author of this intriguing book asks of the reader. To some that seems such an obvious matter. The author of this basic handbook to creative thinking believes than answer is in a four step process for thinking better. And he really should know how. Dikkers is an acknowledged American comedy writer and former owner, publisher and editor of The Onion, a print and electronic magazine publishing satirical articles that publishes satirical articles on international, national, and local news. The Onion has often been described as having some of the finest comedy writing to be found anywhere. The more academically and scientifically inclined reader might also choose to read a recent book by MIT professor, Alan Lightman and Martin Rees, that also addresses where new ideas come from: The Shape of Wonder: How Scientists, Think, Work, and Live, a 2025 book from Pantheon. This related book devotes chapters to issues of scientific discovery, research, and the fundamental ethical concerns facing scientific practice. The lives of several well-known and other younger and lesser-known scientists illustrate just how they identify the matters they choose to investigate. In his new book, Dikkers assures the reader that anyone “can hatch ingenious ideas” by following the four step process: generate raw material, find which ideas are useful, refine your raw material, and beta test them. Dikkers has unique terms for each of these four steps. Highly recommended for the curious reader, and especially for the reader familiar with the satirical published works for which the author is rightly famous.

[Brianna Steinman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for providing a complimentary, advanced copy of this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

While this wouldn’t fit as a recommendation for the particular age group I currently teach (I reviewed this as an Educator), I would suggest this to others in creative writing + memoir workshops I often attend.

It’s a light/fast read and would also potentially interest: screenwriters, anyone who speaks to crowds, free writers, etc.

Dikkers succeeds as the narrator, moving at a comfortable pace and interjecting the “fun tidbits” of information with his own personality.

My own personal goal/hope for listening to this book was achieved —> mixing up my own routines during writing with new techniques. Dikkers does this right and gives plenty of new tools for the toolbox. I journaled notes throughout this book and took away several key exercises for: divining, panning, filtering, and vetting via Dikkers’ framework.

Note: I found the material interesting, however, it did bog down at times - possibly a case of “I wish I had the physical book to study/annotate instead of listening to the audio” so I could’ve moved at my own pace/jumped around. This might’ve also been due to a bit of repetition but I understand the necessity of it. All 4 of the “steps” are interconnected and looping made sense.