[DonRotolo]

You get better with practice. Don't expect to get to 1114's level in your first try, but after a few tries it should happen. The idea (trick?) is to learn the process well and be very productive in that week - recognizing and discarding unworkable concepts early while keeping creativity and brainstorming alive.

I like to think that after 5 years of trying our darndest we're at the point where excellence is within striking distance. Even though we won 2 regionals this year, we're not at the 1114 level. Yet...