Have you ever tried mind mapping to help you brainstorm writing ideas? Freelance writer Mia Barnes has some suggestions for how this technique can jumpstart your next writing project.
by Mia Barnes
One of the most challenging parts of a writing project is getting started.
You have a story you want to write, but the number of roads you can go down is endless. Or, you may be stuck and don’t know how to evolve your plots.
A strategy many writers find helpful is mind mapping. Creating a mind map is an effective way to brainstorm ideas and ensure you have an organized web of ideas.
What Is Mind Mapping?
Mind mapping is how your brain connects key concepts, typically using images, links and lines. You start with a central idea that branches out into sub-ideas. Those sub-ideas spur different thoughts within them.
The objective is to create a hierarchy of ideas. Mind mapping is ideal for people who learn best visually and make connections easier by seeing the concepts written down on paper.
Mind mapping helps you stay productive and think critically during the brainstorming process, which can be challenging for many.
How Can You Mind Map?
Mind maps can seem intimidating if you look up examples online, but getting started is easier than you think. Begin by writing down your primary concept. You can help yourself by expressing it as an image or drawing — the visuals will help your brain picture it.
Then create branches connecting to your primary concept. These sub-ideas are your basic organizing ideas (BOI).
What plots will you give your character? What themes do you want to tackle? Are there real-world connections to your characters?
It may help to play a word association game and write down the first phrases you think of with your central concept.
Your third section creates branches off the BOIs. Write down the keywords you associate with every idea. Once you complete these branches, you’ll have three levels of thought.
You may be able to start on your story at this point, but there’s no limit to how many layers you can create. Remember to keep them neat and organized because mind maps can get large quickly.
Writer’s block is a common problem when writing a story. If you have multiple plots running simultaneously, how do you combine them? Seeing the ideas on paper or your screen clears the brain fog and connects the related concepts much more quickly.
What Strategies Help Organize the Mind Map?
Mind mapping is an excellent tool for brainstorming, but it can quickly become unorganized and hard to understand.
Try using different strategies to keep everything neat. For example, you could use different shapes for every level.
Primary concepts get a square, BOIs get circles and keywords (K) get triangles. Also, use lines and arrows to connect all of the related ideas.
An Example of Mind Mapping?
If you need help getting started, here’s an example for you.
The central concept is “Cinderella,” the world-famous folk tale. The BOIs for this story could be:
- Rags to riches: “Cinderella” is one of literature’s classic rags to riches stories. She falls from wealth to being a servant, but the fairy godmother turns her into royalty. Supporting keyword phrases could be wealth, class and shallowness.
- Good and evil: The story is another classic of good against evil. Cinderella — the good — prevails over her wicked stepmother and stepsisters. Supporting keywords can be fairytales, glass slippers, kindness and selflessness.
- Family: Another prominent theme in “Cinderella” is family. You could use BOIs like jealousy, social status, frustration and anger from here.
How Can You Use Mind Mapping to Create a Story From the BOIs?
The story of Cinderella has been around for centuries. The earliest known versions of her go back to ancient Greece with the tale of Rhodopis.
In the story, Rhodopis is an enslaved Greek who married the king of Egypt because her foot fit into a sandal. You may have seen adaptions like “A Cinderella Story” and “Another Cinderella Story,” using the plot with a modern flair.
Cinderella may be an old story, but these folk tales have lessons that transcend generations. You can easily take old concepts and apply them to modern times.
This mind map shows how you can take Cinderella and evolve it into a story about a girl who emerges as a star in the basketball world. If you’ve never made a mind map before, challenge your brain and mind map your version of Cinderella with a similar plot and fictional characters.
Imagine a young girl named Candace who is a talented basketball player. Candace’s dad and stepmom coach her until the father becomes ill and can’t guide her anymore. Her stepmom moves her to a high school in an upper-class neighborhood across town, away from her friends at the small school she attended prior.
When she turns 16, she tries out for the high school basketball team. Her two step-sisters are her teammates and her stepmom is the coach. Candace knows she’s better, but favoritism wins out…at first.
When the first game arrives, Candace is on the bench. She doesn’t see the court in her first game. A college scout who watched her at practice takes Candace aside and gave her a new pair of basketball shoes.
Soon, Candace dominates at practice, winning over her teammates except for her step-sisters and coach. She only gets a few minutes in the next few games but makes the most of her time by scoring buckets and helping her teammates.
By the end of the season, Candace’s stepmom has no choice but to put her in the game or risk a forfeit. In the championship game, Candace shines and leads the team to victory. She earns a college scholarship with the scout who’s watched her since the beginning of the season.
What Apps Can You use for Mind Mapping?
Mind mapping can get messy, especially if you create one manually with a pen or pencil. Luckily, some apps on the market help create these webs of ideas.
MindNode
MindNode is a terrific multifunctional app for mind mapping. You can use it to outline your next novel or plan a trip to Italy. This application is only available for iOS users, so try it out if you have an iPad or Mac.
Coggle
Coggle is ideal for beginners with little experience in mind mapping. Its interface is user-friendly by starting you with a central idea and adding bubbles around it. The service is free for three maps, but you can pay for a premium version. Coggle is only available on a web browser.
MindMeister
If you’re looking to collaborate, MindMeister is an excellent option because it allows you to draw maps on a cloud service. Groups can work together live, make comments, embed media links and notify when someone changes the web. MindMeister is available on the web, iOS and Android devices.
XMind
Mind maps can quickly get hectic, so XMind is an excellent option if you want a simple interface and easy-to-read maps. This software is available on the web, iOS and Android. There’s even an app for Windows users to use offline.
Ayoa
Ayoa is a unique platform because its founder is Chris Griffiths, who is the founder of OpenGenius and a notorious mind mapper. His app allows you to make four maps — organic, speed, radial and capture, and each one tailors to your desired experience. The Ayoa app is available on iOS, Android, Windows and your web browser. You do have to pay, but there is a free trial option.
What Do Studies Show About Mind Mapping?
Mind mapping is a practical idea for writers, but what do the experts say about it? Researchers have conducted tests on mind mapping and found positive results.
For example, a study of high schoolers in Jordan shows mind mapping effectively creates immediate achievement in students.
Another study used mind mapping to assess eighth-grade students at a Palembang junior high school. The study found mind mapping led to better recollection of summing up and retelling stories through writing and speaking.
Researchers noted mind maps are effective as study material and teachers should consider integrating them into lessons since they can be so helpful.
Mind Mapping for Better Projects
Remember when Spongebob procrastinated on an essay and all he could write on his paper was a single word? Mr. Squarepants would have benefited from mind mapping for his boating school paper.
Mind mapping is an effective tool for writers working on any project, whether a research paper, essay or fictional story. This method challenges your brain to connect concepts and do much of the legwork at the beginning. When you put pen to paper, you’ll have much of your project ready to write.
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Mia Barnes is a 26-year old health and wellness writer with 3+ years of experience writing about personal wellness strategies.
She is also the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Body+Mind magazine. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.