Mind Mapping ~ A writers tool

I’ve mentioned it before and I will repeat it again here. I LOVE my Apple iPad and all the apps that are created for use on it. I can’t begin to tell you how integral it has become in assisting me to capture what I am thinking anywhere at any time. It’s truly made a world of difference to the way in which I find myself expressing my creativity.

Although I have been writing for decades I only decided to start publishing my newly written works in the latter part of my life. My background in information technology has had me exposed to a diverse range of software application suites. I stumbled across Mindjet for mind mapping almost ten years ago and found the way mind mapping tools are structured I could apply it across a number of different aspects within my professional and personal life.

Examples: Project Management, Business Plans, Brain Storming Ideas, Financial Plan … the list is inexhaustible.

When I set out to write Illuminarium – Book One in the Soliloquy’s Labyrinth series I did some research and trialed a few of the  mind mapping app’s specifically developed for use on my iPad. The primary one I use is called Total recall.

 

Relationship mapping, connections and notes.

Relationship mapping, connections, and notes.

Looking at the above diagram you can get the general jist of the plot mapping that I utilize. Starting with the book title Illuminarium I branch off into various categories and then break them further down into subcategories. I color code them purely to make it easier for me to identify the separate branch relationships. The shapes are also something I use to quickly identify the key characters versus the other characters who hold a role of lesser proportion within the novel but are still valued enough to be called out.

Brainstorming the concepts.

Brainstorming the concepts.

In this section, you can see that I have branched off to cover concepts that I listed to explore as part of the plot development of the book. I like to separate the ideas by fact versus fiction. I’m a creative creature with some fantastical concepts that will go off on tangents that are seemingly unrelated to the plot of a story. Placing them here assists me to look at how I can bind some or all of the elements into a storyline that flows smoothly while keeping readers engaged the entire time.

I think it is probably important at this point to call out that what I am sharing with you is what I like to do. It isn’t something you need to execute in order to write a book. I just find the tool really useful to pull what is a mish mosh of swill in my mind out on my iPad screen in a format that I feel comfortable using.

My suggestion is that you become aware of all the fabulous tools that are out there. Pick a few, experiment until you find what you are looking for and then adopt your own style of use.

Whats is a name?

Whats is a name?

When I write almost everything I place on paper holds purpose and meaning. Character names are no exception to this. I research the names available in the country, era I am writing within. As a first pass, I tend to select the names I feel drawn to. Then I research to see what comes up when I google the suggested names. Once I am satisfied that there is little to no relevant connection to my developing character I execute a final selection of the name by the meaning behind their name. It all needs to tie in and hold purpose. Call it a quirk of mine.

Blessings – Truth

www.truthdevour.com

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