Mind Mapping for Authors

Mind Mapping was developed by Tony Buzan in the late 1960s.and is now used by millions of people around the world for creativity, note taking, planning, studying and improving memory.

At first glance you could be forgiven for thinking a Mind Mapping is the same as Brain Storming. In fact, many people make what they think are Mind Maps but are really just bubble charts or spider diagrams with pictures.

However it’s worth doing it right because Tony Buzan’s approach – if used as he intended – triggers lots of powerful events in your brain that will aid with the creative process and enable you to come up with ideas more easily. In his own words…

“It harnesses the full range of cortical skills – word, image, number, logic, rhythm, colour and spatial awareness – in a single, uniquely powerful manner.”
Tony Buzan

Pic by 'For Inspiration Only'

I’d also like to point out that Mind Mapping can be used to quickly record information, make notes and organise thoughts (great for mapping out the chapters for your next book) and not just as a creativity tool.

If you’re not already familiar with Mind Mapping then I strongly urge you to read more on the subject by getting Tony’s books – in particular The Mind Map Book by Tony Buzan.

Anyway – here’s the approach in a nutshell…

You will need

• Some blank sheets of paper – I prefer A3 and upwards
• Lots of different coloured pens and pencils
• Mindmapping software (optional)

Here’s How To Do A Mind Map in 10 Steps…

1. Have your page in LANDSCAPE format (it’s longest edge running side to side)
2. Choose a CENTRAL THEME, topic or keyword for your creativity session
3. Draw a PICTURE of your main theme or idea in the CENTRE of the page
4. Draw your first main branch
5. Add just ONE WORD on this branch – I like to use capital letters
6. Add “sub-branches” coming off this main branch
7. Again add just ONE WORD per branch – it will allow more flexibility
8. Add “sub-branches” coming off the “sub-branches” – go 3, 4 or more levels deep
9. Add as many IMAGES as you can next to key themes and ideas as you go – it’s best if you draw them for maximum effect
10. If ideas on distant parts of the map are related – draw dotted lines or images to CONNECT them up

Mind Mapping Tips

• It doesn’t matter if you’re a great artist or not – the mere process of drawing will activate different parts of your brain that are linked to creativity.
• Use as many colours as you like – colour enables you to link ideas visually and it also stimulates different brain processes!
• Your brain quite literally works by association and this process is a really powerful way to mimic the brain’s natural ability enabling you to get a lot more of the creative stuff out of your head and onto the page.
• If it feels relevant NUMBER your main branches to put things in order.

Here’s an example of a hand-drawn Mind Map around “Love”…

Mind Map created by Slark

You can get commercial mind-mapping software called iMindMap from Tony Buzan himself – which is very powerful and beautiful – with the ability to add audio notes! Here’s an example of a Mind Map made with iMindMap…

Mind Map created by charmainezoe using iMindMap Software

If you’d like to get this Mind Mapping software – and I recommend it highly for creative work and book projects – then you can find out more here…

However, while not as beautiful, easy-to-use, nor fully featured as iMindMap, there is Free Mind Mapping software called FreeMind which is also very good if you want to share your ideas remotely for people to add to!

For me though, you can’t beat getting a load of colour pens and a big sheet of paper and just going wild!