How to achieve zen-like simplicity when writing
Sep 23rd, 2010 | By Chuck Frey | Category: Tips & Techniques
Zen is all about paring things down to their very essence, to only that which is necessary, nothing more, so you can achieve enlightenment. How can you achieve a zen-like state when writing? The answer is the ultimate in simplicity: create a mind map to outline your content before you begin writing.
To understand the value of this technique it is first important to understand the process of ordinary writing. Most people simply begin writing by doing a brain dump of whatever comes to mind. Next, they attempt to edit and organize what they have written, but this tends to be problematic. The structure of your writing tends to be buried within the sentences and paragraphs that you are putting together. It’s almost impossible to see. You have little or no sense if you are completely covered your subject or if there are pieces missing. More importantly, it’s hard to tell if your writing contains any extraneous elements that could be eliminated.
In contrast, mind mapping software enables you to create a visual outline of your writing before you start to assemble sentences and paragraphs. It’s much easier to see the structure, the skeleton of your writing in visual form with topics and subtopics representing the main points and supporting point of the article or other writing project you’re working on. And that makes it much easier to determine what needs to be added or clarified, what points can be consolidated or simplified, and what doesn’t fit and can be removed.
Significantly, as you refine your article mind map, you can easily play “what if” with it’s contents, rearranging topics and even entire sections if your map at well. Move a topic to a new position in your mind map. Does that improve its clarity and meaning? Then keep it. If not, click your program’s undo button, or simply drag and drop the topic back to its old location. This complete freedom helps you to optimize the content of your visual outline – so it contains all of the essential elements, in the right sequence, but nothing more.
The bottom line is that mind mapping software enables you to quickly reach clarity on what a complete skeleton of your article should look like. When you reach that point, most programs enable you to export your mind map to Microsoft Word, where you can then put flesh on the bones, confident in the knowledge that a well thought-out underlying structure will result in a superior article.
Popularity: 3% [?]
I've been using Webspiration to help me with the revision from scratch of my novel. It's not an outline though; it's more for brainstorming what I'm going to write next in that section of the story. I initially stayed away from mind maps for the story because all I saw was references to use it to outline–and I can't outline (just doesn't work with the way my brain thinks). I tried them after I went to a business writing class, and the instructor suggested a different approach for using them.
I broke the writing down into sections, which are anywhere from 2-15 pages. It's not necessarily an entire scene or chapter. But each section has three branches–no more than three. I can have three sub-branches off that, but again, no more than three each. I have a tendency to add too many layers to the point of way too much, so this is a way to put a magnifying glass on anything I need to add to ensure that I'm not adding too much. With one, where I originally had too many layers, the three branch structure immediately made me start putting questions in–"Can I do without this?" and "Do I need three houses?" It forced me to really think about what I was putting into story.
This is how I have written my book. I am not a linear thinker. I could not finish the book otherwise.
I always use MInd Maps to plan before I write – and teach others to do so on my writing courses. But I find it easier to think with hand drawn MInd Maps, then transfer a linear outline onto the computer screen. They are magic!
Very helpful. Thanks. I usually just write but I can see the logic in using a tool like this as I can have too many ideas in one blog.
Dear Chuck:
Great job, Chuck!
I appreciate your efforts to promote mind mapping.
Roger