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Mind Mapping
"The Painless Way to Get Started"
Do you put off writing because you don't know how to get started?
If starting a writing task gives you a headache, the only planning technique you may be depending on is an outline. If you don't like outlines, you are not alone. Many people find them tedious and a bit anxiety provoking.
Instead of an outline, try a mind map. A mind map is an exercise in free-association and a good way to get started. Write your topic in the middle of a page and draw a circle around it. Now free associate ideas that relate to your topic by branching them off into new circles. Do this for about three minutes.
You may find that one creative idea sparks another. In fact, you may begin to feel a creative energy take hold. Notice that as you do the mind map, you are not worrying about proper grammar or spelling. Since you are not writing complete sentences, you are not taking the time to impress yourself with good style, either. This freedom allows you to capture ideas rapidly; thus, your best ideas no longer evaporate into a mist of frustration.
Once the mind map is completed, it becomes the blue print for your message. Now it is time to start writing. Set aside 10 to 15 minutes to write (make sure you do not correct or edit your words as you write). Start with one idea from your mind map. When you finish writing about that idea, select another. You may find that each idea develops nicely into a paragraph.
After 15 minutes, stop writing and evaluate your rough material. Next you will shape your writing into a piece that you can use. You have already done the difficult part, which is getting your ideas on paper. As you wrote, you were learning about your topic. As a result, you have more insight into the problem you were trying to solve, so making the important points stand out will be easier.
Now you are ready to edit and revise your draft. Editing is usually easier than composing, especially if you have developed a strategy for editing. When editing, a good first step is cutting out the information that is not important. Rearrange what is left so that the most important ideas appear first; display them in bullet points, if you wish.
If you would like more information about editing and revising, consider taking one of our workshops. For more information, call us at 312.944.0910. Also, feel free to write for advice. We promise to give you a personal response in a short time. Remember, compose fearlessly and edit ruthlessly!
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