It’s been a while since I blogged, and I thought I’d
start blogging regularly again. The idea for this 3-part blog series came to me
randomly while using the free mind map software called “Free Mind”, which you
can download here (it lists the versions by operating system).
I’ve found mind mapping to be an effective way to
just get an idea down on paper, without worrying about structure or character
development or anything specific about the story. When you mind map a plot in
particular, you just focus on the basics first and anything specific later.
The basic things you’d need for your mind map are:
·
Title
·
Main
Character(s)
·
Conflict
·
Theme
·
Setting(s)
·
Genre(s)
For an example, I’ll show you the mind map process I’d
use if I were to mind map an old story I wrote years ago, back when I had no
clue what the rules of writing were. If I were to rewrite it now, it would need
a major reworking of both the plot and the characters. But for the sake of the
mind map example, it will also allow me to keep it simple.
The story, at its core, was a coming-of-age fantasy
(specifically, portal fantasy) novel, about a girl named Lucille who discovers
a mystical doorway in a forest and a wolf chained by that door. The wolf—a shape
shifter—explains that he has been waiting for years and years for someone to
set him free and for that someone to journey back to the world beyond the door,
and help him vanquish the evil. Now, we have our basic idea.
Opening Free Mind, you should get a blank mind map.
If not, go to File> New to get a fresh mind map.
In the middle of the page you should get something
like this:
Click
that circle and you should be able to edit the text inside the circle (called a
“node”)
Here’s where we insert our title: SAPPHIRE PRINCESS.
Depending on your novel, the title will be different. If you are still trying
to figure out your title, put: WIP in the node bubble. To help figure out your
novel’s title, I wrote a previous blog post on finding titles here.
Next, right-click that bubble and you should get a
lot of options. Click the option with the light bulb, labeled ‘New Child Node’.
A line should appear with a text box.
Label this text box: Main Characters.
Next, who are your main heroes? Do you have a name
for them? If so, right-click the Main Characters node and click New Child Node
(or press: Insert, on the keyboard) however many times to insert one or more
main characters. In this case, I have at least four main characters: Lucille, who
is the main heroine. Her mentors—the wolf-shifters—Akoto and Silver and,
finally, the main villain, Resmiel.
Within each character’s text node, write as many
attributes about them that you know. Age, gender, race, odd clothes or physical
looks, favorite color or pet, anything specific to them within the story like
powers, or their past, or their role within the story—anything that comes to
mind.
If you can’t figure out something or if there is a
reason for that trait important to the book, write the question or elaborated
answer in a child node connected to that particular trait, like in the example
below:
The next thing you should put in a node is:
Conflict. Conflict could be as simple as your character missing the bus and
having to get to their destination another way, or as complex as saving the
world from alien invaders. A few questions to ask yourself when considering the
different threads of conflict are:
·
What or who will your characters face in
the story?
·
What will your hero have to face in
regards to the villain?
·
What will he/she need to come to terms
with?
·
What will tear her down, both physically
and mentally?
·
What will be her goal/goals within the
story?
·
What or who will stand in her way, in
regards to succeeding those particular goals?
Create a child node from Conflict to include each
main character. Then create nodes from their names, put a possible conflict or
conflicts, and add additional details (in more nodes) if required. Some
conflicts will involve each character or will be between two characters (such
as the main hero and the villain). For this example, I’ve just done a few
regarding the character Lucille.
Creating a new node from the title node, the next
thing you will detail is: Theme. Theme is possibly the most challenging thing
to boil down in a book. What are we trying to say, beyond all those perfectly
constructed metaphors? What are we trying to tell the readers? What does this
scene, this character, this idea, object or symbol contribute to the overall
book, to the big picture—the theme of the book? Your theme could be anything
from racism, to good vs evil to love conquers all…so long as the scenes and the
plot reflect it.
Next would be Setting. Where does your story take
place? What time period? What’s the name of your city or town or fictional
world? What details about the place(s)
are important? Put them in nodes if needed.
Finally, the final node you can add is: Genre. What
is your novel? Where would you put it on shelves? Would it be a paranormal
romance? A fantasy? A historical? A science-fiction novel? As each genre has
its rules and requirements regarding plot, it’s important you know what exactly
you’re going to write. You can’t have novels straddling too many genres,
otherwise it gets confusing for both readers and publishers to know exactly
what group and to whom this book is marketed for.
Hopefully this process, while time-consuming, will
be helpful in creating a sort of outline and a plot for your novel.
Stay tuned for part two of this series, How To Use Free Mind, Part Two: Figuring Out
Character Conflict.
Thanks for reading!
- HC
