If you have a killer book idea, the next step is learning how to mind map to set yourself up for writing success. Coming up with a writing prompt or story idea that both interests you and drives sales is probably the hardest part of self-publishing.
But that doesn’t mean the process of taking that idea and turning it into a book isn’t possible. If you want to become a self-publishing success story, it’s time to learn how to mind map!
How to mind map: what you learn
- Why learn how to mind map?
- Benefits of learning how to mind map
- How to do a mind map: examples
- How do I create a mind map?
Why learn how to mind map?
Learning how to mind map may not be essential to a successful rough draft, but it makes writing a refined manuscript a whole lot easier. I compare it to grocery shopping. Do you go to the grocery store without a list of things to buy? Do you aimlessly walk up and down the aisles and just throw whatever looks good into the cart?
Maybe if you’re ten-years-old and Mom’s buying, but most people would probably say they went to the store with the intention to buy certain items. In this comparison, the prepared list before heading to the store is your mind map. And from your mind map, you create your book outline.
If you wish you had a book outline but aren’t sure where to start, we already put the brunt work in for you! Our free Book Outline Template even has guidance for what to cover in what chapters in order to plot a really good book readers will love. Fill in your information below to get your outline template!
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Benefits of learning how to mind map
Learning how to mind map is essential for learning how to write in a way that ensures you actually finish.
There are three main reasons to learn how to mind map. It helps you:
- Organize your thoughts
- Create your story structure
- Continue the brainstorming process
Remember our example above? Without your grocery list, it will take a lot longer to make sure you have everything you need in your cart. There’s also a greater possibility that you forget something that you actually do need, and you won’t notice until you’re home.
1. Mind mapping helps organize your thoughts
After you initially devise the main idea or theme of your book, there’s probably a ton of loose thoughts in your mind of what you want to include. Before losing them in the cobwebs of your head, write them down in your mind map!
Much of learning how to mind map is about getting every single thought or concept written down on paper. Then you can begin organizing which thought goes where. Doing this as you write is nearly impossible.
Mind mapping helps get all your thoughts together in one place. That way, they are all grouped together in your book, and you don’t forget any (like when you forgot to buy peanut butter at the grocery store).
2. Mind mapping creates your story structure
When authors perform the grouping part of mind mapping, they are actually beginning to form the chapters, aka the structure, of their book. This happens so seamlessly that they might not even realize it! If you tried to skip learning how to mind map and just began writing the rough draft, you might get stuck mid-draft.
Well, after mind mapping, you now know which topics are the most important and have the most supporting information. Start your book with those bigger topics. When you make a switch in topics during your writing, you know it’s time to begin a new chapter.
3. Mind mapping continues the brainstorming process
As I said in the grocery store example, it’s much easier to forget an item that you need if you aimlessly walk around the store. If that’s how you approach your book, you will likely forget to discuss a topic or make a point that you wanted. In other words, you cut the brainstorm process short by not planning ahead.
Learning how to mind map pushes you to continue brainstorming. You may believe you already have enough to cover a certain subject, but going through the mind mapping process will push you to think of even greater ideas to include when writing your book.
How to do a mind map: examples
After learning the three key aspects of why mind mapping is necessary to write a strong manuscript, you’re ready to begin learning exactly how to mind map. Now, there are essentially two different ways to mind map: bubble maps on printer paper and sticky notes on a bulletin board
Each author should choose the mind map technique that works best for them. The only caveat? Our coaches teach to avoid using a computer when performing the mind map phase. I couldn’t agree more.
Sure, learning how to mind map can be done on a laptop or tablet, especially an interactive one where the user can use his fingers to write and draw, but I find a good, old-fashioned paper and pencil the best way to mind map.
Bubble map on printer paper
The last real requirement before beginning is a piece of paper without lines. Printer paper works best. Because of the added flexibility of erasing, I would also advise a pencil instead of a pen.
On the first piece of paper, write your book topic in large letters (make it as general as possible) in the middle and circle it. Next, take the more specific topics and put them in smaller circles around the big circle in the middle of the page. Draw a line from each little circle to the big, center circle.
Now, you have the beginning of your mind map. More than likely, each of those smaller circles are going to turn into your chapters. Essentially, you’re creating a roadmap for your rough draft.
Here are the keys to successful first bubble mind map:
- Make your central topic in the biggest circle as general as possible
- Make the important arguments you want to present in the second-tiered bubbles
- Continue your roadmap with third-tiered bubbles, writing key aspects to include for each topic
When you’re finished, you are going to have something that looks a little like this:
How do I create a mind map?
You can create a mind map with either of the above examples. Everyone has slightly different methods for mind mapping a book. What I’m taking you through is my experience from learning how to mind map, plus some tips I picked up along the way.
Keep in mind that this is just a base. The real benefit comes from making this process your own and finding what works best for you. Let’s take a closer look at each example.
The Bubble Method
As you learn how to mind map, you may want to try both examples to see which one best helps you. To start, try these steps for the Bubble Method.
Make a central topic
As you can see with the first mind map I did for my first book, His World Never Dies: The Evolution of James Bond, my central topic is very, very general—James Bond. If someone asked me what my book was about, I would be a lot more specific than that, but I start very general in the mind map.
Staying general allows the secondary bubbles—the ones that directly link to your very general topic—to be the main subjects of the chapters in the book.
Secondary topics are your central arguments
More than likely, the general topic is the subject you love most, but your central arguments are the secondary topics of your mind map. They are also what is going to make your book unique.
Returning to my book as an example, I wanted to write a book about the James Bond film series. But many people have done that. What makes my book unique are the secondary bubbles on my mind map. Those were the central arguments to my book, and eventually, they became my chapters.
Branch off from your secondary topics
Referencing my mind map example again, you can see that each secondary bubble has multiple bubbles of thoughts coming out of it. This is where you start to see a “road” for your rough draft. Learning how to mind map adds layers to your book you may otherwise miss.
I wrote down every possible idea I had on each of my topics that links to my general subject. I basically kept writing and making more road until I ran out of paper.
A lot of the ideas I wrote here were already in my head, but I also came up with new ideas through the process. I never would have came up with all of these concepts if I hadn’t taken the time to mind map.
Sticky notes on bulletin board method
The other way to learn how to mind map is via sticky notes on a bulletin board or wall. If you love sticky notes, this may be the best way for you. The keys to a successful sticky notes map is the same as the bubble map. The only change is in the display.
In the above example, each big piece of paper with a number in the middle marks a chapter and certain topic pertaining to your larger, general subject. Each colored sticky note applies to a chapter and is the same as the third-tiered bubbles from my own mind map. Both techniques will work. You choose which one is best for you!
After completing your first mind map, you want to repeat this process for every chapter. The sticky notes picture above is the beginning of the next step of the process: mind mapping each chapter.
If you prefer the printer paper mind mapping technique, then repeat the exact same mind map, except plug your more specific topic in the middle. This allows you more space and enables you to get even more detailed with your roadmap.
Here’s the mind map for chapter one of my book, His World Never Dies: The Evolution of James Bond.
Notice how I included even more details off the “masculinity” bubble in this mind map than I did in the first one. The main mind map was definitely a good starting point, but then diving into a mind map for each major topic or chapter pushed me to brainstorm even further.
This will have the same affect on you and place you well on the path of writing a well organized rough draft.
Tip: Another way to think of your mind map is to think backward from the outlining phase, which comes directly after the mind map.
While the bubble roadmap and the sticky notes bulletin board are the most popular mind maps, there are other techniques you can try! There’s no right or wrong way to mind map. The important part is to brainstorm that great book idea and begin organizing your thoughts into possible chapters.
How to mind map: take your next step
Let’s return to our grocery store list analogy. Even with the best, most-detailed shopping list, we all tend to deviate sometimes. Whether an item that you don’t necessarily need is on sale or you find a different brand for a cheaper price, changes happen.
Keep that in mind when you’re mind mapping. This isn’t going to be exactly how your final draft will go. The mind map process is just supposed to place authors on a road to an organized and well thought-out first draft. Don’t forget to take advantage of our free Book Outline Generator, shared above!
