…and to keep playing with the word, Freemind is FREE!!! (If anyone knows me, they know I am not generous with my multiple exclamation points.
FreeMind is a mind-mapping software that I recently discovered. Within minutes, I was able to navigate without needing the mouse (which I think makes all the difference in the world). I was able to successfully use the tool for two very different projects I am working on; one is a semi-technical process I am doing at work and the other is a brainstorming session I applied to a book that I am writing.
I think I learned of mind-mapping (I assume it was called Brainstorming at the time) years ago. I remember enjoying the process of problem-solving without needing to stop to self-edit or spend too much time thinking about things. I essentially, allowed my brain to free up while my hands merely followed along for the ride. It was liberating though I don’t think I had any epiphanies.
I wasn’t thinking about much except for trying to find out more excuses not to write. The running gag in the house is that I am always “begining to get ready to start doing something.” In the old office analogy, I was very good at rearranging pencils. Since, I cannot rearrange my keyboard without making me even more confused, I have replaced the rearranging with surfing the internet on a quest to find “The Perfect Novel Writing Tool.” Amidst downloading everything from YWriter to NewNovelist to signing up for online word processors, like Writely, I would do anything to not write out of fear.
Well the fear of writing has been replaced by the fear of not writing and so it was time to get serious. Just as I was about to turn away from my distractions, I was distracted by this article. My life will never be the same again.
Installation was a breeze and I followed a couple of links to remind myself what mind mapping was. Once that was done, I quickly glanced at the Help documents and was on my way. I have never used other mind-mapping sowftware but really felt that I was on to something with FreeMind. I began with my novel. I have been struggling with figuring out which direction things should go. When you begin with FreeMind, the first thing you realize is that the “nodes know.” The nodes are what it is all about. The nodes are the groups, branches or forks that make up your mind-map. You create them by hitting Insert or Enter depending on where you are on the tree.
Within minutes, I was creating a functional, practical and very beautiful mind-map. I got used to the keyboard shortcuts very quickly. The reality is that if you are going to be brainstorming, you need to have a way to get stuff onto “paper” as quickly as possible. Your brain is moving so fast that if you had to stop and click, all the juicy bits of consciousness slips into nothingness.
The problem was that I really do not feel that I was brainstorming. I found myself spending a lot of time wondering how to place all the pieces together and I never got used to formatting the text or colors without using the mouse. This made me spend too much time in a state of “not-brainstorming” combined with stewing over whether a node edge should be cyan or deep green.
What I ended up with was a beautiful mind-map of my novel. In the center was the title “The Son of His Father” and the major nodes were plot, new directions, voice and tools. The plot section is generally a description of where I want this book to go. New Directions was a free-for-all, true brainstorming session of different ideas from a simple story of unrequited love to a Cold War Era Russian invasion…anything goes. Voice was simply a debate I was having over what voice to use in the novel and tools was filled with all those various time-wasters I have been downloading lately.
I understand FreeMind can export into XML for display on the web. Way cool, but I have not tried it…yet.
So, in conclusion, I am not sure of the psychology of mind-mapping; clearly it is designed for people who need this style of problem solving. Others may find it pointless. As for this minute, I am my allegiance is to FreeMind as it was my first.
Now to find more free writer’s tools…oh wait, I am supposed to be writing!