photo by fotologic
How to Focus Your Ideas series:
1. Series Introduction
2. Idea Dumps: Letting It All Hang Out
3. Navigating the Idea Dump
4. A Hefty Dose of Moxie
As the second post in a series about collecting and nurturing your ideas, this post will discuss the whole nurturing bit.
If you’re anything like me, your idea dump was a bit untidy. Perhaps it was even a chaotic eruption of words and squiggly lines. All that mess can be pretty rough on the eyes. Once you’ve opened the spout and allowed those ideas to get some oxygen, it makes sense to sort them out a bit so that you actually want to look at them.
Many people have a natural inclination to sift through their idea dumps and find those shiny nuggets of brilliance, but that inclination usually fades with time. Put that messy mind map to the side for a week or two, and it’ll seem pretty overwhelming when you pick it up again.
I therefore encourage you all to put the techniques below into motion soon after dumping your ideas. Once again, the techniques I present won’t be fancy. The simpler and easier the method, the more likely you are to do it. My only hope is that these straightforward posts will stir you to action.
As you set out to create a map of your idea dump, here are two basic options for navigation:
Spruce it up.
Draw a new, neater version of your mind map. Or, if you made a list, arrange the ideas in clusters.
Outline it.
Reformat your idea dump as an outline.
I’m going to use one example to demonstrate these two ways of navigating your idea dump. I recently brainstormed a slew of ideas on how I can use new media in current and future projects. I’ve been reading up on this topic quite a lot in recent months, so it was only a matter of time before these ideas needed to escape. Below, you have my messy-mindmap idea dump.
Although it’s fun to look at that mind map and think how chock-full of ideas my little brain is, it’s not so fun to look at it and actually try to decipher. Because it’s pretty inaccessible, I worried that I would turn to the next notebook page and fail to confront that mind map ever again. It’s important to move swiftly into the navigation phase to truly give your ideas a fighting chance, so today I plowed my way through the mayhem.
Spruce It Up
This is the method I usually stick with. As I revealed in the first post of this series, the mind maps that have previously graced these pages were cleaned up for your viewing pleasure. The mind map above clearly was not. When I re-drew those other mind maps, it pushed me to take a second look at each idea I had scrawled out.
This second look is the chance for quick filtering — maybe you wrote the same idea twice, or maybe a couple phrases were just mindless chatter leaking out among the ideas. As you redo your mind map, the connections you automatically drew will be solidified, and you’ll trim the useless fat.
Since a few of you recommended Inspiration software in the comments section, I decided to use a trial version to spruce up my mind map. Though I stand strongly behind my pen and paper for letting those ideas come tumbling out, I do concede that computers are a nifty way of tidying things up. Behold the results:
If you did your idea dump as a messy list or through the first stage of clustering, spruce it up by finding those clusters and circling them. Although related ideas will probably be in the same area of the page, you’ll most likely want to rewrite your clusters to make them neat and accessible.
Outline It
This method works if you like looking at lists. Maybe mind maps make it easy for you to unload the ideas, but you think lists are prettier to look at. Or maybe you made a messy list, and you want your clusters to be nice and orderly. Although we usually think of outlines as a means of breaking down a story or a single project, they can also be useful for creating an anything-list that is visually accessible. All those indents, letters, and numbers make it easier to digest chunks of your idea dump.
I must admit that I cheated on this step. Inspiration software has a handy tool that allows you to convert a mind map into an outline. Witness the magic:
Now, scurry off and try one of these techniques to bring some method to your madness. I know people can be very particular about their chosen tools of organization, so please share below if you have a distinct method that works wonders for you.
In conclusion, I have a little game. If any of you made a mind map or a messy list that you wouldn’t mind sharing, scan it and post it on your blog. If you’d like to put even more sweat into it, show us your idea dump pre- and post-navigation. Once you’ve posted your masterpiece, send me the link to your post either in the comments or by e-mail. I’ll gather and post a little collection of these links here, so everyone can get a peek into your mind!
Look Inside the Mind of… :
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve occasionally used mind maps to do idea dumps like you describe, but also to organize information that I had collected in an easier and prettier way.
My problem often with mind maps is their effective use after the fact. They are great for getting things down, but I often don’t go back to refer to them much. OK, so maybe once or twice, but then my brain is off on a tangent sparked by the mind map, and writing down that new tangent as my brain flys through it is ineffective–my mind works faster.
When working in a creative space, I find it best not to organize as much. I’ll do what you’ve described in the two articles before this, and then let my brain do the filtering.
And I’m a big fan of freemind for mind mapping.
I did the idea dump. And mine actually turned out prettier than expected. It probably was somewhere between an idea dump and an outline. I’m not sure if I want to show it. I’m trying to expand beyond nonfiction into fiction and this helped me get over the block of plot to know and understand my characters first.
TJ Hirst´s last blog post..The Desires of My Heart
@ Oktober Five – I feel like mind maps are only useful after the fact if you take the time to re-draw a pretty one, or if you put it in another format. Otherwise, the mess is just intimidating…might as well just leave it in your brain.
I like to do the disorganized idea dumping, then organize later. I’ve download Freemind — looking forward to trying it out.
@ TJ – Ooh, let me know if you decide to share it! The nonfiction/fiction divide is very intriguing to me.
Another informative post, Zoe. It appears you are a left-brained kind of gal! I say this because of the way you approach ideas and inspiration. Your process I find to be intriguing in the fact that it looks to me like a long drawn out one. Perhaps I am reading this wrong. I would go crazy going through the process of mind maps, outlines and re-doing something to “make it look nice.” Instead, I find inspiration in words and phrases, and it is how my brain works. I’ll give you an example. I planned a post today on my blog about PLR articles (private label rights.) I immediately thought of a friend in FL, who writes them. This led to expanding on how it could be used. I emailed Ken in FL, and he asked me to wait a day or two so he could tweak his sales page. That’s fine, but what do I post on today? I followed several “tweets” on Twitter to see what people were talking about today. Nothing much going on there. So I went to a doctor’s appointment this AM, and while waiting I picked up a magazine that had an article on political correctness, and how the blogosphere was dispelling that with luscious abandon. I thought to myself “hey, blog post!” And I was there.
I think your premise is ideal for a large project. For example, I might try to use that for creating a novel. For my everyday stuff? I think I’ll stick to my Hipster and way of doing things. it always works for me. The keyword phrase here is “works for me.”
Each of us can learn from this discussion. For some, your method will be ideal. For others, not so much. If you struggle with focus and marshaling your thoughts, then I have to say that your process is ideal. If your brain is wired like mine, I would get bogged down in the process and quickly lose interest. Isn’t it amazing how our minds work? To me, that is why Chuck’s project is so important. We learn from each other. Keep up the good work, girl. You have my attention.
Peace,
Alden~
Alden Smith´s last blog post..The Importance Of The Proper Title In Article Marketing
This might actually work for lyrics in a song. Dumping out the various things to explore then whittling it down.
Jody Whitesides´s last blog post..Slow burn
This (and the idea dump) is a great way to outline ideas. I’m writing my master’s thesis and so often I have so many ideas jammed in my brain that I find myself paralyzed and unable to do anything! It’s so hard to get started!
This way, I am able to get everything out of my brain, onto paper and hopefully, finally into some kind of publish-worthy form
Monicarolevans´s last blog post..Everyone needs a person
Hi Zoe,
I really like this series of post. I had to admit, I didn’t really know where you were going with them when you wrote your introduction – I will admit that I occasionally read blog posts with the focused attention span of a forgetful goldfish, and if there’s not something “flashy” that catches my eye in 30 seconds, I move on. It was not until I looked at todays post and saw the “Table of Contents” header that realized what was going on, and started to really pay attention.
I’m a big fan of mind mapping – I’ve used it before, for research projects, but never thought of applying it to creative work. So thanks for the idea! Can’t wait to try it and see how it works. Also, I love the look of that inspiration software (although for now I’ll stick my pens and pencils which are cheap and readily available).
You’ve got so many ideas on your mind map! I was reading through them and thought – no wonder this girl was able to pick up and move to Thailand! You’re good at mapping your ideas and making them easy to follow through. I’m definitely going to try my hand at mapping – see how it works for me!
Mishi´s last blog post..Misused words: Scunge
Hi Zoe,
This could be the writing cure I have been seeking…
I am plan on taking these ideas “to heart.” I have often wondered how “real” writers are able to put together 800+ word posts stringing together word after word in what appears to be an effortless manner (although I now know otherwise). On the other hand, I struggle to scrape together barely 400 words on any particular topic. Thanks for clueing me in to some of these secrets
carma´s last blog post..Why I don’t
I have never thought about turning my ideas into an outline…interesting twist. I might have to try that next time I get something big enough!
Matthew Dryden´s last blog post..Who the Eff is Matthew Dryden?
Hey Zoe, Wonderful Idea, I am doing something similar but
your idea is different if not better. I will try to get the
pictures up for you. Have a wonderful day, Timothy Millar
“The Leprechaun”
Timothy Millar´s last blog post..JV Source
The instant translation from web to outline is one of the reasons I like to teach Inspiration to my students. Many of them are comfortable with a graphic organizer like a web, and when they can see the connection it helps them clarify their ideas and organization.
Daisy´s last blog post..Word-ful Wednesday
I would like to hear more about how gathering/organizing your ideas helps you create more and better content. How do the two activities push each other forward?
Ken Wagner´s last blog post..Piles of Leaves | haiku
With tools such as you show, we cross over from creativity to presentation. It’s great stuff for your clients, but I contend that in terms of getting to your own core creativity, you have to stick with pencil/pen/marker and paper ( or whatever your hands-on raw medium of choice). I think you agree with me on this. After the chaos of an idea dump/initial mindmap, you indeed have the urge to pretty it up, to move it to the next step. If you stay with the intimacy of hand to marker, and with the freedom to write or draw at will, the ‘prettying up’ stage will instruct even further. When these handbuilt maps are finally perfected, then is the time to apply digital tools …. What do you think?
mary´s last blog post..Observing urges
@ Alden – This is definitely a process that I use for large projects or to focus my ideas with a broad topic area (such as uses of new media). I wrote this series precisely to help people who need to focus their ideas that are crowding inside their minds, not as a technique to use on every small creative endeavor. Although, I do often use idea dumps before writing a post or article as a way to map out everything I want to discuss.
I think your process of inspiration holds true for many people (myself included). Everything we absorb, be it books, advertisements, radio, or blogs, has the potential to set off a trigger in our brains. Personally, if I accumulate too many of these triggers without acting on them, I need to do an idea dump + navigation process to bring them to a more tangible place. This series is aimed at people who find themselves in that position. For you, it sounds like that resonates for larger projects, when there are inevitably swarms of ideas.
@ Jody – Do you mean for the song-writing process? What is your method?
@ Monicarolevans – Mind maps helped me a lot for my thesis — sometimes you have all these almost-connections swirling around your mind, and when you unload them onto paper, the connections start to show clearly.
@ Mishi – Haha! That’s why I need to go through this type of process sometimes, because otherwise I may end up doing nothing at all with those ideas. Let me know if you come up with a mind map that you’d like to share!
@ Carma – Hopefully this will dig up a pile of ideas that you had forgotten even existed. Once they start popping up, it gets much easier to write.
@ Matthew – Yea, I only really use the outlining technique for large accumulations of ideas. For smaller endeavors, it seems too restrictive.
@ Timothy – Great, can’t wait to check it out!
@ Daisy – It’s quite the convenient feature — thanks for recommending it! Although I’ll stick with pen and paper for idea dumps, this is a great way to make presentable maps.
@ Ken – There are lots of ideas that come up during the day, that I’ll act on right away or soon enough. But there are also piles of idea that slowly build up in my mind, that I don’t write down immediately because I think they’re too unformed or irrelevant at the moment. When I finally sit down and do an idea dump, it ignores any hesitation and allows my mind to unload anything.
Simply seeing the ideas on paper, instead of just floating through my mind, helps me view them more immediately and they feel more concrete. If the idea dump is a big mess, though, I like to take a second stab at it (navigating) so that it becomes accessible. Otherwise, I feel that anything I don’t address now will be confined to that paper, as a tornado of a mind map can be hard to digest after a few days’ distance.
Once these ideas are more tangible, the connections sprout up more quickly for me — and that is how I feel it improves the content of whatever I am creating. As I wrote to Alden, this method helps me when I specifically need to *focus* my ideas. Usually, that is with larger projects or just a build-up of ideas on a certain topic.
@ Mary – You are right, I am certainly more comfortable mapping by hand. As you express, the ‘prettying-up’ stage should be a time to refine connections and allow your ideas to shift around a bit. Like reviewing for a test, I feel that writing/drawing them again solidifies the ideas in your mind, making them more readily available.
I don’t think I’ll be using the software for my normal brainstorming, but it is useful for bigger projects when I’m creating a more long-term plan.
Something about the way my writerly brain is wired makes me have the same reaction to a formal outline as I do to an algebraic equation: Aaarrrgghhhh! I’ve been writing long pieces — magazine articles, CEOs’ speeches and all manner of like things — for decades and never outline except in the loosest way. But that’s just me. Over time, it seems we each find what works for us.
Jean Gogolin´s last blog post..Revealed: How the Financial Bailout Really Works
@ Alden (again!) – I took this test a while back, to see how right/left-brained I am (and probably also to distract myself from a more important task
). http://mindmedia.com/braintest.html
According to this test, which is obviously infallible, I am 42% left brain, 57% right-brained. Interestingly, I have 1% that seems to be neutral (or comatose). The profile they described at the end was actually sort of on-target, so I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a few minutes of fun : )
OMG, how cool is that. Plus, I love the idea of using the Table of Contents.
A friend of mine has told me several times to use an outline and I have fought tooth and nail, but your post gives me pause again. I’ll have to take a serious look at the idea again………….:)
LisaNewton´s last blog post..Are Schools Really to blame for Poor Eating Habits?
@ Jean – I have to admit that without the “convert to outline” feature, I would’ve thought AARGHHH too! I like making outlines, but only when they’re really rough. Strict outlines feel a bit suffocating, but the general organization helps for making a skeleton. I use them for longer writing pieces (nonfiction), or just to make a list of ideas that is easier to swallow.
@ Lisa – My friend recently suggested that I try outlining for a longer fiction piece I’m planning on starting, and it made me nervous…fiction and outlines? I think it will help me chart out a direction, but it’s important to remember that it’s far from being set in stone. A possible itinerary, if you will.
I continue to apply your ideas to other arenas of my life. In this case, organizing the peeps it seems my steps are ordered toward or who I find myself pulled to or away from. Bloggers, family, friends. This list includes peeps I initiate dialogue with and who don’t respond including anonymous bloggers and family. Weird, huh? I think doing this helps me focus on my energy on meaningful relationships – particularly among bloggers. I don’t want to devote too much time reading blogs where I don’t have meaningful dialogue. Likewise, with family or even friends with whom you are not functioning as your best self. I hope this makes sense. This applies to my writing, too, as I often write from relationship experience and memoir.
JenX67´s last blog post..Books That Shocked the Cr*p Out Of Me and Other Useless Bits of Fodder
Oh, you so do not want a look into my mind! *grin*
Not keen on using software, except at work where everybody and their pet chihuahua wants a copy. I’m still a pen and paper, gal for organizing my thoughts at home. I need to actively work with words. Helps me solidify my thoughts.
Urban Panther´s last blog post..Grass and grubs
@ JenX67 – That’s a really interesting application of these ideas. It’s so easy to end up devoting energy to too many things, or to areas that just suck you dry, but I never thought of using these methods to look at that perspective.
@ Urban Panther – Well, now I really want to look! I’m with you on the software for the most part…it’s good for special occasions, but it doesn’t feel natural. When I’m getting my ideas out in the open, it needs to feel organic.
This was an extremely useful post. I found it via Chuck. Thanks!
Tamara
Writer’s Rainbow
Tamara´s last blog post..NaNoWriMo word count: 27203