Mind Mapping

"A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other

items, linked to and arranged radially around a central key word or idea.
It is used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas, and as an aid in
study, organization, problem solving, decision making, and writing.” Wikipedia

What does this mean in terms of kicking your Muse into action? And how do you create one?

When you're blocked, Mind Mapping is a simple, yet effective method of finding words that lead to ideas that get your writing started again.

Free Association
Mind Mapping is also known a free association. It's just like those games you played as a kid (or even an adult) where one person says a word ("Banana") and you say the first word that comes into your mind ("Yellow"). The more you do this, the further the words get from the original word, but there is still a tenuous link between them all.

Mind Mapping is especially useful for making notes during a lecture or brainstorming session. It's good for creating a title for your story. Or working through the story structure itself. In fact, when you think about it, Mind Mapping can be the most versatile tool in your box for stimulating creative thinking. And all you need is a pen or pencil, a piece of paper and your brain.

There are many Mind Mapping software programs out there -- and we'll get to those later. For the moment, using a pen and paper is the fastest way for ideas to travel between brain and hand.

Branching Off
Here's how to get started. (For this exercise, we're going to use the story of George seeing the face in the bathmat cited in "Practical Ways to Beat the Block" as an example.) The easiest way to think about Mind Mapping is to imagine a river that branches into tributaries that in turn, branch off into more tributaries that in turn... You get the picture. Or you can think about a tree with branches and twigs.

1. Draw a circle in the middle of your page to represent the source of the river or the trunk of the tree.
   
2. Think of a word. Any word that comes to mind when you think about your story.
3. George sees a face. Let's start with the word "face."
4. Write the word "face" in the middle of the circle.
5. To the side of the circle, write down the first word that comes into your mind when you think of "face." Don't edit yourself. If your gatekeeper appears, remember your mantra: "Thank you and goodbye." If you have writer's block so badly that you cannot think of a word, use your thesaurus.
6. Let's say your new word is "mask." Circle this word, then draw a line linking it to "face." This is your first branch.
7. Now think of the first word that "mask" brings to mind and write that down. Let's say that's "disguise." Circle this word and then draw another line linking it to "mask." This is your second branch.
   
8. Keep adding words and branches until you have exhausted that side of the tree.
9. Return to the circle and think of another word associated with "face."
10. Repeat steps 5 through 9 using new words.

Very soon, you will have a Mind Map from which you can select the doorway into your project. You can stop at any time along the way. Just like "Wheel of Fortune," you can stop the search and go straight to the magic phrase, which in your case can be the title of your movie or its theme or storyline or any place along the way.

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind
Mind Mapping -- and any other form of free association -- is not only a great way to wrestle writer's block to the mat and hold it down for a count of three, it's also an excellent way to tap into the unlimited power of your unconscious mind.

Still to Come
Writing from Your Subconscious Mind.

Questions?

Something to say or something to ask? Email Dr. Ideas today.

Practical Ways to Beat the Block

As promised, here are the remaining five ways to beat writer's block.

1. Every time you hear that critical voice in your head that says, "This is garbage," say: "Thank you and goodbye." Then ignore it. It'll stop bothering you after awhile.
2. Flip open the dictionary or thesaurus or a book of quotes. Close your eyes and jab your finger anywhere on the page. Write a brief scene about the word. Or create a piece of dialog for one of your characters using the word.
3. Dictate your thoughts into a machine. Then transcribe.
4. Write out your favorite screenplay.
5. Stare at the bathmat or carpet or into the fire or anything that enables you to see "faces." Then write a short scene about that face.

Staring at the Bathmat
When you can't seem to think of any ideas for your screenplay, go sit in the bathroom. Because the bathroom is a great setting for every genre: comedy, horror, suspense, thriller, action, fantasy, sci-fi and so on.

We all have to use the bathroom. And it's where we are at our most vulnerable. First off, we're either naked in the tub or trapped on the toilet. Both are ideal situations for comedy and horror in particular.

For example, your protagonist -- let's call him George -- sits on the toilet, staring at his feet. Suddenly, a face of takes shape in the bathmat. George stares at this image, fascinated. Then the image blinks, looks him in the eye... and speaks.

If the face is his dead wife and starts to berate George for his posture, we're in a comedy.

If the face threatens to kill George and all of his new family, we're in a horror movie.

If the face says, "Take me to your leader," we're in a sci-fi movie.

If the face threatens to blackmail George because of secrets it knows but his new family does not, we're in a drama.

If the face tells George that it once was a beautiful princess and a wicked witch cast a spell, etc., we're in a fantasy.

If the face tells George that its wife was responsible for its death and George is now married to that same woman, we're in a murder mystery or thriller.

While these scenarios may not be appropriate for your screenplay, improvising like this can help expand your options and make you think outside the box. In the bathroom situation, George's reaction to the face is exacerbated by the fact that he is sitting on the john, which makes him immediately vulnerable.

Look at the scene you're trying to write and ask yourself: What is the worst possible situation I can put my protagonist in to generate the maximum conflict? What will make him or her wriggle and writhe the most?

For example, instead of two talking heads in a restaurant (or wherever), where else can you set your scene that's interesting or exciting or unusual? Make a list.

Also... finding unusual places with interesting things happening in the background is a great way of selling scenes that call for exposition (explaining the plot). Blake Synder -- in his book, Saving the Cat -- calls it "The Pope in the Pool." Or to paraphrase Humphrey Bogart, "If you want me to deliver exposition, there'd better be two camels humping in the background."

Next time

• Mind Mapping.

Questions?
If you need help with your current creative project or just have questions, email Dr. Ideas today.

Tired Of Squeezing Your Head For Ideas?

Seeking inspiration? Waiting on the Muse? Staring at a blank page or computer screen and hoping to create something spectacular?

"Creation is a drug I cannot live without." Cecil B. DeMille

Whether you're starting out, in the middle or revising a screenplay or any piece of creative work , the worst torment possible is when your mind goes blank. When nothing will come.

Fortunately, help is at hand. Dr. Ideas is your go-to guy for inspiration at your fingertips.

Writer's Block
Believe it or not, the dreaded writer's block affects everyone from best-selling novelists through Oscar-winning screenwriters to penning a message on a greetings card. It's a killer. Depressing. Frustrating.

Forcing your brain to come up with ideas is like tying your shoe laces with your teeth.

Dr. Ideas can show you 10 Simple Ways To Overcome Writer's Block using things you can find around the house, near the house or in your brain.

1. Turn your computer display off or throw a towel over it. Write using just the keyboard.
2. If you write using a computer, write longhand instead. If you write longhand, try using a computer or typewriter instead. Chip the words out of stone if you have to.
3. Pretend you're talking to a relative or friend. Tell them your story.
4. Write "blah" for every word you cannot think of, every time you get stuck.
5. Every time you attempt to edit yourself, stand up. Then walk around the room. Hum. Whistle. Sing a snatch from your favorite song. Then sit back down. And write.
   

Next time

• Five more ways to overcome writer's block.
  
• Examples of how to use one of the 10 ways.

Questions?
If you need help with your current creative project or just have questions, email Dr. Ideas today.