Most of us believe that writing starts with a blank page, and they couldn’t be more wrong.
All pieces of writing should start with an outline. And mind mapping is the best tool to create one.
I firmly believe that all of your writings will enormously benefit from mind mapping. Mind mapping can change the future of education and can help you organize your ideas, connect the dots, and create more thought-through content.
The best mind mapping apps offer powerful outline functions to supercharge your writing. And MindMapper is not an exception.
Let’s see how to outline the lazy (and creative) way.
Different Use Cases of Mind Mapping for Writing
Maybe you don’t necessarily need an outline for a novel or SEO content, but here’re some ideas where mind mapping can move the needle:
- blog post
- webpage copy
- essay
- scientific research paper
- eBook
- regulations
- business plan
- email sequences
- book summary
And we didn’t even mention note-taking, which has its applications. Below, I show you how I create powerful outlines with mind maps.
Outlining a Blog Post: A Case Study
Take this blog post as an example. I created this mind map before typing a single word.
My mind map helped me to distance myself from my thoughts, generate new ideas, and organize them for the reader’s mind.
First, I created the main branches of my mind map. Then, I continued with the sub-branches (second-level branches). Then I added one more main branch. Finally, I restructured my mind map for maximum clarity.
I could have added some images, icons, and checklists, but I prefer to keep the outlining process simple.
Let’s take a look at my mind map and this article: There’re some differences in wording, content, and even the subheadings differ a little bit.
It’s all about assembling the content: The moment you start writing, your brain switches from idea mode into creator mode. You start to see your content from an entirely different angle.
This is part of the process. Acknowledge it. Play with it.
Pro Tip: Use the Outline Mode in MindMapper
MindMapper offers a range of features that can help streamline your content creation process. One of these is the ability to view outlines alongside your map, allowing you to keep track of your ideas and structure your content more efficiently. With the option to export these outlines to MS Word or embed them directly into your content creation tool or website, you have the flexibility to work in a way that suits you.
Another useful feature of MindMapper is the ability to create templates for different types of content. This can help speed up your outlining efforts and ensure that you stay consistent in your approach. By taking the time to outline your content, you can better organize your thoughts, streamline your writing process, and ultimately produce more engaging and effective copy. So why not give it a try and see how it can help you reach more people with your message?
Wrapping up
Ever since I discovered mind mapping, I hardly created content without a mind map. It has helped me create content more naturally and with ease.
This is particularly true for assembling long-form and more in-depth content, just as my productivity “super-mind map”, which helped me generate 69 proven ideas to supercharge your productivity.
The best thing about your mind mapping efforts should be that you never start with a blank page again.
Bio
Csaba Vadadi-Fulop is a biologist PhD & productivity blogger. He blogs at Productivity95.com about productivity apps, tech, books, and more. When he is not at his desk, he’s riding his bike on the riverside or listening to classic boom-bap hip-hop.
