Writing a memory using mind maps

So before I get into the details of how to start writing a memory using a mind map, I’d like to define both the memory and the mind map so we’re all on the same page in this conversation. A memory is a story drawn from real life. This means that a memory is nonfiction. It is also known as creative nonfiction. It’s important to learn how to use writing techniques to develop your setting, dialogue, and multidimensional characters to show your readers what happened in this snapshot of your life.

One of the most powerful strategies that I use all the time when writing is called mind mapping. Tony Buzan formalized this technique in the early 1970s. A mind map is a tool to help people organize their thoughts and develop spontaneous associations related to the central theme they are developing. As a side note, I always use a bit of color when doing this because I like it better and the color and shapes you use open up your right brain so the creative juices flow better.

For me, creating a mind map is the beginning of everything I write. In the center of your paper, write MY MEMORY or whatever title you have been thinking of. Draw a circle in the center. Think about the main ideas you would like to include. Please relax about this. Nothing you write is set in stone. Ask yourself a few short questions like Who am I? or Where do I come from? Draw a line from the center to the short questions and draw a circle around the question. then draw a line from the circle and add thoughts like blonde hair, blue eyes, tall, musical, great swimmer, etc. As you continue to do this, very soon you will have a large piece of paper full of ideas and thoughts.

So, after you have a basic and flexible mind map, take the next step. That step is to jump in and write some more. Make a draft. Let your energy just flow. Allow the words to appear on the page. Look at your mind map, add color whenever you want. You can even doodle on it. It’s your creation and it really helps your creativity flow. Allow the images to appear in your mind. Don’t worry about the sequence of events. All of that can be changed and fixed later. You need paper material to work. As you work on your first draft, I’d like to remind you of what one of my favorite authors said: “The creation of a thousand forests is in an acorn,” Ralph Waldo Emerson.