Stuck. We’ve all been there. You are writing a scene and the words won’t flow, your imaginary friends…ahem, your characters won’t speak to you, and even that third cup of coffee isn’t helping. There are a variety of ways I have endeavored to solve this problem—other creative outlets, taking a walk etc. But I have found over the past few months that one of my greatest tools for getting my words flowing again is mind mapping.

I learned this technique while researching ideas for homeschooling my kids and when I realized the potential for applying it to writing, I was hooked. It’s a little hard to describe a mind map without visuals, (I’d advise Googling mind map images) but I’ll give it a whirl.

A mind map is a type of diagram with a word or an idea placed at the center (usually within a circle) and then as brainstorming occurs, each new idea is written on a line branching from the main circle. As you work through a mind map it begins to look a bit like a crazy spider, with all sorts of legs branching off one another.

So for example, if I am brainstorming a new scene, I write the main idea inside a circle at the center of the paper. I will then make lines for different characters, setting, actions, symbolism, motivations, and sensory information etc. I will then allow myself the freedom to just write as many ideas and details as I can and branch off of each line. This process gives me the permission to play a little bit without being concerned about dialog, timeline, or structure. I close my eyes to visualize the scene and explore sensory details. I imagine character backstories, mannerisms, and wounds. I tell myself that I am not married to any of the ideas, so it gives me license to explore the scenes and the characters.

Inevitably as I work through my mind map, great new sensory details spring to life in my scene. I am a very visual person, so my mind maps are full of color and sometimes the odd doodle. I was actually forced to move to legal sized paper because my mind maps get a little out of control sometimes. Try it out! You are only limited by the size of your paper and your imagination.

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When she is not homeschooling her two sweet kids, Connilyn is scribbling notes on spare paper, mumbling about her imaginary friends, and reading obscure out-of-print history books. There is nothing she likes better than digging into the rich ancient world of the Bible and uncovering buried gems of grace that point toward Jesus. Her novel Counted With the Stars won the 2013 Frasier Contest and will be releasing in April 2016 with Bethany House Publishers. Connect with her at www.connilyncossette.com.