Last night I taught a workshop on mind-mapping at The Novelry, and when I embarked on the demo exercise, I wasn’t sure what to mind map for myself. So I just wrote the structure: central idea, Part A, Part B, Part C, as I demonstrated how to use the technique. A few minutes in, just the act of mimicking a mind map got my brain clicking, and before I knew it I was brainstorming the main character in my next middle grade novel. Sometimes, you have to fake it till you make it. Do you ever start writing placeholder text to get your juices flowing? Let me know in the comments!
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I use placeholder text all the time, whether I’m brainstorming for a vague idea or trying to push forward in a work in progress.
Mind maps work every time!