![]() ![]() And I’ve characterized each with a representative label (Triple Linchpin, Pro-Corp, & Pro-Gov’t, as well as their settings’ geographical locations) In this example, each of the three largest rectangles comprise a unique but relevant story line in this novel (labeled Story Line A, Story Line B, & Story Line C).These connections can be labeled to further identify their relationship. Notes may be easily connected to other notes to signify a relationship just by dragging one on top of the other. Every node in the diagram is called a note.It is so fast and easy to update and export or print, I am really impressed: This intuitive diagram now captures the entire extensive cast of characters of my new novel and their relationships within three different story lines in one powerful visual. Heck, I spent more time than that tweaking a perfectly good diagram, just because it was fun! I then spent just two hours to shop for the right mind-mapping software, another ten minutes to buy, download and install Scapple, plus maybe another hour to learn the program. This data collection took about a half-dozen hours spanning several days. I consolidated phrases jotted down on single sheets of paper, scribbles from various Post-It Notes™, various pages of sundry notebooks, and transcriptions of 2AM whispered voice recordings–you know, like most authors do. Scapple neatly pulled together, in one info-packed diagram, my brainstorming of a list of characters and their relationships to each other. Scapple is fast, simple, effective, and works well with my favorite writing software, Scrivener.Ĭheck out my own big picture diagram below for my latest novel. ![]() You can peruse over a hundred possible mind mapping tools and techniques from that list. See the resource list at the end of this article for other similar tools. Scapple is better for diagramming any-to-any relationships, which is precisely what I needed. Most are hierarchical, like branches on a tree, or progressive forks in a road. In the past I’ve pressed various mind mapping tools into service, some free, but none really met my needs. This type of project is not for the feint of heart, but gives a story depth and dimension. Most of my books weave lots of characters in and around at least a few different story lines. And yes, I’m writing the middle book last. I’m in the early stages of creating the final book in a near-future dystopian science fiction trilogy. We’ll examine my current work in progress to illustrate. Helps alleviate an otherwise encroaching cloud of insanity. Yup, I start documenting my early writing workflow for my latest book with a tool called Scapple–to rough out a story, to imagine and to define character and multiple story line relationships. To dress in any way short of fine tooling or rubbing, as stone.To work roughly, or shape without finishing.So let’s define the word Scapple, the name of a tool I’m growing to really love: Now I’m considering incorporating them in my published works. I’ve used mind maps for a few years now in writing the book. Enter the mind map and tools to ease the task of creating one. That got me thinking if I couldn’t do better beyond just moving my character list and a brief sentence of their role in the book. Either way, it’s a good idea shared by some famous best sellers. ![]() I’m hoping its the former, not the latter. Since I cast a lot of characters in my stories, most of near-epic length, this is either a simple helpful suggestion or an indictment of too many characters. Recently, several of my readers have suggested that I locate my customary cast of characters page at the beginning of my books. An example of a visual ‘mind map’ created using Scappleįirst, why is a mind map important to an author, especially for long-form projects like a novel? ![]()
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