Mind Mapping Your Journal Entries

Written by Catherine Franz


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Maps also shortenrepparttar journaling time. What might normally take pages or an hour in linear writing now takes 15 minutes.

Being creative and having fun with this technique is important torepparttar 128490 experience. Mapping encouragesrepparttar 128491 use of colored pencils, pens andrepparttar 128492 use of images in place of words. My drawing skills haven't improved since third grade; yet after a few hundred lopsided airplanes I can now draw them from several angles. But I'm still sticking with stick people.

Ideas also count. Ideas always occur during our writing. We're writing away, an idea pings up and we either need to try and hold it onrepparttar 128493 edge of our mind or record it somewhere quickly before it slips away. Start a Map on a new page, placerepparttar 128494 idea atrepparttar 128495 center ofrepparttar 128496 page, then return to finishrepparttar 128497 writing. You will find your mind popping in and out from one torepparttar 128498 next as you continue writing.

You can also keep a separate Map journal. Every few years, I remember to buy a journal for that purpose. One of my favorite Map journals is, Note Sketch Book by Bienfang. You can order them in many places onrepparttar 128499 Net. Our local Staples store usually carries them in stock. They are different becauserepparttar 128500 top portion of each page, about three-quarters, is blank and ready for your Map. Whilerepparttar 128501 bottom portion has lines for writing.

Of course, Maps and Clusters have many other uses -- like brainstorming (alone or in a group), research, reading, studying, or memorizing. Thus, learningrepparttar 128502 technique is worthy to learn. I use them for just about everything, includingrepparttar 128503 three books I'm working now.

Basic Rules for Mind Mapping:

1. Sheet sideways.

2. Pen or computer

3. Select topic, problem or subject and purpose.

4. Start inrepparttar 128504 center ofrepparttar 128505 page.

5. Use color to trigger memory. Each separate main branch has a different color and each sub-branches for that main branch stays with that branch's color.

6. Branches closest torepparttar 128506 center are thicker.

7. Each idea starts a new branch.

8. Use images to express ideas whenever possible.

9. The image or word needs to sit onrepparttar 128507 line and in print.

10.The line needs to berepparttar 128508 same length asrepparttar 128509 image or word.

(c) Copyright, Catherine Franz. All rights reserved.

Catherine Franz, a MindMapping trainer, has been Mapping since the mid-1980s. She offers two books (pdf or in print) on journaling techniques and tips at: http://www.abundancecenter.com/Store/main.htm.


The Author Within You!

Written by Leanda Wood


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get me wrong, I am by no means a Nazi, and I totally disagree withrepparttar treatment and atrocities he handed out torepparttar 128488 poor Jews. Netherrepparttar 128489 less it did interest me, so after much pondering, I decided to write a story aboutrepparttar 128490 Holocaust. I based it on a young Jewish girl growing up in occupied Poland duringrepparttar 128491 Nazi invasion. I never believed for one minute that it would be published, but after submitting my manuscript to quite a few online publishers, I finally got accepted. I could not believe that little old me would become a successful writer. My book is due for release on 3rd March 2005 and is for sale at most leading bookstores, including my publishers www.publishamerica.com , you see anybody can write, but it takes confidence and you have to believe in yourself. I never did for so many years. I t was only my Husband telling me how good my story was that I decided to give it a go, and believe me I am just a regular girl with no silver spoon in her mouth, I just plucked uprepparttar 128492 courage to do something to change my life forrepparttar 128493 better. The moral of my humble little story is, don’t let doubt andrepparttar 128494 lack of confidence hold you back. Give it go, for you never know where your courage may lead you. You can view my book at www.unionjaxbooks.com

Leanda Wood has written many short stories over the years, and has just had her first novel "There Are No Children Here" published. Excerpts from her book can be found at www.unionjaxbooks.com


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