Mind-Mapping for the Brainstorm-Challenged

Did some online surfing and came across an interesting site called bubbl.us, which is a free web application. With the tagline, ‘brainstorming made easy’, bubbl.us (pronounced ‘bubble’) can help to make the process much smoother. There’s nothing to install or download and it’s just as easy as brainstorming on paper.

To get an idea of what the application offers, click on ‘Features’ under the Examples listed on the homepage to find a map to walk you through each mapping step. There are also maps of team members and of future plans for the application, all produced by the site’s creators.

Let’s say you’ve a bunch of ideas for your next writing project and want to see how to order them. Or perhaps you’re attempting to plot out your novella or travel article. You might be in the process of crafting characters and feel it’s necessary to construct a family tree for him or her. Click the ‘Start Brainstorming’ button and a bubble appears. A help box with easy-to-follow instructions appear in the lower right of the screen and you can begin your brainstorming session. bubbl.us allows you to share your work with other users, along with embedding your map into your website or blog.

I’ve started using this tool myself as I have more than a few ancient notebooks with the notes of various characters’ family trees scribbled between the pages.

The next time you need a bit of help in figuring out the next steps for your work-in-progress, give bubbl.us a go. It may become a favorite resource in your writer’s tool kit.