My friend Mary Louisa over at the "Yes I do Mind" blog wrote a wonderful post on mapping. This was a writing concept I had completely forgotten about. I decided to do some research on this subject and share my findings and insights with my fellow authors.
Mapping can be done in a variety of ways. Mary Louise used this technique to enhance the geographical lay-out of her book thus enabling it to have more of a "southern town flavor." She used this technique as a way to diagram the "digs of her slueth and her fellow citizens." Often times we visualize the setting of our book in our head and can inevitably leave out details that are cruitial to the accuracy a reader may be looking for. If a book is written in a setting we've been to or have heard about, then the accuracy not only gets our attention, it allows us to become more involved with the story, we become attached to it.
Another form of mapping for writers is conceptual mapping. At WMEBooks, we often sit down wih clients who are still thinking about writing a book. They'll ask us "How do I begin?" Our response has been to get them to develop a table of contents. By getting them to do this task, we are encouraging them to get their ideas down in some type of order. Once they establish the topics or events they want to write about, they can then begin to fill in the details in a more descriptive manner.
Establishing and maintaining relationships between characters is a perfect reason to use character mapping. This can be done by drawing a circle in the center of a piece of paper and labelling it with the main character/s name, physical description, personality traits..etc. Connecting them to other named characters in similar circles can begin keep the author attentive to how they are involved in the story.
Becoming overwhelmed is very common when writing a book. This can be brought on at the onset of the project or half way through. Using a diagram, map or list can help settle an abundance of ideas or a block the writer is experiencing. Using this concept may offer a fresh viewponint and insight that mere contemplation may otherwise leave out.
Writing is difficult enough. Using this technique can shorten some of the time you spend making sure the flow is correct and accurate. Taking the time to do some mapping can also help with brainstorming and getting through some problems or character flaws.
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