4 Strategies for Pre-planning Your NaNoWriMo Novel
=======================================================================================================
In the digital age, writers have a plethora of tools at their disposal to aid in brainstorming, planning, and note organization. This article explores some popular online tools that cater to various aspects of the writing process, including mind mapping, timeline creation, outlining, and digital note-taking.
Mind Mapping
For those seeking a feature-rich, web-based mind mapping tool, consider MindMeister. This tool supports real-time team collaboration, live chat, and task management integration, making it an ideal choice for teams and remote workers. It works on any modern browser and mobile devices [1][3].
Another visually appealing option is XMind, suitable for individuals and teams, available on multiple platforms [1][3]. For a simpler, easy-to-use mind map creator, MindMup is a worthy choice [3].
Timeline Creation and Outlining
While none of the search results directly specify timeline-specific tools, Milanote emerges as a recommended option for organizing research, ideas, arguments, and outlines in a browser environment. It's particularly useful for writers who want to keep ideas and storylines structured [2].
Digital Note-taking
Evernote is a popular cross-platform note-taking app with templates for note-taking and structuring content, collaboration features including shared notes and chat [2]. For a more robust digital note-taking experience, Goodnotes offers a rich set of organizational features, handwriting recognition, customizable templates, audio notes, and PDF annotation. It's mainly for iOS/macOS but expanding support for Windows and Android [4]. A close competitor to Goodnotes is Notability, which uses an annual subscription model [4].
Project Management & Idea Organization
Trello is a web-based tool that helps organize notes, manage writings, assign tasks, and collaborate with editors. It's free for basic usage [2].
These tools offer a mix of individual and collaborative features, valuable for writers engaged in brainstorming, planning, drafting, and note organization. MindMeister and XMind are standout mind mapping tools, Milanote excels at visual outlining, and Evernote or Goodnotes provide strong note-taking capabilities. Trello adds project management dimensions useful for larger writing projects.
This selection balances free and paid options across devices, supporting varied writing workflows. Brainstorming, also known as 'mindmapping', is a visual approach for collecting ideas for a manuscript. Timelines are important for developing the story's temporal flow and ensuring events are in the proper order.
Regardless of whether you write fiction or non-fiction, note-taking is an important approach to remembering and activating knowledge. Note-taking not only collects information but power boosts learning. Brainstorming allows writers to generate many ideas without worrying about where they fit. Outlines are a traditional method for organizing knowledge on a topic.
For web-based note-taking options, consider Oak, Workflowy, and Outliner of Giants. For iPad users, Quicklyst and OmniOutliner are note-taking tool options.
In schools where writing and note-taking were consistently implemented, 79% of students scored at the proficient level on state assessments [5]. So, whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, these tools can help streamline your writing process and improve your productivity.
References:
[1] MindMeister - https://www.mindmeister.com/ [2] Milanote - https://milanote.com/ [3] XMind - https://www.xmind.net/ [4] Goodnotes - https://goodnotes.com/ [5] Jacqui Murray - https://www.jacquimurray.com/
While exploring digital tools for brainstorming and note organization, writers might find 'Evernote' useful for digital note-taking with templates and collaboration features [2]. On the other hand, those interested in home-and-garden ideas could discover inspiration in the visual and interactive space of 'Milanote', a versatile tool for organizing ideas, arguments, and outlines online [2].
