I made a pact with myself that I am going to write 1000 words every day on steemit consistently for 30 days. I've been hitting a bit of a wall when trying to figure out what to write. Yesterday, after searching around the internet looking for a topic, I found myself searching "how to fix writer's block" and voila, I had discovered my story. It is always a good idea to write about what we know, and as I was in the throes of writer's block at that very moment, it seemed like a good idea. The words flowed onto the page with ease, and my 1000 words were down on paper in no time.
Today I am in the same quandary as I was yesterday. What should I write? Staring at a blank page is a very intimidating experience for me these days. Yesterday to come up with an idea I thought, what kind of topics do I search to read? Today I searched for "how to research and write a good article about any given subject." I want to write in a way that is personal and compelling. I want to be a storyteller, but I want my story to contain facts and my viewpoint. I want to write in a way that leaves the reader contemplating what I have said after they have read it. So even if I am writing a story about something mundane like growing broccoli sprouts it is not just about their nutritional value. It is about my journey that led me to think growing broccoli spouts is a great idea. I want a person to leave my article convinced that if they don't start growing broccoli sprouts that their life will be lacking and they will be missing out on some secret that few others know.
I have a whiteboard that I keep on the wall of my bedroom. Yes, my decor skills leave something to be desired. However practically speaking it is the first thing I see when I start my day and the last thing I see when I go to sleep. I have my whiteboard divided in half. One half is a list of my mini habits, small goals that I strive to accomplish every day. The other half is a mind map.
This mind map has had many different topics over the years. The latest revolves around a futuristic book I plan to write. It is about an AI-powered driverless campervan. The premise of this story is that since you are born all of your life content; your experiences, dreams, attitudes, opinions, interests, and goals get collected via an AI algorithm which then programs a driverless campervan issued to you for the time between when you leave home and when you start adulting. Your destinations are all pre-programmed and you are just along for the ride with no idea what will come next. This time is called the "Wander Years" which is also the title of my book. At the center of the mindmap is a bubble with a drawing of the campervan with the words Wander Years inside of it. Radiating from this bubble are sub-bubbles that contain plot concepts, characters, and storylines. Radiating from these sub-bubbles are more bubbles with descriptions and more storylines. As ideas unfold, I create more bubbles and sub-bubbles. Mind mapping is how I organize my thoughts. How I take all the ideas that I have floating around in my head and lay them out into something sensical. Every time I have a new concept in regards to something I want to add to my story I figure out where the bubble best fits and draw it in with lines connecting to all parts of the plot in which it is involved.
The broccoli sprouts are a real thing. I have 28 more days of writing ahead of me. In this time I am sure you will learn about my obsession with them. I wonder if all writers are a bit obsessive and writing is just a venue to let it out. I like to think of my ideas as monsters that jump up and down in my brain doing everything they can to hold my focus so that they are not forgotten. I think of getting them out on to a page or a mindmap as a way to tame and control them.
Today I attempted to search for mind mapping software that would enable me to explore topics and help organize my research. I didn't find anything that suited what I needed. The types of mind mapping software out there seem to be for business brainstorming. They seemed too rigid and constrained. From a creative perspective, filling a whiteboard should be approached with freedom and ease without obstacles in the way. I want to be able to convey a thought that is in my head to an instant bubble. If I were to design mindmap software it would be on a touchscreen. Creating a bubble would be as easy as tapping. Filling it would be via voice command. Connecting my entries would be easy as drawing a line with my finger. Maybe there is a software like this. If anyone knows, please let me know.
In the meantime, I guess I will start a notebook, filling it in page by page with mindmaps for potential topics. It will be a little like an artist's sketchbook only with words instead of drawings. Maybe some things in life are never meant to leave the non-virtual world.
I apologize to my one or two readers (I'm hopeful) for the lack of structure that happened here today. In the future it will get better I promise. I am just trying making friends with the blank page. It has been a while, and I'm having a difficult time getting my groove back. Onward and upward! Welcome to my journey.
