Creativity Boosters for Outlining & Mind Mapping

Yesterday I called attention to a wonderful free program for writing scripts in many formats, Celtx. I'd also like to make you aware of a couple of other free programs form boosting your creativity and outlining your creative projects, Keynote and Freemind.

Let's start with Freemind. Do you remember in freshman English being asked to write your subject on the center of a piece of paper and circle it. You'd then draw lines and free associate ideas related, and then ideas related to the ideas, all in little bubbles. That is what freemind allows you to do, except on your computer with the added bonus that you can collapse/expand whole trees of ideas and your piece of paper is almost infinite in size. I'd always run out of room using paper, but not in Freemind. Very useful.

Keynote is no longer being developed, but it is still a great little program as it is. It is an outlining tool that is similar to Freemind in that it is infinitely expandable and that you can collapse/expand the trees in your outline. I find this has the feel of a help file, with branches hidden in branches, except you are building them. I think this is ideal for story development. I'm really excited about using it in the future and have already applied it a bit on my work for "The Giant's Heart."

Both programs are free, so try them out for yourself. You may have brainstormed and then outlined a story or other project before you know it.