I made a start on rereading book one yesterday. I've got two sets of writing implements that I use. My editing pen is a red Uniball Jetstream that I find works really easily, and my mind mapping pens are some Staedtler fine felt tips. I have managed to work through the first four chapters on this reread.
There were niggling things about the text that I have already figured out (for example, a governor objects to burning trees at night for stupid reasons, and I have determined a much better excuse that is thematically linked to other elements of the book), but one large purpose of the mind mapping is to take not of significant details so I can refer back to them.
What is "significant"? Still not sure - but I am taking note of place names, character names, rules of etiquette, forms of address... details that will bug people if they vary, as well as items that I should be able to make reference to from other spots in the book. I am a terrible one for inventing a character name and then forgetting the name of the character later, or making up another character to do the same job.
It's nice to visit this world again.
Thematic overload ill have to wait for another time, because that's five minutes.
Posted by Dunx at February 23, 2009 07:04 AM
I realize that my comments are off-topic, but I've been amassing a collection of mind map software for my Mac.
* Freemind is an open source version that runs on every platform. http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
* Incubator (http://www.mindcad.com/) is $50, but is pretty nice and clean. Works well for large projects. They finally added color.
* MindNode (http://www.mindnode.com/) is more like what you would draw with a more whimsical look.
There are others, like the Brain, but these 3 I'd recommend. Which to choose? All 3 are good with the keyboard shortcuts. The biggest difference is the output. MindNode has the lines all connected, and the Incubator has the words of a node break up the connecting lines. Guess it would be a subjective choice. I ended up buying both.