BRANCHING

Branching is an alternative to outlining – to the vertical listing of points under headings and subheadings.

Branching starts with a single word or phrase and grows from there by a process of association – but not free association. Since all main branches radiate from one key term, branching is a process of exploring its implications, of seeing the range and variety of thoughts it can evoke, of moving from the general to the specific.

To develop such a picture of your ideas is to use what some psychologists call the right brain – that is, the right half of the brain. According to their theory, the two halves of the brain do different jobs. While the left brain is verbal, analytical, logical, and systematic, taking things one step at a time, the right brain is visual, imaginative, intuitive, and synthesizing, making one big picture from many details.

The best equipment for branching is a sheet of unlined paper and pen or pencil. To start, write a word of phrase in the middle of the sheet and circle it. Then add a main branch for each idea that grows directly from the circled term, a smaller branch for each idea that sprouts from a main branch, and so on.