10 Best Tools for Writers to Brainstorm Effectively

10 best tools for writers to brainstorm effectively

No matter how seasoned, every writer has encountered the debilitating spectre of writer’s block.

Once a canvas ripe with potential, the blank page transforms into a wall too high to climb.

This psychological hurdle is more than a mere inconvenience. It’s a serious impediment that obstructs the creative flow, bringing the writing process to a grinding halt.

The frequency with which this occurs for some writers brought out the need for less dismissal and more serious attention to this issue.

Pervasive writer’s block can lead to anything – from missed deadlines and stalled projects to significantly impacting a writer’s confidence.

The drive to find solutions to this common dilemma paves the way for developing and recognizing a host of tools and techniques designed to stimulate the creative mind and smash through the blockade.

Despite many available tools at the writer’s disposal, traditional brainstorming remains a potent weapon in combatting writer’s block.

This time-tested method offers an unrestricted environment for ideas to flow freely, liberating the mind from the constraints of structured thought.

The beauty of brainstorming lies in its simplicity and adaptability; it can be as straightforward as scribbling ideas on paper or as elaborate as mind maps and flow charts.

Brainstorming encourages thinking outside the box, spurring creative solutions that may be overlooked.

In a way, it’s a collaborative process, allowing the exchange of ideas and perspectives among peers, ultimately enriching the creative process.

While some writers think fighting off writer’s block is a Herculean task, brainstorming presents a reliable and effective countermeasure.

The utility of brainstorming extends far beyond just eradicating writer’s block.

Brainstorming is, in essence, a catalyst that ignites creativity and provides a structured platform for thoughts to coalesce.

You can see it as a guiding compass to navigate the maze of ideas within a writer’s mind, reining in the chaos and giving it a sense of direction.

Likewise, brainstorming is a powerful tool, even if you’re hoping to write a novel or substantial work with only a fragment of an idea.

It’ll serve as your starting point, your creative springboard, from which you can dive into the depths of your imagination.

It’ll help you dissect and examine this tiny seed of an idea, nurturing it and eventually watching it grow into a fully fleshed-out plot.

Digital Tools for Writers To Help Brainstorm

The digital age brings writers infinite brainstorming tools, breaking away from the traditional pen-and-paper method.

These innovative tools revolutionize the writing process, offering a more intuitive and efficient way to organize ideas.

These tools range from software applications to online platforms, all designed with user-friendly interfaces to streamline the brainstorming process.

Tools like Trello, Evernote, and MindMeister serve as digital canvases where writers create, store, and manage ideas in a highly visual and organized manner.

They allow for easy categorization, rearrangement, and notation of ideas, allowing for the convenient and quick development of thoughts into a workable plot or article.

This evolution of brainstorming methods reflects how technology blends seamlessly into the writer’s toolbox.

And here are what we deem as the ten best ones out there:

1 – MindMeister

MindMeister is an ingenious tool that takes brain mapping to new heights.

Allowing writers to visualize their thoughts in an organized and structured manner revolutionizes the brainstorming process.

Users connect nodes for each idea or sub-idea in a hierarchical, spider-web-like structure. These nodes are easily editable, movable, and can even be colour-coded, helping to categorize ideas effectively.

MindMeister supports the integration of various multimedia, i.e., images, videos, and links, which ultimately enriches the brainstorming process. This flexibility in capturing and manipulating ideas makes MindMeister a must-have tool for writers.

Pro Tip: When using MindMeister, start with a central idea and branch out to sub-ideas. Don’t worry about structure; let the ideas flow freely.

2 – Evernote

Evernote is an extensive digital organizer that allows users to capture, collect, and store information in various formats.

You can use it in brainstorming to record notes, images, audio clips, or even entire web pages into one central location.

It seamlessly integrates with other apps, i.e., Gmail and Outlook, making importing data from various sources easier.

Evernote has this web clipper feature that lets users save online articles, images and PDFs directly into their notebook.

This efficient method of collecting ideas means that writers never miss out on any stray bits of inspiration.

Pro Tip: Use the tagging feature to organize thoughts and ideas according to themes, characters, or settings.

3 – Trello

Trello is the standard for project management tools. It helps organize workflows through visual boards.

This tool’s versatility and flexibility allow writers to customize it according to their brainstorming needs.

Trello’s simple drag-and-drop interface allows for easy rearrangement of ideas, effectively creating a virtual whiteboard.

Trello’s features include adding attachments, checklists, labels, and due dates on each task card – all useful in fleshing out ideas.

This tool’s most significant benefit is its team collaboration feature, allowing writers to brainstorm and share ideas with peers in real time.

Pro Tip: Consider using the Kanban method by setting up boards for each stage of your project, i.e., “Ideas,” “Developing Plot,” and “Writing.”

4 – MindNode

MindNode is a mind-mapping tool that allows users to create visual representations of their thoughts through branches, relatable tags and colours. As you’ve already guessed, this one’s an alternative to MindMeister, but with a more simplified interface.

MindNode offers a minimalistic and user-friendly design that focuses on functionality.

You may easily add notes, images, dates, and links to ideas.

Its iCloud integration makes it accessible across multiple devices, ensuring your brainstorming sessions are not location-dependent.

Pro Tip: Use the “Focus Mode” for a distraction-free brainstorming experience.

5 – Scapple

Scapple is another mind-mapping software designed explicitly for writers.

Its simple, free-form interface enables brainstorming without the limitations of a traditional mind map.

The user can create notes and connect them freely in any direction to build an organic cluster of ideas.

You may add images and text to each note, making Scapple highly customizable.

It’s compatible with other software like Scrivener and Evernote so that writers can import and export ideas without issues or inconveniences.

Pro Tip: Scapple comes with a “Sticky Note” mode, where you can add notes quickly without taking up much space on your screen.

6 – Google Docs

Google Docs is a popular online word-processing tool with brainstorming features.

Writers use it to create collaborative documents, where multiple users can edit and comment on the same document simultaneously.

The real-time collaboration feature makes Google Docs an ideal team brainstorming platform where writers can share their ideas and receive immediate feedback. Its auto-saving feature also ensures no ideas are lost during brainstorming.

Google Docs is as simple as they come, yet effective for writers who prefer a straightforward method.

Pro Tip: Explore all the formatting and commenting options in Google Docs to maximize brainstorming capabilities.

7 – Google Keep

Google Keep is a note-taking app with features specifically designed for brainstorming.

The interface looks like virtual sticky notes on a board, allowing users to create quick notes and move them around the screen, mimicking the traditional brainstorming process with real sticky notes.

Google Keep also supports adding images, labels and colours on each note, making it easier to categorize ideas.

Its simple interface is perfect for writers who prefer a minimalistic approach.

Users can also import notes from Google Keep directly into their documents when using Google Docs.

Google Keep exhibits its uniqueness through the simplicity and intuitiveness of its interface.

Unlike other brainstorming tools, it doesn’t come with a steep learning curve, making it user-friendly even for the not-so-tech-savvy writers. Its resemblance to traditional sticky notes invokes familiarity, yet it offers the benefits of a digital platform.

Did you know that Google Keep supports voice notes, a feature not common among other brainstorming tools?

This feature allows writers to verbally articulate their ideas, which is particularly useful when an idea strikes, but typing it out isn’t possible.

Google Keep is cloud-based, enabling you to access your notes across any device with internet connectivity.

This flexibility ensures that writers can brainstorm anytime, anywhere.

Integration with Google Docs is another unique aspect of Google Keep.

It seamlessly synchronizes with Google Docs, allowing writers to import their ideas into their drafts, creating a streamlined and efficient workflow.

Pro Tip: Try the “Drawing” feature in Google Keep sketching ideas quickly.

8 – Asana

Asana is another popular project management tool useful in brainstorming sessions.

It will let you create tasks and subtasks, assign them to team members, and set deadlines.

Asana’s boards function like digital whiteboards where users can add cards with ideas and move them around as needed.

With its team collaboration features and integrations with apps like Gmail and Dropbox, writers brainstorm without fuss while keeping track of their project’s progress.

Pro Tip: Create a project timeline in Asana to organize your brainstorming session.

9 – Freemind

Freemind is an open-source mind-mapping software that offers users complete control over their brainstorming process.

Its drag-and-drop interface allows for easy organization and customization of ideas, including adding notes, images, and links.

Freemind also supports branching to create subtopics and add details to each idea.

This feature-rich tool is ideal for writers who prefer a comprehensive yet straightforward brainstorming method.

To leverage Freemind to its fullest potential, explore all its features and shortcuts to save time during brainstorming. For instance, quickly create a new branch using the “Ctrl + B” shortcut.

Pro Tip: Use the “Attribute” feature to label and color-code your ideas for better organization. Doing so lets you visualize connections between different thoughts.

10 – Coggle

Coggle is a collaborative mind-mapping tool that allows for real-time brainstorming and editing with team members.

Its simple interface focuses on simplicity, making it easy for writers of all levels. It comes with flowcharts for visualizing ideas and a chat feature for real-time communication during brainstorming sessions.

Coggle offers features such as adding images, videos, and links to each idea node.

Users can also create private or public boards, making it perfect for writers who want to keep their ideas confidential or share them with others. With its cloud storage and seamless integration with Google Drive, Coggle makes brainstorming accessible from anywhere at any time.

Users can create branches of thought represented as nodes. These nodes serve as the central idea or topic, and sub-nodes can be added to elaborate further, making the structure of your thoughts clearer.

What sets Coggle apart is its real-time collaboration feature. It allows multiple users to work simultaneously on a project, making it a sensible tool for multiple participants.

You may enrich your nodes with multimedia additions such as images, videos, and hyperlinks to offer more depth and context.

Coggle also allows users to customize the privacy settings of their mind maps, providing the choice between public and private boards.

Pro Tip: Take advantage of Coggle’s customizable templates for various brainstorming formats. These templates will save time and provide structure to your ideas.

Writing Tool Honourable Mentions

11 – Microsoft OneNote

Microsoft OneNote is a highly customizable digital notebook that’s likewise excellent for brainstorming.

It can capture text, images, and audio notes, making idea generation a breeze.

OneNote’s intuitive interface allows users to navigate easily and organize their notes in separate sections and pages. This feature-rich tool integrates well with other Microsoft Office applications, facilitating a smooth brainstorming workflow.

12 – IdeaBordz

IdeaBordz is a virtual sticky note board designed explicitly for brainstorming.

It allows users to add notes, images, and videos while allowing them to draw or write directly on the board. It also has a timer feature, ideal for timed brainstorming sessions. IdeaBordz is perfect for writers who prefer an interactive and visual approach to brainstorming.

The Beauty of Collaborative Brainstorming With Other Writers 

Even writers, mostly solitary creatures, can benefit from collaborating with others during brainstorming sessions.

Collaborative brainstorming means you exchange diverse ideas and perspectives, leading to more creative and innovative solutions. The tools mentioned above facilitate seamless collaboration and communication among team members.

One attribute of collaborative brainstorming that most writers fail to realize is that it eliminates judgment and opens the mind to new possibilities.

With an open mind, you can generate more ideas and even build upon others’ suggestions, leading to more robust and original concepts.