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Once you are clear about the aims of your presentation in your own mind, you are ready to move on to the next stage, which is to think creatively. Time spent thinking is not wasted: it will mean that your final presentation is clearly structured and easy to follow.

The best way to think creatively is to write about your thoughts in a pattern diagram sometimes called pattern notes, or Mind Map™. This is a creative diagram you draw that captures all the main aspects of your central thoughts as you see them. To do this, you should:

• Take a blank sheet of A4 paper, arranging it in landscape format.

• Write the central thought or theme (a word or a few words, not a whole sentence) of your presentation in the middle of the paper.

• Write around that central word other keywords that relate to it.

• Keep branching out, adding other points that come into your mind.

one minute wonder Acronyms can be a creative way of organizing thoughts and messages. Consider this TOWER acronym for the task ahead: T: thinking O: organizing your thoughts W: writing a first draft E: editing and R: revising the grammar.

“What is the hardest task in the world? To think”

Ralph Waldo Emerson, philosopher

• If you get stuck at any point, answer the question words: who, why, where, what, when, how. These will stimulate your thinking.

• At this stage, do not reject any thoughts. (Use an eraser sparingly to delete what you have written.)

• As a next stage you can draw lines to show the links from your central thought to your key words and between individual key words.

• You can colour in different key words to show which ones are related.

• You can number the different key words in order of importance. Later on, as you deal with each aspect in your writing, you can put a line through each one.

As you draw a diagram of your own thoughts, you will probably see a clear structure with key messages beginning to emerge. (If this doesn’t happen, leave the paper for a while and come back to it later.) Aim for between three and five key messages in your presentation. If you have more than five, you risk overloading your audience with too much information.

Time spent thinking creatively is not wasted.