The company that makes Scrivener has come out with a type of mind mapping tool for writers.  Looks interesting, useful, and is modestly priced.  But like Scrivener and any other writing software, there’s a fine line between productivity and a time sucking fascination with all the cool things  it can do.

For me, the best bet is to open a simple text file, get the writing done in a distraction free environment, and transfer to Word or whatever later.  Even Word with all it has can take up to 1/2 a day just on layouts and fonts.  Be aware of these traps, and just write.