Getting organized to write: idea catchers

May 202013
 
 May 20, 2013  Organization, Writing 1 Response »
Getting organized to write: idea catchers

The absolutely most important item for any writer to have organized is his or her ideas. Everything else can get messy or be allowed to sink into oblivion if necessary, but ideas are the straw writers must have in order to spin their gold. So how do you keep those ideas safe? First, I never go anywhere without a small notebook. After years of trying out various styles, my preference is a small, spiral bound notebook that has plain (unlined) pages. It’s about 4″ x 6″ at the most, and will fit into my purse quite easily. A man might [ Read more...]

Getting organized to write: create files

May 132013
 
 May 13, 2013  Organization, Writing No Responses »
Getting organized to write: create files

The moment you have several ideas down on pieces of paper, you need some files. Not a lot of them. You might start with only five or six. You can easily buy a small metal holder with half a dozen or so coloured folders in it. Mark the blue folder Nonfiction Ideas, the red one Fiction Ideas, the Purple one Drama Ideas, the yellow one Poetry, the pink one Resources, and the grey one Business…. Now, you may have decided you only want to write in a specific genre. Say fiction. No non-fiction for you. And definitely no poetry or [ Read more...]

Getting organized to write: finding things

May 082013
 
 May 8, 2013  Organization, Writing 2 Responses »
Getting organized to write: finding things

Over the years, I can’t begin to estimate how much time I’ve wasted looking for things I’ve misplaced—slips of papers with ideas on them, contracts, books, emails… You name it, I’ve misplaced it. And I’ve spent hours and hours and hours searching for something, only to have it turn up shortly after I stopped looking for it.  Can you relate? I won’t try to fool you into thinking I’ve solved this issue. But this week, I will mention a few things I’ve learned. It’s much easier to find things if you leave them in the location where you put them [ Read more...]

Getting organized to write: filing

May 062013
 
 May 6, 2013  Book Reviews, Organization, Writing 2 Responses »
Getting organized to write: filing

I probably have close to 1000 file folders. All colours. They’re in various places, including a 4-level horizontal filing cabinet, a smaller narrow filing cabinet, drawers in two desks, several Omni carts, several other movable carts with file folder spaces on the top and plastic drawers underneath, and a few file boxes. The files are in many categories. Files with stories and articles that have been published. Files with stories and articles that might never be published. Resource files on a variety of topics. Files on various areas necessary for writers. A file for each book of the Bible. Files [ Read more...]