Organization is critical to the survival of a writer. It also happens to be one of the most difficult things to maintain in the midst of one, or multiple, projects at any given time. (I know this for a fact…)
This month, for me, has been all about putting things in order and I’ve listed some crucial tools necessary to assist in the endeavor.
The almighty calendar!
The number one tool in my arsenal when it comes to organizing. I use multiple formats to keep track of my micro and macro goals when it comes to writing.
- Notepad – Not the software. An actual notepad. I use this for my week to week, day to day tasks. Small goals I need to maintain from maintaining my Twitter feed to making sure I submit to a certain promotional site to advertise one of my books. It also gives me somewhere to doodle when I need to space out for a minute or ten…
- Dry Erase Marker Calendar – This I use for my writing goals. Day to day word counts or chapters completed on any given day. Something goal oriented to get me to the finish line. Plus it helps me map out what days I can spare five minutes to play with the kiddos.
- Outlook Calendar – There are other options, I know, but I still use Outlook for my home-base in terms of calendars. This is definitely more for macro goals, long term planning of projects from outline to self-editing phase. I also have weekly goals and monthly ones that tend to repeat to keep me on track so nothing slips through the cracks. (One hopes, at least…)
- Book Planner – This is a nifty little site that allows you to work project by project with firm deadlines in place. Want to have a book published by a certain date? This site can get you there. It is a paid subscription, but I’ve found it helpful when planning out my release dates so I can nail down certain details with different vendors with plenty of time to spare.
Taking notes –
This has become my home away from home. I used to jot down tidbits on random pieces of paper – and then, of course, lose each and every one over time. Now, I plug everything I can into OneNote.
Again, there are other options but all fulfill the same task in organizing your thoughts for future projects or even the current one.
How I’ve come to organize my notes has been fun to discover over the last few months. I’m sure everyone will use their own system but I’ve found the following very helpful in my own business:
- Series Notes – Everything goes here. The complete overview of your world. From start to finish. Book 1 to 100, all right here in a very macro look.
- Character Bios – Break it down for each character. Take the macro view and apply it to each player in the drama. Book by book arcs, foibles, descriptors to use when drafting.
- Book by Book Notes – I open a new page for each book, once the macro view is sorted out. Then I can flesh out the plot outline, insert relevant dialogue as needed, to have the best possible approach when getting to the final outline phase. I’ve broken this down two different ways. The first is general overview. Plot A follows Character A’s journey where he or she must tackle some threat. Plot B follows Character D as they accomplish some ancillary goal that will pay off in a later book. The second method is a chapter by chapter breakdown. This is less involved than the final outline, more general whims of each movement, with added notes when I’m not sure if it fits correctly or if it could be staged in a different way.
- Book Links – This might my holy grail. Every important link, from sales pages to review sites for your book should be saved in a file; readily available to copy and paste wherever you need it. And you WILL need it!
What is your favorite organizational aid?
Email me at lou@loupaduano.com and let me know!
Thanks for reading.
