Today, I’ll be sharing how I organize notes for my WIPs (Works in Progress).
I’ve never been one of those writers who can create a full outline, and stick to it from beginning to end. A lot of times this is because I get distracted while I’m writing. If not a real, physical distraction, than a distraction in the form of a new idea for my WIP, a new idea for a different story, or an epiphany about something in my WIP that needs to be fixed.
That’s where the Story Notebook comes in.
Story Notebook
When drafting my novels, I use both an outline and a story notebook. The outline ensures my novel covers all the plot points, but the story notebook helps me keep track of things like character traits and other ideas that might come to me while writing.
Think of a beautiful setting that would be perfect for that scene in chapter nine? Take a moment to describe it in your Story Notebook.
Remember something you need to add to chapter one? Make a note about it and then go back to fix it at the end of the night.
I use a simple spiral notebook and turn it into a scribbly mess with my thoughts and revised outlines as I write every day. Personally, I keep my notebooks as simple and messy as possible. It’s a place to store all my great story ideas the moment they come to me before I get distracted or let the ideas get diluted. I write them down and then look at them later after I’m out of the writing haze and have fresh eyes.
At night, I work on my Nightly Notes, which is where I organize the jumble into a simple, non-committal outline that reminds me of my big ideas but allows me to think about my scenes and chapters in small chunks at a time.
Note-Taking
From Mark Twain to John Steinbeck to Sylvia Plath, many famous writers have kept Story Notebooks, diaries, or journals.
The secret of the Story Notebook is that there’s really no secret. It’s pure and simple note-taking that you stop and do in the middle of writing. Much like a brainstorming session where you sit and write down everything you can think of about a subject, only instead you are writing down ideas throughout the day. I don’t organize my ideas or even separate my notes into categories until I’ve completely finished writing for the evening. I simply jot down any ideas I have for scene changes, improved plot lines, or anything else I think of and then hurry back to writing! Starting every day knowing exactly what you want to add, change, or fix makes avoiding dry spells and writer’s block so much easier!
Your story notebook shouldn’t just sit beside your computer, either. Be sure to carry one with you wherever you go, so that you are always ready when inspiration strikes. That’s where digital Story Notebooks come in.
Digital Story Notebooks
I love the simplicity of a notebook and a pen, but if you are tech-dependent, there are a lot of programs and apps you can use as well. I keep the Novelist app on my phone to organize my ideas on the go. If you search for “Story Planner” in the app store will find a ton of apps made to help writers organize everything from plot to character traits and settings, but your phone’s note-taking feature also works in a pinch.
Story Notebooks don’t just have to be for notes. Use one to chronical your story’s progress, outline the idea for your next book, or find some writing prompts online and use your notebook as a daily writing journal.
Looking for more writing tips? Check out How I Write 100,000 Words a Month!
This post has been updated and edited by Catt Editing
Check her out at www.CattEditing.com or over on Facebook .