If you Were Writing a Book, How Would you Organize Hundreds of Notes you Had Jotted Down?

[Paris13]

Updates

5 mo

Thanks to ALL who Put in Their own INPUT. Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone in The USA!!! xxoo

[Leapfrog00]

I have a system I use for my novels. I create profiles for my characters (Likes, dislikes, favorite foods, favorite color, date of birth, details like this). Then I write down the chapter and the events that take place in that chapter, and plots, subplots, and even some details that aren't essential but help the story along, like a Magoffin.

Next, I create little stories for the characters, like for example, my Gothic character in my novel series, Destination Fear, I wrote down a story idea in my notebook about Violet once writing a love letter to a guy she had a crush on when she was in High School, but he turned her down, making fun of her for dressing goth. This backstory wasn't essential to the plot, but it tells the reader more about the character, so it makes more sense why that character has issues. In this case, Violet has a shyness problem with the opposite sex because of this one event.

and finally, I connect all the dots. I start writing the chapter, I add the character's in, a story about what is currently happening, and what the characters are currently up to, and any backstories if they apply. Writing character profiles helps you get closer to your characters, and get a better understanding of who they are. I've written four books in my Destination Fear series so far. (Getting the nerve to publish is the real challenge!)

I recommend every writer carry around a notebook with them to write down ideas when they come. I'm sure most writers have realized this, but the best ideas always come when you're not writing or sitting in front of the laptop!

[Paris13]

I Agree and Have That. Just scrambled with Act2 in the Dialogue but will Sort it out in What Situation. Yes, My Writer!!! xx

[FunkyMonkee]

It depends on the kind of book it is. I'm writing a few reference books about records so, I'd just keep everything in release date order.
In another one I'm planning to write, I'm just gonna keep it in time order.

[Paris13]

My Dialogue is All over the Place in My Act1 Play. lol Nearly Done After That. Good Luck with All your Endeavors!!! xxoo

[FunkyMonkee]

Tanks! Back at ya!

[Paris13]

Tanks, Sweets!! xx

[FunkyMonkee]

Sorry, my keyboard lisps. Sometimes it doesn't type H's and then, when I go to correct that by adding one, it gives me 2!!

[IslaTheWitch]

I write novels... My notes are in many different forms...

A4 pages with manually written notes (more mind maps) with ideas, flows and so on.

Google documents with finished novels, code snippets, translated parts (Polish is not so widely known language) and many others. I struggle with naming patterns for my documents.

I have an AI assistant, where we organise stuff like plot, timeline, side-stories and many unanswered questions I have to consider later.

So... it's a chaos :D

[Paris13]

Good Luck to You!!! xx

[Apulu_Imback]

I'm a passionate writer and please don't remind me of all the random Google documents and numerous diaries I have used to jot down random ideas and plots... writing surely isn't as easy as people think it is! We spend so many hours to complete it and we need so so much patience to get till the end.

[Paris13]

I Prefer Plays and Scenery asd Dialogue to Doin gNovels. Yes, Patience is a Virtue in Any writing. xx

[Apulu_Imback]

Damn that must be way worse than novel writing. Instead at a point I was so fed up with novel writing that I almost decided to become a mundane non fictional writer. And yeah, currently I'm working on a non fictional book which is a tribute to my late grandpa and late best friend and it holds important memories and stuff. I'll get into novel writing after publishing this book and another poetry book I am working on at the same time.

[Paris13]

Ahhh, Love Poetry and One of Mine is Upstate, NY, In the Cultural Performance Museum. I Wish You Good Luck!!! It Sounds Amazing!!! xxoo

[Apulu_Imback]

Thanks a lot! And thanks for the mhg.

[TheorionMage]

Most books either map chronological or topic-based Chapters. Organize you ideas and notes into folders for each chapter or character scenario. This allows you to re-order them as your book's theme evolves. Then go back and 'work' each folder into paragraphs and imagery your reader can identify with.

You're seeking to bring them along to identify with YOUR theme or position or WAY of thinking. You're seeking 'consensus' in this psychological 'journey'~

[Paris13]

Mine is My Second Play to be Published so Use Acts and this One, A Requiem. Loving the Dysfunctional Family Journey. xx

[Nifrayu]

In college I learned that not only am I bad at taking notes, but it's easier for me to absorb information if I don't bother. During lectures it was difficult for me to keep up. Do to me trying to write fast, my hand writing was difficult to read. And if I took my time to make it legible and detailed I would miss information regarding the next lecture point.

But taking notes for writing a book might be different. I could take them down at my own pace and with more detail. As for organizing, I would try to keep notes regarding certain key words together and use a note book with those key words establishing different sections of the notebook.

[Paris13]

I Have a Published Play Out Already and Nearly Done with Play Number2. But my Dialogue is Strewn for Act2 All Over. lol I have a habit of Scribbling Down Anything in Dialogue That Comes to Mind. xx

[thegreenyogi]

In my case, and I am someone who writes stories, I don't actually jot everything down. I just let the story unfold in my mind and I write the story and I listen to music while I do because that's how I channel the story, characters and their thoughts and dialogues.

[Paris13]

I Need Notes and It Worked Well on my First Published Play. God Going on Your Own part Though. xx

[thegreenyogi]

Thank you!! xx

[kitsachie]

I use an online note keeping app for all my notes, including notes I've made for story ideas.

I've never been good at organizing, I just do and things work out. The more I try to organize, the less I know where things are so I let my notes just be and I usually find them by using keywords in the search.

[Paris13]

Welcome to Gag and Best of Luck!! xx

[Anpu23]

Well, when I did write books I kept them in a loose leaf folder.

Now I write scripts and I use the following:

Scenes: a private pintrest board

Music: a Spotify mix

Plot/characters: I use Trilby that allows you to keep notes

[Paris13]

Beautiful!!! xx

[Nik1hil]

I usually..

Go around..

Make 8 -12 chapters..

Then give each chapters Subsections.. 4-5 ..

This way I have 40-60 section in total to write..

I write summary and key points

-How to link it to previous chapters - explain the stuff in this chapter - Link it to the next chapter..

Once they all done..

I write Epilogues , Acknowledge.. ATA etc.

Then Redefine the title depending on what the Book focuses on!..

It came out quite good.

[Paris13]

Great!!! No, Mine are Plays (have one Published Play out) and in Acts and this One is Also has a Requiem at the End. xx

[Massageman]

On index cards, just like I did in High school half a century ago when I wrote term papers.

Arguably- with a computer- I would create a file folder and create sub-folders about: characters (strengths, weaknesses), relationships (good, bad, past, current, familial etc.) , locations (needed facts if real locales, created background if faked, etc) , technicals (misc ideas that could come into play in specific areas of thought, legalities, mechanical technical info, etc.)

[Paris13]

Great!!! xx

[DizzyDesii]

Im the type who used to study the entire text book and have about 10 pages of notes in the end. I’d then spend the next day summarizing and would do this day to day until down to 1-3 pages. I’m an amazing notetaker

[Paris13]

I Love Taking notes Off the top of My Head and They do Tend to get Scrambled But I spend Time in Sorting. xx

[chrissykerdock]

often being spontaneous will not restrict you to something... i believe in an outline but there's too much of an outline... especially a play where you want the dialougue to be fresh or spontaneous

[Paris13]

lol My First One Made a Hit!!! xx

[chrissykerdock]

reallly? i wrote a play in college won the 2nd biggest award... the play itself went nowhere but i assume the way i went about it wasn't the way... i should've known you were a writer because all of your post seem well organized and thought out.

[nawtee_me]

When jotting down notes for my writing I try to put it into context when making the notes. That is when your thoughts are the freshest and you have an idea of when and where you want to apply it.
Ex. During the introduction of the character or just before he dies… A plot twist or to point out the real evil in the person.
So what are your notes?

[Paris13]

Dysfunctional Family, Naughty. Some Evil. lolxx

[nawtee_me]

Sounds like life…. lol. ;)

[nawtee_me]

@Paris13 do you use writing software like Celtic?

[NathanDavis]

organized chaos...

and a wall full of boards...

four walls, in fact...

[Paris13]

lol!!! Wow!!! Not That BAD. xx

[exitseven]

I would scan them and use an OCR program to convert them into text. Then I would organize them by a useful criteria such as subject or date created.

[Paris13]

Two Acts of My Play and then My Requiem. xx

[IslaTheWitch]

To be honest, I prefer to have written notes. On the piece of paper. I can see, read, and touch them. It's totally different experience

[exitseven]

@IslaTheWitch I don't like e books as much as paper books but I like to have typed up notes that i can copy and print.

[AviatorTom]

If they are all on post-it notes, stick them up on the wall in a pattern that makes sense to you, maybe characters together, situations in another, unresolved questions in another, etc.

[Paris13]

ON Computer Paper. lolxx

[AviatorTom]

@Paris13 I assume you have scissors and tape... 😉

[DJB72]

Start with the outline. That's the skeleton of the book. Add more details. Major points are the muscles and organs and smaller ones become the skin that holds it all together

[Paris13]

Ahhh, Yes, Master. xx

[MittParekh15]

Well, I would try to arrange the note in an organised manner like A-Z

Then take opinion of the people

[Paris13]

Welcome to Gag and Best of Luck. xx

[OlderAndWiser]

Assuming it is non-fiction, I would have a detailed outline for the book and group them under the subtopics to which they refer.

[Paris13]

Nearly Done with my Second Play, Sir, To be Published. On Act Two. xx

[Alex8736]

Just think of it as a DA building a case against the defendant getting all facts from the victim statements to witness testimony and all the physical evidence including DNA, and any other circumstantial evidence like putting a jigsaw puzzle together

[Paris13]

Dysfunctional Family as IT IS. lolxx

[bededazzle]

id organize them on a wall in my apartment and shift as needed

[Paris13]

Maybe on My Bed Too? lolxx

[Ms_Facesitter]

From the start. Group them under categories, for later!

[Paris13]

Great!!! xx

[Lionman95]

I would sort them by chapters. Like if I wrote a book I would have a plan on what to write in which chapter and that´s the way I´d sort my notes. Or in other words I would sort them by topic.