Tag: Organizational tools

List Making Can Make a Writer’s Life Easier

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment
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I’m a notorious list maker. I create lists for all sorts of things from basic to-do lists for work and grocery lists to the books I plan to read from my TBR shelf and events I want to attend. I’ve also kept lists for not-so-obvious things, like foods I want to try (every try dragonfruit?) and music I want to eventually download. Anyone who saw my lists would either think I’m incredibly organized or hopelessly scatterbrained!

But I’ve found over the years that lists can be a useful tool not just in your personal life but in your professional life. As writers, it’s important to keep track of all sorts of details for our work and list making is one way to keep it all organized so the information is accessible.  

For writing purposes, lists can help you perform the following tasks:

  • Brainstorm story or plot points
  • Create characters with roughly drawn traits and possible names
  • Draft scenes for a story before you begin writing
  • Jot down blog post ideas
  • Track ideas for website content
  • Jot down article ideas to pitch to an editor
  • Track potential clients to contact for assignments
  • Track subject matter experts to interview for a story you plan to write
  • Prioritize errands and chores you want to finish in a week
  • Keep track of small tasks needed to complete a larger project.

Lists have made my life easier in many ways. Jotting down story ideas as soon as I think of them helps to get them out of my head so they don’t become a distraction and get in the way of what I need to do. Keeping lists also helps me stay focused on the most essential tasks I need to work on, and it helps me prioritize the tasks that are most important. This process works whether the list is a home to-do list or a work task list.

But there are downsides too. Looking at a lengthy list can make you feel overwhelmed. Even looking at my list of books that I want to read can feel overwhelming. I often think there’s no way I will ever finish them all, especially when I keep adding to the TBR shelf.

Fortunately, there are strategies for dealing with feelings of overwhelm.

  1. Tackle one task at a time. Rome wasn’t built in a day, so neither should you feel you have to tackle the entire list in one afternoon. One step at a time will get you where you need to go.
  2. Review your list often, if not every day. Prioritize and highlight the three most important items on the list. Then focus on completing the most important items first. If you get to the fourth or fifth task, that’s a bonus.
  3. Remember that you shouldn’t be at the mercy of your lists. The most effective list is one that serves you, not put obstacles in your path.
  4. Find a tool that works best for you, whether that’s an old school notebook or an app on your phone. PC Magazine has a nifty list of apps for creating and tracking your tasks.
  5. Keep lists separate for work and home, so your shopping list doesn’t end up with your work tasks. Review your lists and revise every day.
  6. Write down ideas and tasks as soon as you think of them so you don’t forget them.

    Remember that lists are meant as a guide for your work life, not a set of rules etched in stone. Be flexible and shift priorities as deadlines and needs change. When you get to the bottom of your list, congratulations. Imagine how good it will feel when you cross that last item off your list.

Not everyone is a big fan of lists, but give them a try. In time, you may find that they can be one of the most helpful tools you’ll ever need.

Do you use lists? What kind of lists do you use? Does it make you feel more organized or more stressed?

Idea-Generating Tools for the Not-So-Organized

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment

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Ever have those moments when you’ve come up with what you believe is a brilliant idea and forget to write it down? What happens to your idea then? More than likely, it fades into oblivion, never to be implemented for your personal or professional purpose.

Whether you’re a creative professional or are someone who simply is involved in many projects, you may need a system for keeping track of all your ideas and projects. I’m a bit old school, so for me, keeping notebooks for each story or project idea is the simplest, easiest solution for this purpose. There may be other systems or platforms available on the Internet, but I prefer handwritten tools so I can write things down as I think of them.

At times, I wish I had a pensieve like Professor Dumbledore used in the Harry Potter series. With a tap of his wand at his temple, he could extract a memory and save it in the pensieve to review later. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a similar container for all our ideas so they didn’t clutter our brains?

At the moment I have about four different notebooks for four different purposes. This helps me to keep one idea or task related to one project separated from the others. When you have so many ideas coming at you at one time, this process helps to organize them so they are easy to access later when you may need them.

Here are a few ideas for organizing your ideas for creative and business projects.

Writing Logs: 

Personal journal – For most people, the journal is where they recap their personal experiences and insights about work, relationships, and the struggles of daily life.

Poetry – Write poetry? Keep drafts of your poetry in a file or notebook to separate it from other types of writing that you do.

Writing Notes – Notes from webinars, lists of books to read (not necessarily about the topic of writing but stuff you want to read), writing tips from other writers, and lists of unfamiliar words to look up. Also keep ideas and bullet point for short stories, essays and other types of writing you may be doing.

Blogging log – If you manage your own blog, keep a notebook of ideas for potential postings. Include any research related to these story ideas, blogging tools and resources to help you be more productive, blogging apps that might aid your blog, and advice and tips from other professional bloggers.

Personal Development: 

Dream log – Ever have a dream and wonder what it means? The next time you remember having a dream, write it down in a journal to keep it separate from any writing journal you keep. Either use a dream dictionary or an online dream interpretation tool to look up potential meanings and jot them down next to your dream.

Inspiration log: Collect items that inspire you, such as photos, positive and uplifting news stories that you read in the paper or on the Internet, and motivational quotes.

Health/fitness log: On a diet or trying to make a lifestyle change, like quitting smoking? Use a log to monitor the foods you eat, your workouts, vitamins, water intake, etc. It might be helpful to record your thought processes as you change your health and fitness regimen.

Home improvement/buying or selling a home – Whether you are planning on selling your home or simply renovating it for your own enjoyment, it may be a good idea to track home improvements. In particular, note what type of work was done and when, and the name and contact information for contractors, real estate agents, lenders and other professionals. This type of log may be especially helpful if you are doing a series of renovations before selling the home, so you can refer to your notes when buyers have questions about the home.

Business Related: 

Job search – If you’re looking for a new job or changing careers, a career log or job search log can help you  stay on top of your progress. Keep track of all your network contacts, and write down names of people who you meet. Keep track of the businesses you approach for jobs, including when you sent your resume to them and what kind of response, if any, that you received.

Business startup – Got an idea for a new business start-up? Jot down everything you want to do to get your new business venture off the ground, including products, potential competition, potential clients, tasks to accomplish, forms to complete and deadlines.

Legal/Lawsuit: If you ever get involved in a legal issue, keep a log to recall incidents related to your case, record conversations with your attorney and list any tasks you need to accomplish.

Medical log – If you’ve ever had an injury or illness and needed medical care, keeping a medical log can help your sort through the details of your medical care. Keep track of everything, from the names and contact information of medical doctors and hospitals involved, dates and results of medical tests, conversations with medical team, and any drugs that were prescribed.

These are just a few examples of idea-tracking logs, whether it’s to keep track of your writing projects or your personal activities. You don’t have to do them all. Focus on the ones where you get the most ideas so you won’t feel so overwhelmed as you progress. It may seem overwhelming to have a log for every little segment of your life, but I find it helpful to separate – and in some cases, compartmentalize – all of life’s projects so they don’t feel so overwhelming.

Experiment with one or two types of logs, perhaps a dream log and a poetry log, or a business start-up log and and one for blog post ideas, so you can develop ideas for your business blog. Find what works for you. If written notebooks aren’t your style, check the Internet for other possible platforms.

Whichever format you use, you’ll find that keeping multiple log books helps clear your brain so you can focus on the activities in front of you.