[stylist] Organizing Content

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

I write when I have time, which isn't often these days. I have a folder
just for material I write on my laptop. Within this folder, I have
multiple folders for various genres. Example, nonfiction, fiction,
speeches, academic, etc. Then, within these sub-folders, I have more
sub-folders labeled like current projects, future ideas, or the name of
a specific thing I'm working on.

Each document is labeled with its title. If a chapter idea for a longer
manuscript, it's labeled with chapter number and title of story.

I back everything up on a flashdrive as well as a hard drive device. I
keep intending to have hard-copies to file for finished pieces, but I
need to get a new printer.

As long as I don't put pen to paper, so to speak, ideas usually stay in
my head. And I prefer to let ideas simmer in my head before actually
writing. Most writers write ideas out immediately, or as soon as they
can. I do not. I like to do some kind of task, like cleaning, that
doesn't require a lot of thinking, so I can think through story ideas. I
like to envision stories and plots and characters and specific scenes
before writing.

Most writers also view writing as their daily job, waking at the same
time each day, writing for a certain amount of time, breaking then
writing more. This is not my style, even if not a mommy of young kids,
but the mommy thing does take most my time right now. I write when I
can, and not being a morning person, I definitely don't wake early to
write.

I also like to write something and put it away for a time. I come back
to it later and read it through. If I still like it, I continue, but if
it's no longer speaking to me, I either scrap it or start rethinking it.

Really the only thing I would change would be giving me more time to
write. I literally have ideas everyday. Some more fully-realized than
others. As the kids get older, it affords me more time to write, but at
14 months and 4 years, they still require quite a bit of attention and
supervision, smile.

Bridgit


-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Homme,
James
Sent: Thursday, October 24, 2013 10:37 AM
To: Writer's Division Mailing List (stylist at nfbnet.org)
Subject: [stylist] Organizing Content


Hi,
If you have a method you use to organize what you write, what is it? How
well does it work for you? How would you like to improve it?

Thanks.

Jim



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