How To: Organize your thoughts when writing

Putting Those Thoughts on Paper

         The most daunting task of a writer is trying to put those amazing thoughts in your head down on paper. Ideas and character descriptions come to mind all of the time, but the big question is; What do you do with them? Everyone has a technique that works best for them, but taking into account what works for others might help you. I wanted to share with you some of the ways in which I have improved my organization methods over the years. When writing a novel organization is key, but it can also seem boring in comparison to the thrill of writing. 

1. Stop telling yourself you'll do it later.

         If you are like me, then you know what I mean. Writing the book seems to come naturally and may even seem fun, but planning for the book may seem like homework. For the longest time I always told myself that I could avoid the planning portion of writing. This small little task just seemed unnecessary when I first started the book, but the more that I wrote the more I began to realize how much I needed it. When I started my most recent book, I wasn't exactly sure how I wanted everything to go, and I still don't. That, however, is no excuse to not plan. The key is getting yourself to do it. If you have no clue how to plan, that is okay, just write something. That first step is going to give you the motivation that you need.

2. Write it & Type it

         This may seem excessive and unnecessary, but you can utilize both for different things. I use both a document on my computer as well as a small spiral notebook. The notebook is a great thing to have sitting on the table next to me for easy reference without having to switch tabs to find the information I need. I wrote exactly how I split up this notebook in part three. On my computer I type up just little notes that come to me when I am somewhere that I don't have access to my notebook. Nobody wants to be carrying around a spiral notebook everywhere that they go. That is why it is good to have a document on something like Google Drive. You can access this on any device that has internet. This includes your phone. 

3. Categorize 
        I wrote out a list of the six ways that I organize my notebook. Each section is important for its own reasons, and I refer to all of them for my writing. I only included a brief statement about each one, as I will have another blog post where I go more in depth in each category. Leave a comment and let me know what category is most important to you. 

        1. Characters: This is the first section of my journal. I write down the name of every character and a list of traits about them. 

        2. Unanswered Questions: Sometimes when we write, we like to leave our audience guessing. Things like; What is on the second floor of her house? Why did she act so upset after school yesterday? There are a number of things that we, as authors like to save for later, but let's be honest, you will never remember all of them. This is why every time that one comes up, even a small one you should write it down to come back to later. This can also help you beat writer's block. When you feel as if you have nothing to write about, just look back at those questions you still need to include.

        3. Ideas: This category is something that not everyone may want to include. I use it because I constantly have ideas coming and going as I write. It is important to realize that not all of them will be used, but they are there for inspiration. My ideas page contains things from what my conflict should be, to a moment that would be cool to include. The best thing about this page is that it is entirely up to you how you want to use it. 

        4. Things that need work / more explanation: Everyone has a different way that they like to write their stories. I prefer to write an entire scene all at one time and then go back and edit later, as in days later. This helps me spot new things. Typically after I write a chapter, I think it sounds like the greatest thing ever and I am more than proud of it, so it would not be the best time to edit. This is where this section of my notebook comes in handy. Anytime that I read something and feel as if it could be better or doesn't make sense, I will just jot down a quick note about in my journal. 

        5. Notes / things to remember: This section kind of goes hand in hand with my characters section. It's where I write down important things that you tend to forget as the story goes on. When it comes to characters I write down things like hair color, but when we are looking at the story it may be a small detail. In my story I have my main character staying in room 206. I wrote this in my journal so that anytime I write about her room, I won't have to go searching through my story. 

        6. Plot: This one is a little hard. For me, I don't really have a finished plot yet. I also don't like to write down things like exposition, rising action, conflict, and so on, as this tends to make it harder for me to develop ideas. Often times when I limit myself like this I don't write. This means that for me, this section of my notebook is more of a plot suggestions page. For you, it might be used as a map of your story, something that helps you stay on track. It's really up to you how you want to organize it, or if you even want to include it. 

4. Order doesn't matter
         Do our thoughts come out of our heads in chronological order? No, so why should your writing be done any differently. When I first started writing, any idea that I had that didn't fit with what I was writing right then, was just pushed off for later. Usually, this meant that it was never used at all. That is when I realized that I needed to stop giving up on good ideas and just write them. No one said that you ever had to include them in your story. Writing it down will just help you clear the thoughts going through your mind, so you can focus on what you are writing here and now. I created a separate folder in my Google Drive where I include my "mini moments", or small little stories that happen later on in my story. I found that writing these little snip its help me develop my characters, understand setting, and have even helped me to discover new depths to my story. Also, it helps that you are writing about something new and exciting. Often times when you write in order your mind gets bored, causing writer's block. Now, if you are skipping around and writing scenes about your favorite characters, or in your favorite places, you are still developing your story, just in a different way. 

Please leave comments below on your favorite way to organize your thoughts. Let me know if you try any of my suggestions!

xoxo,
aalwritteen