Getting your writing projects organised

If you’re like me, then the beginning of the year is when you think about all those projects you’ve got in various stage of completion or just in the ideas stage that are starting to get away from you. So to help you (and myself!) I thought I’d share some of the information I found about organising your writing.

1) Jot down your ideas when you have them

Keep a pen and notepad with you or use the voice memo or notes app on your smartphone to write down your idea as soon as you have it. There’s a great story about how Roald Dahl had an idea for a story while sitting in traffic. With nothing to write it down on, he jumped out of his car and wrote the word “chocolate” in the dust on his car window. The rest is history.

2) Make a list of everything you are working on. Everything.

In thinking about my own writing, I’ve got a book that’s in first draft form, a few chapters of another book that I haven’t looked at for a year, a family history project I’m working on, documents I’m transcribing for another project that may become a book eventually, social media content to think of, and this newsletter to write. Plus my brain is musing on a story idea I had while snorkelling a few weeks ago. And that’s the stuff I don’t get paid for!

3) Organise your digital files into folders

The days of saving everything in a folder on your hard drive called “Writing” are over. Once you’ve got your writing list sorted out, start organising your digital documents into folders of the same name. This helps keep everything related to your writing project in one place and acts as a prompt of its existence.

4) If you’re writing a book, there’s software that can help you keep track of plot points and ideas

You can write a book in Microsoft Word but there’s software available specifically for writers that helps them keep track of research, notes and ideas: Scrivener (comes recommended by my friend “if you’re a planner”), Living Writer, Storyist and Final Draft. This blog post has more on these.

More resources on helping you get organised:

The Zen of More Organized Writing: 5 Steps You Can Take Today

How to organise your writing (Good Story Company)

How I organise my writing ideas (September Fawkes)

Keeping organised as a writer (using Word)