Organizing Tips for Authors

Heather Weidner has been kind enough to share writing tips with us this week. Thanks, Heather!

As a writer, I have way more ideas for stories and characters than I can use
at any one time. I used to jot them down on paper or sticky notes. I’d clip
articles out of newspapers and magazines, so I had folders of ideas. But it
became unruly quickly. Here’s how I keep it all organized and usable.

Electronic Links and
Pictures: If it’s a picture, web page, or blog post, I have
Pinterest boards to organize ideas. For example, I was researching vintage
trailers and tiny houses for a WIP, so I built a Pinterest board to keep my information
in one place.

Single Spreadsheet: I finally created a single spreadsheet for all of the hundreds of sticky notes that were cluttering up my life. I created a column to tag each idea (e.g.
character name, dialogue sample, story idea, etc.). That allows me to sort by
the category when I’m looking for something specific. I also add notes if I’ve
used the idea. I may still jot things on sticky notes or paper, but they now
get transferred to the spreadsheet.

Web Favorites: If you mark favorites in your browser for websites, you may want to export it from time to time to ensure that you have a backup in case of a crash or device
failure. (In Internet Explorer, locate your “Add to Favorites” button. Click
the down arrow and select Import and Export. Follow the
screens to export your favorites to a file.)

Character and Place Name
Table: I also build a Word table for each series I write. Each
book gets a column. I put basic information about each character and location.
I track which books these appear in. When I’m done, I sort my list
alphabetically, so I can make sure that I’m not reusing names or naming
characters with similar names. This helps me keep the character details
consistent in each book.

Heather is a fabulous author and an even better friend! Here are some links to get to know her better. She’s the author of Heather is a fabulous author and an even better friend! Here are some links to get to know her better. She’s the author of the Jules Keene Glamping
series, Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries and the Delanie Fitzgerald
Mysteries.

https://www.heatherweidner.com/https://bookshop.org/shop/heatherweidner