How Do You Keep things Organized?

AlishaS · Nov 6, 2009

I have a folder with my current work in it, which still remains untitled. I have the working draft as I am not quite finished. I also have my outline/breakdown of characters. But I have recently started sending off a few chapters at a time to a beta which I have saved as a seperate file gotten back and saved as yet another file..

Basically my folder is filled with documents that are piling up and need some organizing tips. I have stuff backed up on a seperate drive and although I think I should have a hard copy aswell I don't have a working printer at the moment

How does everyone else stay organized?

scarletpeaches · Nov 6, 2009

In 'My Documents' I have a 'Novels' folder.

Within 'Novels', each of my books has its own folder.

Some of those have a first draft, an edited version labelled 'manuscript', a one-page synopsis, a two-page synopsis, a cover sheet, a query letter and a 'submission package', which is the first three chapters with a synopsis added on to the end.

Other works-in-progress have their own folders within which are each individual chapter in a separate word doc, and a 'master file' where they're all added together. And an excel file, if it's an outlined project.

Shadow_Ferret · Nov 6, 2009

Similar to Peaches.

My Documents --> Fiction --> Novels --> Name of Specific Novel --> folders for first drafts, queries, and miscellaneous work.

willietheshakes · Nov 6, 2009

I don't.

JuliaRene · Nov 6, 2009

Roughly the same as above posts. Every WIP has its own folder and everything in a separate file with a naming convention I understand. Example: Title_Synopsis or Title_Draft3. I make a new folder for submissions too.

When I send work out to beta, I save a copy of the file with their name. If I change some things I can look at their comments compared to the version I sent.

Also I make shortcuts on the dock to files I open / work on most. Right now it's draft3, a scene list and a file I got back from beta.

scarletpeaches · Nov 6, 2009

willietheshakes said:
I don't.

Well then clearly you fail and you'll never be publish-

Oh.

Wait...

angeliz2k · Nov 6, 2009

willietheshakes said:
I don't.

Took the words right out of my mouth.

I must have at least fifteen to twenty files on my current WIP. They're saved under many different file names, and unfortunately they're spread across three computers and two storage devices. It's a total mess and I don't think I'll ever be able to fix it. I've been moving around a lot over the past few years, and in the process my work has been spread around. Plus, the story has gone through at least six very different versions...

But I know the name of the file I'm curently working on and where to find it--on my desktop and my flash drive.

DeleyanLee · Nov 6, 2009

Within the folder with the title of the MIP, I have the following folders:

Previous Versions (obvious contents)
Research (obvious contents)
Submission (query letters, synopses, final drafts, partials)
Assorted Shit (hopefully obvious contents)

I also keep a copy of the MIP itself and a spreadsheet that has a tab for the word count (I like keep track of the page-count word count vs the actual word-count for amusement value) which also tracks what date I got a chapter done at (I'm a very SLOW writer), a tab for my cast list and a tab for my submission record.

Since I don't outline or do character sheets/studies, I don't need anywhere to keep them.

Anything more than that, I haven't found that I need to keep.

Claudia Gray · Nov 6, 2009

I have a starter concepts folder where rough ideas/maybe stories go. Once I'm sure I'm going to work on them, each concept gets its own folder under its working title or perhaps simply a descriptive term, like for instance "Roman Historical Drama." I then create a rough concepts document in that, for brainstorming; as many outlines as needed to get my final draft, which is always ultimately titled "___ Working Outline." Then I create separate documents for each chapter, and when every chapter is done, I put it in a document called "____ First Draft." When I am doing major overhaul revisions to a separate chapter, I work in the smaller files and repaste that chapter into the whole.

When I have my first draft, each rewrite gets titled with the number of that draft, until I finally get to "_____ Submitted Draft." Then it goes to my editor. When I have finally finished with her revisions, at long last there is "____ Final Draft."

I have separate folders for my freelance work and my fanfic.

Linda Adams · Nov 6, 2009

I try to keep my organization as simple as possible. I've watched people at work try to find files, and their system is often so complicated that they have trouble finding the files.

I start with the names of the files, and I always, always name them the same way. When I first started cleaning up folders, I discovered files named Doc1, which meant absolutely nothing. Looked at it and realized that I had needed the file and been unable to find it. So I name them with the date and then the subject: 2009-11-06_ProjectTitle4 (the number is the draft number).

Each draft is saved in its own folder. Since I resave the file for a backup every day, I dump the backups in the draft's backup folder. Still accessible if I need it, but not cluttering the work folder.

I keep an information sheet in the novel's main folder--that's got names of characters, names of places, etc. Runs about 4-5 pages.

Research notes and story notes are in two spiral bound notebooks, and they are for all projects, not just the current one. I have found topics for the other projects while researching the existing one. I just record the date and subject at the top, then add it to the index in the back.

HConn · Nov 6, 2009

I try to have two files: the book and a "goof"--basically, a document filled with any goofy (or non-goofy) idea for the story.

Charles Stross uses a program called Tiddly-wiki, to keep track of things within the book. I'm tempted to try it out.

MGraybosch · Nov 6, 2009

I'm on a Mac, so I use Scrivener. Scrivener project files let me dump everything related to a given WIP into one file, so I can have drafts, scenes, notes, and even photos showing clothing my characters might wear all in one file and at my fingertips.

Also, Macs have Spotlight, so I can just hit CMD+Space, type in part of a filename, and Spotlight will give me a bunch of possible matches to choose from.

Kitty27 · Nov 6, 2009

I've gotten to be obsessive about this sort of thing.

Novels get their own folder,along with a query letter and synopsis.

Manga and Graphic novels are separate.

Ideas,crazed thoughts about killer roaches and deranged sewer dwellers go in my"Kitty's Deranged Mind" folder. I also have a folder called scenes. Sometimes a scene will come to my mind and it really doesn't fit in my WIPs. So I tuck it away because I know it will fit somewhere.

CocoCat · Nov 6, 2009

I have a WIP folder. Inside that I have folders for two current WIPs and a load of scraps (ideas/beginnings/scenes out the blue) in lose documents. One you get into the folder for my main WIP it's complete and utter chaos. There are old drafts, old revisions, research, borrowed bits that I didn't reference properly so I don't know what I wrote and what I didn't, old scraps, tables, agent lists, everything. I've started yet another folder in there to have another attempt at digging upwards but I've seen where that got me before. My paper draftwork is even worse. I have a bag under my desk with a good fifteen exercise books full of notes. I think I will go over them soon, too.

I once asked Susan Hill for advice, she said she makes sure she restricts herself to one notebook and one document, then keeps a copy of anything else, making sure it's properly filed and labels. She makes it sound easy.

Wayne K · Nov 6, 2009

I have crap all over the place in three different e-mail boxes, cd's and memory thingys.

No, I'm hopeless like that. I don't either.

Rhoda Nightingale · Nov 6, 2009

Does it count as "organized" if I know exactly where all my work is at any given time, even if anyone else looking at it would just see a pile of incomprehensible mess?

Tristhan · Nov 6, 2009

What is this organization of which you speak?

Actually I have a working writing journal that I keep open while I'm messing with my WIP. It helps me when I get stuck.

Of course there in the WIP that is full of red text (that means come back and fix this crap.)

I have a physical notepad that I work out characters as well as diagramming scenes. It stays open next to my keyboard.

I have my bad ass leather journal my pop gave me for christmas for brief story ideas, random quotes, and all that junk that doesn't fit anywhere else.

MGraybosch · Nov 6, 2009

Rhoda Nightingale said:
Does it count as "organized" if I know exactly where all my work is at any given time, even if anyone else looking at it would just see a pile of incomprehensible mess?

Works for me.

Rhys Cordelle · Nov 6, 2009

Oooh I want a badass leather journal

I have a notepad I jot ideas into that then gets transferred into my "Musings" word document. All documents, spreadsheets and research website links relevant to my WIP all get lumped into a folder in My Documents. It's not very well organised, but at least it's all in one location.

archerjoe · Nov 7, 2009

I've been using One Note for organization. I use a tab for character bios, one for scenes and one for miscellaneous notes and questions. Each character has a separate page with my character template (physical characteristics, motivations, etc.), picture, relationship info with other characters, etc.

Rhys Cordelle · Nov 7, 2009

One Note?

scarletpeaches · Nov 7, 2009

It's part of the MS Office software. Part of the 'Home & Student' package.

Hold on, I'll find a link...

scarletpeaches · Nov 7, 2009

Here.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/onenote/default.aspx?ofcresset=1

Libbie · Nov 7, 2009

My folders look like this:

Book Title. Inside that one, a separate folder for research info. Another for notes on the plot. Another for the outline and synopsis. Another for the chapters. In the Chapters folder, each chapter is written as an individual document, and when I feel they're ready to go, I paste each chapter into a document called [whatever the working title of the book may be.] That's my draft, and I keep the draft in the main "Book Title" folder so it's easy to get to.

As I send chapters off to beta readers, I keep their comments in a "beta" folder within Book Title as well.

Works for me.

J. Koyanagi · Nov 7, 2009

I have a couple of notebooks for handwritten notes, but mostly I use Microsoft OneNote. Each WIP has a different notebook, with separate sections for outlining, character development, chapters, etc.

How Do You Keep things Organized?

AlishaS

Is swimming with creativity frogs

scarletpeaches

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

willietheshakes

Gentleman. Scholar. Bastard.

JuliaRene

scarletpeaches

angeliz2k

never mind the shorty

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

Claudia Gray

Linda Adams

Soldier, Storyteller

HConn

Whore for genre

MGraybosch

Lunch Break Novelist

Kitty27

So Goth That I Was Born Black

CocoCat

Wayne K

Rhoda Nightingale

Vampire Junkie

Tristhan

MGraybosch

Lunch Break Novelist

Rhys Cordelle

archerjoe

Rhys Cordelle

scarletpeaches

scarletpeaches

Libbie

Worst song played on ugliest guitar

J. Koyanagi

Cyborg