How Do You Organize The Folders On Your Desktop?

The only folder I keep on my desktop is for My Documents. All of my files are arranged in there. Everything else on my desktop is shortcuts to various other applications (internet, music player, etc...).

In My Documents, I have things broken down with a separate folder for each WIP, series, or new idea. Within those folders are documents, photos, research links, and stuff.

Ken, for me, what your doing sits inside two other folders:

Stories told

Stories to be told

Other than that, I'm right there with you.

And I have two back ups of the whole thing, just in case. One to a jump drive, another to a computer "off-site".

And I usually have the story I'm currently working on, on a separate jumpdrive, in my pocket, so I can get to it when something suddenly resolves itself in the empty space in my head.

I don't like having anything cluttering up my desktop, so I've removed as many icons as possible from it.

I have a folder named "@@Writing" on the HDD, so it's always listed on the top if I need to open it. Otherwise, I just access the files via the Start-->Documents option or via the file list in Word. Everything's backed up to some degree on a thumb drive and when the book is finished, it's burned onto a CD for archival purposes and removed from the computer.

But, then, I just have the chapter files and an Excel spreadsheet to track submissions, so I don't use a lot of space per MIP.

I have a folder for Writing in Documents. There are sub-folders for the types of writing I do (Short Stories, Children's Stories, Plays, Screenplays, etc.).

If what I'm working on is a significant piece, I then generally give it it's own folder within the category sub-folder. I do this because I might want to cut a large chunk of something out, but I don't want to delete it forever just yet, so I can to a "save as" to create a holder file and then go back and rip whatever I need to out of the main file. If I later want to put back what I deleted, I can find it easier if the story has its own folder. I also sometimes do a simplified outline for a story, so having a separate folder is a good place to put that as well.

I keep it simple. I have a folder for each project and then the following subfolders:

• _ In Process (that's whatever chapter I'm currently working on) and a Done subfolder under that one. Chapters are saved into individual files.
• Administrative (i.e., queries)
• Notes (i.e., outline, list of places, ideas etc.)
• Research (though I'm not using this much and make take it out; the research gets printed and put into a file folder for the individual chapter rather than saved on the computer)
• X Archives (Backups, old material that I'm no longer using, related workshop material)

Every file is also named exactly the same way: Name_Date Year. So, Chapter 01_Dec 2008; Ideas_Nov 2008; Outline_Nov 18 2008.

I date everything. That way, I can make a periodic pass through the folders, and if there's anything I haven't touched for a while, I'll slide it into the archives. I even date the printed copy. I went through my old story files last year and found many versions of the same story stored, so I had no idea which was which. With it dated, I know what I need to get rid of!

Everything is backed up daily with an online backup service (mozy.com for those interested--free for the first two gig) and also to flash drive.

I don't like having anything cluttering up my desktop, so I've removed as many icons as possible from it.

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Me, too!

I have a 'Writing Projects' folder in My Documents.

Within that, I have a named folder for each WIP.

Within those, I have a word.doc for each chapter, a word document with every chapter cobbled together in manuscript format, a word.doc of the entire novel so far labelled 'print copy' - small font, single spaced, uses less paper when printing...and an excel file detailing each chapter, progressive word count and a pie chart displaying percentage still to be written.

Sometimes I have a 'notes' file as well, if I think of conversations, one-liners or other things I want to put in the book as well.

In "My Documents" I have a folder called "Scribblings". In that, I have a folder for each of my WIPs and one called "Short stories." In the folder for each WIP I keep a single file for the whole story, a synopsis, a file for misc notes, and all the personalized queries for that WIP (each titled "Query Letter_The_Agency."

Seems to work for me.

No offense intended, but use all of that time and energy to fill up one or more of those folders. Everything doesn't have to be perfectly organized to write. Just put your files where they are easy to get to and get back to writing.

I knew you were gonna say that, Fizzy!

I've been wasting too much time fannying about (an old Scottish saying) with the organisation of files instead of the completion thereof.

Don't stop nagging us!

My Operating System failed twice before. So I don't keep valuable stuff on my C drive (That includes My Documents which is stored on C by default). I keep everything in drive E so that if the OS fails yet again (highly unlikely) then I can just format the C and keep my documents safe.

I've got around 6 folders for one WIP. It helps when I need to find something. I split the main MS into various word files too, because it loads quicker that way (once you get several thousand words in) and also because I dislike scrolling down forever to the end of the MS to resume your work.

Darzian said:

I split the main MS into various word files too, because it loads quicker that way (once you get several thousand words in) and also because I dislike scrolling down forever to the end of the MS to resume your work.

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CTRL + END keys

No scrolling involved at all.

Darzian, in Word, if you hit CTRL + End, it takes you to the end of a document. No more scrolling.

ETA, Delayan and I posted at the same time. cool.

*smacks self*

omg, I've been driving myself insane unnecessarily! Thanks nevada, DelayanLee.

I just put my work in progress on the desktop. Everything else goes in my documents folder. I am too lazy to organize further.

I have two folders. One called "Blog" and one called "Writing". These are inside another folder called "Jake's Fun House of BS" which sits on my desktop.

Ken said:

I do this, too. To really save paper (and ever so costly ink!) I also lighten up all the text, and illustrations, by several shades. This makes editing by hand easier, too, and the notes I jot easier to read.

"Administrative (i.e., queries)" I usually label mine "Marketing It," Linda.
"Administrative" sounds better, though. Think I'll switch to that.

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Ah yes - 'economy' ink levels on the printer. Good idea.

As Vista refuses to show me my ink levels, though (I had to download some software to show me what %age of ink I have left), I'll just have to hope it shows me the other printer properties and allows me to change them.

Ken said:

...thanks for the valuable perspective ;-)

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Don't try to soften your disdain with cheap smilies. Your comments are always welcome as intended.




Flagstaff?

No chance!

I love my 6-year-old Epson. I reset the counters and it's still going strong even though two computers have gone the way of all flesh since I acquired it in '02. Or was it '03?