Okay, internets, help me out here.
I write. A lot. I have several universes in motion. I simply cannot focus on just one–it’s not how my brain goes.
I tried a note box. It’s worked some, but not as much as I need.
I own a file cabinet. I try to keep things filed.
I own tons of notebooks. I try to keep them separate. But then I’ll have three pages of Dream’verse notes and in the middle of a paragraph will be a quick aside about an event in Flame’verse.
I have a lot of freaking notes.
Is there a way that works for you?
Share please? Anything you got. Toss it out there.
Please?
Get Scrivener. It is AMAZING for keeping track of notes – it’s like a virtual filing cabinet.
Scrivener will allow you to create a .scriv file. It’s a word processor, and you can open as many new texts/pages *within* that .scriv file as you like, and they’re all saved to that file, and you can make folders and subfolders and stick in images and stuff and rename files easily and even make notecards with it.
Google it. It’s THE word processor I use. I don’t even use Word anymore because it’s so brilliant and organised. Want to write something in the Dream ‘Verse? Cool. Suddenly have an idea for worldbuilding in it? Split the screen keeping your fic in the top half, create a new page on the bottom half and write your notes there. Want to work on something else entirely? Create a new .scriv file! Want to upload a page (and I use that term loosely – it’s more like a mini file, can have a whole novel on one “page”) somewhere after? Export it to .rtf or .doc!
Sounds fantastic, but most of my notes aren’t on the computer. My muses love to come up with stuff when I can’t do anything about it!
I’m gonna check Scrivener out anyway, of course. They’ve got it for PC now. >_>
I just transcribe my physical notes and scan any pictures/floor plans/etc I might draw. Physical notes are far too easy to lose, and with virtual notes you can just back ’em up to kingdom come and you’re pretty much guaranteed not to lose ’em.
Dittoing Dusty on Scrivener. If transcribing physical notes is too much of a hassle, scan/take a digital picture and import it into Scrivener. Scrivener also lets you import a copy of web pages (for all that Internet research) and audio files (although I’ve yet to find a use for this; my writing playlists sits fine in my music programs. Oh, maybe some people use might want to own recorded notes?).
The PC version is nearing its final incarnation, and it might not be a near Mac-clone (which is fine, ’cause some Mac behaviors just don’t make sense in Windows), but it’s shaping up into something really, really awesome.
I suggest you watch the video to get the quickest overview of what Win Scrivener can do–and then play on your own. The best thing about Scrivener is that it’s just a collection of some really flexible tools in one place, but you can easily ignore what doesn’t work for you, only use what does, and then further use it in the manner that makes most sense to you. It’s like an awesome coexistence of organization and free association.
I’ve been planning to write a How I Use Scrivener/How it Works For Me journal entry, but just haven’t gotten to it. Maybe I should do that soon.
Another vote here for Scrivener! I’ve been using it for years. The storage, the internal document links, the collections (new feature w/ v2)… the beauty and simplicity… it’s worth the investment. And it reads/links to .pdf files, so you can always (slowly, I know) scan your paper scraps (if not retype them) and then link and annotate from there.
Yeah, Dusty–I’m going to have to collect and transcribe my notes anyway. Might as well do it where it’ll do me some good.
It’s like an awesome coexistence of organization and free association.
Ooh, baby, you know what I like… >_>
Simplicity sounds good, Reba! I’m thinking I’ll have to see what’s got all three of you sold. ^__^
I was originally gonna say “organization and chaos” 😉 But I thought I’d take the middle-road and all.