Getting Organized to Write

I’ve been writing short and long fiction for decades, but I never was much of a planner.  I have boxes of dollar store notebooks and steno pads crammed with notes and story starter paragraphs that went nowhere. Others were incorporated into my completed novels or they are part of works in progress (and I have dozens!).

My go-to software was Microsoft Word on a Windows computer. However, the longer my documents got, the more unruly Word behaved.  My default was to pound out a few thousand words, give the file a name and date then save it. The end result was a messy directory with multiple folders. I didn’t like that disorganized flea market vibe. Using Explorer to search for word strings was maddening.

Arranging my ideas into a logical flow before starting a project was time-consuming and took the joy out of writing. I struggled with Excel spreadsheets, spending more hours configuring columns and cells than creating stories. Then I tried Pages. While it was less frustrating, I was impatient with the learning curve. I went back to Word. Easier? Not really. The original outline for the first draft of my novel ended up as an eighteen-page table. Large tables are manageable as eels – the content boxes change shape as you add text. Besides, the final draft of Kenora Reinvented didn’t end up conforming to the outline. 

Here’s what I did to get organized.

I switched from Windows computers to an Apple iMac desktop and MacBook Pro laptop. I won’t go into rhapsodies about how seamless the Apple ecosystem is compared to what I was using previously, but for someone like me with an undisciplined mind, streamlining my writing process made life easier.

• Collecting ideas. Apple Notes, Drafts app. Both can be installed on handheld devices, laptops and desktops and sync data automatically. Drafts has an excellent dictation app and a browser widget that lets you save URLs and web copy. I can also Airdrop items between devices, take a screenshot, bookmark websites, save into the apps or as a PDF in Books. 

• Planning. Story Planner ($10 USD). Works on iPhone, iPad and Mac. You can access your project outlines from any of your devices. You can also choose where you want your files saved – on your computer, in the cloud, etc. I downloaded Plottr ($25 USD), a tool featuring drag & drop visual timelines, index cards, character/place tracking, outline builder and templates (12 Chapter mystery, Hero’s Journey, etc.) 

• Writing. Scrivener ($67 CAD – regular deals for Black Friday). Windows, IOS and Mac versions and plenty of free templates. Clean interface. Composing is a breeze. You can drag and drop scenes, collect research, links, photos and maps. Don’t get discouraged by the learning curve – there’s a 30-day trial period.

• Storage. Dropbox ($144 USD a year for 2T) I save, share and access files from my phone, iPad and computers. I use Selective Sync and only save the Dropbox files I use regularly to my devices.  I also use the Sync software (Canadian) because I’m afraid of losing a single document, iCloud for short pieces and photos, Google and Amazon photos (free but not always user friendly). 

• Formatting. Vellum ($339 CAD – to produce unlimited print and eBooks). Only available for Mac OS. Easy to import a text document, format then upload for ebooks. And print books of various sizes. The software gets better all the time. Yes, it’s a big investment but it can also save time and money. There’s a free trial available.

• Writing materials. Dollarama is an under-appreciated resource for ‘old school’ writing supplies like notebooks and pens.