A Couple of Important Tools

So there are a couple of tools that I may have mentioned before that are, I feel, invaluable to my writing. I'm going to go over them quickly just to put it out there and maybe it will help you!

The first is what I call my "catch-all." This nifty tool is really nothing more than a notebook that is a reasonable size that I can stick in whatever bag I'm carrying. Currently my catch-all is a medium sized Moleskin quadrille lined notebook. It's perfect for me right now since the smallest bag I carry is a large hobo that doubles as a diaper bag for quick outings or my actual diaper bag. Anytime I have an idea or see something that I may want to include in a story I can jot it down or sketch it out and have it for later. Since the notebook doesn't have dividers like Five Star notebooks I have a coding system that I made up and have used in a couple of different ways. At the top outside corner of each page I put a letter (or sometimes a combination of letters) to remind me of what is on the page if I'm flipping through quickly. I use the letter "I" for idea. This page will hold a story idea that I can come back to at a later date to flesh out. I use the letter "C" for character. This page wil hold my observations from people watching or character ideas that just come to me. If I ever need a specific type of character I can look for the letter "C" and see what I have. The other two letters that I use most often are the letters "D" and "F" for detail and filler respectively. Detail pages hold little things that might be cool to add into a story. Like a loose brink on a particular building in Boston that should be used to hide a message or a creepy abandoned Metro station in Paris that a train always passes through. Fillers are little scenarios that I can pop in when I'm stuck. To be truthful these usually come from my dreams or day dreams! They are usually wacky things like a flashback to childhood when the character got hit in the face with applesauce or a letter that informs the character that some nutty relative is coming to visit. I've put the letters directly on the page before but I've also used the Scotch brand tabs or flags to help me keep order. The only down side is that the flags tend to come off rather easily so if you choose that method keep it in mind. The Moleskin also has a nifty little pocket in the back that allows me to stash business cards, napkin drawings etc. So fantastic.

My other favorite tool is actually a website that is done by professional writer, Holly Lisle. If you go to the Writing Tools link to the right the link is listed there or click here. Holly has a number of How-To's that really get me going in my stories especially when I'm stuck. Her world builder worksheets are amazing. I have used the map builder a couple of times as starts to my stories since it works so well. Her character and story questionaires are great too. I've used and adapted these for my stories to keep everything straight!

So these are my two biggest tools other than my computer when it comes to writing. I know that the notebook thing isn't new but maybe my way of coding the pages will help you!