Creative writing - Mike Sanders 2014

The importance of taking notes
Empowering research
Drafting, researching, and editing

Note-taking might seem antithetical to creative writing, but you’ll find that “how” you take down an idea can have a lot to do with how much of it you can recall later.

The most basic layout for creative writing note-taking is to divide an 8.5×11 sheet of paper into three sections: two columns with a horizontal section at the bottom. The left column is reserved for keywords or questions that arise while you’re writing; the right-hand column is for note-taking or, in the case of prose writers, the bulk of your manuscript; while the bottom horizontal section is used to summarize your work. For prose writers, this is a great place to make note of key players in the scene or any ideas you want to remember or improve upon later.

This method provides an easy way to condense and organize your notes. It can benefit writing projects of all types and can be easily adapted to the format of your journal.

WRITING PROMPT

In your journal, try out the three-column method for a narrative concept you have in mind. Take note of how well it works for you. (This may involve ignoring the page for a few days and then going back to it and determining how much of the information you recorded triggers in your mind.)

If you’re more computer-focused when you write, try writing software such as Liquid Story Binder. With it, you can separate any notes from the rest of your writing using the Line Notes tool. By putting two periods in front of any paragraphs you want to separate, you can view them all separately later using the Line Notes Viewer, or print them independently of your manuscript. You also can specify different formatting so the notes stand out from any hard copies of your manuscript. Any paragraph beginning with two periods is designated as a line note and is excluded from Printing and Word Count Statistics.

Or if low tech is more your speed, you could simply enclose your notes inside two brackets to distinguish them from the rest of your writing.

How you take notes likely is more important than you thought it was. If you’re looking for a way to continually brainstorm ideas or focus on potential problem spots in you writing, try some of these methods. Hopefully, one or more of them will be the tool you’ve been looking for to help you become a more efficient writer.