Organizing Your Thoughts

The morning sun sent its golden rays across the pasture to rap against my window. My office area brightened considerably, so I opened the blinds to let in the flood of light. I gazed out into the morning world. A light fog was lifting and a hint of frost tinged the grass. My neighbor's horse, a beautiful pinto, leisurely nibbled her way around the perimeter of the pasture. I spotted patches of new green among the dried winter grasses. Another spring sign.

Back at my desk: I've been sifting through a pile of paper, scraps of every size, that I dumped there last night. My first reaction was that I write a lot...maybe too much? Perish the thought! No, I observe a lot and take notes on what I'm observing whenever possible. The problem lies within my powers of organization. Definitely not one of my strong points. So now I'm trying to sort this massive pile of mumbo-jumbo into smaller piles of related mumbo-jumbo. Not really one of my favorite things to do as a writer. I would rather be rambling and writing, not sorting and filing. As I sort, I am also categorizing the piles so that I will know which file to place them in when I have finished. If something I have written does not already have a category, I simply create a new file. Having a working file set-up makes it easier for me to find what I've already written on a particular subject, ideas that I've brainstormed, observations I've made, and any other information that I've have gleaned on a particular subject.

Organizing your written material is an important part of being a writer. It really doesn't matter what you use as a file cabinet. It can be something as simple as a cardboard box. What matters is that you take the time often to file your writing so that you can find what you need when you need it. The categories you choose for your file folders will depend on the type of writing that you do. One of my main headings is State Parks. The subheads on the smaller manila folders include, Lakes, Hiking Trails, and Restaurants. I have two separate filing boxes. The filing drawer on my printer stand is where I file my own writings and information printed out from online research. The other is a wire basket in which I file brochures, postcards, and any other written material that I pick up while out rambling. My file folders just fit the basket, so everything remains organized. It takes time (and I will be sitting here for awhile today!), but by having your paperwork where you can access it easily can make writing time a lot less stressful. So, have a great day! Will be back soon.

StellaD