Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Writing Tips - Organization

Someone asked me the other day what I do to get myself ready to write a book. So I was thinking about it and I decided that it all comes down to organization. If you aren't organized in what you do then you have the possibility of getting off track. This unfortunately can cause your story to sound off track and disorganized. Now I am sure there are people out there that believe that you don't have to be organized to write. My son saw my desk the other day and commented on how messy it was, when he came in 5 minutes later, after I had finished for the day, he was surprised how clean it was. It all comes down to organization.

If I am starting a new project then I create a folder for it to put in all the notes and comments I come up with. I create an outline for my story or project, place it in the folder and make sure the folder is labeled. Once this is done cleaning up at the end of the day is easy. You just put the information in its appropriate file and put it away.

It is important to also be organized on the computer. I work for a company that I write their blogs, newsletters, website copy, ad copy and on occasion their press releases. They currently have 4 different websites that I handle. To keep them straight in the computer, each website has its own folder and each folder has subfolders for the above mentioned topics. This way when someone needs information I am able to get it for them quickly and easily.

I believe it is important in whatever you to do stay organized. I had a boss that couldn't see his desk unless I cleaned it off. Everyone thought he was organized and knew where everything was on his desk, but what they didn't know was that when they left his office he had me help him find what they were looking for.

Organization is one of the key to success. Without organization, people are apt to flounder and misplace items. If you want to succeed in any business it is imperative that people find a system that works for them. Organization isn't about fitting into strict guidelines that you feel would stifle your creativity, its about finding a place where you can find items with ease.

Enjoy and Happy Writing
Patti

No comments: