Home
>
Writing
>
Call Yourself a Writer? Where Are Your Notes?

Call Yourself a Writer? Where Are Your Notes?

Writers are notorious collectors of slips of paper. They tear articles from magazines in the doctor's waiting room; they rip corners off newspapers in friend's houses because they need to write down something witty; and they stuff their bags and pockets with serviettes, cigarette packs, and discarded train tickets just because note making's second nature to them.

More often than not, when they eventually find a note, they haven't a clue what it was related to. Just yesterday, I found this one lurking at the bottom of bag I hadn't used for months. "House - blue window frames. Why wisteria?" Why, indeed! I hadn't the foggiest.

I'd made the one mistake a writer should never make. While I'd obviously found a handy supermarket cash-out slip for my note making, I hadn't dealt with my note within 24 hours. I certainly hadn't used any form of filing system - unless that's what you'd call the bottom of an old handbag.

Where A Writer's Notes Should Be Put

When I've been out, I'll usually fire up my computer as soon as I get home. I have a folder for document archiving that I've called 'Ideas'. Under there are a number of documents that I use as a filing system for my notes. Each note is put into one or more of the documents, depending where it fits.

Let's say I've made a note about Shahtoosh, and how the Tibetan Antelope is almost extinct thanks to our selfish desire for luxury. I'd transfer my writer's notes to a document called 'Environment', another called 'Wildlife' and a third named 'Fashion'. I could also put it under 'Human Selfishness', but I don't have one.

The point is that you should give your each file in your document archiving system a name that means something to you. If you mostly write about food and drink related subjects, you wouldn't need a filing system for 'Housing Issues'. If you did find something you'd like to write about housing, you could pop it in your 'Miscellaneous' file, a great place to rummage through when you fancy a break from your usual subjects.

No, what you need is 'Eating Out', 'Recipes', 'Wine', 'Alcoholic Beverages', 'Cakes and Deserts' or something along those lines. Only you know what best suits your writing.

Filing System Not Working? Don't Worry

When you first start working on your filing system, you'll probably make a few mistakes and find yourself moving things around. Don't worry - you'll get there in the end. Finding a document archiving system that works properly on the first try probably never happens. It's never happened to me, anyway.

Within each file-whether you've chosen to use an MS Word document or a plain text file-make sub-headings. Going back to the food and drink note making, sub-headings in the 'Eating Out' document could be 'Fast Food', 'Chinese Restaurants', 'Pub Meals', and 'Dinner Parties'. You could add more, obviously.

Do you see how a useful filing system is being built up?

If you think you'll have a lot under one heading, there's a second way of designed a filing system for your note making. Under your folder called 'Ideas'-or whatever you've chosen to call yours-you could have a sub-folder for 'Food and Drink'. The documents under this folder could then be called 'Fast Food', "Pub Meals', etc.

The point is, writer's notes get lost quickly so it's important you design a system that works for you. But just because you've designed yourself a mind-blowing filing system, don't rest on your laurels too much-it isn't all about note making, you have to actually transfer your notes, too!

Sharon Jacobsen is a full-time freelance writer living in South Cheshire, England. While she most enjoys writing about social and environmental issues, she'll happily populate your website with engaging, keyword rich articles on any just about any subject, from dog breeding to cricket.

To contact Sharon, or to find out more about her work, please http://www.sharon-jacobsen.co.uk

house cleaning company Park Ridge ...

In The News:

Homeowners association meeting minutes and membership lists can expose names, addresses and emails that scammers use to craft convincing phishing scams.

Lima, Ohio, has installed 3,120 floating solar panels on its Twin Lakes Reservoir, projecting nearly $10 million in electricity cost savings.

Amazon's Alexa for Shopping now lets customers verify suspicious emails, texts and phone calls against the company's own communication records.

Lindsey Brooke Isaacs spent 13 days in jail after a Flock camera flagged her Dodge Durango near a fatal Florida crash that killed three people.

AI-powered smart grocery carts are linked to 32% higher spending, according to new research, as Instacart Caper Carts expand across U.S. stores.

A VPN encrypts your connection on hotel, airport and café Wi-Fi abroad, but streaming catalogs and live sports access still depend on provider rules.

Gmail's Verified Sender Program launches September 8, 2026, giving U.S. political committees a more reliable path to your personal email inbox.

Elroy Air's Chaparral can carry over 500 pounds and fly 450 miles without a runway, and the FAA just tested it under a new federal program.

Bedrock Robotics says its autonomous excavators are doing paid earthwork on active job sites in Texas and Nevada with no operator in the cab.

A dedicated banking computer isolates your financial accounts from malware and phishing, but passwords, SIM swapping and outdated software remain risks.

The OlloNi SS1 AI robot pet uses a 4K camera and facial recognition to learn your family, but its removable Red Heart memory module raises questions.

Nine identity theft warning signs range from unfamiliar credit inquiries to SIM swap attacks that can quietly drain your bank account funds.

Robot.com's R-dog uses articulated legs and wheels to climb stairs and deliver packages, while its built-in screens display paid ads along the route.

MyChart phishing emails mimic real patient portal alerts with fake lab results and malware tricks that target Windows users across the country.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Google's Motion Assist places animated dots on Pixel screens to combat motion sickness in vehicles, but the Android 17 rollout remains limited.

Moving to a 55+ community can quickly expose your data to scammers and data brokers before you even unpack, putting your whole family at risk.

Amazon Prime Air drone delivery plans to reach nearly 500 U.S. cities by the end of 2026, but your yard and ZIP code may determine eligibility.

The FBI reports nearly $21 billion in cybercrime losses for 2025, up 26%, as AI scams make fake voices and identities more convincing than ever.

Uber teen accounts now feature live video streaming from the driver's camera, but encrypted recordings stay on Uber's servers for up to 14 days.

Router firewalls and software firewalls serve different roles in protecting your home Wi-Fi from unwanted traffic and suspicious connections.

A Chrome extension with 70,000 users and a 4.7-star rating began injecting fake update warnings after a threat actor acquired and weaponized it.

Amazon's Alexa+ rolls out free to Fire TV devices across the U.S., but hands-free microphones and stored voice data raise key privacy questions.

Meta's new teen accounts settlement sets a default two-hour daily limit on Instagram and Facebook, plus night mode and school mode restrictions.

The CareCloud data breach exposed Social Security numbers, banking information and medical records belonging to more than 3.75 million people.

Call Yourself a Writer? Where Are Your Notes?

Writing