Organic Organizing for Writers

By Pamela Jane

I hate clutter. I recently read a biography of George Eliot, the Victorian novelist and author of Middlemarch, and she hated clutter too, so I guess I’m in good company. (In other words just because you don’t function well in a messy office doesn’t mean you’re not creative, in spite of Mark Twain’s famously messy desk.)

The best organizing ideas, however, reflect your own individual mind, moods and temperament. That’s why I call it “organic organizing.” But having warned you against adopting someone else’s ideas for organizing, I’m going to share three tips I’ve found to be the most helpful:

Tip #1 Create an anxiety file

The anxiety file is my most original tool, but it does require inner monitoring and awareness. It works like this: say you have an important document relating to your novel or memoir (or anything else for that matter) and you find yourself thinking, where should I put this so it doesn’t get lost? That little surge of anxiety is a hint that the document belongs in your anxiety file.

The beauty of the anxiety file is that when you are looking for the paper or document later, you will feel that familiar uptick of anxiety: What did I do with that letter? That anxiety surge is your signal that you filed the item in the anxiety file. This strategy never fails!

You can also create an anxiety file on your computer.

Tip #2 Develop your own filing system

Ordinary file folders are awkward to use. Cards, letters, or scraps of paper fall out of them, and it takes time to remove or replace folders in a filing cabinet. It’s much easier to use plastic zipper or snap envelopes for various writing or research categories, such as “old letters’ “plot,” or “promotion.” A plastic envelope holds scraps of paper or photos, and stacks neatly on a desk.

Plastic or wooden file drawers are also a good option. You are more likely to file as you go if you can open a drawer and toss something in. You’re putting the article in its approximate place, to be better organized later. Baskets also work well for this, and are portable, too.

Tip #3 Use a student planner for notes, telephone numbers and other information

When my daughter was in grade school, she used a large student planner for homework assignments and reminders. I liked the idea so much that I’ve been using one ever since. Small scraps of paper are designed to get lost; it’s just a matter of time before they drift under the couch, fall behind your desk, or accidentally get tossed out. The great thing about a student planner is that it’s so large that it can’t get lost (well it can if you try really try, but you’ll eventually find it.) I use a highlighter for crucial information so that when I flip through old pages, I can find what I’m looking for easily.

The creative process is messy, unpredictable, and perilous. And it should be – that’s the freedom of creating. You can’t really organize it, but you can clear a space to make writing less anxiety-provoking, more productive – and more fun!

ABOUT

Pamela Jane is the author of over twenty-five children’s books with Houghton Mifflin, Atheneum, Simon & Schuster, Penguin-Putnam, and Harper. Her books include Noelle of the Nutcracker illustrated by Jan Brett, Little Goblins Ten illustrated by NY Times best-selling illustrator, Jane Manning, and Little Elfie One (Harper 2015). Pride and Prejudice and Kitties: A Cat-Lover’s Romp Through Jane Austen’s Classic (Skyhorse) was featured in The Wall Street Journal, BBC America, The Huffington Post, The New York Times Sunday Book Review and The Daily Dot, and has just come out in paper. She has published short stories and essays with The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Antigonish Review, Literary Mama, and The Writer. She is a writer and editor for womensmemoirs.com, and her memoir, An Incredible Talent for Existing: A Writer’s Story has just been released. You can see the trailer at memoircoaching.co.

Find Pamela Jane Online:

Website:  http://www.memoircoaching.com

 http://www.pamelajane.com (children’s books)

http://www.prideandprejudiceandkitties.com (humorous book)

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pamela.jane1

Twitter:  @memoircoaching, @austencats

Book Trailer for “An Incredible Talent for Existing”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA1znyLsaGY