I never seem to remember just how crazy the end of the year is until it’s here. But I’m back!
Over the break, I started compiling a writing journal. It’s not a journal where I free write or jot down ideas—though I do have one of those. Instead, it’s a place for me to keep track of writing resources.
I have been saving writing resources all over the place for years, on browsers, Evernote, Pinterest, YouTube, etc. I was looking for a method to keep them all together in one place when I came across a Page Flutter post (check it out here). It was the perfect solution for me. Not only would everything be in one place, but I’d be handwriting it, which helps me retain information, and I could adapt the information to be as concise or lengthy as I required.
Another benefit of keeping this information on paper is that I don’t run the risk of getting distracted by the internet if I need to refer to one of the pages, which I absolutely would if I had to search the internet trying to remember where I’d saved the information.
Here’s a list of the pages I’ve done so far:
The resources I’ve compiled so far fall into these categories:
- character
- plot
- setting
- language
- revising
- publishing
- inspiration
So the Removing Filler Actions page that I pulled from an old Susan Dennard newsletter falls under language and revising while the short list of strengths and weaknesses falls under character.
As you can see in the image above, not all the pages are coming out perfectly, and that’s fine. I don’t need Instagram worthy pages—although I wouldn’t hate it if they were! What I need is helpful information.
I also keep track of where I found the information in case I ever need to refer back to the original source.
Above are two more character pages, and below is one of my plot pages.
I can’t wait to continue filling in this writing journal as I go through old resources and find new ones!
Let me know what some of your favorite writing resources are and where/how you keep track of them in the comments below.
Nicole Dreier 