Soul-Searching Question
Okay… Are you ready for this? Strong soul-searching question coming at you:
Where’s your stuff?
“Well, Norma Jean, just exactly what stuff are you talking about?”
I’m talking about your novel-writing stuff. (Or simply writing stuff if you’re working on writing other than a novel.)
Where is it?
Depending on how technologically advanced you are, you may have random files on your computer. Or equally random file folders in file drawers. Or scraps of papers scattered about the house. You get the idea, right?
And depending on how many things you are balancing (day job, family obligations, social calendar, civic responsibilities, and on and on) it may seem that some days all your novel-writing stuff is at the bottom of some random heap. (The word random seems to be working rather well in this blog.)
Even Organized People can Relate
I think even the most organized people on the planet can still relate. It’s an ongoing challenge. You’ve been plotting that novel, or actually writing that novel, and an idea hits. Where does it go? You have an idea for a blog, or a newsletter, or a social media post… Where does it go? Where do you put your stuff?
Enter – The Bullet Journal
Recently I was introduced to something called a Bullet Journal. Be forewarned if all your stuff is on your computer and you live in that world, this may not appeal to you at all. But check it out anyway. You might be surprised.
When my friend first told me about it, my initial reaction was that it seemed like too much trouble. So I let the idea sit around for a while. But then when the random heap on my desk became almost unbearable, my mind would flit back to the Bullet Journal.
“Hmm…” I thought to myself. “If I had my journal set up, I could just put that information in a special place in that journal.”
The creator of this unique organizational idea suggests using a bound blank book as your journal. But as a left-handed person, I like things that lay flat, flat, flat. So I bought a big 5-subject spiral notebook. And it works great for me.
I Love my Bullet Journal
At this writing, I’ve been using my Bullet Journal now for about eight months. I have to say, I love it. You’ll probably find (if you start down this path) that you’ll quickly begin to customize it to your own use, and yet retain the basic principles. At least that’s how it happened for me. For instance, I use post-it notes to create tabs to quickly locate certain lists and notes.
I like being able to take it from room to room, especially early in the morning when I’m planning out my workday. Then it winds up on my desk as I work throughout the day.
Again, if you’re used to logging everything into a hand-held device, this may seem clunky to you. But I like having everything right out where I can see it. (Still old school, I suppose.)
More about the bullet journal right here.
I encourage you to invest the time to really learn this process. I admit I had to review it several times before I fully grasped the concepts.
He also offers a video tutorial which really helped me.
Let me know what you think. I wanted to share this because it’s been such a life-saver for me. My less-cluttered desk is quite refreshing. (Notice I didn’t say uncluttered. That will probably never happen. smile)
The Norma Jean Lutz Classic Collection now has three 3 available titles.
These clean teen reads, while authored in the past, offer timeless story lines that teens love.
Not many novelists are positioned financially so they can write full-time. Especially not in the early days. That becomes a plaguing problem for many. What to do? Writing early mornings; writing late at night? Take a part-time job to leave time for writing? Ignore the family and write every weekend?