All right. This isn’t a deep topic. It won’t change your world, but after a day of organizing, and watching an interesting episode of Wife Swap (One wife was super organized), I thought I’d yack about it.
I did somewhat of a Spring cleaning (well, Fall) in the My Documents portion of my computer. Which is where I keep, well, everything writing related. I was flipping through, and looking down at this mass of folders and stories. There were stories I’d sold, stories that need work, stories that were under consideration… and they were just clumped together in one folder that ambigiously stated ‘MY WRITING.’ So I decided to clean house a bit.
Now I get on these little organizing trips every now and then. See, awhile ago I didn’t even have the ‘MY WRITING’ folder. It was just a free for all saved in some random place–where I’d have to search to find my stuff. But I seem to grow more and more organized with the more books I write.
So today I broke it down a little more. I now have a sold folder and an unsold folder. Pretty nice on the eyes actually. And next to the unsold books, I made notes on what they needed before they were sent out for consideration. For the books that I’ve sold, they are their own folder. Within it it is the contract, a synopsis–if it has one–, cover art, edits, anything related to that book.
Then, this was the great part, what I hadn’t yet broken down to do yet. As I started writing the premise of another book idea, I started thinking about names for my hero. And that’s when I realized I was picking names I’d already used. So I finally broke down and did it. I now have a full list of each name I’ve used in my books for my hero and heroine. I mean, I got away with it for awhile, but the more books I write, the more names I’m using. And I tend to have ‘comfort names.’
So that’s me and my new organizing trip. I wonder what I’ll do next. So how organized are you? What does your computer look like? Maybe you know a better way that you can share!
September 19th, 2006 at 8:49 pm
You watched “Wife Swap”? I’m completely stunned.
Organized? Whatever. If I was organized, I think my pool boy Rauol would feel neglected. And that ain’t happening.
Or is it Jaun? What day is it?
September 19th, 2006 at 9:44 pm
Oh Shelli…you make me want to re-organize. I have moved all of my stuff on a zip drive that I carry around with me all the time in case I get a chance to work on anything away from home. I don’t usually have a problem finding my stuff…but it could be better.
September 20th, 2006 at 4:44 am
I have a FICTION folder and a NONFICTION folder. In the fiction folder there is a folder for every book that includes every version I have of it, cover art, contracts, and notes. I also keep a contract folder in the fiction folder so I have two copies of those lol. The nonfiction folder is essays, blog drafts, whatever doesn’t fit in the other folder.
September 20th, 2006 at 10:57 am
I have a Cobblestone folder on my desktop. In this folder I have individual folders for stories I’ve contracted with CP, plus two folders for my wips that are targeted toward CP. In each folder for the contracted stories, there is an edits folder, along with the info sent in my author package and my cover package. Then I have my WIPS, in my WIPS folder I have 10 folders, each labeled WIP 1, WIP 2, and on and on. In those folders I have a revised and original folder with copies of my current wips.
September 22nd, 2006 at 12:49 am
Organized? You mean, on the computer not the house right? LOL I have a folder for Proposals and hten when I’m writing something it gets it’s own folder. That’s about it.