Organizing your information
Information. It’s the stock and trade of the professional writer. Notes. Facts. Quotes. Sundry bits and pieces that help us when it comes time to write.
One problem that writers face is keeping all the information that we collect in one easy-to-access location. That can be hard because we’re often never in one place at all times. Take me, for example. My main computer is the laptop on my desk at home. When I’m running around, I often carry a netbook. Often, but not always. Sometimes I only have my BlackBerry with me. Sometimes not even that.
So, how can you easily organize that information? Read on for a few suggestions.
A notebook
And, no, I don’t mean one of the computer variety. I’m talking about a paper one. My notebook of choice is a Moleskine. It’s compact, it’s light, and it’s tough. Best of all, it doesn’t need electricity or a wireless connection. I can take and refer to my notes anywhere and at any time.
Of course, there are drawbacks. You can lose a notebook. It can get wet. You might lose your pen or that pen might run out of ink when you need it the most. And if your handwriting is anything like mine, you might have some trouble deciphering those notes.
Evernote
I’ve had a strange relationship with Evernote for a number of years. I know that it’s a useful application, but since I don’t use Windows or Mac OS the desktop version isn’t much good to me.
That said, I find the Web version useful. I can use it wherever I have access to a computer and an Internet connection, and the Web version plays nicely with my Web browsers of choice in Linux.
On top of that, there’s also software for smartphones and the iPod Touch for those times when you don’t have access to a computer.
What I like about Evernote is that it makes categorizing and tagging my notes very easy. As you can see from one of the screenshots above, I have several categories of notes. Using tags and the search function, I can quickly find what I need to find. As well, I can upload images or other types of files.
The Web version of Evernote is free, but if you need more space or if you want to get rid of the advertising, you can buy a subscription for $45 a month.
Wiki
I like wikis. I like them a lot. I use them. I write about them. I speak about them. They’re a simple, flexible tool for writing and collaborating. You can use a wiki as an online notebook and writing tool. It’s easy to link between notes and other pages on a wiki, or to information outside of the wiki.
What I like wikis is that they can be easy to set up and you can use one anywhere you have acces to the Internet. Many Web hosting companies offer automated installations of some popular wiki software. All it takes is a couple of clicks.
Piggydb
I’ve only been experimenting with Piggydb for a short while, but shows promise. On top of that, it’s an Open Source application that you can install and run either on your own computer or on your Web site.
Piggydb is described as:
a Web notebook application that provides you with a platform to build your knowledge personally or collaboratively.
In a lot of ways, it’s an Open Source version of Evernote. You create notes, called fragments that you link together. On top of that, you can organize them in the same way you would index cards.
You can add tags to your fragments and also invite others to collaborate with you (sort of like with a wiki).
For many, the biggest drawback to Piggydb is that it’s a somewhat geeky app. Once you get past that, though, it can be really useful.
How do you organize your information? Feel free to share your tips by leaving a comment.
Photo credit: Ploum1 from Photoxpress
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I write everything down. I just find it faster.
Ivan Walsh´s last blog ..How To Write Technical Documentation For APIs
@Ivan, have you ever seen my handwriting? Which is why I go electronic whenever I can …