Words on a page

While I like Google Docs a lot, there are a few things about it that I’m not really keen on. One is the way in which documents are organized. I should say how they’re organized when you first set up your Google Docs account.

The main portion of the Google Docs window is a list of your documents. They’re displayed in the order in which you last opened or viewed them — newest ones at the top. If you have a lot of documents, this can make finding the one you want a bit of a chore. You can use the Google Docs search engine, but search only eases that chore if you have a pretty good idea of what you’re looking for.

It’s easy, though, to organize your writing in Google Docs. Curious? Read on.

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For a variety of reasons, I use Linux for most of my work. However, I’m sometimes forced to use Windows — either because the software I need doesn’t run on Linux or if I’m working at a client site. In some cases, I can’t install todo list software on the computer I’m using, and I can’t use Web-based tools.

While I’ve used a simple text file in the past, I’ve found another way to put a todo list on the Windows desktop. And all you need is a knowledge of basic HTML (the language used to create Web pages).

Curious? Then read on.

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Keeping track of your tasks can be difficult. There are a number of ways in which to do it, and one of the most popular is Getting Things Done (GTD). A while back, I tried to get into the GTD flow but found it to be a bit too complex and involved for my needs. And this article points out something I’ve been saying for a while: some people get too caught up in the processes and the tools to get anything done.

I believe in simplicity. Complex systems succumb to entropy and require a lot of effort and energy to maintain. But simple can be useful. How?

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It seems like so long ago that writers communicated with editors, clients, and each other using snail mail, telephone, and fax. But email has changed all that. I don't know about you, but I find email to be indispensible when dealing with the people who rent my skills.

However, email is a dual-edged blade. It can easily take over your life — or, at least, your working day. This posting at Freelance Switch outlines 10 email skills that every freelancer, regardless of what they're doing, should develop and use. 

If you write a lot (and I hope you do), chances are you’ve run into the problem that Anne Wayman describes in a recent post on her blog: keeping track of all of your files. For a writer who has a lot on the go, this can be tough. There are a number of ways to keep your files organized. Here’s how I do it.

On my computer, I have two folders devoted to my work: one’s called Writing (for my articles), and the other’s called Work (for my technical and corporate writing). I know, not exactly inspired naming but it works.

The Writing folder contains two main sub folders: In Progress and Completed. The articles that I’m working on, obviously, reside in the In Progress sub folder. That includes any graphics or screenshots that go with an article. When I’m done and the article has been sent off, I zip it up into an archive and copy it to the Completed sub folder. Every couple of months, I burn the contents of the Writing folder on to a CD and clean out the old articles.

The Writing folder also contains a few other sub folders: Queries, Notes, and Guidelines. Those names pretty much explain themselves.

The structure of the Work folder is similar. In this case, each sub folder is named for a client. Each client sub folder contains any or all of the following folders:

• Contract


• Notes


• Drafts


• Images


• Background


• Final

In case you’re wondering, the Background folder contains all of the background information on the project — documents from the client, information from the Web, research notes, and the like. And, as with my Writing folder, I regularly back everything up on to a CD.

My system isn’t as complex as it seems. And it works for me.

So, how do you organize your files?