Research Part 3-- Get Organized

Time to share.
In honour of continuing with the research theme... we've gathered facts HERE. We've proven them HERE. Now it's time to organize what we have.

I love organizing EVERYTHING. Love it! And here are the two simple steps I'd like to share: 

Cut photos from magazines if
this gives you a visual.

Step one:
Know why you need them

Ask yourself, why am gathering these facts? What point do they serve? When will I need them? **these are important questions, that allow you to place your facts into different groups that will be easy to access.**

As an example, for the Notebook Chronicles, I need 2 types of groups.

     1. I need to keep the real life stories straight and how they interact with my fictional ones, before I write.

      2. I need to access facts while I write.



Step two:
Use technology

I used to use notebooks and files (with cut-outs stapled, taped, papercliped-- got a visual?). I had one for each topic. Yup. Looking for that one fact that eluded me was as easy as digging through seventy files and their run offs. Painful, and often resulted in redoing the work. We've come a long way, is all I gotta say.

Microsoft Office OneNote is my new companion. 

It comes with an easy to follow instruction screen, so I won't get into how to use it, but I will answer questions if you email them to me or post them in the comments.

It allows me to paste photos and links beside little creative blurbs, and find things I filed with the SEARCH icon. It's a virtual notebook. I insert and move things on a whim. I colour code things. I can even draw in it! (Which was fun when I designed my own tattoos for my heroes.)

Ah technology. 

• Link pages, blogs, and websites. 
• List books, where to find them, and the pages that correspond with that theme.
• Paste entire interviews with specialists (recorded or written!!) and include their business cards.
• Draw in details to reflect scene changes, right on the photos. 
• Heck, I'm even pasting in the scenes I used in the MS to remind myself that I already used that information and how I used it. 

Best invention ever. EVER.

And... if I wanted to make this baby
explode...
umm... exactly how would that work?
Seriously... anyone know?

It saves time, it keeps me accurate, and everything is at my fingertips. One place, several notebooks with neat colourful tabs and labels. No more files, folders, binders, loose pages, or scribbled notes on napkins. And if something falls in two categories? No big deal- link the pages!!!

Paradise. I am organized. Yes!

SUMMED UP

1. Keep track of fact vs. fiction before you begin.

2. Keep things easy to access by using technology that works for you while you work.
3. Smile. Getting organized just got easy.

Any other tips on getting organized? I'd love for you to share.