I’m starting something new, adding short posts between some of the long ones with quick tips I use to stay on-track and in-the-black when it comes to my writing business.
My tip for today is 3-Ring Notebooks
I use and reuse 3-ring notebooks all the time, and have every size to choose from. I don’t use them for writing, however–I quit doing that when I graduated from high school. Nope, now they are my mobile means for filing and organizing.
Yes, I have a five-drawer filing cabinet, but that’s for the long-term, not-going-to-get-into-it regularly kind of stuff I need to keep for my business. For current projects and information I use all the time, I use 3-ring notebooks for these reasons:
- It’s easy to keep everything together.and to tab sections for easier reference. The bigger the project, the more parts there usually are to it. For every project I use the first tabbed section for my Contact sheet–a list of all the people I will contact or have contacted to complete this project, and when any new names and numbers are given to me during the project it’s easy to find the Contact sheet and document the information.
- Notebooks are pros at standing on the floor near my feet, to be ready to grab as I’m writing on my computer. Unlike file folders, most of my project notebooks stand up easily on their own, need no bookshelf–though one can be easily used if you have the space. If I’m using a particularly skinny binder all I have to do is prop it against the desk leg.
- I have all the project material ready to grab and go if I need to work with it on the run.
- I can “color code” my projects easily, always using the same color notebook for whatever is the current “hot” project(s), and find all the coordinating notebooks in the same color if I need to divide a large project into more than one notebook. This is critical since I am almost always working on at least three contracted projects at the same time. Having a one color for each project makes life easier since I only have to look for that color when I’m sweeping through looking for material. I even try to use the same color Post-It Notes, so I don’t have to even think to know which project a note on my wall relates to. I use black notebooks for material that stays in the same notebook all year, such as the ones for Invoices and Checks Received.
- I can use printable labels to mark both the front and the spine of the notebook for easier visibility, then when the project is completed and the notebook is emptied for the next project I just peel the old labels and add new ones.
- Because the material all stays organized as the project progresses, when it does come time to unload the notebook(s) and file the material, that’s a snap. I use the tabbed dividers in the notebook to determine how many file folders I need for archival purposes, and label the folders accordingly. For projects that don’t need to be filed into folders, just kept for a short time for archival need, I simply recycle my nifty ‘saved’ Amazon boxes by loading the pages into their new cardboard home, tape up the top, and mark the contents in black marker on the outside–if I know a “destroy date” I add that on the outside, too. Since the notebook kept everything in order, the contents now remain organized in the Amazon box.
- Notebooks go on sale each year around the time school starts, so I always know I can stock up at a discount (and on my favorite Post-It products, too). After school starts, I often find notebooks on discounted tables in office supply stores, as well, so keep your eyes open.
That’s my tip of the day for office/project organization. Feel free to leave tips of your own in the comments section.
Twins separated at birth. That’s us. I have a 5-drawer file cabinet, too. Government issued one that my mother discovered somewhere (Boeing leftover?) and I inherited. There’s a torn label on it that says, “THIS FILE DOWN NOT CONTAIN MILITARY CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.” It weights a million pounds empty. Full? I don’t want to talk about it.
I cannot live without my 3-ring notebooks. I have one for each manuscript that holds all the printed notes, including story calendar, working calendar, printed chapters, printed photos, list of character names… Anything and everything. From my desk, I can see 25 of them, all labeled on the spine with title of manuscript/book. After the book is done and published, the notebook often goes into a plastic bin where other book things are kept (line edits, galleys, etc.) There are 14 smaller, colored notebooks for miscellaneous articles, notes from meetings, and anything else that could get lost easily. And things still get lost.
Amazing.
Rox! Even our file cabinets are twins. My husband groans any time I tell him I need help moving it (not often, believe me). Mine doesn’t have the intriguing label yours hosts, but mine is secondhand from a family member, is olive drab and has to not only be unloaded to move, but the drawers even HAVE to be removed from the frame because each empty drawer alone is as heavy as the metal cabinets on sale in office supply stores today. My husband has joked for years that if a tornado comes he’s going to dump a drawer really quick and crawl inside–that even an F5 tornado can’t move that cabinet if it’s fully loaded!
I’ve taken to carrying around a tiny notebook–and that’s after years of trying to make myself do this. Roxann and Joanie, your levels of organization are great! Maybe in my next life…
I’m one of those people who hates having to look for things, so this system has become a way of business life. But it’s all about ideas, and staying on top of things. Your tiny notebook is a beginning. Drop back by sometime and let us know how your new system is going, too.
I use 3-ring notebooks, too. I use the pre-punched paper when I can. Some printers don’t like the pre-punched paper, so borrow a few sheets and test it before you buy a ream.
I love pre-punched paper. It’s a little pricier (and hard to find), but can be a true time saver. And the holes are a little bigger than what is gained by a three-hole punch, so the pages always turn easier. However, that brings up another tip I can offer–for speed, I just print on one side of the page initially, but I always try to reuse the blank sides of paper later. Since I have punched pages for the notebooks, that means I have pre-punched paper when I’m reusing the blank back for future printing. So I divide my ‘reusable’ paper supply by punched and un-punched. Yes, some printers have difficulty with pre-punched, just like some do with reusing paper. Mostly, I always try to fan the pages several times and then make sure they’re stacked even before slipping them into the printer’s supply tray. I have less trouble with my laser printer than I do with the color inkjet. Thanks for stopping by, Brad.
You sound so organized. I find organization to be my biggest weakness. I had two filing cabinets but they were rusted on the bottom so no they aren’t coming into this house. IF I ever figure out what to do with the boxes of things that need sorting in the kitchen I might find a rug or something to put down and use them in there.
I had my file cabinet out in the garage for a couple of years, because I didn’t have room for it in my work space. I was concerned I’d have mice and insects in it all the time, but, surprisingly enough, I never saw a critter and only a few spiders–and no more of those than I would have expected if the cabinet had been in the house. It’s not the best method, as it can keep things away that need to be close at hand, but I found it workable. I was used to having the ‘file room’ on another floor when I worked in corporate anyway, so I just started joking about the garage being my ‘off site storage’. Thanks for stopping by.
How I’ve missed your blog, Joanie. And have you ever dressed it up gorgeous. Love the new additions. Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve visited. I do see your posts in my inbox when I check e-mail (subscriber). As for the three-ringed notebook, it never goes out of style. I still jot notes for stories, edits, etc., in it. I use it now even more to lessen time spent on the putah, such as penning in research.
Thanks for sharing!
Good to see you back again, too, Maggie. You’ve had such a challenging summer! Yes, binders are my friend. I love using them to color code, so I keep all my different project stuff easy to find. But they truly started out as a lifesaver when I didn’t yet have a file cabinet, and I needed to be able to sort and stack everything in a workable way. I had a column of notebooks in one corner of my office space. Was so nice when I finally got the secondhand file cabinet, but the wonderful notebooks filled the bill then, and continue to be the most versatile tool in my organizing tool belt.