tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22001031.post3368212543688722620..comments2024-02-28T18:29:41.120-08:00Comments on Not of General Interest: Tech tools and writing inspirationundinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05589384016564587214noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22001031.post-24355899233983038362009-03-24T20:19:00.000-07:002009-03-24T20:19:00.000-07:00Ink, I do that too, except I call it a "junk file....Ink, I do that too, except I call it a "junk file." "Scrap" is better, though--it's like a scrap bag rather than something to throw away.undinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05589384016564587214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22001031.post-16395357831261728932009-03-24T19:20:00.000-07:002009-03-24T19:20:00.000-07:00Hmmm. That's very intriguing! Cool to read every...Hmmm. That's very intriguing! <BR/><BR/>Cool to read everyone's process discussions here. Like some of the other commenters, I use a plain old regular MS Word file for the basic archipelago, which eventually turns into the chapter or article draft. <BR/><BR/>I also start a separate Word file called "scrap" into which I toss everything that I don't use while drafting, in case it comes in handy down the road, which it often unexpectedly does.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22001031.post-90413740218231658592009-03-22T16:24:00.000-07:002009-03-22T16:24:00.000-07:00Pilgrim/Heretic, that must be a huge file by the t...Pilgrim/Heretic, that must be a huge file by the time you sit down to write. I am bad at writing down the random flashes of ideas but want to try putting them all in the file like that. <BR/><BR/>Christopher Vilmar, do you mean real index cards, the paper kind? Or something like <A HREF="http://www.ndxcards.com/" REL="nofollow">http://www.ndxcards.com/</A>? I'd like to flip through the index cards but have had a hard time forcing myself to write on them when I've tried.undinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05589384016564587214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22001031.post-67847978228988186602009-03-22T16:17:00.000-07:002009-03-22T16:17:00.000-07:00What Now, my process is more like yours. Once the...What Now, my process is more like yours. Once the notes are sorted, there's always something to go back and read; the process of reading later things changes how you read the early ones. <BR/><BR/>profacero, I love the idea of the grab bag of quotations. Are they quotations about writing or about the project itself? My new computer monitor is bigger (20") but doesn't rotate that way. It has made a huge difference in my level of eye fatigue, though.undinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05589384016564587214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22001031.post-32366435626881549482009-03-21T21:05:00.000-07:002009-03-21T21:05:00.000-07:00I find that doing it by computer program, doing it...I find that doing it by computer program, doing it by files, doing it by note cards, doing it by paper--it all eventually turns into chaos and has to be waded through countless numbers of times.<BR/><BR/>My current attempt is with notecards, and they have some definite advantages I'd say. Being able to shuffle them around is nice.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22001031.post-38949749061929979492009-03-21T16:45:00.000-07:002009-03-21T16:45:00.000-07:00Ooo, that's really interesting - thanks for the li...Ooo, that's really interesting - thanks for the link! I haven't used any of the software he discusses, but like WN, I do the same thing in MSWord. I keep one big file for each research project, subdivided into sections for bibliography, thematic ideas, source material, and random stuff that pops into my head. (This last bit is almost the most important, as it's a place to keep those things that I trip over or that occur to me while I'm working on something entirely different.) Then I do basically what he describes - read through the whole thing, look for patterns, start a new file of chapters, and copy over all the stuff that fits into each.Pilgrim/Heretichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08588407758172717893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22001031.post-3541719571452728492009-03-21T12:29:00.000-07:002009-03-21T12:29:00.000-07:00I've tried to use some of them but it has always w...I've tried to use some of them but it has always worked better for me to have the physical files and postit notes. I agree wholeheartedly about having the files. I even have one that is a grab bag of quotations and ideas for when I get stuck - pick one at random, unstick yourself.<BR/><BR/>However at this point all the files and postits and books have gotten to be a bit much and I would rather have it in a computer program - except then you have all these tabs and so on, and all these IDs and passwords and silliness. <BR/><BR/>I just went and bought an external monitor for the laptop. It's 22 inches and it rotates, can be horizontal or vertical. I haven't set it up yet but the idea is write on the laptop while reading on the external monitor. It will be good if I ever get back to my manuscript reading project, because I'll be able to look very closely at digital archives. Now it will be good for looking at books and articles I want to see and scroll around in but do not really want to print or buy.<BR/><BR/>I have not set it up yet because I am lazy, I am sure it will aggravate me for a day downloading drivers and so on. But I'll let you know.<BR/><BR/>It will also permit me to watch movies on that size screen (I have no tv so I have to watch movies on this little computer and it is feasible but icky).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22001031.post-76780779647200239092009-03-21T12:08:00.000-07:002009-03-21T12:08:00.000-07:00Thanks for the link to Steven Johnson's interestin...Thanks for the link to Steven Johnson's interesting piece. I've actually read and enjoyed Johnson's <I>Ghost Map</I>, which made his essay all the more interesting.<BR/><BR/>Like you, I use MSWord in pretty much the way that Johnson describes using Devonthink, with the difference that my researching and writing phases are not distinct and chronological. So I'll do a lot of reading, sort my notes as he does, write some, and then go back and do more reading, which doesn't seem to be his process.What Now?https://www.blogger.com/profile/04017629066466055668noreply@blogger.com