Apr 7-13, 2003 -
Lost and Found
Volume 2, Issue 14
The weekly ezine with a road map for
sidetracked writers.
"Be better writers today
than we were yesterday."
Welcome back and hello to our new subscribers!
Thought for the Week - Lost and Found
It's getting warm -- time to ring in the nice weather with the first barbecue of the season. This week I went hunting for my mom's potato salad recipe. No problem. I'm sure it's with the barbecue recipe she gave me in my well-used recipe binder, right?
Nope. I went through all those recipes and found the barbecue recipe but not the one for the potato salad.
Hmmm...maybe in the summer recipe folder? Or the grilling folder? No. I wouldn't have filed it there. Or the to file pile I'm not supposed to have? Nope.
Grrrr. There's nothing more annoying than a lost recipe (or lost writer's notes), especially when I can almost always find my favorite recipes without much trouble.
I finally found it the next day. Where was it? Under Salads.
My recipe hunt pointed out some easy-to-make filing flaws that can trip up writers (and chefs!). Check them out below:
1. Do you have a to file pile? Like a big black hole, these piles suck your papers into no-man's land. Make your filing system so easy that you'd rather file than create a pile. Mine appeared when I couldn't get to my recipe folders.
2. Is your Master List unique? For the Master List to work properly, you have to keep your categories from overlapping each other. I shouldn't have both a summer and a grilling folder since these files are too similar.
3. How many different items do you have to file, and what shape and format are they? Just like your recipes are scattered across recipe books, computer print outs, and clippings from newspapers, your writing notes can easily turn into a jumble of mismatched (and often lost) paper. Pick one method (for example, 8 1/2 by 11 paper in binders) and try to keep all your notes stored in the same way (tape clippings to full sheets of paper, and print out your notes so they can all be contained in your binder).
The potato salad recipe is so yummy -- in case I've
made
you hungry for it, here's the recipe.
==> To File, To File
==> Sort your computer files YOUR way
==> File your Web Site?
Monday, April 7, 2003
Assign Your Activities
Do you regularly file your stuff and re-sort your piles?
(For those of you who haven't read my book yet, I support piling... just make sure they are organized piles!).
Does your To File folder build and build until it's bursting at the seams? Or maybe an editor calls, and you have to call them back -- after you scramble through a few piles?
Make filing one of those automatic tasks on your Activity List. Here are a few tasks with suggested timing, but as always make them fit the way you work:
- File (as created, daily, or weekly)
- Make yearly folders for Taxes, Receipts, Invoices, etc. (Yearly, Jan)
- Weed and Preen the old files to boxes and move them to permanent storage (Yearly, Jan)
- File taxes in a permanent archive (Yearly, April)
Tuesday, April 8, 2003
Your Writespace
One of the best ways to improve your writespace (and your writing) is to keep your desktop clear. This isn't easy, but it sure does improve your ability to concentrate when you don't have papers shouting at you from every corner.
Take five minutes and evaluate what's on your desk and the filing needs in your writespace.
Is your filing cabinet close at hand for your workspace? Does it open and close easily? (I have a cheap filing cabinet from a discount store and the bottom drawer won't close properly anymore. It's out of here!)
I also have several portable hanging file folder boxes with lids and a handle. They contain all the files for a current project so they can travel around the house or to the library as needed.
Where do you keep today's papers? Where do you keep your bills? Do you use literature sorters to corral and label piles?
Do you have a home for most of your papers?
What projects and papers have recently appeared on your desk and now need a permanent home?
What could be put elsewhere? What can go to your recycling box? (A recycling box can help if you don't like to toss stuff -- the box will be there for a few days so you can retrieve from it if necessary).
What would work better with a different sorting or stacking system?
Wednesday, April 9, 2003
What's in those file drawers?
Have you ever tried placing regular manila folders inside your hanging folders? They stick out the top and interfere with the tabs identifying your hanging folders.
Pendaflex has come up with the perfect solution -- manila folders sized smaller so they don't stick out the top. Go to OfficeMax.com and search for "pendaflex interior folders"
http://officemax.com
If you're short on cash, trim down your own manila folders to fit.
Pendaflex interior folders
Thursday, April 10, 2003
Your Most Time-Saving Tool: Your Computer
Have you ever wanted to change the order of a list of items on your computer only to have the computer always file and list everything in alphabetical order? Sometimes the computer puts all the items with capital letters together first and the items with lower-case letters at the bottom of the list.
Sometimes I want to override the computer and put specific items at the top of the list. For example, I set up a folder for the final version of my book and wanted it at the top of the BOOK directory. But if I called the folder FINAL it would be lost down in the other folders.
So I renamed the folder 1FINAL. The number 1 sorts higher than the alphabet so this folder always appears at the top. You can use the numbers 1 through 9 to put your folders in the order you want.
You can also use punctuation like ! (for high priority items) or $ (for money related items) to help you sort in a specific order.
If you want something to be at the bottom of the list, put a z in front of it.
Friday, April 11, 2003
Communicate on the Web
How do you file your email messages?
I'm waiting for an email software that will let me set an automatic deletion date. For example, I want to keep this message around for a month, and then I want it to automatically delete itself (remember the Get Smart TV show and the secret messages that would automatically disintegrate after so many seconds?). Maybe someday!
For now, here are a few suggestions when filing your messages.
-- Create Delete <date> folders like Delete-Jun03 or Delete-Dec03. Then when June rolls around, just zap everything in that folder.
-- Create a Receipts 2003 folder for email receipts you receive after ordering and want to make sure they don't get deleted.
-- Create headings to group your folders together. For example, my Freelance folders all start with FL so they are grouped together.
-- Use the categories from your Master List. You are already familiar with them so it will make filing emails easier, too.
-- Spend a few minutes with the help files for your email software to learn about other filing and filtering options.
Saturday, April 12, 2003
Writer on the Web
File your web site? Yes. Here are some web site "filing" tasks for you:
File a backup copy of your web site on a disk or CD.
File archived and dated copies (preferably outside of your home or office).
Sunday, April 13, 2003
Books and Magazines Everywhere
Weed out your magazines today. Recycle the old ones.
How do you file your magazines? Can you retrieve them easily? Use magazine holders to group them.
What is the most efficient way to sort them? Should you sort them by Magazine and Date (for example, all the Family Circles are together and all the Good Housekeeping magazines are together)?
Should you sort them by Season and then Magazine (for example, all the back-to-school issues of all your parenting magazines are in one file)?
It depends. What kind of queries do you do? If you focus on specific magazines, sort them by magazine first. Then you can quickly find and grab the most current issues. If you focus on seasonal and holiday queries, group them by season or month so you can grab all the different magazines at once (so you can quickly find all the Christmas issues or all the Summer issues).
Happy filing (and writing!) this week. -- Julie
To
get this newsletter in your email each week:
Get
the book that goes with the plan for only $14.95!
"I'm on day 5 of your book and already have done more writing and compiled more ideas in this short time as I usually do over several months." -- reader M. Howard
DRAW daily (Declutter-Read-Assess-Write)
** For more info, visit
http://www.organizedwriter.com/draw.htm
M T W T F S S
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 1. Declutter (only 5 minutes)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 2. Read (only 5 minutes)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3. Assess (30 seconds to 5 minutes)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4. Write (at least 5 minutes)
For freelance writers: Use this weekly checklist to find, write and send a query every week of 2003!
Monday
__ Make notes on a new idea.
Tuesday: Accounting Day
__ Post your accounting records.
__ Pay bills.
__ Follow up on outstanding invoices and queries.
Wednesday
__ Find a new market using links below.
Thursday: Errand Day
__ Make copies.
__ Return books to library.
__ Make deposit at bank.
Friday
__ Finish query and submit.
__ Match your query to the market.
Saturday Weekly Review
__ How was this week?
__ What's up next week?
__ Review your Projects list in your planner and check the
status.
__ Jot the next action steps for your projects on next week's
calendar.
__ Backup your computer files.
__ Virus scan your computer.
Sunday
__ Relax and enjoy!
__ Do something fun today!
Thanks for visiting Writer-Reminders! If you have comments,
success stories, or suggestions, reply to this message or e-mail
me at :julie@writer-reminders.com
Your privacy is very important to me. Your email address will never be
sold by Writer-Reminders. For more on Yahoo's privacy policy, visit http://privacy.yahoo.com/privacy/us/
Copyright 2002-2003 Finally Organized LLC. All rights reserved worldwide. This
newsletter is provided with the understanding that the author is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other
professional services. If legal or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be
sought.
Writer-Reminders and OrganizedWriter.com provide links to other Internet
sites solely as a convenience to its users.
Writer-Reminders and OrganizedWriter.com do not guarantee, approve or
endorse the information or products available at these sites, nor does a
link indicate any association with or endorsement by the linked site to
Writer-Reminders and
OrganizedWriter.com.
