Quote:
Originally Posted by gmw
That's where people get it wrong. There's a rule (though I can't remember the details) that if a piece of paper hasn't found a home in x months then it's home is automatically the WPB*. The wonderful thing about scribbled (pen and paper) notes is that you only bother to transcribe those parts that are useful, the rest gets consigned to the WPB and is no longer a burden on your resources. Whereas, if you're at all like me, all those old digital files hang around forever because they are - in theory - no bother to keep; the problem being that - in practice - they're just more clutter to wade through looking for actually useful stuff.
* Waste Paper Bin
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First rule in "the rules of the best method of creative writing" ... there are no rules. What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another. Unless there is absolutely no other option, I don't pen notes for stories (haven't for years now). That process is handled in my head, I "think out" the story bit by bit when I have the time. So when I sit down to a keyboard I know what it is I'm going to write -- by that time there's almost no waste -- I just type the story. Usually in a couple hours it's all there. So an AlphaSmart Neo is about perfect for me. If I do think of something for the story (or another story) while writing, I can just hit one of the File Keys, type my idea in a sentence or two, and then go right back into the story I was writing by hitting the File Key where it's stored. Very efficient.
I do, sometimes, come up with an idea, while riding in a car or waiting somewhere. In that case, I just open up SimpleNote on my Blackberry Q10 and type a few words to remind me what the idea was. When I decide to write that story (if I do) I start the "thinking it out in my head" process again until I'm ready to write the story.
I should mention that I write short stories and short scripts. If I was writing a full script or novel, obviously there would be more planning involved. But I still see no reason to go to pen and paper for any part of the process.