Writers are notorious collectors of slips of paper. They tear articles from magazines in the doctor?s waiting room; they rip corners off newspapers in friend?s houses because they need to write down something witty; and they stuff their bags and pockets with serviettes, cigarette packs, and discarded train tickets just because note making?s second nature to them.

More often than not, when they eventually find a note, they haven?t a clue what it was related to. Just yesterday, I found this one lurking at the bottom of bag I hadn?t used for months. ?House - blue window frames. Why wisteria?? Why, indeed! I hadn?t the foggiest.

I?d made the one mistake a writer should never make. While I?d obviously found a handy supermarket cash-out slip for my note making, I hadn?t dealt with my note within 24 hours. I certainly hadn?t used any form of filing system - unless that?s what you?d call the bottom of an old handbag.

Where A Writer?s Notes Should Be Put

When I?ve been out, I?ll usually fire up my computer as soon as I get home. I have aa folder for document archiving that I?ve called ?Ideas?. Under there are a number of documents that I use as a filing system for my notes. Each note is put into one or more of the documents, depending where it fits.