The Power of an Idea File

Inspiration is all around us. We absorb it without trying, but serious writers are intentional observers and recorders of what they see and experience. They seek out the new and interesting, and they don’t rely on memory to keep those experiences fresh. Instead they keep an idea file and develop the habit or adding to it on a regular basis.

What is an idea file?

A place to keep snippets of writing, ideas, images, story concepts, random facts, and anything else that we grab because it might be useful. Idea files are more than a collection of topics for articles we might write someday. The more varied and compelling the content of our idea file, the more likely those odd and unrelated bits will come together to spark a brilliant and unique idea.

What to Collect

An idea file can include almost anything that catches your interest. Here are some things you might want to capture for your file:

• Snippets of well-done or unusual description
• Quotable lines
• A passage that makes you stop and think
• A passage that makes you laugh out loud
• Snippets of conversation, real or fictional
• Clever plot ideas
• Odd or unusual trivia
• Notes on an unusual place or person you happen to notice
• Articles on any subject that caught your fancy
• News stories
• Images that relate to your story world
• Images that relate to your characters
• Book covers you particularly like
• Anything that causes awe
• Anything you find beautiful
• Anything that strikes a strong emotional chord (comfortable, jarring, happy, scary, etc)

How to collect

• You never know when you will come across something worth snagging for your idea file. Keep notepads, index cards, sticky notes, or your phone handy at all times, especially in the places you are most likely to want them, such as your favorite reading chair.
• Snap pictures with your phone. Of scenery. Of art. Of people. Of a paragraph in a book. Of silly signs or misspelled menus.
• Make a photocopy or scan items into your computer.
• Copy and paste website links and content into a file on your device.
• Dictate ideas or observations into your phone. You can also read poignant passages from a book.

How to store your ideas so you can find them later

An idea file has two components, a method of collecting ideas and a method of storing them so you can find them later. Once upon a time that meant a literal file filled with newspaper clippings and notes jotted on bits of paper. That is still a valid system, but nowadays much of our collection may be digital.

If you love being organized, you can scan all the analog inputs and keep all your ideas in one tidy digital space. If that sounds like too much work, consider keeping separate files for different mediums. There is no perfect method. The key thing is creating a system that works for you.

Here are some ideas

• The tried-and-true manila folder
• A tabbed journal or notebook to keep ideas sorted by categories
• A bullet journal
• A program like Evernote to corral and organize your digital collections.
• A private Pinterest board to store images, blog posts, articles, etc.
• An idea folder on your phone camera roll to easily find all those photos you snapped

Are you intentional about collecting good ideas, or is it time to get more serious about building your idea file?

What is your favorite way to store and organize your ideas?

Lisa E. Betz believes that everyone has a story to tell the world. She loves to encourage fellow writers to be intentional about their craft and courageous in sharing their words with others. Lisa shares her words through dramas, Bible studies, historical mysteries, and her blog about intentional living. You can find her on Facebook  LisaEBetzWriter and Twitter @LisaEBetz