Lesson 4: How to Think Like a Writer.

Take Notes

A pen and notebook is the writer’s number one low-tech weapon for research, interviewing, and fast writing, according to Fryxell. If you are researching an article or story, it may seem easier to dog-ear pages of source material, or photocopy sections of the material that interests you. But note taking brings order out of a mess, and aids the writing process in two ways.

First, note taking saves you time. You always will have more information than you can use and note taking forces you to boil down your research data.

Second, note taking forces you to keep the information firmly in your mind where the subconscious can mull it over and begin to shape into creative prose. Actually, note taking benefits the creative process. The information is firmly in your mind and your story idea can develop into many forms.

Effective notes depend on the ability to write fast. It’s great if you know shorthand but it is possible to develop your own system of shorthand. Any system of abbreviations will do, if it is fast and you can decipher your notes.

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