One thing I’ve learned as a writer is that you have to be organized.

Here are some of the ways I’ve kept my writing organized:

1. Scrivener – If you haven’t already noticed, I use this writing software for my books and stories. Scrivener has a set place for your research (including saving websites for you), characters, and any notes and comments you think of as you’re working.
2. Series Bible – Every writer needs to have a “Bible” if they plan to use a character or setting more than once. Keep track of every character so that Cousin Sue from Story 1 doesn’t become Cousin Stew in Story 7. Also jot down details of different settings so that the house doesn’t suddenly acquire a library when you didn’t have one to start with. This can be an actual loose-leaf notebook, a stack of index cards, or — as I do — a computer file. I use Scrivener again, and have a “chapter” for everything from houses to personal possessions to extra characters to possible names for future characters.
3. Maps – If you’re a visual person, a map of your setting helps you to visualize things like the layout of the character’s house or office, the street plan of their home city (or the city they’re visiting), and the railroad or subway system they use to get around.
4. Character Studies – I have a notebook for each of my main characters. In each notebook, I have a set of questions taken from various personality quizzes, like “What would he do if he became seriously ill?” or “What does he wear when he’s in a happy mood?” This is a great way to get to know your main characters, and the more you know, the easier it is to write stories about them.

What is your best organizational tip?

People have asked me how I organize my work. Do I use a stack of index cards? A cork board? Computer files?

The answer is yes.

I do have a cork board where I keep the really important stuff that will never change for the series, like a map of the city in the 1800s and a “blueprint” of their house and offices.

I used to use index cards – until I discovered Scrivener.

This is a software program that is designed for writers. You specify whether you’re writing a fiction novel, a nonfiction book or a screenplay – and the program gives you different tools for each one.

For the fiction novel, I have a cork board with all my scenes on it – I can arrange these by chapter, or combine several scenes in one chapter, or move them around however I want to.

There’s a section for research, and you can even “pull in” websites so you can find your source material immediately.

You have another section for character notes and one for places.

Scrivener also allows you to attach a note to a section of work, like a word or phrase. The notes show up in the margin so you see them whenever you go to that scene. For example, if you want to name a character, but don’t want to bother now, you could put down “John Doe” and link a note to that saying “Look up a good old-fashioned European name for this dude!” That way, when you’re working away, you don’t constantly interrupt yourself trotting off to do research – and the notes are immediately visible when you go to that scene, so all you have to do is pull it up and the note’s right there.

What sort of organization do you use in your writing?