5 Ways to Keep Your Writing Organized This Fall

A Pinterest pin that says: Fall Writing Hacks. 5 Strategies for staying organized. In the background in a flat lay with a pumpkin, leaves and a cup of tea on a white background.

It’s tricky to keep our creative writing organized after the lazy days of summer end! The autumn season brings us into our cozy vibes era. Lit candles, knit sweaters and chai lattes provide the perfect staying-at-home ambience. But, between school, work and various holidays, our writing routine can get messy. In today’s post, I’m sharing five strategies to help you get organized now and keep up your writing routine this fall!

1. Choose Your Writing Tools

Hemingway Editor, Grammarly, Notion, Scrivener, Google Docs, Evernote, ProWritingAid, Reedsy Studio… there are so many digital tools to choose from. Using too many tools can leave you overloaded and scatterbrained rather than keeping your writing organized. Try them if you’d like and then narrow down your list to what works for you. Where will you keep all of your notes? Where will you write your work in progress? Which editing or book formatting software feels manageable for you? The digital and physical tools that you choose should enhance, not hinder, your productivity. For myself, I keep my writing organized with a notebook, Google Docs and Grammarly for my first draft journey. Ideas imagined on the go can be popped onto my Notes app and transferred to my notebook later. That way, I don’t waste time fumbling in search of where I wrote something or deciding which of the plethora of tools to use. Explore the various tools now so that when you sit down to write, you can focus on writing.

2. Create Your Note-Taking System

Let’s be honest… writers are never focused on just one story at a time.

Maybe you leap from project to project, or you constantly have new ideas, fragments of dialogue and quote-worthy sentences pop into your mind.

We all need a system for capturing these gems before they slip away.

First, designate a single spot to keep notes for a specific project.

If it’s a notebook, only allow one work in progress in that book.

Give each story its own notebook to grow in.

The same goes for any digital tools. Start a fresh document for each story.

For all of those inspirational sparks that have nothing to do with your current WIP, start a separate master list.

Categorize all of those random ideas for easy navigation.

Tags could include: Dialogue Snippets, One Liners, Settings, and Plot Ideas.

You could even have a section for those to-be-written more extensive story ideas that you’re often adding notes to.

Lisa Cron’s Story Genius has an excellent filing system that can help categorize all of your story ideas and notes.

Don’t overwhelm yourself by brain-dumping all of your ideas in one place.

Organize your note-taking habits now for easy location of ideas later.

Overhead shot of sock covered feet, standing on a woord staircase with a small orange pumpkin and an open book on top of a blue blanket.

3. Store Writing Supplies In One Place

Reflect on your home space and consider where you could create a writing corner- a dedicated, consistent work area. Your space doesn’t need to be large or extravagantly decorated. It could be a small desk in the corner of a room or your kitchen table as a multi-purpose space. When writing from home, try to build the habit of working in the same spot so that your writer’s brain kicks on once you sit down. Have a place where you store all of your tools. Your notebooks, pens, laptop, etc., should have a home in your workspace so that they’re ready to go when you are. If you’re working with a multipurpose space, consider a shelf, box or bag that can hold your essentials. If you love writing outside your home, an easy grab-and-go bag can cut in half the amount of time to gather all of your supplies. This bag should hold pens, paper and any smaller items that you don’t need to drop in at the last minute. That way, grabbing your laptop is a quick trip to your desk before you’re out the door and onto your writing adventure.

4. Create a Submission Tracking System

If you’re juggling writing a story while querying another, determine how you’ll track the publishers you’ve queried. A writer’s greatest joy is to be writing, but we sometimes need to pause for a day or two to organize our submission strategy if we’re serious about getting published. Before you start your next writing project, research publishing agents and develop a master list of those who specifically state they are interested in the themes or genres that your manuscript aligns with. DON’T WASTE TIME QUERYING PUBLISHERS WHO AREN’T INTERESTED! From your master list, choose a few agents to query at one time, like 4-8. You’ll want to develop a tracking method that aligns with your workflow, such as a spreadsheet or an app. Keep detailed records of who you’ve submitted queries to and when. Determine how long you’ll wait to hear back before querying your next batch. Set up a reminder to revisit the process when needed. By keeping track of your queries, you can focus on writing your next story while taking strides toward your publishing dreams.

5. Create an End of Writing Session Routine

When I don’t take the time to clean last night’s dishes, my house and my mind feel cluttered the next day.

Returning to a workspace that is organized and ready to go feels oh-so-good!

Give yourself 5-10 minutes at the end of a writing session to complete an exit routine.

Break your goals into smaller tasks to keep procrastination at bay and clarify your next step.

Ideally, your routine will have two parts: clear off your workspace and plan for your next session.

Clear Your Workspace:

Put all of your items and tools back where they belong. Whether that’s in a bag, a drawer or just a designated spot on your desk, clear the writing clutter. The next time you sit down, you’ll be able to start fresh rather than waste valuable time organizing.

A notebook on a wooden desk with a croissant and coffee mug above right. Hands are writing in the notebook.

Plan for Next Time:

At the end of a writing session, you know what tasks you’ve completed and what’s coming up next. Take a minute to write a to-do list or jot down a note so that when you enter your workspace again, you know where you left off and can dive in without delay.

By completing these two exit tasks, you will ensure that your next writing session is productive.

Bonus Tip

All productive routines need a refresh once in a while.

Quarterly planning is the goal planning strategy of reviewing and breaking down your goals every three months.

Ensure that you schedule regular times to review and adjust your writing goals so that they work for you, not against you.

For an in-depth idea of how I use quarterly planning to achieve my writing goals, check out this blog post here.

And, read how at the end of a busy week, a weekly reset can help you to refresh and recharge your writing routine for the week to come!

Get organized now so that you can focus on your creative writing this fall!

To get yourself ready, start by:

Clearing your workspace
Gathering your supplies
Planning a dedicated writing time

You’re on your way to building a writing routine that flows as easily as your cozy autumn vibes.

Now, go forth and write!

Over to you!

What tools or strategies help you keep your writing organized? Share them in the comments below.

Let’s create a comprehensive list to support our fellow writers!

Talk soon!

Julia

Hello!

I'm Julia

I’m here to connect with storytellers, creatives, and dream-chasers. This blog focuses on creative writing, goal-setting, productivity, and mindfulness- all things craved by creative minds who want to bring their dreams into the present.

4 Comments

Megan on August 25, 2024 at 2:43 pm

This is so helpful! Going to keep this in mind this week as I work on a few projects.
Reply
- Julia on August 25, 2024 at 5:09 pm
  
  So glad that you find it useful. Good luck with all your projects!
  Reply
Ginger on October 20, 2024 at 1:19 pm

I like the idea of having a workspace, it’s very important to me. I only have a small desk and space in my bedroom, but it’s so important to me when I’m writing. It keeps me organized but also separates the working space from the sleeping space and takes the stress out of the working day.
Thanks for the tips!
Reply
- Julia on October 20, 2024 at 5:32 pm
  
  So glad you found it helpful! Even with limited space, designating a small spot for focused writing is important.
  Reply