Writers lose more ideas to bad note-keeping than to writer's block. The premise you jotted on the back of an envelope, the fix you meant to make in chapter four, the research you promised yourself you would check: they are all lost the moment the envelope is. A simple system for capturing ideas and tracking tasks costs almost nothing and pays back constantly. This guide explains what to capture and where, how to run a book-ideas file, how to build a to-do list that you actually use, how to separate notes about a book from notes about writing in general, and how to use Quillen's Notes and To-Do pages, which sit on the home screen outside any single book.
The short answer
Capture every idea the moment you have it, in one place you will look at again, with a title and a line of context. Keep a separate list of tasks with dates. Review both weekly. In Quillen, the Notes page has two lists (General Notes and Book Ideas) and the To-Do page has dated tasks that sort themselves by due date.
What to capture
Not every thought deserves an entry, but these usually do:
| Type | Examples | Where it belongs |
|---|---|---|
| Book ideas | A premise, a title, a character you want to write about someday | A book-ideas list |
| Loose notes | A snippet of dialogue, an observation, a line you overheard | General notes |
| Scene and chapter notes | A fix to make, a thread to pick up | Inside the book, on the outline card or in the chapter |
| Research leads | A book to read, a fact to check | The book's research section (nonfiction) or your task list |
| Tasks | Finish the revision, order the proof, email the cover designer | A to-do list with dates |
Capture without friction
The enemy of capture is friction. If recording an idea takes more than a few seconds, you will skip it. Two rules help: write the idea down immediately, in whatever form is fastest, and tidy it later. A title and a sentence are enough. You can expand it when you review. If you use a phone or paper notebook while away from the computer, move the notes into your main system at the end of the day.
Running a book-ideas file
A book-ideas list is a pipeline, not a graveyard. For each idea, record a handful of things, then revisit regularly:
- The genre, so you can see where your ideas cluster.
- Whether it is part of a series, and the series name if so.
- A one-line premise. If you cannot say it in a line, the idea is not ready.
- A status: idea, outlining, researching, drafting.
- A notes box for anything else: comparable books, a sketch of the ending, a title you like.
Review the list when you finish a project. The idea that still excites you after months is usually the next book.
Building a to-do list that works
Most to-do lists fail because they are too long, too vague or never looked at. A writing to-do list works best when it is:
- Specific. "Revise chapter 6 opening" is a task; "fix book" is not.
- Dated when it matters. Give deadlines to things with real ones, such as a cover deadline or a submission window. Leave the rest undated.
- Short at the top. Keep the next few tasks visible, and let the rest wait.
- Cleared often. Tick off what you finish: completed items are satisfying and show your progress.
- Reviewed weekly. Once a week, look at everything, delete what no longer matters and plan the next week.
Separate the book from the general
Some notes belong to one book and some to your writing life as a whole. A note about what a character does in chapter ten belongs with that chapter or outline card, where you will see it while you work. A note about a premise for a different book belongs in your general ideas. Putting them in the right place stops your general list filling with fixes and your book with unrelated ideas.
A weekly review
Spend ten minutes once a week:
- Read your new notes and move each to the right place, or delete it.
- Look at your to-do list. Mark off finished tasks and add the next ones.
- Check any overdue items: do them, move them or drop them.
- Look at your book ideas. Does any need a status change?
- Choose your first task for the coming week.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Ideas in many places | Lost or duplicated | One main place, with a daily move-in |
| Notes with no title | Cannot find them later | A title and one line of context |
| A huge, vague to-do list | Never used | Specific tasks, short at the top |
| Dates on everything | Deadlines lose meaning | Date only real deadlines |
| Never reviewing | The system becomes a graveyard | Weekly ten-minute review |
| Mixing book fixes with general ideas | Clutter | Keep each where you will see it |
Do it in Quillen
Quillen has Notes and To-Do pages on the home screen. They sit beside your books in the library, so they are not tied to any one book and are available whichever book you open.
Notes
- Open Notes. From the home screen, click Notes at the top right. You see two cards: General Notes and Book Ideas, each with a count of entries.
- Add an entry. Open a card and create a new entry. A new general note is called "New Note" and a new book idea "New Book Idea". Give it a title at the top.
- Fill in a book idea. A Book Idea has prompts for Genre, Part of a series?, Series name (if applicable), One-line premise and Status (idea, outlining, researching and so on), plus a Notes box. General notes have just the Notes box.
- Return to the list. Use the back button at the top left. Entries save automatically, and a Saved indicator confirms it. Deleting an entry asks you to confirm first, and cannot be undone.
To-Do
- Open To-Do. From the home screen, click To-Do.
- Add a task. Type it in the New to-do box, choose a date if it has a deadline, add an optional summary, and click Add.
- Read the list. Tasks with due dates come first, soonest first, and overdue ones are marked as overdue. Tasks without dates follow, oldest first.
- Complete a task by ticking it. Finished tasks move into a collapsed Completed section at the foot, with a count.
For notes about a particular scene or chapter, use the Notes and tags on outline cards and the sections inside the book, which keep them next to the work. See how to write beat cards.
Checklist
- Ideas captured the moment they arrive, with a title and a line of context.
- Book ideas kept with genre, premise and status.
- Tasks specific, and dated only when the deadline is real.
- Book-specific notes kept inside the book.
- A ten-minute weekly review.
- Completed tasks ticked off.
Common questions
What should writers keep in a notes system?
Book ideas, loose snippets and observations, research leads and tasks. Notes about a specific scene or chapter belong inside the book, next to the work.
What does Quillen's Notes page contain?
Two lists: General Notes and Book Ideas. A Book Idea has prompts for genre, series, a one-line premise and a status.
How does Quillen's To-Do page sort tasks?
Tasks with due dates come first, soonest first, with overdue ones marked. Tasks without dates follow, oldest first, and completed tasks sit in a collapsed Completed section.
Are Notes and To-Do tied to a single book?
No. They sit on the home screen beside your books in the library, so they are available whichever book you open.
How often should I review my notes and tasks?
Weekly is a good rhythm: ten minutes to file new notes, tick off finished tasks, handle overdue items and pick the first task for the week.