Here's the answer - a whole filing drawer full of them. As part of the year end tidy up, I'm about to weed this drawer. Each file is an idea for a book. For example, watching the TV show, Who Do You Think You Are? I thought it would make a good romance premise: she is a history geek, he is a successful businessman, over in the UK for a short time to research his roots - so you get them thrown together and they can't walk away because she needs the money and he needs to use his limited free time. Let's say he has to get back to work in three weeks (and there's the obligatory parting before the happy ending). They can travel to different areas, following the trail and they can discover different sides of themselves during the experience. So, I opened a file marked: Who Does He Think He is? and any time I read something about tracing your roots, or a female who works as a researcher, or I read about a man who wants to trace his family tree - then I hurl the cutting into the file. And there it sits, along with all the other idea files. Sometimes a file sits there for years. Sometimes a book emerges. And sometimes I sell the written book. If I sell a book, then I throw out the ideas file - it's served its purpose.I did write yesterday. Mostly revising Chapter Three bearing in mind the comments from Jen and my sister.
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The dedicated, persevering, and systematic way you pursue your writing career is inspiring.
There is a woman here in the states (it's probably Cyndi Seidler) who is an expert on organizing - she has written a whole book on filing systems. I heard her on public radio years ago and adopted her recommendation that all file folder label tabs be mounted in the center of the folder. It makes your file drawer look incredibly neat and, perhaps counter-intuitively, it does not hinder searching, assuming you have a certain thickness of material in most folders. Once, when I was still gainfully employed, the big boss came to my cubicle and asked for a specific document. He praised me for my tidiness and organizational ability when I opened the desk drawer and revealed the center-labeled folders. And let me tell you, it's a hot day in Spitsbergen when anyone praises me for tidiness and organization.
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