Index Cards and Why Some People Love Them
Index cards come in different sizes and colors which only add to the flexibility of their uses.
They can be used for just artistic purposes but mostly they are used to record and organize thoughts.
Many authors will brainstorm ideas and write them down on index cards, shuffle them around into a logical order, and then begin to write based on that sequence.
One such author, Jennifer McMahon has described her process this way:
I love index cards. I use them to capture ideas when I’m brainstorming at the very beginning of a book. I take notes on them when I’m doing research. If I’m having a rough time getting a section down when I’m writing, I’ll pull out the index cards and sketch out parts of a scene on them, and move them around until things work. Once I’ve written my messy first draft, I print it out, lay it out on the floor of my house, and then move things around, and work up an outline using index cards (one card per chapter or scene). When I’m making my index card outline, I think about the three act structure and will actually write things like “Act One Climax” at the bottom of a scene card. I then use this index card outline when I’m revising. I also use index cards to map out timelines for my books. And during each revision, I make a stack of index card notes telling me what changes I need to make.
The beauty of index cards and is that they’re small, portable, easy to lay out on the floor or tabletop. They come in lots of pretty colors so I can color code chapters by point of view or timeline. I can sketch on them. Glue inspirational pictures onto them. Paperclip extra bits of info to them. Thumbtack them to my bulletin board. They turn storytelling into a tactile, visual process for me.
Perhaps you too would like to try this method of writing. At least it sounds fun.
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