An ode to index cards
Hey, the Monday mote isn't always sexy
Yes, index cards.
I met with a writing client recently and she rather wonderfully produced a box of index cards, which she was using to plot her book.
The frisson of excitement I felt was, well, probably over-the-top but that’s how these sturdy paper rectangles get me.
I’ve used index cards since the beginning of time. They are, without a doubt, the best kept secret in writing.
Forget morning mantras, expensive pens, fluffy notebooks and Final Draft, index cards are the way forward.
Each card can hold specific elements like characters, plot points, locations or themes, making it easier to visualise the overall structure of your story.
Plot a script. Break down every scene on an index card. Fill a table or floor space with cards and you get an immediate overview of how the project is going.
It’s a very tactile way of working. I feel more connected to what I’m writing when I can hold the cards. They’re like a progress comfort blanket.
They are fluid. They are grace. If you want to switch a scene or explore a new plot twist, you can move the cards around with no dilly-dallying. And if you deem that what you’ve been doing is a steaming pile of nonsense, simply rip them up dramatically and chuck them in the recycling.
Stick them on the wall, keep them in a box, stroke them before bed, they are the ultimate word processor. Cheaper too, and you don’t need a subscription to a printer in order to SEE WHAT YOU’VE JUST WRITTEN.
Ahem.
I’m keeping the Monday mote brief today because Wimbledon has just started and as it’s my place of birth, I am compelled to watch or listen to every moment of the tournament.
Shush. It’s started.
So I shall leave you with a little haiku to celebrate writing with index cards.
Cards in hand, I plot,
Characters dance and evolve,
Stories come to life.
Please consider using index cards in your next project.
You can thank me later.
This has been a public service announcement.
Stationery for life! *punches the air*
Lisa
My first job out of college was for a Master Indexer. He had a masters in Library Sciences and yes, we got along perfectly! He indexed The Mother Earth News, and I was his first employee. We worked in his barn on this 40 acre parcel in Mendocino County. It was winter and cold out and I wore gloves to type on his new 'Selectic" typewriter, state of the art at the time. I love Index Cards! Much better seems than Post Its which other author pals use. Me, I'm a pants-er, so have so far ignored those little white rectangles, but now after attending writing conference (and sitting on a mktg panel) think I am gonna jump into Bool 3 in my cartel Yucatan thriller. Inspired? yes!
Not only do I miss library index card files, but I'm remembering the fragrance of index card drawers when pulled out. Bless you for reawakening the power of this style of file management.