Trying to write a book. Need advice on how to get organized!

There are many different ways to keep your thoughts and research organized. One way would be to use index cards. You can put each charactor in your book on a card just for that charactor. You can also put different ideas on the cards them organize them as far as how you want them to happen in the book. Another good idea is to keep a writer's journal. This is simply a notebook that you carry around with you to write any ideas you come up with down. This comes in handy when you are out and about and have an idea of something you want to add to your book. You can write it down as soon as the idea comes to you instead of waiting until you get home. Less chance of forgetting things. Good luck in writing your book!

You've gotten some great advice, I can only add my two cents; take what you like, leave the rest. Outlines work great. Your top level would be chapters, and sub headings main point or topics or scenes(depending on the type of book you're writing) This is helpful to me, because I can work on any part of the story at any time, I can go to the end, back to the beginning, then to the middle. If you have Office Suite, there are some great tools within the software. One Note allows you to paper clip pieces of your work together, and add notes, edit and more. You can also use power point as note cards(I always loose papers, so the more I put on my computer, the better organized I am).Just remember to back everything up on a disc, and keep your discs all together in an organizer(1 for notes, 1 for references 1 for rough draft 1 for ideas). For the few paper copies I keep, I like to use three ring binders. I'll use dividers to separate notes from drafts, or chapters from chapters, and I'll tape a piece of paper to the back for references. That's about all I got, happy writing.

oh wow! good for you. i hope you can get started. i am also an aspiring writer, but i am too busy to get too creative. i am busy earning money and finding ways to earn more money because i am the only one earning in our home. anyway, i do hope the best for you. take care and God bless you!

My way is to try to make an outline of your story. Make it bullet pointed to make it easier. Just the details of the scenes. From this outline, try to elaborate the scenes. If you have done so, you may start writing your novel.

Read: Pen On Fire: A Busy Woman's Guide to Igniting the Writer Within, even if your not a woman I think its still useful because each chapter discusses things that worked for her and the issues she's had while writing and even things common to writing, needing a certain pen to write, then use it! I love how she writes and its not too serious but like your neighbor type of talk. 2) I really came up with a good idea for a story and made it three chapters after coming to a gap in my story since it intertwined three different peoples lives and unfortunately thats where it stayed because I lost my notes on how the story would go. Crucial to all writers I think and get an accordian file, whatever works in your life to keep your notes sorted. I also lost my disk with my story typed up which doesnt help so maybe you can get an accordian file with one of those disk slots in it. I almost went into depression when I thought I lost my paper copy of the story luckiliy I found it last month and everyday I think about which way the story could go.