Of paper, that is.
I need to clean out my computer hutch because it’s a total disaster area in there, everything keeps sliding out, and I think there may be some sort of new civilization arising from the papers that have ended up behind my computer monitor.
My current solution to the problem is to drag it all out and put it in a box and then go through the box, sorting it into categories like:
important papers
novel notes
plot bunnies
character names
and so on
Why don’t I just sort as I pull it out?
Good question.
For one thing, not everything in there is paper, just the majority of it. Getting the paper all out of the way lets me see what else I’m dealing with.
And a box is a lot more portable than my computer hutch. I can take it all someplace where I’ll have more room to sort it all out into piles. This is especially important because I have no idea how many piles I’ll need.
Plus, currently, every time I pull out one piece of paper half a dozen more avalanche along with it.
The ultimate goal (aside from pretending to have an organized life) is to move some of my writing stuff over here instead of having scattered wherever it currently is. I especially want my Plot Bunny/WiP binder over here so I can just write ideas in it instead of on scraps of paper (which is part of what led to this mess).
I’m also seriously considering not replacing my PC, but just getting a new laptop. That would free up a great deal of space. I’d have the slot where the PC sat before its power supply went kaput (fortunately the hard drive was salvageable), I could get rid of the monitor which give me more room in the hutch itself, and I could get rid of a lot of cords, the PC’s speakers, etc.
I think I just talked myself into it. (See? Decluttering space helps declutter the mind. And it helps clear up creative blockages too.)
So, that’s one current side project. If anyone has any great ideas for taming paper clutter, I’d love to hear them, especially if they’re ideas for keeping it tamed once it’s conquered. Meanwhile, if anyone needs me, I’m engaged in an archaeological dig in my computer hutch.
Novel Notes 