Writers Need List To Do All Kinds of Things

Creating Lists Can Help Writers In Many Ways

I was reading Stepcase Lifehacker’s article about the 12 lists that help you get things done, and I had to agree that I have a version of one of these lists that I keep track of. One thing I know is that Writers need lists. It doesn’t matter how you create or maintain them, you need them to be most effective when writing.

If it weren’t for lists, I don’t know how I would survive. Even though I am a major Internet junkie, I still use notebooks and stickies to keep track of my lists. I have my to-do lists that I write every morning, so I can check off the things that need to get done. It’s a great way to feel like you have accomplished something, which is a big motivator. I also have goals list that I update monthly. I’ve been doing this since I was in my early twenties, and it has helped me achieve many wonderful things in my life.

I do use Amazon, 43 Things, and Google Tasks to maintain my lists online, but I mainly rely on my paper ones. There are my wish lists, shopping lists, home improvement lists, etc.

Lists have helped me in writing outlines for stories, project plans, and/or requirements. It’s easy to detail what I want with a basic list because I know how to effectively create one. I learned a lot when I bought a Franklin Covey planner It came along with a tutorial on effective list making. Even in my mind, I can keep a running list that I can later on put on paper.

List making is fun, and I love sitting down and creating a list. It’s also a good excuse to go get some new stationary and pens (I am obsessed with buying them).

Photo Detail: Wreck this Journal: Shopping Lists, originally uploaded by Lost Star.