Why These Two Writers Love Lap Desks and Post-Its by Carol Ross and Amy Vastine


One thing Carol and I have learned over the last few years of our writing career is that every author has their own way of doing things. We all know about the plotters vs. the pantsers. Some people like to get their word count in before noon and others get the most wordy around 3am (where my late-night ladies at?) Some people use fancy computer programs to organize their novels and other people still like to scribble their first draft out on paper using this crazy thing called a pen.


Here are a couple things that Carol and I love to use to help us when we’re writing. Whether you’re a plotter or a pantser, a early bird or a night owl, a techy or a fossil, these two things can help you, too!


Amy:

I know some people like to sit at a desk to write. Others might enjoy typing those plot twists while sipping coffee from the kitchen table. Me, I like to write wherever the spirit moves me. If I sit in the same spot for too long, all my creativity and attention disappear. My laptop makes it easy to be on the move and my trusty lap desk makes it even easier. Thanks to my lap desk, I can turn anywhere into my office. If I feel like hanging out on the couch, I can snuggle next to my pooch or my husband and still work at the same time. Chilling out and writing some tear-jerker moments from my deck is no problem thanks to my lap desk. I can even get some snappy dialogue written from the comfort of my bed, like in the picture up above! I even do my pre-writing/plotting using my lap desk, a notebook, and *gasp* a pencil!


You can get yourself something with cup holders or built-in mousepads. Some have clip-on lights and others have fans to keep your laptop cool when you’re typing like a madwoman. I love that there are so many options to personalize it to your needs!


Carol:
What in the world can claim to be both tacky and stylish? Clingy yet liberating? Gummy but not gooey? If you haven’t guessed, I’m going to just tell you the answer. Post-it notes!

As an obsessive list-maker, the only thing better than writing a list is writing another list (or seven) and then stacking the lists. (I love you plain paper, but without sticky residue you’re just a sheet blowing in the wind.) I need to stack my lists and I need them to stay put.
Some of you might also relate to the “someday soon” list. This is a list of items that aren’t particularly urgent but still need to be done. Sticky notes offer the someday soon list-maker an almost endless opportunity to procrastinate get things done! The list can easily be shuffled through a calendar or daily planner from one day or week to the next, thereby allaying my your guilt at my your personal lack of stick-with-it-ness. I’ve even “heard” that these someday soon lists can travel through a calendar for months, repeatedly re-attaching here and there, reaffirming that someday I am you will get all caught up!
On a deeply personal level, here’s why I love them the most. Sticky notes are the key tool in my plotting world. Now, I’m not a huge plotter, per se, in that I don’t sketch out entire scenes before I start writing. But I do know what is going to happen (or what should happen) at various stages of my story. I also like to write scenes out of order.


Sticky notes help me keep track of every scene, those written and those yet to be. I started this system a few years ago, but after a workshop at my local RWA chapter with talented and clever Farrah Rochon I took it to another level with, you guessed it, color-coded POV sticky notes. Blue for my hero, pink for the heroine, and green or yellow for scene ideas that have yet to be written.
Each square on the poster board is a chapter. Each note inside a square contains a basic outline of a single scene and its purpose. You can move them around, stack them, remove them from the board for later use and, yes, sometimes even throw them away *gentle sob* It’s like Scrivener for Dummies. I love Scrivener and I’ve used it for a few projects now but still can’t abandon my hands-on approach.
Here’s a photo of my last complete project. Note the end is a little barren as I tend to race toward the finish when I reach about two-thirds of the way through the story. At that point, I’m mainly using sticky notes to remind me of important things like calling my mom and brushing my teeth.


Well, there you have it. Two things these two writers love. What’s your tool of the trade? What’s that one thing that make writing just a little bit easier for you? Sharing is caring!


Carol and Amy are thrilled to have new Heartwarming novels coming out next month! Check them both out here.


For more information about Carol Ross and Amy Vastine, including complete lists of their books, please visit their websites!

Comments

  1. I loved this post, ladies, especially the post-it board with each chapter in its own little square. I’ve been using notebooks but this is so much easier to see and find. Thanks for the tips, proving in my case, that you can teach an old dog new tricks!

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    1. I highly recommend it Janice! I've used notebooks, too, but it's really nice to be able to see everything laid out at one time. And the board helps me see where I need to go in the story and when.

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  2. Enjoyed your post! I've gone between writing at my desk and using a laptop wherever for years. My schedule is about to go through a big change, and I'm re-evaluating my "process" to see if I can become more productive. This post was very timely for me :)

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    1. I do that, too, Cathy. I like to switch it up. And I just got one of those standing desks so I don't have to sit all the time. I hope you'll let us know what strategies you come up with to increase your productivity. I could use a few of those, too :)

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    2. I just don't think I could stand all day, though I hear those desks are much better for a person than sitting all day.

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    3. Mine goes up and down! There's a button and you can even program it for whatever height you want. Very cool.

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  3. Carol, I see that your board is comprised of pink and blue. Are you like me with Scrivener and switch colors, depending on whether the scene is told from the point-of-view of the lead man or woman? It's an easy way for me to see if I've balanced the two. Amy, right now, a lap desk is too tempting. I can already fall asleep at my computer desk. Imagine the disaster if I wrote in bed! Fun post, ladies. Best!

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    1. Yes, that's exactly what I do! I put scene ideas on green or yellow post-its. Then I switch them over to pink or blue after each scene is written. It's so satisfying to watch the colors change on my board. Lol about falling asleep at your desk. I have been known to fall asleep with my laptop a time or two.

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  4. I like the post--I'm with you both when it comes to writing anywhere--and post-its are right up there with the life-changing developments like the printing press, computers, and the nicotine patch. I always enjoy hearing about the tools of the trade and various methods other writers use. Isn't it fun to be in a field where there's no single way to accomplish the same end.

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    1. Lol, Virginia. Exactly! The importance of post-it notes cannot be understated. I just saw a commercial for post-it note "extreme" that you can use outside and on textured surfaces. I can't wait to try them out.

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  5. Love the post. I've tried sticky notes but so far not successfully. I'm inspired to try again with the next book. Congrats on your releases!

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    1. Thank you, TR! It took me a couple books to get the hang of it. I was just so determined to figure out a way to stop getting "lost" in my MS. I change things so much that I forget what I put where and how many scenes are in which POV.

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  6. The laptop was, I think, a real game-changer (remembering my bulky desktop). So much more freedom, and lap desks come in such cute patterns. I use a lot of Post-its, which are usually scattered all over, but I also love flags. I stick them in the margin of a manuscript printout so I can easily see where to add all the stuff I left out! This is my task for today. 😉 Thank you, ladies. Great post!

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    1. So true, Leigh. I just got a large monitor that I can plug into my laptop, which really gives me a lot of flexibility. I love those flags, too. My printouts are usually full of them. Good luck editing today!

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  7. I still use only a desktop which is upstairs. That caused a great deal of problems when I had surgery last year and couldn't climb steps. My daughter who does my web site keeps hounding me to buy a laptop. I do consider it. I like your idea of sticky notes as I write from a well marked up synopsis.

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    1. H, Roz. Yikes about your surgery. I think your daughter is right that you could really use a laptop. I have a cord so I can still hook mine up to a monitor when I want. It works great. Your synopsis method sounds good, too. You have so much experience - you should consider doing a post on how that plotting method works for you.

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  8. LOVE this!! It's so funny. I write in the same spot every day and don't plot out my books...until I get to the last quarter or so, then I write it all out on various post-its, stack them up, then pull them off the stack as I write that scene, LOL. I'm impressed at the organization, Carol. Although it makes my brain explode! And I wish i could write anywhere, Amy. Might have to work on that . Great post, ladies, as always.

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    1. Thanks, Anna! That is so funny that you plot the end. I love the idea of pulling those scenes off the stack as you write them - so satisfying! I'm glad I appear organized. I don't at all feel that way. Notice the photo doesn't show the rest of my office with piles of notebooks, books, papers, etc. Lol.

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  9. I like the lapdesk, too, although it was wearing a spot on the arms of my favorite chair. It works better on the couch. My reminders are mostly digital because I kept losing them, but I'm a fan of post-it notes on the bathroom mirror for early-day reminders.

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    1. Beth, I think that's a good sign if you're lapdesk is wearing holes in the chair! I've heard of digital post-it notes but I've never seen one. Sometimes I wish I wasn't quite so old-school. Love those reminder post-it notes, too.

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  10. this is interesting , to think you use postes, just like on the aurora tea garden movies. love it. i also finished your book Carol and love it looking forward to the nest one

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    1. Hi, Patricia! I don't know this movie. I'm going to look it up! Thank you for reading Bachelor Remedy. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I'm working on the next one right now :)

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  11. Such an interesting post ladies. I always enjoy learning how writers go about plotting and organizing their book notes.
    Congratulations on your upcoming new releases!

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    1. Thank you, Laurie. I enjoy it, too. I'm always looking for new ideas.

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  12. I typically sit at my dining room table although I have an office. I've done sticky notes and need to do them more.

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    1. I like to move around the house, too, Pam. It can get a little lonely in my office sometimes. Lol

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  13. I love my lapdesk, too, although I'm always losing my mouse because it slides into the chair cushion and hides, and I want to develop that board system! Or, well, any system...

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    1. Lol, Liz! I know what you mean about that mouse. Mine is sneaky like that, too. I keep tweaking my system thinking it will help me write faster and better and more efficiently. Yeah, I'll just keep trying...

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