Files or Piles?

Controlling and Organizing Writing Project Paper

Jun 7, 2007

With work styles that go beyond hanging files in a drawer, keeping paper organized and neatly tucked away can be a challenge. Learn some options that may work for you.

Only in a perfect world can we truly be paperless; the rest of us are left to figure out how to organize the mountain of thin, flattened trees that take over our workspaces. There are those of use who are pilers, and those who are filers. Some prefer stacks or slots, vertical or horizontal, hidden or sitting out. None of these methods of organizing your writing projects is inherently better or worse than the next, but several may be better or worse for your personality and work style. What options do you have for maintaining some sanity in a world full of paper?

For the horizontal organizers:

Piles

Piles on your desk take up a lot of space. If you're lucky enough to have a large worktable where you can spread out projects, and have few projects to organize, this may work well for you. Most of us don't have this luxury, so for that you can try:

Stacks

Stacking file trays and even scrapbook paper organizers can help the pilers of the world keep their work organized and minimize valuable surface space.

Wall-Mounted Magazine Racks

An alternative to stacks and a compromise between horizontal and vertical systems, magazine racks allow you to dump paper and parts of all sizes into plastic slots. The mess is contained without forcing you to get overly organized.

For the vertical organizers:

Binders

If you don't mind taking the time to hole-punch your papers or slip it into plastic page protectors, binders are a great way to keep projects organized and out of sight. Binders come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, and are easily transported from workspace to workspace.

Files

This system is most commonly forced upon people in the workplace with manila folders and drawers full of tabs. If you don't have drawers to use but prefer filing systems, you can use portable plastic boxes designed to hold hanging folders, or a stepped file rack which will hold several files handy with their tabs in clear view.

Wall Boards

Binder clips on a pegboard or a simple oversized bulletin board can hold parts of projects. This is especially great for story boarding novels and non-fiction manuals. If you have the wall space, it's a great tool for visual learners.

If you find that your current system isn't working, try something new until it does work. Keeping track of submissions and completions doesn't have to be stressful when your system fits your style. Whenever possible, purge projects you no longer need paper copies of or transfer them to an electronic program. (For this I recommend Life Journal for Writers.)

The copyright of the article Files or Piles? in Resources for Writers is owned by Kimberly Dawn Wells. Permission to republish Files or Piles? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.