Weekend Writers Cafe - Let’s Share Our Swipe File Idea & Word Sparks & Happy Easter
As usual the cafe is open for any writing, blogging or business topics you’d like to discuss, or questions you may have which fellow cafe goers may be able to help with. Feel free to throw your own topics into the discussion.
Help yourself to your beverage of choice, some yummy goodies and pull up a chair.
Earlier this week at Grow Your Writing Business, we discussed writers’ swipe files.
What’s in your writer’s swipe file?
Let’s share the sort of things that you collect for your swipe file as a jumping off point for your own writing or blogging. Bob Younce made an excellent point. He says that “too often it becomes more swipe and less jump.”
I agree that it’s all to easy to succumb to the “echo chamber effect” and just regurgitate what is already out there. Even the big name bloggers often seem to resort to new ways of saying the same old things, and the echo just gets louder and more overwhelming.
My idea of a swipe file is more a list of great verbs that I add to in a word document, interesting words I’d like to try using, a must have link, ideas for headlines etc. I also like Karen Swim’s idea of saving photos, a color or a poem just for inspiration too.
It could also be an “idea catcher” of ideas you think of yourself, but aren’t ready to work on just yet. How do you manage to keep control of or remember all your ideas or word sparks, sentence structures etc.?
Feel free to share a useful link from your swipe file or to ask us to share things you are building up in your swipe file.
Catch me on the web - Yvonne Russell
www.growyourwritingbusiness.com
www.smallbizmentor.com
www.homebiznotes.com
Hi Yvonne. Sorry I don’t have much to share this weekend but I just wanted to drop by to wish you a blessed Holy Week. Take care.
Happy Easter, Yvonne. I use a combination of drafting posts in Windows Live Writer and lists written on my desk diary, then transferred to a file. Of course, it’s most useful if I can note down some of the main points, instead of just the idea, but there isn’t always time to do that.
Thanks for the link, Yvonne!
I like to keep a running “Best of the Best of” list. In other words, I might take 2 or 3 points from a “Top 10 Ways to” and mix them with another “Top 8″ list later.
No time to visit or indulge in the goodies of the day. I’m trying to get our church’s new Web site unveiled tomorrow in time for Easter. Just wanted to wish everyone a blessed weekend.
I have a busy weekend, too, but wanted to wish everyone a Blessed and Happy Easter. Next weekend I won’t be dropping by either, since I’ll be traveling and attending a home business conference.
Happy Easter, Yvonne - to you and all your readers.
Keep the cafe open, we like being here, be it holiday or a normal working day. You always inspire us.
About my swipe files… there’s a lot there, basically everything the muse drops my way.
I started a good idea of keeping ideas on note cards. I got busy one weekend and wrote down all kinds of ideas that came to mind, but it’s kind of been forgotten. I do that a lot. I start a plan, then life happens and I don’t always follow through. I’ll get back to it. This week was Spring break and we had a house of recovering sickies (me included) so I’m hoping next week will be a little more normal and I can work on this again! Thanks for the reminder.
Hi Yvonne and all,
Happy Easter to those who celebrate (I don’t) and have a great weekend.
My swipe file consists of a bunch of bookmarks, my trusted Moleskine and my RSS reader for last minute inspiration. Plus I also love to use offline media to give me great pointers for headlines or ideas.
Hi Rach
Happy Easter to you and your family. Thanks for taking the time to drop by.
Hi Sharon
Sounds like you have a good system here. I enjoyed seeing pics of the view from your desk at your blog.
Hi Bob
Sounds good…
I have just a few lists I refer to regualarly. They are in Word format - ones I’ve compiled myself, rather than just web links. I find lists of web links become too unwieldy and are not specific enough.
Hi Lillie
Congrats on the new website and all the best with the unveiling. Happy Easter.
Hi Mary Emma
The home business conference sounds interesting. Enjoy!
Hi Mig
Good to see you here as I know you are busy. Yes, the Writers Cafe is open all weekend, but we often have people pop in through the week as well. I love it.
Happy Easter to you too.
Hi Mig
Good to see you here, as I know you are busy.
Yes, the Writers Cafe is open all weekend, every weekend - but we often have people pop in through the week as well. I love it.
Happy Easter to you too.
Hi Debbie
I think all the Writers Cafe goers will identify with your “life gets in the way” dilemma.
Take care.
Hi Monika
Sounds like a good mix. I love the sound of the Moleskine. I’ve never had one, but I know those who do just love them.
Enjoy your weekend.
It seems to work, though I still have the odd lost idea.
I love that view, though I do get the occasional cloudy day. There’s a storm in the air right now and there have been sightings of 20 foot waves in normally placid areas. Good thing I live inland.
Hi Yvonne,
Wishing you and everyone a Glorious Easter!!!
Have a great Easter week.
Princess
Hello and Happy Easter everyone! I have a hard copy swipe file where I store offline material and an electronic swipe file. I also love scribe (free plug in that lets you jot notes an copy info from any site) and backpack for keeping electronic track of things. Finally, I have an idea notebook. I jot down story ideas, phrases (mine or others), snippets. On the run, I’ll record ideas on my phone’s voice recorder.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter. I’m sure to pop by again! Thanks Yvonne for being such a wonderful host.
Wow! It sounds like there are a lot of organized people here.
I just basically keep notes in notepad of things that interest me.
Happy Easter!
Happy Easter all, I´ve brought some bunny cookies and creme eggs that my son and I made earlier today to share with everyone, so help yourself!
My swipe file consists of two thing, a bookmarks list which I keep on my Google toolbar (my computers are not reliable and I find myself switching constantly) of all the links I come across that might work for something in the future. They are divided by blog or topic.
The second way I keep track of things, mostly my ideas, is to write lists in Word. These are usually titles for blog posts or articles, when I´m stuck, I can refer back to them.
Hi Sharon
I’m looking out onto rainforest… a far cry from the snow I hear many others are having. Your weather is probably more like ours at the moment… lovely and sunny.
Thanks Princess. Happy Easter to you and yours.
Hi Karen
You sound wonderfully organized. Thanks for sharing your ideas. I’ll have to hunt out those electronice options you mention, and I hadn’t thought of voice recordings either.
Sounds like lots of us still like to use a notebook as well.
Happy Easter.
Hi Laura
Quite inspirational, isn’t it, and lots of great ideas to try.
So that’s another vote for the trusty notebook. I would be lost without mine too.
Hi Genesis
Oohh yum! Thanks for bringing along the Easter goodies for us. I like using Word as well.
I’m going away from saving links as they become too unmanageable, but sometimes I just don’t have time to make notes.
Sounds lovely, Yvonne. Generally the weather is great here, too.
Hi Yvonne,
I am actually not so busy as I’d like - I haven’t been online much lately - some personal issues keep me away from the daily routine. But as I see you are not here that often either. Is everything all right?
Mig