In this article I’m going to discuss the “index card method” of writing. If you haven’t ever tried it, you should know that using index cards to write is a very good and useful way to get the job done. It’s easy once you get the basic idea, and if you practice it regularly you’ll be able to produce better results and faster results on a consistent basis.
For the purpose of this article, an “index card” is the little 3×5 or 4×6 lined paper card that you can purchase at your local office supply store. They provide just enough room to write some notes but not so much to let you go off on a tangent!
Now for the methodology…
You’ll need quite a few index cards on hand. You’ll need anywhere from 50 to 500 depending on the size of your book.
Step 1 is to get your notes onto the cards. Go through your sources, your thoughts, your notes, and write a little bit of text for each topic on each index card. The more detailed you are, the better… but you don’t want to over-do it. If you find yourself needing to turn the card over and write on the back you’re probably...