by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

As a writer, I’ve come to realize the value—and the elusiveness—of writing ideas. They come and go like beautiful blossoms in spring. And just like flowers, if we don’t pick them and save them, we lose them. So today I’d like to share some tips for catching and storing writing ideas.

Every single writer should have a system of keeping track of ideas. I have several. I also save the same ideas in multiple places to make them easier to find.

My Storage System

• Computer Files: I have multiple files on my computer for ideas. Here are just a few:
• Blog posts
• Devotions
• Quotes
• Book Ideas (divided into fiction and non-fiction)
• Article Ideas
• Links

As I said, I may store the same idea in multiple places. For instance, an idea for a blog post, might also work well for an article. Or I might expand it into a book idea. The reverse is also true. I may take a book idea and pull it apart and put multiple things from it into blog posts and articles.

I keep several different quotes files, including writing quotes, inspirational quotes, and Bible verses. These will often grow into ideas for articles, blog posts and devotions.

I also keep a list of links. If I come across a cool idea on the web, I paste the URL and a quick description of what I think I could write about.

I have a place on my iPad and iPhone where I can write ideas.

I’m also a big believer in making audio recordings. Especially when I’m driving or if I have a long idea, I can just record it on my iPhone’s voice memo and transcribe it later.

I’ve also begun to do some sketching. Trust me, it’s nothing I want to share yet, but it seems to jump start my creativity. So I keep some colored pens and pencils—with a small sketch pad—in my computer bag.

I’ve discovered that taking pictures is also a good way to record inspiring ideas. I take pictures of interesting people, places, even geometric shapes in buildings and clouds.

Finally, in case electronics fail me. I always carry a small notebook in my purse. The trick here is to remember to transfer those ideas to my other files so I don’t lose them!

These are my tips. What ways have you found to keep track of your writing ideas?

Edie Melson—author, blogger, speaker—has written numerous books, including her most recent fiction – Alone, and nonfiction – While My Child is Away. She’s also the military family blogger at Guideposts.org. Her popular blog, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands each month. She’s the director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and a member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. She’s the the Social Media Director for Southern Writers Magazine, Social Media Mentor at My Book Therapy, and the Senior Editor for NovelRocket.com.