Writing novels is the hardest thing I do on a daily basis. It’s harder than my job, harder than changing nappies, harder than sticking to a training program, and the delayed gratification is often too far to be spotted.
Because it is such a gigantic project, it can’t just live in my head, and it can’t just be poured on paper. Novels in development need a space to flow and grow; a support infrastructure that can hold the pieces together until it gets out of my hands.
Enter the PARA method.
What is the PARA method?
The PARA method is a simple, yet flexible organising system for digital information. It was invented, developed and popularised by Tiago Forte, the mind behind the knowledge management system called “Second Brain”.
This method is somewhat counterintuitive, as it doesn’t categorise information by subject, but by actionability. The four parts of the system are as follows:
Projects. Anything you are working on right now with a definable finish line. Example: finish my first draft.
Areas. Long-term responsibilities you need to manage over time. Example: health. Or, reading.
Resources. Areas of interest that might become useful in the future. Example: torture devices of the inquisition.
Archive. Anything currently inactive from the previous 3 categories. Example: Malaga 2011.
You can read more about this method on Tiago’s blog, and he’s recently published an entire book on the subject, but if you grasped my description above, you might have realised that “writing a novel” is, in itself, a project.
And you’re right.
In fact, I always keep a folder in my projects with the title of the novel I’m writing at the moment, but just like buying a house or getting married, big projects are made of loads of smaller ones, and the sheer amount of information can easily spiral into becoming overwhelming.
That’s why I have applied Tiago’s method to novel writing. In this way, I always know where the important info is stored, where I find my inspiration, and nothing is forgotten or left behind.
Let’s have a look at how this works in detail.
1. Projects: The Path Ahead
To make this work for me, I had to twist the definition of projects slightly. In my novel world, a project is anything yet to be included in the novel. Let’s lead with some examples.
The structure of my next scene goes into projects. Details of a backstory I need to include at some point is also a project. A better opening paragraph I don’t have time to tie in right now, also a project.
a project is anything yet to be included in the novel
Regardless of where you fall in the plotter-to-pantser spectrum, your ideas will never follow the pace in which you are typing the story. But you need a way of capturing those ideas and quickly store them somewhere safe, for later reference. That’s what the project folder should be.
Usually, once an idea makes it into a draft, I move it to the archive folder, but occasionally, if it becomes important enough to be expanded, it might be promoted to Areas or Resources.
2. Areas: Your Project Manager
If the Areas folder was a job role, it would be your project manager.
In here, you should keep all those information that is worth maintaining and keeping up to date. The first document I always include here is a list of characters with their full names and relationships. If you have notes about your worldbuilding, they should also be stored here. Any details on magic systems, technologies, secrets and motivations can also be included, as long as they are valuable as you write.
If the Areas folder was a job role, it would be your project manager.
Information tends to stay here from beginning to end. If something ends up in the Archive, it means I have changed it substantially.
3. Resources: The Muse
This is, plain and simple, your research folder.
Anything goes in here. Book titles and notes. YouTube video links. Thematic questions to explore. That very obscure podcast with the crazy host which would make a great villain. Anything.
by keeping your resources well-organized and easily accessible, you'll be better equipped to infuse depth and authenticity into your novel's world and characters.
Differently from the other folders, though, this one is ok to organise by subject. I wouldn’t suggest it, but if you’re trying to write another “Pillars of the Earth”, you might want your stone masonry and black plague notes under different tags.
Also, by keeping your resources well-organized and easily accessible, you'll be better equipped to infuse depth and authenticity into your novel's world and characters.
4. Archive: Your Waste Paper Basket
If it isn’t obvious enough, your archive serve as a repository for old drafts, discarded scenes, or character ideas that didn't make the final cut.
But then, why not delete that stuff?
Nothing is ever wasted.
Because you might need it. Sometimes, a previous version of something turns out to be the better one. Sometimes, especially when you’ve got a big cast of characters to bring along, it’s easy to forget what made some of them unique.
Your archive becomes also fundamental as you go from draft 1 to draft 1000. Looking at how your story has developed can help you choose the best editing strategies.
Nothing is ever wasted.
As with any creative pursuit, most people will say there isn’t a better or worse method to craft a novel. They are wrong.
Conclusion: Why Even Bother?
At the end of the day, writing a novel requires a certain degree of capturing, storing and sifting through ideas, and we all use our methods.
So, why bother applying this one?
As with any creative pursuit, most people will say there isn’t a better or worse method to craft a novel. They are wrong. There is a best method, although it looks really different from person to person. The best method is always the one that allows you to create more freely, to dare more fiercely, and to go deeper into your form of expression.
Improvising does not allow me to do that. Categorising doesn’t either.
The PARA method works very well for me because I can create on top of that, forgetting it exists, until I have to refer back to something, and that’s when it comes handy. It removes a lot of friction, and I hope some version of it will smooth the process for you as well.
Alla prossima.