Gear up for NaNoWriMo with the Idea Box  

As a writer, you certainly have a notebook where you put your ideas. But what if your latest idea doesn't fit your current novel ? Will you dump it ? Of course not. You'll note it and move on. There's a problem in this process : retrieving individual ideas from a notebook are painful.

So enter the "Idea Box", an analog "storage system" where every idea is written on an index card. For GTD fans, it's a bit like the POIC system, without the logging orientation.

How do I build an idea box ?
Take a box and some Post-it labels. Use labels and blank cards to build category delimiters. For example, here are the categories I use : Items and places, dialogs, events, names.

How do I fill my idea box ?

1. Always carry index cards with you.
2. When an idea springs to mind, note it on a card.
3. When you come back home, file your ideas into the box.
4. Repeat steps 1, 2, 3 for a while (programmers, no pun intended).
5. When you need an idea, pick a card.
6. When you need a plot, pick many cards (ever plotted with index cards ?).

Last advice
Noveling isn't the only use of the Idea Box. You can pick cards for everything : generate ideas for your next roleplaying session, create a storyline for a video game, get inspiration for a website design or a drawing...