Index cards / plot wrangling

**nickellis** · 02-09-2012, 04:57 PM

Was looking at various writing apps yesterday & came across this:

http://www.denvog.com/iphone/IndexCard/

It's an iPhone app for plot/outline rearranging that uses either a beat sheet (list of plot points) or an index card interface. The extra cool thing is that you can have it sync with Scrivener (definitely on the Mac, Scrivener is on Windows too, not sure if Index Card will sync to the Windows version of Scrivener).

In Scrivener you can rearrange your plot using the index card function, and it will automatically rearrange the script/manuscript/words associated with those plot points. So you shuffle around the order & it shuffles your script around to match.

The iPad app means you can do that in a cafe, or something. I also think an index card interface would be much easier to use on a touch screen.

[I haven't actually tried this yet, but if it lives up to its promise, it sounds pretty cool.]

Does anyone here use Scrivener or other applications like this? Or outline plots in this way, even physically on a cork board?

**killingyouguy** · 02-09-2012, 07:05 PM

I need to get a damn Mac. I want to give Scrivener a shot. Usually I just take notes in word or on pads. The major problem being lack of organization, which often leads to never going back to the notes I've taken, and trying to reconstitute it from memory. I use index cards... sometimes. Though I often find rambling word documents to actually be easier on my thought process. There is a surprisingly workable notecard template in Final Draft 8, for those that use it.

Writing this post has also made me realize just how much I suck at outlining. A flaw I desperately need to correct.

**Karen Mahoney** · 02-10-2012, 02:31 AM

Originally Posted by killingyouguy

I need to get a damn Mac. I want to give Scrivener a shot.

You can get Scrivener for Windows now, and it's the full version - beta version went out before and was tested, etc. I hear it compares almost exactly to the Mac version.

Kaz

**Karen Mahoney** · 02-10-2012, 02:32 AM

I used index cards when I'm revising (after rough draft written) or if I get stuck. I used the actual cards, though! I do it old school...

I just spread them out on the floor and use different colours for each plot thread.

Kaz

**nickellis** · 02-11-2012, 06:43 AM

Kaz - I have three corkboards that I'm itching to use to map out ridiculous plots using actual cards...

N

**Karen Mahoney** · 02-11-2012, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by nickellis

Kaz - I have three corkboards that I'm itching to use to map out ridiculous plots using actual cards...

N

There is something nice about having the cards physically in your hands, though I have tried the Word version of Scrivener and think it looks good.

Kaz

**Karen Mahoney** · 02-11-2012, 01:14 PM

Here's one of the best (and most straightforward) posts about index cards I've read:

http://johnaugust.com/2010/10-hints-for-index-cards

He's a sreenwriter and his whole site is worth a look.

Kaz

**killingyouguy** · 02-12-2012, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by Karen Mahoney

You can get Scrivener for Windows now, and it's the full version - beta version went out before and was tested, etc. I hear it compares almost exactly to the Mac version.

Kaz

Oh, cool! Awesome.

As far an cards go, there's a great episode of Nerdist Writer's Panel (which is a must listen if you're not already) where John Rogers, the creator of Leverage, describe the OCD multi-colored index card system they use to break episodes of the show. It's really fascinating.

**beamish** · 02-12-2012, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by Karen Mahoney

You can get Scrivener for Windows now, and it's the full version - beta version went out before and was tested, etc. I hear it compares almost exactly to the Mac version.

Kaz

This excites me. I've installed it an only need time to play.