Doto, B (2024) A System for Writing

How an unconventional approach to note-making can help you capture ideas, think wildly, and write constantly.

Chapter 1 - Capturing your thoughts

1.2 Fleeting notes are in a state of potential
1.3 How to take fleeting notes? have a thought, write it down
1.5 "Sleeping" folder for hard to process fleeting notes
1.9 Tasks are not main ideas - don't become main notes
1.10 " To write is to learn"
- cf writing is thinking
1 Careful of not writing things down - you won't remember

Chapter 2 - Taking notes while reading (or watching or listening)

2.2 Take reference notes on anything - albums, films, podcasts
2.2 Reference notes actively engage with media
- is this active reading?
2.5 Capture ideas you disagree with
2.5 Capture your thoughts on what author says/thinks

Chapter 3 - Making Main notes

3.1 Main note = single idea + link to another idea
3.1 Also link to where ideas used in your own writing
3.1 Titles should be declarative, not descriptive
3.3 Create main notes from your own writing
- iterative process: zk --> writing --> zk
3.4 Unanswered questions = low value notes
3.5 In light of vs in spite of whats already in your zk
3.6 Make new notes that contradict your old notes
- especially if you learn that old note is wrong

Chapter 4 - Connecting your ideas

4.2 Consider linking outside a notes original context
4.3 Make connections and state why you've made it
4.4 don't expect to remember why you made a link years down the line
4.4 Contextualised links increase understanding of idea itself
4.5 atomicity allows broader employment of idea
4.5 "But" and "However" are signs the next thought should be its own note
4.5 atomicity allows for reproducing of ideas
- see definition of interoperability
4.5 zk is disassembling of thought to be reproduced
- much like people used commonplace books
4.5 multiple smaller notes creates clarity no mess
4.7 embrace getting lost in your forest of ideas
- finding your way out will open new paths of thinking
4.7 Kieserling - zk "a way of finding something you were't looking for"

Chapter 5 - Using alphanumeric IDs to identify your notes

5.1 folzegettel/follow up note = alphanumeric id system
5.1 if a new notes speaks to previous note 1.1 then 1.1a, if not then 1.2
5.3 notes stay in context of original train of thought
5.5 add section title notes for easier location
- cf maps of content
5.5 section headings can be changed
- section headings nots appear to be empty
5.6 folzegettel not used to create hierarchy
5.6 not connecting notes, establishing relationships between the ideas contained in notes
5.6 folzegettel represents order ideas imported to zettelkasten - which can be none in particular
5.7 folzegettel provides a birds eye view of you notes
5.7 forces you to connect newly imported ideas
- or at least think about connections
5.7 some friction to adding notes is a good thing

Chapter 6 - Navigating the Anarchy of Ideas

6 anarchy concerns working with chaos
6.1 rhizome - deleuze and Guattar
6.1 zettelkasten as rhizome - non-hierarchical and non-normative ideation
6.2 create high level views to engage rhizome
6.3 create hub notes where cluster form around a topic
6.3 name note identifies topic of exploration
6.3 list notes where various trains of thought start
6.3 use folzegettel to I'd but don't link
6.3 hub notes are entry points
6.4 structure note is at minimum list of notes in an order that makes sense
6.4 organise and explain relationships between notes
6.4 structure not could form outline of essay on subject
6.5 keyword index no-hierarchical way to access notes
- again, use folzegettel id in note but don't link
6.5 can add more details eg naming/things, naming/patterns
6.5 ended can also point to emotions
- eg notes that make me laugh
6.6 hub notes, structure notes, index are UI to interact with notes

Chapter 7 - What to Write and How to do it

7.1 clusters of notes point to ideas ready for expression
7.1 a long alphanumeric I'd shows trains of thought added to over time
7.1 reference notes show what catches your attention
- look at what notes you actually made from a reference
7.1 well developed structure notes can become first drafts
7.1 if a note gets long can break up into several
- or turn into article, preferably both
7.2 use folzegettel and linked ideas to form articles
7.3 don't just copypaste notes and hit publish - recontextualise ideas
7.3 be wary of trying to fit all your ideas in one piece
- quality of ideas over quantity expressed.
7.5 "Writing isn't about only knowing what should be included. It's about knowing what to leave out"
7.5 your first paragraph can probably go - writers tend to need a run up
7.5 footnotes and endnotes allow you to go off script
7.5 don't have to bring every thought into your manuscript
7.5 what you don't include can be used elsewhere

Chapter 8 - Writing for Readers

8 all practices up to now have prepared us for writing
8 Meaning is created in community
8.1 turn a main note into a tweet or similar
8.1 comments and feedback can lead to new notes
8.1 your responses to comments can also become new notes
8.2 blog posts - different linked thoughts can be follow ups
8.2 essay and articles can be top downstart with predetermined topic
8.2 bottom up approach - pull an interesting topic from your zettelkasten
8.3 8 steps to write an article bottom
1 pick a note
2 examine connections
3 create new working file, import ideas
4 organized your thinking
5 edit and rewrite what's in front of you
6 decide on length
7 bring in more ideas if needed
8 finalize the piece
8.4 "writing a book should never start with a blank page"
8.5 outlines are living documents

Chapter 9 - Managing Your Writing Projects

9 support writing with two documents - daily journal and creative log
- where to keep? In or next to zettelkasten?
9.1 daily journal - record of day's activities
9.1 decide hat to work on and suggest work for following day
9.1 use Interstitial Journaling
9.1 record non work activities eg twitter black holes
9.2 creative log - progress, what needs attention suggest what to work on
9.2 purpose of project - for others and myself
9.2 date and time stamp activities
9.2 if multiple projects, store all creative logs on same topic in same file
9.5 no one system for managing projects