Can I start this off by saying how freaking amazing OneNote is? I've been obsessed with it lately, and I'm about to tell you why. If you're at all convinced by the end of this article to get this, here is some good news: it is free! So I highly recommend you give it a try!

I've recently started using this for writing and I'm so obsessed. I find myself, instead of writing, adding in things on here. Most of what I've done is plotting for my next book (even though I'm still not done with edits of my current book).

One of the main things I do with this is characters. I use this to plan character arcs. I write about what is currently going on in book one with that specific character and what will happen in the future with them. It's really nice to just spew out whatever I have available in here. What's also nice is that this works with tabs and under each tab, you can add multiple pages to it.

As you can see in the image above, I have multiple pages for my characters. With Aurelia, I wrote a series of background information. I included instances that I should foreshadow. I think writing about what is happening with your main characters is a really good exercise for summarizing your books as well. It is also really fun to look at your work from an analytical point of view. I'm an English major...analyzing is fun!

One of my favorite things to do is to create a history of the romances. Now, as you can see by the horrendous image above, I do this a lot and quite in detail (don't try to read what you can...spoilers). I really love doing this because it makes me excited to write these episodes in either the current book or the future one. I have a series of headlines such as:

-How they get together/feelings (this is really just a mishmash of scenes)

-The Love Confession

-Themes of their love

-Romantic tensions/conflicts

-Future Scenes

-(SPOILER) Comparison (This is a comparison to another couple)

I had the most fun doing this because it gave me a sense of who these characters are as individuals and exploring them more. I seriously can't wait to write them.

Another one of my pages that I have prepped to go is my Outline page. I am someone who typically writes my outlines after I write the story, but for obvious reasons, I shouldn't continue this. I made a template on word and copied it over.

I have a variety of other sections, but these are my main ones. I think OneNote is definitely a worthwhile download. You can have it on your phone and laptop, so you're able to work from anywhere with it. Another really great tool on there is the checklist which I use ALL THE TIME. I have a section called monthly to-do's and I can keep track of what I do and do not do.

What programs do you use for writing your notes? I typically use word and print it out, but I'm starting to fall in love with this like I said. Is there any programs you think I should try? Let me know!