by Len Morse

Created on: April 08, 2008   Last Updated: July 16, 2009

Organization is paramount for computer users who keep numerous files. Classifying your written works and documents using sensible titles can help immensely for future reference, unless, of course, you have a perfect memory. If this is not the case, you should develop a hierarchy of folders on your computer, whether you're a writer or not.

== Why Bother? ==

Keeping all of your own writing together is convenient, in case you or someone you know wants a copy, or a new document similar to one you've already written. Remember: The world will always need clear, concise written communication, and you never know when you may one day crank out a gem that could, in some small way, improve your family, office, state, country, planet, etc.

In general, maintenance and consistency are the keys to successfully organizing your work. Once you have your system set up in a way that makes sense to you, all you have to do is add your newest project or file to the appropriate folder. It doesn't matter how often you add a file, as long as you know where you want to keep it.

The following are suggestions on how to label and arrange your computer folders, stemming from more than 20 years of experience. However, no matter what this article says, creating a logical system is ultimately up to you. Not everyone's brain works the same way, so a system that is logical to you may not seem logical to someone else. That's okay.

What's important is that your system makes sense to you.

== From Broad To Narrow ==

You should keep all of your writing in one place, either the "My Documents" folder that is included with Microsoft Windows, your operating system's (i.e. Mac OS) default folder, or some other appropriately named folder. This folder, in turn, should be in an easy-to-find spot, usually your desktop or the top level of your C: Drive (or whichever drive you use the most). For security, backup all of your files on an external drive or CD.

Start by dividing your work into two basic categories, and create a folder for each. Within these folders you can create narrower and more specific categories. In each of those, you can include even more detail. Later, you may find that you need to start a new category and thus slip another folder into your existing hierarchy, which is perfectly acceptable.

But how do you decide which two categories to start with? Let's explore the possibilities.

== The Top Level ==

Your two top categories could be based on potential income. Most people write with

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