1-5 Let Filing Methodically = Efficient Writing

(c) 2010 Mona Leeson Vanek

Create "filing cabinets" and folders
Consult your e-mail "help" for instructions on creating mailboxes.

I'll share with you how my program creates mailboxes, but you'll need to consult your software help files to learn how yours works.

• I Toggle the e-mail icon to bring the open file-message to the screen.
• Naming my project
• I type the research project name into the message To: line. This identifies the project.
• I use the message Subject: line to elaborate on message content.
• Since many folders can be needed, I use the Transfer option in my e-mail to Create a Folder (mailbox) by first putting my pointer on Transfer
• Left mouse button opens a drop down list.
• Choose New
• Type the name
• Check Make Folder so it becomes a mailbox folder, which allows a nested mailbox to contain messages.
• Check OK
• Next, I type a name in the new box that opens (which creates a nested folder.)
• Check OK again

The open message-file transfers into it. The name in the message Too: line identifies it from other message-files I later store there also.

I'm subject-specific when labeling my filing system. For example, my mailbox, AAINHOLDING (a folder) in which I created another folder, CURRENT RESEARCH, and in that, many sub-folders such as, Iron Sculpture, Medical Mishaps, Publishing Scams, Ideas 2010, Digital cameras.

This process, referred to as "nesting folders", should be limited; don't nest folders more than two or three deep. Note my use of capital letters for folders and lower case for files. I use the TO: line of each message in the files to identify the file-message contents. Some files contain many file-messages while other files have only one. ie: AAINHOLDING\CURRENT RESEARCH\Ideas 2010 (a file) contains Sister Things, ER-Code Yellow, Rejections Are Good, etc.

It's great to have many Mailboxes, each storing ideas waiting to be developed. Think of your Mailboxes and labels as your file cabinet, or library.

Transfer each file-message into the "mailbox" you prepared for filing. Later you can transfer or copy the messages to your word processor with the hyperlinks intact.

You'll devise your own particular way of naming folders and files in both your e-mail program and your word processor program. Don't panic if you think you've made a mistake. Changing a file or folder name is easy.

Consult your e-mail software program help file to learn how to display a complete list of the mailboxes you've created.

You can rename by Right clicking the folder or file you want to change, then select Rename, and type the new name.

**** Be careful! DO NOT accidently click Delete.

Delete in e-mail programs is not reversible!
The folder does not go to your Recycle Bin.
Delete destroys the file!

Re-opening a stored draft (unsent message) brings the file-message onto the screen, ready to be added to if needed.

Increase your efficieny:

1. Master nested mailboxes, folders, filing and indexing the contents your projects.
2. Copy and paste directly from a "file-message" when you want to use the material in a manuscript you're composing.
3.  Highlight the message contents and copy and paste them into a word document for a duplicate.

Next: Insider tip: 1-6 Let Retrieving Misplaced Data = Efficient Writing: http://tinyurl.com/23oth76

Chapter 1: http://tinyurl.com/2es3w63