How I Use An Old Happy Planner For Plotting
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- Опубликовано: 23 авг 2024
- REPURPOSING AN OLD HAPPY PLANNER FOR PLOTTING NOTES//I noticed that I had a few old planners sitting around that I didn't entirely fill in, and I hated to throw them away. Instead, I turned my old Big Happy Planner into a plotting notebook that has now become my absolute BFF when it comes to my stories.
In this video, I take you through my plotting process and show you how I've been using a big Happy Planner for my plotting notes. I also show you how you could potentially also set up an old Erin Condren Hardcover planner to use in the same way.
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Products I mentioned in this video:
Sipa Fine Liners: bit.ly/2p58kAY
Sharpie Pens: bit.ly/2GGiYWi
Embroidery Scissors: bit.ly/2GH1pWb
Avery White Round Labels: bit.ly/2IfIOln
HP Premium Choice Printer Paper: bit.ly/2p9JfVw
Happy Planner Big Punch You can often find HP projects on sale at Michaels and with good coupons! : bit.ly/2DjqDHU
Plotting Books I Recommend:
Write Your Novel From the Middle by James Scott Bell: bit.ly/2GFJn6y
Super Structure by James Scott Bell: bit.ly/2HI3d2g
Structuring Your Novel by K.M. Weiland: bit.ly/2HKmGzq
Screenwriting Tricks for Authors by Alexandra Sokoloff: bit.ly/2p59Gf2
Goal, Motivation, and Conflict by Debra Dixon: bit.ly/2HL5JFc
My Video on Creating A Portable Plot Notes Booklet with Index Cards: • How To Make A Lightwei...
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BLOG -- heartbreathings...
INSTAGRAM -- / heartbreathingsblog
FACEBOOK -- / heartbreathings
TWITTER -- / heartbblog
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Heart Breathings - Episode 12
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About Me: My name is Sarra Cannon, and I've been indie publishing since 2010. In that time, I have published 22 books and sold well over half a million copies.
I've made some mistakes along the way, but I've also learned some valuable lessons that I think will help you reach your goals. I can't wait to help you learn to make money writing what you love.
MY BOOKS -- www.sarracannon...
THREE FREE BOOKS -- sarracannon.com...
*Some of the links above are afiiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.*
What do you use for your plotting notes? Do you think you might try to use an old planner now for your notes? Let me know in the comments!
I'm new to planners that are more than just a calendar so I don't have any old ones yet, but I'm betting I will as time passes.
And trust me, you'll start to notice them in stores when they are on clearance for like, 75% off! You'll be thinking, "I know I don't NEED this, but I WANT it! How can I use it?" haha
I ordered a discbound binder from amazon after I saw yours. I just got it and now I have to scour office supply stores to find old calendar inserts. ahhah
I love this idea. I bought a Recollections medium size but hate the horizontal day system. How do you think I could reuse this book in some way??
I use Edward.
One of the little things in life that saddens me deeper than it should is looking back at calendars, planners, etc, and knowing I neglected them. All the hope and dreams I put into my little notebooks sink when I would come across them, to the point I stopped using them altogether. I still have a couple laying around, and seeing them repurposed in such a magnificent way breathes life back into them. What was once a sad thing is now transformed into a happy thing and I feel like you just unlocked some secret to happiness in life.
This probably makes no sense, or I'm being overdramatic, but this video is so awesome to me.
This is an awesome video. In September, I saw a video for Happy Planners for Five dollars. I ran to the discount stores looking for them. I found some really nice old planners. I decided to use them to set goals and Set up my book writing. Last month, I found several Happy Planners at a discount price. I'm using the old calendars for Journal writing and story writing but this video was so helpful, encouraging and confirmed my overall planning techniques. Last year, I spent week trying to find the perfect planner. Now, I'm beyond ready for 2020. I want to add that the old planners are excellent for journal writing, setting goals and story telling!
You are really going to help me get my book done! Thank you so much for helping all of whom wish to finish our stories! Kudos!
I found out about you from Hildie McQueen and I'm so glad she recommended your channel. Thank you for sharing your writing notebook tips. Between you and Hildie, I should be able to tweak my system into something that will keep me organized and on track.
Girl, I am so here for ALL of this! All plotting and process, all the time! 😁😍 Can’t wait till next Saturday. Thank you so much for sharing this Happy Planner hack.
Awesome, thank you so much! I'm excited you are enjoying the videos so far! I could talk about plotting and my process all day, haha.
So, I’m starting my 1st novel this year and found your videos. So thankful! I’ve binged so many and finally learned how to use a planner correctly!! I just setup my plotting notebook, bought planners and am ready to begin. Thanks for making such valuable videos. I’ve also joined your mailing list. Happy writing 🤩
Advice to use old planer to keep with timeline of characters is great!!!
I think this may have been the very first video of yours that I watched. This one and the Portable Plot Booklet video led me to subscribe to you! I wanted to come back and rewatch this because I now have a hardbound Erin Condren that I'd like to put to use in this way. I believe I will take your suggestion of mapping out my whole series in it! I also love the idea of using the monthly calendars for timelines. Thanks again for this awesome video!
Love this idea! I hate unused planners cause they’re such a waste. And you buy them to try and see if they’ll work for you, then jump ship to something better or your oldie but goodie. Lol. Will be using this!
That's by far the best way to glue two pages together. I hate to see people struggle to line the holes up when they take the pages out.
Me and all my computer generated notes or phone notepad notes is super jealous of how aesthetically pleasing this is. I need to try this now. So creative and artistic 😍
Hi Sarra! I didn't have any extra planners. But, I downloaded the blank planner pages from the Emily Ley site and organized my notes from your tips! Thanks!
*Thank you.* 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
I especially love how you used the rings to line up your sheets. I would never have thought of doing that!
Yay! So excited that you liked the video, Dawn! Thanks!
I loved it! I"m a new subscriber. Thanks for making such awesome videos!
Dawn Montgomery Thanks so much!!
Thank you for sharing this video! Last year I converted a Happy Planner for Nano Wri Mo. However, I was using it for general notes and a catch all for resources. I love the focus your system provides. I am definitely going to give it a go! Thank you! Thank yoU!
Time to go buy clearance planners! I can envision so much story writing organization finally finding a home with your method. Thank you!!!
I just rewatched this. Great help!🤓. Summer break is on so I feel more free to immerse in writing and reading again🤓😻🎉
I’m now also joked on Happy Planners because of your videos😻😻😻
I am loving this. Reminds me of the poster board method but with out taking up so much room. I'm so going to be using this. Thank you for sharing.
M. A. Hickman Yes exactly! I did use a trifold board for years, but you just can't carry that around or save them very easily. This has been my lifesaver!
I really really appreciate this! Would love to watch you short story/example plan the above. Like a ‘plot with me’ exercise.
OK I am so late to watching your videos. But now I am obsessed with going and getting all the tapes and stickers to take advantage of my old planners and get organized in my writing! Thank you!!
This is a very interesting approach, and heaven knows I have enough old planners that I can try it out! I just wanted to share one tip with you that you might find helpful. You mentioned that you have your favorite pens, but are you familiar with the FriXion pens made by Pilot? They come in all colors and are ERASABLE! I love ink pens and use these exclusively now (except for writing and signing checks, LOL). My normal planner is MUCH neater these days, as are all my to-do lists and such. They come in .5 and .7 sizes. I bought my first ones at Office Depot, but they don't always carry them. But you can get them on Amazon. The .5s have white eraser tips; the .7s have color-matched eraser tips. The eraser tips do not wear down or leave any trace materials, and you can erase days, weeks, months later -- the ink doesn't set in such a way that you can't erase at any point in time. (It could eventually disappear, however, if you leave your notebook out in the sun or write a letter and leave it in a hot mail box.) You can put a little pressure on and erase 99% completely, more often 100%, completely (most papers hold up to multiple erasings.) These pens are scattered through all my life now, all over my desk, with every notebook I have started, in my purse and in my car. The way you work, and since you like colors, these seem to be ideal for you and -- unless you are more "surefooted" than I am when I'm making my notes -- may help you avoid using white-out tape (if you do happen to use that now). From one paper-and-pen-obsessed writer to another, I just wanted to share this info. :)
Thank you!! I actually don't like the frixion pens, sadly. For me, the colors aren't saturated enough, and I have my notes in the car in South Carolina heat too often to trust them! But I do know a lot of people that enjoy them!
Great idea!! Another use for my many planners, not used!
Hildie McQueen Thanks, Hildie! And I know we are always searching for ways to use our many unused planners!
Sarra, you should check out Hildie's Author and Writing Notebook videos. 💕🔥
Hildie McQueen I am over-the-moon watching my two mentors and inspirations fueling my creativity. 🙂💕
Haha, Diana! I have seen them all!! Of course, hehe!
Hey Hildie! Just wanted to say hi to a fellow author :-) Happy Plotting!
This was really cool to see laid out like this, thanks!
How can I get all the money and just make pretties like this all day.
Such a great video Sarra. I feel with all these great tips I am going to figure out plotting someday soon.
Jennifer Rux keep writing! You will get there, I know it! 💖
Love this idea! Going to try this method of character planning with my newest book. I also now have a reason to go out and get BoHo Dreams from Happy Planner, something I couldn't justify before because I already have a lot of planners. Lol, that's a win-win in my book (pun intended)!
Thanks so much for this video ... especially since there is a HUGE planner sale at Michael's this week. Sweet.
Yess! It's a great time to grab one!
This is very interesting. All this planning stuff is like an alien language to me, and it kinda cracks me up how excited you get about planners. But... NaNo is Coming! and I am trying to plot ahead. I am hoping to grasp the basics of what you are doing. Thanks for helping a disorganized person like me. I'm surprised I haven't imploded from touching this anti-matter topic.... Into the Fray!!!
Haha! Yes, it's really fun to me! 🤣 Have you watched my how to plot series? That might be more useful but you may have already watched them!! I'm hoping to do a few more nano prep videos, and I'll be designing a free download for a nano word count tracker for you guys!
I watched all 8 plotting videos yesterday. I am going to go back through and start filling out the worksheets today or tomorrow.
Great idea!! I have a hard bound EC that I had no clue on how to use it!! Thanks for sharing.
I used the Big Mambi Memory Keeper. I copied your system :) in that I have my book in a cover and a pouch. Of course washi and stickers. I use the paradigm plotting, GMC chart and character plotting worksheets from the 2004 RWA conference. I print those out. I take this book with me to work and do plotting on my down time at work.
Carla Fredd Awesome! I might need to look at those character plotting worksheets!
I'll take a few pictures of the sheets
What an awesome way!
You inspired me to use an old 5-year calendar (just one year outdated!) for plotting!
I LOVE this idea. I'm tempted to get one of the old bigs that are about 10 bucks from Happy Planner to try this.
I would REALLY love to see those finished plot notes. I would like a course on creating those in detail and them seeing how those same plot points were finished in the book. Maybe you can think about offering that so it's not a public thing as spoilers to your reading fans but teachable moments for your writing fans?? Thanks!
Have you checked out my 8-part plotting series yet? I go through my entire book, Deep Dark Secrets, with plotting! You might enjoy that series of videos! Thanks.
How have I never seen this video before
An oldie but goodie haha. I've been thinking of going back to this setup!
I love this so much!!!!
Genius!!!
Hi. I'm finding this really helpful for my writing as well. I just have one question about the pages in the happy planner. I know the dates do not matter, such as Monday the 1st to Sunday the 7th, but from the 8th to the end of the month, what do you do with the left over pages? Do you just take them out? Or do you plot on those, too, you just couldn't show us because of your readers also watching your videos?
Cool ideas!
Do you plot more than 1 story in the same Happy Planner?
I do all of my stories in the same happy planner! If it starts to get too full, I just move a story's notes out and store them in my filing cabinet. I just use tabbed dividers to separate the different novels. I find it particularly helpful to keep all the notes in one planner system for the same series, so that I can go back and refer to the older notes.
Could you show your plot notes for an already completed book? I would love to see that
Huh, I just found your kanbans so am very curious how you also use planners. Thank you again
Hi Sarra, I love your videos! I was wondering if you've created series bibles for each of your series? And if so, would you mind sharing that process with us? Thanks so much! xx
hey Luna! Yes, I do have a series bible. I created mine in a Private Wiki rather than anything on paper, because I wanted to be able to easily search it and have access to it anywhere on the web. I've definitely already got it in my notes to do a full video on my wiki process, but I've been wondering exactly how I'm going to show it without giving away spoilers for my series! I need to think on it or create a special wiki for a sample series! Thanks for suggesting it. I'll make sure to get it done.
Oh, what a creative idea! Thanks so much for sharing with us whenever you get a chance and figure out how to hide spoilers :)
Awesome.
I think all of us but to many planners . It’s a trend lol . I love my planners and want to use them all but decided to condense to a few only
Inspired Tv by Jamilla haha, so true! I finally mostly condensed to one main system this year, too, but it was hard to say goodbye to my Erin Condren! I gave it to my bestie and she's enjoying it at least!
nice video :) thank you for tips
Once the book is complete and published do you remove the pages and store them somewhere? Then when you want to start a new book, do you have to buy additional pages?
For now, I've just been keeping them in the binder as long as I'm continuing that series. It's nice to have the previous notes in there for the next few books in that same series for reference. I imagine once I finish a series, I'll probably remove them all and store them somewhere else. So far, I havent' had to buy any additional pages. I have been using the same old plan for a while now and I still have TONS of pages. A little goes a long way since I'm only using 2 pages per book.
Thank you. I love this idea. You've got lot of good ideas. Keep them coming.
Thank you, Jacki!!
I would just write on the pages themselves. You'd have a stroke if you saw my grandmother's old planners. She used them for everything.
5 min in and I'm already lost. You made your OWN lined paper??? HOW did you make those special tabs for putting it in the journal? Yeah. Imploding. sigh.
the pink hole puncher. ok.
There are a few hole punches that work. Anything that's for what they call a disc bound system. I use the happy planner punch (the big one) and i got it 50% off with a coupon from Michael's. You can also find different disc punches at Staples and office depot. Tul and levenger are the brands.
And yes, haha, I made my own lined paper in Photoshop but you can find lined paper already punched for these notebooks at office Depot!
Nooooooo, give the old planners to me, I don't live in US, I want to play with them.....