Index Cards and Writing Projects

I'm a writer. I also teach writing classes.

It's very common in screenwriting to "storyboard" with index cards. There are various methods, but recently I picked up Blake Snyder's book, SAVE THE CAT, in which he gives a very specific method of developing an idea and outlining that intrigued me, and I'm in the process of using it with my current project.

I've been blogging a little about it, and have two entries (with pics) about ways of organizing the index cards. A HPDA could work, actually, as something you carry with you, but to have the cards displayed on a wall or by some other method is important.

Anyway, I thought I'd post links to the entries that discuss (with pics) the index cards. If anyone here is writing books or scripts, you might find it interesting.

I don't explain much about Snyder's process -- you'd have to read his book for that. I just talk about how to physically deal with the cards:

http://guiltyofbeing.blogspot.com/2006/01/still-saving-cat.html

http://guiltyofbeing.blogspot.com/2006/01/cat-saving.html

I think it's interesting that even as more and more software programs are coming out to help in the writing of screenplays, many people are going retro with index cards.