So, for the OCD writers and neat freaks alike, I am just like you. Everything has to have its place and has to be either color coordinated, or alphabetically organized. With that same note in mind, I've found that a lot of my book ideas, characters, thoughts, and storylines get jumbled up in my head. So, to save you the hassle, I've scanned the interwebs for the perfect questions to ask when taking book notes.
Here, is my format.
Story Development
Story Idea
What story do you want to tell?
What happens to trigger the story?
Storyline
Who is the main character, and what are they like?
Characters
Character List
Character Description
Setting
Place
Time period
Description
Population
What are some common sounds here?
What are some common smells here?
Chapters
Chapter Name List
Chapter Storylines
Formatting Details
Fonts
Colors
Format Template
Mood Board(s)
Begining
Middle
End
Overall
Want to see this template in action? Click here to see how Amazon Best Selling author ANR used it to take notes for her romance novel, Girl of Puzzles.