Friday, October 28, 2005
Keep it Short
For some strange reason, Anne Lamott decided to write an entire chapter on the fact that she uses index cards. I think that the most intriguing thing about this reading is not the reason why she uses the index cards, but rather the fact that she could take that reason and miraculously turn it into a twelve page paper. The entire article could probably be summed up in one simple sentence that reads like this: I use index cards so I can remember things that I would usually forget.” But I suppose that is why she is the professional writer and I am not. The concept behind index cards is to be simple. It is ironic that she is taking a tool whose purpose is to simplify, and turning it into an elaborate writing.
Like I mentioned earlier, her main purpose for the index cards is to remember pieces of information. She keeps them stationed all around her house and in her car so that they are easily accessible when she needs it the most. She even keeps an index card in her back pocket so when she is walking her dog or just on a stroll it is there to take information. She finds that if she doesn’t write things down immediately after she thinks of them that she forgets them when it is time to put in down in an article. Sometimes if there is a notable phrase that has a great wording or would fit as a good transition she will write it down word for word, but other times she just needs a couple of words to remind her of the scenario.
So it turns out that Anne uses her index cards just like any other person would, but she uses them religiously because she has such a high need for them.