One of the keys to success, when you are a writer, is having the right tools to keep you organized and on track. If you are managing a writing team, you need software that lets you stay in touch with team members and see where everything is in the process. I have found a tool that I think is one of the best for solo writers and those who manage teams. Let’s explore how to use Trello for writers to help you reach your writing goals.
What is Trello?
Trello is a collaboration tool that allows you to create boards to organize teams and projects. You can create cards within the boards that contain either individual tasks, project phases, or even book chapters. Trello lets you take larger projects and break them down into smaller ones, and it allows you to see where everything is at a glance. One of the reasons why I like Trello for freelance writers is because it is customizable.
You might be wondering how you can use Trello to propel your author business to the next level and get things done. You can think of Trello as a whiteboard with columns of sticky notes. You can create categories at the top of the page or a different board for every category. You can then create cards within these categories that are like having rows of sticky notes.
Getting started with Trello
Trello only has four components, but the level of complexity that you can create is almost endless. The first thing you need to understand is the basic board. A board can be used to track teams, sales, content planning, book chapters, article ideas, and much more. The next component of a Trello board is lists. Lists keep cards organized. You can organize cards into their various stages of completion, such as to do, doing, and done.
Once your boards are created and your lists are organized, the next level of information is the card. This is the most detailed level of information. It represents tasks, ideas, or things that need to get done. It can be things like a blog post that needs to be written, something you need to remember, or anything else that you need to organize. All you have to do is to click at the bottom of any list to add a card.
The basic board format of Trello is like a pyramid with the board at the top, a list is at the next level, and cards at the lowest and most detailed level. The best part is that all you need to do to move the card is to click on it and drag it into the appropriate column. You can easily get an overview of any list or board and see what needs to be done, what is currently in process, and what has already been completed. If you have a team, you can also assign certain tasks to team members, and they can move the cards around to let you know where they are in the process.
Trello tips and tricks for writers
Trello for writers is like a survival kit if authors. You can use it for goal setting, to manage your projects, and you can use it to manage your entire life. The best part is that you will not have tasks that get buried in an endless list and Post-it notes. Before I learned how to use Trello, the wall in front of my computer had so many Post-it notes that it looked like wallpaper. Now, everything is on Trello and my workspace is clutter-free.
The best part about Trello is that everything in those lists is still there, only now, it is organized in a way that allows me to move the needle on projects. When it comes to assigning tasks to team members, Trello makes it easy with just a few clicks. Is Trello good for writers, is Trello for novelists, or is Trello for bloggers? The answer is yes. Let’s explore some tips on how to use Trello to turn your ideas into reality.
1. Book Trello template
Trello is an excellent idea for a book template. You can create a separate board for every work project you are doing. You can then create a list that represents chapters, tasks, and general things to do on the project like find an illustrator. You can easily create cards for the many micro tasks and see where each one is in the process.
2. Storyboard
If you are a graphic designer or write children’s books, you can use each list on the board as a section of the storyboard. You can decide the tasks that go into each section of the storyboard. This gives you an overview of how the story flows. You can also see is certain sections are too weighty and need to be broken into sections.
3. Story Ideas
As a tool for generating stories, Trello stands out. You can create certain categories for stories or blog ideas. The best part is that you can quickly capture that idea and put it in a place where you can act upon it or make a decision later. We all know that as writers, ideas can strike anytime, and Trello gives you a place to put all those ideas in a way that is useful and organized.
4. Blog Posts
When it comes to content planning, Trello is an excellent choice. You can easily create sections or topics that you want to generate at a later time. You can easily add cards when an idea strikes or something inspires you. You can organize your ideas in two months of the year, quarterly planning, or by top added keyboard.
When you are ready to work on an idea, you can move it to a board where you can see which sections have been completed and which ones are still to do. You can also do more detailed planning and map out the sections in the blog post. This is like having an outline where only you can move the pieces and parts around to create the best flow for the piece. The best part about Trello is that it is highly customizable and you can organize your work any way you wish.
5. Web Design
If you are a web designer, Trello is a tool that you cannot live without. You can create a separate board or list for every section of the website and create cards for the individual task. You can easily see members of your team that is assigned to the task and keep track of how things are moving along. When it comes to managing larger projects, Trello’s flexibility stands out among other Kanban board software.
Is Trello worth it? Trello has three different plans from free to Enterprise. In my opinion, Trello is worth it, but before you commit to Trello for writers, you also might want to check out Asana and see how they compare. Another tool you might want to consider is Harvest’s time tracking software to complete your writer’s toolkit.
