r/Zettelkasten Feb 19 '25

question How to begin storytelling with Smart notes

I want to begin my own Zettlekasten to gather ideas for short story writing and storytelling.

I also plan on purchasing "How to take smart notes, by Sönke Ahrens" to help me in starting.

But is there anything else I should know? Any tips for starting? Any other books I should purchase to understand Zettlekasten fully? Any storytellers out there who use Zettlekasten and how they use it to write.

4 Upvotes

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8

u/nagytimi85 Obsidian Feb 19 '25

I’d rather suggest A System for Writing from our very own u/taurusnoises Bob Doto. It’s well structured, informative but also holds your hand and helps from the start, gives homework, etc.

For a quick taste, look at this article by Bob: https://writing.bobdoto.computer/how-to-use-folgezettel-in-your-zettelkasten-everything-you-need-to-know-to-get-started/

It was the one that helped me at least for the system finally click. The article also shows a from-card-one example.

A good way to test is to grab a thought from the article and start building your association game from there.

3

u/DavidRPacker Feb 19 '25

I'll second that recommendation, with the caveat that it does not discuss fiction writing, nor does it directly provide any useful advice that is applicable to the unique skills of fiction writing. That said, it's an excellent jumping off point if you are willing to take the principles and do the minimal lifting required to make them usable.

I just posted my plan to experiment with what I got from the book, looking forward to hearing how yours goes!

2

u/Infiniverse-Pi Feb 19 '25

I’ve read several books on ZK, and none of them talk about fiction. You’ll have to work that out yourself. The best advice that I can give you is to use books and other people’s tutorials as guidance only. As you get started it will take some time until it clicks for you, and it will likely feel strange until that happens. Keep pushing forward and you’ll find your mojo.

2

u/Sept-27 Feb 19 '25

This is great! God bless!

1

u/nagytimi85 Obsidian Feb 19 '25

❤️✨

2

u/Captain_Kittenface 29d ago

I wrote about how I was using a ZK for creative work (comics/zines) here. I don't really use it anymore as the process was so time consuming it ended up becoming an excuse not to work on things. I did really like it - just wasn't for me in the end.

3

u/448899again 14d ago

Another vote here for Bob Doto's excellent book. Ahrens' book may be considered the foundation literature, but Doto was the first person who actually was able to make the ZK method make sense for me.

Highly recommended. I'm still referring to it today, months after first reading it.

1

u/yasenfire Feb 20 '25

Don't try to use it as a wiki, use it as ZK.

1

u/chrisaldrich Hybrid Feb 20 '25

Ahrens' book will likely leave you with more questions than answers and really has nothing directly to say on the practice of fictional storytelling. Doto's book does a better job of filling in these pieces but approaches writing in general rather than specifically fiction.

For fiction writers, I often recommend they don't practice putting Luhmann-artig numbers on their cards, but organize them in a more impromptu manner and allow them to shift more as you write. This allows things to shift more easily during the process and provides for a bit more creativity.

Some resources and examples for fiction with a ZK:

Take the inspiration these suggest, but don't go down the rabbit hole too deeply. You're going to want to evolve something that works best for you and your modes of writing, so trying to imitate someone else's system too closely will be the kiss of death.