I found this a lovely demonstration of how ideas can be connected. I would also understand if some people felt a bit lost. For a while, I was thinking this is more a theoretical discussion of why we ought to take notes and build a system for keeping them than an explanation of how to use them. I find myself wondering what your first step was, with respect to your notecards, in composing an answer to the question. I also wonder how the process you demonstrate here relates to your work in writing fiction. I seldom comment on YT videos, and never at this length. Please consider my thoughts and questions a testament to how your work has engaged me.
Your point is well taken. I wanted to show how my index helped me pull together the references that I wanted to uss, but the reality was that they were scattered all over the index. This was because I was shaping a new idea out of several related references that were only now starting to come together for me. I think it will be worthwhile to show the Collective Card(s) that come out of playing with this idea. Alex suggested adding "conversation cards," which I thought sounded terrific, but then I realized that the Cardlink Collectives Scott Scheper covered on Page 474 of his book: Antinet Zettelkasten, were essentially the conversation cards Alex was looking for. The novelty Alex brings to the subject is having the collective as part of the index, possibly as a separate sub-section in the index.
Good day. Thank you so much for these videos. Am developing the zettlekasten as a beginner. My question is, when reading a book, do i finish the entire book and create literature notes, and slips notes or i do half way and start another book? Also, on the slip card, how do you generate the topic of the slip card? Is it based on the condensed thoughts on the slip note or how? Is it also that all the slip cards should have a title? Thank you so much. Isaac zulu Zambia 🇿🇲
I suggest that you take notes as you read on a Bib Card. Then make your Main Cards from your notes soon, while the book is fresh in your mind. You can read more than one book at a time. If each book has a Bib Card, this is very easy to manage. Did I answer your question?
Yes you have answered. Do you generate the topic on the main card based on the information you put there? Should each main card developed have a topic?
@@isaaczulu3991 Not everyone does this as I do, but for me each main card developed has a line at the top of the card. You could call it a topic, but for me, I want that line to bring back to mind all the card contains 1) The new thought or information that compelled me to make the main card; 2) My personal reaction to that thought or information. I make it a rule to always include a thought of my own on every main card. Then I make my index entries from the key words in the topic line.
