How to Take Great Notes ( For Fiction Readers) 📚📝, by The Read Well Podcast on YouTube. 21 min 38 s.
- Video length
- 21 min 38 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes per reading session
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Decide if the book is worth noting. If it is full of ideas or hits home, set up notes; if it is light reading, just read.
Highlight only the lines you would want to quote, discuss or remember. Keep highlights sparse so they still point to important passages.
Put a sticky note on pages with a passage you want to return to. Add a short word or symbol so you know why it is marked.
Start a dedicated notebook page with the book title, author and date. Leave space for page numbers, short quotes and your reactions.
Work through a fixed list of 12 questions about themes, characters and your reaction. Write brief answers so the notes stay useful.
Keep a character list as you read. Add each new name with a few words about who they are and why they matter.
After you finish, read your notes and highlights. Pull out the ideas you want to keep and note how your view of the book changed.
Tips and common mistakes
Do not highlight whole paragraphs; choose the lines you would want to quote or discuss.
Write the page number next to each note so you can find the passage again.
Keep notebook entries short; a few clear sentences are easier to review than long summaries.
Use sticky notes on library or borrowed books instead of writing in them.
Questions
Do I need to take notes on every fiction book?
No. Use notes when a book has ideas you want to remember or a story that hits home; light reading can stay note-free.
What should I write in the notebook?
Record page numbers, short quotes, your questions and reactions, plus a character list. Keep each entry brief so you will actually review it.
How many highlights should I make?
A few per chapter is usually enough. If you highlight everything, the marks stop helping you find the important lines.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
