Zettelkästen Method for Creators
A step-by-step online course for creating a note-taking system
Stop searching for your notes and ideas. Create a system that helps you become more creative and prolific.
Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of research and notes you track for your writing projects? Do you often struggle to connect your ideas, leading to a lack of flow and cohesion in your work? The Zettelkästen method is a proven system that can help you overcome these challenges and take your writing to the next level.
I've used the Zettelkästen method for years to take notes and write, as have many top writers, including comedian George Carlin and novelist Anne Lamott. This note-taking system is a game-changer, but it's tricky to learn and implement...at first.
This Proven Note-taking System Is Hundreds of Years Old
Four centuries after its first use, the Zettelkästen Method is even more useful today than back in the 17th century. It’s ideal for writers in every niche or industry.
The first version of the Zettelkästen or Slipbox dates all the way back to the 17th century. English inventor Thomas Harrison built a wooden cabinet and stored excerpts from valuable books and notes in a specific order. Since then, hundreds of famous writers have built their personal Slipboxes.
Perhaps the most famous is German scientific writer Niklas Luhmann. He captured over 90,000 notes with this method. But Luhmann didn’t stop at capturing ideas in a wooden cabinet. Thanks to the Zettelkästen method, he wrote an astonishing 50 books and over 550 scientific articles.
More famous contemporary writers who’ve used versions of this method include the comedian George Carlin and authors like Anne Lamott and Robert M. Pirsig.
Niklas Luhmann's Slipbox system (it's easier with digital tools!)
One System. 1000s of Actionable Notes. Writing has Never Felt This Easy!
George Carlin said the art of great writing is discovery… and there are thousands of ideas out there for us to find. In my comprehensive course on the Zettelkästen method for writers, you'll receive over 20 video lessons that will guide you through the principles of this method, the tools you need to use, and how to get started. My course is designed to be practical and easy to follow, ensuring you can immediately implement what you learn.
You'll learn the importance of creating a Zettelkästen system that works for you and how to do it. Watch over my shoulder, and I'll show you how to capture and organize your notes and research so you can easily retrieve and use them for writing projects. You'll learn how to make meaningful connections between your ideas, leading to a more cohesive and compelling piece of writing.
I'll show you how to set up your first, explain all the key terminology, what tools to use, and lots more. Plus, I'll show you how I created thousands of notes and my EXACT process for turning these into articles and even book chapters.
What to Expect from this Online Course
One of the best aspects of this course is that you'll see how other writers use the Zettelkästen method to write. You'll gain insights into how successful writers implement the system in their work and how they have overcome common obstacles. You'll also see real-life examples of the Zettelkästen system in action, making it easier to apply what you learn. Discover:
- Why professional writers and creators embrace the concept of little or iterative writing
- The quickest and easiest way to capture, organize, and find your notes.
- A little-known method for sparking creative ideas from your research
- What every good note should include, and why
- Out of ideas? Discover how to build a personal library packed full of hidden gems you can use for any writing project.
- If you have 30 minutes a week to spend on research and note-taking, the Slip Box Method will do wonders for your writing and creative work.
- The secret to turning ideas, notes, and research into a published work
- My EXACT process for using the Zettelkästen method to research and write articles that generate hundreds of thousands of page views.
- An over-the-shoulder tutorial of how I built and Iterated my personal Zettelkästen or slipbox
- Confused about the Zettelkästen method or any of its terminology? Discover how this proven note-taking system works, why professional writers use it, and its key principles.
This course is closed for enrollment.
Course Curriculum
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StartAn Overview of the Most Common Note Types (4:20)
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StartZettel Notes (4:34)
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StartFleeting Notes (3:01)
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StartRaw Notes (2:57)
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StartProject Notes (3:12)
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StartLiterature Notes and Summaries (8:21)
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StartThe Daily Note (2:19)
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StartName Your Zettel Notes (4:10)
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StartThe Anatomy of a Good Note (4:08)
“Writing is really wonderful art. A lot of this is discovery. A lot of things are lying around waiting to be discovered and that’s our job as writers is to just notice them and bring them to life.” - George Carlin
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Frequently Asked Questions
Your Instructor
Hi, I’m Bryan Collins! 👋
I help creators and coaches grow profitable content businesses and master AI—without losing their voice.
I'm also a USA Today best-selling author. My books include The Power of Creativity and the Become a Writer Today series. Over the years, I've worked as a copywriter, journalist and contributed to publications like Forbes, Lifehacker and Copyblogger.