Well, the biggest duh in 30 some odd years…
I've discovered the SOLUTION to the rat's nest of Atheran backhistory notes - that just can't be done as a line for line list, however hard I've tried as they are always morphing and expanding in odd directions…each time I tried to clean them up, I wound up yelling in total frustration, and tossing the whole blizzard into a shoebox again…until Glossary Moment, next volume, repeat of the same charade…
File Cards! Color coded ones, with littler ones stapled to them, for Events as they expand, and unfold further, and Character cards stapled to the birth date, which detail significant events in that person's life…ah, the relief!
I have just spent the last mess of days catalaguing all of the messy bits of paper into
voila!
A file box that will soon be the epitome of crystal clarity…
Why??
Because I am fleshing out the footing for Arc IV so there are no sloppy bits in the kick off chapters…
Author kicking up heels - ah, the relief!!! of systemizing the Whole World, in an infinitely expanding format that does NOT require electricity to reference (yup, computers are useless in summer Thunder storms here)
originally posted by Matthew
Everyone! didn't you hear? there's now a real live WoLS treasure chest just waiting for an ambitious band of cutthroats to seek out!
Captain Runningmouth "Yo ho ho, you're all invited to set sail on the good ship Tardy, we're off in search of adventure and riches yar! Isn't that right Polly?"
Polly "I'm calling my agent, I'm not getting paid enough for this rubbish…"
originally posted by Blue
Ahoy, me hearty! Captain Mayhem of the Sea Devil is standing by to help ye seek this booty! 
(Warning: Mayhem is likely to help ye find it, then steal it when ye least expect it)
We'd better be careful, though, since there are pictures of Janny firing a blunderbuss. Not to mention, she is married to Captain Don "Arrh!" Maitz, who is no slouch in the piracy department, either.
originally posted by Sundancer
Congratulations Janny!
As one whose filing and paperwork is a constant source of woe, I empathise entirely with finally getting something in a really good system.
originally posted by Iris
At the moment, I am having visions of a Pirate fleet baring down on the west coast of FL!
Does anyone remember researching in the library when you had to look through the card files! It was so much fun finding stuff that way and much more time consuming but what did we know then?
Time was certainly not an issue.
originally posted by Lyssabits
I for one do not miss the days of the card catalouge. 
I used to spend what felt like years looking through cards to only find two or three books relating to the topic at hand. The internet is my bestest of friends! If I had to do my lit searches now in a card catalogue, I think I'd never find any of the papers I needed. I like to jokingly ask my father what the days before the internet were like, just to get him to shudder dramatically and say, "I don't like to talk about it."