HOW TO SERIES: The Index

One of the primary features of our campaign notebooks is the front index.  Borrowing from the bullet journal (bujo, for short) model, it eliminates the need to divide your notebook into sections and allows you to just use the next available page to take your notes. Here are some tips that will help you get the most our of your front index.

Make it easy to reference

Make your entries as broad or as narrow as you need, for easy referencing. Do what works for you. I like to keep mine broad, so that I can maximize the usage of space in my index and prevent a cluttered looking index. Generally speaking, you will only have a handful of pages per reference, so it should not be too overwhelming to search through the pages quickly.

One quick note: DO reference that "Big Important Thing That You Know You'll Need to Remember in the Future" [TM]. Even if it is only a one line scribble. 

Add symbols in the margin

Remember, the index list is not alphabetical.  You enter information in it as you go along.  So, if have a few entries that you want to be able to pick out immediately without having to read through the whole index list, make sure to highlight those with a symbol in the left-hand margin. You'll be able to find them at a glace.  Stuff like your list of XP, contacts list, or treasures list would be good for this, depending on the system you're using to play and what is important for you to track.

Use a page numbering system

This one seems rather obvious, but make sure that you're using the designated space at the bottom corner of the notebooks to enter some sort of page numbering system. You will use those numbers next to your entries. You don't have to write in every single page's number; in fact, I only write in the odd numbers. Come up with whatever works for you for easy referencing.  The point is to be able to maximize the use of your index.

Got some index tips and tricks of your own? Drop them in the comments below!