Start With Story | Introducing Story Planner

One of the questions I get asked often is how do I keep track of my story ideas and where do I start when documenting my stories? 

For years I've used a bunch of different things - from sticky notes to Word documents to Evernote to random pieces of paper to thinking I'll remember it later. As we were brainstorming product offerings at one of our past meetings we started talking about concrete ways to track the stories I want to tell. 

At some point in your life, you’ve probably had someone advise you to “write it down or else you’ll forget it.” The same can be said for all the pieces that go into our storytelling: the quotes, the dates, the locations, the pictures, or maybe just the start of a story idea for which you want to begin collecting details. Sitting down to work on memory-keeping projects can feel overwhelming, especially when you don’t have the big picture in mind. Perhaps you regularly find yourself saying, “I don’t even know where to start”. 

For me, it starts with the story. And the Story Planner system was designed to help.

The Story Planner system foundation is a binder specifically designed to help organize your story and project ideas. I wanted something that could sit on my desk/work table (or next to my computer) that I could easily grab and jot down story ideas as they come to me and have them be organized and safe in one place. These 7.25 x 9” binders with a 1.5” spine. We have two color options: a black with white polka dots or a cream linen

After selecting a binder, check out the products I created to help you collect and organize your ideas including tabbed transparent dividers (pack of 10), story idea and project plan notepads, and other embellishments. With the tabbed dividers you might choose to have a section for each family member you tell stories about (that's how I'm organizing mine along with sections for "everyone") or maybe you'll devote sections for a few upcoming themes for your Story Kit™Story Stamp™, or Stories By The Month™ subscription. Whatever makes most sense for your documenting is the way to adapt the system for you.

We are excited to launch this collection with an assortment of new products that we hope you’ll find functional and meaningful.  

Here's a closer look at my brand new set of products to help you collect, plan and store your memory keeping story and project ideas:

And here's a Facebook Live video we did yesterday on my Ali Edwards Design Inc page

I am really excited to share this new collection with you and to begin using it as a community. This is just the beginning. Our hope is that we will be able to add additional products to our Story Planner offerings as we get a sense of what's working and what might be needed to help all of us collect, store and plan our stories. 

Also, in case we run into an issue where things sell out quicker than anticipated (which is a challenge since this is something new and different) we will be reordering these products based on demand. If something has sold out please click the NOTIFY ME button which will help us gauge ordering again. 

SHIPPING SPECIAL

  • Domestic: Spend $60+ in the Story Planner category, and get free shipping with promo code GETSTARTED
  • International: Spend $60+ in the Story Planner category, and get $10 International flat rate with promo code GETSTARTED2

Questions? Let me know in the comments below. As always, thank you for being part of this vibrant, passionate community of memory keepers.

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28 thoughts

  1. shastamp says…
    02/20/2018

    Just bought one of everything! Thanks Ali, this is perfect. I am glad it is not calendar based, but pages to store ideas and great size too! I hope you keep this in stock to buy more pages to go in it. :)

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. SoniaH says…
    02/20/2018

    Brilliant!
    This idea is so great because it is an organized "crafty" brain dump. I love that I can keep the pad next to my bed or in my bag for use whenever inspiration strikes.
    Will the closed pocket be available on its own in the future? They would be awesome for travels and events.
    Thank you, Ali. Fantastic job, as always 🌟🌟🌟

    Reply 2 Replies
    1. AliEdwards says…
      02/20/2018

      I'm not sure if we will offer it on it's own in the future but we can add that idea to our list ;).

    2. jdpinckney says…
      03/03/2018

      I am definitely hoping the pockets will be available separately and in a larger quantity. Would love to see dividers with pockets. You could put ephemera in the pockets as a holding space for stories.

  3. cilla073 says…
    02/20/2018

    Does the planner sheets (pads) fit into your 6x8 albums?

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. AliEdwards says…
      02/20/2018

      They do! They have the same ring configuration.

  4. Cbuckley says…
    02/21/2018

    My wheels are turning...I think this will be a good way to consolidate and have a single home for ideas. I would definitely have a totally utilitarian approach. I would love to see a Project Life inspired journaling pad, so you could use one per week to jot down ideas and things that happened that week. That would be SO helpful for catching up. A full size journaling pad would be great too..just a date, subject, and room for the story. I hope it takes off...but not before I make a decision!! 😊

    Reply 2 Replies
    1. scrappysue says…
      02/21/2018

      Totally agree on having a Project Life style journal pad😀 might just make my own for the time being (hopefully these will become available!) as I have the 6 hole punch. Great ideas!

    2. AliEdwards says…
      02/21/2018

      Definitely making plans for more pads!

  5. KelliCres says…
    02/21/2018

    SO excited for this! I have random photos, memorabilia scattered everywhere that then get forgotten when I actually go to work on Project Life. At first I was disappointed the albums aren't 6x8 but now that I know the holes line up with 6x8, I think it will work just perfectly. Yay Ali!

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. AliEdwards says…
      02/21/2018

      Cool! Hope you enjoy it and it's useful for you!

  6. charris says…
    02/21/2018

    Ali, Do you have any interest in making the planner sheets in a 6x8 version, and selling them as a digital file? That would be great for those of us who would like to use some of the albums that we already have. This is such a great idea. Thank you so much for everything you do!

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. AliEdwards says…
      02/21/2018

      Hi! We don't have plans for that at this time. These sheets do fit into the 6x8 albums - they have the same hole configuration :).

  7. Becky_C says…
    02/21/2018

    Thanks Ali for this planner! I just looked and you still have product left for people that couldn't order yesterday. Can't wait to get my planner!!

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. AliEdwards says…
      02/21/2018

      Yep!

  8. amorton63 says…
    02/21/2018

    This is really cool! I actually had made a binder system similar to this for
    myself using a 6x8 album I purchased from you with just lined/plain paper in it. I use it mostly when I watch your process videos because they spark ideas for future project plans I have for myself or become a holding place for things that have worked for me personally. Anyway, love the planner pages and the concept behind this. I'm hoping things will stay in stock as I build to my current system I've been using for a few years now! As always, thank you for your awesome ideas that help us get our stories told. I love it!

    Reply 0 Replies
  9. Expat says…
    02/21/2018

    This is an inspired idea. Wonderful! Do you know off-hand if the six rings are the same size as for an A5 Filofax?

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. AliEdwards says…
      02/21/2018

      I believe they are!

  10. jaimeelynn says…
    02/21/2018

    Love this and did my order yesterday!! Can't wait for it to arrive and get myself organized. Thinking about how I used the December Daily planner and how I usually plan larger projects like that or WITL.....couple ideas I thought of for future offerings that would be amazing:

    1. Lined blank paper pad sized for the binder (for just making lists) For DD for example, when I start organizing product and getting ready I usually make a list of story ideas/Design ideas/photo ideas.....things I want to repeat from past albums, new things I want to try

    2. Some sort of story prompt checklist of sorts. The DD planner had a lot of story prompt ideas, with space in the planner to flesh them out, but even if there was some type of insert or a few page insert with some of your awesome prompt ideas. But I see this as a list and then we use the current planner pads to flesh out an idea. then we could reference the checklist of ideas if we are feeling stuck.

    I'm sure you get feedback and ideas from all over the globe, but figured it couldn't hurt to share. No matter how you expand this line of products I sure I will keep buying! :) Every time you come out with new stuff, it somehow just falls into my cart!! haha

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. AliEdwards says…
      02/21/2018

      Yes! Totally welcome the feedback and ideas for future paper pads!

  11. GrumpyGirl says…
    02/24/2018

    Got mine last night! I am so excited to set it up and take my thousands of note pads and sticky notes and put them in one home! I do have a few ideas for something I would love to have... a master list for projects that way I can write all my past/ongoing projects that I'm not finished with yet and cross them off as I go!

    And I love the "pep talk" section on the project plan pad!! I always need a pep talk!

    Reply 0 Replies
  12. Rhondaraz says…
    02/25/2018

    Thoughts.... I understand and that the divider labels are stickers; however, grouping them with other stickers as opposed to the dividers is quite discouraging and inconvenient, especially when you do not want the other stickers. Any chance you will group the divider labels with the actual dividers? Yes, I could make my own labels, but it defeats the convenience.

    I find that bundled or duplicate sticker sheets or chipboard options deter me from purchasing most of the time as I usually do not need that much and don't want to pay that much. I can understand from a marketing/ product sku's or shipping fulfillment view, it's best to bundle, but perhaps it creates a decrease in sales too. Just thoughts and hope to see things separated in the future. Thank you 🙂

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. AliEdwards says…
      03/02/2018

      Thanks for the feedback! Definitely some things to think about for us in the future - appreciate you sharing your thoughts.

  13. Square says…
    03/03/2018

    Sorry if I missed the information. Will the out of stock items be restocked? Thank you so much!

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. AliEdwards says…
      03/05/2018

      Hi! The paper pads will be restocked!

  14. CraftyCat says…
    03/09/2018

    Hi Ali, these products are wonderful. I would love to see more examples of how you filled out both the Story Planner Idea Notepad and the Story Projects too.

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. lbvancura says…
    03/17/2018

    After a few weeks I am loving my Story Planner! As I'm thinking about WITL coming up, do you plan on releasing project specific planner pages (WITL, DITL, Dec Daily, OLW, Project Life etc) pages to go with the planner? I would love a pad like you provided this month in the story workshop for Home. My printer paper just isn't the same quality as the notebook pages in the release.

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. Bethany says…
    12/21/2019

    Hi Ali, will you be bringing a new story binder to the shop? I loved the polka-dot story binder, but it sold out. I didn't like the black one much so I keep waiting for maybe a new release of the the story binder items. I have all of the contents, but no binder or transparency tabs and I'm wondering if I should keep waiting? Thanks!!!

    Reply 0 Replies

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