How To Keep A Reading Journal - Syntopical Reading 101

Another quick tips episode on how to remember what you've read through association, not through memorization.

Other Resources:
My new course on keeping a writer's diary:
The Scrapbook Project (Insights on creativity, art, reading):
My Essays:
My playlist on Storytelling:
v=LiQltdrm698&list=PLAyKE2GAVBOJreusJxK0bBErWBzXY5IKz
My collaborative novel about Melbourne: There's A Tale To This City:

[INDIANXxhgpp]

3:00 rule 1. A clean book is always a bad news
5:30 i dex system
7:40 organizing the compartmemts of our understanding

[ProductivePM]

Dude, you are such an intelligent old soul. I am so impressed with your knowledge and professional style. Thank you for creating these videos and please know the knowledge shared lives on . . .

[mendyviola]

Reading through the comments makes me realize how much older I am than many here. 👵🏻 😂 As a long time amateur violist, piano learner, and out of academia for decades, making connections with what you are reading/learning is crucial. It can be physical (making hand written notes, copying phrases, physical practice), auditory (listening with intent, reading/singing back), visual (making schematics, diagrams, drawings), mnemonic, and many other methods. The key is to actively engage with what you are reading/learning and making it your own.

[buckerine]

This is an incredibly insightful process. I've struggled with how to process all of the information I'm ingesting through books in a coherent way, so that the information is actually accessible in my brain. Outstanding suggestions here.

[rachelb]

Perfect! I’m always worried that I’d forget what I read especially when I really like what I’m reading. Amazing tips I’ll definitely try!

[johnathanrhoades]

I'd highly recommend something like Obsidian for this. It uses interlinking for notes. You can also use a folder system in addition. Super useful tool for me.

[xfilion]

Do you know, I have been writing for years and years. Published stories and books and now doing scripts. I am much older than you - a lot older. Your video's are the only resource I find make sense and are nicely communicated.

[AverageGuy]

our memory is not faulty. i really hate this notion that we just forget everything and a computer is better than us. like our memory just needs time. unlike a computer's memory our memory on saves that which stays. aka the more something is used by us the more it will stay. well because those things that stays the longest means it is important. so a computer's memory has no priority. i know many human beings with amazing memory it just needs time and training.

[AndresMartinez-wwqz]

This is what I do with the Obsidian platform. I used Notion but I wanted my files to stay on my computer instead of the cloud, so I switched. It allows for linking notes to each other & has a very good view of all the connections you’ve made between topics.

[jackluo]

The technique you talked about in the later part echos with the latest trend of note-taking, and softwares like Logseq, tildlywiki, Roam..ect.

[henrikejekel]

What you describe in the intro has always been clear to me. What I'm wondering is: why doesn't school teach things this way? At least, that's my experience. Languages are taught through repetition of words and rules. In physics there always was the emphasis on just accepting the laws and only learning when you need to apply which one. I was unable to learn these things until I saw the connections between things and the basis for those laws, which unfortunately was after I left school. Luckily it has made learning languages since then a lot easier

[billypilgrim]

Not to sound like an ad but Notion is perfect for this type of archiving. Definitely worth checking it out.

[CHPetMom]

I do something quite similar, so it was nice to have my process confirmed, however, there is something that you do, that I still have to pick up, and think is brilliant, which is to further journal. While I write a short paragraph of thoughts of the insights that I have after diving into something I read, I do not journal as extensive as you do about it, which I think in turn would open up a lot more insights into connections that I can make - or future studies I want to make - through that "braindump". So I will try to extend my writing about what I am reading a bit, and see if that adds to this practice. Thank you for your insightful videos, they are a pleasure to watch.

[bakelibanucy]

Have you ever stumbled upon the Obsidian note-taking app?
It's free bi-linking, organizable into themselves and folders markdown files with a beautiful graph view. Organizing it the way you show it here would be a breeze.
I use it for taking not full-fledged notes but thoughts, ideas and concepts of "atomic" size I can connect by hierarchies and links.

[tobybajrovic]

Thanks so much for this video man. I had so many lightbulb moments. Love your channel and wisdom!

[Iei.a]

5:45 write 300 words every morning on what you just read (thoughts on...)

[anandramaswamy]

You describing how to pick up more to read is very similar to Justin Sungs advice on learning def going to implement some of this keep up the great work.

[mintyandi]

Thank you for this informative video. Does this only apply to nonfiction books or fiction as well?

[sharfinarif]

I really loved your tone. I Just want to copy it 😊.

[Abdulja]

cut to the chase man, this is the 4th video in a row that I find myself unable to finish.