Let’s be real — there’s no one “correct” way to organize campaign notes.
Some GMs can run entire worlds from a single torn notebook page and a strong memory. If that’s you? Amazing. Seriously, don’t change what’s working.
But if you’ve ever looked at your notes and thought,
What the fuck does grumpy guy, hates guards, map?? even mean?
then yeah — I’ve been there too.
This post isn’t a “do it my way or fail” kind of thing. It’s just me, an indie dev and forever-GM, sharing how I started cleaning up my chaos. Because once I did, prep got faster, sessions flowed smoother, and I stopped losing track of all the cool shit I’d written weeks ago and then promptly forgot.
Why Bother Organizing at All?
Because at some point, your players are gonna do one of three things:
- Go back to a side character you totally forgot existed
- Ask about that one clue from session 2 (that you forgot even was a clue)
- Do something you didn’t prep for and you’ll have to wing it fast
When your notes are clear, all of that becomes way less stressful.
It’s not about perfection. It’s about being able to find the stuff you already wrote when you need it.
What I Try to Track
Here’s what I personally keep track of these days (not because it’s “correct,” but because it saves my ass mid-session):
- Locations – where stuff happens, what’s important about them
- NPCs – who they are, what they want, who they hate/love/fear
- Inventory & Artifacts – weird items, cursed relics, or anything important that’s gonna matter later
- Session Logs – just enough to remember what actually happened
- Factions / World Stuff – mostly when players piss off someone powerful
- Quests / Threads – what’s going on, who’s involved, where it’s going
That’s it. I don’t track every iron dagger and tavern receipt. Just the stuff that could show up again and screw (or save) the party later.
🧠 Turning Garbage Notes Into Useful Notes
Let me show you what this looked like for real.
🔸 Step 1: The Garbage Note
This was my original “note” during a session:
Innkeeper - grumpy guy, hates guards, gave map fragment
Honestly? I’ve written worse.
But the next time the players mentioned this dude, I had no fucking clue who he was or why he mattered. Classic GM moment.
🔸 Step 2: Just… Add Context
Instead of rewriting my whole world, I just rewrote the damn note. Added some context, dropped it into TrailsWeaver as a real note, and suddenly it was usable again.
Now I actually know:
- Who this NPC is
- Where he works
- What he did
- And how he ties into the story
🔸 Step 3: Give It Some Structure
Let’s take it a bit further. Here's how I clean things up long-term — not for every random guy in the tavern, but for anyone important enough to come up again.
🏘️ 3.1 Create the location
He owns the Smoldering Mug, so I made that a location on the board. Gave it some details, maybe a picture. That way if the party ever trashes it (they will), I’ve got it covered.
👤 3.2 Create the NPC
Now “Branrik Mallor” is no longer “grumpy innkeeper” — he’s a full character in my world, right where I can find him.
🧾 3.3 Add a real description
I keep it simple: role, personality, motivations, and session interactions.
🔗 3.4 Link the important stuff
This part is pure magic: connect Branrik to the tavern he owns and to the captain he hates. Suddenly everything’s just there.
No more guessing “uh… what did I write last time?”
That’s it. Took maybe 3–5 minutes. Now I’ve got a usable, connected, improv-ready piece of my world — not some mystery scribble in the margins.
And next time the players walk into the Smoldering Mug? I’m ready.
How I Actually Organize It
I used to throw all this stuff into random Notion pages, Google Docs, and handwritten sheets — which was great until it wasn’t.
Eventually I got sick of it and built my own tool, TrailsWeaver, to do it better — basically a whiteboard-meets-notes thing where I can drop in characters, locations, link stuff together, and actually see how it connects.
But honestly? Whatever tool you use — index cards, obsidian, your own brain — just make sure it works for you. If it doesn’t, change it. No guilt, no dogma.
Quick Tips That Helped Me
- After every session, spend 10 mins updating stuff (future-you will love you for this)
- Always write why someone matters, not just what they did
- Use links, tags, or colors — anything that helps you find things faster
- Keep a “loose threads” list. Players will pull them eventually
- Don’t overbuild — write what you’ll actually use
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to build a wiki or write a novel. Just make your notes good enough that they help you run better sessions.
For me, that meant ditching scattered files and building something I actually enjoyed using.
If any of this sounds familiar — or you’re tired of prepping in chaos — check out TrailsWeaver. It’s what I wish I had years ago. Maybe it’ll work for you too.
And if not? That’s cool. Just don’t let “grumpy guy, map” be the thing that derails your campaign.