0 Benefits of Taking Notes when Reading

Have you ever been reading a book only to come across a character who you can't really remember? Like a minor character? Or have you forgotten the name of a place/location, or the meaning of certain term or plot twist? Well if you have, you wouldn't be the first. In this post I am going to highlight some of the benefits that note-taking whilst reading can bring. 

1. You will have a Better Understanding of the Plot

Taking notes about the main storyline/plot will not only help you to cement it into your mind but also allow you to gain a greater understanding of it. Having written notes on the plot and summarised what is going on you will have made it clear to yourself about what is happening and what the author is trying to get across to you. 

Of course some stories do not need you to do this as the plot/storyline is very simple and easy to remember. However, with those longer and harder storylines out there, taking some notes so that you can keep up with what is going on is definitely going to be helpful. This won't work for everyone as some people are much better at remembering what is going on than others, and so this could be a waste of time for them as they don't really need to do it.

2. You will not Forget Characters

Sometimes there are those characters who will just completely elude you to who they are, and you cannot for the life of you remember their identity. You recognise the name but not the character. Re-searching back through the book to see where they were introduced is a massive pain and is something that certainly gets on my nerves when I am wanting to carry on with the story, so having notes that tell you are brilliant for overcoming this little problem. 

I can remember when I was reading 'The Lord of the Rings'. Some of the characters I could not remember at all, how they came about, who they were, or what there position was, etc. Granted I had sometimes had weeks away from the books, but if I had had some notes reminding me who everyone was - it would of made coming back to it and continuing with the story much easier.

3. Can Dive Straight back in

Sometimes you come away from a book for an extended period of time (like my LOTR example in benefit number #2) before deciding to go back to it. Ideally you would like to continue where you left off but unfortunately because of the amount of time you have been away from it - you are slightly unclear about who's who, what is going on and where you are plot-wise. 
This can be another benefit to taking notes when you read, as if done well, it will allow you a brief summary of what has happened up to date and a re-familiarisation with the characters. This means that you don't have to go through the tedious project of having to reread the parts you have already read but just your notes, which shouldn't take too long, before getting back into the climax of the story. 

4. You will Become Better Accustomed to Taking Notes

If you gain nothing else from taking notes whilst reading, at least you can improve your note-taking skills. Having the ability to take the key bits of information out of any context is a skill worth keeping. It is unfortunately not a skill everyone is good at, and those who do it on a regular basis are obviously going to be more familiar with the process and so are much more likely to be better. So if you are one of the many people who find it hard to take notes effectively, doing something like this will help tremendously.