Before I write, I like to know something about my characters. I draft a lot of details. Some, I'll never use, but this exercise helps me figure out the "character."

I start with a piece of paper. I write the name in the middle. Then I draw lines off of it with "facts" about the "person."

Then as I write,  I move the basic facts to an index card.

I've used this method to organize chapters and manuscripts. I use a "flowchart" method to draw a picture of the plot. I also record who is in each scene. This helps when I do rewrites later.