Make a Reusable Reading-Note Card With Plain Markdown

This project makes a reusable reading-note card as a plain Markdown file. The finished card keeps the source, a short explanation in your own words, your response, and one follow-up together. You can edit it in a basic text editor, keep it in a notes folder, or print a copy.

The downloadable files contain the blank template and a clearly labelled fictional example. There is no installation, account, paid app, or plugin requirement. I develop Simple Memo and maintain the free Capture Templates project from which this card is adapted; this tutorial works independently of the app.

1. A computer or phone with a plain-text editor that can save a file.
2. A folder for your notes.
3. Something you are actually reading, plus its title and section or page details.
4. The attached reading-note-template.txt and reading-note-example.txt, or the template text copied from Step 1.

Optional: a printer if you prefer to fill the card on paper. No special Markdown software is required.

Make a folder named Reading Notes. Create a plain-text file called reading-note-template.md and paste the following text into it. If your editor normally saves rich text, switch to plain text first. On Windows, check that the file did not acquire a hidden .txt extension.

Save this file without filling it in. This is the master copy you will duplicate. Square brackets are prompts to replace manually; they are not automatic fields.

The attachments use the supported .txt format and contain ordinary text. You can keep using .txt, or save a copy as .md to display it with a Markdown app. No file conversion tool is needed. The attachment README-and-license.txt contains reuse instructions and the MIT license.

Duplicate the master file and give the copy a useful name, such as 2026-09-06-book-title-chapter-02.md. Enter the real title, author, section read, and date.

Write one sentence under In my own words. Keep it separate from My response, where you can add a question, doubt, or connection. Under Follow-up, choose one small action or question. If a quotation helps, copy it accurately, keep it short, and record the edition and page or chapter. Otherwise delete the quotation section.

The example image uses an invented handbook to demonstrate the format. It is not a quotation or a claim about a real book. Replace it with your own reading information.

Open the completed note once more and check four things: can you identify the source, distinguish the author’s idea from your response, understand why you kept the note, and see a useful follow-up?

Keep the blank master unchanged and duplicate it for the next reading session. Delete fields that are not useful to you. A plain text search for a title or topic is enough to find a note; a Markdown app can optionally display the headings and checkboxes. Mark a finished checkbox by changing - [ ] to - [x].

If a file opens as one long paragraph, make sure the editor is using plain text and that line breaks were preserved. If a quotation has no source, add the missing source details or remove it.

The files are part of the free, MIT-licensed Capture Templates collection. A longer explanation of capture and review is available in the Simple Memo reading-note guide (Japanese). The app is optional.

This tutorial and its original diagrams were prepared with AI assistance. The worked example is fictional; no research results or user testimonials are claimed.