Creating and Using Your Writer's Notebook

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Keeping Your Thoughts Organized

Writers need notebooks. That's where they record all the flash inspirations the Muse sends them.

Thoughts are fleeting.

If you have a good idea for a writing project, you need a place to write it down. The logical place, the place thousands of writers choose, is a simple notebook.

I use ordinary spiral-bound notebooks, and have been using the same notebook for my writing inspirations for a few years now.

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Create a Table of Contents 

Before starting, reserve a few pages at the front of your notebook for a table of contents. You can number each subsequent page so you can easily find lists and items when you need them.

Inspiration 

I usually leave a few pages at the beginning of a notebook blank at first, as a place to collect inspirational quotes about writing. Here are a few I've used:

"...celebrate man's proven capacity for greatness of heart and spirit..."

- John Steinbeck, from his Nobel Prize acceptance speech



Also from the same source:

"The ancient commission of the writer has not changed. He is charged with exposing our many grievous faults and failures, with dredging up to the light our dark and dangerous dreams, for the purpose of improvement."

- Steinbeck



"Anyone who believes you can't change history has never tried to write his memoirs."

-- David Ben Gurion



"I may be a 'serious writer' but I wish I was a humor writer ~ they're more fun to read."

- me

Read About It 

Notebook Know-How: Strategies for the Writer's Notebook

Amazon Price: $11.08 (as of 07/04/2009) Buy Now

What to Write in Your Notebook 

You can use your writer's notebook for anything your creative mind comes up with, that relates to your writing. This is not an ordinary journal and shouldn't have your free-floating thoughts on life in general. Think of it as a tool that will assist you in building your writing career.

For example, if you hear something and think, "That would be a great title for a novel," that's something that should be written into your writer's notebook. Do not trust your memory to keep these kinds of thoughts. Thoughts are here one minute and soon gone, like clouds floating by that cannot be captured.

Write everything down, regardless of how nonsensical it seems to you at the time. Ten years from now it may inspire you with an idea for a writing project you can't now foresee.

 

Get Organized, Get Published!: 225 Ways to Make Time for Success

Amazon Price: $18.99 (as of 07/04/2009) Buy Now

Pages You Might Want In Your Writer's Notebook 

You could fill your notebook chronologically, but I'd find that format difficult to utilize. Instead I write lists. Here's a list of some of the pages I have in my writer's notebook:

Article ideas
Publishers to query
Character names, sometimes with character traits
Novel titles
Descriptive passages or phrases
YA novel ideas
Fragments of real conversations
Lines (that I'd like to include in a novel)
Sub plot ideas
Humor clips
Writers to read
How to fix my novel
Short story ideas
Comparisons and descriptions
Children's novel ideas
Research
"Mom" article ideas (your passion may vary)
A plan for 2008
E-book ideas
Website development
Themes to use in story development
Horror plots
Autobiography notes
Quotes about writing

The topics for your pages will be inspired by your imagination.

 

Breathing In, Breathing Out: Keeping a Writer's Notebook

Amazon Price: $21.94 (as of 07/04/2009) Buy Now

Take It With You 

It is a good idea to take your writer's notebook with you wherever you go. That's probably why the pocket-sized Moleskine notebook is so popular. I use a much larger, spiral bound notebook and have a hard time fitting it into my active lifestyle. It fits fine inside my AlphaSmart case, however.

You never know when a cool writing inspiration will come to you. Don't be caught without a place to write it down, because thoughts are not something you can re-capture easily.

Moleskine Notebooks 

Moleskine Large Notebook Ruled

Amazon Price: $16.93 (as of 07/04/2009) Buy Now

Moleskine Large Plain Notebook

Amazon Price: $10.51 (as of 07/04/2009) Buy Now

Moleskine Small Ruled Notebook

Amazon Price: $12.00 (as of 07/04/2009) Buy Now

Do you have a writer's notebook? 

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More About Writing Notebooks 

...more ideas on organizing a writer's notebook.

Introducing the Writer's Notebook
A writer's notebook can be used to gather and develop ideas for future writing projects.
How to Organize a Writer's Notebook
There's a lot involved in the world of freelance writing. Not only do freelance writers require excellent writing skills, it's also important to be organized.
Lessons for the Writer's Notebook
Curriculum to encourage young writers.
The Writer's Notebook, or Let's not really write
Another idea on how writer's notebooks can be used.

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A Writer's Notebook: Unlocking the Writer Within You

Amazon Price: $5.99 (as of 07/04/2009) Buy Now

Thanks for coming by my Writing Notebook lens... 

I feel I've gotten a lot of help by keeping a notebook, and wanted to share my love of this with you.

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Write to me! 

I would love to get your comments about writing, the use of writers' notebooks, and whatever else you might need to say.

BigGirlBlue wrote...

I love the page title ideas you suggested. I might add a section for contacts for related areas.

ReplyPosted June 29, 2009

JaguarJulie wrote...

Do you know Linda that I had annual journals that I kept for the longest time. After moving so much, one year I did a sort of spring cleaning and destroyed every last one of them. Gosh, I sure wish I had them today! Because of that, I've been reluctant to begin another writer's journal, but know that I should. ;)

ReplyPosted May 31, 2009

henzy wrote...

good idea, i carry a little notepad around with me too.

ReplyPosted May 19, 2009

CrypticFragments wrote...

it's cool that I found you tonight...or rather, that you found me!
I started keeping a writers' notebook about a month ago when I was offline for an extended period...I use it for title ideas, fragments of brilliant sentences not attached to stories ( "cryptic fragments' per se), descriptive paragraphs & what I call demi~poems (a self-invented term for poetic thoughts not intended to be published as poems...)

perhaps I'll make a lens about it!
my writers' blog is Aurelia...Chrysalis Emerging

ReplyPosted May 12, 2009

Treasures-By-Brenda wrote...

I have a notebook and I have hundreds of scraps of paper...I have just never trained myself to use the book consistently.

Brenda

ReplyPosted April 09, 2009

Silent_Note wrote...

This is a really nice lens. You have some great tips here for getting organized and using a writer's notebook. When you get the chance, please stop by my lens and say hello.

ReplyPosted February 13, 2009

Jason_Wright wrote...

Very nice lens. You have put together a great collection of information and resources to help writers. I'd love it if you'd visit my lens and say hello when you have a chance.

ReplyPosted November 23, 2008

WritingforYourWealth wrote...

I like writing fiction by longhand, for some reason, and I use spiral steno books. If only I could actually read my own writing when the time comes to transfer it to computer.. ;)

ReplyPosted November 23, 2008

totosmom wrote...

I have a small notebook but I end up writing everything in it like budgets, lists, etc; but I do write ideas down because I forget them. I think I have too many ideas sometimes. I won't live long enough to do everything I want to do. Hm...that would make a good lens; I'm off to start it.

ReplyPosted November 19, 2008

poddys wrote...

Really nice lens with some useful information. I have lots of ideas, but end up forgetting half of them. It does pay to be organised. 5*****

ReplyPosted November 18, 2008

Li-Li-ThePinkBookworm wrote...

Hi, love this lens! I actually wrote about and linked to it on my blogs ThePinkBookworm.com if you want to check it out and tell me how I did.
I have about three different writing notebooks: a fancy journal for ALL my book ideas, a regular notebook for all blogs ideas and a notebook on fan fiction story outlines. Keep up the good work! Li Li

ReplyPosted November 16, 2008

Miragi wrote...

My writing notebook is just my source of venting and a place to keep track of ideas that pop into my head, but not organized at all. I just refer to it daily :) Wonderful ideas here, thank you!

ReplyPosted November 14, 2008

Jewelsofawe wrote...

Great idea!

ReplyPosted November 12, 2008

Ener-G wrote...

I love notebooks and love this lens...I so often draw a blank when it's time to write something on my blogs but think of dozens of ideas in other situations (like washing dishes, etc.) Will have to strap a notebook to my belt or something!

ReplyPosted October 25, 2008

LarryBass wrote...

Terrific Lens here Linda! I too, like EelKat, have tons and tons of notebooks etc. I can SO relate to this fine piece of workmanship you've built here.

Thank You for sharing such great Writing info with us all...

LarryB

ReplyPosted October 13, 2008

steimannbernard wrote...

i met you at squidu nice knowing you!

ReplyPosted October 09, 2008

A_RovingReporter wrote...

Great five-star tips for existing and aspiring writers.

ReplyPosted October 07, 2008

DrMaria wrote...

I tend to use my journals as writing notebooks - which makes it difficult to find the relevant info when i need it. You've inspired me to buy a separate notebook for my writing ideas.

ReplyPosted October 04, 2008

Portable_eBay wrote...

I used to carry an mp3 player with recording capabilities. But when its batter runs out... So now I carry a small note book and a small pen. I've filled up 6 notebooks already. 5*

ReplyPosted October 03, 2008

EelKat wrote...

Oh my... do I have one? Nope, I have uhm... a hundred or so! LOL! I started my first one back in the 1970's, and I go though a couple a month. Mines vary from spiral bound notebooks, to clothbound books, to tiny 3x5 pocket sized notebooks, to huge 3" ring binders packed full of loseleaf. I' a rabid keeper of writing journals, because everything under the sun gives me ideas to write about so I keep track of my ideas as soon as I think of them

ReplyPosted October 01, 2008

vbright105 wrote...

What wonderful ideas! I tend to think of things in the middle of the night, then get up and write them. I have a notebook, but never with me when I need it! lol

ReplyPosted September 30, 2008

rms wrote...

Excellent tips here. I'm rolling this on to my Creative Writing Tips lens.

ReplyPosted September 24, 2008

Lensmaster

kidztales wrote

I never thought of a writer's notebook. I have notes to myself all over the place. Thank you for this organizational tip. I'll start mine today!

Reply Posted September 22, 2008

CarlaClayton wrote...

I like the table of contents idea. I use the black/white composition books. I buy them when they go on sale for 5 for a dollar. I love them because they are small and the same size for my bookcase.

ReplyPosted September 01, 2008

Gretchen_Lee_Bourquin wrote...

These are great ideas. I sporadically use notebooks, but haven't been consistent with them. There are so many ideas that zip by you at times when there is no time to develop them. A notebook like this could be the siv that catches them

ReplyPosted August 22, 2008

Gretchen_Lee_Bourquin wrote...

These are great ideas. I sporadically use notebooks, but haven't been consistent with them. There are so many ideas that zip by you at times when there is no time to develop them. A notebook like this could be the siv that catches them

ReplyPosted August 22, 2008

qlcoach wrote...

I feel the same way about journaling that you feel about having a notebook. Thank you for sharing this information. Feel free to let more writers know about it at our club:
http://www.squidoo.com/groups/publishingclub

Sincerely: Gary Eby, author and therapist

ReplyPosted July 13, 2008

Megal wrote...

Wow, never thought of this before. Might start one thx. (A great lense)

ReplyPosted July 04, 2008

spiritartist wrote...

So glad I found this lens Linda. Love it!
Five starts, lenseolled on all four, you're a favorite and I'm a fan!

ReplyPosted June 23, 2008

LindaJM wrote...

I'm so excited to read that people are getting some benefit from this lens! Thank you for letting me know.

ReplyPosted June 11, 2008

CLB wrote...

Great idea. I used to carry around a small notebook thingie when I was a teen (yeah, caught the writing bug early, lol) but I had never thought of a writer's notebook. Not as such.
Thank you!!! Merci beaucoup !!!

ReplyPosted June 11, 2008

Joan4 wrote...

I will start my writer's notebook within an hour! I have little notes everywhere! No wonder I feel I am drowning in paper! Everything else is in files and notebooks; why not my writing ideas? Thank you!

ReplyPosted June 10, 2008

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Lensmaster LindaJM, aka Linda Martin, has been a member since June 11 2007, has rated 1,270 lenses, favorited 584, and has created 102 lenses from scratch. This member's top-ranked page is "Image and Video Mentor". See all my lenses

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I live in the Klamath River Valley of Northern California. I share my life with my boyfriend, Bob. We like to watch movies at home on DVD, swim, hike, and prospect for gold in the Siskiyou Mountains.

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