Creating a Working Writer's Notebook

I learned about writing notebooks in my MFA program back in 2005, but I’d heard about them many years before—how most serious artists and writers kept a journal, sketchbook, or notebook as a place to jot inspirations, track storylines, and explore ideas.

Years ago, I read Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg and got the idea of self-assignments, based on writing prompts or seed ideas. These “free writes” are simply set-aside moments when you write about something, anything, and stir up the creative juices. In book-writing, free writes are where the “inner story” comes from--the theme, meaning, subtler levels, unconscious connections that delight both reader and writer as they emerge onto the page.

My self-assigned daily free writes came out a bit self-conscious when typed on the computer. When I read in another writing guide about having a writer’s notebook to scribble notes and ideas, I decided to use it for my free writes.

Finding a notebook I loved—and could mess up

At that time, I lived in Paris. I was there, studying for a year, and beginning to write and paint. Paris is saturated with art and writing. I lived across the street from Cafe Deux Magots, in a garret apartment. I often imagined James Joyce or Simone De Beauvoir sitting at one of the tiny outdoor tables, scribbling in notebooks. I was nineteen at the time—easy to understand!

But following that inspiration, I went to a nearby store that sold notebooks made by Claire-Fontaine. They were graph-paper paged, spiral bound and thick, with bright colored covers. At Prisunic in Paris they cost less than $2.00 so my meager budget allowed them.

I would buy them by the dozen, and when my year in Paris was over, I loaded my suitcase. Now they’re available online (here’s one place) and around $9.00 each.

I’d date the beginning page, paste in photos or sketches, make lists of topic/island ideas for my book, craft the openings of short stories or essays. Each week I read over my notes and typed the most interesting ones into the computer.

A new notebook for each project

The notebooks became my journal of the book-writing process.

I began a new notebook whenever I started writing a new book. When the notebook was filled, I combed through its pages once more, then shelved it.

Often, months or years later, as I mentioned above, I’d get a chance to page through and reread the steps that created that book. Or I’d remember something neglected in its pages and I could retrieve a passage I liked for a story or chapter that needed a hole filled.

Those daily self-assignments, my free writes, came from idea lists I kept going in each notebook.

When I finished the notebook, I photocopied the lists and pasted them into the new notebook. The lists became the front or end pages, easily located.

Capturing ideas as they pass by

My muse speaks at unexpected moments. I loved Elizabeth Gilbert’s story in Big Magic about an idea she’d neglected being picked up by a writing friend who ran with it quite successfully.

How do you capture your muse’s ideas fast enough? They can disappear as quickly as a dream on a busy morning.

Basically, you are always ready to take notes.

One writing colleague said her notebook was the main way she scribes her interior landscape. If the muse begins to funnel ideas and there’s no place to get them written down, over time the ideas stop coming. I’ve learned that by making myself available to the muse, the inner vision, more ideas come.

It’s as if I’m forging an agreement. You give me the idea, I promise to pay attention.

Your weekly writing exercise

Treat yourself to a new writing notebook this week.

Check out Claire-Fontaine (above) or a thrift store or local bookstore. Try small or large, spiral or perfect bound or loose-leaf pages, lined or plain. Enjoy the process of finding one.

Write the date on the first page, then spend 10 minutes starting an “idea” list of topics you’re interested in writing about someday. Create this list on the first or last page of your notebook.

Practice carrying the notebook around this week and scribbling down ideas whenever they come. You might be surprised at what you get!

What did you discover, learn, realize? Share your thoughts and questions.

Photo by Kier in Sight Archives on Unsplash