Again, the Importance of the Notebook
Oh, the Almighty Notebook.
It’s been many a year since I started writing down random shit into a book that I carried with me everywhere. I’ve learned that this is, essentially, the writer’s greatest tool. Any spare time becomes the time you practice your skill and write your ideas down on paper. Oh, it’s just a wonderful thing.
I’ve never understood why I get excited when I buy a new notebook and a pack of pens. I usually go for a big notebook, because anything smaller than a five subject simply won’t last me long enough. It’s just a good feeling, like finding a fresh new field to play in. That’s how I’ve always thought of it.
At any rate, all writers need a notebook, regardless of what you put in it. A lot of the time, my notebook would be a research pad, a diary, and an idea journal at the same time. Almost anything you experience can be a entry into the notebook. I used to write about my day just so I would get that extra practice.
I’m fully aware some people are capable of carrying around a laptop in lieu of a notebook, but that just doesn’t work for me. I, not having much computer-based art talent, sometimes need to do a sketch of something in the notebook to help clarify myself. [That is, even though my non-computer-based art skill isn't much better.] Besides that, my pen might run out of ink, but the battery on my notebook isn’t going to die. Low-tech can be convenient, too.
Now, you’ve got a notebook but you don’t know what to do. Well, you write, and write often. Anything that comes into your brain that interests you is worth writing down. When you write, take care to use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. [Personally, there are times when I'm just making a list, and it doesn't matter so much then, but when you practice good grammar, it becomes more natural.] Flesh out your ideas as much as possible. The more details you put into your writings now, the more you’ll have later when you need them. Don’t be afraid to include divergent details, like if you have two different ideas about how a story should turn out or something.
-Jaron
“A” notebook? My problem is that I have at least four currently going – the pocket notebook, the purse notebook, the dream notebook and the “analyzing what I’m reading” notebook, so I can learn from the pros. I, too, have been puzzled – why is buying a new notebook and pens so thrilling?