Writer's Notebooks

Writer's notebooks are a special place full of special words... And some not so special words. Honestly, they are a dumping ground for your brilliant, not-so-brilliant, average, and just plain horrible ideas. If you have an idea, it should go in your writer's notebook. That way, it's out of your brain so that there is room for new ideas (hopefully better ones).

I usually keep more than one writer's notebook at a time simply because I can't be bothered to pick one. If you do pick one instead of using multiples, then you should decorate it with inspiring pictures and designs. My current writer's notebook is a black 70 page with random blue pen drawings on it, and I've been using it at the beach. Pretty cool.

Anyway, about a writer's notebook. It's a central clearing house for all of your character sheets, lists, ideas, scenes, poetry, rants, diary entries, doodles, ect. You can tape pictures in it, attach colorful tabs, add a useful page of descriptive adjectives (I have a couple with sex adverbs and adjectives on it that I occasionally refer to).

The hardest thing about keeping a writer's notebook (and the best reason to keep one) is that it requires you to turn off your internal censor. Write everything: the good, the bad, and the ugly. This can help keep your muse churning out newer, better stuff. It is a good way to prevent the well from running dry. It's purging the bad in order to move on to the good. Besides, who knows, maybe you will end up noticing that your "bad" ideas aren't so bad after all.

Even if you can't think of anything significant to write, the act of writing not-so-inspired words flicks on a switch inside your brain. As you continue writing, the words will come easier. The phrasing will improve. As long as you carve out time in your day to write, eventually you will come up with something worth reading and transferring to your computer. You can always use that process as a chance to improve and edit your words.

Now, go write! Have fun! Take your new writer's notebook for a spin, or add to one you started previously. Just write something while I enjoy myself at thie beach... Later.

A few sentences can go a long way. As a dedicated blogger and writer, I try to write a few sentences every day, even when it is difficult and/or inconvenient. While the rest of my family drove seven hours to Maryland for our family vacation, I was crouched in the back seat writing on a laptop with a dying battery. My reward was several thousand words added to my word count. I have written on napkins, notecards, in email inboxes on public computers, on my celllohone, even on my hands when a journal isn't available.

Today, go out and write. Write a poem. Try a short story. Start a fresh novel. If you have a pen or a computer anywhere nearby, go get it. No excuses. Your family and friends might think that you are crazy. I know that mine do. Eventually, they will get used to it and you can train them not to bother you. Genius and creativity wait for no one! Now, go write.

Don't feel so inspired? Are you less spontaneous than me? Consider starting a Writer's Notebook. You can google it to find out more on how to keep one, but here's a basic summary: it's a place to keep all your snippets, scraps, lists, and ideas, all of your spontaneous thoughts and all of your daily observations. It is an important tool that all writers should use. Anyway, more on that tomorrow. Time for me to continue with my vacation!