The Writer's Notebook
Do you have one?
Welcome (or welcome back) to my writing journey!
How are you all doing?
Today I wanted to talk about the tool that helps me most on my journey to write a book.
My writer's notebook.
So what is a writer's notebook?
Well, it can be anything you want.
I'll tell you a little about mine, and maybe that'll give you ideas for your own.
At its core, a writer's notebook is a storehouse of ideas. Some may be fully fledged, while others might only be components that, when put together, could create something amazing.
My notebook has two sections. One for ideas and one for accountability.
The ideas section has lists of characters, settings and situations I'd like to write about. I add to those lists whenever something comes to mind, which ensures that I'll never run out of things to write about. It's also a fun exercise in creativity to combine different ideas and see what stories come out of it.
The accountability section is where I track my writing. Every month gets its own pages, and every day that I achieve my goal of writing, or doing something to further my writing, for 10 minutes a day, I add a sticker. There is a space next to each week where I write down what I want to focus on.
Here's what the November pages look like, for example:
Last month, I was able to put in 10 minutes every day, and honestly — just looking at that page full of stickers makes me so proud. I've had trouble sticking to writing goals in the past, but checking off the days (with a beautiful sticker, no less) has really been the push I needed. Seeing that streak on paper helps motivate me. I don't want to break it.
I hope to add a lot more to my notebook in the future. I hope to be able to put stickers on every day, and I hope to fill the ideas pages with all the things I'd like to write about. There may be be other idea pages I'll add in the future, but right now I'm focusing on building the three I already have.
I'm not sure how long it's going to take me to write my book, but I'm sure that without my notebook, it'll never get done. The ideas section helps my brain keep coming up with interesting things, and the accountability section ensures I actually put in the writing time needed to finish it.
Do you have a writer's notebook? What's in it?
I'd love to hear about yours, and add new things to mine based on your suggestions!
Talk soon :)
Shira
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Your support allows me to continue writing. Thank you ❤️❤️❤️
My writing coach taught me to write in blocks because you never know how ideas will be connected. Now, I write nonfiction stuff so it’s a little different style.
I’ve always had writer’s notebooks that I sort of pick up and drop. I always have the idea that the pages need to be perfect. But now you’re making me want to try again!