Notebooks


A post by Persnickety_Jen over at Five Red Pens got me thinking about writing notebooks/journals. Pop over and read it. I'll wait.

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Okay. Back?


I've always loved the idea of keeping a journal/notebook and have even bought dozens over the years. Unfortunately, I throw them on the shelf and they sit there and collect dust. I just feel I've never been a notebook writer, as much as I'd like to be. I have to be in front of a keyboard to be productive. I still carry a moleskin journal but hardly ever use it.

If I think of something during the day I just try to remember it so I can put in my desktop folder of Ideas. Or sometimes I even put a note in my phone's Notes function. (Not so literary sounding is it?)

I know some people love their journals. I think Elise Murphy, one of my critique partners, is really into keeping notebooks. How about you? Can you live without your notebook?

By the way, the image is from my moleskin notebook, which Philip Pullman--yes, you heard me--that Philip Pullman signed. It reads:

When those moments come, remember that it is our job to write just as well and just as regularly when we're not inspired as when we are.

5 comments:

Tara McClendon said...

That's a great line from Philip Pullman. So true. I dont' keep a journal, but I do carry a notebook. More often than not it winds up with scribbles all over the pages from my toddler.

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Ronald L. Smith said...

That's funny, Tara. Thanks fdor stopping by!

K. M. Walton said...

I'm a combo writer. Many notebooks & journals & scraps of paper with ideas, as well as tons of computer time.

Sarah J Clark said...

Regarding Pullman's quote, I'm guilty of "mood writing." If I don't "feel" like it... I don't. My thinking is that my "brilliant" writing comes from when I'm inspired, not when I sit down to just up my word count.

Kudos to those who can write brilliantly even when the "feeling" isn't there!