I'll be the first to admit, I'm a creature of habit. I buy new things all the time - pens, journals, CDs, you name it - and I still go back to what I know works. I'm not sure if it's a comfort thing or what, but when I try something new, I freak out a little.
I'm doing this with notebooks, too.
In the last week and a half or so, I've changed two of my everyday notebooks: my kickaround notebook, which I discussed in last week's post, as well as my writing practice journal. Filling two notebooks within such a short span of each other is thrilling, no doubt. As is writing on the first blank page of a new journal - so full of promise and wonder and all that jazz people talk about but you never really believe until it actually happens.
My new kickaround notebook is a hardcover journal, with grid lines instead of lined paper. I'm adjusting to the grids better than I thought; it's helping me make sure my left margin stays in a straight line. What's bugging me is that I can't fold the cover back, like I could with my last notebook, which had a spiral for the spine. I'm used to folding it up and propping it up wherever I can to write, especially at work where there really isn't such thing as "desk space." I'm finding myself clearing away people's drinks just so I can get some room to set the journal down. I've had a few days, but it's still weird to me.
For the writing practice notebook, it's a big hardcover notebook from Borders, one of the basic black ones that's perpetually on clearance though they've had tons of them for years and years and years. This is the first time I've found something to even consider using that notebook for, so that's good. It's just - plain, for my tastes. I'm not sure how the spine is going to hold up when I'm filling page after page.
Maybe it's just me, being resistant to change. I don't want to let the slightest little thing ruin my writing experience, because I'm sure those thoughts are all in my head. We'll see how it goes over the course of the next few weeks.
Showing posts with label notebooks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label notebooks. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Wednesday Blog Post: Replacing Notebooks
As I write the draft of this blog post, this is the last entry I will be writing in this "kickaround notebook." It's the Paperchase one I covered in stickers from works and I'm sure it's seen better days; I may have to tape the cover back in place to preserve it once I'm finished. It took me a little over a year to finish this one - the first page is dated May 8, 2008.
It's still satisfying to fill a notebook, at least for me. I like being able to riffle throughthe pages and see all the colors (I used a different one every day, pens are my weakness), the half-finished scenes, my notes to myself. This notebook in particular has bits and pieces of my novel, And You Tell Me I Am Home, as well as snippets from the Imperial Story. I'm quite proud to retire this baby, giving it a good home on my shelf.
This means, of course, that I had to pick out a new journal to use as my "kickaround" notebook. Rather than buy a new one, I raided the collection in my cedar chest - at some points, it's better than going to Staples. I found three nice leather bound journals, gifts from various people (my Uncle Joe, my Aunt debbie, and ex-boyfriend Caz). One was a gift from Mrs. Keane, my senior year of high school - the cover is emblazoned with the words, "We are the hero of our own story." These are the journals I want to keep in perfect condition, not let get bounced around when I carry them everywhere. It was good to remember than I had these journals waiting for me, waiting to hold the perfect project.
I ended up choosing a hardcover journal, nothing fancy, but the paper inside is of a good weight and it will hold up to a lot of abuse. This notebook lasted me 15 months; the next one should be able to do the same. I'm excited to write on that very first page, to fill another notebook with my thoughts and words. It's been too long since I've started something new.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way - this elation, this thrill. It's one of my perks to being a writer, and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it.
It's still satisfying to fill a notebook, at least for me. I like being able to riffle throughthe pages and see all the colors (I used a different one every day, pens are my weakness), the half-finished scenes, my notes to myself. This notebook in particular has bits and pieces of my novel, And You Tell Me I Am Home, as well as snippets from the Imperial Story. I'm quite proud to retire this baby, giving it a good home on my shelf.
This means, of course, that I had to pick out a new journal to use as my "kickaround" notebook. Rather than buy a new one, I raided the collection in my cedar chest - at some points, it's better than going to Staples. I found three nice leather bound journals, gifts from various people (my Uncle Joe, my Aunt debbie, and ex-boyfriend Caz). One was a gift from Mrs. Keane, my senior year of high school - the cover is emblazoned with the words, "We are the hero of our own story." These are the journals I want to keep in perfect condition, not let get bounced around when I carry them everywhere. It was good to remember than I had these journals waiting for me, waiting to hold the perfect project.
I ended up choosing a hardcover journal, nothing fancy, but the paper inside is of a good weight and it will hold up to a lot of abuse. This notebook lasted me 15 months; the next one should be able to do the same. I'm excited to write on that very first page, to fill another notebook with my thoughts and words. It's been too long since I've started something new.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way - this elation, this thrill. It's one of my perks to being a writer, and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Wednesday Blog Post: Notebooks
Every writer needs a good notebook to keep thoughts in, even the ones that don't seem so important at the time. I'm always on the lookout for new notebooks and journals, even when I know I don't have a use for them yet. (Clearance Paperchase at Borders will get me every time.) My notebooks each have a purpose, so that way when I'm looking for a certain story or subject, I know exactly which book it's in.
Right now I'm using three notebooks on a regular basis; next week, you could ask me again and I'll tell you a different number. I do this mostly so that way, wherever I am, I always have some place to jot down a thought or idea without needing to grab a notebook or lose it on scraps of paper.
The one probably getting the most use right now is my "kickaround" notebook. I use the term "kickaround" to describe those notebooks that seem to follow me everywhere; this one primarily lives in my work bag, but I carry it around to friends' houses, the library, you name it. I initially bought this notebook for its tabbed sections - not that I've used them to separate thoughts or topics, but it looked cool. Just looking at the cover, you can tell it's getting beat up from the rough life it has with me. Insides is everything from half-finished writing prompts to pieces of my novel to notes about writing books, taken while I was reading. I usually draft my blog posts here, since I'm not always in front of my computer. I'm surprised at how long this one has lasted me going on a year, most of that spent getting carted back and forth to work.
My writing practice notebook, however, is more durable, being one of the few hardcover notebooks, aside from journals, I've ever used on a consistent basis. I like that the pages are the size of normal printer paper, so it's a good judge of how much I've written; a 20 minute session usually yields two and a half pages of writing. For a bound journal, the spine lays flat so I'm not struggling to keep the book open while I'm writing. Probably my favorite part is the ribbon bookmark attached to the spine. I like to set it at the end of my writing and then look at the top of the journal, to see how much of it I've filled. It's a confidence boost for me, being able to see how my writing practice pays off.
The last of my three favorites of the moment, my "writer's sketchbook" is a new idea I'm trying out. It's technically a scrapbook, with heavy pages I can write and draw on with Sharpies and the ink doesn't bleed through. I use it to map out ideas, such as a character's personality traits or thinking of new ideas for this here blog. I like the fact that the pages are so big and the unlined paper makes the maps look cleaner and easier to read. Though I've only used it for a few weeks, I've found it to be really helpful for remembering ideas and jotting down new ones as they come. And I'll be honest - getting to play with Sharpies helps my creativity.
Notebooks have always been my way of keeping my thoughts straight, both for my stories and for my personal life. I've always wondered if it works the same for other writers as well - whether through journals, sketchbooks, lined paper, unlined paper, colored pens, the list goes on. What notebooks do you use? I'm curious.
Right now I'm using three notebooks on a regular basis; next week, you could ask me again and I'll tell you a different number. I do this mostly so that way, wherever I am, I always have some place to jot down a thought or idea without needing to grab a notebook or lose it on scraps of paper.
The one probably getting the most use right now is my "kickaround" notebook. I use the term "kickaround" to describe those notebooks that seem to follow me everywhere; this one primarily lives in my work bag, but I carry it around to friends' houses, the library, you name it. I initially bought this notebook for its tabbed sections - not that I've used them to separate thoughts or topics, but it looked cool. Just looking at the cover, you can tell it's getting beat up from the rough life it has with me. Insides is everything from half-finished writing prompts to pieces of my novel to notes about writing books, taken while I was reading. I usually draft my blog posts here, since I'm not always in front of my computer. I'm surprised at how long this one has lasted me going on a year, most of that spent getting carted back and forth to work.
My writing practice notebook, however, is more durable, being one of the few hardcover notebooks, aside from journals, I've ever used on a consistent basis. I like that the pages are the size of normal printer paper, so it's a good judge of how much I've written; a 20 minute session usually yields two and a half pages of writing. For a bound journal, the spine lays flat so I'm not struggling to keep the book open while I'm writing. Probably my favorite part is the ribbon bookmark attached to the spine. I like to set it at the end of my writing and then look at the top of the journal, to see how much of it I've filled. It's a confidence boost for me, being able to see how my writing practice pays off.
The last of my three favorites of the moment, my "writer's sketchbook" is a new idea I'm trying out. It's technically a scrapbook, with heavy pages I can write and draw on with Sharpies and the ink doesn't bleed through. I use it to map out ideas, such as a character's personality traits or thinking of new ideas for this here blog. I like the fact that the pages are so big and the unlined paper makes the maps look cleaner and easier to read. Though I've only used it for a few weeks, I've found it to be really helpful for remembering ideas and jotting down new ones as they come. And I'll be honest - getting to play with Sharpies helps my creativity.
Notebooks have always been my way of keeping my thoughts straight, both for my stories and for my personal life. I've always wondered if it works the same for other writers as well - whether through journals, sketchbooks, lined paper, unlined paper, colored pens, the list goes on. What notebooks do you use? I'm curious.
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