I write by hand for anything that needs to arrive honestly, then type up only what survives the first read. The fear of ruining a nice notebook is really the fear of committing to a bad sentence in permanent ink. Once you accept that most of what goes in is scaffolding rather than the building, a good notebook stops feeling wasted on it. My pen doesn't get to be beautiful, it just has to disappear in my hand and not smudge before the thought does.
I thought about starting a new notebook for my current project but I chose one that was already partially filled- the first pages were a list of gifts from my baby shower in 2016, then a few notes of funny things my kid said, then I used it for a writing workshop in 2024 called dream telling. During that workshop I had to record my dreams daily so my notebook stayed on my bedside table. I wrote in it every day on our annual beach trip and I was so proud of myself for making the time to write every early morning before 7 am.
I normally type at home but I take my notebook with me. Once school and activities start back, it feels much easier to me to jot down quick thoughts in my notebook than to take out my laptop at my kids’ practices. I’ve gotten quite a few writing ideas from things I hear the other kids or parents say.
Pen wise, I’m not that picky but I got pens made for my law firm years ago when we sponsored a 5k and I mostly use those!
I love the concept of a notebook being “a record of your attention.” I carry a pocket sized one, the kind that comes in a cheap pack of ten, and call it my noticing notebook because a writing teacher, Kate Devine, had us keep a noticing notebook in her class. Perfect for all the little snippets of dialogue and fragments of ideas you come upon in a day.
I write by hand for anything that needs to arrive honestly, then type up only what survives the first read. The fear of ruining a nice notebook is really the fear of committing to a bad sentence in permanent ink. Once you accept that most of what goes in is scaffolding rather than the building, a good notebook stops feeling wasted on it. My pen doesn't get to be beautiful, it just has to disappear in my hand and not smudge before the thought does.
I thought about starting a new notebook for my current project but I chose one that was already partially filled- the first pages were a list of gifts from my baby shower in 2016, then a few notes of funny things my kid said, then I used it for a writing workshop in 2024 called dream telling. During that workshop I had to record my dreams daily so my notebook stayed on my bedside table. I wrote in it every day on our annual beach trip and I was so proud of myself for making the time to write every early morning before 7 am.
I normally type at home but I take my notebook with me. Once school and activities start back, it feels much easier to me to jot down quick thoughts in my notebook than to take out my laptop at my kids’ practices. I’ve gotten quite a few writing ideas from things I hear the other kids or parents say.
Pen wise, I’m not that picky but I got pens made for my law firm years ago when we sponsored a 5k and I mostly use those!
I love the concept of a notebook being “a record of your attention.” I carry a pocket sized one, the kind that comes in a cheap pack of ten, and call it my noticing notebook because a writing teacher, Kate Devine, had us keep a noticing notebook in her class. Perfect for all the little snippets of dialogue and fragments of ideas you come upon in a day.
I love that! Noticing notebook it is from here on out.