Writer’s Notebook(s)

Lots of people have ideas on what works for them when it comes to keeping track of their work(s) in progress. My style comes from my bullet journaling interests. Instead of dividing notebooks up, I just take the time and number the pages and use them to organize. It works for me, but your mileage may vary.

As an example in terms of organizing information and content, my two working notebooks. Each is set up with a contents, so I can find what I’m looking for. The dot grid is my WIP, the lined is a mixture of a writing commonplace book and practical exercises. I have notes from reading, videos, conversations mixed in with ideas I used to practice what I learned, do some light thinking and whatever else.

I was gifted the lined moleskine notebook (expanded so like 400 pages), but it doesn’t need to be fancy. The dot grid composition book is from Walmart, for $2.40. I like the sewn in pages so it’s harder to lose or damage, but that’s personal preference. If you’re in to aesthetic display of work, you might want to pick a type of notebook and stick with it so it’s all matchy-matchy on a shelf or something. Mine will live in a drawer when they’re full and only come out when I need to reference.

Tanith Lee ♍️, “the Birthgrave”

Now be honest with me, how many beautiful notebooks do you own? How many of them are empty right now? Yes, I know, you’re waiting for the perfect opportunity to use them. The perfect story. The time you won’t cross anything out. The time you won’t change a thing. Well that time won’t come and you’re wasting them. *Bops you on the head with a pretty notebook* 

The purpose of a writers journal is not to create artwork worthy of a museum, but to help your ideas flow. Sometimes when writing things down, you can even bounce ideas off yourself! It’s amazing! So stop holding back and give it a go. 

Here are my top tips on journaling: 

Don’t worry about keeping it neat (as long as you can read it, it’s good)

Use different notebooks for different things (Plotting, Research, World-building, History, Magic, Religion)

Use headings so topics are easy to find

3am inspo? Write it down! No don’t get your phone out, you want to go to sleep after this. You can develop it in the morning. 

Sketch If you’re struggling to visualise something in you WIP, sketch it even if you can’t draw. Remember, this is just for you.

Solving plot holes? Use an idea dump. This is where you just vomit every idea you have to solve it onto the page and then work your way through each option. 

Write ideas for made up names/words down. Stick every variation you’ve considered on the page and then you can try merging them or you can simply see which one looks best. Bonus points because you can look back on how you cam up with it. 

For editing journals specifically try:

Make lists of things you still want to ‘show’

Make lists of things you want to add

Write down problems you find when reading through, then you get to cross them off when you solve them. 

I hope this was helpful. Leave any additions below!!!

A “character arc”, sometimes also called a “character development arc” or “emotional arc” is the sum of the changes that the character undergoes throughout the story, or series of stories. The “arc” itself is generally a metaphor, although it can be plotted like a graph. Usually, the main focus is on the difference between the beginning and end state of the character, so that the overall shape of the graph will resemble an arc, but charting the character’s changes in fortune up or down a scale can also be useful in determining…

The emotional impact of the story (or narrative event) on the character

The emotional impact of the story (or narrative event) on the reader

The dynamic range of the story

The rate of the character’s (internal or external) change

The effective timing or pacing of a particular narrative event

When and where to begin telling a story

6/8/2019

Recently I decided to start a few notebooks.

One - as a reading journal. I am trying to track the hooks I have, and am reading. I wrote down my thoughts during the reading, and also wrote little reviews when I'm done.

Two - as a writer's notebook. My goal is to gather information about my current projects. I do spreadsheets, mind maps, characters info, and everything I need throughout the process of writing.

Looking forward to pages filled in 2018!