Friday, November 8, 2019
Keeping a Writers Notebook
Keeping a Writers Notebook Keeping a Writersââ¬â¢ Notebook Keeping a Writersââ¬â¢ Notebook By Ali Hale If youââ¬â¢ve ever had aspirations towards fiction-writing, youââ¬â¢ve doubtlessly heard the advice to keep a notebook on you at all times, to jot down those elusive flashes of brilliance that come at the most inopportune moments. Itââ¬â¢s definitely a good idea to have pen and paper to hand as much as possible ââ¬â however, the discipline of keeping a writersââ¬â¢ notebook means more than just scribbling a few words when inspiration strikes. Writing every day One of the best uses for your notebook is to get into the habit of writing every single day. There are lots of different ways to approach this; some which have worked for me (not all at once) are: Write first thing in the morning Spend five minutes writing at some point in the morning, and five minutes in the afternoon Write just before going to bed Jot down some notes before starting on your ââ¬Å"properâ⬠writing session of the day Of course thereââ¬â¢ll be days when you feel uninspired, when you have nothing you want to write about, or when youââ¬â¢re hectically busy. But if youââ¬â¢re going to stick with writing fiction long-term, it needs to become part of your daily life. What do you write about? Donââ¬â¢t be prescriptive about what goes in your notebook. Some people find it best to work in a deliberately ââ¬Å"scrappyâ⬠book, so that they donââ¬â¢t feel constrained to only write down gems of wisdom ââ¬â yes, moleskin notebooks may be hugely popular, but a 99 cent pad will be just as good a repository for your ideas. Some of the many types of writing filling my notebook are: To-do lists for writing sessions or writing days Thereââ¬â¢s a great sense of satisfaction in ticking things off or scoring them out. If a to-do list makes you feel uncomfortable and constrained, try instead keeping a ââ¬Å"doneâ⬠list and writing down tasks after you complete them. Brainstorming for competition entries I wrote two or three short stories every month last year, most of them aimed at competitions with a set theme. A notebook is a great place to begin the idea-generation process; I like mind-mapping, by jotting the theme in a central circle and scribbling different plot and character possibilities around the edge. Once you get beyond the first few trite storylines, some intriguing ideas start to emerge. Character sketches When taking part in NaNoWriMo last year, I wrote three or four page character biographies for each of my main characters. Keeping these in my notebook made it easy to find them whilst working on the novel ââ¬â I wasted as little time as possible when needing to look up details of family backgrounds, hobbies and so on. Plot outlines Most writers find that some level of outlining helps, particularly when writing anything longer than a short story. A notebook can be an easy way to develop a plot from initial spark through potential variations to a scene-by-scene breakdown. Snatches of dialogue Imagined or overheard phrases can be safely stashed in your notebook for future use: they may be totally inappropriate for the project which youââ¬â¢re currently working on, but could be invaluable a week or two down the line. Reviewing your notes Itââ¬â¢s just as important to go back over your notes as it is to write them in the first place. Set aside a chunk of time ââ¬â half-an-hour if possible ââ¬â weekly, and go over what youââ¬â¢ve written during the past seven days. Make a new entry to record any ideas that you definitely want to pursue. (You might find it helps to use a second notebook at this stage.) Donââ¬â¢t recycle or burn old notebooks; even if youââ¬â¢re sure that youââ¬â¢ll never want the notes contained in them, store them safely somewhere. Theyââ¬â¢ll make fascinating reading a year, or ten years, further into your writing career ââ¬â youââ¬â¢ll be able to see how far youââ¬â¢ve come, and you may rediscover old ideas that youââ¬â¢d forgotten. And if you become famous, perhaps youââ¬â¢ll even end up selling them on e-bayâ⬠¦ Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Similes from Literature to Inspire YouLoan, Lend, Loaned, LentParticular vs. Specific
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