Observations on Keeping a Writer’s Notebook

Published September 19, 2025

A Short Pro/Con List

1. Writing daily in my journal keeps my ideas flowing and makes it easier to write, even if I don’t always add to my WIP. Collecting sketches, mind maps, summaries, and keywords in one place has trained me to write consistently.
2. Having everything in one place prevents lost ideas and disorganization. I keep all my notebooks in a dedicated drawer, so I rarely have to wonder where anything is. (One exception, see cons below.)
3. I keep my notebook (or backup notebook) near me pretty much 24/7, so I can jot down ideas as they occur to me, and it’s actually improving my memory. I write things, and it solidifies it in my brain, whether it’s where I want to go with my current work or my to-do list.

1. Sometimes it’s a pain to have everything in one place. I use a specific type of notebook because I love the way the ink flows onto the page. I may go through two or three of these notebooks a year. So, while I am writing everything in one place (aka my writer’s notebook), it’s actually spread throughout several notebooks.

Possible Solutions for Con List

• The notebook that I use doesn’t have dividers; maybe that could help solve the problem? I could have a section for each of my blogs, one for each story, one for story ideas or characters that I might revisit in the future.
• I could have a digital notebook, but there’s something about putting ink to paper that is just more satisfying to me. If this isn’t the case for you, it may be a route you want to explore.
• I’m currently searching through my notebooks for notes on my WIP, and I’m using sticky tabs and divider tabs to mark the locations. Then, I will combine them into one notebook that will be solely for this work. I may start a new notebook for each project, but that could also become complicated.