What to include in a writer's notebook

A writer’s notebook is your new literary best friend. It should accompany you just about everywhere.

Broadly speaking, a notebook should evolve into a treasure trove of individual words, overheard phrases, observations of everyday moments, headlines, bullet points, reactions to articles, books, poems, memories. It should feature your feelings and responses. A writer’s notebook is a fragmentary kaleidoscope of ideas which can feature within your writing.

There is no right or wrong format. Be informal, or formal, but always creative! You could incorporate sections for practice, notes, lists, words and phrases, diagrams, or adopt a more diary-like, chronological feel. If you’re feeling organised, you could even use two notebooks. A portable notepad for keeping in a trusty pocket; and a sturdier volume which resides on the table.

Your notebook should become habit forming, you should be contributing entries every day, looking for insights, looking upwards and outwards, not just passively acknowledging the usual people, sites and sounds. Jot down your observations of the environment – from home, relationships, the natural world, the street, town centre, the bus or train, passers- by, vehicles. Highlight changes in the sky, trees, grass in the park, the weather, the impact of wind, frost, rain or lack of it.

Add a sensual dimension, smells, sights, sounds, tastes, sensations, awareness of your surroundings. People watch – never intrusively – look for little ticks, traits, or idiosyncrasies. Note appearances, gestures, unusual clothing, striking or interesting phrases or remarks. You should also capture physical and emotional changes, movement, intensity of light, shade, colours, details, framing contexts.

A comparison may come to mind, a simile, when you compare an object to something else. This can bring a fresh perspective on a commonplace view, or character. You could make a collection of similes in your notebook.

You could list some everyday feelings, hopes, anxieties, happy moments, regrets, reactions when things go smoothly and when things do not. Such remarks generate insight into personality and motivations. Just because reactions tend to be personal does not mean that you have to write an autobiography! Even real or historical descriptions are coloured with creativity and imagination – writers are constantly adapting personal feelings.

Contradiction is often a fruitful avenue for a writer. Perhaps a character is clever but reacts in a thoughtless manner; or loving, but also cruel or blunt. You could describe such traits through a character’s actions and thoughts rather than simply by writing down a description of what they do. Collect snippets of dialogue, which tend to be more engaging than description. You can note reactions to characters and situations in books, on the news etc.

You could try freewriting – when you simply set out writing to see where it leads. Don’t worry about the quality of the prose at first, it’s the ideas that may prove useful. Write for a few minutes as part of a routine.

Your notebook is for ideas, outlines, summaries, a treasury for when you write and develop ideas. It is for practice but think of it as a literary Aladdin’s Cave.