What Is A Writer's Notebook?
Inside a Writer's Notebook
Hey peeps, have you heard of me - A Writer's Notebook? Do you know that I am a prized possession of every writer? If you take a peek into my life (which is what I intend to make you do), you'll know why my masters (that is, writers like you) find me so precious.
This is what a great writer once said about me-
“I belong to this notebook and this pencil.” —Ernest Hemingway.
Isn't that cool? The sense of belonging that I get makes me feel overwhelmed and dazed. I am not complaining one bit though. I love that feeling!
Do you know Mark Twain used his notebook to brainstorm? Ralph Waldo Emerson filled more than a dozen volumes of me with observations that were the foundations of bigger works. I have been given so much importance since time immemorial that I can't help but feel proud of myself.
Okay! Enough of my gushing and let me start doing what I came here for - taking you through the fabulous journey of my life.
Before I start telling you the secrets that lie between my pages, I want to put down a few points so that in times to come, I become the best and trusted companion in your writing journey. Here goes:
I should not feel like a chore. Writing in me should not be a duty. It should be freewheeling and breezy with its purpose moving and changing to the pleasures of the writer.
Make me a volume of dreams. Not a volume of tasks. It should be a place of fantasy, whims and imagination.
Write to me. Draw in me. Doodle in me. Use black ink and red and purple, any colour that catches your fancy. Use a pencil. Use a crayon. Use a sketch pen.
I should be a place to poke around in the darkest or the brightest light, a place to survey the brain, discover the deepest thoughts or the silliest realisations.
Now that you know how the insides of me should look, let us evaluate why you need me. Some of the great reasons for keeping me handy are:
1. To keep track of your ideas: I, a writer’s notebook, am a home to all of your thoughts stacked in one place. You can use me to jot down new ideas or enhance older ideas. When the time comes to outline your story or novel, you’ll know where to go for ideas.
2. To unlock your creativity: The privacy that I provide allows you to experiment with your writing and stop worrying about making everything perfect. You can use me to make lists, draw, collect snippets, excerpts or clippings—whatever you want to do. That sort of unconstrained space is what lets your brain explore new creative ideas.
3. To remind you that you are a writer: Even if you keep me, your writing notebook, closed during the day, seeing me lying around you, on your desk or kitchen top or your pocket, serves as a gentle but constant reminder of your craft.
In my experience of being around for what seems like forever, I have seen writers constantly talking to themselves and their thoughts, at times, travel at the speed of light. That's when they reach out to me and share all their reflections. I might not be the prettiest looking thing. On the contrary, most times I look like an absolute mess. But I am extremely proud of my existence in the hands of my master. I am like the rock of kimberlite where diamonds are hidden.