avatarSebastian Goldsmith

Summary

The article "The Notebook" emphasizes the importance of keeping a notebook for writers to record ideas, new words, and interactions with other writers, suggesting that the tactile experience of writing in a physical notebook can enhance creativity and recall.

Abstract

"The Notebook" is a tip from a series aimed at writers, advocating the use of a notebook or journal to capture fleeting ideas and inspirations. The author, an avid notebook user, suggests that writing down thoughts, new vocabulary, and details about people met on platforms like Medium can be invaluable for future writing projects. The article highlights the sensory appeal of traditional notebooks, especially those found in unique bookshops like "Scarthin Bookshop" in Derbyshire, UK. While acknowledging the shift towards digital note-taking, the author expresses a personal preference for physical notebooks due to their aesthetic and experiential qualities. The notebook can also serve as a diary or a collage of sketches, cuttings, and references, reflecting the writer's creativity and the multifaceted nature of the writing process.

Opinions

  • The author prefers traditional notebooks over digital methods for their sensory appeal and the emotional connection they foster.
  • Notebooks are not only for jotting down ideas but also for collecting new words and documenting interactions with other writers, which can be particularly useful for engagement on platforms like Medium.
  • The author challenges readers to visit "Scarthin Bookshop" without being tempted to buy a book, indicating a personal fondness for the place.
  • There is a suggestion that the act of writing in a notebook aids in memory recall and can provide inspiration when facing writer's block.
  • The author recognizes the modern trend of electronic note-taking but personally favors the tactile experience of a physical notebook.
  • The article implies that a notebook can be a versatile tool, adaptable to various forms of expression beyond just text, such as sketches and collages.

The Notebook

Tip Of The Day — Day 1 — A Series Of Tips For Writers

This is part of a series of daily tips for writers which is published to share ideas and suggestions on our craft. Everyone will have different advice on how to write, so the tip below is just a personal suggestion which I hope you will find useful. Do share any of your own in the comments. I hope you find it useful.

The notebook

Many writers keep a notebook or journal handy to jot down ideas for future articles or that book you long to publish. If you make a record at the time, it can aid recall and help at a later date if you are stuck with the subject for an article.

An alternative is to keep notes on your mobile phone or laptop. Personally, being a bit old school, I love a notebook. There are some beautiful ones out there, the only problem is that some are so lovely you hardly dare spoil the pages! I came across some really beautiful ones recently in “Scarthin Bookshop” in Cromford in Derbyshire (UK), a lovely quirky old place on three floors, overlooking a mill pond, with an excellent vegetarian café which is a bonus buy! I challenge you to visit without buy a book, something I find irresistible!

The thing with a notebook is that it is ideal to jot down ideas at any stage of development, from a single word or phrase to longer thoughts.

New words

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

I also use my notebook to collect new words I come across to look up later, or store to use again myself in future, so it is a way to build a wider vocabulary, and I also note the context where I came across the word.

Collecting people

Photo by mauro mora on Unsplash

Being a bit of a Medium junkie, I use my notebook to keep a record of the people I interact most with on Medium, since it can be difficult to remember names, sometimes with a short description from their bio to help with placing everyone. This is particularly useful now that the Medium earnings formula rewards interaction, as building up a group of writers pays dividends!

Some writers develop their notebook further into a daily diary or journal, with more developed thoughts, or even add sketches and diagrams, or stick in cuttings from newspapers and magazines, or jot down references or quotations from books they are reading, so there is no limit to how inventive you can be with how the notebook is used. Of course the modern world being what it is, many writers now do everything electronically, so will keep the equivalent of a notebook online. However for me, there is nothing quite like the feel, touch, and smell of a good old-fashioned notebook!

Writing
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