Writer’s notebooks seem to be an evergreen topic on this blog. I can always talk about them more! Want to read more about writer’s notebooks? Check out the links at the end of this post!
Whether you want to narrow your focus in your writer’s notebook or expand your creative horizons, deciding what to keep in said notebook can be a little overwhelming! There are so many great things to include.
And I have three more ideas for for what you might include in your writer’s notebook whether you write fiction or nonfiction. You can thank me later. 😉
// Collections
When I say collections, I don’t mean a stamp collection, though I suppose you could keep that in a notebook, too.
Building a “collection” is one way to organize your writer’s notebook to store your plethora of ideas. Use this section to jot down quotes you love, plot points you’ve brainstormed, character development arcs you’d like to write about, or whatever else comes to you.
This is where you can dump all of your big ideas related to a specific topic into one spot.
- Plot ideas
- Worldbuilding ideas
- Character ideas
- Poem ideas
- Quotes
- … anything you want!
// Free Writing and Journaling Space
Even if you’re a fiction writer, free writing and journaling are helpful writing exercises. There’s no reason you can’t put them in your writer’s notebook with your other ideas.
I find that free writing actually helps me connect plot ideas I’m working on, and I can often development entirely new stories with this writing exercise. Free writing is just writing without a real purpose. Take a stroll down the page as you write whatever comes to mind, and see where the exercise takes you!
Journaling has been shown to improve emotional health and well-being. Don’t be afraid to dedicate space in your writer’s notebook to some journaling prompts! Whether you know what you want to explore or need an idea, you can include it in your notebook. You might even go back and find story inspiration in those journal entries.
// Skills
This is a new one for me, but you can dedicate part of your writer’s notebook to the skills you want to learn and/or practice.
If you want to take a class to learn about character development, jot that down in your writer’s notebook, including your options and budget. You might even make a table or chart to track any assignments or homework the course gives if you have the space.
If you want to learn more about blogging, use the space to take notes on the videos you watch and articles you read.
Whatever it is you want to learn that’s related to your writing, put it in your writer’s notebook!
// Your Next Steps
If you want to learn more about writer’s notebooks, check out these blog posts:
- Why Every Writer Needs a Writer’s Notebook (October 2016, updated July 2019)
- Making the Most of Your Writer’s Notebook (May 2019)
And if you’re looking for your next writer’s notebook, check out The Write Plan, a guided notebook for fiction writers, on Amazon! Listed at $10.99 (USD) and available in markets worldwide.
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