If you’re a ‘real’ writer I’ll bet my bottom dollar that you’ll already carry around a notebook with you! Ideas can show up at the most inconvenient of times so it’s important to have a notebook handy to jot them down. If you’ve got a half-decent mobile phone you can probably store all your ideas on there. But if you’re the traditional type like me, I suggest buying a little notebook to really make yourself really feel like a writer. 

If you are a more visual person, how about carrying around a sketchbook instead of a notebook? A sketchbook acts as a visual aid. You can use your sketchbook to draw pictures of your characters, their houses and any key locations. Find photos of people who resemble your characters, or paste in photos of key locations.

Example:

Sitting on the bus I was intrigued by a man my age sitting diagonally opposite me as he talked on his mobile phone. He had no self-consciousness even as the bus filled up around him. Was talking about how he’d gone to Thailand recently and how everything there was really cheap. Said he was on the way to London to get a new passport because the pages in his were full. He was off to Australia at the end of the month. I wasn’t sure if I detected an accent in his voice. He had a goatee and a tattoo of a sword and a heart on his upper arm. Did he have a partner? How could he have a relationship if he was constantly travelling?  Where did his money come from?

Having recorded all this information in my notebook I can either create a character out of him for the future, or create a number of situations or stories around him. Have a good look at the world around you. Is there anyone in it that you can use as a character in your book?

How Is It Done?

Get into the habit of using your notebook! There’s no point carrying one around and then being too self-conscious to use it. When you’re sitting on the train and you see a newspaper article that stimulates an idea, make a note of it. If you overhear an amusing conversation or a great one-liner, jot it down! Observe your surroundings, the textures, colours, smells, sounds, and make notes. Do quick sketches of something. Create a habit of using it and it will turn into a friend.

Why Is It Done?

Writers use notebooks as a way of storing information. I find storing my ideas in a notebook a great way of keeping up to speed on my books. That way, when I go to write, I have something to refer to. I fill my notebooks with mind-maps as they’re a great way of generating fresh ideas for a project or a character. Notebooks can be seen as files, for collating ideas, observations and information on your book.

What Do Writers Do With Their Notebooks?

They fill them up! Don’t buy a notebook and then leave it at the bottom of your bag all the time, or in the bottom of a drawer. Use your notebooks regularly as a support system for your book. Also use your notebook as a way of reminding yourself you are a writer that observes the world around you.

 

-- From the Word Queen (and Court)

 

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