Writer's Notebook

Several weeks ago I challenged myself to pay better attention, to form the habit of using a journal. I wanted to take more notes describing the things that make up my world. Get more detail into my writer’s notebook or journal for use in poetry and other writing.

I also needed to include in my writer’s notebook emotion. Every detail has an emotion attached to it, whether my own or one of my characters.

As I’ve said before my writer’s notebooks are messy things and worse, I have notebooks all over the house, in my purse, in the car, the truck. Once in a great while I gather them all up and get everything in my computer, too.

That’s what my writer’s notebooks are: a gathering place, a place where I can keep all the thoughts, feelings, sights, sounds that I don’t want to forget, that I know I’ll want to use someday for a poem, a story-whatever. Because the truth of the matter is in every waking moment, in each detail or experience a story, a poem whispers, or shouts, or nags me, anyway.
I need a place to set all the stories down because I can’t carry them around with me forever. They’re too heavy and besides I’d go nuts. (There are those who say I am) I suspect most writers feel this way.

For instance—swap meets. This isn’t just a great place for bargains, wonderful finds and sometimes, an opportunity to buy a treasure. This is a window—a peephole into other people’s lives—stories. It’s a great place to find a story, a poem or a way to flesh out a character you’ve been have a struggle getting a handle on. Make sure you take your notebook along with your money and bargaining instincts.