5 Benefits of a Writer's Notebook

Are you struggling to write and get your word count in? When you go to sit down and write, is it difficult to get words out on the page? Or do you ever wake up regretting not writing down that idea you had that solved your novel's plot hole? Best of question of all, do you have notebooks collecting dust?

Not to worry, as a fellow writer, I completely understand.

You may be wondering, "How can I boost my productivity and my word count?"

Well, you're in luck! In this blog I'm going to share with you my personal experiences with dedicating myself to using my notebooks and why I firmly believe having one is super beneficial to your writing. As well as why I believe, when used well, a writer's notebook is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, tool in a writer's arsenal.

I know that sounds a bit far fetched, but hear me out!

Remember all the times you've had ideas, and you said you'd write it down later, be honest, did you ever really do it?

Once you get in the habit of using your notebook, I can pretty much guarantee you'll be addicted to using it.

Here are the 5 Benefits of a Writer's Notebook.

1. Your word count will go up.

During those mundane times when I get a sudden "eureka" moment, I immediately reach for my notebook and scribble down my thought, so for the following evening, when I go to write, my initial idea ends up snowballing which helps to increase my word count drastically. So instead of writing 500 words, I write well over 2,000! 

*Pro-tip: When writing down a note, be sure to give yourself context and or necessary details so when you go back and look at it, you know what the heck you were writing about.

That said—

2. You'll actually get your writing done.

I'm not saying to write your entire novel in your notebook (I mean you can if you want to, you do you), but like in my previous point, keeping your notebook handy for when you get an idea can be incredibly helpful. Because when you go to plug in the ideas you've scribbled down, your word count will go up as you build on them.

*Pro-tip: To get the most use out of your notebooks, specifically for the ones you'd use for your books, first write your ideas in pencil, then once graphite is spilling from the pages, cross out all those ideas (don't bother to erase them) and then start again but in pen, writing over your old notes (see right photo for reference).

3. You can use it as a #BookBible.

For those of you who don't know what a Book Bible is, a Book Bible, which is usually better known as a series bible, or 'show bible,' is, in essence, an outline and or synopsis for a TV series. Using your notebook as a Book Bible can help you keep track of all the minuscule details in your novel and keep you from forgetting crucial information in your story.

Using your #WritersNotebook to write down everything that happens in your stories regarding plot and basic outlines, names for future characters, characters, and character arcs, as well as world terminology, can be extremely useful when your needing to stay consistent.

For more information on 'Book Bibles' and what goes into one, sign up for my newsletter and get access to my FREE Book Bible eBook (which is filled with basic worldbuilding and character development sheets).

4. It's where you can plan writerly goals and write down notes on writing and the industry.

I shouldn't have to explain writerly goals part, but having your notebook around for the times you come across really amazing writing tips (like while you're scrolling through Instagram when you really should be writing...), quickly jot the writing tip down in your notebook, so you don't lose it. Or, if you come across an article on how to flawlessly execute a query letter, write the essential tips in your (surprise surprise) notebook!

5. It's where your New York Times best-selling book idea will be born!

Like your phone, it should follow you wherever you go. Keep it near your person at all times, and if you can't do that, leave it by your bed, so when you have a spark of genius, you can write it down before you settle down for the night. (Fair warning, this may result in thoughts spinning on and on endlessly. Proceed at your own risk.)

And on the off chance your phone dies right when you have an idea, you have your notebook handy to write down your thought! (Just don't forget a pen or pencil!)

I believe what stops most people from using their notebooks is due to some subconscious thought of not wanting to potentially ruin it.

So save your fancy, aesthetically pleasing notebooks for Instagram and your bookshelves and get yourself a plain notebook of inconsequence (brown or black will suffice) and begin there. Once you start writing in your notebook, COMMIT. (I know that's a scary word, but don't run away just yet!)

Something else to consider is to find a size that works well with you and stick with it. Because, along with having your notebooks not be aesthetically pleasing, having your notebook be too big or too small can subconsciously deter you from using it.

For example, I absolutely love and adore my plain brown, 3.5x5.5 notebook. It's small enough to take wherever I go (not that I'm going anywhere because you know, writer. Well... does my kitchen count?) so it doesn't intimidate me since it's a good pocket-sized notebook. But it isn't so small that I quickly fill it up.

I personally use (and highly recommend) the RETTACY Pocket Notebook as it has two separate string bookmarks, the pages are numbered, and (my favorite part of all) there is a table of contents at the beginning to keep track of all my thoughts and ideas! 

I have two of these little beauties, one in which I write notes regarding the writing industry and writing tips, and the other I mainly use for jotting down my ideas for my current WIP and additional random notes for stories yet to come. 

Be warned, if you're going to use more than one notebook at a time, keep track of them. So if you're going to use one notebook for your book, strictly use it for your book. If you're going to use it for bullet journaling, only use it for bullet journaling. And if you're going to use it for writing tips, ONLY USE IT FOR WRITING TIPS. This way, you don't get confused and lose ideas and valuable information. 

Last but not least, my final piece of advice to you is this: Treasure your notebook like your computer or phone. It will be the birthplace of your best-selling idea, so don't lose it.

I hope I have convinced you to start using your notebooks. 

My question to you is: How do you use your notebooks? Do you use them at all? 

Let me know in the comments below and or let me know whether or not this helped! I would love to hear from you!

Happy writing everyone, 

A hui hou~

—Bair✍︎

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