Skip to main content

Do You Know How to Make a Bottomless Notebook?


Reading through a writer's notebook or journal is like discovering pearls, rubies and diamonds amidst a pile of rubble.

That little notebook is a powerhouse of ideas for every writer: The more you write down bits and pieces of your thoughts and observations, the more you are adding into the well of ideas for future works.

Here are a few things you can record in your notebook or journal, so that in case you run out of ideas to write about, you can refer to it:

Your Shoeboxed Life: Write what you know, feel and experience. Jot down snippets of events in your life. Write a sentence or a paragraph about a funny, embarrassing, happy or infuriating experience.

The Interesting People. Scribble descriptions of people you meet every day. How do they react in certain situations? How do their names fit their image?

A Word a Day. Whenever an interesting word catches your attention, write it down. It may have a different meaning for you a month or a year from now. If you keep a list of words in your notebook, these words can serve as story starters for you.

Those Quotable Quotes. A meaningful quote can start you off to writing. Collect quotes you come across that interest you.

Ordinary People with their One-Liners. Overheard lines in a conversation can sometimes spark your creative mind. Write down these one-liners in your notebook. They can be great story starters.
Something You Read. Read good books. Keep a file of memorable lines or quotes. Write down quirky billboard ads. Scan the papers for one-liners. These are good idea stimulators.

Emotions. Describe what you feel at any given moment. If you feel angry right now, write what your anger feels like. Describe it. Use vivid words.

Writers are similar to store owners. Store owners stock their supplies in their shelves, while you stock ideas between the pages of your little writer's notebook.

You can make your stock endless, bottomless. You can reach down again and again for inspiration without exhausting your notebook of reserve.

So start stocking your writer's notebook today. A week from now, take a peek in it and you just might find something there that could connect your pen to paper.





Copyright © Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ
About Shery: Shery is the creator of WriteSparks!™- a software that generates over 10 *million* Story Sparkers for Writers. Download WriteSparks!™ Lite for free at http://writesparks.com

Popular posts from this blog

Come Listen to A Good Story is A Good Story with guest Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Tonight August 16 8 PM CENTRAL - A GOOD STORY IS A GOOD STORY with Host Marsha Casper Cook, April Robins, Freda Roberts, and Virginia S. Grenier. Their guest this week is Carolyn Howard – Johnson. Marketing Matters. Carolyn is going to discuss the importance of marketing . She has a series of book that have won multiple awards. She’s an author, speaker, publishing consultant and book promoting coach. She is a one woman show and a very special woman. She has helped many writers learn how to do the impossible – market their work using techniques that are affordable. Her expertise has helped put writers on the map She was awarded Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment by the California Legislature; her home town's Character and Ethics Commission honored for her work on promoting tolerance and the Pasadena Weekly named her to their list of "San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen" for literary activism. American Women's Business Association (ABWA)...
Read more

What Is A Buhdeedoo - The Writing Mama Show with Virginia S Grenier

The Writing Mama show is on Mondays and hosted by Mom's Choice and Award-winning Author Virginia S Grenier, who is joined weekly by guest authors to talk about the writing and publishing industry, and their books. This week on Monday June 9, 2014 our guest is Dorothy Smaniotto, whose son Alex created and illustrated the Buhdeedoo. Alex is a young man with Asperger's Syndrome. He was diagnosed at the age of 6, but has never let that diagnosis slow him down. As Alex puts it, "I embrace my Asperger's rather than look at it as a disability." Dorothy is the author of her own book called "The Burgundy Journey: Using Hope, Humor & Faith To Conquer Adversity--No Matter What." The book tells the story of her struggles with a rare, incurable autoimmune disease that has caused numerous health issues. It also details how Alex was physically attacked by classroom aides in his previous public school and the emotional scars left with him. For...
Read more

Interview Friday with Mikey Brooks, author & Illustrator

VS: I want to thank you for being my guest here on The Writing Mama today. How long have you been writing? Mikey: I started writing when I was about 14 year old. I lived in a rural town in Missouri and our nearest neighbor was about a mile away. So friends were hard to come by. I fell in love with stories like Narnia and the Wizard of Oz and wished I could escape to these worlds. I had a hid out in the woods that surrounded our farm and I wrote about a world that existed in the reflection of a pond. I have a lot of fond memories about those woods. VS: What inspired you to write your books? Mikey: My children are the inspiration behind a lot of my stories now. Bean’s Dragons is based on my daughter and her imaginary dragons she has flying, parading, and trashing throughout the house. She was kind enough to let me glimpse into her world for just a moment to capture the magic within. My girls also love ABC books and shows. Because I love fantastical creatures, I wa...
Read more