I have a little notebook that I keep near to me. It contains several sections that I find useful. There’s a section for:- Character Planning – characteristics of my main character (age, looks, strengths, etc.)
- Nuts and Bolts – reference sheet for length of manuscripts, appropriate age groups, etc.
- Edit/Revision Sheet – check list for editing (right tense, right point of view, too many words?)
- Planning Sheet – check list for each chapter (type of scene, conflict, tension?)
- Reading List – recommended books in the same genre I am writing in
- Idea List – ideas I have thought of for future writing
The first section I turn to – the most important section to me is my page titled, “Remember While You Write”.
Why is this important? Because without this sheet the rest of my notebook is meaningless.
The list is as follows:
Tell your character’s story
Know your audience
Know yourself
Every story has a beginning, middle and end
Clarity
Get rid of unnecessary stuff
Every word should contribute to your story
Do you have a writer’s notebook? If so what do you keep in yours?
Bits of overheard dialog, descriptions of places or sounds. Those are the most common writing notes and they're probably next to things like:buy eggs and milk, mail bills, pick up T. by noon. I need better organization.