I used to think Notebook organization was antithetical to good writing.  I would tell myself, “Creativity can’t be constrained by rules from weak minded theory crafters!” or “When a creative muse whispers in your ear, shuffling though checklists and charts will scare it away!”  This is obviously nonsense.  The more I was “creative” the more I learned that “creative” is just an adjective.  The more you put the work in to anything the more you get out of it.  A simple equation that doesn’t need a mythical use or throws of delirium.

Thus, organization isn’t the enemy.  In fact, “organization will set you free”¹.  It IS true, however, that too much organization could leave little space in your Notebook for being creative.

So I set about finding small techniques that would help me without being so much work or formatting as to stifle me.  I wanted, also, something that would break the “put in, get out” equation in my favor.  This is where the Tips and Tricks section of NotebookingNerds was born.

One such tip is the “Page Set Aside.”

A page set aside is simply setting aside a page for the things that either come up often or things that you want all together but doesn’t come up often.  Examples might include pithy phrases or phone numbers.  After some experimentation I found a few things that kept getting a “page set aside” in my Notebooks.  I also found that they could, in general, be divided into categories.

The first category could be described as the “Just for Fun” pages:

• Pithy Phrases  Any time you hear something or think of something that distills the essence of a thought or concept, write it down!  You never know when it will come in handy.  For instance, I was recently in what could only be described as “The most unwanted conversation ever” with a person who gloated, “I only roast my cauliflower because I’m a purist.”  At that eye glazing moment I realized that saying “I’m a purist” is synonymous with saying “I’m boring.”  At my first chance I wrote that down in my Pith Page.  I also stopped calling myself a purist about coffee and I lightened my stance on what people should be allowed to put into their coffee.
• Quotes  Obviously quotes are fun to write down.  A good quote can inspire us to write incredible entries or laugh uncontrollably or strive to be a better person.  It’s really nice to have them in the same place.  Additionally, having quotes strewn around your Notebook can lead to occasionally being next to a completely unrelated entry.  A quote about capitalism followed by an entry about snow can be a bit jarring.
• Recommendations  This used to happen to me all the time.  Someone would recommend a book to me and I would think, “Next time I’m in a used bookstore I’ll look for it.” (I love used bookstores)  I would write down the title and author.  Then I would lose it.  That doesn’t happen anymore because I have a “Used bookstore recommendation page” set aside².  I, now, have a few “Reco” pages:  Books to check out, Diners (I like diners), Music etc.  I even have one that I use to write down things I have no intention of following up on but I want to make the person I’m talking to feel heard.  “Yes I like to read.  Your favorite book is called, ‘Baby Mama Drama’?  I’ll have to give that a read.” (This happened.)

The next category, let’s call it “Not for Fun,” is for utility:

• Phone numbers  On the rare occasion that you need to write down one of these down, it’s best to confine them to a “page set aside” so they are easy to find (and put in your phone) later.
• Scratch Pad  Grocery lists, math, to do lists, etc. are like weeds.  One or two and it’s no big deal but if you’re not careful they will take over and ruin your lawn (or Notebook).  Speaking as someone who once had their lawn taken over by chives (try mowing THAT without goggles!), I now keep a scratch pad page in my Notebooks to protect the rest of my Notebook.
• Sticky Notes  Related to the scratch pad page, I like to keep a page tiled with sticky notes.  This page acts as my scratch pad page.  What I love about this is that they are removable and replaceable.  I keep lists, appointments and other reminders on it.  Since sticky notes come in several colors, you could even color code your tiled page!  That’s a bit much for me but, you do you.

Finally we come to the last category of “pages set aside”.  Notebooking pages:

• Writing prompts  When we post writing prompts, we hope you find a few that you find interesting enough to write.  We also hope that you are writing them down in your Notebook for later instead of writing immediately, by the light of your computer’s monitor like a maniac.  Keeping these prompts on one page will be handy.
• Jot Points  As mentioned in our Jot Points article, you CAN put these in your Notebook.  Personally, I use a Spartan.  The key being that you write Jot Points down and expand on them later.  Having a “page set aside” for this will ensure you can find it quickly.  As with writing prompts or phone numbers, keeping them in an easy to find place is helpful.

Pages set aside also allow you to “break in” a Notebook very quickly and easily.  Simply put your “pages set aside” in the beginning of your notebook.  Between your Table of Contents and Pages set aside, you’ll be 10 pages in to your Notebook before you know it!

I hope you find a “Page set aside” as helpful and effective as I have.  Enjoy!

1. A quote from the always helpful Alton Brown.
2. There is often a fundamental difference between books you find in a used bookstore and books you find in a “new” bookstore.  Either classics or very popular authors are easy to find in a used bookstore.  If it’s something like that, it goes on the “Used bookstore Reco” list, otherwise it just goes to the “Book Reco” page.  Makes sense?