At its essence, notebooking is putting thoughts on a page. These can be your thoughts about your life, other people’s thoughts that you want to record, or some combination of the both. But by putting them in your notebook, you mark these thoughts as ideas you want to hold on to, revisit, or explore.

Here at Notebooking Nerds, we believe in the power of notebooking. The simple act of writing down thoughts on a page will help you think more clearly and write more expressively. The problem is, most of us don’t know what to do with a notebook after we’ve bought it. What should you write? Does this make the cut? These questions can kill whatever spurt of creativity we started with.

Of course, there are added benefits to keeping your thoughts in a notebook, such as…

• You become a creator of content, rather than a consumer.
• A notebook can be a customizable souvenir of your life.
• Becoming consciously aware of your thoughts will make you a better conversationalist.
• You will become more aware of the details that make stories great.
• Notebooking builds the habit of creativity.
• Writing with pen and paper links you to every other literate person in history
• It is a non-corporate, ad-free, no user-agreement or “signing your life away without knowing it” way to entertain and improve yourself daily.

Sounds good? Read on…

 

Beginning to notebook is easier and more enjoyable than you think.  In fact, before discovering this method, I would liken keeping a “journal” to pulling teeth.  Notebooking is more like dental hygiene – not a lot of work but a little bit of work regularly.

Step 1: Get a Passport style notebook pack

You’ve seen these.  They’re getting to be everywhere thanks largely to the marketing tenacity of Field Notes.  However, there are other, possibly more appropriate brands.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Field Notes.  That said there are other brands and some of them might be better for your purposes.  For now, however, get just about anything.  The key is that they are usually cheap, come in 3 packs and are short enough that filling one is pretty easy.

Step 2: Get a writing implement

I could go on and on about pens and pencils (in fact, I have).  The most important thing here is that you have something to write with that is comfortable and works with your Passport style notebook.  For example, if you’re going to use a fountain pen then you probably should avoid Rite in the Rain.  ¹

You don’t need to spend a lot (though you could).  Ideally, however, whatever you choose should get you excited to use it.

Step 3: Build your content list

This is where we diverge from the obvious.  Go to the last page and write “Content List” at the top.  Then it’s time to think.  Come up with a list of 5-10 types of things you would like in your notebook.  They can be nearly anything:  Things you find funny, a meaningful moment, something that would entertain you to write about, etc.  Now is the time to ask yourself questions like: What do I want this notebook to feel like?  Are there any skills I’m looking to develop? If I’m stuck at the DMV, what could I write about that would entertain me enough to pass the time?  There’s really only 2 rules.

1. It’s okay to choose things that you think would make your notebook more cool.  It’s your notebook.
2. Nothing that involves whining about something.  NO WHINING EVER!  Whining is writing poison.  No one (including yourself) ever wants to read someone whining.  If you feel the need to whine and ruin a perfectly good notebook in the process, get a diary and some crayons.

Step 4: Spend 20 minutes…Daily

Now it’s time to get writing!  For 20 minutes a day look over your content list and think.  If something occurs to you that you want to write in your notebook, do so.  If not, no big deal.  The point of this exercise is twofold.

1. To get you writing.
2. To build the habit of thinking about what to write.

The combination of both of these thought processes will make you better at writing and better at deciding what to write.  No matter what, don’t look back at what you’ve written.  Just write.

Finally, try not to go more than 20 minutes.  I’m sure that some days you’ll be able to write for an hour straight but take my word for it, “It’s frighteningly easy to burn out this early in the game.”

Step 5: 21 Days Later…Assess!

It is said that it takes 21 days to make something daily a habit.  I have no idea if that’s true but it seems to work for most people.  Maybe you can form a habit in 2 days but I can’t.  Once you’ve done your 21 days of writing, chances are, you’ve filled at least one of the 3-pack.  Now is the time to go back and read it.  What did you like?  What made you cringe?  Don’t worry, we write crap from time to time.  The only time to worry is if you think all of it is gold.  The chances of that happening your first time out is basically 0%.  If you think it’s all genius then I implore you to be a bit more critical.  The point of notebooking isn’t just to make you feel cool but to create cool stuff and improve yourself by getting those creative juices flowing.

Step 6: Find “Your Notebook”

There are hundreds if not thousands of options when it comes to “Your Notebook”.  The point of this section isn’t to list them all and review them all.  That would take longer than you or I have.  There are several very good websites that review notebooks and a few google searches can net you all you want to know and more.  Instead, I want to ask you a few questions:

• How big do you want your notebook to be?
• Will you be carrying it in a pocket or purse or backpack?
• Will you be carrying it at all?
• What type of writing implement will you use?
• Should your notebook have a pen loop or do you have that covered?
• Do you want blank, ruled, graph or dotted pages?

In the future, we will try to have articles regarding all these questions as well as something akin to reviews that will help you make a decision.

Just remember, no matter what you choose, there is no perfect notebook.  And once there is it will get discontinued one month before you find it.

Now – Dive in!

You now have your notebook, your pen (or pencil), your revised content list, and the habit and practice to write good content.  Now all you need is a vehement opinion on the Oxford comma.  (kidding)  You have all you need.  Get writing!

A final word of advice:  You don’t ever have to stop using the content list.  Hell, if you don’t want it in the book put it on an index card in the pouch that’s usually at the end of the notebook.  In fact, most notebooks have perforated pages at the end so you could tear it out when you’re done with it.  And remember, the more you reflect and honestly assess your writing the better you get.  It is never a easy or comfortable process but it’s always worth it.  Always.

 

Please drop us a line to let us know how it went!  We love hearing from fellow Notebooking Nerds!

1. Rite in the Rain is a wonderful notebook whose paper has been treated to be waterproof.  Using a water based ink like that of most fountain pens is kinda dumb on waterproof paper.