The writer's notebook

[Lepplady]

Unca Stevie doesn't think writer's notebooks are a good idea. He says that bad ideas hang around there in print, while good iteas don't need any help hanging around. And, with his history in the sport, it's hard to argue the point.

Me, though, I must disagree. Sai King is lucky enough to have a careeer doing what he loves and what he's the best in the world doing. But, for the rest of us, life happens. I might have an idea in the waiting room at the doctor's office, one I think might really be something. But if it turns out that little Suzie or Jimmy has the flu and I have to figure out how I'm going to arrange to keep them out of school for a week, hire a sitter, pick up a ton og cough drops and kiddie Tylenol, and will I get fired for taking that much time off to stay home with them myself? ...My good idea might get buried under an avalance of life. So I carry a notebook everywhere and jot down just about everything that occurs to me.

Let's ignore the obvious, that I'm not a prolific or well-known author. I might catch on. Might not. But with an arsenal of notions tucked away in my happy little bag of tricks, it won't be for lack of ideas.

What do you guys think about writer's notebook? Yay or nay?

Spoiler: A really big pic of Steve and his quote

 

[GNTLGNT]

....it's whatever works for YOU.....hell, I have to write everything down now, just to keep my life's narrative on track......

 

[mal]

I think it's a good idea Lepplady. It reminds me of a joke by Mitch Hedberg. If he had a good joke idea he would write it in his notebook. Once, in the wee hours, he had a good idea for a joke, but he was warm in bed and the notebook was across the room. He then convinced himself that the idea wasn't that funny.

 

[Tery]

I agree. I have several (but often not near to hand when I need one)

 

[Doc Creed]

Unca Stevie doesn't think writer's notebooks are a good idea. He says that bad ideas hang around there in print, while good iteas don't need any help hanging around. And, with his history in the sport, it's hard to argue the point.

Me, though, I must disagree. Sai King is lucky enough to have a careeer doing what he loves and what he's the best in the world doing. But, for the rest of us, life happens. I might have an idea in the waiting room at the doctor's office, one I think might really be something. But if it turns out that little Suzie or Jimmy has the flu and I have to figure out how I'm going to arrange to keep them out of school for a week, hire a sitter, pick up a ton og cough drops and kiddie Tylenol, and will I get fired for taking that much time off to stay home with them myself? ...My good idea might get buried under an avalance of life. So I carry a notebook everywhere and jot down just about everything that occurs to me.

Let's ignore the obvious, that I'm not a prolific or well-known author. I might catch on. Might not. But with an arsenal of notions tucked away in my happy little bag of tricks, it won't be for lack of ideas.

What do you guys think about writer's notebook? Yay or nay?

Spoiler: A really big pic of Steve and his quote

I agree with him, in theory, but, like you said, there are times when a writer needs to jot down the golden nugget before it fades. I seldom keep track of ideas and if an idea is good enough that it keeps surfacing in my mind then I will write about it in my journal. At this point, like a cat knocking around a ball of yarn, I will see how the idea unravels (or takes shape). The notebook which I call my writing journal mostly consists of quotes from my favorite books. I have a variety of notebooks in which I write stories, too.

 

[Wayoftheredpanda]

Sure it can immortalize bad ideas, but that way you can look at all your ideas at a later point and pick and choose which ones you like better compared to the others. Of course I am not interested in a novel writing career and instead prefer the idea of writing/directing screenplays, but of course a writers notebook isn’t just limited to book writers.

 

[Lepplady]

Sure it can immortalize bad ideas, but that way you can look at all your ideas at a later point and pick and choose which ones you like better compared to the others. Of course I am not interested in a novel writing career and instead prefer the idea of writing/directing screenplays, but of course a writers notebook isn’t just limited to book writers.

OOO! Screenplays are fun.

 

[Wayoftheredpanda]

OOO! Screenplays are fun.

Yep, that’s why I want to write ‘em

 

[Lepplady]

Yep, that’s why I want to write ‘em

Yep, that’s why I want to write ‘em

Want to? Haven't started?

 

[Wayoftheredpanda]

Want to? Haven't started?

I mean as a profession.

 

[kelliblue]

Ideas currently floating around in my head that will probably never see the light of day:

-I was amazed by the fact that there are 1350 gangs in Los Angeles alone. The police estimate that 175,000 to 200,000 people are involved in them. That's 10 times the amount of gang activity in New York. I thought about writing a novel about a gang, but not one engaged in criminal activity, more like a motorcycle club.

-I also was flirting with the idea of writing a nonfiction book about stupid people who trade college for Instagram/Youtube because they're influenced by reality stars who are famous for no reason.

 

[Lepplady]

Ideas currently floating around in my head that will probably never see the light of day:

-I was amazed by the fact that there are 1350 gangs in Los Angeles alone. The police estimate that 175,000 to 200,000 people are involved in them. That's 10 times the amount of gang activity in New York. I thought about writing a novel about a gang, but not one engaged in criminal activity, more like a motorcycle club.

-I also was flirting with the idea of writing a nonfiction book about stupid people who trade college for Instagram/Youtube because they're influenced by reality stars who are famous for no reason.

Interesting! I like 'em.

 

[Kurben]

Good ideas return but sometimes you wake up with the perfect line or sentence. Then you must write it down or it might disappear.

 

[kelliblue]

It's hard to write about a gang when you live like a nun. I've been watching a lot of Sons of Anarchy.

 

[kelliblue]

So now I'm on the hunt for this book: Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga by Hunter S. Thompson.