The Idea Notebook

Tuesday, February 7, 2017 | Davilyn at Tuesday, February 07, 2017 |

I often have people ask me where I get ideas to write about.  Well, if you know me, you know I have notebooks full of ideas, characters, lists, prompts, and so much more.  I pretty much have a notebook for everything, including a place to put ideas.  In fact I have a folders and notebooks full of ideas.  Where do I get all the ideas from? 

I read a lot, and write down quotes that strike home with me.  I write down life experiences, I read a lot of blogs and research a ton of topics, in which I always write down things that inspire me.  It is rare that I can read something without a highlighter in hand or a notebook handy.  Even when I am reading on the internet, I always have a open document in which I can copy and paste a quote, picture, or something that rings true to me.  I take a lot of pictures on my phone, which I always have handy for those times when I don't have a pen.  If I want to remember something I take a picture of it, or make a note of it, in my phone notes, then

What do you put in your idea notebook?

transfer the picture to my idea notebook.  Everything gets transferred to my idea notebook, folder, or calendar on the various topics in which I keep notes and research on.

If it is an article or picture in a magazine, or in a newspaper, I clip it out and tape it in my notebook or drop it into a folder for future use.  If it is something I have dumped into a file on my computer, I print it out and likewise place it where I can find it for future use.  I love this quote by Stephen King....... "A writer's notebook is the best way in the world to immortalize bad ideas. My idea about a good idea is one that sticks around, and sticks around, and sticks around."

Some things you can ask yourself about an article or picture, quote or thought, are: "Why is it interesting to me?"  "What can I learn from it?"  Maybe even write a quick summary or thought on the article or picture as you are pasting it in your notebook, to help bring to mind the thoughts you were having when you found it.

When you run out of ideas, you can always look through your notebooks, or folders, to find interesting things.  Often when I look back through my folders and notebooks, I find things I had completely forgotten about.  It always makes me smile.  It also always makes me wonder just how life got so carried away that I forgot all about it.  I love to wonder about things, and I love to smile about things.

I love notebooks - period!  They just make me smile!  Especially my idea notebooks!