Creating a Project Notebook

With every new writing project, I must have a Moleskine notebook (more later on my obsession with Moleskine notebooks). I mentioned something about my project notebook a few weeks ago on a tweet, and I got many requests to know exactly what I put in my notebooks. The simple answer?

Everything.

Brainstormings, random writing, plot and chapter outlines, character sketches, notes on the world, research. Everything except for the actual novel goes instead my notebook. Once I start working on a story, one of the first things I do is get one of the little notebooks.

Generally the first page is just a brain dump thus far — quick notes on what’s in my head so far. Post-it notes are also a lifesaver. I have them all over as reminders for what I still need or a quick idea that I jotted down throughout the day.

Next is getting to know my characters. Seriously this is one of my favorite parts. This isn’t all the information, generally it’s just the basics, the snapshot. As I write the story and get to know more about the character, more will go on their page. And the washi tape just brings in some fun color. I scour magazines and Pinterest until I find the perfect face for my characters. I’m pretty sure I’ve been doing this my whole life (and have the file cabinet full of clippings and character info to prove it!)

The rest of the notebook is filled with random goodness. Plot points, “ah-ah!” ideas, chapter outlines, random scribbles — everything in one place.

I’m pretty sure there is probably a computer program that does all this for you, but I’m a paper and pencil kinda gal. I love having something I can touch and feel and flip through and make all kinds of awesome. And it doesn’t hurt that my computer can’t crash or I lose a password and lose all my hard work.

Of everything that goes into writing a novel, this is one of my favorite things to have at the end (and the finished product, of course). It’s really fun to see how the book is growing and developing too. I can’t recommend project notebooks enough.