#fridayfeelings – I have a notebook and I write in it.
I have always kept a notebook that I jotted things in about my writing or for my writings. I did not know it had a name until 2015 when I talk my first English 1301 class.
This was the first college class that I had ever
taught. It was a week before the class
started and I had no idea what I doing.
The chair of the department gave me a copy of her syllabus and I
followed it to the letter. The syllabus
discussed “The Writer’s Notebook.” As I
read this section, I realized that I had been using one all of my writing life,
in some way. For the most part, it was
collections of pages of notebook papers that I kept in a binder. But, in my late 30s and beyond, I began using
a spiral.
I believe every writer should have a Writer’s Notebook, a
physical one that they can hold in their hands, write in with a pen, and feel the
texture of the pages. Writing is a
sensory experience where you need to get your senses involved. The sound of the pen scratching the pages,
the smell of the paper and pen as they connect, the feel of the paper as you
glide you fingers across it, all of it adds to an intense experience that
creates an atmosphere to be creative.
With technology, there are many apps that you can use to
create notes, and I do use them, but I do not get the same experience from
using those as I do with using pen and paper.
There is only the clicking of the typewriter, which if you have misophonia,
it can trigger mental anguish which can cause you to stop writing or a mental
block. A quick swipe of the keypad does
not lend itself to a sensory connection with what you write. So, you usually do not remember what you
wrote in the electronic note.
I believe… when you use pen and paper, your brain sends
messages to your body which causes so much to happen. Your brain tells your arm and hand to
move. Your brain tells your hand what to
write. Your hand and your fingers work
in unison to hold the pen and form letters.
Your brain has to concentrate on each letter so that they are formed
correctly into coherent words. The writing
creates a memory mark that you can relive from time to time. It is an enchanting moment that creates magic
for the writer.
I encourage all writers that I come in contact with to use a
Writer’s Notebook. Get a notebook and
write in it. It should be something that
you can keep and reference for a lifetime, to see your growth, maturation, and discovery.