Reflections On A Lifetime With Writer's Notebooks



 I understand, not every writer has a notebook in the traditional sense, but many do. I am one of the many. My relationship with writer’s notebooks winds all the way back to September, 1983. I am approaching the celebration of a 37 years partnership.

 Across the intervening years, my notebooks have been various. I have an extensive collections of notebooks. Notebooks documenting my journey as a writer across more than three decades provide a rich paper trail from which I am able to mine some writing wisdom.

My notebooks have evolved over time with respect to shape, form, and content. However, there are elements of that notebook/writer relationship which have remained consistently unchanged. Each notebook has been sturdy in its design. All my notebooks have had strong spines and hardy covers. Most have had ruled lines, but occasionally I have consciously chosen a new notebook with totally blank pages. I enjoy the variety such decisions bring to my life as a writer. Spiral bound notebooks have never been a consideration. They just don’t inspire confidence that they possess the qualities to enable them to go the full journey. Ask any left hander if they like spiral bound notebooks and they’ll tell you how annoying they are. It can be a tough life for a notebook. 

Each notebook has been quite transportable. They are required to travel with me on journeys of varying length, so they need to fit conveniently into a bag. Some of my notebooks have been quite thick- chunky even, while others have been somewhat slim volumes. Each notebook is a place where writing begins. It is after-all, a ‘writer’s notebook. Each notebook contain a multitude of ‘beginnings.’ Each writer and each notebook is unique. I have consistently promoted that belief through my words and actions. 

I have always viewed my notebooks as a place from which I launch writing ideas. The analogy of a launching pad is one I quite like. My notebooks are not merely used to begin thinking and planning writing, I actually write in that space. I expand on my initial thinking. All my writing projects begin here. I roll up my sleeves and write. All my published works began inside one of my notebooks. I have never felt the need to own a secondary notebook, or a draft book -a practice I encounter in some classrooms I visit. When I lift a writing piece from my notebook, my next stop is a digital platform –computer, phone, iPad. 


 For me, the notebook isn’t just a place where I collect so called ‘seed ideas.’ It’s a place where my raw words emerge. Alongside lists, quotes, drawings, maps, and fragments of ideas, there are initial drafts, introductions, fragments and probationary poetry.  My notebook remains a designated place to practice my ‘writing.’ It is also where I experiment and risk take. It is here I engage in deliberate wordplay.  In this space I am also assembling memories of things I never want to forget.  My notebook is where my delicate ideas gradually develop. My aim is for them to grow into writing pieces. Pieces I can eventually lift into the full glare of public scrutiny.

 My notebook is a tool. I employ it to assist me to become a more competent writer. It is not a 'workbook.' It is a book I cherish. I view it as a special place where I am constantly engaged in writing, reflecting and rereading. I go to this place eagerly. These messages I have just shared with you, I have shared many times with student writers. I always hope they will elevate their notebooks to a place where they have integrity and worth as a writing tool.

I spend a lot of time adding to my notebook. The more I write, the more likely I am to improve. Keep writing until the good words appear I tell anyone who feels they must write. The more time I spend writing, the more likely I am to find pieces with the necessary appeal to grow into more significant works. A teacher once said to me ‘It’s okay for you Alan, you have the time to do this.’ Well, no. In reality I make time for this because it sits at the heart of my teaching.

So, along with remembering to take out the rubbish and thinking about what to cook and going to the supermarket when it’s my turn and being there to help make the bed each day and a host of other shared household responsibilities, I quarantine time for writing. Everyone has a day of 24 hours. We all make choices. We all have priorities.


 I write in my notebook almost daily. It is always close by, just in case a potential idea bobs up unexpectedly. I strive to give voice to my writing ideas every day. The more time I spend in generating thoughts and ideas for my writing, the more likely they are to present themselves. 

 Over the years I have developed a keen eye for observing my world. I am well supported by my ever alert senses. I am a scanner, a logophile, a gongoozler, an active listener, a living, breathing image catcher.

I must ensure I apply these acquired understandings and beliefs about notebooks to my teaching.  The notebook behaviours and processes I have developed over these many years have become integral to my engagement with teachers and student writers alike. Each time I enter a classroom I need to bring these collected understandings with me. Writing is essentially problem solving. I am able to share my various responses to these writing problems. Writing entries of any size- long short, a single magic line, can be employed to teach an aspect of writing. 

 My notebook is without doubt a most valuable teaching tool.  My writer’s notebook is consciously positioned as a tool for writing rather than a task I have been assigned. It’s a TOOL I use to confer, share, reflect and revisit. It can spark amazing collaborative dialogue & offer a paper trail of writing growth over time.
It is a form of portable magic.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular With Other Visitors

Learning How to 'Zoom In' When Writing

Image
It is important for young writers to understand that not all parts of a story are equal. There are parts through which a writer moves quickly, and important parts where the writer slows down and lingers a while. This is where the writer might intensify the action or reveal the character’s reactions in greater detail. Young writers need to know that this is a deliberate strategy on the part of the author. The author consciously zooms in. The writer uses a magnifying glass to view a part of the story more closely; to focus on a moment and to slow down time. When an important part of the story is enlarged upon, it   is a signal to the reader, that this part of the story is important. The strategy of ‘zooming in’ goes by many names: ‘exploding a moment’ ‘magnifying a moment’, ‘hotspot’ ‘snapshot’, ‘adding detail’ or ‘slowing the action.’  What ever the name, the idea is the same. The author writes in a way that expands a significant part of the story with the intention of drawing t
Read more

Writing Irresistible LEADS with Grade One Students

I have been reading Australian author, Kate Grenville’s book, ‘The Writing Book – A Practical Guide For Fiction Writers.’ Grenville writes about leads and reminds us that the beginning of a piece of writing needs to be irresistible . Further to this she reminds the reader that it doesn’t matter where you begin a piece of writing- just begin! Grenville quotes Ezra Pound who said, ‘It doesn’t matter which leg of the table you make first as long as it stands up in the end.’ The writer’s aim is to glue the reader to the page. Grenville also makes the observation that sometimes you need to write the whole story before returning to the start in order to write a great beginning or ‘lead’ for it. Recently I have been working with groups of Grade 1 writers alerting them to the various ways in which writers ‘lead’ the reader deeper into their stories. Initially we looked at their own writing samples and I asked students, what did they notice about the words being used in their story leads? Th
Read more

Answering Questions Posed by Young POETS

Image
UPDATED, May 2020 As a frequent visitor to schools I have the great pleasure of working with groups of young, enthusiastic poets and their teachers. When I arrive in a classroom, young poets are often pre-loaded with questions, and most keen to have them answered.  I try to answer as many as I can, but we frequently run out of time, and the poetry caravan moves on to the next classroom. So I am here to answer some of those questions -right here, right now. So here goes: When you were little did you love writing? The short answer is yes. I have always enjoyed words and language. I can't recall a time when I wasn't doing some kind of writing. When did you write your first poetry book? I have had poems published over the years, but it wasn't until 2014 that I had an entire book of poems (an anthology) published. When I looked back through all my notebooks I realized I had hundreds of poems from which to choose. So, 'Searching For Hen's Teeth-Poetry From The
Read more

Writing About Reading - Reading Reflection Journals:

Image
UPDATED February 2022 Writing in response to literature can be a great way for students to organize their thoughts, explore what they think, and generate ideas. One of the strengths of writing in journals is that it allows students to capture all of those great ideas that generally float off into the air during the discussion.  Journal writing can also become drudgery if students are asked to write too often, given little choice or inspiration in what to write, or if they simply don't have anything to say. While some students eagerly share their impressions about selections they have read in class discussions, others are less comfortable and keep their thoughts to themselves. In an effort to encourage all students to think more about what they read and confidently share their observations and opinions, some teachers are turning to the reading reflection journal and are gaining insights they never anticipated.  The Value of Reflection Journals   Journals assist teachers to gain i
Read more

Writing Opposite Poems

Image
 O pp o s ite  P oem s In his book, ' How To Write Poetry,'  Paul Janeczko presents the idea of opposite poems. Paul suggests they could also be referred to as antonym poems. This is wordplay and it's fun to try. Here are some examples Paul provides to help us see very clearly how these short little poems work. I think the opposite of chair Is sitting down with nothing there What is the opposite of kind? A goat that butts you from behind Paul Janeczko You will  notice the poems are written in rhyming couplets. They can be extended so long as you remember to write in couplets. Paul shows us how this is done. What is the opposite of new? Stale gum that's hard to chew A hot-dog roll as hard as rock Or a soiled and smelly forgotten sock You might notice that some of Paul's opposite Poems begin with a question. The remainder of the poem answer the question posed. Opposite poems are a challenge, but it is a challenge worth trying. Not every thing has a
Read more