Posts filed under Notebooks

2024 Notebook Maximalism

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And her latest book, Root Rot, is now available for pre-order!)

Last year, overwhelmed with work, school, travel, and writing, I aimed to simplify my life by trying to use stationery with multiple uses. Less to carry, more versatility, everything I needed at hand. It got me through a tough year. But I missed using some of the things I love. Did the purely utilitarian approach work? Yes. Is it for me? No. I want to indulge in the endless variety of stationery glee.

This year, overwhelmed with work and more work, and writing and more writing (but no school and much less travel), I'm reverting to the more playful approach to my notebooks. Which means lots and lots of notebooks.

In this post, I'll focus on my daily carry notebooks. Because if we talk about all of them, we'll be here all day.

First up, the planner. The nerve center. The external hard drive of my brain. I'm using a Hobonichi Techo Weeks this year, which I know from extensive field testing, is the best layout for me. Seeing a month at a glance is essential, as is the week-at-a-glance page, and room on the right page to make my to-do list is the perfect time management setup for me. One adaptation I make is that I add the Weeks Memo Book tucked inside the cover for some extra blank note taking pages. In that, I do time-blocking for busier weeks and make important long-term notes that I don't need in the back of the book itself. A Weeks Mega would eliminate the need for the extra memo book, but the Mega only comes in plain, boring covers and I need the fun, pretty covers. Notably (for me), I'm not using the zippered cover for my weeks this year. I always have in the past, but I've found I'm much more likely to use my planner if it's not in a case. I've also come to realize that having my planner and wallet in one system doesn't work for me, as I need to take my planner a lot of places where I do not want to bring my wallet. I also hate how the ribbon bookmark gets shredded by the zipper. And why would I want to cover up the pretty design on this one? So far, after December and January use, it's working great.

My writing notebook right now is the Pebble Stationery Cosmo Air Light A5 notebook with a fresh sheet of blotting paper. That's where new drafts are written after they're planned. I reviewed this in the past, and I love it, but it's filling up fast, so it will be switched out in the next few weeks. The planning for these stories happens in my commonplace book.

My commonplace book for this year (and a good part of last year) is my Plotter Bible Size. I got the Plotter Mini 5 at the Chicago Pen Show last May to try them out and see if I liked the setup. I did, alas. So I went all-in on the black leather Bible Size version, and I have no regrets. I have different sections separated out with their project manager inserts, so I can keep adulting stuff apart from writing stuff apart from hobby stuff. No work things go in this notebook--I have a separate notebook just for work, currently a Leuchtturm 1917 softcover (not shown, because work stays at work!). When I do travel this year, this will be the only notebook I bring.

Lastly, and a recent addition to my lineup, is a separate reading journal. Normally, reading journaling goes in my commonplace book, but this year I wanted to give it more space, and its own space. I also found myself missing my Traveler's Notebook that was my steadfast companion last year. Last year's was the passport size, but I still have my treasured early edition regular size, from back when Traveler's Company was still Midori. I got some fresh inserts and bands from Etsy and JetPens (indulging in a few older book-related ephemera), and that's where I'll track my reading and book reviews for this year. There's a blank insert; a monthly planner page where I can track start and end dates, book club meetings, literary award jury deadlines, etc.; and a grid insert for making lists. I also picked up the zipper and pocket cloth insert for holding stickers, bookmarks, a pencil, and page flags. So far, I love the setup, but only time will tell if I'll actually reach for it. I hope I do.

Other things not shown, notebook-wise, are the three notebooks in which four different books are being written. No, that is not logical or efficient, but that's how deadlines work, sometimes. I don't carry those every day--just when I'm working on that particular project. If I have inspiration related to one of them while I'm away from my home desk, it goes in the commonplace book. The Plotter works perfectly for that, because I can remove the Plotter page with those notes and tuck it into its relevant book. I also still have my old short story notebook, because I'm still working on edits to drafts that are in that book. And then there's a notebook on my nightstand where sleepy Sarah writes things down for future Sarah (often nonsense).

I like this, enjoying a variety of tools and letting each one do just the one thing it's best suited for, rather than picking one thing that does a bit of everything but none of it perfectly. The simplicity of one tool is still appealing, but I also like that I can take just my reading journal with me somewhere, and leave the rest of the world behind. There's a simplicity in compartmentalizing, too. Even if it looks like I'm living in a fort made out of notebooks. I'm happy in my fort.

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Posted on January 11, 2024 by Sarah Read and filed under Notebooks, Writing.

Reviews in Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And her latest book, Root Rot, is now available for pre-order!)

A new year has found us again, and I'm doing that thing where I look back on the long stretch of the previous year, wonder where the time went, and marvel at everything that happened. 2023 was an overwhelming year for me. Graduating, turning 40, cleaning out my Grandmother's house, publishing a book, getting a fancy new job. I think it's safe to say that this past year was my busiest yet. And this year, more than ever, I relied heavily on my stationery to see me through. And while the world tested me, I tested my tools. I didn't review everything I used, and I didn't end up using everything I reviewed, but here are the things that I did review that were among my favorites this year.

Ink:

Pennonia Strigoi was my favorite new ink I reviewed this year. The amazing color and unique composition made this an absolute standout in a year where there were gallons of excellent new inks to be tried. The clay-like sediment does make this one a little more high-maintenance, but aren't we all, sometimes?

Paper:

The Traveler's Company Notebook Passport size was my desk away from home this year, and I was often away from home. While this system definitely works better for me on the road, being on the road is when I'm most in need of a good system. The endless ways it can be customized and adapted gave it the flexibility I needed to go from banquet halls to beaches.

Non-Fountain pen:

The CW&T Pen Type-B might be my most-used stationery item this year. I reviewed it in March and it has gone with me literally everywhere since I received it. We're approaching one year of daily carry for this pen, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. There's just something about this pen. Practically, it's not the obvious choice. It's super heavy, has a ridiculous sleeve cap, and doesn't technically function any better than many smaller, more normal pens. But it makes me happy, so along it comes, every day.

Accessory:

The Traveler's Company Brass Clip has likewise come everywhere with me since I opened the package. Maybe I just like brass? Possible. But I also really like this clip, and I fully didn't expect to. It's bulky! And heavy! But it works so well, and it keeps all my wee slips of paper clipped into my notebooks so nothing goes missing. Even after I shelved my Traveler's Notebook, post-travels, I moved this clip into the notebook I continue to use. And I'll keep doing that forever, because it's brilliant.

Fountain pen:

Okay, look. We can all agree that it's pretty much impossible to pick one favorite fountain pen in a year of amazing fountain pens, right? Right. I'd be hard pressed to limit myself to a list of five favorites. So how do I pick the standout? Well, it's the one that made me smile the most as I scrolled through this past year's reviews, which means it's the BENU Skull and Roses. It's not my year's most used, or the fanciest. But I just can't stop myself from grinning when I look at it. It's delightful.

There were also a number of things I purchased and didn't review that have been essentials, like a Plotter Bible-Size that has been my commonplace book for several months now, and the Plotter leather pen roll. I'll save my 2024 setup for another post, but it's safe to say that this will be another year of leaning heavily on my tools for survival. And I'm looking forward to it.

Posted on January 4, 2024 by Sarah Read and filed under Fountain Pens, Notebooks.

My Seven-Notebook Writing System

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

Last week I reviewed the Midori MD 70th Anniversary set of seven notebooks and I had a lot of fun thinking about all the ways I could put them to good use. I knew I didn't want to split up the set--the rainbow stitching is everything! Normally I'd use them for school, but I'm in my last two classes now--there are no future semesters to save them for! But the thing I'm most excited about being done with school is returning to full-time writing.

Being an author really means running a small business and there can be a lot to keep track of. I have, in the past, used one notebook to track all my writerly business, but they fill up fast when you're keeping busy. Enter a big set of seven lovely notebooks...

Also enter the fabulous Lochby Field Journal, which is robust enough to contain this ambitious plan.

I assigned each of the notebooks to a different aspect of writerly business: Deadline and submission tracking, listing and outlining ideas, jotting down bits of story drafts, making notes about critiques and edits, listing publication and contract details, notes about the craft of writing, and keeping track of the classes I teach or readings/signings, etc.

Keeping track of deadlines is important for obvious reasons, but it will be helpful to keep them listed in one place, alongside due dates for other open calls for submissions that look interesting. That way I can glance at that list and make a more informed decision about how busy I am when I'm approached for a project. Since many deadlines can be six months to a year out, tracking them on a calendar isn't a good way to get an overview. This way I'll have a list I can reference to confirm that I should definitely not take on any more work in the month of April! I can also keep track of where I send work and when. Some publishers don't send rejections--you're meant to assume you were rejected after not hearing back after a certain amount of time passes, so it's important to know when that time is. Most publishers also don't allow you to submit the same work more than once, so it's crucial to keep track of where you've sent each piece.

Keeping track of ideas is also important. Ideas are everywhere, and some are more demanding than others. Sometimes a good idea tries to butt in when I'm working on something else that has a due date and I don't have time to set it aside to focus on the shiny new idea. I've always kept an idea notebook, so this isn't a new one for me, but hopefully this will help me keep them in better order. They do tend to show up on the backs of receipts or scribbled in the margins of school notes. Sometimes I need a place to just jot down a single-sentence concept, and sometimes I need to write the whole outline. This book will hold both/either.

If whole sections of a story jump into my head, but they aren't ready to be fully written yet, I need a place to write down that bit until I'm ready for it. That will go in the next notebook, Draft Bits. Stories often come to me out of order, so this is a place where I can write scenes down when I need to come back to them.

I am part of a monthly critique group, as well as a more sporadic workshop, so I need a place to write down the feedback I receive on my work, as well as any ideas I have for edits to a piece. The Critique and Edit Notes notebook will be the home for that info.

Publication information goes in the next one. This is where I'll keep track of contract terms (Do I retain audio rights to this story or does the publisher? When does the exclusive printing period end? Is it a flat rate payment or are their royalties to track?). This way I won't have to go combing through contract files every time I want to reprint a piece.

In the next notebook, I'll record bits of wisdom about the craft of writing. When I attend panels or author talks, I like to write down anything educational or interesting, or notes about what particular editors are looking for in work submitted to them.

In the last notebook, I'll keep track of my own gigs--when I lead workshops or teach classes, do readings, speak on panels, do interviews, or appear on podcasts. I haven't always been good at tracking that, and then a friend mentioned how important that info is for a potential CV if I ever want to get a teaching job or archive my work. This will give me a good way to plan for and track all those appearances.

To cram all this content into one notebook cover, I used skills gleaned from Traveler's Notebook journalers. I used sewing thread (because that's what I had--I'll get elastics eventually) to tie notebooks 1 and 3 together, with the back cover of 1 and the front cover of 3 facing each other. Then I slid notebook 1 through the first elastic on the Lochby so that the elastic fit between the two notebooks, holding them by the threads. Then I slid notebook 2 through that same elastic at its halfway point. I repeated that process by tying notebooks 4 and 6 together, sliding them though another elastic, and then putting notebook five on that same elastic between them. Notebook 7 is on its own elastic at the end. They all fit quite well! There's enough movement that each notebook is still easy to write in, and there's even still room for me to stuff a bunch of writing note scraps in the pockets of the notebook cover. The thick spine and adjustable clasp on the Lochby are my friend, here.

I'm eagerly anticipating the shift from writing research papers to writing more stories and novels. I've still written a handful, but not nearly as much as I want. For the past two years, the notebook that's been filling up fastest is the one where I list all the ideas I don't have time to write. I'm excited to start filling up all these notebooks, replacing the inserts, and filling those up, too. 93 more days. (In fact, my last ever day of class is the first day of the Chicago Pen Show.) I'm so ready.