notebooks and other tools
What can I say? Notebooks make me happy…
I can almost map my writing life by a procession of their quirks and colours. Inside are random ideas and attempts at new routines. But above all else, there are endless lists of chapter headings, charting the hopes of every project. Even when I’m nearing the end, I still write down those headings. When I’m out walking or running, or whatever else I’m doing, I’ll be listing them under my breath. It keeps me near the book – my stepping stones to being there.
Other trusty devices (so to speak) are a beat-up dictionary and thesaurus. The thesaurus is a wonderfully strange animal. It’s best utilised as a word leading me to another word, to another again, until I find the suitably not-quite-right usage I’m looking for. Even then, that might still be just a placeholder for what’s looming in my subconscious. The right word is floating around somewhere, and there’s working for it, but also waiting. There’s so much I try to control, but I’m often reminded that the best part of the job is the mystery – when you spark something and think, ‘I didn’t know that was going to happen today.’