The Little Book of Good Intentions

So here is my notebook! When I get stuck in my head, I tape peppy post-it notes to the front. I find that tough-love works best! Doing this has genuinely helped me stop freaking out and blanking badly when I sit down to get going. I started when I came back the the States in February, planning on finishing the 3rd draft by April and stuck in one of the worst ruts I'd ever been in. I couldn't settle on a scene, kept rewriting and deleting again and again... Hence, 'NO BACKTRACKING' and 'JUST GET IT DONE'. I keep it out and at my side whenever I'm writing now, even when I'm not explicitly using it. It's like having a little demon with a tiny whip, pushing me on!

I call it The Little Book of Good Intentions because the vast majority of the scribbles in here won't be used. Most if it's little ideas that catch me off guard, pieces of dialogue, interesting plot point to maybe visit in the future. Writing them down solidifies them in my head and at least influences what I write even if I don't actually use them. 

It's also riddled with scene/chapter/book plans that anchor me at the time but I suck at following guidelines, even my own, so...

It's also filled with pages headed 'Notes from Sarah'. She is the best writing buddy in the world and, whether she's sending me pep or critique or just sympathizing with writerly angst, it all goes in here. We've become pretty well aligned, and everything she says is incredibly valuable. Peppered inbetween are 'Notes on (whichever story I'm beta'ing for her)' When I'm reading for her, or anyone, it definitely helps to take notes as I read, especially if they're stuck on something specific. 

I have been amazingly lucky with my writing buddies!

 Between the covers I keep things that I like :) At the moment, its postcards picked up at the National Gallery in London -- two Monets and a something else -- a postcard drawn and given to me by my wonderful friend Faye (Kowabungadoodles) and a Polaroid that I've somehow never lost and that's stayed with me since it was taken a hundred years ago of me and one of my oldest friends, Ilya, dressed up at Exeter Museum when we were smaller than Hobbit sized. 

It is an A5 sized, page-a-day diary from WH Smith -- chosen for its teeny tiny lines and its terribly convenient size (it fits into the pockets of all my coats and nearly all my jackets) 

Plus it was 60% off, so win win!