r/writers • u/Stuart_Ashton • 1d ago
Question Notebooks
For those of you who need to write pen to paper, like I do, what is your process? I used to use a journal that would go off into a few pages of the text when I was inspired. I would then start a new notebook with just that story. I now find it ineffective, as I would have 10 notebooks on the go. I have tried using my laptop, but I still cannot type as fast as the words were coming out.
I would love to hear from those of you who still spill ink.
Cheers
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u/Bombastic-Bagman 1d ago
Have you tried an ipad or tablet with an note taking app? Back in uni, I learned a lot better when handwriting but needed better convenience and usability than notebooks so I used an iPad with a paperfeel screen protector and the Goodnotes app. You still get the handwritten experience, but everything is contained all in one place and you don't have to deal with a hundred notebooks. It's not quite as familiar as a real notebook though. I'd equate it to reading a real book vs reading a eBook on an ereader.
There are also reusable notebooks like Rocketbooks which you can scan and upload to a drive, erase and reuse. You get a slightly more realistic feel with those, but less convenience since you need to view old writings on a drive, and have to upload all the pages as you write.
My third suggestion would be a binder style notebook with different sections. This would allow you to remove certain sections and move them around while just keeping current projects in a main notebook. You can get really nice flexible leather binder covers that feel more like an average notebook, but keep your older stuff in a regular binder. Plus you can switch out paper types: bullet journal dots, grids, college ruled, etc.
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u/Stuart_Ashton 18h ago
That's very helpful. I still like ink on paper as I find it flows out of me better. I will look for a Samsung tablet and see how that feels. The binder is another great option. I like that. Thank you
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u/samueleonelia 22h ago
I did try to work on a notebook. I ended up with a bit of a mess, lots of cancellation and re-writes. At that point the notebook for me loses its purpose, it doesn’t help me gain clarity just more clutter. My solution: create my own writing app, where I can drag and drop elements at will
I suppose if you want to stick with a notebook, you have to accept to re-write a lot of pieces to keep track of what needs to stay or not. It might be a good approach though, some things will be forgotten and it’s probably better that way.
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u/DaLoCo6913 1d ago
Have you explored the possibility of speech to text? Perhaps there is software that allows you to simply talk, and it types it out without frustrating you?