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The Writer’s Notebook

Every writer should keep a notebook or journal. A stray piece of paper wouldn’t do. I have always had a notebook, but I have been using my iPhone as a notebook these last few years. I find that I lose my notebook, but always have my phone. You can also use apps, such as My Journal. I was thinking about the long relationship that I’ve had with notebooks, and their centrality to everything I do, the way that they foster my creativity across years and decades.

I’m sure that’s true of most other writers. And yet, whenever I see guides to keeping a journal online, I rarely recognise my own practice in there. I’ve seen so many idealised journals, designed for public display, written in overly neat handwriting using multi-coloured pens, filled with motivational quotes and orderly bullet points. This kind of journal feels wrong to me, reeking of an overly disciplined school: the people-pleasing, self-conscious, high-pressure spaces of my school books. The tyranny of good presentation and legibility.

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In my view, a notebook should be unorganized. It should be random thoughts that you want to pick up later. I’ve written many poems from random thoughts I’ve had a movies, while reading, while listening to music, or just going to the supermarket.

Your notebook should be written for nobody’s eyes but your own. It’s a completely private space, where you are the only one writing and reading. You should never show anything directly from its pages, and certainly don’t let anyone have a flick through. This gives you the freedom to write anything in it That might be my darkest thoughts or my fragile feelings; but mostly it’s just terrible writing. Be incoherent, self-pitying, tacky, boring or stupid in this space. It’s nobody else’s business.

I’ll be taking a break from blogging for the month of August. Follow me here again on Thursdays after Labor Day.

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What Is the Voice of a Writer?

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What is the voice of a writer?

A writer’s voice is their distinct worldview, transcribed into words and shared with the audience.

What we term a writer’s voice is the unique fingerprint that separates one writer from the next. It’s the output when writers dredges through the hidden depths of their psyche, confronting fears, dreams, and interests.

How does a writer find his/her voice? Your voice is actually a reflection of your entire personality, including your speech patterns. And you can have more than one voice. I recently collaborated on a manuscript of eco-poetry with the Norwegian Artist, Irene Christensen called Dread and Splendor: Paintings and Poems for a New Earth. In this case, my voice became joined with the visuals of this artist who created a series of paintings about women at the heart of the environmental movement. So in this case, my voice became an extension of the visuals involved.

Your personality comes out in what you write. Even if you use many voices , they’re still created by tone, attitude and style.

Tone in your writing is similar to tone of voice while talking. It’s not what you say—the facts—but how you say or write it.

Attitude is about beliefs, emotion and values. It has to do with how you regard the world and life or how you feel about something. It reveals itself in the way you talk, your body language, and your actions. And your attitude is part of what shapes your writing voice. It’s a lot like a professional singer’s voice.

Style is revealed with vocabulary, sentence structure, grammar, and the technicalities of writing. It also involves who you are and your personal taste or preferences.

What is your writer’s voice? I’ll be blogging on Thursdays. Follow me here.