Notebooks.

WRITING TIP OF THE WEEK:

- Carry at notebook and pen at all times.

I actually started carrying a notebook with me when I was six. Now it’s part of a small set of things that go with me everywhere: note book, my pen, my phone, my lip gloss and my glasses cleaner. And I don’t mean they go with me to the shops, they go with me from room to room. I make most of my notes in front of the TV or when I wake up in the middle of the night. However it’s probably more important to have it with you when you are out—as you’ll usually have a pen and paper somewhere at home. It’s just a good habit.

Think of a notebook as your brain-back up. Most of us can’t remember everything, and even if we recall something later, it will likely lose some of its magnetic urgency. Write it down when its fresh and hot. Or just see what you come up with when you’re bored at the doctor’s office. If you have a notebook, you can be working on your manuscript all the time.

You can buy really small notebooks—you’ll just have to replace them more. You could probably keep one in your wallet if you have a big one. And ladies with purses have no excuses!

Whenever I am writing goal lists or marketing plans, I always like to write them on paper first too. It stops me from trying to order the list into priority. I just write every marketing plans I can, usually at least thirty, then later I put them on the computer, cull the silly ones, and reorder them so they make sense. Pen on paper is a fantastic way to stop the inner editor from distracting your focus.