1. “ Don’t leave home without it!” Ralph Fletcher

2. What is a Writer’s Notebook? What it’s not…a diary or journal…not like anything you’ve ever kept before! What it is…a place to react to the world around you…what makes you angry, sad, or amazed. A place to write down what you don’t want to forget, or what you noticed….to write down what your grandmother whispered in your ear before saying goodbye the last time….a place to live like a writer.

3. What does a writer’s notebook look like? There’s not really any right answer…except it should reflect your personality! Some writers prefer a pad small enough to carry in their back pocket. Others have beautiful notebooks with wildflowers on the cover. Others have notebooks with plain, brown covers.

4. Your Notebook Is uniquely yours! (like your wallet, purse or backpack) Only you can decide what to put into it!!! It’s nothing more than a blank book…but you can make it into a powerful tool. You’ll need to choose a writing instrument, too.

5. Your Notebook Should fit you just right….like your favorite jeans! Let it reflect who you are. There is no one right way to keep one. Use it as it fits you best!

6. You could decorate your Writer’s Notebooks!

7. Suggestions for things to keep in your notebook Unforgettable stories Fierce wonderings Seed ideas Mind Pictures Snatches of Talk Lists Memories

8. More Suggestions for things to keep in your notebook Quotations from music, movies, books Photographs, comics Setting ideas Things that interest you as a person Favorite first lines from books you’ve read Poems that just “come to you” Words you hear that you like Secrets

9. Then what???? Do you doodle? Draw pictures? (Put them in) Do you cut out pictures? strange headlines? (If so, tape them in your notebook.) Do you like to eavesdrop or make up conversations in your head? (If so, write them down) Do you have strong reactions to the injustices in the world? (Write down your reactions)

10. Rules for Writer’s Notebooks Write EVERY day! Use your notebook only for writing. Do not use it for other subjects. Date each entry. Review your notebook to see how you have grown as a writer. Write in different places, take it with you wherever you go! Write for fun! Write about topics that interest you. They can be real or fiction. Jazz it up! Do you like to add drawings and color to your writing? Go for it! Break the rules! Don’t worry about spelling and grammar during free writing and journaling. Focus on expressing your ideas instead. Share it with others! Take your writing to the next level! Take some of your best journal entries and develop them into published pieces using the writing process. Remember: This is YOUR notebook. Your words are IMPORTANT because they are part of YOU !

11. Writing Opens doors in us we never expected Helps us explore new worlds inside and out