I love this essay! Like you, I always try to find a way to jot down my thoughts- but I find it hard to make it into a regular habit. One of the great joys of writing is coming back to a note months later, and working on an idea that never happened when you first wrote it down :)
Thanks! I never thought of that - coming back to an idea and reworking it later - that is definitely a good feeling and worth keeping a notebook for! Thank you for your comments : )
This is so opportune; I have been randomly opening to essays in a large collection of Didion's (including 'Slouching..') and went to read the essay you mention with interest. I love to see the process of writers; I guess it makes our process seem less crazy. I guess while so much of what goes in a notebook seems like trash (to others), it is all part of the process, and while some may seem like 'personal writing' it is also part of what may become public/published material. I guess I see my journals that way. I try to allow myself this free flow especially when I feel stuck. From these observations of self or surrounding, stories or articles are made. I see them as a part of the process and will label pages that I intend to go onto the computer. But sometimes it is just the process that helps and I don't go back to them at all.
I cringe at the thought of throwing them away though. Or at having somebody read them! Ah, what's one to do?
How funny that you were just reading some of Didion's essays! She is my favourite essayist of all time - the way she made a story out of everything around her, which is probably why she could turn her hand to fiction and non-fiction. I don't know if you've seen the Netflix documentary that came out a couple of years ago? It is well worth a watch.
Regarding notebooks: I agree that journals allow you to work through random thoughts and ideas, and I love your idea of labelling pages that you want to go onto the computer for later writing! I often find I 'lose' anything useful, so I might have to steal that ; )
Also, I know it's probably terrible, but I throw my notebooks away once they are full...I think I'm too paranoid that I'll get hit by a bus and somebody will read all my nonsense!!
I love this essay! Like you, I always try to find a way to jot down my thoughts- but I find it hard to make it into a regular habit. One of the great joys of writing is coming back to a note months later, and working on an idea that never happened when you first wrote it down :)
Thanks! I never thought of that - coming back to an idea and reworking it later - that is definitely a good feeling and worth keeping a notebook for! Thank you for your comments : )
This is so opportune; I have been randomly opening to essays in a large collection of Didion's (including 'Slouching..') and went to read the essay you mention with interest. I love to see the process of writers; I guess it makes our process seem less crazy. I guess while so much of what goes in a notebook seems like trash (to others), it is all part of the process, and while some may seem like 'personal writing' it is also part of what may become public/published material. I guess I see my journals that way. I try to allow myself this free flow especially when I feel stuck. From these observations of self or surrounding, stories or articles are made. I see them as a part of the process and will label pages that I intend to go onto the computer. But sometimes it is just the process that helps and I don't go back to them at all.
I cringe at the thought of throwing them away though. Or at having somebody read them! Ah, what's one to do?
How funny that you were just reading some of Didion's essays! She is my favourite essayist of all time - the way she made a story out of everything around her, which is probably why she could turn her hand to fiction and non-fiction. I don't know if you've seen the Netflix documentary that came out a couple of years ago? It is well worth a watch.
Regarding notebooks: I agree that journals allow you to work through random thoughts and ideas, and I love your idea of labelling pages that you want to go onto the computer for later writing! I often find I 'lose' anything useful, so I might have to steal that ; )
Also, I know it's probably terrible, but I throw my notebooks away once they are full...I think I'm too paranoid that I'll get hit by a bus and somebody will read all my nonsense!!
One of my biggest fears! ha ha. Except I still don't throw them out...living dangerously.
I need to see the documentary; thanks!