It Only Works If You Work It

I blogged a while back about my writer’s notebook. It’s something I learned from Janet Fitch in a class at USC. Write down everything. Any time a verbal tick or landscape catches my attention for any reason I pull out my handy little notebook and write it down. Unfortunately, with all the distractions in my life, I have fallen short on the second, and vitally important part of transferring those notes to some sort of organized filing system. 

This morning I am working on a scene where my character’s crush is blossoming.  A few months ago I had this very visceral memory of a crush I once had. I don’t know what sparked it, but I was smart enough to not question and instead just pull over and write down what I remember it feeling like. 

The trouble is, this morning, when I could totally use that note, I can’t find it. I have two notebooks and two separate files for notes that I tear out, and it doesn’t seem to be anywhere! Arrrgggg! I wrote it down so I wouldn’t HAVE to remember. 

On the plus side, as I was sifting through my notes, I found I actually have a wealth of story ideas and character quirks that I might be able to use. I just need to get more organized so I can find them when I need them. So I guess some time soon I will need to go through the files and notebooks and type everything up. Then I can print them out and stick them in a binder I keep (or used to – it hasn’t been updated in a long while) for that precise purpose. 

Sweet. Another thing to add to my to do list.