I always use A4 spiral bound notebooks for my stories. Always write on the right side of the page only, so I can make notes on the left later, and always use blue pens unless I run out and then I use black. But I find black a little too harsh on the eye and blue always reads better.
Recently, when I was looking for the notebooks I use for writing T.K. Wrathbone stories, I couldn’t find them. My local Coles Supermarket, which sold Presstic notebooks, no longer sold them. So, I had to find new ones.
While browsing my local Kmart aisles, I found that they’d reduced a whole bunch of kid’s stationery down to $1 and $2. And what did I find…
A whole bunch of rather picture appropriate notebooks being thrown out.
The smaller notebooks were $2 for a pack of three, the black star notebooks were about 100 pages each, and $1. The student subject notebooks on the right were $2, and were also 100 pages.
But…I needed longer notebooks.
So, I bought 20 subject notebooks, and 30 star notebooks and got to work.
First, I unfurled the coils and removed all of the awesome inserts in the subject notebook and put them aside for future projects.
Second, I added up the number of pages I needed in each notebook, rolled them onto the coils, added the covers, and refurled. I also removed the elastic strap from the back cover, along with the silver eyes so the book didn’t go rusty.
Each book is now ready to go with 120 pages which will fit three longer stories.
Next, I unfurled all of the star notebooks, threw out the really bad back covers that were scratched, and then recoiled 120 pages with covers and refurled the books.
These will be for shorter stories.
I absolutely killed my fingers doing all of this, and the pages don’t turn smoothly, but at least I have notebooks for the rest of the stories I need to write which will take me up to 2026.
Yep…I’m writing T.K. Wrathbone stories until there is a book twelve in 2026, but at least I’m prepared.
Have you guys ever gone to such extremes for something you’ve needed before?
No, I can safely say that I’ve never gone to such extremes. But I do appreciate a good notebook. I always write everything on paper before moving to the computer; it’s better for getting my ideas to gel. Also, I like the alien head.
I love a good notebook as you know, Tote. I tried to find ones for my stories but just couldn’t, so made them instead.