I'm a member of 26, a great organisation for writers, copywriters and other creatives. It publishes a monthly newsletter on (guess what?) the 26th of every month. They have topics and ask for members' contribution. A few months ago one of the themes were what kind of notebooks writers used. I submitted this. I'm a Ryman's girl. Habit started on May 1979. First line in writer's notebook No 1: "If you are afraid of loneliness, don't marry" Anton Chekhov as quoted by Stephen Sondheim.
The 15 notebooks are lined up in my cupboard as my portable ideas' file and novel fodder. They are battered, soup stained, coffee stained, full of pictures and newspaper cuttings. They are beloved. I lost one when mugged in Balham many years ago. The bag it was in was dumped and I got it back. Huge sigh of relief. Last line of current notebook: "They passed a dead dog on the road and wondered what it all meant."
Stay tuned . . .
