Keeping a notebook may or may not be required in your English class. Whether it is or not, keeping one will be of great value to you as you pursue your acedemic career and in life in general. You will deepen your understanding of literature and yourself. But don't let this put pressure on your writing. The notebook should be a place where you feel free to write whatever you want. Think of your notebook as a collection of thoughts, ideas, feelings, and bits and pieces of meaning which reflect you personally. Here are just a few ideas about what might be collected in your notebook:
Do not worry too much about spelling, punctuation or grammar when writing in these notebooks. This is a place for your ideas, feelings, and thinking on the page. Through focusing and revision, more formal, polished writing will eventually come from the ideas which start in your notebook.
specific childhood memories overheard conversations thoughts/questions about what you are reading ideas about things going on in your life or the lives of those around you. lists (words you like, foods you hate, things you need to get done, songs you know--ANYTHING!) ideas for stories family stories images that you want to remember plans for the future interviews with friends, family members, teachers imaginary interviews with famous or not-so-famous people dreams quotations or poems and what they mean to you your own poems favorite song lyrics and why you connect to them careful descriptions of people, places and things imagined dialogue conversations with yourself You name it, you may write about it. You can also write about your
- weekend
- family
- friends
- pets
- neighborhood
- likes and dislikes
- earliest memories
- hobbies
- skills
- jobs and responsibilities
- fears
- birthdays
- Christmases
- favorite books
- favorite movies
- favorite poems
- favorite sports
- favorite subjects
Write to answer the following questions:
- What's a story you have told again and again?
- What can you remember doing for the first time?
- What can you remember doing for the last time? What have you read/heard/felt/seen taht you can't forget?
- What would you like to know?
- What problems in the world, in your own life, or in the life of someone you know ned solving? How might these be sovled?
- What are you good at?
- What kind of writing would you like to try?
So get going. Just write. The most common advice from writers of all kinds is that simple--you learn to write by writing.