Writer's Notebook: Unlocking the Writer Within You

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More About This Book

Overview

Writers are like other people, except for at least one important difference. Other people have daily thoughts and feelings, notice this sky or that smell, but they don't do much about it.

Not writers. Writers react. And writers need a place to record those reactions. That's what a writer's notebook is for. It gives you a place to write down what makes you angry or sad or amazed, to write down what you noticed and don't want to forget . . . .

Discusses the various kinds of things to keep in a writer's notebook--seed ideas, mind pictures, lists, memories, samples of other writers' work--and why.

Editorial Reviews

Children's Literature
As Ralph Fletcher states, "Many people drift through life. Your writer's notebook can work as alarm clock to remind you to wake up and pay attention to what's happening in your world, both inside and out." Fletcher's writing teaches one to wake up and pay attention to the world. He offers wonderful advise on observing the world and capturing those precious moments in a notebook, so one can use the material for splendid works of writing. Each chapter opens with a personal narrative to enrich the concepts. Chapters include "Fierce Wonderings," "Seed Ideas," and "Snatches of Talk." The author includes examples from his own notebooks, young writers of elementary school age and famous children's book authors. A Writer's Notebook offers many fantastic ideas on how to start stories and even how to organize one's thoughts and writing plans. It is a valuable tool for writers of any age not just its intended audience of middle readers. I found myself reflecting on the exercises and pondering quotes for my next writing adventures. 2003, HarperTrophy, Ages 8 to 12.
— Patricia Silverberg

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780380784301
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
  • Publication date: 8/28/1996
  • Edition description: Reissue
  • Pages: 138
  • Sales rank: 46,898
  • Age range: 9 - 11 Years
  • Product dimensions: 5.10 (w) x 7.55 (h) x 0.30 (d)

Meet the Author

Ralph Fletcher has always been a special person for children's literature. He is the author of picture books, nonfiction, and novels for young readers. How to Write Your Life Story is the fifth book in Mr. Fletcher's series of instructional writing books, which includes A Writer's Notebook, Live Writing, How Writers Work, and Poetry Matters. Mr. Fletcher lives with his family in New Hampshire.

Read an Excerpt

WHAT IS A WRITE'S NOTEBOOK, ANYWAY?

Once, when I was a boy, a telephone repair truck pulled up in front of our house and two workers got out. They had come to lay a telephone cable. My brothers and sisters and I watched them work hard for almost three hours digging a long narrow ditch in our back yard. Finally, when it was starting to get dark, they left the ditch and went home, promising to return and finish the job the next morning.

Early the following morning I went outside and looked into that empty ditch. But it wasn't empty at all. I was amazed to find all sorts of small animals caught in there: four toads, two frogs, even a small box turtle. They must have wandered into the ditch, gotten stuck there and been unable to climb back out. I let all the animals go. The two workers returned, finished laying the telephone cable, and covered up the ditch.

That got me thinking. The next day I decided to dig my own ditch. I dug it at the edge of the woods (I didn't think Dad would have appreciated seeing another ditch in our lawn) and made it about a foot wide, ten feet long, and eight inches deep. Next morning I hurried outside and discovered that-yes!-the same thing had happened. A number of small creatures had been caught in there.

A writer's notebook is like that ditch-an empty space you dig in your busy life, a space that will fill up with all sorts of fascinating little creatures. If you dig it, they will come. You'll be amazed by what you catch there.

Writing is what I do for my job. I've written books for adults and books for young readers. I've published a novel, several books of poetry, short stories, and books for teachers onhow to teach writing. In this book I want to explore with you the most important tool I use: my writer's notebook. Keeping a writer's notebook is one of the best ways I know of living a writing kind of life.

What is a writer's notebook, anyway? Let's start by talking about what it's not. A writer's notebook is not a diary: "Today it is raining. We have a substitute teacher named Miss Pampanella. She seems very nice. We are going to have gym right before lunch." It's not a reading journal in which your teacher tells you to summarize the main idea of a book, or write a letter to a character. A writer's notebook is different from any journal you've ever kept before.

Writers are pretty ordinary people. They have favorite songs, favorite movies, favorite TV shows. Writers have Evil Big Sisters (and, occasionally, sweet ones). They get good or not so good grades, take vacations, paint their houses ...

Writers are like other people, except for at least one important difference. Other people have daily thoughts and feelings, notice this sky or that smell, but they don't do much about it. All those thoughts, feelings, sensations, and opinions pass through them like the air they breathe.

Not writers. Writers react. And writers need a place to record those reactions.

That's what a writer's notebook is for. It gives you a place to write down what makes you angry or sad or amazed, to write down what you noticed and don't want to forget, to record exactly what your grandmother whispered in your ear before she said goodbye for the last time.

A writer's notebook gives you a place to live like a writer, not just in school during writing time, but wherever you are, at any time of day.

A few years ago I was walking in Wheeling, Illinois, and I saw a rainbow so enormous it seemed to stretch from one horizon to the other. But there was something wrong with it-the topmost arch was missing. I came back to my hotel room, took out my notebook, and wrote:

The skies are so huge in the midwest! They just don't make skies like this back east. Today I saw a rainbow, beautiful and damaged, the top part washed away, gone. Never seen anything like it. Wonder what makes that happen. Had the winds swept away the highest clouds?

Months later I began writing a series of love poems. I reread my notebook and found that entry. The words-a rainbow, beautiful and damaged-seemed to jump off the page. I used that phrase like a piece of flint to spark this sad poem I wrote:

First Flight

All the way home
I tried to forget
how your lip twitched
how your face flinched
I walked alone
under a huge rainbow
beautiful and damaged
upper arch worn away
just two broken pieces
dangling from the sky


What does a writer's notebook look like? There's really no right answer for this except that your writer's notebook should reflect your personality. Some writers prefer a pad small enough to stick in a back pocket. Others have beautiful notebooks with wildflowers on their covers, and others with plain brown covers. My wife's notebook has unlined pages because she likes to sketch in it, as well as write. My notebook is really supposed to be a business ledger, with lined, numbered pages. It has a hard cover and a very sturdy binding, which is good because I drag it with me wherever I go and it gets banged up a lot.

A notebook doesn't even have to be made from paper, really. Often I work on my "notebook computer" while I'm flying from one city to the next. But a notebook doesn't have to be expensive or fancy-a plain notebook from the stationery store will do just fine.

I hope you'll get yourself some kind of notebook and begin to write in it on a ...

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 21 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 27, 2009

    A Writer's Notebook is great for learning how to hone your writing.

    Ralph Fletcher writes an amusing, easy to use book on how to improve your writing. Useful for students and adults, Fletcher teaches the reader how to find interesting details in the smallest parts of life. Each chapter focuses on a certain type of writing - writing small, memoirs, etc.- gives examples, tells how Fletcher learned this skill, and then gives the reader an exercise to do regarding the genre or skill for that chapter. Teachers use this book with elementary and middle school students. But teachers also find that their own writings improve with its use. Small book, easy to read format, amusing. There is a companion video starring Ralph Fletcher that really gives you a good snapshot of his writing thinking and his sense of humor.

    2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 25, 2011

    THIS BOOK HELPED ME WRITE A GREAT STORY

    Ralph Fletchers A Writers notebook was a helpful book to make it easier to write my personal narritive! Although it had helpful and useful tips there are many unnecesary activities that my teacher just skipped right over! If you are stumped about what to write yes I would reccomend this book!

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted October 14, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Highly Recommended

    Here is one more truly amazing work by Mr. Fletcher that will instruct and inspire anyone who is seriously interested in writing.

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 17, 2009

    Good Writing Resource

    I use Readers and Writers Workshop in my classroom as part of our literacy block. This is a very good resource for Writers workshop. I think it's a great part of my own resource library.

    1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 21, 2012

    Fun click to here

    This book helped my daghter write a book

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