Moleskines and other writing notebooks

[Emmy Castrol]

How many of you use Moleskine notebooks for your writing? I've been using them for awhile and just bought a new one today but it feels a bit different somehow... maybe the paper quality? Or perhaps I'm just imagining it?

In the case that I'm not imagining it, what other notebooks do you use for your writing and can suggest as an alternative to moleskine?

[Jack of Hearts]

Napkins, printer paper, the back and margins of notes on Kant...

To this reader, carry a notebook was always mostly about having something around when the itch came to life, not necessarily what's cool to write in. Disregard, though, the itch never came in any instance, at least not in any real way. Something going on there.



J

[hillwalker]

I know a guy who insists on using moleskin notebooks to record every thought - but I just think he's sooooo pretentious. It's the words that matter not the medium on which they're written. Sometimes it's too easy to become infatuated with all the paraphernalia of writing - the notepad, the fountain pen, the desk - and the act of writing takes second place.

For goodness' sake, if you're a writer you'll write on any cheap notebook you can lay your hands on. If you need to strike a pose as a 'serious writer' then go for it; but it won't make you a better writer.

H

[Robin51z]

I personally use a Moleskine and for me, for a lack of a better description, It feels right :Angel_anim: .
I tend to be a little scatter brained when it comes to writing. I used to write in different notebooks, and the back end of class binders, and it came to the point where parts of the story would get lost or misplaced.
With the Moleskine, everything is right there. I'll carry it around where ever I go, and its small enough to fit in my back pocket if need be.

Go with whatever works best, no one notebook is better than the other. For me Moleskine is convenient and it works for me.

[Lokasenna]

I carry a notebook with me constantly, for the composing of poetry and such. It was the cheapest one in the stationary shop, and it has lasted me well.

Why bother with something expensive when it's just going to get dog-earred and scuffed (assuming it gets regular use)?

[Cunninglinguist]

To this reader, carry a notebook was always mostly about having something around when the itch came to life, not necessarily what's cool to write in. Disregard, though, the itch never came in any instance, at least not in any real way. Something going on there.

Maybe pretensions make some people itchy? :D

[YesNo]

I use a small 80-sheet composition notebook that I stuff in my jeans front pocket. It costs less than $1.00 at Walmart and has stitched binding so the pages don't fall out although everything else gets worn down. It lasts 2 - 4 months.

I've also noticed that the quality of the paper seems inferior to what it used to be. Must be the increase in commodity prices pushing the quality down.

[Emmy Castrol]

I have tried using cheap notebooks because I too used to think it didn't matter. The problem was the inconsistency; I'd find a great cheap notebook but once I finished with it, it was so difficult finding the same one again that the stress just wasn't worth it.

Once I bought 20 ten cent fluro notebooks (so I could avoid the trouble of searching for it once I had finished one) because they were on sale - found out I couldn't write a sentence in them and had to give them away. Plus I was always losing pens and kept on having to rebuy pens after using them only a few times (not to mention the annoyance of needing a pen and not being able to find one).

So to me, the Moleskines are better value - they save me time, stress (most important) and money. They have the elastic band so I don't lose my pens, and a plain black cover. The paper texture is always consistent (except it seemed a bit different this time but I've tried writing in it and it'll do). For me, the paper texture is really important for being able to express and communicate what I want to say accurately. Perhaps when I'm a better writer I won't need Moleskines anymore but until then, I rely on a lot of regular writing habits and self-psychological tricks to overcome my sensitivities.

I'm just anxious what I'd do if I found out the paper quality in Moleskines changed so drastically that I'd have to go through the trouble of finding consistent writing notebooks again....

[YesNo]

I have tried using cheap notebooks because I too used to think it didn't matter. The problem was the inconsistency; I'd find a great cheap notebook but once I finished with it, it was so difficult finding the same one again that the stress just wasn't worth it.

Once I bought 20 ten cent fluro notebooks (so I could avoid the trouble of searching for it once I had finished one) because they were on sale - found out I couldn't write a sentence in them and had to give them away. Plus I was always losing pens and kept on having to rebuy pens after using them only a few times (not to mention the annoyance of needing a pen and not being able to find one).

So to me, the Moleskines are better value - they save me time, stress (most important) and money. They have the elastic band so I don't lose my pens, and a plain black cover. The paper texture is always consistent (except it seemed a bit different this time but I've tried writing in it and it'll do). For me, the paper texture is really important for being able to express and communicate what I want to say accurately. Perhaps when I'm a better writer I won't need Moleskines anymore but until then, I rely on a lot of regular writing habits and self-psychological tricks to overcome my sensitivities.

I'm just anxious what I'd do if I found out the paper quality in Moleskines changed so drastically that I'd have to go through the trouble of finding consistent writing notebooks again....
I once bought some (actually slightly more expensive) notebooks that had glued binding. The pages came out and they were worthless. The only place I know that sells the ones with sewn bindings is Walmart.

The not-having-a-pen problem is something I often experience. I keep forgetting to stuff a writing instrument in the pocket with the notebook.

As far as a "better writer" goes, I use mine mainly for honey-do lists which doesn't take a lot of writing skills. If the Moleskins were smaller, maybe they'd work for me as well.

[hillwalker]

I'm just anxious what I'd do if I found out the paper quality in Moleskines changed so drastically that I'd have to go through the trouble of finding consistent writing notebooks again....

Getting stressed about the quality of paper you're writing on????? I'm wondering whether you're getting sidetracked by the 'hardware'; worrying more about 'looking like a writer' than actually writing.

This reminds me of a cousin who would never play cricket with us as a child unless he was kitted out in full whites. Needless to say he couldn't play cricket for toffee

H

[Delta40]

Your last post blew me away to the point I think you need a medical diagnosis!

I buy the A4 spiral notebooks of differing brands. They mark different parts of my life at a glance, which is logical since my life doesn't remain the same. If I had identical journals, it would depress me. Perhaps you might consider diverse notebooks as a reflection of your ever changing development, in a positive way.

I don't think paper consistency issues are the root cause of your anxiety.

[MystyrMystyry]

These little fellahs about 3 x 4 inches - notice the Parker refill for a pen/placeholder, and coded writing requiring a magnifying glass to decipher:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m605/mystyrmystyry/DSCN0099.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m605/mystyrmystyry/DSCN0100.jpg

[JuniperWoolf]

Huh. Where I come from, moleskin is something that they put on your feet over blisters so that your skin doesn't continue to take damage when you're tromping around in stupid cheap-*** army boots. I've never heard of a notebook made of moleskin. The stuff I'm familiar with seems like hardly the kind of material that you would want to write on.

[Snowman37]

I love to use composition and marble notebooks. They're basically the same thing, the only difference is the name and a subtle difference in the cover. 100 sheets, 200 pages. They take a beating and keep on going. The pages never fall out. I love them, because I often take my notebooks on the go. They take a lot of abuse. I also love that they are so cheap.

In regards to notebooks matching up... it's good to have consistency, but if I have notebooks that don't match everything else... eh... I'm not really bothered. Whatever I write in, I just want something where the pages aren't going to fall out.

[Emmy Castrol]

No, the root cause of my anxiety is excess sensitivity and insecurity about my writing. I am well aware of that. My eccentricities insist upon consistency of habit in my life in order to regulate my emotional states.

A few years ago my sister was dating a guy who lived - with his parents - in one of the most expensive suburbs in the city I live in. Most of the houses on their street were mansions, heritage, custom and architecturally designed. This family didn't grow up on the street, they moved there after they found they were able to afford it, as it was one of the most sought after streets. However, after moving there, they insisted on looking down their nose at the excess wealth around them, refused to eat at any of the fine dining restaurants in the suburb, built a house off a display home plan to make a point and because they had the appearance of being down to earth, they thought they were, and sneered at all the extravagance around them. My sister found she just couldn't like them.

My point it, snobbery doesn’t just look down, it can also look up; just because something has the appearance of being down to earth and sensible does not necessarily mean it is.

I know of a writer who, as a child, could not sleep unless he was kissed goodnight by his mother, and as an adolescent, by his grandmother. Would you make fun of his sensitivity too?

[hillwalker]

My point it, snobbery doesn’t just look down, it can also look up; just because something has the appearance of being down to earth and sensible does not necessarily mean it is.

I know of a writer who, as a child, could not sleep unless he was kissed goodnight by his mother, and as an adolescent, by his grandmother. Would you make fun of his sensitivity too?

I'm not aware anyone on here was making fun - merely observing how some people are unable to see the wood for the trees.
If you are a writer, you write. Obsessing about what kind of notebook to write in is not being sensitive so much as rather self-indulgent.

H

[Dougy]

I felt compelled to write while in Afghanistan on tour in 2007. I wrote on average 1000 words a day describing events and re-creating semi-fictional accounts of tales told by other soldiers.

I began with a book of blank ruled sheets and ended up with scraps of paper when I didn't have access to blank notebooks. I'd write during radio shift in the early hours of morning and the compulsion led to me writing 115000 words. For me the equipment wasn't important but so long as I had a pencil and paper.

[Emmy Castrol]

I felt compelled to write while in Afghanistan on tour in 2007. I wrote on average 1000 words a day describing events and re-creating semi-fictional accounts of tales told by other soldiers.

I began with a book of blank ruled sheets and ended up with scraps of paper when I didn't have access to blank notebooks. I'd write during radio shift in the early hours of morning and the compulsion led to me writing 115000 words. For me the equipment wasn't important but so long as I had a pencil and paper.

How interesting! I've always liked war stories, probably from growing up hearing them from my parents. Have you read 'How to Tell a True War Story' by Tim O'Brien? I consider that short story a turning point in my short story reading experience.

Have you been able to write many short stories based on the war experience?

[Dougy]

Emmy Castrol wrote:

Have you been able to write many short stories based on the war experience?

I've written a few short stories of my experiences in Afghanistan and other theatres of conflict. I recently posted a story which will feature in an anthology of mine that should be ready this summer.

Here's a link to my short story about betrayal:

http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59935

I've read 'Going after Cacciato', by Tim O'Brien and am currently reading 'If I die in a combat zone', by him also.

While on tour I felt the need to capture the day's events in my own words. I included half truths and rumour in this to maintain its authenticity. I think bogging a work down in fact just turns it into an impersonal non-fiction.

[Emmy Castrol]

While on tour I felt the need to capture the day's events in my own words. I included half truths and rumour in this to maintain its authenticity. I think bogging a work down in fact just turns it into an impersonal non-fiction.

I agree. I always believed a writer's first priority should be to capture the artistic truth in their creation, and this may very well be different from the factual truth. Especially in the war theme, where truth lines can be very blurry (as Tim O'Brien has helped me to appreciate).

I think it also adds a magic to the piece of writing; fiction is much more sensory than non-fiction.