Writing Mixtape - Do You Keep an Observation Journal?

Authors, have you thought about keeping an observation journal? It’s a great way to keep track of ideas and thoughts that you may want to use later in a book.

There are so many things that you hear and see every day that you may want to remember for a future writing project.

No one is safe around me. I am always jotting down cool names and snippets of interesting dialog. Originally, I wrote these down on sticky notes. My purse, briefcase, and lunch bag were always full of notes. A journal is a single, organized place to record notes, so it’s a great way to get organized.

If you don’t have a way of recording your thoughts and ideas, think about pulling out one of those pretty journals that you’ve been saving and start recording your observations. After a few weeks, you’ll be surprised at what you’ve collected.

Do you journal? And do you ever use what you record in your books?