The Writer’s Notebook…

“A writer’s notebook works just like an

incubator; a protective place to keep your
infant idea safe and warm, a place for it
to grow while it is too young, too new, to
survive on its own. “
- Ralph Fletcher
"The act of writing is an act of thought…We
write to think-to be surprised by what
appears on the page; to explore our world
with language to discover meaning that
teaches us and may be worth sharing with
others. We do not know what we want to say
before we say it; we write to know what we
want to say."
-Donald Murray
Personalizing Your Writer’s Notebook
Personalizing Your Writer’s Notebook

 You may have up to 3 sheets of scrapbook

paper to cover the spine, front, and back of
your notebook (please keep all scraps)
 You may decorate the outside of your
notebook with anything you bring from
home (photos, stickers, letters, etc.)
Setting Up Your Writer’s Notebook
Page 1 - Leave this page blank for now
Pages 2 & 3 - My Writing Timeline
Page 4 - Writing Timeline Reflection
Page 5 - “I am” or “Heart Map”
My Writing Timeline (pages 2 & 3)
Writing Timeline Reflection
“Heart Map” (page 5)

Draw a BIG heart on

your paper- it should
take up the ENTIRE
page! Fill your heart
with things you love:
words, phrases, quotes,
cut outs, pictures, etc…
“I am” (page 5)

Draw an outline of a
CAPITAL “I” on
your paper- it should
take up the ENTIRE
page! Fill your “I”
with words that
describe who you are.
Mark notebook sections using tabs
Narrative Imaginative Writing
MR. LINDEN’S LIBRARY

“He had warned her

about the book. Now it
was too late.”
 Rough Draft
She found herself dreaming long before the words slipped off
the page and into her mind. The soft glow of her lamp provided
just enough white light to sharply contrast the half of her room
shrouded in darkness. The same darkness that would take her…
She was ageless; trapped in a place where time knew no
bounds. Little did she know…
The delicate fingers of her left hand drifted off into a slumber,
separate but not too distant from the slumber of her dreams.
The contrast between darkness and light created…
- Mrs. Trower
What Writers Do…
Writers pay particularly close attention to the
world around them. They record their observations
and thoughts in a writer’s notebook. They pay
particularly close attention to sensory details so
that they can include them in their writing. Using
the five senses (sight, smell, hearing, taste, and
touch) in writing helps to show the reader the
situation and it helps them to feel what it’s really
like to be there.
Writing from a Photograph or
Postcard…
Find a photo or postcard…any photo or
postcard. Tape the photo or postcard in
your writer’s notebook. Tell its story,
the story behind it, or the story
inspired by the it!
Writing from an Artifact…

Ticket stubs from a memorable event

A letter or postcard from a special
person
Magazine or newspaper headline or
article
Magical Paths…

Choose a picture from

the Magical Paths folder
on my website and use it
as the setting for your
story
Mystical Bridges…

Choose a picture from

the Mystical Bridges
folder on my website
and use it as the setting
for your story
Dream Blending (Narrative)
Imagine that you fell asleep while reading
your history textbook and your favorite
storybook at the same time. What would
happen if the two stories came together in
your dream? Use your imagination to rewrite
your favorite story in a different time period
in history.
Writing about Memories…

Jot down memories related to…

A favorite moment or event (party,
trip, family gathering, etc.)
A favorite person
A favorite object
Sketches, drawings or doodles…
My Life’s Playlist…
Writing about Dreams…
Other Writing Ideas…
 Snatchesof Talk AKA Creeping on Others
(Conversations around you and/or how you feel)
 Writing in response to music
 Writing about random objects
 Respond to a book, story or poem and say how it
speaks to you.
 Unforgettable Stories: Stories that you read in the
newspapers or see on TV. Stories that inspire or tug
and the heart strings. How do they affect you?
Other Writing Ideas…
 Fierce Wonderings: What questions haunt or nag at you, make
you wonder, keep you up at night? List a bunch or questions, or
attempt to answer some—either seriously or humorously
 Write Small: Notice the small details that say so much about a
person or place. Pick a person or object and describe it in as much
detail as possible
 Seed Ideas: Ideas that could grow into a piece such as a journal or
essay
 Stories about Strangers: Sit somewhere and observe someone/a
group of people (make sure it’s people you don’t already know!) and
create their stories. Who are they? What’s currently going on in
their lives?
Other Writing Ideas…
 Lists of Things: Things that Irritate Me, Family Stories, Top 5’s,
Bottom 5’s, Alphabet, Either/Or, “I Wish”, Bucket Lists, Pro/Con lists
for upcoming decisions, Would You Rather?
 Vivid Memories: What’s your first memory? Your most memorable
moment? A time when you were most excited, scared, disappointed, sad,
nervous, happy, traumatized, etc.? Describe it in as much detail as
possible.
 Venting: What is on your mind? Write about a decision you have to
make, frustrations at your job, road rage, etc.
 Picture Writes: Include a picture from anywhere—online, magazine,
your photos, etc. and build a story around the picture
Other Writing Ideas…
 Writing Strikes!: Collect your favorite lines/sentences/words from other
authors/musicians
 “If I were _________ (opposite gender, general profession, someone you know,
celebrity, etc.) I Would…”
 “A Day in the Life of ______________ (opposite gender, general profession,
someone you know, celebrity, etc.)”—could be serious or humorous
 “I Can’t Imagine Living Without _______” What are the little things in life
we often take for granted? What would you do if you didn’t have these
things?
 Conversation I’ll Never Have/Letter I’ll Never Send: What do you wish
you could say to someone but can’t/didn’t for whatever reason?
 Imagine people as superheroes/villains. What powers would they have?
Other Writing Ideas…
 Mock Awards: create awards for people you know, or what awards would
well-known people have received in high school?
 6 word stories—write a complete story in 6 words
 Hemingway once wrote a story in just six words ("For sale: baby
shoes, never worn.") and is said to have called it his best work. Create
some of your own, or Google six word stories—create full stories from
others’ or write your thoughts about them.
 Facebook statuses/Tweets—make up this info for celebrities/fictional
characters, copy (anonymously) ones you see and comment
 Parodies of popular stories—rewrite pieces of well-known books, movies,
etc.
Other Writing Ideas…
 Mad libs—Create one and have someone fill in the
blanks
 Acrostic Poems
 Graphic Writes—create pictures using words
 Original Creative Writing (picture story, poems,
song lyrics, etc.)
 Interviews—real or made up
 Reviews—movies, new TV shows, school events,
sports, current events, etc.
Other Writing Ideas…
 Coded Stories—write a message in code and have someone solve it
 Partner Writes—write a story/entry together—could alternate
lines/sentences/etc.
 Comic Strip
 Cut out Word Collage—paste pictures or words from magazines or
newspapers, then write about what they mean to you/why you
chose them
 Notable quotes: what are some of your favorite quotes from songs,
books, movies, people, etc.? What do they mean to you?