Tried and true advice from writer January Gill O’Neil:
“Galway Kinnell once told me to keep a notepad handy so I can take notes wherever I am: in the grocery store, listening to NPR, in the doctor’s office (I once wrote a poem waiting for my annual mammogram).”
My writing buddy, whom I meet with every month for inspiration, ideas, and support, uses this idea and has recruited me to do the same. She carries a little notepad, small enough to slip into her pocket. Anne Lamott, author of Bird by Bird: Instructions on Writing and Life, uses index cards instead:
“I fold an index card lengthwise in half, stick it in my pocket along with a pen, and head out, knowing that if I have an idea, or see something lovely or strange or for any reason worth remembering, I will be able to jot down a couple of words to remind me of it.”
What are some other ways you can record moments of everyday intensity for later pondering or revision?
