The biggest problem I deal with in my writing is disorganization.

Whether it’s disorganization of my thoughts, disorganization of my notes, or just a general disorganization of my life, I struggle with maintaining order.

This is why, of my entire arsenal of writing tools and resources, there is nothing I value more than my writer’s journal. I could manage without my laptop, my phone, even my books! But my writer’s journal? That is my one true essential.

While it’s certainly not a new trend, I’m constantly surprised at the number of writers I meet who don’t keep some kind of physical journal.

Some of the greatest writers through the years have followed this method. Hemingway and Mark Twain kept smaller, pocket-sized notebooks to stow in their coats when they were on the go. Steinbeck was notorious for keeping logs through the writing of some of his greatest works.

The writer’s journal is a must-have for authors, storytellers, and creators of all kind. Whether you’re messy, organized, or somewhere in the middle, there is no better way to get your work in order than to utilize this tool.

And, since I am down to the very last pages of my current writer’s journal, I figured I would take you along with me as I set up a new one!

What is a writer’s journal, and why do I need one?

Do you keep an idea notebook? And a plotting notebook? And a diary? And a lists notebook?

A writer’s journal is all of these things in one. Remember. The first step to decluttering your thoughts is decluttering your stuff.

It’s not only the ultimate tool to organize all of your resources, references, and ideas in one place, but it’s also a creative outlet for your personal journaling needs (diary entries, scrapbooking etc.)

In my writer’s journal, I keep anything and everything that might come in handy during my day of writing: character name lists, grammar rules to remember, receipts from bookstores, blogs to keep track of, recipes for my favorite writing snacks etc.

While I love my computer and my fancy word processors, having all of these ideas, notes, and inspirations down in my journal really cements them into my mind. Plus, a notebook will never need wifi, distract you, or run out of battery.

And I don’t know about you, but using pen and paper always makes my thoughts feel more physical and more real than they do in some random note on my phone.

How do I set one up?

The Journal Itself

You’ll want to use a notebook or journal that is:

• Durable (because you will use it a lot)

• Portable (because you will carry it a lot)

• Unique (or you will lose it a lot)

My advice is to go for a leather-bound, sewn-spine journal with a band that wraps around the front. Why? Well, I’ve tried it with a cheap, spiral bound Staples notebook before, and I did not like it one bit. My notes kept falling out, my tabs came off, and it just couldn’t handle constantly being tossed around in my bag. Contrary to popular belief, inexpensive is not always best.

While you definitely don’t need to buy a $50 journal, I would recommend spending a little bit of money, but only if you’re planning on sticking with it until the last page. Fortunately, there are plenty of reasonable options!

My personal favorites (and believe me, I’ve gone through a lot of them) are the Leuchtturm1917  dotted journals, the Moleskine hard cover notebooks, and the Minimalism Art leather notebooks. I’ve used all of these for past writer’s journals, and they’ve served me well.

Sticky Notes!

The best way to label your pages is with Post-it flags–preferably ones you can write on. I label with very small abbreviations. For instance, I’ll write ‘PUB PPL’ instead of ‘People to contact in the publishing world’.

I like to assign a different colored tab to each type of page in my journal.

My own page categories are:

• Writing resources

• Author resources

• Ideas

• Drafts

• Miscellaneous

I tend not to label every little thing; the main things I keep sticky tabs on are the pages I know I’ll be constantly flipping to. There are, however, a lot of things I constantly flip to.

I also like to put a slab of assorted sticky notes right on the inside front cover of my journal, so that I have them available wherever I go.

Start Filling it Out

You can fill the pages of your writer’s journal with whatever you want, of course, but here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Character name ideas/lists

• Character descriptions

• Drawings and doodles of characters

• Contacts in the literary world (publishers, agents, authors)

• Quotes from books, TV, or real life

• Words you like

• Words you don’t know

• Books to read/buy

• Books you have read

• Ideas for blog posts, poems, stories, novels

• Reasons to write (in case you need to remind yourself)

• Goals (big and small)

• Writing bucket list (publish a short story, finish writing a book, meet Stephen King…)

• Schedules (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly - whatever you need!)

• Emotion logs (when you are feeling angry, cold, nervous, etc. write down the details of what you are feeling)

• Records of dialogue (eavesdrop on public conversations and write them down)

• Websites and online resources for authors

• Writing blogs to follow

• People sketches (observe people in public and write about what they’re wearing, doing, looking like etc.)

• Prompts

• Handwritten first drafts of poems and stories

• Soundtrack to your WIPs

• Good music to listen to while you write

• Recipes for snacks to eat while you write

It’s a good idea to stick the more important pages right in the front of your journal, where they’re easiest to find.

I also like to use my writer’s journal to document notable moments--big and small--of my life as a novelist. Taped into my most recent journal are receipts from bookstores, tickets from conferences and writing events, a fortune cookie fortune from a Chinese food-fueled night of writing, and the menu from a breakfast place in New York where I got the idea for my current work in progress.

How do I keep the habit of using my writer’s journal?

• Carry it with you everywhere. No matter where you’re going, no matter what bag you’re taking, just take your writer’s journal with you. Inspiration strikes at the strangest of times, and if you continue to jot down ideas on the backs of grocery store receipts and napkins at bars, you’re only going to fall back into habit of disorganization. If you tape that receipt or napkin into your journal, however…

• Don’t be afraid to write in it. Far too many times, I have neglected a specific notebook or journal because I was anxious about ruining a perfectly clean page with a bad idea or messy handwriting. Forget that. Scribble all over! Jot down ideas in neon pink highlighter if you have to. Just don’t lose them.

• Use it whenever you have a free moment. If you’re waiting to be called at the DMV, hanging out in the lobby while the kids are in dance class, or riding the train just two stops down the line, whip out your writer’s journal and jot something down. Maybe you liked the Starbucks barista’s name, or the alliteration they used on that bus bench advertisement. Maybe an incredible idea popped into your head when you were walking down the street, or maybe there’s a woman sitting across from you with a pair of ugly sneakers that just need to fit into your next short story somehow.

I swear by my writer’s journal!

My organization depends on this one little notebook and everything inside. It has completely changed the way that I go about my day. Of all the things I recommend to fellow writers, the writer’s journal is at the very top of the list.

And above everything it does to organize my life and pull my thoughts together in one place, it really just makes me feel like a writer.

After all, every great writer carries a notebook.

Do you keep a writer’s journal? If so, what do you keep in it? Let me know in the comments

If you enjoyed this piece, please follow Alyse Bailey on Twitter @abaileywrites.