Notebook Work: Looking backwards

This month, I’m working in a notebook more than ever before, just playing with ideas.

While I continue to work on Friday Ideas, I also bought a brand new Moleskin notebook and intend to play with ideas. For my new novel project, I want to attempt something new, different, big. I have some nebulous ideas, some bits of imagery, but no real characters yet, no plot, no theme. Just a title, or a series of titles for a trilogy. Well, I guess that means I’ve made one decision, to write something very long.

I’m taking random prompts from a couple books and scribbling away, always keeping in mind the title. But otherwise, letting words go where they will.

Here are a couple places I’m finding prompts:
Old Friend from Far Away: The Practice of Writing Memoirgoldberg Dori Butler wrote about seeing Goldberg in Iowa, which prompted me to look at the book. I’m not a big Goldberg fan (I know–I’m the only one who doesn’t love Bones), but this looked intriguing. And I’m using some of her prompts.

At the same time, I’m also using To Be Told Workbookto be told by Dan Allender, a Christian look at memoir. I enjoyed his book by the same title as a Christmas gift from my daughter now studying for her MA in Counseling. When I realized I wanted to explore new ideas by looking backward, I thought I’d pick up the workbook.

It’s an interesting juxtaposition of two books which ask you to write memoir type material. My purpose isn’t to write a memoir, but to dredge up images and ideas that I haven’t written about yet. At the least, it will be a playful notebook. Who knows what will come of it?

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