How to Start a "Commonplace Book"

A commonplace book is like a journal, but with a little more purpose. Writers and artists use them as a way to collect thoughts and ideas. Some refer to those thoughts when they write their own poems or books. Some just use them as a way to track their own experiences and observations. In the end, the commonplace book just reflects what the writer has experienced on a day-to-day basis. People have kept commonplace books since ancient times. There are few solid rules for how to do one.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Disposable paper notebook
• Permanent notebook

1. Keep a small notebook with you at all times to write down any ideas or observations you think are worth remembering.

2. Transfer the notes as soon as you can to a permanent notebook. Organize this notebook into sections. This could be by date or topic, such as poetry, song lyrics, reactions to something in the news, or significant family events. Items could even include headlines or articles from newspapers or magazines. Use a glue stick to attach such items to the book pages.

3. Write down the date of each item entered in the book. Even if you are not keeping it in chronological form, the date could have some meaning when you go back to study the entries.

Tips & Warnings

• The permanent notebook should have a hard cover or something to distinguish it from just another notebook in the house.

References

• Harvard: Commonplace Books
• Poets.org: Start a Commonplace Book