I like white, college-ruled legal pads. I get weird about pretty little journals, too, and I always try to make them for something specific, like only for ideas about one particular project, but it never works and I wind up writing grocery lists and odd snatches of other things, too.

Connie, did you get my return e? I couldn't open the file because for some reason my computer can't "find" Notepad. No idea what that's about.

I love sturdy spiral-bound notebooks, but they must be college-ruled. I do almost all my rough drafts in them, and probably go through ten or more a year. Somehow they free my brain in a way the keyboard doesn't.

Sometimes I'm sad that I don't write the same long-hand as computer, but longhand is too much physical work. I leave too much out.

I used to keep journals in the fancy ones. I think I had 3 I actually filled. A few years ago, when I realized I hadn't written in one in over 15 years, I threw them all out. I tried starting a new one and I just couldn't write in it. My writing ends up in all different places, now. On the computer, in a little spiral notebook in my purse. Sometimes, even on store receipts when I can't find anything else. Because I finally realized, that while the writing might be unique, it really wasn't precious. I think I finally realized the concept of "kill your darlings" when I was able to throw away something I'd written.

Connie, did you get my return e? I couldn't open the file because for some reason my computer can't "find" Notepad. No idea what that's about.

Yes, I did, and I sent--I think--a reply with a Word6 file from my WordPad.

Just got it, connie! I'll read it now.

Fuck the person who tells me what to feel. But I am curious about what they feel.

This, and I also want to know *why* they feel what they feel. I have a hard time explaining my opinions sometimes; I read criticism in part to enhance the vocabulary of my mind.

As for what to write in ... I have a composition book that I'm using to do writing exercises, and I think it frees my brain a little. Though of course, if I ever do anything worth keeping in there, I'll have to retype it (I can't handwrite more than a page or three before my hand starts to kill me), and that's never fun.

I like white, college-ruled legal pads. I get weird about pretty little journals, too, and I always try to make them for something specific, like only for ideas about one particular project, but it never works and I wind up writing grocery lists and odd snatches of other things, too.

I bought one for my dh, and each of my kids this Christmas, but as a gift with a twist. I wrote on the first page that it was a Give Back Book. They had to give it back to me, as soon as they read page one. Throughout the year, I will use the journals to write to or about each of them. Next Christmas, they'll get what I've written as a present.

And I thunked it up, all by myself.

(Now let's just see if I do it.)

t not really here, since I'm copyediting like a good girl

Throughout the year, I will use the journals to write to or about each of them.

I love this idea! When Jake was a baby, I started a Mother's Day journal, where every Mother's Day I was going to write about him, and being a mom, and what we'd learned or done or laughed about together.

It didn't last long. Then I thought I would do the same on each of the kids' birthdays. That didn't work out so well, either. Which was kind of why I decided to do the New Year's summary, for lack of a better word, about the family as a whole, but it's not very personal.

I resolve to try this again! Birthday books for each of the kids! (If you do yours, I'll do mine...)

t /not really here, since I'm copyediting like a good girl

that's a great idea, Cindy.