toolbox-280I realized, after I posted My 2012 Writing Toolkit, that a couple of things went missing. I blame myself. That first list was very software oriented, and I sort of stuck with that. I’ll try to fix that, and give a more complete picture, with these additions.

 Whiteboards

When I was writing The Connor Wars, I’d have been lost without my small 9″x12″ whiteboards (more properly known as “dry erase” boards). I’d fill 6-10 of these as I was hurriedly outlining each episode (a couple of examples: WB1, WB2). It allowed me to play with story ideas and scenes in a more freeform way than a keyboard, mouse, or touchscreen allows.

Many people use larger board mounted on walls. You see this in writer’s rooms throughout Hollywood. For personal use, I like the small ones. They are large enough to get a lot of material on them while also being easily stored, transported, and are inexpensive to boot.

The down side of the whiteboards

Notebooks

For more note-taking longevity, I still rely on the writer’s go-to device: pen/pencil and paper. Notebooks are like high-storage density analog devices whose utility has withstood the tests of time.

Since college, my standard notebook as been spiral bound,

5×5 Quadrille Ruled (basically 5 squares to the inch graph paper). It’s useful for writing, equations, drawing/drafting, lists, etc. I buy them by the case.

I’ll also use college-ruled

composition books. These are almost exclusively for brainstorming or generally writer babble. As web tools have improved, I’ve used these very sporadically in the past few years. But when you just need to scribble down some thoughts for posterity, there is nothing better in a pinch.

Post-it® Notes

Back in the days before these now-ubiquitous slips of adhesive paper, we’d improvise just about anything to make notes, mark places in research texts, and so forth. In hindsight, it’s amazing that we were able to get along without them.

I’ll go through many pads of various sizes in the course of a year. Personally, I stick with Post-it® brand simply because the adhesive has the balance of adhesion/removability that bests most of the generics out on the market. I also don’t have to worry about varying quality because they found a new supplier. These notes stick where I want them to stick, and don’t have to be coaxed to let go…well, not for the first couple of years, at any rate.