The Pocket Size Writer's Companion

The Pocket Size Writer's Companion
Published by Ronnie Sellers Production, Inc.
P.O. Box 818
Portland, Maine 04104
http://www.makefun.com
Copyright 2003
ISBN 1-56906-520-9

This little book is separated into six sections to keep writers organized:
1: Story ideas
2: Settings
3: Sources
4: Publications
5: To Do
6: To Read

Each section is tabbed off for easy reference and organization. Within each section, you'll find dividers featuring vibrant photography by the following photographers:

Cover: Vicki Grayland (2003)
Story Ideas divider: Goodshoot/Alamy Images
Setting divider: Brian Pieters/Masterfile
Sources divider: S.T. Yiap/SuperStock
Pubications divider: Global Com./Albany Images
To Do divider: Vicki Grayland
To Read divider: fotosearch.com
All the art on the back side of each divider: Ferrel Rao

Positioned at the end of this book is a sturdy plastic "slide shut" pocket for clippings, receipts, business cards and other bits of paper writers tend to collect on their adventures through the writing life.

My experience with this little book:

I've often been heard saying that my "forget-er" works better than my "rememberer" does. This, of course, is said to my children who understand those kind of sentences without the need to correct the grammar or think terribly long about what I'm talking about. It's true, though. I used to be very good at remember ideas, knowing which direction I was going with a piece, who I needed to talk to and what I needed to read.

Things have changed considerably over the years, though, and my need for note taking has increased with my age. (not that I'm saying I'm old, I'm merely accepting reality as it comes) I'm addicted to cute little notebooks, pens and publications so this book appealed to me right away. I had come across it several times in bookstores over the years, but it wasn't until I saw it in my Writer's Digest Book Club insert that I decided to make the purchase.

At first, I was too afraid to write in it because the book is so glossy and pretty. I got over that phobia real quick, though, when I realized what a valuable tool it was that I was holding. I'm not afraid to get messy in it, fill the pages, make eraser marks and dog ear the pages. That's what this book is for! And, once it's full, I'll have an interesting journal of sorts to look through.

I still keep a small "assignment book" size notebook with me for other notes. I always find a section for these notes later, though, and staple them in. This adds to the "this is a working writer's book" look, too. I like how that fits in with everything. I've found this book very beneficial, too, since I started contributing content to associatedcontent.com. When I'm away from my computer, more times than not I'm hit with numerous ideas. I'm able to keep track of all of them in this conveniently compact book.