Sunday, March 1, 2020

And so it begins... #SOL20


Once upon a time, there was a notebook. She was a black Moleskin lined notebook with a pocket in the back that could hold ephemera, a ruler, and stickers, an attached bookmark ribbon for keeping her writer's spot, and a matching elastic closure. The pages were heavy so the ink wouldn't bleed or ghost through to the other pages.

The perfect notebook for a notebooker wannabe.

Sadly, this notebook sat empty for months and months because the writer was afraid. Afraid of making mistakes. Afraid of not having anything to write, and afraid that what she did write wouldn't be perfect.

These fears, which are common among many writers, are detrimental to the writing process, so she decided to join a group of other notebookers (386 to be exact) to challenge herself to write for 100 days. Yes, 100 days! The notebook was a little skeptical because the writer had never been committed to any notebook. Why should this be any different?

But the writer is doing it! She has written for over 50 days! Yes, she missed few days here and there, but showing up to the page has become a habit.

Now, this writer is trying to decide what to do with all these entries. Some of them are snippets of her day, rants, all kinds of lists, ideas she has tried out for the first time, poems, quotes from books, and her thinking about books she has read. She knows there are stories hidden within the pages and tucked in among the words. She is ready to do the work she asks of her students:  to mine the pages and look for the golden nuggets, to find the stories, and to share them with her writing friends and maybe even a stranger.

She is ready to join the Slice of Life Community for the 7th year. And I can't wait to read her stories!

Please join Two Writing Teachers and the annual Slice of Life March Challenge.

14 comments:

  1. Such a clever way to share your start with this notebook. I love your lead and how you unfold the story of the notebook. And mostly I love that you are now using it! I am a notebooker wanna-be. I start and stop way too many. And I have huge crushes and big envy when I see photos of gorgeous (or even crazy messy) notebook pages. Great slice. Thanks for sharing and happy notebooking!

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  2. Hooray for notebooking habits! I love reading about other people's notebooks--and I love writing about mine. Slices about slicing are my absolute favorites. I have also enjoyed the beautiful pictures of notebook pages (and I wrote daily in January, inspired by the group!). Looking forward to reading all of your slices this month!

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  3. I am so excited to see multiple notebookers also being slicers this month. It will be a challenge for sure, but the passion to be teacher writers runs strong with this group! Looking forward to following along with you here as well, Leigh Anne.

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  4. I was a serial notebook starter and just finished my first ever recently due to #100dayofnotebooking, so I get it! I wonder how you will use your entries to yield slices- I am so terrible at true slices... even in year 6!

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  5. Oooo! I so love this Leigh Anne. Now, will you write one totally from the notebook's perspective about what you've been writing? I so want to hear what she has to say! :-)

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    1. That ght be a great slice for the end of the challenge! I started with the notebook, why not end with the notebook. Thanks for the idea.

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  6. Congrats on participating in 100 days of Notebooking! What a great idea to mine the notebook for. Nuggets for the slice of life. Do you think you will continue notebooking after the 100 days are up?

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  7. Notebook is a loyal friend to a writer. I hope your notebook is there for you whenever you need it. I celebrate that you have been writing in your notebook for more than fifty days. Now thirty-one days of blogging. Cheering to you!

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  8. As young children we seem to know no fear. I wonder when the fear of not being good enough or not writing anything worthwhile first rears its head. I think your notebook will be surprised by the end of the month.

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  9. I love this story of your notebook slice. It's perfect. And those of us who have struggled writing can certainly relate!

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  10. I love this, Leigh Anne! I am glad to blog alongside you for this challenge!

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  11. My notebook writing has prepared me for this challenge. I've been writing in it since November. I love what you said about mining the pages to look for gold nuggets. I will join you in that quest. I love your voice in this piece. Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I will be anxious to read your stories.

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  12. Man, Leigh Anne, you continue to inspire me. This is a beautiful story of your notebook and its connection to finding the stories. That is so what I want to do this year. It's only my second time trying the SOL (and that other time was a few years ago). I have a lot to learn from you, and I look forward to being in this community.

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  13. Love it! So glad we are all back! What a wonderful month of reading this month we all have in store!

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