Abby from West Hartford, CT asks:   Every time I pet Sindy (my Cocker Spaniel) she pees on the floor!  Help!

That’s called Submissive Urination.  Bend at your knees instead of your hips so you’re not looming over your dog.  Face yourself at an oblique angle instead of straight on and pet her on the chin and chest.  Also, talk quietly but not in a high-pitched voice.

This coupled with basic obedience training will usually take care of the problem.

Thom T. from Concord, MA asks:  I love using lots of different colors of ink.  I collect every new shade I find, especially green inks!  Can I use them in my notebooks?

Well sure!  Maybe it’s the nostalgist in me but I LOVE my Bic 4-Colors.  I know that fountain pens have LOTS of colors available but I know precious little about them.  I remember reading that author Neil Gaiman uses a different color each day so as to help him differentiate when a thing was written.  Another option is to use a different color for different topics.  This one could be limiting, though.  I, personally, tend to just use whatever suits my mood.  Lately, it’s been a dark green or pencil (usually 2B).  Let us know what you decide and how it works out for you!

Crystal W. from Wethersfield, CT asks:  I love Notebooking and I write all the time!  I have bad handwriting.  When I tried to do the assessment form I couldn’t read half of what I wrote.  What can I do?

Far be it for me to give anyone advice on improving handwriting as my handwriting has been compared to a psychotic 5 year old’s!  Thankfully, I asked a friend who dabbles in calligraphy for a few tips.  Here’s what she came up with:

1. Posture  When you write, sit comfortably but also upright.  A desk or table is also a necessity.
2. Slow down  Take the time to form the letters and pay attention to what you’re doing.  This makes a bigger difference than you might think.
3. Use ruled paper  Ruled paper is very helpful if you use it right.  The right way being, make sure your letters reach the bottom line and they are the correct height.  As an example, an “h” should reach the top while a “t” should reach 2/3 to 3/4 the way up the space.
4. Use a slow implement  Using a slow writing utensil like a pencil or pen that doesn’t lay too much ink.  Even writing on a stack of paper can help slow things down.  When things are slower you have more control.
5. Practice Obviously.

Bonus thing!  Get a handwriting workbook.

Emma C. in New Haven, CT asks, “I love the idea of Content Lists! One thing that always annoys me about my journals is that they get dominated by one subject or another. For example, I’ve been working on writing fiction, and I like writing in a portable notebook, but if 90% of the pages are creative writing, it makes the rest (wine-tasting notes, to-do lists, memorable quips, etc.) seem really out of place. Any suggestions how to avoid feeling so lopsided?

Well, Emma, let me be the first to congratulate you on actually CREATING. One of the chief reasons we got into Notebooking in the first place was to grow in our creativity, so right off the bat, you’re doing great. And yes, Content Lists are great at creating balance in a notebook.

I personally don’t have a problem with one topic dominating my notebook. If you were to look through my current notebook, it would surely be dominated by Notebooking articles and Sermon prep (I’m a pastor, it ends up in there A LOT!). But aesthetically, I can understand why an unbalanced notebook can make for an uninteresting notebook. And let’s say you scrap your current project¹, are you really going to want to go back and read through a failed project to find the useful notes in between? Or on the other hand, let’s say it does become a best-seller. Are you really going to want the original manuscript to have a page shoved in about some cute guy you met at the grocery store?  So yeah, there’s at least a couple reasons your situation isn’t ideal.

In that case, I would suggest having more than one notebook. For me, whenever one particular subject starts to get too much attention, I give it its own dedicated notebook.² Some of my dedicated notebooks include:

• The book I’m currently working on
• An “adventure journal” of trips my wife and I take together
• A prayer notebook that reminds me to pray for the people I promised to pray for
• A book-review notebook, where I record salient points of books that I’ve read.
• Shopping lists (because I didn’t want this in my regular notebook)

Usually, when I’m in the middle of a project, I make sure to have my dedicated notebook with me. But that’s not always the case. In those instances, I feel free to write into my “everyday” notebook and then later copy it into the dedicated notebook. This happens rarely enough that (in my opinion) it actually enhances my notebook to have a random blurb here and there.

Ultimately, it’s your notebook. You know what you want in it, and what you don’t. But there’s no shame in having a few notebooks going. Do what works best for you!

Robert R. in Ithaca, NY asks, “I do most of my writing on the couch while my wife is watching reality TV. The problem is, half my notebook is filled with rants about Bachelor contestants. What do you do to set a good writing environment?”

There are a number of things you can do to help foster a creative atmosphere for Notebooking.  The most important element is that you are free from distraction.  This may seem obvious but “free from distraction” can change from person to person.  For instance, when I Notebook my wife is usually next to me playing a video game.  This doesn’t usually distract me but that wasn’t always the case.  When I began taking my Notebooking seriously, I needed either silence or quiet instrumental music.  I needed a comfy chair with a good writing surface.  Maybe a nice beverage and some fine Japanese incense.  As time went by I found I needed less and less of those things.  It didn’t happen all at once and I’m not advocating you try to force yourself to do without a nice setting.  That said, being flexible in your environment means more Notebooking opportunities and that’s always a good thing.  I will happily admit, though, that after thinking about your question I put on some nice incense (Baieido Kobunboku Byakudan if you were wondering) and some music (Lunasa) and had a great Notebooking session.

Anonymous from Baton Rouge, LA asks, “Please tell me! What’s the best way to get blood out of fabric?!?”

Cold water and agitation.  Please stop asking.

Our First Question! Matt P. from South Windsor, CT asks, “I’ve been carrying my notebook in my back pocket for about 5 months. The binding is falling apart. Is there anything I can do to save it?”

Great question!  Unfortunately, this has happened to me on several occasions.  First things first.  Triage!  Is it fixable?  I’m sure a quick google search could provide a tutorial about book-binding and you could use that as a guide on how to proceed.  But since you asked me, I’ll tell you what I’ve done in the past.

In a pinch I’ve used several crossing layers of transparent tape.  Packing tape has been the best but scotch tape will work.  That said, the best thing is to use glue on the spine if possible.  Then, hold it shut and tight with a clamp or a heavy book until dry.  Finally, consider sealing the torn pages with tape.  Bear in mind that glue can affect your notebook’s ability to lay flat.

Finally, it’s time to consider whether you were just being too hard on your notebook or whether it’s a quality issue.  Either way you might want to look for a sturdier notebook in the future.

As an example, the Rhodia Webnotebook I got a few years ago is about the toughest notebook I’ve found.  I’m not saying that it could repel a Mongol Horde, but I’m not saying it wouldn’t either.  No word on whether they are still made that well.  Lemome makes a cool notebook that seems tough as nails and lays very flat.  I haven’t used it yet so I can’t comment on it’s horde resistance.

Thanks for the question!

Giovanni A. in Skokie, IL asks, “You guys spend a lot of time thinking about notebooks. Which is, in your opinion, the absolutely BEST notebook?

Jason says:

Giovanni, thanks for the question. To be honest, we do spend a lot of time thinking about notebooks. (I’m sure our wives would say ‘too much’ time, but we enjoy it).

Right now I’m using the Midori Traveler’s Passport Size.  It’s a little pricier than most notebooks, but if you’re serious about Notebooking, it might be worth the investment.¹

I’m a big fan of passport-size notebooks. They’re small enough that I know I’ll be able to fill it out in a timely manner. They’re cheap (although that’s out the window with the Midori). But the biggest reason I like them is that they are extremely portable. It fits in my pocket! And there’s no feeling worse than wanting to take down a note, and not having your notebook with you because it’s too big to carry.

Of course, there’s a problem with carrying a paper-bound notebook in your pocket. After the course of a couple of weeks, it gets bent and beat up. There’s no fun in writing in a disfigured notebook, so I’ve always been stuck between choosing good portability or a good writing experience. (This has even led me to often keep 2 simultaneous notebooks).

But now I need not choose! The Midori solves all that. Now, to be clear, most of the Midori system is the wallet that the notebook (paper) goes into. The inserts are interchangeable, and are similarly priced to other passport-size notebooks,². But having that wallet over your notebook keeps it intact and flat, while still being portable.

Of course the paper quality is top-notch, and it’s a thing of beauty. When I finish off my first insert, I’ll be doing a full review, but I expect I’ll be using my Midori Traveller for years to come.

Kevin says:

Lately, it’s been the Leuchtturm 1917 A6 in softcover grid (or squared as they call it).

It has a lot of great features that add up to a great experience.

• It lays flat.
• The pages are numbered which is really nice for when I have additional thoughts on a previous topic and want to utilize a Table of Contents.
• It has a cloth reinforced pocket in the back and inside that pocket are archival stickers for when you’re done and want to label the spine and front³.
• It also has a table of contents and a place for the date at the heading of every page.
• Made of 80 gsm paper which makes pretty friendly to most writing implements.

All in all, it’s a great notebook that is finally receiving the recognition it deserves.  My only gripe is that the grid size is a little smaller than I would like.  It’s sub 5mm and that’s smaller than the general industry standard.  Luckily, a fine point pen that doesn’t leave gobs of ink all over the page (I’m looking at you G2!) and the problem disappears after the first sentence.

Thanks for asking!

This area is where we will be answering the questions you send in.  Believe it or not, we already have a few questions that came in!  I promise that if you send us a question we will answer it…eventually.  Please be patient with us as we also have day jobs.  Stay tuned!