Maybe this should really be titled things I secretly collect, although I am sure I am not the only writer!
- Stationery
This is an obvious one. The lifeblood of (some) writers including me. I know quite a few are completely digital but not me. I still plot on paper, write notes, scribble ideas, research and so on in my notebooks (or scraps of paper). I regularly use them. A pretty notebook, especially if it’s spiral bound, is very hard to resist.
I also love pens. I have a very specific pen I use for editing my manuscripts (a uni-ball eye fine orange) and at last count had about 7 or 8 in hand. Apart from those I do have quite a collection of pens. There’s something very satisfying when you get a nice pen that is comfortable to hold, rolls smoothly across the paper and doesn’t leak or get blotchy or scratchy. An added bonus if they are pretty. - Informative items
This could be anything that either sparks an idea for a future book or relates to the current work in progress. It might be newspaper snippets or a photo. A lot of the information I collect is to do with research. A good reference book can be very tempting. - Pieces of life
One of my notebooks is used specifically for noting overheard dialogue, particularly if I find it humourous. Other things that get written down can be a situation you see or experience. It’s very common to hear authors say, “That’s going in a book.” Everything is fodder for a writer, but you don’t want to forget it, which is why we collect it.
The other “life” thing we collect is names. It can be tricky sometimes to come up with a character, a pet or even business name. When we hear/see a good one, we write it down.
What secret thing do you collect?
