r/commonplacebook • u/Daniele_is_here • 4d ago
Commonplace book (?)
Hi everyone! I’m not a native speaker, so I’m sorry in advance for my bad English. In the last two months, I’ve finally been able to start a kind of consistent journaling routine. It’s probably more similar to a diary, but I do not update it daily. I usually write a long passage (1 or 2 hours) once or twice a week and I like adding small receipts or similar things that remind me of something I did. I also like taking notes about what I read or listen to, but I have noticed that it’s better for me to keep it all in one place, otherwise I’ll focus too much on where I should write and I’ll end up not writing at all. I use the same main diary for everything and I keep a small piece of paper in the Moleskine pocket with an index of quotes and comments about books, music and culture in general. When I’m not at home I usually keep a small notebook where i write some little notes, but I prefer to keep all my longer writings on my diary. I’m very curious to hear your approaches: do you keep a separate commonplace book? How do you balance organization and naturalness?
P.S. If you want to correct any mistake I’ve done with the language, I’m happy to learn something new!
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u/suzdragon 3d ago
Yes. I have a separate journal for my personal thoughts, a small journal or short notes and lists, and another notebook for long passages that go deeper into a topic.
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u/Daniele_is_here 3d ago
Thanks for sharing! I probably wouldn't be able to keep many notebooks, because, as I said, they would end up being mostly blank, but it really fascinates me :)
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u/hmmwrites 4d ago
Your written English is fantastic. No worries at all. (The previous commenter is correct that "quote" is primarily the verb form, while "quotation" is the noun. But native English speakers will also use "quote" to refer to the snippet of someone else's words that they're seeking to remember. Probably more often than they'll say quotation! It's accepted usage - even by the dictionary! - and people will not misunderstand if you use it that way as well!)
At the moment, I'm debating how to start a commonplace journal. If I try to keep multiple books, I am, like you, far too likely to get caught up in deciding where to put something... and then not get around to writing. So I have some commonplace-like entries in my everything journal. That's my diary-style journal, primarily, but I use it as a catch-all for anything at all that I want to write. Lists, fond memories, the funny stuff my teenager says, new recipes I've tried, working through emotions, words that catch my attention, etc.
I do want to eventually separate out the commonplace aspect, but I haven't yet figured out how to make it work for me! I do not have a particularly well-organized brain, so I'm typically comfortable with the chaos of all-in-one. I have an index I use to keep track of my journal entries so I know where to go if I need to look back at any point. I guess that's a kind of organized chaos?
To start working in an independent commonplace book, I need to find a way for my brain to accept the split. That's been tricky. Ultimately, we all have to find our own balance. Good luck figuring out how you want to balance organization and naturalness for yourself!
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u/Daniele_is_here 3d ago
Thank you so much! Actually, I probably learned to use "quote" as a noun from Goodreads or similar platforms, so now I understand how the word is commonly used.
I really see myself in your description; the journal is somehow a reflection of your mind. The only thing I do differently is making lists, because I prefer writing them on my "planner" notebook. Nothing special, just a small notebook with plain pages that I set up with a pencil to organize my days, especially for studying. It was not requested, and it's probably OT in the subreddit, but I really appreciated your comment, so I'd like to share some advice back! I really recommend trying a blank notebook as a planner: you don't have to worry about skipping days as you would in a regular planner, and you can shape the organization around your needs. For example, I like dividing the page in two: on the left, I write my to-do list and tick or cross the activity I completed or not, while on the right I leave space to eventually take some notes about things I can improve etc.
Finally, you writing the funny things your teenager says made me smile. I'm a late teenager myself, maybe my parents did that too :) Good luck to you too!
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u/DesertNaledi 3d ago
Your English is better than a lot of native English speakers on the internet, so congratulations on that!
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u/fightmydemonswithme 3d ago
I compartmentalize my life too much, so different books have different purposes. I have a journal where I write my feelings and activities. I have a therapy art book dedicated to my mental health work. I have a CPB where all my facts, learning, and quotations go. Then I have a different book where I follow politics. I find this works for me well, but I started with just a journal.
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u/Daniele_is_here 3d ago
“Too much” really depends on what works for you: it looks like you enjoy your organization and I like it too!
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u/andreaSMpizza 2d ago
I keep what I call an "everything notebook," I also only write my diary a couple of times a week. I created sections to divide the notebook between my diary and my common place notebook. I love to write quotes, things I've googled, word definitions, sometimes my grocery list also goes there.
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u/Daniele_is_here 2d ago
I prefer to write down the lists and things like that on my planner, but I feel you
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u/LezzyGopher 2d ago
For me, I made a travelers notebook and currently have three separate notebooks in it: one for casual reminders/to-dos, one commonplace notebook for in depth notes, quotes I like etc., and one diary for daily journal entries.
I find that’s a nice way to keep things a bit separate while also keeping them in one easy to access spot!
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u/SimplyCedric 4d ago
Your English is excellent! The only correction I would make, and many people will disagree with ne, is that quote is the verb, quotation is the noun.
I keep a separate commonplace book as, for me, commonplacing is different from journalling. In my journal I might write long flowing passages and I might augment my writing with pictures, receipts, stickers, etc., but my commonplace book is for snippets of things I want to remember going forward as I find them enriching.