My Writer's Toolbox

Technically speaking, the only thing I 'need' to write books is my laptop. However, in many ways I'm still quite old-fashioned and I find things a lot easier if I use more physical ways of taking notes and working on the move.

Notebook

Every novel I write has its own notebook. This is where I write the initial plot summary, the 15-beat 'plan', character notes, editing points and ideas for future scenes. Family trees, when they are needed are also stuck in here, along with costume ideas and social media post suggestions. However, it can't be just any notebook. Each one is carefully chosen to suit the story and if I don't have one that feels right, I make one myself.

Pens

Like with the notebook, not just any old pen will do. I much prefer to write in fountain pen and with various coloured inks. I tend to pick one pen at the start of the process and that's the main one I use for the duration. Whichever one I choose, it has to be comfortable to use - at the time of writing, I'm using a retractable fountain pen, as not having a cap makes it easier to use on the move. However, my brand of choice is usually a Lamy; I have several of these, each with a different colour of ink in it, so I can distinguish notes if I need to. These are also vital when it comes to editing - I print out my draft copy and then use coloured pens to highlight where changes need to be made.

Laptop

Obviously, this is the most important item in my writer's toolkit because it's the main thing I write on. However, I chose very carefully when it came to picking a model. When I started my Masters in 2018, the first thing I bought was a Macbook Air. I needed a new laptop and I'd heard lots of good things about Macs. By the time I had to replace it in 2025, because it had stopped updating the software, I swore I wouldn't use anything else. I love the functionality of it and the seamlessness of the transitions between my laptop, phone and ipad.

iPad

Strictly speaking, this isn't a vital part of my toolkit, but it is an extremely useful one. Most of the time I work at home and the laptop is perfectly adequate for my needs. However, occasionally, I like to write on location and it's often easier to take my iPad and keyboard with me rather than the Macbook. This is because of the versatility of having the touchscreen option when it comes to typing in a limited space. It also means that if I'm travelling, I only have to take one device with me, as the iPad means I can both write and read on a single device.

Diary

This is a vital part of my writing life. Whilst my phone contains my personal diary, when it comes to my writing, I am very much a pen and paper kind of author. Consequently, my work diary has always been a physical one. I used to use a wall calendar to record important dates on, but it's not very probably, so I switched to a desk diary. This year, for the first time, I have multiple diaries. One is purely for social media; this reminds me when I have blog posts scheduled so I know when to share them. It also contains my plans for when to post things regarding book launches and promotions. My second diary keeps a track of my deadlines and book sales events. This one makes sure I know when work is due, whether it's writing group deadlines, competition entries, or when I need to do a stock check to make sure I have enough copies of my books. The third diary is my day-to-day one and this is the one I fill in at the start of each week and which tells me what I need to accomplish each day. Because I have so many different roles, this makes it easier for me to keep track of everything so I don't leave it all to the last minute.

Post-It Notes

These are what I use to make notes for myself when I'm writing before I transfer the notes into my notebook in a more organised manner. I also use them if I have ideas for future books in a series - these get stuck on my pinboard to wait until it's the right time to organise them. Ideas for future blog posts also get scrawled on these and stuck to a board. These are generally my go-to for anything that doesn't have an immediate home, but needs to be made a note of. I also have a lot of bigger, lined ones that I use if I want to make more detailed notes about an upcoming scene, or sketch out a longer idea for a future novel. Those often then get stuck in a notebook until I'm ready to use them.

Index Cards

The final item in my toolkit is a set of index cards in various colours. I use these when I'm writing split-timeline fiction. When I'm writing these books I normally write each of the timelines separately, as this allows me to focus on one plot thread at a time to ensure consistent (and distinct) character voices. However, approaching the first draft in this way means that once the separate strands are written, I then have to work out the best way to combine them. For me, the easiest way to do this is to make a brief note of each separate scene on an index card. I use a different colour for each plot thread. Once I have every scene recorded, I lay each thread out in order and then physically move the cards around my floor to work out where each scene should go. There is software that would do the same job, but I find it easier to use the cards, as this enables me to see where scenes are missing, or where information is provided in the wrong place, and adjust accordingly. Once the cards are all laid out in the right order, I then number them and copy and paste each scene into a new document which gives me a complete first draft.