The Search for the Perfect Journal

The perfect notebook is different for every writer. My journals have to be lined, small, sturdy and above all cheap.

I am picky about the notebooks I write in. When I finish one journal, the frenzy to find the perfect replacement begins.

I need something portable - small enough to slip easily inside my bag without weighing me down. Yet a flimsy paper cover won't do - the notebook needs to be able to take a beating. I want something subtle that won't call attention to itself. I want to be able to lie the pages flat. But I detest spiral notebooks, because those metal spirals are always getting caught on things.

Last year I was given a gorgeous journal with an art deco cover. It has thick, luscious pages with rounded corners. It's so nice that I've never used it. I'm scared to sully the beautiful pages with my chicken scrawl.

Someone suggested the Moleskine, supposedly the notebook of choise for Hemingway and Picasso. Moleskine journals come in a few sizes and offer a choice of lined or unlined paper. They've got soft leather covers and thick, quality pages. They also come with a pricetag of about $20. Too much for someone like me, who writes and writes and writes.

So once again I found myself in the stationery aisle of the local dollar store. The journal I chose cost two dollars. It has a plain black cardboard cover and an elastic to keep the journal shut. It has 200 lined pages. I bought a cheap pen to go with it and I'm set.

At least until I finish this one.