The Writer’s Notebook

The blank page.

To some it’s terrifying, an obstacle to overcome. But we prefer to think of it as an opportunity; a blank canvas to be filled with all of the adventures and characters in our head.

So how to overcome that fear?  Well, we all know that the best advice for a writer is: write. Seriously, get words on the page, and more will follow.

But what about later, when you start trying to pull the threads of what you’ve written together? What about that character you wrote about way back at the start – who was she again? What did she have? Or where did she leave that macguffin that she now really needs in the third act?

Think about all those taut thrillers you like to read. Or those epic, multi-volume novels. That amazing drama you just watched. What did they all have in common? Structure and planning.

As aspiring writers ourselves, we’ve tried many different methods to try and organise all the thoughts we have about the stories we want to tell. We might be on a train, scribbling something down on scrap paper, or maybe making a quick note on our phone after a meeting. Other times, we’ll have time  to carefully jot it down in a notebook. All methods that can work, but are also a bit haphazard.  It can be difficult to pull in the thoughts from each of these ideas and apply them to whatever it is we’re writing.  Sometimes we even forget where we made that note that we just know would solve the problem we’re now encountering…

And that’s when we realised that it’s not just the story that needs structure and planning, but the way we gather all of our thoughts about it as well.

And so we made Page One.

Page One is the first product from Write Gear and was initially launched in 2019 as a successful Kickstarter campaign with over 600 backers!

Research

Research can make a good story great. It’s the little details that can elevate the story in the audience’s mind.

Keep all those interesting facts that you can use to colour your story here.

Characters

Think about your favourite stories. What do you remember about them? Sure, there was that exciting twist at the end and that fight scene earlier on… but would any of that have mattered if you didn’t care about the people involved?

We’ve created templates so you can really know what makes your characters tick.

Plot

Do you know where your story is going? Plot is the spine of your story – you’ll hang your setting and characters from it. It’s the why of the story; whether it’s an intergalactic science fiction epic, a small town murder mystery or a slapstick romantic comedy, it must propel your characters on their journey and bring them to their conclusion. Includes beat sheets and graphs to visualise your story.

Setting

Where and when does your story take place? If you can visualise it, so will your audience – and they’ll buy into the story much more quickly. Each little bit of throwaway detail will serve to make your setting more real to your readers.

We’ve included lined pages to note down your ideas, and dotted pages so you can sketch out locations or maps for your world.

Scenes

Whether you prefer writing on a laptop or on paper, sometimes it serves the story well to plot out and draft the key scenes in your story.

Use these pages to get to the heart of your story.

Submissions

Finishing your story is only half the battle; now you need to get it out there and find an agent to help sell it to the world!

We have carefully crafted these pages so that you can keep track of where and when you sent your story out, and who has come back to offer you that great deal!

Ideas

Sometimes you will be trying to solve a plothole in your present project when a brand new (and great) idea pops into your head.

Don’t lose it! Use these pages to note it down so that you can get back to completing the current masterpiece.

Contents

Keeping track of your notes is easy with our specially designed index. Divided and colour-coded to the various sections, you’ll be able to quickly find that note you remember making to help you move on with your story!

What Writers Are Saying

“A great idea – a notebook designed to help you write your book!”

Roz Watkins

Author of The Devil’s Dice and Dead Man’s Daughter

“Page One is a great tool for taming the sprawl of ideas that form all my writing projects. As a notebook geek I’m looking forward to seeing what Write Gear come up with next.”

Adrian J Walker

Author of The End of the World Running Club and The Last Dog on Earth

“Page One is a notebook that cajoles you into writing better stories and screenplays… A great idea – I can’t believe it took so long for someone to invent it.”

Sergio Casci

Screenwriter of The Lodge and The Caller