A novel notebook. Dead serious here. And I’m going to show you exactly what to buy.
- A big binder
. This is the kind of thing I would buy. It’s cheap, but well-made. It’s huge and it’s got one of those little thingies for holding the paper down.
- Dividers
. Lots of them. You will thank me later. These are the exact ones I own, but whatever works for you is perfect.
- Top loading, economy pack, sheet protectors
. There are some things that you just don’t want to have to find again, make again, whatever–these will keep them safe, handleable (I realize that’s not a word), and easy to get to.
- This shouldn’t need to be said, but I aim to be comprehensive. Paper. Writers need paper.
- A hole punch
. If you print out your 400 page novel, you don’t want to stick all those pages in sheet protectors. Hence–hole punch. (25 pages at a time. That’s what I’m talkin’ about.)

And I think that should get you started. You’ll figure out as you go if you need anything else. Just remember this: write everything down. And file it in your notebook.