Obsessed with Stationary

"On bad writing days, sometimes getting cool new office supplies will be the high point of your day." Holly Lisle in Create a Plot Clinic~~

Today I'd like to share a few weapons from the writer's armory I keep. Apart from my trustworthy Kindle and laptop, I also like to use a LOT of frivolous stationary to aid the writing process. When I first began seriously writing, I didn't really put much thought into prettifying the tools. I used plain, boring yellow Post-It notes. I scribbled on used paper (only printed on one-side, so I can use the blank other side).

But one day, when browsing through a stationary store, it struck me how cute and cheap the stuff costs. A pack of stickies with kittens on the top costs less than a US dollar, and they're re-usable. I could spend 10 dollars and get a truckload that could last forever.

So…allow me to introduce my shameless, childish pleasure of stationary collection:


1. Colorful note cards: especially useful for summarizing scenes and moving them around. I use the cards when plotting for The Ugly Stepsister and used cards of similar colors for the same plot strand.

2. Stickies: these are SO cute that I was sad to rip them off after typing up my research notes.

3. Paper tape: I LOVE this recent invention! They're pretty, and you don't need scissors to break off a piece. Re-usable as well. I use these everywhere--often I grab a scrap of paper and stick it on my notebook. Or table. Or wall. Or piano top:

4. Plastic covers for the binder: I love my personalized binder. I use recycled B5 and A4 paper and punch the holes with a special hole punch. Then I thread them into the rings along with this adorable cover. And also separated by these tabs: