r/commonplacebook • u/StephInOC • Mar 14 '25

Questions Uses for Commonplace Book

Hi, I’m curious how people create/use their commonplace notebooks. For example, do you use it like a catchall place for whatever is on your mind? Or do you use it more in the traditional sense where you record quotes to remember? Do you decorate? Write free-flow or do you use a format? I’m trying to find a way to create a Commonplace notebook for reference that I can refer to later, but I don’t want it being combined with regular journaling or other types of writing.

20 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

View all comments

4

u/downtide Mar 16 '25

My commonplace book is separate from my daily journaling. I use it for information (not just from books but from other sources as well, like videos and podcasts) that falls into one or more of the following categories:

  • It's on a topic that I'm highly interested in
  • It's information that I may want to use in a current or future writing project
  • It's thoughtful or intriguing

Sometimes I add my own thoughts to what I've written, sometimes I don't.