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G. Lawrence in the Book Nook's avatar

I love my notebooks! A different one for each thing I happen to be working on, and (finally!) people have started to give me pretty ones as presents!

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Liz Alterman's avatar

Oh I love that you're organized and keep one for each thing! I'm going to try to do that this year. They really do make such a great gift! You can never have too many (I say ... until I'm searching through all of them to find a sentence I think is great but turns out to be pretty lackluster :) )

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G. Lawrence in the Book Nook's avatar

Haha! My main problem is trying to remember where I put them down around the house 😔🤨🤣 I'm trying to keep them all in one place, but I swear some of them get up in the night and wander off 🤣

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Liz Alterman's avatar

I do the same thing! Mine have even migrated to the car! Eek! :)

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G. Lawrence in the Book Nook's avatar

Ye Gads! They're planning an escape! I always suspected they had such plots in mind...

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Liz Alterman's avatar

😂😂😂

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Parthenia Fields's avatar

Congratulations, Liz!

I have different notebooks/journals for different things. One, I specifically take with me to see my therapist. The other is for note taking in church. The other is dedicated to blog thought. However, all of them hold notes that potentially end up in one of my hopeletters.

So, I get it.

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Liz Alterman's avatar

Hi Parthenia! Thanks so much!

That sounds like a great system! I'll have to try that. I look forward to reading more of your hopeletters. I'm a huge fan of coffee too!

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Julie Vick's avatar

Congrats on the book news! I have a lot of random ideas jotted in my phone’s notes app but still mostly write on my laptop :)

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Liz Alterman's avatar

Thanks so much, Julie! It's been nice to end the year on a positive note! I'm going to try to be more organized in 2024, but that will probably last about a week :) Happy holidays!

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Natalie's avatar

I’m so excited your book found a home! 🎉 I cannot wait to read it!!! Tom Lake is on my TBR, and I’ve heard mixed reviews, so it was nice to get your take on it. I enjoy her writing, so I’m certain I will like the book. I have just one notebook for jotting writing ideas down and I use the nits app when I’m out and about. 🙂

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Liz Alterman's avatar

Hi Natalie! Thank you so much! I had a few friends who thought Tom Lake was a bit slow in parts but, for me, Meryl Streep kept me rapt the whole way through! I use the notes app too, and much like with my handwriting, I sometimes struggle to decipher what I meant :) Merry Christmas!

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Kay M.'s avatar

One-woman scavenger hunt for the elusive notebook...I can totally relate, Liz. I restacked your Jellybean quote, too. ;)

It is certainly hard to find the rhythm for writing that works best for us as busy moms!

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Liz Alterman's avatar

Thank you much for reading, Kay, and thanks for the restack! I've gotten a lot less fussy about my snacking now ;) Yes, I always joke that I'm never more in-demand than when I attempt to write!

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Kay M.'s avatar

Funny how that happens, right!?

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lisa kusel's avatar

I loved this piece. My process often involves my struggle with trying to set up a process that will stick. Like you, I write notes/ideas/dialogue on scraps of paper and then once I find them scattered under a pile of desk detritus, I have no idea what I meant. Massive congrats on the new novel. I LOVED your last one, and am eager to read pronto.

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Liz Alterman's avatar

Thank you for reading, my friend! Yes to not being able to decipher the notes when we're lucky enough to find them :) I'm telling myself as long as we get to "the end," that's what counts. I cannot wait to get my hands on THE WIDOW ON DWYER COURT!!

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Liz Alterman's avatar

Thank you so much, Erin! I get so many compliments on your cat notecards! Thank you again!! 😻

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Erin's avatar

so excited about your booooooook!!! I knew it would find just the right home!

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Amy's avatar

I have no process as I am not an author. I must ask if you have listened to The Dutch House?! Read by Tom Hanks?

I love that Ann Patchette has this extra hook of lovely voices! The narrator can make or break the story for me!

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Liz Alterman's avatar

It is next on my list! I completely agree about the narrator. I’m sure Tom Hanks is fantastic!

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