The Best Notebooks For Writing, According To Professional Writers

Whether you're going back to school or just looking to get organized, writers share their favorite books for to-do lists, journaling and getting ideas out.
A Leuchtturm1917 weekly planner, Mead one subject notebook, Spoonful of Faith Together journal, Universal steno book and a Rollbahn spiral notebook.

There are questions writers get asked a lot, mainly, “Where do your ideas come from?” “How do you make money?” And my personal least favorite, “Are you going to write about me?” Yet, when I think about writing, and more the people who write, I’m more curious about the mundane, logistical stuff. Sure, muses and self-expression are interesting, but I want to know about peoples’ literal writing setup. Not so much what they write about, but what they write in and on. I want to know everybody’s favorite notebooks, mainly so I can buy them all for myself.

As I spoke to writers across the country, I was surprised by how personal and sweet their answers were. People smiled and laughed when talking about their chosen notebooks, and in email and DM interviews, they used tons of exclamation points and emojis. Everyone’s choice was a small glimpse into their psyche. Dotted pages versus lined versus blank, spiral bound versus sewn, fancy stationery or paper from the drug store — the little details gave endearing insights.

I howled with laughter when Delia Cai, a senior correspondent at Vanity Fair and author of the upcoming novel “Central Places,” revealed she would never make it as a stationery influencer.

“I cannot be wasting hours of my life wrestling some fancy notebook to lay flat on a table,” Cai told me. “I rely heavily on the same spiral-bound, college-ruled Mead notebooks that have carried me this far. Nobody makes fun of you in their head for writing in one of these, mostly because they probably think you have a biology final to cram for.”

Cai wasn’t the only writer who sang praises to the spiral-bound college-ruled one-subject notebook. These writers are drawn to the utilitarian nature and affordability of the books. The notebooks don’t feel precious, and in so doing, they making writing feel more approachable.

Yet, many other writers spoke about their love, if not need, for beautiful, fancy notebooks. For them, splurging a little on good-looking, high-quality paper is exciting and self-rewarding. A personal favorite quote came from a reporter who shall remain nameless, referring to herself as “a notebook bitch, for real.”

Cai’s parting advice, which I find to be quite insightful, was that “the most important quality that a notebook must have is that it does not embarrass me in public.” Your notebook can be a small extension of your mind, and therefore you deserve one that makes you feel like you. Check out the writers’ picks below.

HuffPost may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Every item is independently selected by the HuffPost Shopping team. Prices and availability are subject to change.

1
Spiral-bound college-ruled one-subject notebooks
"I write fiction longhand in a basic spiral-bound, college-ruled notebook. Fancy journals feel like so much pressure, and with something so cheap and utilitarian, I don't have to worry about feeling too intimidated to write, or 'ruining' anything particularly nice." — Hannah Orenstein, deputy dating editor at Elite Daily and author of "Meant To Be Mine" (and a bunch of other books)

“I use a $1 plain ruled notebook. It is not organized, and half the time I never reference that page again, but I've accepted that its role in my life is to help me organize my thoughts in the moment and to concentrate on what I am listening to." KC Davis, author of "How to Keep House While Drowning" and founder of Struggle Care
2
Rollbahn spiral notebooks
"I use a lot of blank sketchbooks, but my absolute favorite is this grid paper notebook by Rollbahn. I mostly use notebooks as sketchbooks and then also to do a daily Lynda Barry drawing diary-inspired exercise: Write a list of ten things you did, 10 things you saw, an overheard quote and one feeling." Sarah Mirk, comics journalist and author of "Guantanamo Voices" (and a bunch of other books)
3
Bando Little Buddy reporter notepad
"This notebook, which I mainly use to write out my to-do lists for the day, takes me back to my college newspaper features editor days! I have the Las Flores print (so pretty) but the one that says 'Make Mistakes Freely' on the front is great, too. It's a nice sentiment to hold onto when you begin any writing project." — Brittany Wong, senior lifestyle reporter at HuffPost
4
Moleskine Classic pocket notebook
"I was gifted a mini Moleskin journal from my college's journalism department when I graduated over a year ago, and I'd have to say that's my ultimate go-to! It has a leather cover and flips vertically, and I use it for my emergency note-taking at work, especially for interviews. I love it because it's super mini and easy to carry around. Plus, I'm a huge stationary nerd so of course, a Moleskin would be my fav!" — India Roby, writer at Fashionista
5
Spoonful of Faith Together journal
"I collect and write in journals of different sizes, textures and styles because each of them ignites my creativity in unique ways. A journal I'm loving right now is the 'Together' journal by Spoonful of Faith, a Black-woman-owned brand focused on unity in womanhood. I love the soft-touch finish of the beautifully designed cover, the jumbo size which allows space for all my musings, the heavy-weight lined paper that prevents my favorite pen's ink from bleeding through, and the ribbon marker that keeps my place!" Kai Harris, author of "What the Fireflies Knew"
6
Moleskine Classic
"I use a very basic Moleskine! I always get it in a fun color. The classic lined one. I generally like the softcovers so I can bend/move the notebook to suit whatever’s most comfortable, but I’ve been using a hardcover lately and I don’t mind it! They’re a bit of an investment but really great." Gabrielle Drolet, cartoonist for the New Yorker and freelance journalist covering culture and disability

“I haven’t been writing with pen and paper as much as I’d like, but I always reach for my Moleskin when I do. I love the soft leather back and the size. The pages are also the perfect thickness. Moleskin can be a little pricey, but they’re reliable." — Chinazor “Chichi” Offor, writer at Refinery29
7
Flame Tree notebooks
"The only notebooks I'll spend money on are the Flame Tree notebooks — the pocket in the back holds all my random paper scraps or business cards and the hardcover makes it super easy to hold and write on. Honestly, I buy them mainly for the beautiful fine art covers. It makes writing feel less like a chore sometimes and more fun."Kristine White, a Pulitzer-winning reporter, previously at The New York Times
8
Leuchtturm1917 weekly planner and notebook
"I feel very unmoored without a paper planner. It’s useful because for each week, it has both a calendar page with space for each day and another blank, lined page, where I can jot down random notes that come up that week or list out anything ongoing. Also, it comes with this random address book insert, but (very on-brand for me) I use it to keep track of movies/TV I’ve watched and books I’ve read." — Marina Fang, senior culture reporter at HuffPost
9
Leuchtturm1917 weatherproof dotted notebook
"I have big handwriting, so it can be hard for my chicken scratch to fit on traditional lined paper. I prefer this one since it’s dotted — I have a guide so I can write straight-ish, but as big as I need to. Plus the paper is so-called 'waterproof' — I haven’t dunked it in a pool or anything so I don't know how true that is, but it takes food stains pretty well and the paperweight has a nice hearty feeling." Alaina Demopoulos, beauty editor at Allure
10
Rediform chemistry lab notebooks
"My ideal, beloved, favorite notebook is this minimalist blue lined hardcover book. It's technically a 'chemistry lab book' (though I've never taken a chemistry lab and have no idea how a chemist would use them). I started using them in college after spotting them in the campus bookstore. They're hardcover, so you can write on the bus or on the go, but they're light and not bulky. They're easy to carry in a canvas tote and stack well, so they stay in place on your shelf. I have dozens and buy them in bulk." — Griffin Wynne, HuffPost Shopping writer
11
Five Star mini notebook with a pocket
"I literally use those mini Five Star notebooks. I rely on them to organize my life! Those little pockets are the only reason I have literally ever remembered to pay a bill that was sent to me in the mail." — Gabrielle Moss, shopping editor at BuzzFeed and author of "Paperback Crush"

"I usually get Five Star spiral notebooks that are college-ruled, the 3.5 inch by 5.5 inch pocket size. I like small notebooks so I can throw them in any bag, especially when I’m flying. I can dash off a thought without taking out a huge notepad and it being a real thing. I like that those notebooks feel a little varsity, and that the covers are waterproof because I do tend to throw my notebooks around or rest drinks on them. I never end up using fancy stationary that people gift me; I’m a messy note-taker so I like my materials unfussy!" — Marlowe Granados, author of "Happy Hour"
12
Mead three-subject spiral notebook
"As an editor who has to organize a million to-do lists and take endless notes, it’s essential to have a notebook that’ll lay totally flat on my desk while it’s opened up (I hate journals with bindings that keep popping open when you try to lay it flat). I stock up on these, because not only does the spiral binding lay perfectly flat, but the 9.5 by 5.5-inch size makes it perfect for throwing it in a bag when I’m on the go." — Kristen Aiken, Head of Life at HuffPost
13
Planner-notebook hybrids from Target
"My favorite kind of notebooks are the ones that are partially planners. I’m a Virgo, so I like to have notebooks that I can not only have a space to ideate but also keep up with important dates and goals. I always like to go to Target and get these during back to school sales because they’re not only affordable but I can also find fun and quirky designs like llamas, cats, cacti, etc.” Cheyenne M. Davis, freelance writer, founder of Unveild magazine and host of the Weighted Words podcast
14
Universal steno books
"I need a notebook that can be bent up and bunched at the bottom of my bag. I need to be able to squish it, stuff it, and scuff it up, to rip out pages with abandon and doodle without worrying about wasting precious Moleskine space. A cover is not important (I'll spill coffee on it anyway), but it's gotta have spiral binding. A simple Steno pad checks all my boxes — plus it's never more than $2 and carried by every convenience store." Jessica DeFino, beauty reporter and author of beauty newsletter "The Unpublishable"
15
Anything and everything from Appointed
"I am a notebook fiend... I have a matching monogrammed notebook, planner and reporter's notebook from Appointed." Emily Shugerman, senior reporter at The Daily Beast
16
Muji spiral notebooks
"I love a good dot grid notebook, and although I want to be a Moleskine girlie, I go through notebooks too quickly to have Moleskine girlie money. My holy grail notebooks are all from Muji. Switching to spiral-bound notebooks felt like a massive life pivot but I can't look back" Morgan Sung, trends reporter for NBC News Digital

"I was a Moleskine user for years but realized I need spiral-bound notebooks to actually use IRL and the Muji ones are great! they come lined or unlined (I prefer the latter) and in several sizes." Giulia Alvarez-Katz, freelance food writer
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