Some time ago, a couple of months now, I mentioned that I’d got an app which was designed for people with memory problems on which they could jot notes, take pictures, keep track of where they’d been and when… I don’t think I have memory problems, well none different from the ones I’ve always had where i remember huge amounts of not very important stuff, and forget appointments, meetings, where I’m going… Being absent minded really and easily distracted…
The reason I got the app was because apparently all writers should make notes, jot things down they observe or overhear or suddenly think of. I don’t really work like that. I take a sort of mental snapshot of something, make a mental recording of things I hear – no wonder I forget important stuff, my mind is full of random observations! My problem with the supposed note book is my appalling writing… even i can’t read some of the things I’ve written, especially if I’m writing in a hurry.
I haven’t actually used it for any writing, but I have jotted down lots of things on it, interesting things, curious things… but some of them I have no idea what they mean or why I wrote them down.
Here’s a selection:
- neck of the words
- it’s like shovelling snow when it’s still snowing
- a bell flint oxspring
- qu’ananas
- brushed with gold hearts
- i feel like an actor left alone on a stage
- a victim of life
- let’s pretend the night together
- story-trillers
- melangalangas
… and then something which does make sense, ‘vapid girls making pointless conversation with false laughs’ – but why did I write that down? It’s not very note-worthy…
I’m not sure this app will do much more than provide puzzlement and amusement, but there might come that one day when i really need to jot down an inspiration and i write something which makes sense!!
Lois Elsden 