--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've been writing in notebooks for 40…" description: "\"I've been writing in notebooks for 40 years or so.\" — Frank McCourt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69f/frank-mccourt-2576_notebooks_i-ve-been-writing-in-notebooks-for-40-ye_3012320.png" --- # I've been writing in notebooks for 40 years or so. ![“I've been writing in notebooks for 40 years or so.” quote by Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69f/frank-mccourt-2576_notebooks_i-ve-been-writing-in-notebooks-for-40-ye_3012320.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69f/frank-mccourt-2576_notebooks_i-ve-been-writing-in-notebooks-for-40-ye_3012320.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69f/frank-mccourt-2576_notebooks_i-ve-been-writing-in-notebooks-for-40-ye_3012320.png) > “I've been writing in notebooks for 40 years or so.” [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Long‑term notebook writing reflects a habit of chronicling thoughts and experiences. **In simple terms:** Keeping notebooks for decades shows dedication to writing. Key Takeaway Maintain a regular writing habit. Themes writing habit memory reflection Mood nostalgic thoughtful inspirational Type advice reflective When to use this quote - journaling - academic research - personal memoirs - creative brainstorming Key Concepts creativity self‑documentation discipline Questions to Reflect On - What topics have you revisited after years? - How does notebook writing shape your identity? A Different Perspective Consistent writing may become routine and limit spontaneity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [40 Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/40-years/) [Notebooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notebooks/) [Notebooks 40](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notebooks-40-4835913/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Notebooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-notebooks-4835914/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [I've been a professional actor for almost 40 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-ve-been-a-professional-actor-for-almost-40-years/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [Well of course there's been a great deal of progress over the last 40 years. We don't have laws that segregate black people within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/well-of-course-there-s-been-a-great-deal-of-progress-over-the-last-40/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [It won't take 40 years for opposition to same-sex marriage to dissipate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cheney/it-won-t-take-40-years-for-opposition-to-same-sex-marriage-to/) [Mary Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cheney/) > [If we get chased out of Iraq with our tail between our legs, that will be the fifth consecutive Third-world country with no hint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/if-we-get-chased-out-of-iraq-with-our-tail-between-our-legs-that-will/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Although I have felt compelled to write things down since I was five years old, I doubt that my daughter ever will, for she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/although-i-have-felt-compelled-to-write-things-down-since-i-was-five/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [I have a penchant for fresh notebooks and mechanical pencils. It seems every time I go to the store, I buy a new notebook.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-paul-evans/i-have-a-penchant-for-fresh-notebooks-and-mechanical-pencils-it-seems/) [Richard Paul Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-paul-evans/) > [I carry a small spiral notebook with me at all times and have been doing this for many years. There's a shoe box in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-carry-a-small-spiral-notebook-with-me-at-all-times-and-have-been/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [Now I have notebooks that are filled up, mostly with Doom Patrol, but also angry letters to myself mixed in with the comic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-way/now-i-have-notebooks-that-are-filled-up-mostly-with-doom-patrol-but/) [Gerard Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-way/) > [Where past generations had film cameras, scrapbooks, notebooks, and that part of the brain which stores memories, we now have a smartphone app for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graydon-carter/where-past-generations-had-film-cameras-scrapbooks-notebooks-and-that/) [Graydon Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graydon-carter/) > [Gaming notebooks aren't that abundant. Not that many gamers are able to play on notebooks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jensen-huang/gaming-notebooks-aren-t-that-abundant-not-that-many-gamers-are-able/) [Jensen Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jensen-huang/) > [I don't carry notebooks and I don't consciously store ideas. I try not to think that I am a writer and I am pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-don-t-carry-notebooks-and-i-don-t-consciously-store-ideas-i-try-not/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [My little notebooks were beginnings - they were the ground into which I dropped the seed... I would work in this way when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/my-little-notebooks-were-beginnings-they-were-the-ground-into-which-i/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [All my notebooks would be filled with lyrics instead of actual notes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koffee/all-my-notebooks-would-be-filled-with-lyrics-instead-of-actual-notes/) [Koffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koffee/) > [I am very, very old-fashioned and clumsy. I use those long reporter notebooks. This is what a troglodyte I am. The night before I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-quammen/i-am-very-very-old-fashioned-and-clumsy-i-use-those-long-reporter/) [David Quammen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-quammen/) > [“scrolls, notebooks, tablet computers, daggers, and a large bowl filled with jelly beans,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/scrolls-notebooks-tablet-computers-daggers-and-a-large-bowl-filled/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) ## More by Frank McCourt > [I'm not one of those James Joyce intellectuals who can stand back and look at the whole edifice... It was a slow process for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/i-m-not-one-of-those-james-joyce-intellectuals-who-can-stand-back-and/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) > [I admire certain priests and nuns who go off on their own and do God's work on their own, who help in the ghettos,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/i-admire-certain-priests-and-nuns-who-go-off-on-their-own-and-do-god/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) > [When I act tough they listen politely till the spasm passes. They know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/when-i-act-tough-they-listen-politely-till-the-spasm-passes-they-know/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) > [Just luxuriate in a certain memory, and the details will come. It's like a magnet attracting steel filings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/just-luxuriate-in-a-certain-memory-and-the-details-will-come-it-s/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) > [Sing your song. Dance your dance. Tell your tale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/sing-your-song-dance-your-dance-tell-your-tale/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) > [They all went into the bar business. Which was a mistake, because they began to sip at the merchandise and it set them back,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/they-all-went-into-the-bar-business-which-was-a-mistake-because-they/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) > [My childhood here... was very limited. So it was a long, long time before I actually went out to Brooklyn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/my-childhood-here-was-very-limited-so-it-was-a-long-long-time-before/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) > [We never really had any kind of a Christmas. This is one part where my memory fails me completely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/we-never-really-had-any-kind-of-a-christmas-this-is-one-part-where-my/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) > [A lot of people say writers start losing their powers after 60 or 65. But I look at the best-seller list and see a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/a-lot-of-people-say-writers-start-losing-their-powers-after-60-or-65/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) > [“When the dark clouds flutter like bats in my head I wish I could open a window and release them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/when-the-dark-clouds-flutter-like-bats-in-my-head-i-wish-i-could-open/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) > [Shakespeare is like mashed potatoes, you can never get enough of him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/shakespeare-is-like-mashed-potatoes-you-can-never-get-enough-of-him/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) > [I just have to proceed as usual. No matter what happens, nothing helps with the writing of the next book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/i-just-have-to-proceed-as-usual-no-matter-what-happens-nothing-helps/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) > [Worse than the ordinary, miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/worse-than-the-ordinary-miserable-childhood-is-the-miserable-irish/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) > [It's not enough to be American. You always have to be something else, Irish-American, German-American, and you'd wonder how they'd get along if someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/it-s-not-enough-to-be-american-you-always-have-to-be-something-else/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) > [I had to get rid of any idea of hell or any idea of the afterlife. That's what held me, kept me down. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/i-had-to-get-rid-of-any-idea-of-hell-or-any-idea-of-the-afterlife/) [Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) [Explore all 159 Frank McCourt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/) ## More Notebooks quotes > [I am very, very old-fashioned and clumsy. I use those long reporter notebooks. This is what a troglodyte I am. The night before I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-quammen/i-am-very-very-old-fashioned-and-clumsy-i-use-those-long-reporter/) [David Quammen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-quammen/) > [All my notebooks would be filled with lyrics instead of actual notes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koffee/all-my-notebooks-would-be-filled-with-lyrics-instead-of-actual-notes/) [Koffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koffee/) > [My little notebooks were beginnings - they were the ground into which I dropped the seed... I would work in this way when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/my-little-notebooks-were-beginnings-they-were-the-ground-into-which-i/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [I don't carry notebooks and I don't consciously store ideas. I try not to think that I am a writer and I am pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-don-t-carry-notebooks-and-i-don-t-consciously-store-ideas-i-try-not/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [Gaming notebooks aren't that abundant. Not that many gamers are able to play on notebooks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jensen-huang/gaming-notebooks-aren-t-that-abundant-not-that-many-gamers-are-able/) [Jensen Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jensen-huang/) > [Where past generations had film cameras, scrapbooks, notebooks, and that part of the brain which stores memories, we now have a smartphone app for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graydon-carter/where-past-generations-had-film-cameras-scrapbooks-notebooks-and-that/) [Graydon Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graydon-carter/) > [Now I have notebooks that are filled up, mostly with Doom Patrol, but also angry letters to myself mixed in with the comic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-way/now-i-have-notebooks-that-are-filled-up-mostly-with-doom-patrol-but/) [Gerard Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-way/) > [I carry a small spiral notebook with me at all times and have been doing this for many years. There's a shoe box in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dewitt/i-carry-a-small-spiral-notebook-with-me-at-all-times-and-have-been/) [Patrick deWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dewitt/) > [I have a penchant for fresh notebooks and mechanical pencils. It seems every time I go to the store, I buy a new notebook.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-paul-evans/i-have-a-penchant-for-fresh-notebooks-and-mechanical-pencils-it-seems/) [Richard Paul Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-paul-evans/) > [Although I have felt compelled to write things down since I was five years old, I doubt that my daughter ever will, for she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/although-i-have-felt-compelled-to-write-things-down-since-i-was-five/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“scrolls, notebooks, tablet computers, daggers, and a large bowl filled with jelly beans,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/scrolls-notebooks-tablet-computers-daggers-and-a-large-bowl-filled/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [When I knew what I had to do / I took all my notebooks, all my manuscripts / and ate them page by page…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-blackman/when-i-knew-what-i-had-to-do-i-took-all-my-notebooks-all-my/) [Nicole Blackman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-blackman/) > [It never failed—I'd buy a new journal, write like a madwoman for ten pages, then lose total interest in the process. Three months later,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryjanice-davidson/it-never-failed-i-d-buy-a-new-journal-write-like-a-madwoman-for-ten/) [MaryJanice Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryjanice-davidson/) > [I keep threatening to keep a formal journal, but whenever I start one it instantly becomes an exercise in self-consciousness. Instead of a journal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-dean-myers/i-keep-threatening-to-keep-a-formal-journal-but-whenever-i-start-one/) [Walter Dean Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-dean-myers/) > ['ve had notebooks, but they are nondescript. All I care about is that they fit in my hand. I scribble down ideas. The problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sefi-atta/ve-had-notebooks-but-they-are-nondescript-all-i-care-about-is-that/) [Sefi Atta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sefi-atta/) [Browse all 65 Notebooks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notebooks/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've been writing in notebooks for 40 years or so.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frank McCourt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/i-ve-been-writing-in-notebooks-for-40-years-or-so/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Notebooks" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/i-ve-been-writing-in-notebooks-for-40-years-or-so/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69f/frank-mccourt-2576_notebooks_i-ve-been-writing-in-notebooks-for-40-ye_3012320.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69f/frank-mccourt-2576_notebooks_i-ve-been-writing-in-notebooks-for-40-ye_3012320.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/69f/frank-mccourt-2576_notebooks_i-ve-been-writing-in-notebooks-for-40-ye_3012320.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've been writing in notebooks for 40 years or so.” — Frank McCourt", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Frank McCourt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've been writing in notebooks for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/i-ve-been-writing-in-notebooks-for-40-years-or-so/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/i-ve-been-writing-in-notebooks-for-40-years-or-so/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```