A note on margins

I rule a line down the right side of every notebook page, about two fingers from the edge. Nothing goes there on the first pass.

The margin is for later. When I reread a page a week on, I disagree with it, or I find a better word, or I see that I forgot something obvious. The margin is where the second thought goes, small and slightly cramped, like a person speaking up at the back of a meeting.

Some pages end up with more margin than text. I have decided that those are the good ones.

If your pages are full to the edge, try leaving a strip empty for a month. You may find you have more to say about your own writing than you expected.