As soon as I set eyes on the Traveler’s Company 20th anniversary card-size edition, I knew it would make the perfect notebook to collate all the One Page Novels I’m always working on. 😍

Use Cases

01 | Scene Idea Logging

Personally, I’ve been using my card size traveler’s notebook with a blank One Page Novel template to jot down scene ideas that I come across when I’m reading or watching a film/series.

For example, watching the Secrets of the Silent Witch anime the other day, I noted down the following on the Trigger page:

• someone leading stranger to char. who’s in hiding → series of signs.

I find these observations very helpful when making decisions in my own stories. Sometimes, I look for specific ideas for structural or stylistic challenges I’m facing. I think using a framework like the One Page Novel’s 8 stages can help you discover more nuance in the narratives you encounter, and can in turn make you more adept at telling your own stories.

☞ I also teach fun one-page character development and worldbuilding templates at the Lady Writers League.

02 | WIP Novel Outline

When I’m working on a novel, I often keep a One Page Novel listing the scenes I’ve mapped out, or ones I’ve written.

I really like having an overview of my project, especially in a physical format that’s always to hand.

03 | Storytelling Reference Sheets

I also keep a few of my One Page Novel cheatsheets with genre-based scene prompts, and the One Page Novel plot generator that I recently turned into a one-page printable (it was previously only web-based). These are for story inspiration.

☞ You can find a free version of the One Page Novel cheatsheet in the Coterie. The genre-based cheatsheets and the plot generator are exclusive to the online course.

Further suggestions:

1. Fold up a one page solo RPG to play when you’re waiting around. Use a refill for tracking or journalling your campaign, and tuck some miniature playing cards or tiny dice into the zipper pouch. Youtube search “wallet RPGs” or “pocket RPGs” to go down this rabbit hole.
2. Use the One Page Novel folding technique to create your own zines which you can then photocopy and gift to friends. Youtube search “one page zines” to go down this rabbit hole.
3. Use the One Page Novel story structure to write one-page short stories.
4. Pour the tiny Tarot deck cards into the zipper pouch, and find a compact guide book to carry with you so you can do impromptu Tarot readings for your friends — a very elegant social skill to practice! I have the smaller version of the Everyday Tarot and the guidebook fits perfectly in the card size traveler’s notebook.
5. Print out card size sudoku or chess endgames to play when you’re waiting around or on public transport.
6. Find more ideas by playing the fill your notebooks game.

Finding Refills

The cover is about 75mm wide and 110mm tall, which is the tiniest bit larger than A7 (74mm × 105 mm).

In practice, Apica A7 notebooks stick out of the side a few millimetres, and if you’re working with an A4 page folded into eighths, the overhang is even wider, and the closure elastic will wrinkle your paper.

This doesn’t dissuade me in the slightest, but one workaround is to wrap the flap of the pouch around the booklet to protect the edge.

The Midori A7 notebooks, having more pages, would also stick out of the cover at the side, but I think they would still be very cute and functional. Unfortunately, I don’t have one to try. :(

One Page Refills

You can use the One Page Novel folding technique (also popular for one page zines), to create a simple 16-sided refill for your card size traveler’s notebook.

☞ I should mention that once you’ve filled up 8 sides, you’ll need to turn your booklet inside out to use the other 8 sides.

One page booklets like this are perfect if you want to:

• Create weekly lists,
• Use your favourite fountain pen-friendly paper,
• Have a simple scratchpad that you throw out once it’s full,
• Or bind finished booklets together to archive.

If you want to avoid overhang, trim away 3.5cm from the long side of your A4 sheet before you fold.

Pen Loop

By leaving the pouch label unsewn on the fold, the designers have created a simple pen-loop that allows you to slide in a short and slim pen (or pencil) on either side of the flap. It’s this kind of clean and clever detail that I feel exemplifies Japanese design, and all Traveler’s Company stationery.

I’ve been using the Ohto Sharp Pencil APS-350ES (0.5mm) in my card size traveler’s notebook. Those little free Ikea pencils also fit, as does the Kaweco Liliput (though the fountain pen is quite snug).

But you don’t have to use the tab as a pen loop. The zipper pouch has a generous gusset which allows it to fit many pocket pens.

You can also attach a Traveler’s Company pen loop to the cover, or stick a Leuchtturm pen loop to the kraft folder (the XL size is best for fountain pens like the Kaweco Sport).