I’m confident that this is the quickest, simplest, and most versatile system for setting up a commonplace book.

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Commonplace Book Setup

1. Write the number ‘1’.
2. Write your entry.
3. Write your source.
4. For your next entry, number it ‘2’, and continue giving each entry its own unique number.

You might recognise this as the Zettelkasten method adapted to work in a bound commonplace book.

Best Practices for Commonplace Books

Commonplace Indexes

Create an index by listing out keywords related to your entry (and that align with your interests), followed by the relevant entry numbers.

For example:

Imagination – 4, 5, 6
Margins – 6, 9, 18
Shakespeare – 13-16, 18-19

1. This system allows you place any entry under multiple keywords or headings.
2. You can create indexes for:
   1. Keywords listed alphabetically,
   2. Keyword collections related to a more general subject of interest,
   3. Collections of entries related to a particular project.
3. I recommended keeping indexes in a companion notebook that allows you to add and move pages, or a collection of index cards.
4. Log your entry in your index for any keyword that interests you AT THE MOMENT YOU WRITE YOUR ENTRY.

Commonplace Book Margins

1. Leaving a wide margin is recommended for noting down personal reflections, and cross-references to other entries (by using their unique number).
2. You can use the width of a ruler to draw your margins.
3. If your pages are thin, you can also create a layout template to insert behind your page as you write.
4. Depending on the size and aspect ratio of your notebook you might even like to leave the facing page blank as a “margin”.
5. The use of columns and marginal notes is a mnemonic technique that dates back to the classical/medieval Art of Memory.
6. I recommend writing the entry reference number before the entry, rather than in the margin, so it doesn’t get confused with any cross-references you might add.
7. I recommend writing the citation underneath the entry, because it isn’t usually important information that you need to draw attention to.

☞ See my previous article on Commonplace Curricula for inspiration on What to Write in Your Commonplace Book.