How to write in a VERY thick notebook

Question

You have probably seen it in fantasy movies or games - a mage or a paladin with a massive grimoire or spellbook or whatever strapped to his side, which he would in times of need open and recite a chant/cast a spell.

I've been writing diaries since childhood, so several years ago I decided to make something GRAND, bought lots of writing paper and hacked together a thick notebook. Thick like 6-6.5cm thick, with 500-600 pages IIRC.

The question that's been tormenting me since then is 'how the hell do they write in these books?!' because obviously the closer to the bottom of the page the more your hand hangs in the air. The last few lines are written with basically no support for your wrist.

I've tried putting down something for support, but having another device the size of the book itself is not very convenient. For now I have to do it (depending on the mood) either in a way that resembles drawing with a brush (which is tiring, slow and sloppy) or supporting my right hand with my left (the pages are blank, so I have to put a lined sheet underneath the current page, and it requires the left hand to push the page down for the lines to be visible - therefore the second method doesn't work very well).

A quick Google search doesn't give any useful info, only advice about using writing mats, but I suspect they won't be very useful with a notebook this thick.

Before I dive into a futile endeavor of hacking together a miraculous wrist-supporting compact folding contraption, are there any alternatives you know of which I have missed? Some technique to hold your hand in a special way? Ways to put the book in a certain position to alleviate the problem?

The book itself is modifiable to an extent (meaning I can dismantle it and probably assemble back), so advice on reconfiguring the book itself is also acceptable.

Answer 1

I turn the book.

I write what I can comfortably write at the top of the page, then turn the book and write "from the bottom up" or from the side in or from the middle out, whatever feels most comfortable. I number the sections to mark their order.

But that is for a note book – a book to take notes in, not a grimoire to be passed on to my wizard successor. You know that those old handwritten books were written on single sheets of paper or parchment, and only bound after they had been finished, don't you?

Answer 2

This is a common problem, especially with hard-backed notebooks. Using "something to support the wrist", as you say, can work. Usually I have at least two similar notebooks on the go and use one or more of them for support. You can turn the same trick using printed books, especially paperbacks. Using books allows you to adjust the depth of the supporting wad of pages.

If you're using a spiral bound "notebook" or pad you can flip the pages round so you have just a thin stack of paper under your hand. For that though, you should write on just one side of the paper: the right hand side if your're right handed. Using just one side of the paper has many advantages e.g. you can later break open the pad and edit your text using the original cut and paste technique.

Answer 3

Journallers go through notebooks rather quickly, so the temptation to buy one with more pages is very real. Preceding to the lower half of each page reveals the writing support problem. The solution for me was to purchase two identical notebooks & use one to support the writing hand & wrist.

This will eventually need adjustment, so using books of varying thickness would work. Is this impractical? It sure is at times anyway.

A more practical but more challenging solution would be to adjust to the situation. It's not really that easy at first & some find it impossible. It can be mastered though in time. Handwriting quality may suffer for a while, but it's a personal journal so relax. Be patient; your muscle memory will eventually take the lead & you're on your way.