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Oh So Clear

Here’s my best writing advice for anyone struggling to be prolific: Keep a sh*tbook.

What the hell is a sh*tbook?

A sh*tbook is like a sketchbook for writers, except instead of rough sketches, you’re depositing rough thoughts. And I do mean rough. We’re talking unpolished, unedited, completely unhinged brain vomit.

I first came across this concept through a YouTube video about visual artists who deliberately call their sketchbooks “sh*tbooks” to remove any pressure to create polished work. A writing sh*tbook applies the same idea to writing: it’s a place to dump words without caring about quality, coherence, or readability. It’s deliberately not a “writer’s notebook” or a “journal.” The name makes it perfectly clear that it’s supposed to be full of crap.

So when you’re writing in your sh*tbook, you’re basically sticking your finger down your brain’s throat to see what projectile-vomits onto the page. The goal isn’t to write something publishable or even coherent. You’re not trying to make a point, stay on topic, or sound clever — you’re just writing to see what’s floating around in your head.

So a sh*tbook is like morning pages?

Not exactly. Morning pages sounds like something you do while sipping a hot cup of tea, gazing serenely out your window at the sunrise, wearing a cozy cardigan. It comes with an aesthetic — the right journal, the perfect pen, and maybe the soft glow of sunlight spilling across the page. There’s even a whole subculture of people posting pretty pictures of their morning pages setup with coffee cups and perfect lighting.

With morning pages there’s still an implied standard of quality, even if it’s low. Your dumping thoughts, sure, but tastefully.

A sh*tbook has none of that. It’s raw, chaotic, and completely free of standards. Nobody’s posting their sh*tbook on Instagram. It would be like posting photos of your unflushed toilet bowl.