This is amazing! I love “stacking ammo.” Reminds me of an interview with Anne Tyler I just read in The guardian. She has a box of index cards where she jots down story ideas. When she pulls out enough cards that she wants to write about, she has the beginnings of a novel. I doubt she would refer to it as “stacking ammo,” but it’s the same concept.
These reminds me of a Phoebe Waller Bridge interview where they ask building a story, and she says she has good scenes that she creates a story around, rather than scenes within a story. I really connected with it bc it’s also how I write
I’ve been practicing with Luhmans technique to use an index card to capture the briefest ideas when reading. I go back when finished and for some of the ideas I’ll turn them into full fledged notes. Sometimes I’ll put the ideas into a notebook or on an index card. Periodically I’ll put the best stuff into Obsidian and link it to other ideas
This was super fascinating. I didnt know any of this about Eminem (then realised, well why would I lol) Thank you for sharing. Love that he loves language so much and his pen and pad!
Wow, that was so interesting! How cool to discover how you work best and dive that deeply into it. The courage to be that completely yourself is immense.
I love this celebration of notebooks and note-taking. My current favorite tome is a bookstore cat themed notebook in which I inscribe interesting book titles ,I want to follow up. Sadly, the notebook is nearly finished. I'm not sure what its successor will be, as I really hate the current trends of cute or inspirational notebooks.
A bookstore cat themed notebook sounds like something I'd love too. And I know what you mean. I'm super picky with my notebooks, which is why I end up making my own.
As a fellow messy note taker, I will admit I find it a bit redeeming to see someone successful with a similar style (writing across lines/ using multiple notebooks/ legal pads; I also have boxes of loose notes…) I found it interesting in the interview clip with Anderson Cooper that as he is looking at Eminem’s notes he said ‘this is what the notes of crazy people look like.’ Eminem just let it roll off him but I’m curious- although this is likely a ‘neuro-divergent’ way of note-taking, I’d be interested to know if the opposite of Anderson cooper’s statement has truth too- that there are ‘crazy’ people who take very tidy precise notes. I’m somewhat new to this Substack but I feel like what I’ve seen is that most people’s note-taking techniques are truly unique and I’ve enjoyed seeing all the diversity with each newsletter I’ve read.
I often wonder if Em’s mind ever rests. He reminds me of Bob Dylan, his process of almost channeling outside of himself to document on the page. Amazing.
"Love might be a battlefield, but rap is a puzzle." I loved this.
Every post of yours reminds me just how much we can glimpse into people by the way they arrange their thoughts on the page. At a fundamental level your substack is so much about compassion rather than analysis, and I really love that!
What an amazing process!! Love to see it—especially loved that you added "Lose Yourself" at the end because I was about to go listen to it after reading this. 😂
This is so amazing! I have always been a lover of rhyme and always doubted myself for loving something a tad childish. Reading Eminem's process feels so good and makes things feel so right! His notes are gorgeous like a stroll though his brain, watching it 'stack ammo'!
This is amazing! I love “stacking ammo.” Reminds me of an interview with Anne Tyler I just read in The guardian. She has a box of index cards where she jots down story ideas. When she pulls out enough cards that she wants to write about, she has the beginnings of a novel. I doubt she would refer to it as “stacking ammo,” but it’s the same concept.
Oooo-I'll have to check out that Anne Tyler interview. I'm so curious about how writers use index cards since they've never worked for me.
These reminds me of a Phoebe Waller Bridge interview where they ask building a story, and she says she has good scenes that she creates a story around, rather than scenes within a story. I really connected with it bc it’s also how I write
Here is the article. I'm jealous of her uncluttered house. I'd like to think that she keeps all her messy ideas contained in the index card boxes. Seems to me she's following Flaubert's rule: "Be regular and orderly in your life, like a bourgeois, so that you can be violent and original in your work." https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/feb/15/it-seemed-wrong-to-write-about-normal-life-after-that-horrendous-election-us-novelist-anne-tyler?utm_term=67b19b05886134d32673676c5d37f96c&utm_campaign=Bookmarks&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=bookmarks_email
I’ve been practicing with Luhmans technique to use an index card to capture the briefest ideas when reading. I go back when finished and for some of the ideas I’ll turn them into full fledged notes. Sometimes I’ll put the ideas into a notebook or on an index card. Periodically I’ll put the best stuff into Obsidian and link it to other ideas
This was super fascinating. I didnt know any of this about Eminem (then realised, well why would I lol) Thank you for sharing. Love that he loves language so much and his pen and pad!
Yes! I love anyone who loves language as much as he does.
Wow, that was so interesting! How cool to discover how you work best and dive that deeply into it. The courage to be that completely yourself is immense.
You're so right. It's amazing how much courage it takes to be authentic to yourself.
Damn this is inspiring me to drop some bars. Amazing piece!
Go do it, Max!
Amazing post. Thank you
You're welcome, Donna!
I’ve always been fascinated by Eminem and I have great respect for his talent. LOVE this “Noted” on him!
I feel the same way about Eminem! So glad you enjoyed this post.
I love this celebration of notebooks and note-taking. My current favorite tome is a bookstore cat themed notebook in which I inscribe interesting book titles ,I want to follow up. Sadly, the notebook is nearly finished. I'm not sure what its successor will be, as I really hate the current trends of cute or inspirational notebooks.
A bookstore cat themed notebook sounds like something I'd love too. And I know what you mean. I'm super picky with my notebooks, which is why I end up making my own.
New here with you. This post is so inspiring. Mystic sentence trees!
Eminem's notes reminded me of Emily Dickinson's poetry and her "gorgeous nothings'
https://www.ndbooks.com/book/the-gorgeous-nothings/
Yes! I thought so too. Wouldn't it be awesome if Eminem made his own fascicles too!
That would be so cool. Instant best-seller.
As a fellow messy note taker, I will admit I find it a bit redeeming to see someone successful with a similar style (writing across lines/ using multiple notebooks/ legal pads; I also have boxes of loose notes…) I found it interesting in the interview clip with Anderson Cooper that as he is looking at Eminem’s notes he said ‘this is what the notes of crazy people look like.’ Eminem just let it roll off him but I’m curious- although this is likely a ‘neuro-divergent’ way of note-taking, I’d be interested to know if the opposite of Anderson cooper’s statement has truth too- that there are ‘crazy’ people who take very tidy precise notes. I’m somewhat new to this Substack but I feel like what I’ve seen is that most people’s note-taking techniques are truly unique and I’ve enjoyed seeing all the diversity with each newsletter I’ve read.
I often wonder if Em’s mind ever rests. He reminds me of Bob Dylan, his process of almost channeling outside of himself to document on the page. Amazing.
"Love might be a battlefield, but rap is a puzzle." I loved this.
Every post of yours reminds me just how much we can glimpse into people by the way they arrange their thoughts on the page. At a fundamental level your substack is so much about compassion rather than analysis, and I really love that!
What an amazing process!! Love to see it—especially loved that you added "Lose Yourself" at the end because I was about to go listen to it after reading this. 😂
I loved this piece then and now I love it again. <3
This is so amazing! I have always been a lover of rhyme and always doubted myself for loving something a tad childish. Reading Eminem's process feels so good and makes things feel so right! His notes are gorgeous like a stroll though his brain, watching it 'stack ammo'!
This was really motivating and liberating... do what works for you!
This is honestly one of my favourite Noted's. Glad to have the chance to re-read it today :)