For those who do, what do you keep in your notebook?

I post in quick descriptions of faces or places. Notes that are important to the story I'm writing. Phone numbers of people who I should check with. Lines of dialogue. Facts that should be incorporated.

I keep 2 notebooks: one is a writing journal, where I record writing progress, and write stream of consciousness journal entries. It has become a sort of daily writing exercise, for knapping the edge of the flint.

The other notebook is for drafts and re-drafts of poems and stories.

A useful notebook should be durable; portable, but not too small. I like these moleskines for the job, but there are plenty of decent, maybe better, brands. I have a friend who prefers not to write longhand, and he uses an ipad. I'm sure some people use their phones.

Do whatever works, but write often. I don't think you can be a good writer unless your writing is always with you.

For me, Just having the notebook in my coat can be enough to get the millstone grinding. Knowing it is there, I try to make every walk to the shops, train journey and dentist's appointment into an excuse to observe, to reflect on images, words, faces, shapes, possible phrases - all of this is potentially valuable poetic loot - and when a spark emerges, to put it onto the page as soon as possible.

And without wanting to labor the cliche, coffee shops are goldmines, of course.