A closer look

Why use a normal notebook when you can turn your masterpiece into a disorganized game of 52 pickup? Vladimir Nabokov wrote 'Lolita' entirely on small index cards, which he kept stored in a long box. He claimed this method allowed him to shuffle the scenes around whenever he pleased, physically rearranging the narrative like a maniacal file clerk. It also meant dropping the box would have literally destroyed the structure of the novel.