I guess we have all been there......
When I took my first flying lessons, R22 helicopter, writing stuff down in flight was discouraged as you really need to be "hands on" all of the time.
A tip I picked up quite early on was to tune to the radio station you are going to talk to as early as you can and then listen. Often there will be other traffic talking to them and getting most of the info you will be getting, QNH, QFE, wind, circuit direction, runway in use, inbound reporting points etc. Get this info clear and set on your dials and then call them up, you will then only need to check what is given plus the additional bits unique to you such as squawk code, number ahead in circuit etc.
Now I fly 3 axis and thus have a spare hand I still don't write on a knee pad while in flight. I might add a frequency (in big permanent marker) to my chart if told to change to somewhere I hadn't planned to talk to en route.
It does get easier as you get used to what will be said and when you get used to the sound of the voice when scrunched by the radio.
Rans6...