Journal Writing
1 Comment »18th May, 2010; Category: Articles, Journal Writing, The Writer's Life, Writing a novel, Young Readers
Some writers do not understand the power of regularly writing in a personal journal.
Journal writing is an excellent way of honing many writing skills that are essential to the writing process. It doesn’t matter much whether you write fiction, non-fiction, articles or blogs, regular writing practice is essential. If possible, I’d encourage all writers, especially beginner writers, to write every day, even if in the first few months or years journal writing is all you do.
I’ve kept a personal journal since July 1990. That means the 20th anniversary is coming up very soon; I must remember to celebrate it here on this blog. I write about anything that comes to mind about events and people in my life. I filled several hand written volumes at first but in recent years I have tended to use my computer. One day I might get around to printing it all out and binding the pages into booklets.
More recently I have also been keeping a writing journal. In this I have recorded the processes I have gone through in writing my stories, especially my recent novels. The journals include details of my ideas, sources of inspiration, research findings and the decisions I had to make along the way. In part you can read how I went about ‘Writing a Novel’ here.
When I was a classroom teacher I used Journal Writing as an integral part of encouraging children to write. The skills developed in my programme had some amazing results, not just with writing. I wrote about it in this article: The Power of Journal Writing – a Story of Hope.
This article relates the experience I had with one of my former students. I bring it to your attention now – especially for my many new readers who may have missed it at the time.
Good writing.
Distractions from writing
There are many things which can distract writers from their writing. Some example:
- Illness
- Holidays
- Television
- Family
- Full time jobs
- Hobbies
- Lack of motivation
- Lack of ideas
- The internet
- _________________ (inset your own prime distraction).
Successful writers keep writing despite the distractions. They find ways around the distractions and keep writing.
It has been quite a few days since my last entry here on this blog about writing. I’ve still been writing – just not here. Instead I’ve been busy posting blog articles on my other two blogs. These numerous articles will appear on those blogs over the coming three weeks while I take an interstate holiday. I’ll be playing with my 19 month old grandson. That’s very important to me. While I’m away the blog posts will keep on appearing, both here and on the other blogs.
Why not take a look at those other blogs? I’d love you to leave some comments too.
- Trevor’s Birding – about my love of Australian birds – complete with stunning photos of our beautiful bird life here in Australia.
- Trevor’s Travels – about my adventures here in Australia and in Thailand and Nepal. Complete with lovely photos of some beautiful places I’ve been.
Chocolate as an essential writing tool
I have not read a single book on the craft of writing which has mentioned the benefits of chocolate as a tool essential for writing and writers except one who mentioned it in an interview and only then in passing.
I think there is a niche market there just waiting to be exploited.
Some working titles for books about chocolate and writing:
- How chocolate can improve your writing (a book for beginners)
- The age of chocolate (for historical fiction writers)
- Hand over the chocolate and no-one will get hurt (for crime writers)
- Zen and the art of eating chocolate while writing your novel (for novelist bikies)
- The elements of chocolate and your writing style (to help with your grammar)
- Fiction and the art of choosing chocolate (for fiction writers)
- Chocolate and inspiration (for religious writers)
- Dark chocolate (for horror/gothic writers)
- Choc Wars (for SF writers)
- Star Choc (for SF television series writers)
- N.C.I.S. Down Under (N.C.I.S. = No Chocolate Is Safe) (a manual for writers of the proposed television series)
- Chocbusters (for those writers about debunking the myths about chocolate)
If you have any other suggestions please leave them in the comments section.
Imagine it and make it happen
Today’s quote about writing:
“All the things we achieve are things we have first imagined and then made happen.”
David Malouf, Australian writer
Imagination is a powerful, essential, elemental, almost organic tool of the writer. It is the driving force behind all writers, especially writers of fiction. Without our imagination our stories cannot take shape, the characters cannot come to life and the plot limps along until either the reader or the writer give it up as a hopeless cause.
But when the writer calls upon an active imagination, the story can soar to wonderful heights, the characters can develop vibrant, energetic lives and the plot grabs the attention of the writer demanding to be written. And when this happens the readers are carried along in that imaginary world of delights and the book cannot be put down. Hopefully it also sells many copies via word of mouth too.
But I wonder if David Malouf was actually thinking along these lines?
Was he instead thinking about dreams and goal setting? It doesn’t really matter for it doesn’t negate what I’ve already written. Dreaming big dreams and setting goals with our writing (and all other areas of life) can result in amazing outcomes. Without dreams and goals we tend to drift through life aimlessly.
Dream big – you might just surprise yourself.
I’ll give you a few examples:
- Imagine holding your first novel in your hands. Feel it, look at it, smell it.
- Dream about the day you sign a three book contract – and the satisfied feeling it engenders.
- Visualise walking across the stage to receive that literary prize.
- Plan and rehearse what you are going to say and do when you launch your first book.
On the last item my wife and I attended a friend’s book launch last year. My wife took detailed notes on what to do and how to run a launch – and she keeps reminding me of this. It spurs me on to get that manuscript finished and off to a publisher.
Dream big.
Make it happen.
Good writing.
Write the best you can
Today’s quote:
“I have tried simply to write the best I can; sometimes I have good luck and write better than I can.” Ernest Hemingway.
I guess countless writers would like to write as well as Hemingway. Many have tried, few have succeeded.
In any endeavour this is an excellent maxim on which to base one’s activities. Always strive to do your best, sometimes you will surprise even yourself.
I guess one could also say that sometimes we get lucky and write really well. I would contend, however, that if we continue to strive to be better writers, and constantly and consistently persist at the craft, that we will improve. I know I have and my readers tell me so. My most demanding reader and critic is my wife; she tells me that I’ve improved out of sight in the last few years. That is encouraging, and it helps me to keep going – and keep improving.
Good writing.