Keeping a Creative Writing Journal
The Benfits of Writing a Daily Journal or Diary for Authors
Anyone who aspires to write prose or poetry might find keeping a journal helpful. A journal does not need to be a complicated affair. In fact, a fancy notebook with an expensive, flowery cover can be intimidating. Your entries can be recorded in a simple, plain notebook, a commercial diary, or in a computer file.
What are the Benefits of Keeping a Journal?
A journal is good practice for aspiring authors who are not yet working on a long piece. It prompts a new writer to write every day and gets the writer acquainted and comfortable with recording thoughts.For the experienced writer, the journal is a good place to write freehand, with complete freedom, with thoughts not restricted to a certain story or project. For beginning and experienced writers alike, the journal is a great place for self-discovery and to explore ideas in a totally unstructured environment.
When should you Write in your Journal?
Most journalists try to make a daily entry, either in the morning or in the evening. It is a good practice to schedule a regular time to write in a journal. Many writers like to record their thoughts first thing in the morning, especially if they have vivid dreams. If this is the case, keep pen and notebook by the nightstand. Others prefer to write in the evenings to give an account of their impressions and images of the day. No matter when you choose to write, try to set aside a specific amount of quiet time, fifteen minutes or half an hour each day to write in your journal.
Example: A well-known poet was in the habit of writing in his journal every morning. He found that early morning was when he felt the most inspired. He took about ten minutes after getting out of bed to write down thoughts and images which he later used in his poetry.
What should you Write in your Journal?
A creative journal should be more than just a daily account of your activities such as you would find in a personal diary. “Got up, went to the store, picked up son at soccer, watched TV, went to bed” is not going to help create scenes for your next poem or novel.
The purpose of the journal should be to capture emotions, random scenes, and thoughts and observations that might have some use later on in your literary endeavors. Concentrate not only on the events of the day, but on specific descriptions, bits of overheard dialogue, reactions and emotions. A journal is also a good place to record the details of your surroundings. For example, if you are vacationing by the seaside, you can capture the feeling of being there firsthand to use later on if you need such a scene for a future short story or novel.
If you can't think of anything to write in your journal, a good exercise is to write freehand. Just let your thoughts roam free and write down whatever comes to mind. Sometimes very interesting subconscious thoughts and feelings will surface.
Should you Always Keep a Journal?
A journal's main purpose is to give a writer incentive to write a little every day. If you are already engaged in a long-term project, such as a novel, you might not want to keep an additional daily journal while you are actively writing. It might be more to your advantage to focus on your novel or work in progress and return to journal writing when you complete the project. . A journal should be a joy, and never a burden.
If you are already writing every day or feel too busy to keep a daily journal, there are other ways to record those random thoughts that crop up from time to time that are not suitable for the book you are working on. One method of storing random ideas without maintaining a lengthy daily journal is discussed in the article below, Generating Story Ideas.
Tips:
- Schedule a time to write in your journal every day
- Try to write in the journal every day
- Reserve a specific amount of quiet time, at least fifteen minutes a day, to write in your journal
- Write about observations and emotions; be descriptive
- Don't be afraid to write in your journal: keep it in a safe place so no one will see it but you
For more helpful tips see:
Generating Story Ideas: Tips on Finding Great Ideas for a Short Story or Novel
Turning Ideas into Stories: How to Develop a General Idea into a Novel or Short Story
Keeping a Journal
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