Convincing Reasons Why You Need To Start A Journal Today

There are many ways we can improve our writing and search for inspiration for new stories. Some techniques involve specific exercises or study of the craft, others might be about getting organized or eliminating distractions, but one that comes up time and time again and is pretty much proven to work for any writer is to write as frequently and prolifically as you can.

Of course, without any direction, it can be challenging to find the time to write regularly. Keeping a writing journal could be your answer to this problem, and has many benefits for the writer - no matter what kind you do. Here are some of the most convincing reasons why you should start a writer's journal today.

You'll write every day

As mentioned above, practice makes perfect, and journaling helps give you a structure and a format and a place to write every day, without making it seem too arduous or overwhelming.

You'll capture your thoughts and emotions

Because your journal is personal to you, you can use it as a place to express your feelings as genuinely and uninhibitedly as you wish. This can help you discover the essence of raw emotions and what catalyzes them, which will be very valuable for your stories.

You'll improve your writing style

Your journal can be a place to experiment with different styles. You can write from different perspectives, imagine a unique reader each time, and change your tone to evoke a range of feelings, all of which will help to improve your writing style.

You'll learn what's essential and what isn't

If you commit (or limit) yourself to writing around a page per day in your journal, you can quickly learn the art of trimming down your language and writing more concisely. You can cut out what's irrelevant or uninteresting and learn to make every word count. 

You are free to write without criticism or judgment

No one has to read your journal - it's just for you. Because of this, you can express your thoughts and opinions freely. This can lead to some very revealing, cathartic, and exciting pieces of writing which you can use creatively. When you are writing in your journal, you can be bold and daring and honest, which will help you create powerful pieces of writing that can be used to inspire your fictional work.

You can practice your editing

By using a journal to write in daily, you have lots of ready-made material to practice your editing skills. Go back through what you have written and see how you could make it more engaging, gripping, and powerful - as well as keep eagle-eyed for spelling and grammatical errors too.

These reasons have hopefully made it clear why journaling can be so beneficial for every writer. So what are you waiting for? Start your journal today!

Bethany Cadman - bethanycadman.co.uk

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