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How do I Build a Writer's Journal?
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Tara ♪
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Jul 27, 2013 07:36PM
Hi, guys! I've been working on really beefing up my Writer's Journal. I've already copied some very helpful advice into the beginning of it for reference, and I've done character profiles on some of my characters. I have some writing prompts and such that I want to incorporate, but what else should I add to really help my writing?
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Tara (Duchess of Grammar) wrote: "Hi, guys! I've been working on really beefing up my Writer's Journal. I've already copied some very helpful advice into the beginning of it for reference, and I've done character profiles on some o..."I don't exactly do this but I think something about getting past Writer's Block should most certainly be in there.
Definitely agree with Irene!!And do you have a Pinterest? Because I have a whole board dedicating to writing and journaling. You should look stuff like that on there. :)
(And if you want to add my Pinterest, mine is JessicaLyn143 :)
A writer's journal is something i have yet to explore in more depth.
It's a really interesting idea Lucinda, I have a friend who keeps one in addition to her art journal.
I have one :) it's really helpful, especially when I have writers block!
How about something personal to you, like what writing 'success' would look like to you? And what it would mean to you...Also, you could keep track of any decisions you make regarding your work in progress and why, as well as practical things like when you are most productive with your writing, and what inspires you...Sorry if you've already covered some of these things!
Claire wrote: "How about something personal to you, like what writing 'success' would look like to you? And what it would mean to you...Also, you could keep track of any decisions you make regarding your work in ..."That's a pretty good list Claire! I just have a, well i'm not sure what you call it, journal. It's like a cross between an art journal and a writing journal and it has some of those in it.
Irene wrote: "It's a really interesting idea Lucinda, I have a friend who keeps one in addition to her art journal."So a compilation of ideas such as random thoughts, inspiration (say quotes from authors etc.), character profiles, storylines (...i have hundreds in my head all the time!), settings, maps, sketches...anything from the imagination where dreams can be turned into something tangible and useable for a novel. Writing advice from other authors, cuttings, character profiles and family trees. etc.
...something like that, i'm presuming??
Lucinda wrote: "Irene wrote: "It's a really interesting idea Lucinda, I have a friend who keeps one in addition to her art journal."So a compilation of ideas such as random thoughts, inspiration (say quotes from..."
Something like that :) Hers is pretty advanced and complex but she writes everything down. I know she has entire pages devoted to characters that have no storyline and they have clothing from magazines pasted around them with little blurbs.
Her art journal is actually a little different but not by much and is pretty fun to flip through (mine is based a lot on what I have seen in her art journal).
Sounds great! I am keen to get started on one :) Hopefully it may help my writing.
Lucinda wrote: "Sounds great! I am keen to get started on one :) Hopefully it may help my writing."Good luck then! I finally got the nerve up and started myself one on the promise that I would do whatever I felt like (in creating) and that it was a "safe place" for me to be free and do as I please, which is really important.
I must confess, in my work with writers I often suggest they keep a writing log - even just for a short period, and it provides plenty for us to talk about - including identifying best working patterns and keeping motivation up - BUT when I look around my own house my creative notes are everwhere! I always think one day I might get round to making a scrapbook of all the torn-out articles / scribbles on the backs of envelopes and bills...So perhaps it would be good for me to focus my notes in one place, and perhaps for the diligent journal writer it would be interesting to let the notes jostle one another a little more, to spill out of the journal and into the office / world for a few weeks?
Wow, good ideas. These are great! And think it would help, Claire. :)
Irene wrote: "Lucinda wrote: "Sounds great! I am keen to get started on one :) Hopefully it may help my writing."Good luck then! I finally got the nerve up and started myself one on the promise that I would do..."
I am starting to gather ideas together in one place, and begin a journal. I am sure that having everything in one place will be a really useful source to refer to when writing, and i find myself already inspired!
Hi I'm Michal. I'd like to know what you mean when you say writer's journal?I always thought it was a record of life or like Artist's Way morning pages, or a place to dump, rant or practice. Or all of those.
This is an interesting idea. Is it like a resource??
I do this on Evernote, collect ideas for writing.
Thanks for sharing Pinterest, Jessica! I never thought about using it for writing. Another way to procrastinate...
I like this blog about journalling:
http://www.writingthroughlife.com/
Is it Irene> you should check Evernote out. You can get rid of all those scraps you have scribbled on into one place. And it's searchable so you can actually find something again! Lol!
I blog here: http://bsdkarni.blogspot.co.il/
and here: http://michalkarni.blogspot.co.il/
I just bought a new journal/diary. I'm going to start recording daily for the next year. A sentence a day and weather-I have wanted a natural history journal forever. this year is the year.I'm keeping it small: one line! I can always do more.
I used to try writing in my journal every day, but I always find myself busy and forgetting.
Michal wrote: "Hi I'm Michal. I'd like to know what you mean when you say writer's journal?I always thought it was a record of life or like Artist's Way morning pages, or a place to dump, rant or practice. Or al..."
It's kinda whatever you want it to be really. I mean I do morning pages concept (but they aren't in the morning) but I don't do that in my journal. My journal is a place to do new things and involve mixed media. Thank-you for the link, I have actually looked at evernote but something about the physical-ness of what I have appeals to me.
For me, a writer's journal is a place to put ideas, hints, lessons, and inspiration. It's a place to practice. Most of my ideas are spread out, but I have a table of contents. And on that table on contents you can find a page where I have written down where ideas for a particular book are and what order they are supposed to go in. I'm a compulsive organizer... I even have a journal, diary type book that I keep. And there's an index. That index directs you to page numbers where other indexes are found. Those other ones are organized by type... I have a "KEEP OUT" index, "Art/Media/Poetry/Writing/Book References" Index, a Recipe index, a math problem index, etc., etc. And, of course, on each of those indexes you will find the page number and description of things that are referenced. For example "Pork Chop Recipe, pg. #" "List of Ann Rinaldi Books, pg. #" "Words to Held by Natalie Grant, pg. #" etc. etc. etc.So, yeah, that's me... :)
♪ Tara ♪ wrote: "For me, a writer's journal is a place to put ideas, hints, lessons, and inspiration. It's a place to practice. Most of my ideas are spread out, but I have a table of contents. And on that table on ..."What can I say? WOW. That's amazing.
♪ Tara ♪ wrote: "For me, a writer's journal is a place to put ideas, hints, lessons, and inspiration. It's a place to practice. Most of my ideas are spread out, but I have a table of contents. And on that table on ..."That sounds really structured and organized! I bet it is facinating to look back at what inspires you.
I am certainly not organized when it comes to scribbling down notes for my novel, or map drawings which find themselves being drawn on odd bits of paper. I have loads of cuttings and notes that really need to be put in one place, so that i can find them!
How do you use Pininterest for writing? I've thought about getting one, but it's all pictures.
I have a small notebook that I carry around with me, and whenever inspiration strikes, I write. There also happen to be science formulas for calculating the altitude of the sun, quotes, a family tree in which I was trying to figure out how two people were related to each other, and a doodle that I've declared "Alfred the Faceless Tenor". So wrote anything :)
@EmmaSo do I! It's really helpful. I find getting more inspiration when I'm alone outside away from all the noise.
My friends and I write together a lot. We give each other inspiration too ;)
My friends and I write together a lot. We give each other inspiration too ;)
True, Pinterest is just a bunch of pictures, but there are some great tips in picture form that you can look at. If you want inspiration for writing boards, do a search, or you can find one of your mods on Pinterest and look at what we have. Mine is Nannerl23 (that's Nannerl with an "L," not a 1) and Jessica's is JessicaLyn143.
i like looking at pintrest for inspiration, but I never thought of actually getting one.I use the fashion from 1800s boards :D
It's actually pretty useful, Emma. :) I like vintage clothes, too, and I love all of the writing tips and quotes available there. :)
