Angela Booth's Writing Blog

Your writing journal: your most important writing tool

Do you keep a writing journal?

A journal can be your most important writing tool, because keeping a journal can be therapeutic.

I've covered writing journals and using them extensively on this blog, here are several entries other writers tell me helped them:

* Writing Journal Exercise: Tell a story, solve a challenge Got a challenge in your life? Your writing journal can help you to resolve it.

* Writing yourself sane - kill your inner critic When you start out as a writer, you can be plagued by your inner critic. Here's a tip -- over time, as you become a professional, with commitments, your critic will be silenced, simply because you don't have time to listen. :-)

* Weekly Writers' Journal Prompts: Get emotional Become more in tune with your emotions.

* What am I grateful for, what did I learn in 2007? You can use this journal exercise in any year, of course. :-)

* Weekly Writers' Journal Prompts: Warm up by writing letters in your journal When you're stuck, or can't get started writing, try writing a letter.

* Get creative: log your life Create a life log -- this is a fascinating idea, try it.

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Writing Journal Exercise: Tell a story, solve a challenge

Everyone has challenges.

This week, as a journal exercise, make a list of several challenges you have. Then choose one challenge.

Start by defining it:

"My challenge is_________. It impacts my life in these five ways (list the ways.) Solving this challenge would bring me these five benefits (list the benefits.)"

You're going to solve this challenge for someone else -- a character. As you solve the challenge for your character by telling a story, you'll get ideas on how you might solve your challenge.

So, create a fictional character.

If you wish, you can take a character from someone else's fiction, rather than your own. How would Mickey Mouse solve your problem? How would Rambo or Wonder Woman cope?

Write a story of 400 words, showing how your character overcomes the challenge.

Image: Wonder Woman

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Writing yourself sane - kill your inner critic

Writing can be therapeutic.

Here's a simple exercise which will help you to kill your inner critic when you don't want him or her around.

Yes, you need your inner critic during the editing process, but when you're drafting and writing, the critic should shut up. In "Writing reality: writing is a process" I said:

Many new writers expect golden words to flow from their fingertips instantly.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Your first draft of anything you write should always be awful, nonsensical, and all but unintelligible.

If you're a new writer, or are an established writer who's never learned to manage your inner critic, this exercise will help.

The exercise:

Write a letter to your inner critic, describing five ways in which your inner critic is damaging your writing.

Start the letter with "Dear Inner Critic: I know you want what's best for me, but you're ruining my writing and my life in these five ways."

How I created the exercise, and its effects

I created this exercise for one of my mentoring students. He's a terrific writer, but he was writing very little because he used to find writing torture. His inner critic was totally in charge.

For example, when I asked him to do a five minute free writing exercise and send me the results, his writing was anything but free. He couldn't be spontaneous - he was editing in his head.

His inner critic wouldn't let him write naturally. It insisted on getting into the act. I devised the "letter to your inner critic" exercise to help him to understand that his inner critic had an Off switch. Whenever he wished to, he could communicate with his inner critic, and turn it off.

The result? My young writer friend found that he was much more creative. He found writing fun, and wrote more. He started to sell, and is working on his third book. He's on great terms with his inner critic, who now only shows up when he's invited to, during the editing process.

I commend this exercise to you -- try it.

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Writing journal exercise: crime witness

It's been a while since we did journal exercises, so let's get back to them.

Journal exercises are great if you've been avoiding writing; they're a painless way of limbering up your writing muscles. Have fun with them, and do  keep them - you never know when a one-page exercise will trigger a longer project.

You've witnessed a crime

Imagine that you've witnessed a crime, and you're telling someone about it - a friend, a police officer, or a reporter.

The "you" in this exercise may be you, or it may be character you've created. If it's a character, give the character a name, age and back story (history.)

Either way, explain exactly what you saw and heard when you witnessed the crime.

Write 400 words.

Write more - become a pro writer

Yes, you can write more and become an expert writer - even if you're a world-class procrastinator.

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Writing Journal: Write and solve one challenge you have - using Tarot

Your writing can be a wonderful problem-solving tool. It's therapeutic. Try it.

In this journal exercise, you'll use Tarot and writing to solve a challenge in an area of your life. Your challenge may be related to your health, finances, relationships - just choose a challenge which is on your mind.

Start by writing your challenge in the form of a question. For example:

* "How can I find more time to write?";

* "How can I improve my relationship with _______?";

* "How can I get $_____ by ________ to pay off my credit card debt?";

* "How can I lose ten pounds by _______(date)?"

Now take out a Tarot deck, and shuffle the cards lightly, then choose a card.

No Tarot cards? Visit Aeclectic Tarot, choose a deck, and then choose any card from any deck as your answer to your question. Any card will do - one card will speak to you. :-)

Now start writing, just glance at the card, and write whatever comes to mind. You can: imagine the person or an object in the card is answering your question, tell a story, or just free write.

I love using Tarot to find creative solutions to challenges. Tarot always seems to work. Why and how is a mystery. Carl Jung believed Tarot worked by means of synchronicity.

Whatever. :-) Try writing and Tarot - let me know how it works for you in the Comments.

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Weekly Writers' Journal Prompts: Surprise yourself

This week, surprise yourself every time you write.

Here's how.

Open your dictionary and choose three words. Any words will do.

Write 150 words, including those three words.

Then open your dictionary again, and choose another three words.

Write another 150 words, including the three words you just chose.

Write quickly, don't stop and think about what you're writing, just write whatever comes to mind.

You've now written 300 words.

Close the computer file, or put your journal away.

Tomorrow, look at your 300 words - do you have the beginnings of a story, or an essay?

You'll often surprise yourself that indeed you do.

If you don't, do the exercise again.

This exercise is great to tap into your creativity, and you can do it anytime, anywhere.

Share your thoughts about the results you got from this exercise in the comments to this post.

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Weekly Writers' Journal Prompts: Writing through your senses

Photo credit

Did you know that your sensory memories are the doorways to stories?

Close your eyes, and imagine the smell and taste of coffee.

Almost immediately, you'll remember a specific occasion on which you drank coffee, and if you're lucky, you'll get a tiny capsule plot for a story as well.

I just did this exercise, and remembered an afternoon tea party which took place at least forty years ago: I saw the round table, the dainty china, and the guests too. Almost simultaneously, I got an idea for a short story.

Accessing any of your senses, and your sensory memories will evoke inspiration. Your senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch are the doors to memory and creativity.

Journal exercise

Try this exercise. Grab a timer, your journal, and a pen. Set the timer for five minutes.

Close your eyes, and evoke the scent of your favorite perfume (or aftershave).

Free write for five minutes. Write without lifting your pen from the paper - write anything that the sensory memory brings to mind.

Free writing prompts and writing tips - have fun, improve your writing skills

You can now get my writing prompts and writing tips via email.

For years, the writing prompts and writing tips have been the most popular posts on this blog, and I’ve received many requests from readers who’d like them delivered to their Inbox.

So here you go: twice a week (every four days) you’ll receive a new message from Your Everyday Write, with two writing prompts and a writing tip.

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What am I grateful for, what did I learn in 2007?

Here's a fun exercise for you if you tend to look on the negatives of your writing - your whines and wails. :-)

In your journal, turn to a fresh page, and write "Five things I'm grateful for in 2007:__________"

Turn to another page, and write "Five things I learned in 2007: __________"

Your five things don't need to be writing-related, because if you're a writer, everything's related to your writing anyway. :-)

Here are some things I'm grateful for:

* My lovely, wonderful iMac, and Leopard, which make writing easy and help me to be more creative...

* My cute little Circa PDA, which keeps me motivated and on track...

* Honey, my sweetly rambunctious Jack Russell terrier, who loves me anyway, even when I can't take her for a walk because I'm busy...

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Weekly Writers' Journal Prompts: Write your intentions

Photo credit: Paperback Writer

This week, achieve your goals with your writing by writing down your intention each time you write.

Intentions are important. When you write an intention, you set a goal and a destination. However, it's important that you WRITE your intention, so you'll remember it.

With your intention in mind, you'll stay on track, because all writing tends to morph - you forget what your intentions were, get confused, and decide that your writing's rubbish. :-)

Writing your intention is especially important if you're a new writer, and haven't yet got the writing habit. (See my new Write More class, if you want help in developing a writing habit.)

Here are a couple of intentions I've used:

* Write a Web page for P's site; response required is to click through to the sales page;

* Write a scene. R's goal is to get W to commit to promoting him, W's goal is to find out what R knows about the merger.

There's no format for an intention - write it in any way you please, but do write it. :-)

Want more free writing prompts and writing tips so that you have more fun writing, and improve your writing skills? Subscribe to Your EveryDay Write.

NEW - Your EveryDay Write: free writing prompts and tips

Over the past couple of years, I've received lots of kind words from readers about the writing prompts and writing tips on this site. And lots of requests too, to send the material out via email.

So here you go - writing prompts and writing tips, delivered to your email Inbox twice a week, including:

* Journaling prompts

* Creativity exercises

* Fiction exercises

* Nonfiction exercises

* Photo log exercises and prompts

* Scrap-booking prompts

* Exercises using myths and fables

The first iteration of Your EveryDay Write (YEW) was via email in 2002/ 2003, I hope you enjoy the 2007 version.

YEW is for both beginning and established writers. The exercises and prompts are based on exercises I use myself in my daily writing practice, and on also on some of the many exercises I've created exclusively for my writing students. Now you can have them for free.

You'll find that unlike most writing prompts, the prompts are structured to build your writing confidence, skills and processes - AND to ensure that you have fun writing.

Subscribe today, and receive the Subscriber Bonus - Free 22-page report: "Angela’s Top Ten Best-Ever Writing Tips - get creative, write more, and have fun".

Enjoy. :-)

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Weekly Writers' Journal Prompts: Research enhances your writing

Writing takes research. Yes, you're brilliant and amazing, but your writing nevertheless takes research, even if you're writing a personal essay or a memoir.

Some writers resist research - if this is you, this week's journal exercise may help you to discover how research can enrich your writing.

Exercise

Write 250 to 500 words about the house you lived in when you were ten years old, told from the point of view of someone else - another member of your family, or a fictional character.

Either before you write, or afterward, do a little research. You can research in any way you choose: look at photographs, talk to your parents or other relatives about what they remember, or read old newspapers at the library.

Now weave three nuggets of information you've gathered from your research into your story.

Enjoy. :-)

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Weekly Writers' Journal Prompts: Magical titles

Titles are magical. If you're stuck on a project, brainstorming a list of titles for the next chapter or for a scene will often get you unstuck.

Occasionally, brainstorming a list of titles will even give you the seed inspiration for an entire  project.

Write five titles for each of the following:

The Secret Of_______

The Day I  _________

Remembering _________

The Summer Of ________________

Use your dreams and nightmares to brainstorm titles

I rarely have nightmares, but a couple of days ago I had one which jolted me and stayed with me throughout the day. Since nightmares arise from the depth of your subconscious, they're a potent source of titles. The next time you have a dream or nightmare, brainstorm a list of titles.

Start by creating a list of nouns and adjectives from the dream. This will show you how easy it is to create titles. Choose a noun, and you've got a title. If you're feeling especially creative, you can add  an adjective or verb. For example: The Perfect Storm; The Taming of the Shrew...

Seven days of titles

For the next week, write ten titles a day in your journal. That's 70 titles - enough to provide inspiration keep you happily writing for a year. Have fun. :-)

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Weekly Writers' Journal Prompts: Get emotional

My duhpreshun

As a writer, you need to be intimate with your emotions. If you understand your emotions, you will understand those of others, and you'll be able to portray emotional reactions effectively in your fiction.

Your journal can be immensely valuable as an "emotional" resource.

Use it to explore your emotions: How does an emotion feel in your body? What do you do when you're in the midst of a strong emotion?

This week, gauge your emotions. Label whatever you're feeling. Mostly we're unaware of our emotions unless they become strong, and when they're strong, we can be carried away by them.

Do your best. :-)

Here's an exercise. The next time you get bad news, or stub your toe, or someone annoys you, write in your journal.

Write:

* a brief five-sentence description of what happened - the event which triggered the emotion;

* a description of your physical reaction - blushing, tightness in your chest etc;

* physical actions - did you sit down? Walk around? Smash a plate?

* the aftermath of the emotion and how you feel. Emotions release powerful hormones, and these have a lingering effect. For example, if you're afraid, adrenaline is released, and it can leave you shaking.

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Weekly Writers' Journal Prompts: Create a free writing journal

Whether you're writing a book, or are creating an inventory of ideas, a free writing journal is valuable. You'll find that developing a daily habit of free writing primes your creative pump.

So this week, start a journal which you'll just use for your free writing sessions.

I keep my free writing journal in Mac Journal, if you're a Windows user, try The Journal.

Not familiar with free writing? Free writing is a pre-writing exercise, and it's useful at every stage of the writing process, both to generate text, and to clear your mind so that you slip into a state of creative flow.

Free writing is writing without thinking; it's taking dictation from your subconscious mind.

Set a timer for five minutes, and just start writing, without taking your fingers from the keyboard. Don't think: write. Aim for complete sentences. If a string of words come to mind that's fine too. Accept whatever words flow into your mind - transcribe them via the keyboard.

Take time for a free writing session every day this week. Next weekend, review your week. Did your writing flow more easily? Were you more creative? Have you overcome any blocks?

Free writing may become your most valued writing tool, as it is mine.

Like to know more? Discover your creative self with free writing and other tools.

Weekly Writers' Journal Prompts: Doodle and access your creative right brain self

Take some coloured pencils or coloured pens (or both) and a blank sheet of paper. Close your eyes.

Now take a couple of slow, deep breaths to clear your mind, and doodle all over the sheet of paper.

We're not aiming for prettiness here, or art. Just doodle: make whatever marks you feel like making.

After a couple of minutes of doodling, write 200 words, beginning with: "At this moment, I am feeling_________"

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