Creative Journaling

Have you heard of a Creative Writing Journal? It's the best way to keep your writing muscles in shape and keep those creative juices flowing.

1. Go shopping for a journal. No need to spend a whole bunch of money for a fancy, new notebook. Be creative! Find an inexpensive notebook from the dollar store. Or use scrap paper to make your own. Then have fun decorating the cover with drawings, magazine clippings, or colorful papers.

2. Number all of the pages. This will make for an easy reference later.

3. Then pick a regularly-scheduled day and time to sit down and write! This could be every morning before the kids wake up, or at night when the house is quiet and everyone is sleeping. It could be every day, or every Saturday night. But set a goal, and work hard to keep it. Start small. Do not allow this to become a chore- make it something that you look forward to, and combine it with something else as a reward (such as coffee or tea... or chocolate!).

4. Then it's time to write in your journal! Just as artists use sketchbooks to practice drawing, you will use your writing journal to practice writing. Give yourself the freedom to try new writing styles and voices. Try new genres. Or practice the same genre. It's up to you to decide.

5. If you have difficulty thinking of topics, find a jar or container of some sort & make a Writing Jar! Spend some time one day thinking of ideas or topics as writing prompts. Write them down on slips of paper, and then place them in the jar. If you get stuck trying to think of what to write about, then just pull a paper from the Writing Jar.

6. People Watch...Every day we are surrounded by stories, and the people we meet are characters in those stories. Write down what you see. Describe appearances, body language, real or imagined situations. Change names if you must. What is really in that lady's giant purse? Why is Mr. Smith buying a whole case of canned corn at the Piggly Wiggly? Make it up, or write the reality as you observe, or mix it up!

7. Listen to conversations. Write them down. Also listen to pauses, the specific words that people use, and the rhythms of their speech. This is a good way to practice writing dialogue for your fictional stories.

8. Your Writing Journal can be whatever you want it to be. If you want to practice writing a variety of genres, then go for it. If you want to focus on one genre, then go for that, too!

9. Make lists. Practice alliteration or writing sentences using new vocabulary words. Choose a "word for a day," and try writing about that word. Write as colorfully as possible about the weather. Read your favorite author, and practice writing in a similar style. Practice using active verbs, powerful adjectives, and the five senses. Write from different points of view. Write an ABC story...the first sentence starts with 'A,' the second starts with 'B,' and so on until the last starts with 'Z.' The sky is the limit!

10. Keep Writing!

#editing #writing