How many of you novelists journal?

Charlie Horse · Jan 16, 2008

I've found that journaling has improved my writing style immensely. I think being able to write free-style without the constraints placed in the context of writing a novel is an essential tool for me as a writer. I've even taken stuff from my journal and incorporated it into my fiction, whether it be a dream, a snip of some bizarre experience I had in real life, or just some rambling dialogue I decided to play around with.

I was wondering how many of you do the same thing.

megan_d · Jan 16, 2008

I'm rubbish at keeping journals. Part of it is that I struggle to find the motivation to write stuff people will never read. And there's the fact that I get bored with chronicling "true" events quick smart and start inserting dragons and daleks into it before I reach the third page..

Codger · Jan 16, 2008

I gave up on my writer's journal

I used to maintain a journal that included bits and pieces, and ideas that pertained to my writing. I gave it up after I realized that once something was entered in my journal, it was effectively gone forever. I almost never reread my journal, and have never tried to "mine" it.

Now I use my journal as more of a diary, and maintain computer folders loaded with ideas, snippets and started pieces.

I guess that this is the way my mind works.

Charlie Horse · Jan 16, 2008

Something else I have realized, is that I write differently with a pen and paper than I do typing at a computer. This has also broadened my scope as a writer.

mscelina · Jan 16, 2008

I keep a journal for reasons other than 'broadening my scope as a writer.' I keep a journal to make my memoirs easier to write thirty years from now.

working title--I was a Forum Trouble-maker

NeuroFizz · Jan 16, 2008

If any of you want to improve your writing, journaling is a wonderful way to do it, but not the only way. Writing poetry (regardless of experience) develops wonderful wordsmithing abilities, and gives exceptional practice in using the various literary techniques and tools in creating lean, image-rich language. If you have the time, try both journaling and poetry.

I don't journal, but I do the poetry thing (for those who do not usually frequent it, check out the poetry forum here at AW). Is there a journaling forum as well?

Red-Green · Jan 16, 2008

I journal every day and sometimes more than once a day. It's strictly fictional journaling, though. I never write about my personal life, but focus on story ideas, random observations, hashing out scenes in works in progress. If I get stuck, I use the journal to write about writing--holding long dialogs with myself about what each characters wants and what the obstacles are. A lot of what's in my journal ultimately ends up in various stories, and on several occasions I've gone back and looked at old journals and found new story ideas.

(Plus, I have a fetishistic love for nice paper and pens, so journaling provides me with an excuse to use my favorite Pelikan and to buy mounds of Clairefontaine journals.)

Shadow_Ferret · Jan 16, 2008

Charlie Horse said:
I've found that journaling has improved my writing style immensely. I think being able to write free-style without the constraints placed in the context of writing a novel is an essential tool for me as a writer. I've even taken stuff from my journal and incorporated it into my fiction, whether it be a dream, a snip of some bizarre experience I had in real life, or just some rambling dialogue I decided to play around with.

I was wondering how many of you do the same thing.

Strangely enough, I just found some of my old journals from decades ago and started rereading them and realized what a treasure trove they were. Some might be useful in expanding into other projects. I've been blogging some of them that I feel are interesting but deadends.

And rediscovering these has made me, as a New Year's resolution, restart writing a journal. I am finding that writing things other than what I'm currently working on keep me freish and also gives me new insights into what I'm doing on my novel.

NeuroFizz said:
Writing poetry (regardless of experience) develops wonderful wordsmithing abilities, and gives exceptional practice in using the various literary techniques and tools in creating lean, image-rich language. If you have the time, try both journaling and poetry.

Only if you have the poetry gene. I'm awful at poetry and it all comes out sounding like Hallmark cards. That's why I have never gone into the poetry forum here.

WendyNYC · Jan 16, 2008

Sometimes I do, especially when I travel, but not anything on a regular basis.

I do have my notebook of Strange and Interesting Characters (usually inspired by people I see on the street) and one called Ideas.

NeuroFizz · Jan 16, 2008

Shadow_Ferret said:
Only if you have the poetry gene. I'm awful at poetry and it all comes out sounding like Hallmark cards. That's why I have never gone into the poetry forum here.

One more comment and then I'll back off so I don't derail the thread. You, SF, are the kind of person who can best benefit from doing a little poetry, in my opinion. Of course, the same argument could be made for those who do not feel journaling is for them...

jenngreenleaf · Jan 16, 2008

I love keeping journals and have filled many. There was a time when I wasn't writing as frequently and I noticed a change in a lot of things - my writing, my mood, how organized I was, how connected I was to myself, and so on. In 2005, I started participating in a challenge called Embodiment where you're supposed to write a paper journal entry (one entry or more) everyday for one year. That's helped me get back into the practice of daily pen and paper writing and it's been very gratifying. Like Ed mentions, looking back on entries really does make for excellent material for broader work.

Monkey · Jan 16, 2008

I have 2 small children. I don't get to go to the bathroom by myself. I have a huge To-Do list for the rare chance that I don't have one child on my hip and the other catching a ride on my foot. I have hobbies that, when my dear, sweet husband is actually home, he sometimes makes sure that I get a chance to do...but other than that hour or so every couple of weeks, go entirely neglected.

No, I don't journal. I'm doing good to pump out what writing I do and still have the odd moment to post here at AW and check my hotmail. The good thing about forum posting is that it's quick and I can walk away at any second to tend to the kiddos...which I usually do at least once per post. I know it looks like I'm here a lot...part of that is because I often log in and then run off, sometimes forgetting that the computer is even on!

*sigh*

I'll add it to the list of "Maybe When the Kids are Older".

Soccer Mom · Jan 16, 2008

I journalled when I was younger. I do always carry a handy-dandy notebook for odd thoughts or writing, but I wouldn't call it a journal.

DeleyanLee · Jan 16, 2008

I only journal when I'm suicidal. Not really a place or activity I want to indulge in on a regular basis, thanks.

OTOH, several members of my writers' circle journal everyday and find it very freeing and helpful.

To each their own.

DragonHeart · Jan 16, 2008

I keep a (mostly) daily journal on my other forum. Why I don't just paste the entries into my blog, I'll never know. But anyways, it's got a little bit of everything in it. Personal thoughts, daily goings-on, poetry, first drafts, anything I can think of is in there somewhere. I've been keeping this particular journal thread since mid-2002, so it's easy to see the huge transitions I've been through, and not just my writing.

I do admit that I almost never go back and read previous entries, though. Quite honestly, many of them are painful, not necessarily in content but because I started out with truly awful writing. I'd rather not look at that if I can help it.

These days it's more of a daily progress report on what I'm writing, reading, and general thoughts on whatever's going on that day.

~DragonHeart~

Shadow_Ferret · Jan 16, 2008

When did journal become a verb? :Wha:

Bubastes · Jan 16, 2008

I kept a journal from 5th grade through college and a little bit in my adult life, but I stopped when I realized that writing about my problems made them worse, not better, because I was dwelling on them so much. The journal did help me develop my writing style, though, so it wasn't a complete failure.

I use index cards to capture stray ideas and observations. If I think of something I want to use in my WIP but I can't use it right away, I write it on a Post-It note and stick it in my WIP notebook.

ETA: I don't use a journal to work through snags in my WIP. I work through the snags in the WIP itself. This may explain why my first drafts are consistently 20% longer than my final drafts.

kristie911 · Jan 16, 2008

I've tried to keep a personal journal in the past. I will say it helped to keep my personal issues out of my WIP but I wasn't good at doing it daily. Now, many times, I dig out the personal stuff and put it in whatever I'm working on. It's actually helped both me and my writing. Besides, going back to read my personal journals is very disturbing. Seriously. I have a tendency to sound like I have serious mental issues. *shrugs* Maybe I do.

I do carry notebooks around to write down ideas and characters for future use.

Charlie Horse · Jan 16, 2008

Shadow_Ferret said:
When did journal become a verb?

When therapists started ruling the world.

juneafternoon · Jan 16, 2008

I end up writing so much crap that it's better to just stick to fiction. Lol.

xDemode · Jan 16, 2008

Funny.

The topic of owning a journal or diary popped up in English class today. When only one person admitted to owning a journal, the Professor stated the following:

Having a journal is a great way to look back at your past and see whether or not you've changed as a person.

In theory, that sounds beyond reasonable.

Then I remembered that I'm a 19-year-old, artsy-fartsy dork. Half of my life has been filled with teenage angst, puberty, rejection, loneliness, and enough woe to make Eeyore look like a Panglossian. Since as far as I can remember, I've felt like Carrie without the telekinesis and pigs' blood. Ultimately, my goal is to forgive and move on, not keep a reminder of it in written form.

Well, that... and go back and set the high school I used to attend on fire using only my mind and rage. VENGEANCE WITH A SIDE OF COLE SLAW!

So excuse me when I say... screw a journal.

But if having a journal tickles your fancy, by all means, go for it.

Finni · Jan 16, 2008

Any excuse to write!
I have several journals and they all have their uses. I have a personal one for what happens in life. Topics range from how I feel about a WIP, to how I feel about what was on the news, to the latest laughing fit my girlfriend and I had at a restaurant.
I have one for my WIP. The topics and format of this journal changes with each WIP. For the current WIP I address three characters, so its almost like a long letter. I work out issues or explain my ideas in the journal.
I have another one for writing in general. Ideas, characters, words I like, something I heard on the radio or TV or at a coffee shop that sounded good, insight, something new I learned that inspired me...as long as it feeds my creative mind.
I also have one for negative emotions, when I just need to vent.

I don't have a certain schedule for writing in them. If I feel like writing in them I do, if I am not inspired to I don't. Although I find that I am inspired everyday to write in atleast one of them.

Like I said above, any excuse to write!! Any writing I do, even if it is a letter to my brother or a book review, creates a spark in me which ignites a desire to get to my WIP.

SageFury · Jan 16, 2008

I have the worst memory in the world but somehow I have a clear view of all my stories dreams and thoughts in fantasy.

I do journal but it's a mental one =) no pens needed

I think it helps organize your thoughts much better. You can sit back and look at what you have and then add or change or refinish ideas.

melaniehoo · Jan 16, 2008

I've kept journals off and on over the years, usually in times of stress.

When we moved to Mexico to wait for my husband's visa, my lawyer told me to keep a journal to document things for future meetings. That journal inspired my memoir. I finished the first draft in November and started a blog around the same time.

I force myself to write in my journal at least every couple weeks, even though it gets hard when I'm already blogging about a lot of the same things. It's slowly evolved into a writing notebook and I enjoy flipping back and watching my emotional changes over the past year.

I have a new journal waiting patiently for me to start my next book and I can't wait.

Charlie Horse · Jan 16, 2008

xDemode said:
Funny.

The topic of owning a journal or diary popped up in English class today. When only one person admitted to owning a journal, the Professor stated the following:

Having a journal is a great way to look back at your past and see whether or not you've changed as a person.

In theory, that sounds beyond reasonable.

Then I remembered that I'm a 19-year-old, artsy-fartsy dork. Half of my life has been filled with teenage angst, puberty, rejection, loneliness, and enough woe to make Eeyore look like a Panglossian. Since as far as I can remember, I've felt like Carrie without the telekinesis and pigs' blood. Ultimately, my goal is to forgive and move on, not keep a reminder of it in written form.

Well, that... and go back and set the high school I used to attend on fire using only my mind and rage. VENGEANCE WITH A SIDE OF COLE SLAW!

So excuse me when I say... screw a journal.

But if having a journal tickles your fancy, by all means, go for it.

I'm a grown up version of you. And after putting a few more miles on the
odometer I'd like to suggest that you try using a journal to create with that angst. You can be as mf'ing harsh, and abrasive, and open about how you feel about everything right there on the pages. Use big black sharpie's. Draw offensive pictures. Tell the world to eff off. It's fun, therapuetic, and will help your creative flow.

Looking at it as a way to record your life for posterity is pretty narrow-minded. I'll bet your way more creative than that.

How many of you novelists journal?

Speaking in metaphors

Falling in the milk

Speaking in metaphors

Teh doommobile, drivin' rite by you

The grad students did it

KoalaKoalaKoala!

Court Jester

fiddle-dee-dee

The grad students did it

Here to network and learn.

Is me.

Crypto-fascist

Writing Anarchist

Oerba Yun Fang

Court Jester

bananaed

Happy to be here

Speaking in metaphors

Return of the Jedi

Buying a stairway to hell.

discipula vitae

Overcoming the Darkness

And thus we begin the edits

Speaking in metaphors