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Journal Today for Great Stories of Tomorrow
by Angela Giles Klocke and Scott D. Warren

Did you know that many good authors get their ideas from reading over what they wrote in a journal years before?

Do you keep a journal? Even if you only write in it when something "big" happens, a journal is a very valuable tool for any writer. Keeping track of the events in your life is important for many reasons, but it can especially be helpful in creating scenes in your fiction.

For example, if you happen to consistently earn Cs in one of your school subjects and then you suddenly make an A, write your feelings about that in your journal. Describe the ups and downs, and everything you did to achieve this goal. You may not see where this could be helpful right away, but you might later have a character that doesn't like school but then makes a good grade and decides it isn't so bad after all. You will have written how good it felt to you, so you can accurately describe how your character feels.

Perhaps you went exploring in the woods with your friends and got lost. Record each and every detail in your journal. Were you scared, excited, or did you decide to turn it into a learning experience? You could take these events, spice them up and put them in a story.

The most wonderful thing about journaling is the freedom you have. No one ever has to read what you write, and you can describe each recorded event in vivid detail, which will be what can help your story scenes later. Describing the way something felt, like perhaps getting stitches for the first time ever, will benefit you later, because five years down the road you'll remember it hurt, of course, but by using descriptions from your journal, readers will think it just happened.

When to Journal

There are some who write about each and every day of their lives. Others write weekly. And still others only keep track of important events, such as first loves, awards, new pets, etc. There is no right way to journal, no specific time you have to do so, but by getting into the habit of writing each and every day, you will find you are recording information you might never have thought to.

What Should I Write About?

Write about anything and everything. Don't leave anything out just because it might be boring or insignificant. Nothing is too simple or too much for your journal. It is your personal writing space, your freedom to explore yourself and your thoughts. What may not seem important to others might be important to you, so write about it. It's all yours.

I've Never Written In a Journal

That's okay. It's never too late to start. Let me rephrase that - the longer you wait to start, the more you miss out on recording and using later in your work. There's no special equipment needed to begin, so grab your notebook and pen, or start a file on your computer, and begin today. Write about everything that happened yesterday - how you felt when you woke up, if it was a good or bad day, if you made new friends, or even if nothing seemed to happen at all. If you were bored all day, write about that, describing in detail why everything was so boring (it was raining outside; there was no school; all your friends weren't home; whatever). Use your freedom and just write.

Give Me More Reasons to Journal

Besides being able to use scenes from your own life in your fiction, journaling serves several other purposes. It can free your mind enough for your serious writing. If you begin your day writing in a journal, you may find yourself warmed up for more afterwards.

Journaling is great for sharing your life story with your future children and grandchildren. How many times have your own parents told you stories that fascinated you? Wouldn't it be great if they were able to tell you their stories in more detail? If you keep your own journal, one day you will be able to do just that. Plus, people like to know the histories of their family. This way, you make it easy for them to know about you. And, finally, you have all the material you need should you ever decide to write your own life story. No more trying to guess when such and such happened - you will have it all written out already, waiting for you to piece it together, clean it up, and send it out.

Journaling is fun, and it helps. Your writing will only improve by keeping one so get started right away.

Copyright © 2001 Angela Giles Klocke and Scott D. Warren

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