Diaries and journals are not just for little girls to lock up their thoughts in or high school girls with crushes; although I did both of those in my early years. I have successfully kept a journal for 4 years sharing my ups and downs, daily adventures, and my relationship with my boyfriend and fiancé. I call my journals The Growlery, taking the name from Charles Dickens' "Bleak House". One of the main characters of this story called his study The Growlery because that is where he would go to put his thoughts in order. I have The Growlery I and The Growlery II, both filled with very interesting facts that help me to remember, and discern how I have grown over the years.
I just finished reading back through each journal, and realized how much I've missed writing in them. I have thought about picking it back up to keep memories fresh, especially because the baby will be here soon. My journal doesn't need to be a secret, more of a scrapbook without the pictures.
I will lay out a few tips on journaling for those of you who want to journal but don't know what to write or where to start.
Tip #1: Write as if no one will read them (and maybe no one but you ever will) You will never succeed in journaling if you are writing to impress someone else. Write what is truly on your heart. If you need to, preface anyone reading your journal with..."This is full of very tender moments some highs and lows that I don't necessarily even agree with now." If you don't think they will understand that, then don't let them read it.
Tip #2: It's not necessary to write every single day. Your life is not a drama, you probably won't have something awesome happening everyday. Don't feel like if you miss a day or week here or there that you have failed. I have sections that skip by the months in my journals.
Tip #3: Write as often as possible and in as much detail as possible. On the other hand, you are not writing a book, you are simply keeping track of your memories and sometimes the smallest things are the funnest to remember. So write about things that maybe won't be important to others but that you will cherish forever. And don't presume that you will remember everything...write in detail to remind yourself.
Tip #4: Start with today. When you write (or type) your first entry, don't go back and try to summarize what happened last week or last year. Start with today and write only what happened today. Then tomorrow only write what happened that day. Going back will frustrate you because you can't remember it just how it was and you will get tired very quickly of writing and trying to catch up. Start with small entries if you need to.
Tip #5: Don't create blackmail. Your journal is not to cut down, smother, or step on someone else. You will have cases when your heart is so full that you write on a subject less than desirable, but remember this is to help you sort out your thoughts, not create more bad thoughts.
I hope these tips will be helpful to the beginner journalist, or to those who are picking it back up. I find that the smaller the book I buy to write in, the more eager I am to fill it up. Big books take a long time to fill - don't discourage yourself.
Happy journaling!
Sarah
Comments
Post a Comment