Journaling

Every morning, I get up, feed the cat, turn on the computer, and sit down with my notebook and write. Usually, I detail what I did the day before, and make notes on what I want to accomplish this day. It's a quiet time for me to reflect on things going on in my life, my feelings, issues I'm dealing with. All the little things that go into making a life. But sometimes, little pieces of other things creep in.

Like the other morning when I had this great idea for a new story and wrote out five pages of notes, snippets of dialogue, ideas for settings and scenes. Stuff I actually remembered from a vivid dream I had the night before and managed to get down before I forgot it. The story has been simmering since then. When I have time, I will go back to it, type the notes up and see what I can do with the story.

Journaling is like that for me. It's bits and pieces of my life. My thoughts. Events that affect me. It's a place for me to rant without fear of recriminations. I can be myself there. And it's a good thing. I've tried keeping a journal at other times, but it never really worked for me until recently. But I find the more I do it, the better it works for me.

I also find that using pen and paper instead of the computer works better for me. There's something much more intimate about the words flowing over the paper. Looking back over pages, my writing changes with my moods. Something you can't do on a computer.

If you've never tried keeping a journal, you might want to give it a chance. The medium doesn't matter, nor does the length or subject. Just sit down and write. And see what comes out.