This is a guest post contribution by Anne Peterson. Today Anne helps us understand how keeping a journal keeping a journal helps writers. Anne is a poet, speaker, and published author of 16 books, including a children’s books, poetry books, two memoirs. Her most recent book is her second memoir entitled, Always There: Finding God’s Comfort Through Loss.
It started innocently. Someone shared how they enjoyed writing in a journal and suggested I might also enjoy it. How hard could writing in a journal be? You make an entry every day and write what you feel like writing.
Little did I realize it at the time, but writing in a journal was extremely helpful. And I have a bunch of journals to prove it.
When the words won’t come
Whether you want to call it writer’s block or you have another name for it, sometimes words do not flow. Journal writing is an effective way to get my creative juices flowing. As simplistic as it sounds, it really did help.
As a returning student, one day in an English class, I sat there trying to put something on the paper before me. But instead of the words pouring out of me, I had nothing. Zilch. Zero. And so I just started writing what I was feeling…
I don’t know what to write. I don’t know what to write.
Over and over I repeated that sentence. I didn’t feel foolish, at least no one else knew of my struggle. And then, all of a sudden the door of my mind opened and words started tripping over each other, trying to get out. And journaling helped me more than one occasion.
A great storage place
Writing in a journal gave me a place I could just let my mind unwind. And when I did some free writing, I found myself going at it in full force. I didn’t have any direction as yet, but that was okay. I concentrated on just getting the words out on paper. I could store them there until I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them.
I’m a poet and I find it interesting that some of my best poems started in a journal. I felt free to sit and reflect with no pressure. Just like when we were kids and we would lay on the ground outside looking up at the cloud shapes and trying to imagine what they were. No pressure, just reflection.
An emotional outlet
Sometimes we’ve got ideas, but we struggle to get in touch with them right away. This is where I’ve found it’s helpful to just write them out.
Are you angry? Then go at it. And use all the exclamation points you desire. Are you sad? Then go ahead and get those melancholy words out, you may even find you feel better afterwards.
Sometimes as writers we need to grease the machinery to get it moving with ease. At those times, I do free writing. Whatever pops in my mind ends up on my paper. And I usually feel energized once that happens and I sometimes have trouble stopping. And that’s a good problem to have.
Whether we are blocked in our writing, we want a convenient place to store ideas, or we need to vent, journaling is a great idea. Then we’ll be free to do the thing we’re meant to do—write.
We gently coax words out, directing them where they should go as we pepper punctuation here and there. And then our story starts to take shape. There may be times we have to exclude some words, and they may not be happy about it. But if we’re gentle, we can convince them we may be able to use them at a later time.
Writing is a privilege
Writing is not a hobby for me. I see it as a calling. Something I was made to do. In fact, I was only in 5th grade when I discovered my love of writing. Miss Farnsworth had just told us that there would be a contest. We were to write a creative essay or poem. It could be about anything we chose.
The idea came to me after a few moments. I’d write about my Shadow. How my shadow followed me everywhere. At the end of my paper, I revealed my shadow was really my 3 year old brother, Steve.
Turning in my paper, I smiled inwardly. I sure wanted to win, but even if I didn’t. I had so much fun writing my piece.
The next day she announced the winners.Three were chosen. Barbara Edgecomb wrote a poem about Babies, I think Kenneth Dobson wrote a winning piece as well. My heart started racing as I waited to hear the third and final winner.
Did she really call my name? I was overjoyed. The prize was that we all got to go downtown Chicago to read our pieces on WBEZ, the educational radio channel. It truly was a thrill, but more importantly, it was then I realized my love for writing. I take writing seriously. I believe everyone has a voice. One that needs to be heard.
And I’m doing my very best to fulfill that calling. But writing is not just something I like doing. I have to write. For me, it’s like breathing.
Your turn. Let us know in the comments;
Do you keep a journal?
How has journal writing helped you become a better writer?
Hi Anne, thanks for your post here. I too love writing out my ideas. Also find writing in my journal a place to clear my emotions. You’re right that writing is a privilege and as you mention in this post… like breathing.