Journaling Tips and Tricks

I came across these lovely tips (thanks to Pinterest, of course, where I pinned them to my new Writing Board) and added a couple of my own, along with a couple from my Creative Writing course.  While I don't know about the creative software/templates mentioned, the others seem pretty basic.  Feel free to use as needed!  I plan on printing this and keeping it among my different writing folders.

Journaling Ideas and Tips

1. Use Journal Pockets. Create pockets to place journal cards.
2. Use a Journal tear sheet book (avail. From companies such as Making Memories.)
3. Create a camera log book. As you take photos that capture that special moment, you can jot down your thoughts while they are fresh to expand upon later. Simply record the photo number and quick note in your log.
4. Use Quotes.
5. Use Poems.
6. Use Definitions from a dictionary or create your own.
7. Use Magazine clips
8. Use Receipts or Labels.
9. Create a Journal jar with various themes (cut out sentences from newspapers/magazines or get prompts from friends). Pick one each day and journal about that subject. Include photos if possible.
10. Use ABC's (descriptive words from a-z)
11. Use Commercial or TV catch phrases.
12. Use the letters in someone's name to spell out characteristics.
13. Journaling is a great place to use leftover alphabet stickers for a fun mixed media look.
14. Use bullet points rather than full sentences (revisit as story prompts)
15. Use lyrics to a song
16. Use the words to a favorite children's book
17. Conduct an interview (with yourself, or someone else.)
18. Fill in the blank (If I were a superhero I would...) etc
19. Use pre-made journal cards, journal spot stamps and stickers, journal prompt cards, or fill in the blank cards
20. Use templates like Journal Genie from Chatterbox to create journal spots like shapes or waves to fill in creative journal blurbs.
21. Place a bunch of descriptive words on the page and try to join each of them in a sentence.
22. Write from the point of view of a pet or a child.
23. Journal “A Day in the Life” complete with photos
24. Record a funny conversation
25. Journal your closet and note your favorite outfits/garments and why
26. Have “Guest Journaling” and invite others to share their thoughts
27. Journal your defining moments
28. Journal your routine or daily schedule.
29. Journal your weekly menu or grocery list
30. Journal your style by cutting pictures from magazines that reflect both your likes AND dislikes and explain why.
31. Journal OUTSIDE! At least on your back porch/patio. Capture sights, sounds, smells, weather-record your reflections.
32. Vocabulary-keep a list of words you see that you don't know the definitions for and when you have a moment, pick on and define. Then use for at least two paragraphs of Journaling.
33. Take a stroll to a park or a coffee spot and people watch. If you hear a snippet of someone's conversation, jot it down, along with some basic descriptions of the scene-tables, facial expressions, clothes, etc-and flesh out later on for your own free-writing exercise-imagine with that one snippet what those people may be talking about, using the gestures, tone of voice you jotted down, expressions. Use this to rev up your fiction writing skills to get some practice writing dialogue scenes between people. Try the scene in different points of view
34. Similarly, use a picture from a magazine and make up a story about the people or the place in the picture.
35. Keep a Journal next to your bed and try to write down any parts of dreams you remember when you wake up...the longer you wait, the more you'll forget. (My thought-I've used some snippets of my dreams as new story ideas...See where they take you.)
    
    
    Note: The Writer's Digest website has a list of story prompts that you are free to use as you wish.  One of my favorites is a two-minute exercise-have someone compile you a list of 8-10 random words and see if you can use all of them in a paragraph in a timed-two minutes.
    
    
    Happy Writing!
    
    
    Enjoy,
    
    
    Allie H.  
    
    
    P.S. I also use the "color note" post-it app on my cell phone if I have a quick idea and somehow don't have pen or paper on me while wandering around town...I love post-it notes so much I had to have to digital equivalent...Lol.