I have kept a journal, on and off for nearly twenty years now. Actually sitting down and writing down my thoughts and observations can be therapeutic and it is interesting to see that someone has made a living of it. Now, keeping a journal isn't for everyone but I would recommend it as it only takes five to ten minutes for an entry. Even if you don't think you don't have anything write, there are tricks to unblock the mind that I have found that work for me. Interestingly, these are part of the list of things that Adams suggests on her website:
She has a list of fourteen writing techniques which, if you decide to start, make things definitely easier:
1. Sentence Stem. A sentence-completion process. Fill in the blank with a word or phrase. May be very universal (Right now I feel———-) or highly customized to an individual’s immediate question, problem or interest.
2. Five-Minute Sprint. A timed writing process designed to bring focus and intensity in short bursts. Excellent for those who are resistant or aversive to journal writing, or who are uncertain about how to start, or who state they do not have time to write journals.
3. Inventory. An assessment of life balance in major areas of living (health, family, home, work, spiritual/religious, emotional well-being, etc.) Gives a quick picture of which life areas might need attention.
4. Structured Write. A series of Sentence Stems grouped and sequenced to reveal consistently deepening layers of information and awareness.
5. Clustering. Visual free-association from a central word or phrase. Lines and circles connect key thoughts and associations to the central core. Work quickly to maximize results. A brief writing to synthesize findings may follow.
6. Lists of 100. A list of 100 items, many of which will probably be repetitions, on a predetermined theme or topic. Repetition is an important part of the process. Topics can be about any current issue (for example: 100 Things I’m Sad About; 100 Things I Need or Want to Do; 100 Places I Would Like to See). At the end of the list, group the responses into themes and synthesize the information.
7. Alphapoem. Write the alphabet, A-Z, or any collection of letters, vertically down the side of a page. Then write a poem in which each successive line begins with the next letter. Excellent for groups as it promotes a high level of participation and sharing. Adolescents and reluctant writers respond well.
8. Captured Moments. Vignettes capturing the sensations of a particularly meaningful or emotional experience. Written from the senses with strong descriptors. Captured Moments of beauty, joy, blessing, calm can add balance, hope and perspective to a challenging time.
9. Unsent Letters. A metaphoric communication to another that is written with the specific intention that it will not be shared.
10. Character Sketch. A written portrait of another person or of an aspect of the self. Can also be written about emotions by personifying an emotion and giving it a characterization – an appearance, a style of dress, a personality and temperament.
11. Dialogue. A metaphoric conversation written in two voices. Anyone or anything is an appropriate dialogue partner. There is no constriction by time, space, physical reality or literal voice.
12. Perspectives. An alteration in point of view that provides a different perspective on an event or situation.
13. Springboard. A free-write with a prompt. Starting a free-write with the smallest structure of a question, thought or topic can focus and frame the writing session.
14. Free Writing. Unboundaried, unstructured, unpaced narrative writing. Useful for creative flow or spontaneous writing sessions. Can be structured by adding a time limit or page limit.
I know in a world where we feel that we don't have time to deal with Facebook, Twitter, Blogging and other online activities it seems that keeping a journal is superfluous. However, I have a belief in the physical, the personal, and the privacy of a journal. In my history courses, there is constant reference to reading the private papers of Presidents and journals of other historical figures that fascinates me. I wonder if people don't continue to keep journals or personal records if historians of the future will find it more difficult to unravel the happenings of the past. Social media is useful but often not candid and cannot contain national secrets.
So, grab a book and start writing. You'll find that you might actually like it.
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