One of the things we're supposed to be doing for the Guatemala trip is keeping a journal, both about the things we're doing and feeling leading up to the trip and while we're on the trip. That got me thinking about the importance of journals to writers.
I've heard more than one writer say that the journals they kept as a teenager has been a life-saver when it comes to writing for YA because it helps them remember the small things and the emotions of being a teenager. Often, keeping a journal is the one piece of writing advice they offer up to every teenager.
So do you keep a journal?
Me, I keep one on and off. I'll write in it all the time for months straight then forget about it for a while. Right now, I'm probably about 30 pages from finally filling up my first-ever diary - one that I started way back in '07. I think as I get older, I've started to write more faithfully in it and I'm actually really excited to be able to go out and buy another one.
I write about all kinds of things in it - what I did that day, how I'm feeling, anything that's going on with my family or friends...sometimes I use it as a de-stresser to make a list of everything I plan to accomplish the next day. That may not help me in the future when it comes using my journals to improve my writing but it definitely helps me sleep better at night.
If you have a journal, how faithfully do you write in it? What do you write about?
Harmony
