THE WRITERS JOURNAL
This article could as easily be called "How To Create Your Own Writing Handbook' or alternately, "How To Jumpstart Your Writing.'
But maybe I'm the only one who sits in front of the computer screen wondering how to create word pictures that capture what's in my imagination. Or maybe I'm not. That's where my Writers Journal comes in handy.
When I can't think of a fresh way to say 'her heart beat faster', I look in my Writers Journal. When I can't think of something for the eyes to do other than look or gaze, I look in my Writers Journal. When I'm stuck for a strong verb, I look in my Writers Journal.
What is this Writer's Journal, you ask? It's my own creative writing handbook, a collection of words and pictures, joke and ideas. In it I put anything and everything that appeals to my creative self, I put anything that affirms me or encourages me as a writer. But I use it most for inspiration. I collect strong verbs, colorful word pictures, fresh ways of saying things and when I'm stuck, I read a section and my muse is stimulated and I go on to create my own (hopefully) fresh, vivid writing.
Where do I get the contents for my journal?
From passages in a novel that strike me as colorful.
I have listed verbs from Janet Evanovich's books—lunged, moseyed, shimmied, gunked, slung, skulk.
I have plucked bits and phrases from a Sandra Brown novel—face that reflected deep joy, choked on her coffee in startled outrage.
I have a collection of emotional words from a Judith Duncan book—expression lethal and a little too careless, heart almost stalled out, hawklike, his jaw bunched.
I also have lists of strong words. Sewing words that can be used as verbs in other settings—rip, shear, jab, unravel.
I keep a list of expressions (forbidding, guarded) and things eyes do besides look (gleam, have a sheen of purpose, brim with...), tension words (wavered, falter, arrest), strong sound words (creak, buzz, roar)
I have named emotions and than collected phrases and ways of showing them. Under Anxiety, I have tightening in chest, lurching in the stomach, skin tightening on the face. It's a great thing to develop a habit of noticing emotions in ourselves and others and identifying the physical manifestations. I consider this one of the most valuable sections of my notebook, not only because it provides me with a primer I can refer to as I write, but also because in creating it, I grow as a writer.
If I read an article with some particular effective suggestions, I note these in my journal.
I list unusual dialogue like my little grandson who answers, "Yum, I guess so." Instead of "Um or Yes, I guess so." Or the comment, "This room could use something...a vacuum cleaner." Or observations about people that create sharp character sketches.
I keep track of ideas for development—I'm not sharing these, and unusual names—Jarek, Creid, Tosha, Sheena.
I sometimes jot down great opening lines from magazines. It's a profitable way to use that time wasted in the doctor's office. Here's a couple I picked up in the hospital while I waited and waited and waited. "What do you get when you mix Yankee practicality with unabashed romance?" and "It had been a long and dusty ride with only the rattlers, scorpions and tumbleweed to break the monotony of the trail." Or how about ideas for titles? Only You, Rainbow's End, After The Storm.
And because I love quotes, I collect quotes. Here's a favorite by Pat Broderick in a "Writing For Children" magazine. "What is writing? Thought made visible."
I also collect jokes pertinent to writing and add them. Like the Charlie Brown cartoon where Snoopy is reading a rejection letter, 'Dear Contributor: We are returning your manuscript. It does not suit our present needs. P.S. We note that you sent your story by first class mail. Junk mail may be sent third class."
I keep y Writing Journal at my fingertips when I'm writing. In fact, it's almost in tatters from so much use.
Have I convinced you that your own writing bible is a good idea?
How to create such a thing? All you need is a good coil-back notebook and a pen. Be sure to use a fade-proof, waterproof pen. There's nothing more frustrating than spilling a drop of coffee and losing half a page of notes. I prefer a coil back scribbler about six inches by nine inches. A three-ring binder will work but the pages are too loose in my opinion. I don't want to be constantly reinforcing pages.
You can organize it as you see fit or you can do as I chose to do and fill page after page. To organize the contents, I number the pages and create an index or table of contents, which I do on the computer so I can change and update it as the pages fill. I print it out and tape it into the front of my book. I create headings in the index such as Emotions, Dialogue, Quotes, Ideas, Names—you get the idea. And then I itemize each with the page number so under Emotions I would have Judith Duncan p X, or Nervous, pXX. I sometimes add tabs to pages I frequent use.
As I said, I have found this to be my own personal writing bible, useful as I write and a learning tool as I create it. I highly recommend you create your own which is why I've written this article. And I'd love to hear how it worked for you. Linda Ford. |
