D) Writing Tips

Blogtalk: More on the Habit of Journaling

April 26, 2012
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At writing and journaling workshops, whenever I ask people to raise their hands if they struggle with making journaling a regular habit, I am usually faced with a forest of raised palms. Yet, as I tell them, in order to get the most out of journaling, it’s important to write regularly. And really, it only [...]

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A Week’s Worth of Journaling Prompts: A Sense of Place

March 12, 2012
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When I read a memoir or novel, I always want to know where I am. I want to feel secure and grounded in a place. Yet, because of my own life experiences, I grapple with defining sense of place for myself. Not only did I move frequently as a child (5 or 6 times before [...]

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A Week’s Worth of Journaling Prompts: Creative Clustering

March 5, 2012

Life is circular in nature. The natural world is formed by curves and shapes, clustered together and joined by lines and graceful arches. Like nature, our creative minds are not linear, but filled with image and idea clusters joined by the lines and arches of emotional and sensory associations. That is why I’ve been been [...]

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A New Year’s Writing Tradition

January 1, 2012
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There’s something about the end of one year and the beginning of the next that invites review and reflection. Without this calendar marker, it’s really just another day—but, for me, January 1 always feels momentous. It’s like drawing a line in the sands of time between the past and the present: whatever happened in the [...]

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A Week’s Worth of Journaling Prompts: Reflections for the Future

September 19, 2011
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I have just been reading Writer Magazine’s June 2011 interview of Gail Godwin, regarding her recently released The Making of a Writer, Volume 2: Journals, 1963-1969. Godwin’s purpose in publishing her edited journal entries is to inspire other writers by sharing her journey and growth as a writer, as well as how she mines her [...]

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Journal Writing Tips: Using “If” Statements

June 17, 2011
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Life is a never-ending source of journaling prompts. We can write about current events, past events, and imagined future events. One fun (and often revealing) kind of journal writing prompt is the “If …” statement or question. If I had been born male, instead of female, what sports would I have played, and why? If [...]

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Journal Writing Tips: Journal Themes

March 23, 2011
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  ONCE journal writing has become a regular part of your life, you may want to have more than one, keeping different journals for different purposes. Here is a list (in alphabetical order) of journals that I keep or have kept at different times in my life. I invite you to browse the list for [...]

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