Call it a journal, a notebook, or whatever. It's a place to play with your writing.
A writer's journal is a place to experiment and explore. To loosen up. To write down random thoughts, story ideas, and observations.
A journal is just for yourself. It's private, so you don't need to share unless you want to. Because it's private, you can write down whatever you want.
It doesn't have to be fancy. It can be a spiral notebook, or a small tablet. (I mean the paper kind.) Or it can be a journal with hard covers. Just so you can carry it around with you. If it's small, put it in your pocket. If it's bigger, tuck it in your backpack.
Why paper? Because it's super portable, it's cheap, and many writers feel there's a connection between our brain and our hand when we write with a pencil or pen.
If you've never used a journal before, here are some ideas to get started.
- Keep a list of silly words.
- Interview yourself for a blog.
- Write a letter to yourself 20 years in the future.
- Rewrite "The Three Bears" as "The Three Pieces of Broccoli."
- Write a poem about your pajamas.
- Create a comic strip about your neighbors.
- Interview a 3-year-old.
- Ask your grandparents about the day they were born and write down their story.
Have fun playing in your journal. And don't forget to write down the date. You may discover an old journal and find a new idea. When you do, it'll be handy to know when you got it.
