Which Writing Journal is Write for You?

dev-dorrance — Thu, 30 May 2019 10:00:07 +0000

You can spot a writer anywhere because we’re armed with very specific tools. Our armor is forged from sweaters, leggings, and hugs; our weapons of choice are either a pen or pencil- there’s much dispute among the community on the different benefits of and drawbacks of each; our furrowed brows and hunched figures are signs to other members of the human species that we must not be disturbed. We may look meek at first glance, but much like a venus fly trap we blend into our surroundings and can quickly switch to predator mode if we’re ever confronted with an especially harsh criticism or rude interruption when we hit our flow. Because we may look like we’re sitting in the middle of a coffee shop, but we’re actually in the middle of a space battle for the fate of the galactic empire. And one of our most powerful and most obvious weapons: the journal. A writer may remain incognito with a laptop, but you can always spot one with a crisp, sleek notebook. Here’s a breakdown of some of our favorite types of writing journals:

Barnes & Noble Journals

For writers who just want a simple journal with a bit of creative flair, the journals at Barnes & Noble would be a perfect fit for you. They have blank, lined, no-nonsense pages with very creative covers, ranging from the brown leather vintage feel to colorful metallic shades. They even have some with texturized pages to add to that old-world feel. These journals range so much in style and color that you’re bound to find one that gives you that sense of importance and inspiration that your journal should.

Book Cover & Personalized Journal(s)

If you’re looking for one that’s still blank inside, but might be a little more creative outside, you can go with a more customized journal. You can find journals printed with some of your favorite fandoms on the cover or even have them personalized with your name. And if that’s not already cool enough, there are even some Etsy shops that will create journals that are made using old book covers. They simply fill the old book cover with notebook pages and all of a sudden you’re writing the next Jane Austen novel.

Reading Journal

If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that writing and reading go hand in hand. There’s no better way to improve your craft than by being an avid reader- especially in the genre or writing style you aspire to. Well, to help writers and readers alike stay on track, you could get yourself a reading journal! These journals will allow you to track your reading progress month by month, keep track of your favorite reads, and even record your favorite quotes. Some of the more creative iterations will even come decorated with gorgeous art and include some literary quotes to give you inspiration.

Writing Prompts Journal

On the other hand, you may be looking for a more interactive experience or a journal that will help improve your craft. If that’s the direction you want to go, may we recommend a writing prompt journal? These journals will provide you with creative writing prompts that will keep you active in your writing day-to-day. In addition, they are also good for giving you creative inspiration for your novel and even helping you when the dreaded writer’s block rears its ugly head.

Writer’s Planner Journal

Finally, if you’re looking for a journal that will allow you to stay organized and flesh out your story, we recommend going with a writer’s planner. This journal will help you do everything from staying on task with your writing to giving you inspiration, charting your writing goals, plotting out each act of your novel, giving you detailed character development sheets, and so much more. For any writer who ends up with miscellaneous papers in five different notebooks when they’re plotting out a new story, this type of journal is a great way to make sure all of your story and character notes and ideas stay organized and together.

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Writing Exercises: Using the Five Senses

dev-dorrance — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 10:00:38 +0000

When writing a book, the scenes come to us in such immense detail. We see each one unfolding like movies in our heads- we see every room, object, gesture, and character with microscopic precision. However, writers tend to get so immersed in the action of the scene that we forget one key detail- our readers can’t automatically see what we see. We have to take the time to describe it to them. What do the characters look like? What are their mannerisms? What can they hear, see, and feel in this moment? This helps us not only create drama in the scene but really allows our readers to truly immerse themselves in the story. It’s hard to really feel like you’re there without sensory detail because that’s how we operate in the real world- through touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing. Ideally, when writing a scene, each of the five senses should be utilized. For writers who struggle with sensory detail, here are a few writing exercises to help:

1) Pick one of your favorite songs. Identify a line in the song and the main emotion behind the line. Write about a character who is experiencing that emotion and hears that song. Or a character who is going through an experience that is paralleled by the song lyrics. Try to describe the type of music and the sounds in such a beautiful way that you will make the reader experience the emotion behind the song.

2) Select a dish representative of a cuisine that your character had as a child. Have the character describe it in such detail that the reader salivates and personal details of your character’s childhood are also revealed.

3) A man is cooking for a woman on their third date. Have the woman describe the aromas of the food in such loving and extended detail that she realizes that she’s in love with the man (Hint: She doesn’t love him because of the food- the food is just a way of showing it).

4) Have a character dine at a blind restaurant- a restaurant in pitch blackness where all the servers are blind. Describe how the table, clothing, plates, food, and the hand of their dining partner feels different in the darkness.

5) Have your character walking down the street and see a specific sight- a building, a park, a tree, a person, etc. and experience a moment of extreme deja vu. Have your character describe what they’re looking at in extreme detail while slowly revealing the memory with which they associate the sight.

6) One of the best exercises for the five senses is to choose one word and to describe it using the five senses. Obviously, each of the five sense won’t be able to be literally applied to the word- this is where you need to use your imagination. Using each of the five senses, for example, describe moonlight. What does it look like? Smell like? Taste like? Sound like? Feel like? Writers often feel boxed into the idea that sensory details need to be real and tangible, but you can absolutely talk about the taste of moonlight or the touch of a shadow in your book. In fact, that’s where some of the best writing happens.

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