A Word to Writers
January 3, 2009 by B J Keltz
If you are a writer, chances are you already keep a journal of some sort. It seems a natural extension of the general need to write. However, if you are not yet a daily journal keeper, consider using various journaling techniques to improve both your quantity and quality output.
If you do not yet use the early morning technique for writing, I urge you to try it. Rise 15-45 minutes before you normally do. Before you read anything or speak to anyone, go straight to your journal and write for a minimum of 15 minutes. Dr. Klauser, in her book Writing from Both Sides of the Brain, remarked that her own output increased dramatically using this method, but also details the reasons why early morning writing helps you access your right brain directly. Dorothea Brande, in Becoming a Writer, defines early morning writing as a way to “hitch your writing arm to your unconscious mind.”
I find that early morning writing sows seeds of imagery and form that stay in my unconscious mind throughout my day. Often, in the evening, I can sit down and write an entire essay. Later, I become aware that the seeds were planted in the early morning and grew while I was distracted with my day.
Another successful technique for working through plot or character problems is to journal just before bed. Dr. Klauser advises to clearly state the problem and write down what you would like as an outcome (be as specific as you can, but don’t dictate the outcome). Repeat the desired outcome several times to yourself as you fall asleep. Your solution may well tumble out of your right brain during your morning session the following day. Kelly L Stone, in Time to Write, also includes this technique as well as directly addressing your subconscious and requesting a solution by a certain date. It is remarkable what the vast, “unused” portion of our brain can accomplish while we are occupied with living.
Journaling can help you with character sketches and development as well. Try making an entry from the perspective of the character you are working on or write a letter from one character to another.
The best use of daily journaling is keeping your writing mind limber. As an athlete must stretch and work muscles daily, so must writers keep the habits of writing. One way you can do this by writing by appointment. Vary the times every day until you become limber enough to write any time and anywhere. You should also use timed writing (commonly referred to as 10 minute timed writing or rapid writing). During this exercise, you write for a set period of time without stopping. “Keep your hand moving,” says Natalie Goldberg in Writing Down the Bones. The benefit of this exercise is to teach you to push past “the wall.” Often, there is valuable stuff just beyond the wall that you likely will not see unless you reach for it. For further information on these techniques, read Writing Down the Bones, Becoming a Writer, and Writing from Both Sides of the Brain. All three of these books are on our recommended reading list for new writers.
If you are not currently working on a project, keeping a journal will keep your skills and mind equal to the task. When you are deep in a project, you might journal little or not at all. I find keeping a journal can take a back seat when on deadline or when putting together a book such as “Where Do I Begin? A Review of Eight Books Essential for Beginning Writers,” in which research is followed almost immediately by composition. I miss my journal during that time, and am right back to it as soon as the bulk of the composition is done. I find returning to my journal provides the necessary distance required for me to go back and begin editing or revising my work, and does it in a shorter time frame than might otherwise occur.
If you experience an urge to talk about your work, talk to your journal instead. Speaking to another person about your work often “discharges the tension” and removes the push to write it. A journal can save the day, allowing you to speak to some “other” about your work without verbalizing and loosening the strings that tie you to the piece. One word of advice for new and young writers…don’t discuss your project until after your first draft is complete. I can’t even write a full treatment of mine until the first draft is safely on paper. Don’t do anything to “discharge the tension” and lessen your drive to see it written.
Nearly all the books on our recommended reading list for new writers discuss the journal as a quality technique for the writer. Anecdotal information from writers in general confirms the value of the practice. If you are not yet keeping a journal, start today. If you are, learn a few new techniques to help your journal help you in your writing endeavors. It’s worth the effort.
