Appreciation Journal: Five Reasons to be Thankful

November 22, 2007

What better day to talk about an appreciation journal than Thanksgiving?

Most writers keep a journal. You might call yours a notebook, or even a diary. It’s the handy place where you store your thoughts, ideas, experiences, and your work, either on paper or in an electronic file.

A journal is an ongoing log, usually with dated entries. Some journals are topical (dream journals, travel journals, freewriting journals), while others are left open to explore just about anything. Many topical journals are meant to improve the quality of life. For example, people who are working to lose weight might keep a diet and exercise journal. Folks who are trying to better themselves might keep a self-improvement journal. Parents may keep a journal of their child’s development. But there’s another type of journal that suits just about anyone, writers and non-writers alike, and that is the appreciation journal.

The appreciation journal is a daily log in which you write something, or a list of things, that you are grateful for each day.

Here are five reasons why documenting what you’re grateful for can be beneficial:

A great way to start your day. It’s not always easy to roll out of bed and propel yourself into the daily routine. Some days it’s downright dreadful, like when you know you have to attend a long, boring meeting, or take a test, or see the doctor. If you write in your appreciation journal in the A.M., it will jump start your day on a positive note and a day that starts off good is less likely to turn sour.
Good for the soul. The process of thinking about what you are grateful for and expressing your gratitude just makes you feel good. This could be contagious, and other people around you might absorb some of that positive energy. This makes life better for everyone.
Encourages positive thinking. Because the things for which you’re grateful are the positives in life, when you focus on them you are directing your attention away from the negatives. According to some experts, the law of attraction states that concentrating on positive aspects of your life draws even more positively desirable things to you.
Generates new thoughts and ideas about life. This is especially useful for creative people, like writers. Anytime you force yourself to sit down each day and think about something, the result is a string of thoughts and ideas. Some of these will be great fodder for articles and stories.
A great way to end your day. When it’s time to wind down and shift into relaxation mode, thinking about the good things in life will help you clear your mind and put you in a light mood. That’s a great way to prepare for a decent night’s sleep!

Do you keep an appreciation journal? Have you ever written a list of things that you’re thankful for? Tell me, what are you grateful for?

I personally keep an appreciation journal. Though some days there’s not enough time to write down my thoughts. I try to start off each day by thinking about at least one thing that I’m truly grateful for. Since I started doing this last spring, I have found that my attitude is more positive, it’s easier for me to put a smile on my face (even when I’m dealing with adversity), and let things roll off my shoulder, and I just feel better overall. Try it for yourself!

-Melissa

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Written by Melissa Donovan · Filed Under Writing Tips

How to Stay Inspired with a Creative Writing Talisman

November 21, 2007

Sometimes when we sit down to write, the muse is in full effect and the words pour forth effortlessly. Other times, we sit there staring at a blank screen waiting for creativity to manifest. We wait, and we wait.

Writer’s block is the state of being uninspired, but it’s just a state of mind, and that can be changed at will, which is a good thing, because when it comes to creative writing, state of mind is pretty important.

Years ago, when I used to draw and paint, I often listened to the Cure. It made for great artistic background music. As a result, every time I hear the Cure, I get an urge to pull out my watercolor pencils and sketchbook, because I had built a psychological association between a certain kind of music and a creative activity.

Can you see where I’m going with this?

Creative Writing with a Talisman

Talisman: anything whose presence exercises a remarkable or powerful influence on human feelings or actions. (Dictionary.com)

In a sense, a talisman can be used to program your muse to come out and get to work — on cue. Imagine having the ability to command your own creativity, to sit down and engage in your writerly work and automatically trigger inspiration.

Here’s how it works:

Choose your creative writing talisman - It could be a hat or a piece of jewelry. It might be something that sits on your desk, like a picture or a statuette. It can even be a CD or playlist (classical and jazz are great for writing). Choose a talisman that you won’t use in any other capacity and make sure it’s not something that will distract you from the task at hand. Also, pick something you can store easily, but which is also accessible. Things that fit in your desk drawer or pocket are ideal. Also, try to find something that already makes you feel inspired.
Charge your talisman - Don’t start using your talisman until your muse is in high gear. You should have it ready for when creativity strikes and when it does, pull out your talisman and focus on it for a few minutes as ideas bounce around in your head. Leave it out as you work on your creative writing during those times when you’re feeling inspired.
Believe in your talisman - If you believe in magic, you might say that you’re infusing the talisman with your creative writing energy. Or, a more scientific explanation would be that you’re training your mind to associate the object with creativity, so that whenever you engage the talisman, that creative energy is triggered.
Use your talisman - Once your talisman starts putting out an inspirational vibe, make it a point to use it whenever you’re stuck with your creative writing. You’ll know it’s ready because you’ll get the urge to write every time you look at your talisman.
Keep your talisman charged - Even if months down the road, you’re feeling giddy with creativity, and you don’t feel like you need it, take out the talisman. This will help keep it charged and maintain the psychological association between the talisman and your creative writing.

Do you have a creative writing talisman or some other ritual that you perform either before, during, or after your writing sessions?

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Written by Melissa Donovan · Filed Under Writing Tips

Writing Down the Bones - It’s a Zen Thing

November 20, 2007

I was assigned Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg for a creative writing course in college. We were supposed to read a chapter or two a week, but I had a hard time putting it down and ended up inhaling the entire volume in a couple of days. I have a habit of doing that.

Trust in what you love, continue to do it, and it will take you where you need to go.

Ah, words of wisdom. Goldberg, who has penned a number of books about writing, mastered the mechanics of writing in college. It was later that she discovered how to tap into her creativity and write more artfully. Four years after that discovery, she began teaching writing workshops and has since become a master of the craft.

Writing Down the Bones is perfect for young or new writers. The first chapter discusses pen and paper, and how to select the appropriate materials. Yet, the book is also ideal for writers who are ready to get serious about the craft, although they may have considerable experience. That’s where I was with my own writing when I was first introduced to this book, and it made me realize that writing could be more than just a way to pass the time when I was feeling particularly inspired.

Goldberg will teach you how to freewrite (she calls this the timed exercise), how to make writing a daily practice, and give you countless ways to explore your writing on a deeper and more creative level. From setting up your own writing space, to finding topics to write about and unlimited sources of inspiration, she crams in enough ideas to keep you busily writing for years to come.

Natalie’s experience in Zen meditation, which is essentially a subtractive process, has provided her insights.

-Robert Pirsig, author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

With over seventy chapters, each just a couple of pages long, this text is a quick and easy read. At the same time, it’s packed with ideas, information, inspiration, and exercises to get you writing, and keep you on task. This is one of my favorite writing books, and the first one that I recommend to anyone who loves to write.

Have you read Writing Down the Bones? What did you think of it? Are there any other books on writing that you would recommend?

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Written by Melissa Donovan · Filed Under Writing Resources

Writing for Writers is Now Writing FORWARD

November 19, 2007

Writing for Writers was previously hosted at www.melissadonovan.com. Now, it has its own home here at www.writingforward.com. You’ll find that all of the content has been transferred over. Please update your links, favorites, bookmarks, and subscriptions. To make things easier, I have the following ready for you:

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This new site is using the Silhouette 3-Column theme, created by Brian Gardner. Brian is the creator of the WordPress content management system Revolution. Someday, Writing FORWARD hopes to sport Revolution! What do you think of the new theme? Leave a comment and let me know.

I’m ever appreciative to everyone who has linked up to the blog in the past months and weeks:

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