Journals and Papers

I thought this would be appropriate seeing as I am off on a short vacation. Do you journal while away on vacation or traveling? There are many types of journals one can use for traveling. You want a sturdy journal, one that will hold up well, especially if you are back packing, or a soft leather cover type to mold into small luggage areas.

What things would you write about? I like to write about the sights and sounds of what I am seeing, the culture and how it affects me. When I was in Mexico, I sat for a few minutes and just listened to the ocean and tried to write down words that would describe what I was hearing. It was actually quite difficult especially without a thesaurus at hand. Even moreso, as my other senses of smell and touch (the wind on my arms) were also sensing, combining for an overall feel of what was going on around me. It is a great writer’s exercise. I just figured it might help me if I ever wanted to set up a beach scene in a story or novel.

I can’t seem to go anywhere without a journal in hand, and if I am travelling to inspirational places, that makes it all the more fun to be able to write when ever and where ever I want.

Come on, we know we have all felt it at one time or another. Road Rage. I believe the feelings road rage triggers are felt in all walks of life and not just on the road. So how do we take care of those feelings? What is the best way to address them?

Have you ever thought of keeping a journal for those times when life is just beating you over the head? You come home and grump at your wife or husband or kids. They don’t deserve it and can’t figure out what is wrong. Try taking a moment and sitting down with a journal. Write freestyle. Don’t think. Just write!

Don’t know where to start? Think about the  one key thing that happened to you that you just can’t get over and let go. Perhaps it was the guy who cut you off. May-be the gal who was going to slow and trying to put on makeup behind the wheel, or what about that jerk that was on the cell phone and tried to make a lane change right next to you.

If not on the road, were your bad feelings caused by an angry customer, someone who yelled at you, or a boss that demanded more than you could give.

You would be surprised as you let your writing flow, that the incident that caused road rage might not be what is really bugging you. As you write, more and more feelings will come out that you might not realize they even existed. The journal can take it. Pen everything you are feeling.

After a few pages, you will start to relax, the stress will leave you. You will feel extremely exhausted, but at the same time you will feel light, almost refreshed, somewhat like how you feel after freshening up in the washroom with a cold facecloth.

You can let it go and then go and face your family with a grin of apology for being so grumpy.

Sometimes, journal entries don’t always have to about writing down your feelings and thoughts. You might like to journal a story. Even if you aren’t a writer of fiction, sometimes journal entries can lead to some great story detail. I’ve seen some entries where the journal writer starts putting down feelings, but then somehow a story shapes itself out of an experience by the author.

Did something happen today which touched your heart and you have to go home and pull out your journal right away and jot it down? Did you see someone who has character appeal, and that person stayed with your thoughts; your imagination goes into overdrive and you start creating a story. Write it down in your journal.

Journals can be used for many things. Some people feel that the journal acts as a diary, where a chronological ordering of the day must be preserved. Others use their journals for poetry and drawings, quotes and comments or ideas. One other purpose can be to create stories. Let your mind wander into fantasy and see where your thoughts take you.

It’s fun reading what you’ve written too. You never know when you might decide to enter a writing contest, and lacking ideas on the spur of the moment, an old journal entry might twig a great idea.