Journaling: What the heck is a journal anyway?
May 21, 2007 by Lillie
A reader expressed an interest in posts on journal writing.
A journal can be just anything you, the writer, want it to be. So the first step should be to decide what that is. Why do you journal? What do you hope to accomplish?
Journals and diaries are sometimes considered to be the same. In fact, one of the dictionary definitions of journal is diary. However, generally journals focus more on self-analysis, thinking, analyzing, learning. Diaries are usually more straightforward accounts of day-to-day activities. A journal may include day-to-day activities, but instead of just listing what you did and where you went, a journal might also include what you learned from your experiences.
You may have more than one kind of journal, or you may have one journal with several purposes. Some kinds of journals, in no particular order, include:
- Idea/goal/dream journal – to capture ideas, record goals and dreams, keep track of your progress, learn from your mistakes, hold yourself accountable
- Creativity journal – to develop your creativity. In Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity
Julia Cameron recommends what she calls “morning pages” – three pages of writing about anything at all, stream of consciousness, unedited thoughts. She even has The Artist’s Way Morning Pages Journal
to make it easy.
- Spiritual journal – to record Scriptures that touch you or thoughts on Bible study, prayers and their answers, your spiritual journey
- Writer’s journal – to store ideas and future writing projects or to practice and improve your writing
- Business/career journal – to document plans, learning, and progress in your business or career
- Personal development journal – to grow and develop by gathering great ideas from others and writing your own thoughts
- Catharsis journal – to express your emotions, fears, joys, hurts, challenges (perhaps during a difficult time such as illness or grief at the loss of a loved one)
- Gratitude/positive/nature/beauty journal – to remind yourself of all you have to be thankful for and to enjoy and appreciate beauty
- Hobby/special project journal – to concentrate your experiences with a hobby, vacation, or special project
- Memoir – to reflect on your life experiences, perhaps to share with loved ones
The way you journal will differ based on the kind of journal you are keeping as well as your preferences. You may prefer writing in a beautifully bound journal with a fine writing pen. You may be more comfortable typing into a word processing program on your computer or writing in spiral notebooks with a ballpoint pen. The choice is yours.
You may write in a single journal beginning at the first page and continuing through the book. For example, if you are writing morning pages, you will write each day consecutively without censoring your words or editing what you write.
For some other kinds of journals, you might have several different sections rather than filling the pages from beginning to end. A section could be a file on your word processor, a section separated by a tabbed divider in a spiral notebook, or a completely separate journal. A writer’s journal might have sections for ideas for stories or articles, golden words that you cut from a novel and hope to use in something else in the future, submissions/responses and how you may want to change your writing as a result.
The style of writing and whether or not you are conscientious about grammar and spelling will also depend on your purpose. If your journal is personal with a goal of improving your creativity, you will write in a stream of consciousness without censoring or editing. If your journal is a memoir that you intend to share with family and friends, you will be want to be more careful.
If you are interested in journaling, comment and let me know what you’d like me to cover about journal writing. I’ll write future posts based on the feedback
Here are some journaling resources you may find helpful:
Journal for You
Journal Writing
Journaling Pages
Memoir Writers
Writing the Journey
[tags]journaling, journal writing[/tags]
Armed Forces Day: America Supports You
May 19, 2007 by Lillie
Today is Armed Forces Day, a day to show support for our military members and to thank them for their service to our country.
My good friend, Fr. Jerry Sherbourne, is a military chaplain. His blog helps us understand the sacrifices our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines – and their families – make to defend our country.
I am editing a book written by a woman and her chaplain husband. They had both been widowed, and the woman had no previous experience with military life. As a grandmother, she was deeply touched by the sacrifices military families make to support their husband, wife, father, or mother.
The following sites and videos remind us of the sacrifices of those who serve and those who wait at home missing and worrying for the safety of their loved one:
Armed Forces Tribute
Military Prayer Point
Remember Me
Until We Meet Again!
When Are You Coming Home?
Updated to add this video of my client Ted Janicki:
Capt Janicki – Rebuilding Afghanistan With Class
Linda Cano, a friend who works a part-time job to earn money for postage to write letters to nearly 150 soldiers twice a month, says this:
This is why I write to our troops. This is why I do without to make sure they get mail. This is why I cry myself to sleep every time one dies or is wounded. They do what we don’t have the strength and courage to do. They are our heroes. They fight so we don’t have to. Honor them. Respect them. Support them. Most of all, thank them when they come home…shake their hands. Visit your VA home and hug a veteran. They need to know we remember the sacrifices they made for our safety and security. Don’t pity our wounded…they don’t want your pity. They want your gratitude and respect…they have earned it. God bless our troops.
Though we especially show our appreciation for our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines on Armed Forces Day, they need our support all the time.
If you’d like to support the troops, a number of excellent organizations can use your help. Here are some of my favorites:
Adopt-a-Chaplain
AnySoldier.Com
Soldiers Angels
And if you do nothing else, if you believe in the power of prayer, you can pray regularly.
O LORD God of Hosts, stretch forth, we pray thee, thine almighty arm to strengthen and protect the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines of our country. Support them in the day of battle, and in the time of peace keep them safe from all evil; endue them with courage and loyalty; and grant that in all things they may serve without reproach; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Related Posts:
Let’s Say Thanks!
If you want your writing to make a difference in people’s lives…
Another Great Organization for Our Troops
Reservist still teaches college classes online while serving in Afghanistan
[tags]Armed Forces Day, support our troops, Adopt-a-Chaplain, AnySoldier.com, Soldiers Angels[/tags]
Rejection: Your baby is ugly!
May 18, 2007 by Lillie
Maybe you’re an employee or a freelance writer assigned to write a company policy manual. Your employer says, “This is so confusing I don’t understand my own policies!”
Or you’re a multi-published author with a new book out. A major reviewer writes, “Don’t waste your money or your time on this disappointing effort.”
Or you’re an aspiring author trying to get your first novel published. The agent you’re sure is ideal to represent you returns your query letter with “NO” rubber-stamped across the top.
Or you’re a blogger working hard to deliver valuable content and build a community. Another blogger you respect advises you to “either learn how to connect with your readers or give up blogging.”
We’ve all felt the bitter sting of rejection. Someone who is supposed to be an excellent judge of beauty has said, “Your baby (manual, book, proposal, blog …) is ugly!”
How can you turn a negative rejection into a positive experience?
1. Allow yourself to feel disappointment, frustration, anger, resentment … whatever your initial reaction. Tell your cat or your spouse that so-called boss/reviewer/agent/blogger … whatever doesn’t know what s/he is talking about. Call them all the names you want to, but only to yourself, your pet, your spouse, or trusted friend. Don’t respond directly or vent to others about the rejection.
2. Inspire, motivate, encourage yourself. Watch inspirational videos such as The Race Movie and I Am With You Always. Read the Bible or an encouraging book, such as Hope Rising: Stories from the Ranch of Rescued Dreams or Get Out of That Pit: Straight Talk about God’s Deliverance
3. Realize that writing, critiquing, and rejection are subjective. One agent didn’t like your query letter, but the next agent you query may be excited about it. A scathing review can be offset by a complimentary one. Read Pushcart’s Complete Rotten Reviews & Rejections
I remember the first time I sent my baby, my first novel Stroke of Luck, out into the world. I submitted the first chapter to a contest and received three critiques. The first judge questioned how I could even think my story was a romance. The opening scene was in a hospital, the main character was handicapped, and it was altogether too depressing for anyone to want to read. The second judge said the story was not believable because the heroine was far too upbeat and positive for what she had gone through. She should be depressed, and there certainly shouldn’t be any humor in a story about such a tragic situation. The third judge informed me that I didn’t know what I was talking about. Her uncle had a stroke, and it wasn’t anything like I described, so I couldn’t possibly understand what it was like to have a stroke. Stroke of Luck is fiction, but the heroine’s stroke experiences and attitude are autobiographical. Yet contest judges were convinced the story wasn’t credible.
4. Evaluate the rejection to determine if there is useful information that can help you improve. If you’re talking to your employer about a policy manual, you can ask for more explanation about what’s wrong with the manual. You can’t get any more information from an agent who rubber-stamps “NO” on your query letter, but you can study Query Letters That Worked!: Real Queries That Landed $2K+ Writing Assignments and learn more about writing query letters. Look for a grain of truth in the criticism you receive, and if you find it, work to write better in the future.
5. Move forward. Make the revisions in the manual. Send the book to other reviewers who may be more positive. Query another agent or publisher. Write your next blog post. Don’t let rejection stop you.
We aren’t defined by rejection but by how we respond to rejection. All of us will hear “Your baby is ugly!” at some time, but we only fail if we start to believe it.
Related Posts:
Every “No” Is Just One Step Closer to a “Yes”
[tags]writing, rejection[/tags]
Global Day of Prayer and 10 Days of Prayer
May 17, 2007 by Lillie
The Global Day of Prayer is Pentecost Sunday, May 27, 2007. Events will be held in more than 200 countries around the world.
The ten days between Ascension and Pentecost are 10 days of prayer to prepare for the global event. If you would like to participate, you can download a 10 Day Prayer Guide in several languages.
[tags]Global Day of Prayer, prayer[/tags]
Christian Carnival CLXXII
May 17, 2007 by Lillie
Christian Carnival CLXXII is posted at Crossroads: Where Faith and Inquiry Meet.
You’ll find more than two dozen posts that are thought-provoking, inspiring, interesting, and well worth reading.
[tags]Christian Carnival[/tags]
I’m an Official Successful Blog SOB
May 16, 2007 by Lillie
Liz Strauss at Successful Blog has honored me by naming me a Successful Blog SOB. Thanks, Liz!
Being called a Successful and Outstanding Blogger, especially by someone I respect as much as I do Liz, has made me feel much better after being under the weather for several days.
National Stroke Awareness Month: Stroke Risk Factors and Symptoms
May 15, 2007 by Lillie
May is National Stroke Awareness Month. Last week I shared my personal experiences with stroke, linked below in the Related Posts list. I hope these experiences help bring awareness to the effects of stroke on the individuals affected. However, it’s important for people to know some basic information about stroke.
You can learn about the risk factors for stroke and even answer a few questions to determine your own stroke risk at the National Stroke Association. Some risk factors – such as age or racial background – are outside your control. You can control, or at least reduce the risk, of others – such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight. The association provides Stroke Prevention Guidelines to help you reduce your risk of stroke.
Even if your own risk for stroke is low, you should be able to recognize the symptoms of stroke. Recognizing that your mother or grandfather or neighbor or coworker is having a stroke could save their life. According to the National Stroke Association:
- Every 45 seconds in the United States someone experiences a stroke.
- Each year more than 750,000 people in the U.S. experience a stroke.
- Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and leading cause of adult disability.
- Stroke is a medical emergency; Stroke is a â”Brain Attack.”
- Stroke is treatable within 3 hours of symptom onset.
If you see someone showing stroke symptoms, please don’t hesitate because you’re not sure they’re in danger. It’s far better that they make an unneeded trip to the emergency room than that they die because of delay in treatment!
I was blessed to make the recovery I have even though the chiropractor’s delay and covering up my condition meant I didn’t get to the hospital for several hours. Not everyone who has a delay in treatment is so lucky!
The symptoms of stroke that require observers to ACT F.A.S.T. are:
Face – ask the person to smile; if one side of the face droops, call EMS.
Arms – ask the person to raise both arms; if one arms drifts downward, call EMS.
Speech – ask the person to repeat a simple sentence; if speech is slurred or the person has difficulty repeating the sentence correctly, call EMS.
Time – if the person shows any of the above symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately. Brain cells are dying!
Because of my personal experience, I want to point out one little-recognized risk factor for stroke: chiropractic neck manipulation. When I had my stroke in 1992, the first article about this had just been published in a neurology journal. That study cited 18 known cases of stroke caused by chiropractic neck manipulation. Today a search at Entrez, the medical library of the National Institutes of Health, turns up 56 articles on chiropractic neck manipulation and stroke. The actual risk is not known; various sources estimate anywhere from 1 in 400,000 neck manipulations to 1 in 5.8 million manipulations.
The May 2007 issue of the popular lifestyle magazine Self has an article warning of this danger and telling the stories of several young women who have experienced such strokes. One woman’s story really hit home with me – when she complained to the chiropractor that something was wrong, he said her body was releasing toxins. Those were the same words my chiropractor used to explain my condition after my stroke!
Updated 7/23/07: The complete article mentioned above is now online at MSNBC.com: Deadly twist at the chiropractor.
If one person is saved from a stroke … if one person gets treatment on time because of my words … if one person becomes more aware of the risk factors, symptoms, and dangers of stroke, my posts on this subject will be worthwhile.
Related Posts:
National Stroke Awareness Month: My Stroke – the Beginning
National Stroke Awareness Month: My Stroke – The Next Three Days
National Stroke Awareness Month: My Stroke – the Aftermath
Updated 6/1/07: This is a QA Exchange Solution
[tags]stroke, National Stroke Awareness Month[/tags]
A Tale of Two Companies: the Worst and the Best
May 14, 2007 by Lillie
In National Stroke Awareness Month: My Stroke – the Aftermath, I briefly described the neurological problems I’ve had for several years, presumably as a result of the stroke I had a few years before.
This week, I have had several episodes with different and more severe symptoms that concerned me. During one such episode on Saturday, I decided to have my husband Jack take me to the emergency room. I usually avoid going to the emergency room because numerous trips in the past have been wastes of time. Doctors prod, poke, scan, examine, medicate … but still can’t explain what is happening. I relented this time because the symptoms were different and frightening.
The triage nurse was very nice and concerned about me. She told me my blood pressure was 191/97 (I hadn’t taken my daily medication), and she asked a lot of questions about the jumping and was very sympathetic. She took us back to a room, where a man was making the bed. I thought at first he was an aide, but then the triage nurse started telling him my symptoms, vital signs, etc., so I realized he was the nurse who was supposed to take care of me.
When the triage nurse told him my blood pressure, he looked at me and said, “That could kill you!” Right after that I started jumping repeatedly. Both arms and legs flailed out, and I made loud, incomprehensible sounds. He told me, “Stop that!” The triage nurse asked if I could control it, and I said I couldn’t. The other nurse said, “Stop it! That’s not real!”
We almost left then, but I didn’t want to make a wasted trip. We stayed, and I got into a gown as instructed. When I was ready, Jack opened the door so the nurse would know I was ready. The male nurse came back and said, “Shut this door! We have sick people in here and you’re disturbing them!”
I jumped up off the bed and said, “We’re leaving.”
Jack closed the door, and I got dressed. The nurse came back and asked if he could talk to Jack. I’m sure he realized he had made a serious mistake and thought he’d better correct it to protect himself.
But I said, “I won’t stay here and be insulted. You already said this isn’t real, and I’m disturbing sick people.”
We stopped at the front desk and told the man there why we were leaving. He asked us to sign a form (presumably saying that we were leaving against medical advice). I don’t think Jack (who can’t hear as well as he used to) heard about the form, and I wasn’t thinking clearly enough to respond. After we were several blocks away, I realized Jack should have filled out the form so there would be a written, signed record of what happened.
Jack wanted to take me to another ER, but I was in tears and just wanted to go home and go to bed (even though I can’t get to sleep when I’m jumping). We called my primary care physician, Dr. B, and he prescribed something to calm me down and told me to go home, get some rest, and stay hydrated with lots of water and juice. I’ll go see him soon and get a referral to another neurologist.
When we got to Walmart (only a few blocks away) to pick up the prescription, Jack couldn’t find a parking place close, so he parked illegally. He left the keys in the car so if someone complained about where we were parked, they could move the car.
Just as he parked, our priest Fr. Chip called on the cell phone. Jack had called him before we left the house, and he called back from Kansas City where he was attending a clergy meeting. He prayed with me on the phone, and I felt much better immediately.
When Jack got inside, Dr. B hadn’t even called in the prescription yet. He was out somewhere on his cell phone and didn’t have the Wal-Mart number, so Jack had to get the number from the pharmacy and call Dr. B.
After he had been in the store a few minutes, a man in a white shirt that looked like it could be a uniform walked by the car and heard me jumping. He turned around and asked if I was OK. I told him I was having seizures but would be OK.
I don’t know if he was a Walmart employee or if he told someone in Wal-Mart, but suddenly four Walmart staff showed up at the car-the manager, two assistant managers, and another person who never was identified. They were so nice, concerned, caring, and helpful! Such a contrast to the hospital! They stayed with me all the time Jack was in the pharmacy, talking to me, soothing me, encouraging me to talk because they quickly discovered I didn’t jump nearly as much if I was talking. So I told them about being a writer and editor, about books I’ve been editing, about anything and everything I could think of to keep talking.
The manager asked if I wanted him to start the car and turn on the air conditioner, but I assured him I was fine. So one of them went inside and brought out a small personal fan and put it on the dashboard. Another went to check on the prescription and try to hurry up the pharmacist. One lady kept holding my arm, patting me, assuring me I would be OK. When I said I felt bad for keeping them all from their work, they joked they were there just as an excuse to get out of work. I told them how much different they acted than the hospital and how grateful I was for their caring concern.
When Jack came out, he explained to the manager why he was parked where he was. The manager said their only concern was me. Jack told me as we left that he was impressed, and he’s not easily impressed. He had tears in his eyes, and I did too-different from the tears I had shed earlier over the treatment at the hospital.
As we drove off, Frank, the manager laughingly said, “Bring me a book.” I told Jack I’m going to do exactly that—send books to all of the people who helped me, even though I don’t know the names of the others. Frank will know.
Thank God for prayer and Fr. Chip and kind people like the Walmart management!
Productivity Tips
May 11, 2007 by Lillie
Denise at Freelancing Journey recently tagged me for a group writing project on productivity. The writing project was started by Ben Yoskovitz at Instigator Blog to compile the “Ultimate Guide to Productivity.”
As I indicated in Memes and Gotta Get Goals!, I am selective about which of these kinds of projects I participate in. Although there are many fun and interesting memes/group writing projects, I decide whether to participate based on whether the project furthers my goals for this blog.
A discussion of productivity certainly fits in with giving writing advice to both professional writers and “non-writers” who write in the course of their everyday lives. None of us ever seem to have enough time to accomplish everything we want to accomplish.
I talked about this in Focus and Organization. Since I work on such a variety of projects, I have to focus on what I’m doing at the moment. I do multitask – reading blogs while backing up my computer or reading e-mail while I’m on hold on the phone. However, when I’m writing or editing, I need to focus on the project. I don’t get much done if I don’t concentrate on what I’m doing. Research has shown that multitasking slows down most people rather than making them more efficient.
Setting priorities is also important. I keep track of deadlines and try to schedule tasks to complete projects before the deadlines. Since I get a lot of must-be-done-immediately work from business clients, I have to leave plenty of “free” time in my schedule to handle them between working on longer-term projects like book editing.
Although most time management experts recommend working on the most important tasks of the day first, that advice doesn’t work well for me. I am a slow starter, so I’m not at best at the beginning of the day. I start out with e-mail and small jobs, then move to the projects that require more concentration. You need to find your natural rhythm and focus on your most important projects when you are most alert and productive. That may be doing your most difficult tasks first thing in the morning. Many part-time writers get up early before the rest of the family and write before going to their day job. Others stay up late and write after everyone else has gone to bed. Some work on their lunch hour and breaks. None of these schedules is better than the other, but one is better for you.
Taking care of my health is important to my productivity. Becoming overtired can cause severe neurological symptoms and put me in bed for several days. Even if you are in good health, you will be more efficient and productive if you eat right and get adequate rest and exercise.
My suggestions aren’t profound, certainly not the “ultimate guide to productivity.” But I hope they make your think and help you focus on your own projects and your own productivity.
Rather than tag specific bloggers, I encourage any of you who would like to share to write a post on your productivity tips. Let me know about it and be sure to link to the original post to be included in the compilation.
Related Posts:
Memes and Gotta Get Goals!
Focus and Organization
[tags]productivity, group writing project, Ultimate Guide to Productivity[/tags]
Top Five Keys to Successful Persuasive Writing
May 10, 2007 by Lillie
In my post on goals, I mentioned that one of my goals for this blog is to give writing advice for “non-writers” who have to write for their jobs and everyday lives. As a result of that post, Lowell Crabb at Acceleration of Money suggested I give advice on persuasive writing.
So for Lowell and anyone else who needs to write persuasively, here are my five keys to successful persuasive writing:
1. Write with passion about something important to you. You will find it difficult to persuade someone else about something you don’t believe. My most recent persuasive writing project was to help my husband write a letter to a hospital we believe overcharged us. He can’t get a satisfactory answer of what “uncovered charges” are. He is determined he won’t pay the amount in question until he gets an explanation other than “charges your insurance didn’t pay.” We wrote the letter to persuade the hospital either to itemize the charges or cancel the bill, and we wrote with passion because this was important to us.
You may not always have a choice in what you write, however. If your boss assigns you a project that requires persuasive writing, you may not feel the same passion as my husband and I felt about being overcharged. Look for something positive in the project. Perhaps you can bring more sales to the company through advertising copy. More income to the business will be good not only for the company but also to employees, creating more job security and possibly higher salaries. The project may help you develop your skills or learn something new, and your success could help you earn a promotion. Apply the passion you feel for the potential results of the project to the writing itself.
2. Write with your readers in mind. Think about your purpose and your audience. Put yourself in your readers’ shoes – and in their heads. If you’re trying to persuade someone to take a certain position on an issue, consider how the issue affects them. Perhaps you want voters to support a bond issue to build a new library. Take the approach of the benefits of the library for the voter, his family, and his neighborhood. Don’t ignore objections and opposite viewpoints. Instead, address the objections openly and respectfully. “Some voters believe this new library isn’t needed because…. However, …” By answering the objections in your readers’ minds, you show you understand the whole picture. By showing respect for opposing viewpoints, you are more apt to convince your readers of your point of view. How often do politicians, activists, and pundits persuade others to their point of view when they call those with different opinions names and show disrepect for their opinions?
3. Write to be understood. Rather than trying to impress readers with your vocabulary or your writing skill, try to make the copy easy for them to understand. Your word choices and writing style will vary depending on what you are writing, but whenever possible use common words and short sentences and paragraphs. As much as you can, use a friendly, conversational style so your readers feel like you are carrying on a conversation with them. Proofread your work and correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Watch especially for your common errors. For example, I’m notorious for leaving out words. If you’re not sure whether to use its or it’s or their or there, look it up. The Guide to Grammar and Writing and The OWL at Purdue are two excellent resources.
4. Write to appeal to your readers’ emotions. Read or watch ads or articles soliciting donations or volunteers for charitable causes. People respond to descriptions of sick or starving children or pictures of animals that have been mistreated. You may not be writing about such dramatic topics, but your readers are emotional beings. If you’re trying to persuade readers to make an investment, you can appeal to their fear (what will they lose if they miss out?), greed (how much money can they make?), love for family (how will this investment protect their family’s financial security?), desire for prestige or power (how can the investment give the reader status or influence?), or any number of other emotions.
5. Write to give your readers logical justifications for their decision. We all tend to operate on emotion. We make decisions to avoid pain or feel pleasure; to prevent loss or ensure security, to feel powerful, beautiful, successful, or … something; to help the unfortunate or show our love for our family and friends. However, we like to justify our decisions on the basis of logic and reason. So after you appeal to your readers’ emotions, provide facts and statistics. Quote experts. Give them rational justification to do what you are trying to persuade them to do and what their emotions motivate them to do.
I hope these tips help you improve your persuasive writing. If you have questions, ask them in the comments. I’d love to hear your suggestions for other writing topics you’d like me to cover.
Since my successful persuasive writing advice comprises five tips, I’m submitting this post to the Top 5 group writing project at ProBlogger. The topic of the project is Top 5, and the project has already drawn a raft of interesting posts on a wide range of topics. The group writing project is an excellent chance to find some great new blogs.
[tags]writing, Top 5, group writing project[/tags]
