‘I am a writer. See, I have a journal!’

#1

“A writing journal can be an essential part of a fiction writer’s toolkit.”

In the AutoCrit article, “How to Keep a Writing Journal You Won’t Neglect”

Keeping a journal can help you:

  • Store ideas
  • Generate inspiration
  • Record your thoughts and feelings
  • Play with different forms, tones, and styles in your writing
  • Forge a sense of identity: ‘I am a writer. See, I have a journal!’

Don’t underestimate the power of that last point. If you see yourself as an amateur writer, telling yourself that what you write doesn’t really matter and by default isn’t good, then the writing you produce might not speak to your potential. But if you see yourself as an author, then gifting yourself a tool like a journal reminds you daily that your ideas are worth looking after.”

See the complete article here:

Would you keep a writer’s journal?

What would it look like if you did?

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#2

If keeping a writer’s journal adds credence to the claim that I am in fact a writer, then YES, I AM!

I have stacks and stacks of stories, completely outlined ideas, critical plot points, character backstories, and mountains of dialogue in journals, binders, scraps of papers, even on napkins dating back over decades! (even some published articles)

When inspiration struck, I wrote!

With this conundrum of imposter syndrome solved,
I HAVE clout, SEE, I have a JOURNAL (or FORTY-SEVEN of them) I AM A WRITER!

I can now move on to completing projects.

With this revelation, I feel like someone who spent their entire life wanting to become an artist, but only now realizing their spare room holds a treasure trove. Decades worth of sketches, and canvases they have painted, some that had gallery showings, all while wishing they were an artist…

I can’t be alone in this, who else is suffering?

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#3

I have some ideas I need to get out of my scattered journals and into real stories.

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#4

You’ve come to the right place.

May I ask which courses of Daniel’s you have had a chance to take?

He is truly a gifted teacher in the craft of creative writing and has a way of teasing out your best work with shape and form you didnt even realize it could have.

Time and money well spent with support and authenticity in his interest in your progress as an individual writer. (Can you tell I was impressed with what I learned?)
(If you dont mind sharing) What has your experience with his classes been like?

If you would like to… this is a great place to share ideas and snippets of writing with the group. Just to get it out there?

Sometimes writing in a safe space for doing so can be very liberating.

#5

Right now, I can’t recall which, if any of his courses I’ve taken. But I find the idea of character first writing fascinating.

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#6

The Character First course is 12 lessons that are free for the asking. At the tap of a button even.

You can find the button right here, https://danieldavidwallace.com/

You’re going to love it!

#7

Daniel’s PPN course introduced me to the term “character-first” writing several years ago when I joined, but up until then, I had no idea what it was called. I only knew I liked stories that didn’t just give me plot, plot, plot. Going through Daniel’s course didn’t help me write a novel right away, but it did lay a foundation for understanding some of the more personal elements of telling a character-driven story.

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#8

For me it supplied the exact starting point of every
story I wanted to tell with no doubt I’m taking the right steps for a solid beginning and the proper introduction of my character to my readers.

I like repeating the steps for fresh story ideas, in this way practicing until it becomes muscle memory. I want the day to come where flows as naturally to write in this structure as breathing.