Tayari's Blog: If You Keep A Journal, Let Me Know

Comment #1, by kpdreams

I think you should write in whatever book you look at and feel inspired to write in. Some of my best journaling was done in those black and white composition notebooks.I've written in pretty journals from bookstores as well. It just all depends on what I feel when I look at the book itself.
Oh and when I was younger I journaled in a spiral notebook thinking no one would be interested in it too, but my step-father ended up reading every word of it. I learned my lesson from then on, hide your journal lol.

Comment #2, by oisine

I've used several different kinds but I find that I like spiral bound books the best. So I look for ones that are little step up from the basic Staples variety. I actually got a really plain one once with the intention of decorating the covers with whatever it is that moved me. That didn't happen. But the thought was there though. It was all in my head. :-)

Comment #3, by Jade Park

hoorah for you for pushing yourself, always, as a writer!!!

(#1 I would like to hear about the bad habits post-publishing).

#2 I journal. I started off journaling, and then I stopped journaling once I started blogging and writing fiction. What was left for my journal, I thought. But then I decided there were things I didn't want to publish or vet out in fiction. There were things I just wanted to work out on my own, in my own writing. I thought it would be good for my writing, to get my therapeutic writing down privately. I got sick and couldn't write fiction for over a year--and that is when my journal blossomed. Because I had short term memory problems, I depended on my journal as a record of my thoughts and happenings (it was my short term memory, manifested in hard copy). I wrote in it everyday as a form of therapy. It is now invaluable to me, even fully recovered!

I use a Moleskine. I ordered quite a few of them when I found them on special at Amazon and I look forward to filling them all.

Comment #4, by Yvonne

I have been journaling for about 13 years, since I studied abroad for a semester.

I often use journaling as a precursor to writing, as a way to empty my mind. If I'm worried or angry about something or just mulling over a problem, my journal is a great way to get it all out so I can figure out what I'm thinking and then I can turn a fresh page, so to speak, and work on my fiction without dwelling on what's bothering me.

I've used both expensive and very cheap notebooks, just depending on what my mood is at the time. My next notebook will be a Clairefontaine because I've heard the paper is really nice.

One suggestion I saw many years ago that I've implemented with my journals is that before I start writing I number all the pages and in the first few pages I make space for a "table of contents." Then I will summarize pages I want to remember. For instance if I've written a sketch of something, or have a story idea, or maybe just a really cool dream I'd like to reference again, I write the page number and a short description in the TOC so I can find those things again easily.

Comment #5, by Dana

I have to say, Yvonne's idea is fantastic. Table of contents--wonderful. Much better than just including the start and end dates of the journal. That would make it so much easier to go through past journals and find quotes, story ideas, etc. that I recorded.
I do journal and use the regular black Moleskine. I tried a new journal this summer. It was made of an recycled old library book: included the front and back cover and 3-4 page sections interspersed throughout the journal. The cool part was that the journal also had the library pocket included in the back. The last time the original book had been checked out was 1906ish.

Comment #6, by Bethany

Oh, you've done it now. Asking me to talk about journals and journaling? When I'm supposed to be writing, no less? Let me just quickly say *gush* and then I'm off to write an entire blog entry on this. (I can blame this on you, yes?) Anyway, two words. Roma. Lussa. *gush*

Comment #7, by Ladylee

You know I journal, Celie... I have several, and I prefer the spiral with hardcovers. I have a prayer journal, a regular journal for my thoughts, journals for story isshas, a journal for my dreams. I was a member of a journalling group, so I had a journal for such.Right now, I have a really nice one that I am using for spiritual workbook notes... it was a gift from one of my readers, a journal I'd been staring at in the bookstore, but was being too cheap to buy it, lol.

I don't care for regular spiral notebooks, or composition books like what we used for school, but I like journals with character, and I like to pay a little money for such. One leather one I have now cost 30 bucks. I bought it 3 years ago, and still use it. I also like to give them as presents.

I think you should get back to it, Celie. No telling what will be born out of it... or not. Nothing like working out your private issues in private, deep within the pages of your personal tomes- free from the judgment of others.