The Writer's Journal/Notebook

The Writer’s Journal/Notebook…

I am often asked what advice I would give to aspiring writers and my answer does not vary much…you have to read, read, and read some more and simultaneously you have to write, write, and never stop writing. Keeping a writer’s journal is essential to help you gather as many tidbits of information that will help you with your writing later on and will keep your writing fresh and interesting.

You have to write about everything, anything and then some. That is how you become a good writer…by writing…and when you are ready for the story, the book, the novel, the idea, then a writer’s notebook comes in handy…

The writer’s journal is where you jot down ideas, collect names, collect quotes, and other tidbits of information that may or may not make it into your stories, novels, poems, or shorts. This is where you mine the gold mine that is your life to help prepare you for what it is you want to write. This is where you start preparing the fertile ground for your creativity…and you never know what will make it in and what won’t. This is not where you filter your work or your words…anything is good, everything and anything goes. This is to have fun, with quips and quotes and anything notes.

The Writer’s Notebook, on the other hand, is much more specific. This is where you are laying the groundwork for your story…this is where you have scenes, characters, plot lines, and ideas. Science Fiction and Fantasy writers keep the most elaborate notebooks, since they are creating virtual worlds and they have to keep them straight. Some fantasy writers even create a language that is specific to their world and their characters may visit other worlds in order to be ready for what is coming next.

Many writers use different strategies for organizing their stories and keeping them straight but they all have some way of getting to know their characters and of understanding what the characters are all about. They have some way of detailing, fact checking, and ensuring that there is a logical fit for the reader, especially if there are multiple books in a series.

JK Rowling was a master at keeping detailed information straight and she even got some of her facts wrong, especially with dates and ages, as do many writers. So, as an aspiring writer you have to write…in all sorts of genres and you have to find a process of organizing the story that keeps it straight and keeps it real in your mind. For example, the most effective writers know more about their characters than their readers do, because in developing the back story, they had to know so much more than they shared with the reader…alas, our gay wizard…

Con un pan y cafecito,

Seguimos ADELANTE!!!

Zulmara

"Preguntando se llega a Roma."

Asking will get you to Rome.

I am not a writer, what can I do??

I am not a writer, what can I do??

 We are almost at the end of our journey together and this one is for the skeptic, the non-writer, the person who has many journals started, but none of them finished. So what do you do? Follow your strengths and go with the flow. In the first place, don’t force yourself to write, keep a visual, pictorial journal that flows with pictures cut from magazines or drawings that you make, or comics that speak to you. Review these regularly and stay focused.

Get into scrapping your life and write captions or buy ready made captions to capture those special moments in your life with your family and friends.

Do a collage of your goals…find the picture of you at your perfect weight, your dream house, your favorite food, the place you want to vacation and put them in plan view as a constant reminder of what you want to accomplish in your life.

Get a sketchpad and markers and draw your gratitudes, goals, aspirations, and innovations. This will help you to capture the essence of who you are and who you want to become.

Go online and do a vision board, it is like playing with pictures and lets you focus and you do not need to write to follow your bliss, you just need to find the pictures and sounds that work for you.

Oprah has a great vision board that is free and simple to use. You can find it here:

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/O-Dream-Board-Envision-Your-Best-LifeTM

Con un pan y cafecito,

Seguimos ADELANTE!!!

Zulmara

"Al que con el lobo se junta, a aullar se enseña."

He who runs with the wolves will learn how to howl.

Your Memoirs

Why write your memoirs?

Me and my muse...from our great Build a Muse Day!!!

Memoirs are the story of our lives, sometimes embellished, sometimes not, that leaves a sense of history, who we were, what we accomplished, and how the many narratives that make up our lives fit together. Es la estoria de nuestras vidas.

Many famous people write their narratives because, we their adoring public, like to know who they are, what makes them tick, how they became who they ended up being. However, why would we write our narratives? Several reasons, one is that as writers, we are in the best position to preserve a family history, which gives our families a sense of self and a sense of belonging to something greater than ourselves. When we write our narratives, we are giving voice to our ancestors, who they were, what they endured, how they survived, and how we came to be who we are.

Additionally, we are giving the young ones in the family a sense of where they came from, the sacrifices made by those who had come before and the expectations that are a part of the proud stock from which they come.

We also write to honor, love, respect those who have been there for us, to let them know we care and we appreciate all that they have done for us in the process of being a part of our lives.

And, what do you choose to write about? Well, it depends, individual usually start with an incident that had an impact on them, getting married, birthing a child, graduating from high school, losing a loved one…and go from there. Our stories are powerful and as writers we owe it to our selves to write them down for our families to have a strong sense of who we are and what we have to offer.

So, just start writing about those things that have made a difference in your life. Creer es lograr.

(If you are truly interested in creating a work of art of your life, be on the lookout for my ecourse for a step by step guide.)

Con un pan y cafecito,

Seguimos, ADELANTE!!!

Zulmara

"El que es perico, donde quiera es verde."

You are who you are no matter where you are.

Finding Prompts: quotes songs poems pictures

Finding Prompts: quotes songs poems pictures

For those who feel a sense that writing a journal is something they would like to try, but are having trouble getting started, I would say, start with quotes-songs-poems that resonate with you…and just jot them down.  Es una conexion.

Choose a poet or a singer that resonates with you, copy their poem in one of those…too pretty to write in journals, and respond to the poem. You can come up with a question as I have done for each of the poems in my Guided Journal, or you can just respond to how the poem makes you feel. There are many wonderful poets online who frequently share their poems on their blogs or other posts.

Songs lyrics are another inspiration. As you are listening to your playlist, jot down a sentence or two and make that your prompt for writing for the day. Music is inspirational and often speaks to us in many different ways and enters our soul through different channels, if you love music and are very auditory, this may be your path. La musica es una inspiracion.

Quotes are another source of great inspiration for writing. Get a quote book and pick a quote and write how it resonates with you, speaks to your, or makes you angry. You will be surprised at how this exercise allows you to get in touch with your inner you…and who you want to be and gets started on your journaling journey.

(Bumper stickers that make you chuckle or cringe are also great, just whip out your phone and speak in a note for later writing in your journal or snap a picture and include it in your journal.)

Pictures offer wonderful prompts. Dewitt Jones does a great job of writing his bliss when he celebrates what is right with the world with his pictures and his captions. Some of the captions he creates and other times, he uses quips and quotes. Photos that you take yourself or that others take are a great place to start a beautiful journal as you journal your bliss.

Magazine and Newspaper articles often contain interesting tidbits of information that make for great journal entries, copy down a headline and get creative…you can respond to it, think about what it is going to be about, or write the article based on the title using your own voice and interpretation.

Conversations…a great place to find interesting tidbits to write about. Turn a phrase into a random question, or jot down an idea and expand it later.

Prompts are all around us and when you start looking for quips and quotes and anything notes, you will find that you will stumble on more prompts than you can possibly use.

Con un pan y cafecito,

Seguimos ADELANTE!!!

Zulmara

"En la casa de un herrero, asado de palo."

In a metal worker’s house, there is a wooden hoe.

Rituals, do they really work?

Rituals, do they really work?

With journaling, there are as many ways that it works as there are people who find they journal successfully. Some journalers have to start at the same time every day and they follow a routine…I get a cup of tea, go to my chair, turn on the iPod and write away… These individuals cannot even imagine being unprepared for a journaling session and they find that the ritual helps them get grounded, stay centered, is almost meditative.

Others, journal when the mood strikes them. They may not write everyday, but they write when they feel a need, are starting a new project, or need to get out of a funk. They write what is in their heart to feed the soul and nourish the spirit, but only when the muse strikes them. Others, find that they when they are inspired, it works for them to journal, so they seek out that inspiration…a favorite coffee shop, a favorite beverage, a favorite playlist, a favorite snack…sets the tone and the mood for the journaling to begin. Todo tranquillo.

So, do rituals work, yes, for some people they do, others find them too confining and too contrived. I find that I use a combination of both. La vida es dulce. As I read, I am harvesting my readings for great quotes, quips, and anything notes to jot down…when I am feeling overwhelmed, I stop, get a goal journal out…and write down my goals…to stop the swirling in my mind. When I am in a certain space, like shortly after my mom passed away, I set up a ritual and journal for healing…and take the time to get the cup of coffee, put on that special playlist, light the candles…and enjoy that inner tranquility that only comes when you take quality time for yourself.

Please share with us what type of journaler are you…do you have a special ritual you follow? Do you prefer the spur of the moment?

Con un pan y cafecito,

Seguimos, ADELANTE

Zulmara








"Arbol que crece torcido, nunca su rama endereza."

A crooked tree never grows a straight branch.

Write it down, make it happen…

Write it down, make it happen…

Going the Extra Mile

One of the main reasons to journal is to get clarity in your life about what you want and where you are going. Journaling in pictures, with words, with ideas, or with quotes, help you to focus as you write it down to make it happen. Those who have five year plans, find that, miraculously, what they decided they wanted 5 years ago, actually happens in their lives 5 years later. Write it down, make it happen. Want to lose weight and get it shape, write it down and make it happen, want to meet a special person, write it down and make it happen, want to go on a cruise, write it down and make it happen. The more you write, the more you visualize the end, the more you have the “end in mind” the easier it is to create the life you always wanted to live. Write with love, write with abandon, write with clarity without censure, and you will be impressed…how the car, the house, the job, the vacation, the relationship that you have always wanted can materialize into your life. El éxito es tuyo.

Some call it faith, some call it the law of attraction, some call it the secret, some call it Let Go and Let God, and others, just know it happens…so one more reason to have a goals journal…once you write it down, you can make it happen. 

I was once a skeptic, especially about weight loss, since I had tried everything and still could not get the weight off…and then I wanted to renew my vows for my 25th wedding anniversary and I wanted to drop at least 25 to 30 pounds…and I did it…keeping a food diary, keeping a goals journal, and staying focused. My mom passed away shortly after that and I lost my focus and regained the weight…(chocolate was my comfort food). I am happy to say, I am back at journaling and my weight has begun to come off again…

So, get yourself a goals journal and start making all of your dreams come true…get clarity, stay focused, and keep your eye on the prize. Si, asi es la vida.

Con un pan y cafecito,

Seguimos ADELANTE!!

Zulmara

"A rio revuelto, ganancia de pescadores."

When the river churns, the fisherman do well.