Wednesday, June 13, 2012

The Writer and Their Journal

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Just a few of the many journals given to me over the years.




About a week ago one of my favorite bloggers, Ava Jae (the creator of Writability), wrote a post on writers and their relationship with journals entitled, Writers: Do You Keep a Journal. She stated how she was, “slightly envious of writer who could maintain a journal” and went on to talk about her failed attempts and reasons she figured it didn’t work out for her. She believes it is because we, as writers, get so caught up in the drama or everyday happenings in our fake worlds that we find our own realities inconsequential.


And I got to say, I agree with her. Once I decided to write down everything I did in a single day and in the end all I got was: food, writing, food, day dreamed, food, writing, made it out side, had some more food, bed time. And reading it over now this list makes me feel more pathetic than reminiscent. And I mean some times people will enter my list and help make life somewhat exciting but since I am a busy person who only makes friends with busy people our schedules matching up is very unlikely. In the end I am forced to write in a journal about me writing, which, in itself, seems rather redundant. Maybe this is why writers write, to escape our own monotone lives.

My relationship with maintaining a journal though isn’t much different to hers. I have always tried to write about my life, true it was mainly because Alzheimer’s runs in family, but I do try to make an effort for the fun of it. Also I hear it’s quite fun to laugh about yourself later on. But since it is more of a hassle than a habit I have decided to force myself to write in my journal whenever I make it to some great milestones, my birthday, and New Years Eve. That way I can write a quick summary about everything that has happened in my life and I have a pretty good outline for when I loose my memory.

And this brings us to part two of the post. I don’t know how well it relates, but I feel like these two things have to be together: What is it about people always giving writers notebooks? I get at least one during each gift giving holiday and by now I own exactly sixty journals --one of which I bought myself-- so how come fifty-nine people think they need to buy my one? Well according to a little quip inside one of my gifts, “Because every writer could always use another notebook!”

Well my dear friend, I happen to disprove that theory.

I do believe at one point in time this theory was viable but now that we have word document I am afraid our need for clean paper isn’t as constant as it once was. This makes me sad of course, I mean, wish I was scarce on paper but even if I were to only use my notebooks to write all of the stories that I stored up inside my head, I would still have a few left over. Because, honestly, there is no way my life will ever be exciting enough to fill up so many blank pages.

But I do hope fate proves me wrong.

HKx

If you would like to read the original post, or check Ava Jae's blog, please click the titles above and they should send you straight to her link. Also if you click on her name, you will be sent to her twitter. You should follow her, she is amazing.

4 comments:

  1. First and foremost, I want to thank you for all the kind words. It was very sweet of you to say all of those nice things. :)

    Second, I've found it pretty interesting to see just how many writers have stepped up and said that they never caught on to the journal-writing thing, either. It seems we are certainly not alone in our strange non-journal-keeping ways.

    Finally, I've found that while I don't often use notebooks for journal writing, they can be useful for keeping notes on various WIPs. Just a thought. ^_^

    Thanks again for this lovely post!

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    1. You are very welcome and, like I said before, thank you for letting me reply to your amazing post.

      Ooo, that is some very good thinking. Thank you!

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  2. Very interesting post! And in my mind akin to the assumption that all English Literature students should be hugely voracious readers, reading anything and everything thrown at them, which I certainly don't. I love to read, but I like to make informed decisions about books I decide to read and could never be described as a frenetic consumer of literature, passionate though I am for my subject.
    I probably spend more time brainstorming in my brown paper notebooks or (shock) sketching...sounds like I'm doing the wrong degree haha!
    I don't think you should try too hard when keeping a journal, keep it spontaneous, no-one's judging it. I write down ideas for blog posts, memories and favourite words :)
    Christobel xx
    www.calico-casa.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. You should definitely write a post about your thoughts on reading because, so far, I am agreeing with them and I would love to read more.
      Your little brown notebook sounds quite lovely and filled with nothing short of magic.

      Thank you for your lovely comment,
      HKx

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