Writing equipment

Do you want to look in other people’s journals?

Kate — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:12:33 +0000

Title page of an illustrated manuscript of Bartholomew Sharpe's diary, made by William Hacke, 1680s. Gift of H.P. Kraus, 1979.

I suspect many journal writers want absolute privacy for their writing, but are secretly curious about what other people write in their journals. I know I do, which is one of the reasons why I am currently reading The Assassin’s Cloak (extracts from lots of journals arranged by day).

There is an online exhibition at the Morgan Library in New York City showcasing 11 diaries from 1600s to mid 1900s. As well as a description of each writer there is an extract shown in both the original writing and type. My favourite is Bartholomew Sharpe, I love the idea of a pirate keeping a journal.

Several of these diaries have been gifted to the library and it started me thinking about whether it is something I would consider. To be honest I haven’t thought about what will happen to my journals when I die, apart from recognising they would be useful for someone researching my family tree. At the moment all my journals will be left to my husband or children, however I think I should consider what I would like (or not like) to happen with them, for instance would I want them to be published or used for research.

Have you thought about what you would like to happen with your writing? How do you plan for this to happen?

Journal extract: Evelyn Waugh 6th March 1946

Kate — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:57:11 +0000

I am continuing with my resolution to read The Assassin’s Cloak every day and I love the extract from Evelyn Waugh’s diary so much I wanted to share it. I’d love to think my letters or journals would have snippets so amusing.

An offensive letter from a female American Catholic. I returned it to her husband with the note: ‘I shall be grateful if you will use whatever disciplinary means are customary in your country to restrain your wife from writing impertinent letters to men she does not know.’

Finding the time to write…how?

Kate — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 16:44:30 +0000

Little man watching as I write

It is easy to say you want to write, but it is much harder to find the time; or find the time when you feel inspired or motivated. Frequently when I feel inspired to write (like now) I feel guilty that I should be doing something else like tidying, cleaning or looking after baby!

Recently I’ve been reviewing one of my old journals and notice this is not a new challenge. And that was before I had children…

Thursday

11th March 2004

22:45

Possible solutions:

Write at fixed time each day
Sneak writing time whenever possible
Write one evening a week
Go on a writing holiday
Join a writing group
Do writing exercises
Collect story ideas and gradually build them up

I think the first three are the most suitable, I don’t know which is best. I think I need to try them all out and see which works best. However, I expect once I start writing I will probably find myself doing all three.

Monday

14th June 2004

22:45

I want to write, but I can’t seem to actually do it anymore. I’m even finding it difficult to write my diary regularly and that used to be my contact with writing. I write a diary entry most days so I am a writer. I’ve tried to do exercises, write a paragraph every day, write down all my ideas, write a book, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t think it is because I kept excited by something else or I particularly lose interest I just stop. It just hasn’t become part of my being yet. I haven’t got the habit. That’s it habit. It takes 6 weeks of doing something every day to become a habit, that’s 42 times. Why don’t I do what I do best and keep a writing chart I get to colour in once I’ve done some writing. Lets see if I can get up to 42 times.

This year, I’ve set myself some writing resolutions to act as a reminder and provide focus; two months in my progress is mainly good (although I’m missing some of the bigger goals). I’ve written my positive journal every day and my main journal at least once a week except one, I’ve completed two out of 31 days for both my blogs, however I’m pushing it to get this blog post out in February and I haven’t even picked up the Weekend Novelist again.

Unfortunately I tend to do my writing once I’m in bed so it cuts into my sleep time and means I generally limit myself to journal writing.

Possible improvements?

I believe the best thing I can do is to complete as many of my other tasks as possible, because this will reduce the guilt and hopefully enable me to write at more times.

I also think I could be more effective at using my time. I have developed processes to help me with other areas of my life, so if I think about I’m sure I could write smarter. Therefore, I’m excited by Darren Rowse’s new book Blogwise how to do more with less because it provides productivity tips from successful bloggers. I will be buying this book while it has 25% off and hoping it provides advice to help me write my blog posts and that I can also apply to my other writing.

How do you find the time for writing? Have you established a routine or processes to help?

11 ways to start your journal if you missed 1st January

Kate — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 09:29:28 +0000

There is an expectation that journals should start on 1st January, however there is no reason why you can’t start on any day of the year. Here are some ideas on starting you journal if you’ve just missed the beginning of January, although they could be adapted for any time of year.

Photo by retro traveller

Use a page a day diary and use the first few pages to write information you may not include otherwise e.g. description of current situation such as where you live, your job, list of what you want to achieve this year, description of the people who may make an appearance, or create an index so you can easily refer to key events / emotions in the future
Use a page a day diary and ignore the first few pages, there is no reason why they should be filled in just because they’ve been printed
Use an undated page a day diary, these are hard to find, but do exist in UK and USA
Photo taken by petit hiboux
Use a normal notebook, you could still use one page a day or just let yourself write as much as you want each day without being limited by the end of the page
Use word processor so you can create your own structure
Stick in a photograph taken on each missed day
Use journalling software such as Lifejournal
Use a 5 year journal and loop around each year; so you start this year on today’s date and continue using the 1st row for January next year and when you catch up move on to the second row
Photo taken by atibens
Use a page a day diary and write a review of the days you’ve missed making it clear they were not written at the time, perhaps using a different style like a bullet point list or mind map
Review your status updates on Facebook and Twitter and any emails you sent on the missed days and copy in any that describe what you did or how your felt
Create a collage of information relevant to each day e.g. bus tickets, leaflets

By trying something different on these days you may find a whole new method of journalling.

What are your suggestions for filling the gaps of missed days? Do you worry about missed days?

Making writing resolutions

Kate — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:33:42 +0000

With Christmas almost here it means the new year and the traditional time for making resolutions is not far away. I’m not a fan of new year resolutions because I believe it adds too much pressure and you are more likely to achieve the outcome if you set well developed goals at a time appropriate to you and not necessarily defined by a calendar.

However, having said that, this year I have a desire to set some resolutions. As I’ve been doing my Christmas shopping I’ve been reminded of things I’d like to do and have developed a list of things I’d like to achieve by the end of 2012.

Complete weekend novelist – I was progressing well through this book until I wrote a post about it and I haven’t used it since! Therefore I would like to complete the remaining chapters.

Write journal at least once a week – although I have written a journal for many years I tend to go through phases of not writing, sometimes it is days, but sometimes it can be months. I would like to have some continuity in my records and think once a week will provide this without being too difficult to keep.

Write things I’m grateful for every day – I think it is good to finish the day thinking about the good things that have happened or things I’m grateful for, and I sometimes list them in my journal. However this is fairly erratic and I would like to do it more regularly. I’ve dropped some hints and hope I will be given a five year journal for Christmas and this will provide a small space to write each day, but will also enable me to review them easily each year.

Review at least one journal – I have previously questioned why I keep a journal when I don’t do anything with them. I have recently read Harvesting your journals and would like to review at least one journal and decide if it something that I find valuable.

Publish one blog post a month – blogging is a hobby and unfortunately when things get busy my writing is often the first thing I stop. However, I enjoy writing and think writing for a public audience is a good opportunity for me to practice a different style of writing, so would like to ensure I spend more time on writing posts.

Read Assassin’s cloak - Assassin’s cloak is an anthology of diarists with the diary extracts organised by day, so you can read extracts from several different diaries covering over 100 years written on the same date. I’ve had the book for about ten years with the intention of reading it each day in turn but never made it beyond February. I hope by reading other people’s journals it will inspire my journal writing.

Complete 31 days to a better blog – I started working on these tasks when they were first published at problogger.net and tried again when I bought the ebook, but didn’t finish all 31 days either time. I would like to work through all 31 days for both my blogs during 2012.

Are you setting writing resolutions for 2012? Have you found them beneficial in the past?

Writing a novel in a year (or shorter)

Kate — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:45:40 +0000

Do you want to write a novel and either can’t find the time or don’t make much progress each time you sit down? If so you may benefit from a writing programme that provides ideas and structure for each writing session.

My husband knew I was not finding much time to write and although I made some progress each time I sat down I got frustrate because I didn’t feel my writing was cohesive. So he kindly bought me The weekend novelist as a birthday present. My birthday is in December, so once we had finished preparing and celebrating Christmas the first weekend happened to be 1st and 2nd January. This means it has become an inadvertent new year’s resolution that I will write a novel in 2011.

My review

I have to say that so far (weekend 5-6) I love the book; the style really works for me. It is structured by weekend or group of weekends but it does not tell you which exercise to do which day, so if you want to write all day Saturday and not on Sunday there is nothing to suggest that is unsuitable. It has also meant I’ve been able to write on Wednesday when I don’t go to work without feeling I’m ruining the structure.

I’ve hand written about 5 sides of A4 in my new notebook and the exercises have got me working out my plot. With my novel I’ve had images in my head of very specific scenes, but no idea how they link together, this programme has helped solves this by making me think of my plot structure in different ways.

Unfortunately, I am complicating things because I am using the programme for three books at the same time. While the story is a trilogy in my head I don’t know if there is enough weight or interest to justify three books or whether they should be merged into one or just used as background information. I’m hoping by using the programme on all three at the same time I will realise whether this is potential for three novels and if so ensure there is a smooth overarching story to them.

Other writing programmes

If you want to use a programme to help you write a novel there are several available with different timescales. My recommendation is to ignore the timescales and select the one in the style you favour, because the duration will be dictated by the time you spend completing the exercising. Although NaNoWriMo is not a programme I thought it was worth mentioning as it can be useful to encourage you to write 50,000 words in one month.

Have you used a writing programme? Has it helped or hindered your writing?

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/how-to-write-your-first-novel-in-under-4-weeks.html

Can blogging replace journalling?

Kate — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 17:49:05 +0000

Journals started off as a private record, think of Samuel Pepys, one of the earliest known journals written in code so other people could not read it. With the establishment of mass communications came the opportunity to share journals e.g. newspaper social diaries, television, video diaries. However it is only with the internet that there is an opportunity to share writing in real time.

Picture taken by vanhookc

It is so easy to share your writing using the web, with blogging sites e.g. WordPress, Blogger, article sites e.g. Ezine, Squidoo and fiction sites e.g. FanFiction, Fictionpress. In 2005, it was said a new blog was created every second, so people obviously like this method of sharing their writing. But can you write the same online, knowing it will be public as you can in a personal notebook or computer?

I’m sure some people can, but I can’t.

My online writing

My first blog was on Livejournal and I never worked out why I should write there as well as in a journal so it became a strange collection of updates and notifications from other sites. This may explain why I didn’t keep it for much longer than a year. I started a blog on productivity and goals in 2007 and most of the posts are on topics that I would not think about including in my journal. Last summer I kept a log of our summer holiday so my family could read how my 1.5 year old daughter found her first sailing trip, but kept a journal at the same time.

So I’ve had several years when I’ve kept a blog and a journal on similar topics, what does it tell me?

Comparison of online and personal writing

I’ve collected extracts from my blogs and journals which were written on the same day and the same topic.

Date	Online	Journal
2nd May 2006	I’ve been making a skirt to wear this weekend on a hen party. I’m almost finished and just realised I’ve made it too large. I’ve measured myself several times while I’ve been making it and trying on different parts to ensure it fits, but I got it wrong. At the moment my guess is it is between 2 and 4 inches too large. Do I take it apart and try to finish it on time or do I just put it aside and ignore it.	The downside is I have almost finished my pink skirt and it is significantly too large. I think I need to take it in by about 4 inches. I’ve only got tomorrow to get it sorted if I want to wear it on the hen party.
13th November 2007	This is my third day’s leave and it has been fantastic not having to go into work (although I have needed to check some emails on my blackberry).	It is back to work tomorrow. I’ve only had three days leave and a weekend, but it feels so much longer. I’ve almost forgotten what it is like to worry about work. Fortunately I haven’t done any of the work I brought home with me in case I was worrying about it. Unfortunately I have had to use the blackberry to make plans for the business planning tomorrow and I’ve seen several emails with subject lines that are concerning me a little. However, I won’t read them until tomorrow.
9th February 2008	At the chiropractors she manipulated my jaw and says that is why I’ve had a headache since Monday and it is mostly because I’ve been tensing my jaw – probably due to stress	Saw K yesterday afternoon and she said I’m doing very well, so well in fact I don’t need to go back for four months. My appointment is in June, this is despite going to Japan. However, I wasn’t in best form this visit and she had to manipulate my jaw for the first time in ages, however it should stop the headache I’ve had since Monday afternoon, and today my head has been much better. She thinks I’ve been clenching my jaw because of stress.
1st August 2010	B is doing better than I am. She has had two naps and even had a go at helming. Whereas I haven’t enjoyed the heeling and I’ve felt sea sick both days – I only have one previous memory of feeling sea sick so I’m blaming the boat (not one for us to buy).	It is unfortunate that I’ve felt sea sick both days we’ve sailed. My only previous recollection of being sea sick was on a hovercraft from France to Britain when Dad gave me anti sea sickness tablet. Yesterday was perhaps understandable as it was fairly bumpy, but it wasn’t today (or at least not before I felt sick. E also said he was starting to feel sick at one point so I wondered if perhaps the boat is the wrong style for us, but he thinks it may be because he had too much alcohol last night! B is getting into the sailing. When she can she tried to helm or put the motor on. She gets very excited when the boat tacks as the sail flap and she sometimes joins in the rope pulling. In fact, I think B is doing better than me. I thought I was doing better than last time, but apparently not. I don’t like it when the boat heels, particularly if it is sudden.
5th August 2010	We are currently anchored in Chichester harbour at a place called East Head. It is the first time I’ve been here but it is a place full of memories for the other Ds as they used to come frequently with J’s father.	Our last night on board and we are somewhere new. East Head is in Chichester Harbour and is a place where E’s grandfather used to bring his children and grandchildren. They would anchor and use the dinghy to go to the beach.

Conclusions

I have to admit I started this post with my conclusion already decided; you can’t write the same online as in a personal notebook or computer, and as you can see in the comparison most of the time I write less detail online and what you can’t see is my online writing was significantly shorter than my offline writing. However, I’ve found the process very enlightening; on a personal level I’ve realised:

I frequently did not write online and in my journal on the same day
When I did write on the same day they were often on different topics
My livejournal blog collected information from a variety of different sites I was active on into one record
I posted to my family blog using my Android phone and tried to include a photo everyday, whereas I have no pictures in my journal
I like writing in a notebook
I am very aware of my audience when I write online, so my writing is more careful

I still believe that blogging won’t replace personal writing, because some people don’t want an audience or like me will edit everything so it is suitable for public reading. However, what I had not expected was how well blogging and journalling complement each other. I have a record of things that I would not write about in my journal, but could be interested in looking back at in a few years.

So what next?

I am tempted to start my livejournal blog again! Now that I’ve realised how useful it was to capture notifications and information from other sites. When I think of the little titbits of information I write on Twitter and Facebook I would love to capture them and keep them with my journals. Are there any sites that do this? Or self hosted code where I collect a record of my online activities?

How to be a blogger without a blog

Kate — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 13:01:48 +0000

Photo by minifig

Blogging has been around since the 1990s, but has become widely accepted and popular over the last few years; from large scale sites to niche and very personal there is something out there for just about everyone.

If you want to join the trend and be a blogger you can quickly set up a site on Blogger or WordPress. However, just because its easy doesn’t mean it is right for everyone, for example what if you don’t think you can write regularly, or you are not interested in looking after the site upkeep. Can you still participate? Of course you can, you just need to existing blogs you can write for; here are a few ideas:

Ask friends and family – Do any of your friends or family have blogs? Are they on topics you are knowledgeable?
Work or associations – Does your company or association e.g. sports club, school drama club have a blog?
Blogs you interact on – If you’ve written several good quality comments on a blog the owner is likely to have noticed you and has already seen your writing style. Get in touch and explain why you’d like to write for their site and the topics you’d like to cover
Blogging jobs – There are frequently blogging jobs going on a variety of blogging boards. However, these are often for several posts a week so are not suitable if you want to write irregularly plus they usually need track record.
Guest post services – Sign up to a site like Myguestblog that provides a forum for blog owners and writers to meet

When approaching a blog owner, remember the site is important to them. You should always respect this and appreciate the opportunity; always be polite, follow any guidelines provided, ensure the post topic fits the site and meet any timescales given. And of course, if you want to be invited back try and do the little things that makes your hosts tasks easier e.g. source images, here are some more tips on being a good guest blogger:

9 Ways Become an Exceptional Guest Poster

Guest blogging: the ultimate guide

Do you write guest posts? How did you find the opportunity? Or do you have guest bloggers on your site, what do you expect from them?

Nanowrimo – deciding whether to participate

Kate — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 22:08:41 +0000

Its the first of November and that means two things; it’s time to grow a mustache and to write a novel in a month. As I’m challenged in the facial hair area, I concentrate on Nanowrimo.

At first it sounds daunting, writing 50,000 words in a month, but after thinking a bit harder the enthusiasm kicks in and you think yes I can write 1600 words a day, so you sign up and then reality hits. However, the great thing about Nanowrimo is, it is about quantity and not quality. It can be difficult at first to accept it, but it means the target for the month is to get as many words written as possible and it doesn’t matter if it is not your best writing, or whether you’ve missed out all the difficult scenes because you have a first draft you can revise over the next 11 months.

I have completed Nanowrimo twice, but have not participated the last two years; in 2008 I gave birth to my daughter at the beginning of the month and 2009 I returned to work after a years absence. As I don’t have any major life changes this year, I’ve thought hard about whether to participate knowing it will encourage me get words on paper instead of them just going round my head.

However, I’ve decided not to participate because I just don’t know where I will find the time to write the words. It was tricky before, but now I am working longer hours and have my daughter to look after, so is likely to take most of my free time. I thought about signing up and seeing how far I got, but in the end I decided that it would become stressful and remove the fun. Plus I want to work on an idea I’ve already started and that is against the rules.

So instead, I intend to use the Nanowrimo month to focus on my writing, but in my own way. My plan is to find out what a suitable expectations of words a week is; I’m currently aiming (and missing) 1000 words / week. What about you, what are you plans for November? Do targets and large projects motivate you to write? Have you completed Nanowrimo and revised your novel (I haven’t)?

Journal writing software

Kate — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 11:45:21 +0000

People who keep journals have life twice.

Jessamyn West
American writer (1902 – 1984)

As I have started rereading my journals I am thinking about adding the post in to some software so I can search my writing and use my journals instead of having them just sit in a cupboard. I used lifejournal years ago and it currently has close to 500 entries, however I don’t know if it the best software for me now, therefore I have been researching the software that is now available.

I am intending to continue writing my journal hardcopy and then transfer it in to the software so I am not interested in features such as prompts or timer, but the facility to search the text and tag the text is essential. I have therefore split the available software into two lists, those that seem to meet my requirements that I will test and other software that maybe of interest to other people.

Journal software I will test

Other journal software

Forever journal 2.0

Ultra Recall this is much more than journal software, but it has a journal add-on

Star message diary