As the darkest day of the year approaches, for some people their inner dark shadows encroach into the everyday. Fall and winter can create a recipe for malaise, depression, and anxiety for many people, as we struggle to cope with the waning sunshine, increasing tensions during the holidays, and decreasing access to enjoying the outdoors.
Some people express a consistent annual pattern of seasonal blues, whereas others’ doldrums are acutely connected to the election season or a single holiday event (like a holiday meal with Uncle Rodney who blathers on and on about politics). Regardless of whether a person experiences an ongoing blue period or a short-lived sadness, keeping a book journal can offer relief from the darkness. Read Deeper with a Book Journal
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Book journaling is a useful practice for people looking for a process that melds reading and journaling into a means that creates balance and promotes self-care. When people apply contemplative activities into their daily routines, the effects can expand into many areas of life, including emotional and mental well-being.
People who read routinely know that reading has a therapeutic effect in itself. When we read fiction, we escape the doldrums or anxiety of our own lives. When we read nonfiction, we gain knowledge and expertise. When we read current events, we are better informed and better prepared to make decisions that have a positive effect on us and those around us.
What is less well known is that coupling reading with a reflective journaling practice can magnify the positive effects of reading significantly. When we read then write about not just the reading but how the reading affects us, what it makes us think about, and what solutions it poses, we begin book journaling.
People who read routinely know that reading has a therapeutic effect in itself. When we read fiction, we escape the doldrums or anxiety of our own lives. When we read nonfiction, we gain knowledge and expertise. When we read current events, we are better informed and better prepared to make decisions that have a positive effect on us and those around us.
What is less well known is that coupling reading with a reflective journaling practice can magnify the positive effects of reading significantly. When we read then write about not just the reading but how the reading affects us, what it makes us think about, and what solutions it poses, we begin book journaling.
How to Quick Start Your Book Journaling Practice
- Decide what kind of journal will work best for your journaling practice. Some people love to write by hand so a fancy paper journal with thick, handmade paper might do the trick. Others want to compose quickly in a laptop into a document that can be kept or deleted at will. Others will want to incorporate drawing, watercolors, coloring, or photography into their book journals. For the visual artists, using an artist’s pad is the way to go.
- Figure out a schedule and set aside an hour a day to book journal. This will break down as 45 minutes of reading and 15 minutes of journaling for most people but others may prefer more reading or more writing time. Do what works for you but be sure to do it and set aside an hour a day.
- Pick a book to read. Below is a list of suggestions of books to get readers started.
- Read then write about it. Repeat.
The process of reading the reflecting on that reading and writing about its effects allows for a more in-depth reading experience. It gives readers room to make connections between reading and their own challenges and struggles, and it supports readers in making connections between pieces of writing.
Today, people are more overburdened than ever before. Political tensions, climate change, and economic instability create the perfect storm for a stressed-out society. If you aren’t yet journaling, get The Simple Guide to Journal Writing and get started.
What Book Should Begin a Book Journal?
We are all drawn to different books at different times. One day we pick up a science fiction novel and the next we are onto a biography; both books are relevant to our growth as readers and any genre can aid in our search for calm during unsettling times.
The following list of books include a few ideas that might appeal as a first choice. If you are wondering “What should I read?” then this list may contain your next book.
The following list of books include a few ideas that might appeal as a first choice. If you are wondering “What should I read?” then this list may contain your next book.
Jonathon Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
A novella of a seagull who learns about life and becoming his true self by pushing the boundaries of flight.
The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times by Pema Chödrön
A nonfiction guide to making choices, improving relationships, and standing up to fear during times of personal struggle.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
The quest for a better life and the promise to connect with family, this story celebrates coming of age, family, and culture.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
A historical fiction classic about two sisters who are better than their social situations; all ends well for Elizabeth and Jane when they marry for love.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
A dystopian science fiction masterwork of a world where the firemen start fires to burn the books to keep people from reading and how those who read seek to save society by bringing back the books.
The Art of Happiness by Dalai Lama XIV
By the man who has smiled through loss of country, exile, war, and upheaval, the Dalai Lama delights with his prescription for finding and maintaining a happier countenance.
Where Am I Now? by Mara Wilson
A funny, poignant, and truthful series of essays on the struggles of being not cute enough, not tall enough, not right enough; all the while being witty, insightful, and refreshing in her own voice.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou’s poetic autobiography of life at the receiving end of racism, sexism, and violence who grows into one of the country’s most acclaimed and loved writers.
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Considered by many to be Papa’s best novel, Old Man is a tale of struggle and determination and certainty.
Aimless Love: New and Selected Poems by Billy Collins
Really any book of poetry by Billy Collins will do. His poetry is hilarious, irreverent, and always amusing.
Changing Planes by Ursula K. Le Guin
Le Guin’s compilation of science fiction fragments replete with commentary of modern life.
House Made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday
The poignant, sweet tale of a Native American man who returns a broken shell to his tribe but eventually becomes the leader he was meant to be.
Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh
A well-respected Buddhist monk’s nonfiction instructional work on attaining mindfulness and increasing happiness on a daily level.
What are the rules of book journaling?
There are none. If you miss a day, only you will notice and be affected. If you choose to read more and write less or read less and write more, it is OK. The practice is yours to hone and shape into a routine that serves your best interests. The purpose of book journaling is to apply contemplative practices aligned that increase personal well-being by engaging deeply with reading and journaling. Give it a try for two weeks and see how it goes.
Is life sometimes overwhelming? Do the blues get you down? Today, people are more stressed out than ever before, but journal writing can help. Jumpstart your journal writing practice with this course, which is designed to help you establish a journal writing practice. Start onto the path of mindfulness and self-care in this journal writing course
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As with many Americans, my extended family is highly diverse. We have Democrats, Republicans, Greens, and even a few non-voters. We have cousins and sisters who married spouses with different skin tones, different religions, and different backgrounds, and everyone can be quick to stumble upon a topic to argue over. We are like most extended families—individuals who tolerate each other at the holidays.
So, when we come together, there is the inevitable nincompoop who is driven to bring up politics or insist on his six-minute personally-composed speech before dinner, or fragile Uncle Dave who lacks the fortitude to get through an entire day without cracking open a flask. In a nutshell, we drive each other nuts. And the fallout is a holiday season of stress and anxiety rather than silver bells and cheer.
So, when we come together, there is the inevitable nincompoop who is driven to bring up politics or insist on his six-minute personally-composed speech before dinner, or fragile Uncle Dave who lacks the fortitude to get through an entire day without cracking open a flask. In a nutshell, we drive each other nuts. And the fallout is a holiday season of stress and anxiety rather than silver bells and cheer.
Write Your Way through the Holidays
As happens with so many people at this time of year, more stress is created than is relieved during the holiday season. To prepare for family gatherings, people can be anxious for days or even weeks ahead of time, but the way that we approach the holidays can lessen our stress and anxiety if we use gratitude writing. By changing our daily practices from being stressed to being actively engaged in stress-relieving writing activities, we can take control of the holidays and enjoy them again.
One practice that is making some waves over the last few years is the personal newsletter, which is an online newsletter that can be shared with just your private group. It is more private than blogging but gives people the opportunity to connect with friends and family from a distance, and it allows the writer to control the message. Unlike family gatherings and social media that tend to explode with opinions, sharing a personal newsletter keeps writer and readers on one topic.
One practice that is making some waves over the last few years is the personal newsletter, which is an online newsletter that can be shared with just your private group. It is more private than blogging but gives people the opportunity to connect with friends and family from a distance, and it allows the writer to control the message. Unlike family gatherings and social media that tend to explode with opinions, sharing a personal newsletter keeps writer and readers on one topic.
Today, people are more overburdened than ever before. Political tensions, climate change, and economic instability create the perfect storm for a stressed-out society. If you aren’t yet journaling, get The Simple Guide to Journal Writing and get started.
Thank You Notes and Shout Outs
What could be included in a personal newsletter? A brief summary of your accomplishments for the year is a great starter. Highlight things like—a friend’s birthday party where you reconnected with an old buddy, a positive event at work where you were appreciated, and a hike you took in the hills that jump started a better workout plan. Small, personal feats tend to come across well in a personal newsletter.
Add in thank you notes to incorporate gratitude writing into your newsletter. Thank mom for sending you another stack of kitchen towels. Thank Aunt Mary for remembering your birthday every year, even though you are 36. And thank your brother for harassing you into saving and instead of buying a new car. It was his advice that built your savings account in the end.
Did you know that when you communicate appreciation or acknowledgement to one person in a group, the rest tend to fall in line? It is true. Telling one person “thank you for sending me pumpkin seeds to start my garden” may land you with envelopes of seeds the following year. It gives your other friends and family ideas of how to contribute to a positive atmosphere and places validation where it is earned.
Similarly, in a shout out, you can recognize accomplishments of those around you. For example, if you know that your friend Amy landed a good promotion at work, note it in your newsletter. If your nephew got into college, your mom began volunteering at a local charity, your dad started exercising, or your cousin Margie finished her PhD, then note those deeds in a shout out. The more that you highlight the positive, the better you do at controlling the message and stress level within your friend and family groups, the lower your stress level can be, and the better the holiday experience is for everyone around you.
Add in thank you notes to incorporate gratitude writing into your newsletter. Thank mom for sending you another stack of kitchen towels. Thank Aunt Mary for remembering your birthday every year, even though you are 36. And thank your brother for harassing you into saving and instead of buying a new car. It was his advice that built your savings account in the end.
Did you know that when you communicate appreciation or acknowledgement to one person in a group, the rest tend to fall in line? It is true. Telling one person “thank you for sending me pumpkin seeds to start my garden” may land you with envelopes of seeds the following year. It gives your other friends and family ideas of how to contribute to a positive atmosphere and places validation where it is earned.
Similarly, in a shout out, you can recognize accomplishments of those around you. For example, if you know that your friend Amy landed a good promotion at work, note it in your newsletter. If your nephew got into college, your mom began volunteering at a local charity, your dad started exercising, or your cousin Margie finished her PhD, then note those deeds in a shout out. The more that you highlight the positive, the better you do at controlling the message and stress level within your friend and family groups, the lower your stress level can be, and the better the holiday experience is for everyone around you.
Gratitude Tales
A gratitude tale is a more detailed version of the thank you note to include in a personal newsletter. Whereas a thank you note or shout out may be a couple of sentences, a gratitude tale might take half a page or more. Gratitude stories to include might be: a description of how your neighbor shared garden soil with you that allowed you to put in a row of blueberry bushes, another could be a stranger who stopped to help you change a flat tire on the side of the road, or a colleague who advised you to read a particular book that changed your career path.
Gratitude tales help not only you to get into the mindset of gratitude writing, but they allow your friends and family who receive them to see what is happening in your life from a positive angle. Instead of letting your extended family, who may very well be as contentious as mine, fill in the blanks of your life with complaints give them positive stories to fill their minds. Not only can we use gratitude writing to improve our own countenance during the holiday season to relieve stress, but we can share gratitude with others to bring them up.
Gratitude tales help not only you to get into the mindset of gratitude writing, but they allow your friends and family who receive them to see what is happening in your life from a positive angle. Instead of letting your extended family, who may very well be as contentious as mine, fill in the blanks of your life with complaints give them positive stories to fill their minds. Not only can we use gratitude writing to improve our own countenance during the holiday season to relieve stress, but we can share gratitude with others to bring them up.
Creating the Personal Newsletter
How do you start penning your personal newsletter? Easy. Open up a word-processing document (Word, Google doc, Rich Text Format, etc.). Give it a title. Then add in an introduction (i.e., “2016 has been a sad year with the loss of my idols David Bowie and Alan Rickman, but I am determined to keep a positive mindset …”). After your introduction, write up 3-5 thank you notes and shout outs (do more if you can). After those, write at least one gratitude tale. Insert a few pictures, add a cool background color, and turn it to a PDF. Then sign it and send it.
Not only can you achieve a greater peacefulness and sense of calm during the holidays for yourself but you can share that unruffled composition with your friends and family, even if you are not excited to see them in person. Sharing positive stories in a personal newsletter could be just the recipe your holiday season needs to relief stress all around.
Not only can you achieve a greater peacefulness and sense of calm during the holidays for yourself but you can share that unruffled composition with your friends and family, even if you are not excited to see them in person. Sharing positive stories in a personal newsletter could be just the recipe your holiday season needs to relief stress all around.
Is life sometimes overwhelming? Do the blues get you down? Today, people are more stressed out than ever before, but journal writing can help. Jumpstart your journal writing practice with this course, which is designed to help you establish a journal writing practice. Start onto the path of mindfulness and self-care in this journal writing course
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Gratitude Journaling, Storytelling, and Blogging for Mindfulness and Self-Care during the Holidays
11/15/2016
Hopefully, this post reaches you in a peaceful, pleasant mood as you relax in your easy chair, glass of wine in hand, and a glimmer of curiosity in your eye. For many people, that is not the case as the holidays approach and most especially not this holiday season which follows a particularly divisive election term.
The holiday season can ignite feelings of depression, anxiety, and grief for many people. When people have lost family and friends, lack the resources to buy expensive gifts, and do not receive invitations to holiday parties, the season can be miserable. Even people who are normally comfortable can experience depressive feelings due to social isolation, increased stress, and lacking exercise.
The holiday season can ignite feelings of depression, anxiety, and grief for many people. When people have lost family and friends, lack the resources to buy expensive gifts, and do not receive invitations to holiday parties, the season can be miserable. Even people who are normally comfortable can experience depressive feelings due to social isolation, increased stress, and lacking exercise.
Tis the Season to be Thankful
Yes, the holidays are a time for assembled family members to sit around the table and share a meal; it is a time for friendly parties and cranberry cocktail and sequined dresses and gifts wrapped in golden paper. For some people, the holidays allow for a season of joy and an appreciation of life. And although the holiday season can bring about such different reactions from people, we can all benefit from taking time to reflect on the positive elements in our lives.
Creative journaling practices can provide a healthy alternative to despondency and give all people, writers and non-writers alike, an opportunity to be mindful. When people reflect, they mentally move outside of the present stressors and into another mindset. They can see, feel, hear, smell, and taste memories. We all have some positive memories and something in the present to be thankful for, even if tapping into those memories can be challenging at first. Not only can we access the positive moments of the past but through gratitude journaling, we can identify the thankful elements of the present.
Creative journaling practices can provide a healthy alternative to despondency and give all people, writers and non-writers alike, an opportunity to be mindful. When people reflect, they mentally move outside of the present stressors and into another mindset. They can see, feel, hear, smell, and taste memories. We all have some positive memories and something in the present to be thankful for, even if tapping into those memories can be challenging at first. Not only can we access the positive moments of the past but through gratitude journaling, we can identify the thankful elements of the present.
Today, people are more overburdened than ever before. Political tensions, climate change, and economic instability create the perfect storm for a stressed-out society. If you aren’t yet journaling, get The Simple Guide to Journal Writing and get started.
Gratitude Journaling
Gratitude journaling is a process of seeking out those details within our lives that are worthwhile, valuable, and noteworthy. They are the moments in life worth remembering and worth being grateful for at any time. Over the past two decades, multiple studies suggest that gratitude journaling can increase happiness, improve quality of sleep, and lessen symptoms of illness.
A gratitude journal can look different for different people. One person may prefer to use an audio recording application on a smart phone to collect anecdotes, ideas, and thoughts about things to be grateful for. Another person might prefer a Moleskin paper journal that fits into a pocket and holds onto appreciative stories. Another might opt for a Google document, which can be added to any time of day via phone, computer, or tablet. Our methods for housing our thoughts are as varied and open to creativity as our personalities.
A gratitude journal can look different for different people. One person may prefer to use an audio recording application on a smart phone to collect anecdotes, ideas, and thoughts about things to be grateful for. Another person might prefer a Moleskin paper journal that fits into a pocket and holds onto appreciative stories. Another might opt for a Google document, which can be added to any time of day via phone, computer, or tablet. Our methods for housing our thoughts are as varied and open to creativity as our personalities.
Go Deep with Gratitude
A gratitude journal should not just be a bulleted list of the five things you are thankful for. Sure, that style is helpful in a pinch or as a brainstorm to get the creative juices flowing. But if we really want to experience the stress relief that gratitude journaling can offer, then we have to dig a bit deeper than a one work answer.
How can we write for a deeper sense of gratitude in our writing practices?
1. Go deep
There can be a benefit from jotting down the 5 things we are grateful for in a day, yes. But journaling with a more in-depth approach can achieve a greater overall sense of emotional balance for writers. Try writing about fewer things you are thankful for by writing more in depth about each of those. For example, I could list off the 5 things a day that I am thankful for, but that habit is likely to wear off and leave me bored in short time. If I spend more time writing about one or two elements in my life each week (e.g. I am thankful for having kids who love reading) and write more intensively about those elements, my appreciation for them increases significantly.
2. Be detailed
Sure, you are thankful for last night’s thunder storm. You could include “Thunder storm” on your gratitude journal or you could include the fantastic details about the evening to capture its terrifying beauty and intensity.
3. Span the past, present, and future
Many of the things we are thankful for span many eras of our lives: past, present, and future. I am thankful for my husband because, although we do not always agree, we do not fight. Never have. Never will. For sixteen years, we have rationally discussed our differences, agreed to disagree, and created a system where we can talk about our concerns without fighting. These behaviors took years to perfect and will continue to improve over time. Think about elements from any time period of your life that have affected you, do affect you, or will affect you positively.
4. Make journaling into a ritual
I do not love my morning coffee for the coffee itself. I love it because I wake up at 5am, make coffee, and sit on the couch to write for two hours before anyone else wakes up. 5-7am is my time. It is my daily ritual of coffee, my computer, and my stories. It is the time that I set aside for myself, and it provides me sanity, contentment, and calm throughout the day. Make journaling into a ritual. This ritual could include the things you love: a hot drink, candles, a warm bath, a glass of wine, the Beatles White Album playing in the background, or any other element that will help you to create a ritual around your gratitude journaling.
5. Be willing to feel, savor, and let go
Journaling brings up emotion, and some of that emotion can be raw. Allow yourself a bit of time to feel the grief, sorrow, or anger that is stirred up by thinking of the best parts of life (e.g., the letter I have from my dad with his final words). Savor the elements that give you a grateful heart. Then let go and move forward. Anyone who has experienced grief or loss knows that the longing does not go away; we carry it with us into the future, but how we carry it, with grateful hearts or miserable hearts, is up to how we process it. Focus on your gratitude as you process.
6. Share your thoughts
It is perfectly acceptable to go off in your journal. It is OK to yell, scream, cry, and be totally belligerent during journaling. Journaling is a process of letting go and finding balance. Keep your eye on the goal of contentment when writing about your lower inner emotions. Focus on the gratitude that follows the difficulty.
7. Encourage others to join in your journaling practice
Following a painful social event, I took a few days off of life. I stopped writing. I had no words. My heart bled with sorrow. I recognized quickly that people around me were equally miserable and decided to do something about it, so I invited over some friends to color, assemble puzzles, and play board games. By engaging my friends to grieve together, no one was alone. We were still reeling from loss, but we were together, and that created a practice of gratitude that we shared.
8. Seek out the circle of life
From death comes life. From loss comes life. From letting go comes new life. The circle of life has never changed in all the thousands of years that humans have walked this earth. Recognize that within the circle of life, the natural cycle, and the hero’s journey that new opportunity springs from the ashes of loss. Write about your future as you write about your past and present in your gratitude journal. It is OK to write about how the student loans that are causing you to work overtime to pay also allowed you to learn and grow as a person and a professional and will create opportunities for your future to work in your chosen field of expertise.
9. Include imagery, music, and media
Many writers will doodle, draw, paint, or create music while writing. As you journal about the elements of life for which you are thankful, balance that with the artwork of your choice. Compose a song. Doodle the edges of your journal. Paint a watercolor of the seascape for which you are grateful because it brings you stability and beauty.
10. Allow yourself to be
As we move through life, no two days are truly the same. We change, we stagnate, we grow, we lose, we gain, and we move forward. Know that within your gratitude journaling practice, you will change, your insight will shift, and your viewpoints will evolve. There is nothing wrong with this. One day you may be down and only thankful for the brief attention from your cat, but the next day you may be raised up and grateful for the cat, the changing leaves on the trees, the quiet neighbors, the bus always being on time, and the smell of pine needles on the air.
Each day we are ourselves—a little different from the day before. As the fall shifts closer to the holiday season, may your gratitude journaling bring you to a peaceful, pleasant mood as you relax in your easy chair, glass of wine in hand, and a glimmer of curiosity in your eye. Be grateful and be content.
Each day we are ourselves—a little different from the day before. As the fall shifts closer to the holiday season, may your gratitude journaling bring you to a peaceful, pleasant mood as you relax in your easy chair, glass of wine in hand, and a glimmer of curiosity in your eye. Be grateful and be content.
Is life sometimes overwhelming? Do the blues get you down? Today, people are more stressed out than ever before, but journal writing can help. Jumpstart your journal writing practice with this course, which is designed to help you establish a journal writing practice. Start onto the path of mindfulness and self-care in this journal writing course
Pick Up a Journal Book and Course to Guide your Journaling Practice
As we walk our own paths, we have to take care of ourselves, and journaling is one way to achieve a sense of mindfulness and calm in an ever-changing world.
Journaling also provides a creative means for brainstorming, which is useful not only for self-care but for blogging and creative writing preparation.
As we move out of the election season and into the holiday season, some people may experience greater depression and anxiety. Journal writing can help to lessen and even alleviate those dark feelings. Pick up a copy of Paint & Ink: A Creative Journal for Women Who Write or sign up for Paint & Ink: The Creative Writing Course for Women.
Journaling also provides a creative means for brainstorming, which is useful not only for self-care but for blogging and creative writing preparation.
As we move out of the election season and into the holiday season, some people may experience greater depression and anxiety. Journal writing can help to lessen and even alleviate those dark feelings. Pick up a copy of Paint & Ink: A Creative Journal for Women Who Write or sign up for Paint & Ink: The Creative Writing Course for Women.
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Have you ever thought about blogging about your passion so that you could share your secrets and improve the lives of others? That is exactly what Lindsey Mozgai does. She is a blogger, gamer, and frugality expert at And the Kitchen Sink.
After finishing college, the workaday world failed to call to her. Instead, her life moved towards sharing her techniques for living a financially frugal and personally meaningful life.
After finishing college, the workaday world failed to call to her. Instead, her life moved towards sharing her techniques for living a financially frugal and personally meaningful life.
Many writers began writing at an early age. In early elementary school, creative people begin jotting down their thoughts and ideas into poems and stories. When did you know that you were born to write?
I’ve been writing since I can remember, but the first memory I have of writing dates back to about 5th grade. My class got the opportunity to have something they wrote made into a physical hard back book. Thus produced my first ever “book” The Jazzy Donkey and other out of this world poems. I always wrote poems and short stories growing up, but at the time I never thought of turning it into a career.
When I started applying for colleges, I had originally intended to pursue a career as an operating room nurse. I remember going for an orientation for nursing students and when I saw the minimum GPA required, I realized I needed to seriously rethink my life plan. I had always liked writing and I really didn’t know what else to pick so I decided to pursue a degree in journalism. To say this degree was a good fit would have been an extreme understatement. Those four years of school have done more for me than probably anything else I will ever experience. It taught me what I did and didn’t like about writing. I learned that I don’t do well in corporate environments and that I need to be able to express my creativity to enjoy what I’m writing.
When I started applying for colleges, I had originally intended to pursue a career as an operating room nurse. I remember going for an orientation for nursing students and when I saw the minimum GPA required, I realized I needed to seriously rethink my life plan. I had always liked writing and I really didn’t know what else to pick so I decided to pursue a degree in journalism. To say this degree was a good fit would have been an extreme understatement. Those four years of school have done more for me than probably anything else I will ever experience. It taught me what I did and didn’t like about writing. I learned that I don’t do well in corporate environments and that I need to be able to express my creativity to enjoy what I’m writing.
Did you have an influential person, teacher, or writer in your life who encouraged you to express yourself with writing or some other form of creativity?
There was not one person in particular who influenced my writing, but I don’t think I could have made it where I am today without the support from my friends, coworkers, family, and professors. They encouraged me to pursue my dreams and follow my own path. In fact, it was my Fiance who encouraged me to start my own blog.
Why did you choose frugality for your website’s focus? What about frugality is important and worth sharing with others?
When I first started blogging, I was looking for a creative outlet that wasn’t being fulfilled by my current job. It wasn’t till later that frugality became my blog’s focus. My fiancé and I moved in together and within just a few months we were struggling to stay under budget. I realized we needed to seriously rethink our priorities and what was important.
At the same time, my job left me feeling unfulfilled and I felt surrounded by meaningless stuff. I sought out a frugal lifestyle in search for a more meaningful life, and one where I could pursue my life goals.
At the same time, my job left me feeling unfulfilled and I felt surrounded by meaningless stuff. I sought out a frugal lifestyle in search for a more meaningful life, and one where I could pursue my life goals.
As a writer, how do you approach a blog post? What does your writing process look like? What challenges do you face within in your writing process and how do you overcome them?
My process is described in a question below. Some challenges I face as a blogger is not feeling up to writing a post some days. Some days it’s hard enough just getting through the day. When this happens, It’s great to have that cushion as I mention later of blog posts ready to go so if I need a day off, I can take one. If I need to be focusing on social media or another task, I’m able to because I plan a month out. As of right now, I have posts scheduled as far ahead as the end of this month.
Many writers venture into a variety of writing styles and genres. For example, one writer may focus on essays for academic purposes and on stories for creative development. What are your genres and styles and how do you use them to further your own professional development as a writer?
I can write about a variety of topics and while my blog covers mostly personal finance topics, I do write for a couponing, marriage, and two family websites regularly. I wouldn’t say there is really any specific style or genre that I focus on, but I typically focus on blog articles.
Different writers use a variety of processes to accomplish their writing tasks. What does your writing schedule look like? Is there anything you do to get yourself ready to write?
I work a Monday-Friday schedule so I make sure that each of those days, I am getting something written. This may be a newsletter or a blog post, but I am writing content each and every work day. I am most productive in the mornings so this is when I try to sit down and crank out a few posts.
Some writers have changed the writing process to fit their own needs and personalities. For many, following the traditional writing process—brainstorm, plan, draft, edit, perfect—has served them well. Others have transformed the process to fit their own needs. What does your writing process look like and what part of that appeals the most to you?
My writing process varies greatly on the topic but it usually goes something like this:
- I brainstorm my blog post ideas a month out at a minimum. Then every single day I crank out a blog post or a newsletter if needed each and every day. This routine helps make sure I’m constantly staying ahead and that I’m able to take a day off if needed.
- After I’ve brainstormed my blog posts, I will research the topic further to make sure I am including as much helpful information as possible. Then, I just dive in and start writing. I then go back and do a second edit to make sure grammar and headings are all in place, then I go back again and add graphics and tweek headings again if need be.
- Lastly, I have my fiancé review it one last time before it goes out to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
You recently graduated from school. How did the writing process, research process, and supporting thesis statements help you in your learning and development as an academic?
Nothing I learned in college really helped me much in my blogging career. I think that a lot of people assume that you need a degree or fancy education or training to do this but you don’t! If you are passionate about something, and love to write, that’s all you need. The more you write, the better you will become.
You work as a finance coach. How does that work in a virtual environment and how do you help people to reach their goals?
I am able to help others reach their goals by providing them helpful suggestions and tips to common problems with budgeting, frugal living, and the everyday pitfalls that life throws at you. My unique experiences have given me insight into some of the things that do and don’t work, and I want to share those experiences with my readers in hopes that they won’t make the same mistakes I did.
Writing can be a lonely business. Sometimes writers work with critique groups, writing partners, or writing workshops to keep themselves motivated and improve their writing abilities. What do you recommend for writers to go from being novice writers to competent writers?
For any writer looking to improve their skills or just keep up with what’s new and what’s going on, I would highly recommend following a number of blogs and people in your niche. Not only will they serve as a constant inspiration, but many of them have courses and printables to help you continue your education! I can’t tell you how many great resources I’ve gotten from that alone! Also, I would highly recommend looking into books on business and writing. You can find a lot of steals for 99 cents- $1 for some of them.
A million thank yous to Lindsey Mozgai from And the Kitchen Sink! We appreciate her sharing her expertise of blogging, writing, and living her dream as a purpose-focused writer.
Lindsey can be found at andthekitchensink.net
Lindsey can be found at andthekitchensink.net
Start onto the path of mindfulness and self-care in this journal writing course
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One of the greatest challenges for writers is establishing an organizational plan for their writing. Writers of all genres and styles—fiction, poetry, essay, blog, nonfiction—tend to struggle with finding and implementing a process that will help them get their ideas on the page. Most writers have an easy time generating ideas of what to write about. The challenge comes in organizing those ideas so that they make sense to readers.
What is so important about organizing your writing?
Organized writing is logical, it makes sense, and it is easy to read and understand. Writers pen their ideas for an audience with the purpose of enlightening, persuading, or entertaining. No writer intends to confuse or dissuade their readers, but that is what can happen when the writing is disorganized.
It is important to organize your writing, no matter what you are writing, because organized, logical, clear writing makes sense to the reader. When writing is disorganized, nonsensical, and confusing, then it can irritate, confuse, and even anger readers. No writer wants to turn off a reader with bad form.
It is important to organize your writing, no matter what you are writing, because organized, logical, clear writing makes sense to the reader. When writing is disorganized, nonsensical, and confusing, then it can irritate, confuse, and even anger readers. No writer wants to turn off a reader with bad form.
What is the writing process?
The writing process is a series of steps that writers take to complete a piece of writing. It can be used for any style or genre of writing—from poetry to research projects—the writing process is a writer’s best guarantee that a finished piece of writing will be well-received by readers. All writers seek to communicate with an audience and using the writing process can improve reader’s response.
The writing process can be interpreted to use three to seven steps, but the traditional writing process contains five steps: brainstorming, organizing, drafting, editing and revising, and presenting. Once writers have a brainstorm of content for a piece, organize that information into a graphic organizer to ensure that the ideas are logically presented.
The writing process can be interpreted to use three to seven steps, but the traditional writing process contains five steps: brainstorming, organizing, drafting, editing and revising, and presenting. Once writers have a brainstorm of content for a piece, organize that information into a graphic organizer to ensure that the ideas are logically presented.
What is a graphic organizer?
A graphic organizer is a visual tool that writers use when planning a piece of writing. There are many styles of graphic organizers such as: outline, 5Ws, Venn diagram, 3 column notes, visual cluster, inverted triangle, KWL (know, want to know, learn), and plot diagram. Different graphic organizers tend to appeal to different writers. For example, some writers use only the traditional outline for all of their planning needs, while others will switch between organizers depending on the writing style.
How can writers use graphic organizers?
Writers use graphic organizers in the planning stage of the writing process, which is just after the brainstorming stage. Take the valuable information from the brainstorming and add it to the graphic organizer. This process allows writers to keep their important information which can be used in composing the first draft.
What are the best graphic organizers to use?
Honestly, different styles of graphic organizers appeal to different people. Some writers are dead set on the traditional outline and never use anything else. Others consider themselves to be visual thinkers and prefer the visual cluster because they can see their ideas spread out on the page. And some writers apply their note taking skills to the writing process by using a 3-column notes organizer.
In the end, it does not matter which graphic organizer that writers use. What is important is that writers are using some form of organizer to keep themselves on track and to keep their writing structured. Otherwise, writing ends up being a messy disaster of confused information that readers do not want. Find the graphic organizer that works for you and use it. It can speed up your writing process, it can clarify your writing, and it can ease your writing workload.
In the end, it does not matter which graphic organizer that writers use. What is important is that writers are using some form of organizer to keep themselves on track and to keep their writing structured. Otherwise, writing ends up being a messy disaster of confused information that readers do not want. Find the graphic organizer that works for you and use it. It can speed up your writing process, it can clarify your writing, and it can ease your writing workload.
Do you need a downloadable graphic organizer? Try one of these.
Graphic Organizer: Outline
If you are a person who loves being organized, thinks logically, and enjoys a hierarchical structure, the traditional outline may be the perfect graphic organizer for you.
Use an outline for essays, blogs, note taking, research projects, and data collection.
If you are a person who loves being organized, thinks logically, and enjoys a hierarchical structure, the traditional outline may be the perfect graphic organizer for you.
Use an outline for essays, blogs, note taking, research projects, and data collection.
Graphic Organizer: Visual Cluster
If you are a visual person who enjoys seeing your ideas laid across a page, enjoys using colors to highlight your ideas, and thinks in big pictures, the visual cluster may be the organizer for you.
Use the visual cluster to prepare for stories, essays, research papers and projects, and lectures.
If you are a visual person who enjoys seeing your ideas laid across a page, enjoys using colors to highlight your ideas, and thinks in big pictures, the visual cluster may be the organizer for you.
Use the visual cluster to prepare for stories, essays, research papers and projects, and lectures.
Graphic Organizer: Venn Diagram
If you are a person who lives for comparison and contrast (you love to see where ideas are separated into small groups and where they overlap with other ideas), the Venn diagram may be for you.
Use the Venn diagram to organize information for comparisons, contrasts, advertisements, business writing, and science writing.
If you are a person who lives for comparison and contrast (you love to see where ideas are separated into small groups and where they overlap with other ideas), the Venn diagram may be for you.
Use the Venn diagram to organize information for comparisons, contrasts, advertisements, business writing, and science writing.
Graphic Organizer: 3-Column Notes
If you are a note taker by habit who loves to keep all of your information in one place, you used Cornell notes in school, and you enjoy finding information quickly, the 3-column notes may be for you.
Use 3-column notes for note taking, listening to lectures, watching videos, writing essays, and planning stories.
If you are a note taker by habit who loves to keep all of your information in one place, you used Cornell notes in school, and you enjoy finding information quickly, the 3-column notes may be for you.
Use 3-column notes for note taking, listening to lectures, watching videos, writing essays, and planning stories.
Graphic Organizer: KWL Chart
If you enjoy evaluating your research process: what you already know (K), what you want to know (W), and what information you collected and learned along the way (L), the KWL chart may be for you.
Use a KWL chart for preparing essays, research projects, and lectures.
If you enjoy evaluating your research process: what you already know (K), what you want to know (W), and what information you collected and learned along the way (L), the KWL chart may be for you.
Use a KWL chart for preparing essays, research projects, and lectures.
Graphic Organizer: Inverted Triangle
If you are a blogger, an essayist, or a memoirist, you need to keep your information organized into a tidy package that allows you to see what is most and what is least important; the inverted triangle may be for you.
Use the inverted triangle to prepare essays, stories, journalism, and communications pieces.
If you are a blogger, an essayist, or a memoirist, you need to keep your information organized into a tidy package that allows you to see what is most and what is least important; the inverted triangle may be for you.
Use the inverted triangle to prepare essays, stories, journalism, and communications pieces.
Graphic Organizer: 5 W’s Organizer
If you collect information for current events, blog posts, or articles, you need to know what, what, when, where, and why, and you need to keep all the information straight, so the 5 W’s organizer may be for you.
Use the 5 W’s organizer for writing pieces on current events, history, social sciences, and journalism.
If you collect information for current events, blog posts, or articles, you need to know what, what, when, where, and why, and you need to keep all the information straight, so the 5 W’s organizer may be for you.
Use the 5 W’s organizer for writing pieces on current events, history, social sciences, and journalism.
Graphic Organizer: Plot Diagram
If you are a fiction writer, a narrative poet, or are analyzing a piece of literature, you need to break down the elements of plot within the piece, and may find the plot diagram is for you.
Use the plot diagram to plan for or analyze stories, novels, novellas, or narrative essays.
If you are a fiction writer, a narrative poet, or are analyzing a piece of literature, you need to break down the elements of plot within the piece, and may find the plot diagram is for you.
Use the plot diagram to plan for or analyze stories, novels, novellas, or narrative essays.
For all of our downloadable templates, take a look at our store on Etsy HERE
Regardless of what style or genre that you are writing in and no matter what you plans are for your writing, get organized. When you compose well-organized writing, you produce pieces that readers can read and understand quickly. Use graphic organizers every time you write to ensure that your writing is always clean, clear, and logical.
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Like many creative writers, I began writing as soon as I could scribble pencil marks onto scraps of paper. Words have always been a source of magic for me. I can hear and feel the tone, voice, and taste of words in my mouth as I speak them and in my ears as I hear them. Words have meaning for me in a way that is figurative, symbolic, and spiritual. And I think that is true for many, if not most, creative writers.
Finding my creative voice was never a consideration in my younger years as a writer. At 12, I never stopped myself mid poem and asked “I wonder if I’ve found my creative voice yet.” But by the time I was in college, my creative voice, its presence or absence, weighed heavily on my mind.
Finding my creative voice was never a consideration in my younger years as a writer. At 12, I never stopped myself mid poem and asked “I wonder if I’ve found my creative voice yet.” But by the time I was in college, my creative voice, its presence or absence, weighed heavily on my mind.
At the time, it seemed to me that I should have already established myself as a writer with a particular voice, a voice that is easily distinguishable from all other writers so that a competent reader would recognize my voice three words into reading any piece.
In my college courses, we talked a lot about a writer’s voice, how Eudora Welty’s voice was distinct from Flannery O’Connor’s voice, and hers was distinct from William Faulkner’s voice, and so on. When I read, I could see voice. I could feel voice. I could taste and touch and smell voice. Finding another writer’s voice came as naturally for me as finding my toothbrush, because the location was always the same.
In my college courses, we talked a lot about a writer’s voice, how Eudora Welty’s voice was distinct from Flannery O’Connor’s voice, and hers was distinct from William Faulkner’s voice, and so on. When I read, I could see voice. I could feel voice. I could taste and touch and smell voice. Finding another writer’s voice came as naturally for me as finding my toothbrush, because the location was always the same.
But when it came to my own writing, I could not have differentiated my voice from my plot lines. Why is that? Why is it that novice writers have such an easy time admiring the accomplishments of professional writers and such a difficult time recognizing their own? After having spent four decades pounding a keyboard, I now know the answer to where my writing voice is. It is where it always was and where I left it all along. The location was always the same—in my writing. The only thing that changed for me is that time allowed me a bit of clarity and confidence to distance myself from my self-evaluative introspection long enough to recognize what was there all along—a distinctive voice. |
And marvelously, that voice is no more stagnant than I am; it changes over time and will continue to change as I produce more work, but the voice is still mine—twisted, surprising, a touch of science fiction, a touch of thriller, and always an insight into injustice.
So, where did the voice come from? How did I get it? And how did I get to a place where I could verbalize what it is? Easy enough.
The only way to know one’s creative voice is to write and write and write. I know you have heard that advice a zillion times. King said it. Bradbury said it. Welty said it. All the greats said it—you have to write to be a writer, you have to write to have a voice, and you have to write to know your voice.
And whad’ya know, they were right. Every one of them.
So, where did the voice come from? How did I get it? And how did I get to a place where I could verbalize what it is? Easy enough.
The only way to know one’s creative voice is to write and write and write. I know you have heard that advice a zillion times. King said it. Bradbury said it. Welty said it. All the greats said it—you have to write to be a writer, you have to write to have a voice, and you have to write to know your voice.
And whad’ya know, they were right. Every one of them.
The problem is that current western society sends a pretty clear message to artists, which goes a little like this. Listen, writer. You can be considered valuable if, and only if, you write a novel that makes a publishing company a bazillion dollars, is made into a blockbuster movie, and spurs the manufacture of every bit of plastic paraphernalia from action figures to phone covers to mouse pads. Otherwise, you’re a waste of time.
I think at some point, all of us have heard the message in some form or another, whether it was directed at us personally, at a writer we admire, or at creatives generally. Miserably, western society seems convinced that only that which is commercially profitable is socially valuable, but nothing could be further from the truth.
That separation of cultural value from writers causes us to question our worth, wonder if we are writing something worth reading, and what we are writing at all. This is the type of malarkey that causes emerging writers to doubt their significance, their messages, and their voices.
That separation of cultural value from writers causes us to question our worth, wonder if we are writing something worth reading, and what we are writing at all. This is the type of malarkey that causes emerging writers to doubt their significance, their messages, and their voices.
So, how does an emerging creative writer establish oneself with confidence in a clear, certain voice?
1. Write. Write. Write. Write. Write.
You cannot be a writer if you do not write. This is an absolute truth of the universe. Write every day. If you cannot write every day, write often: every other day, once a week, twice a month. Find a way to write. For pity’s sake, get those words written onto the page.
2. Read. Read. Read. Read. Read.
You cannot write something worth reading if you do not read. Read every day. Every day. If you lack the time to read, then put an audio book app on your phone and listen to books, get the New York Times on your phone so you can read articles while sitting on the bus, or have your local newspaper delivered to your home so that you have reading material readily available for 20 minutes after dinner each night. Read.
3. Explore different styles of writing.
How do you know that you still hate write sonnets if you haven’t tried to compose one in 15 years? Try out different writing styles. Explore. Push yourself. You will not improve as a writer if you do not find your boundaries and challenge yourself to push beyond them.
Download the quick guide that will start you writing this weekend. No matter if you are a poet, an essayist, a biographer, or a novelist, it’s time to write.
4. Read genres that aren’t immediately appealing to you.
I once thought that I hated science fiction for two reasons: my favorite college professor called science fiction “shit fiction” and vilified anyone who read it, and I believed that only pimply, uber-geek adolescent teenage boys who had no chance of going to the prom read science fiction.
I was wrong. I was desperately wrong. Ray Bradbury, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Madeleine L’Engle taught me how horribly wrong I was. Give every genre a fair shake. Your voice may be hiding where you did not expect it.
I was wrong. I was desperately wrong. Ray Bradbury, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Madeleine L’Engle taught me how horribly wrong I was. Give every genre a fair shake. Your voice may be hiding where you did not expect it.
5. Play with the creative process
Many writers suggest that their first drafts are a long purging of a creative mass of heavily-worded nonsense, and during the editing process is where they pull away the unnecessary words and cut that original draft by 10-20% before finding their final draft. I tried this same process for ages. I tried it because King recommended it as did a committee of learned, professional writers.
It was not until I gave up this plan and found that my creative writing process is the opposite did I find my voice. Instead of cutting away, I layer a story. First I write down the bones. Then I layer the muscles. Then I layer the connective tissues. Then I layer the skin.
For me, the editing process is not a cycle of removing but a cycle of adding. I add details, imagery, sensual observations, and figurative language. My first draft is a naked skeleton, and I had to experiment with the creative process for two decades before I had fully realized that truth.
It was not until I gave up this plan and found that my creative writing process is the opposite did I find my voice. Instead of cutting away, I layer a story. First I write down the bones. Then I layer the muscles. Then I layer the connective tissues. Then I layer the skin.
For me, the editing process is not a cycle of removing but a cycle of adding. I add details, imagery, sensual observations, and figurative language. My first draft is a naked skeleton, and I had to experiment with the creative process for two decades before I had fully realized that truth.
So, if you are searching for your creative writing voice, or you are searching for confirmation of your voice, or you are searching for confidence within your own voice, take heed. Write. Read. Explore. Your voice is already there. You are just working to define it.
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Paint & Ink—Journaling is Self-Care
As we walk our own paths, we have to take care of ourselves, and journaling is one way to achieve a sense of mindfulness and calm in an ever-changing world.
Journaling also provides a creative means for brainstorming, which is useful not only for self-care but for blogging and creative writing preparation.
As we seek to be the best selves that we can be and achieve our personal and professional goals, journaling provides a method for collecting the bricks we can use in our polished writing.
As we walk our own paths, we have to take care of ourselves, and journaling is one way to achieve a sense of mindfulness and calm in an ever-changing world.
Journaling also provides a creative means for brainstorming, which is useful not only for self-care but for blogging and creative writing preparation.
As we seek to be the best selves that we can be and achieve our personal and professional goals, journaling provides a method for collecting the bricks we can use in our polished writing.
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