Journal Writing & Brainstorming: Bullet Journal for Creativity

We know that journaling has many applications that can benefit people from all walks of life—professionals, students, parents, teens, academics, and creative types—like artists and writers.  Journaling can bring about a state of mindfulness, where people can slow down time and concentrate on a self-care activity.  It can offer a creative outlet for those seeking an accessible means for expression.  And it can be a gateway into establishing a productive writing practice.


The most wonderful aspect of journal writing is its versatility.  People can use it in different situations to meet different needs, and it remains relevant since it is a flexible practice. 

Since journaling is a flexible activity, writers can begin a journal that is focused on goal setting and work towards reaching a dream, then change to journal about reflections of events in the past.  Journal writing changes with us.  As we switch subjects and interests, it stays there and allows for a comfortable space to meet our needs.  While journaling, we can be professional, creative, parental, friendly, depressed, anxious, confident, entrepreneurial, or organized. 

Anything works in the pages of a journal.  
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When we journal, we are our whole selves.  We can explore the ideas that comes into our minds, ponder the questions that make us curious, and wander through avenues of new ideas.
 
While journaling, writers can brainstorm ideas for creative projects, and there are activities to make this process more productive.  When we brainstorm, we want to collect all the questions, ideas, details, and thoughts that we possibly can in an effort to explore our ideas.  What starts as a passing thought can turn into a well-loved novel.  
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Bullet Journaling 
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A bullet journal is a flexible journaling method that allows a writer to change topics, ideas, and questions from page to page.  Its format is linear so writers tend to stay well organized when using a bullet journal.  And, a bullet journal allows writers to use drawings, icons, color-coding, and a variety of media, so it appeals to visual thinkers (most people are visual thinkers). 
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People use bullet journals to create plans, outline ideas, lay out calendars, and for all kinds of mental activities.  For our purposes, we are going to use a bullet journal as a brainstorming tool for creative writing.  Of course, a bullet journal can be used as easily for brainstorming any project, style or writing, or professional development project imaginable, so keep the method in mind for upcoming projects.  

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Brainstorming through Creativity 
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Anyone who considers themselves a writer will tell you that they come up with more story ideas than they are able to follow up on.  Most writers will start a dozen stories for any one that they complete.  Ray Bradbury kept copious notes of his daily writing activities and remarked that he wrote every day of his life since elementary school, but only a fraction of his ideas turned into completed stories and books.  Every brainstorm will not turn into a completed story, but no story is complete without the writer exploring the topic first.

When writers brainstorm, we collect as much available information on a particular topic—questions, ideas, thoughts, details, research, data, and so on.  Every little tidbit that we can muster up to compile into a brainstorm has the potential to add to the depth, breadth, interest, and complexity of our stories.  The more in depth the brainstorm, the better the story. 

So, what is a brainstorm?

The brainstorm is the first step in the writing process: brainstorming, outlining, drafting, editing/revising, and presenting.  Variations of the writing process may use different terms for these steps or a different number of steps, but the general idea is the same.  Writers follow a series of writing steps with the purpose of producing a completed piece of writing.  The writing process works for any style of writing: poetry, research papers, creative projects, narratives, essays, letters, or books.  In the writing world, the writing process is the path to producing high-quality works. 

Brainstorming is the first step of the writing process.  Anything can go into a brainstorm—anything.  It can be a list of questions, it can be a series of drawings, it can be a collection of hand drawn maps, it can be a collection of quotes and dialogue lines, and in all likelihood it will be a combination of all those and more.  A brainstorm is a collection, a brain dump, a messy riotous assemblage, and it is the beginning.  

Start a Bullet Journal to Brainstorm a Story 
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So, take a look at how to use a bullet journal to brainstorm a story.  If a writer wants the final outcome to be a completed story, start with a thorough brainstorm. 

In a journal, begin five different lists, each of these will become a separate bullet list. 

List 1: Characters

List 2: Plot, Conflict, Problems

List 3: Settings and Scenes

List 4: Dialogue, Lines, and Quotes

List 5: Tone, Mood, and Style

For list 1, begin by listing each of the characters you will put in this story.  This list can grow and shrink with time, but start with at least three characters.  It is fine for a character to be an animal, an alien, or an object.  Good stories sometimes have unusual characters.  Once the basic list is in place, add details, descriptions, attributes, and complexities of each character.

For list 2, begin by listing the basic events in the story that will make up the plot.  There should be some kind of exposition, rising action, conflict, climax, and resolution; set these up in any combination or order that suits your needs.  Once the initial list is in place, layer the list with details, complexities, and depth that add to the story.

For list 3, break down the story into scenes and different settings.  For each of these, what are the most important aspects of the scenes?  What elements should be highlighted in each one?  Will there be literary language, symbolism, or details that make these scenes more valuable?

For list 4, list at least two high value lines of dialogue for each character to share.  Oftentimes in literature, it is the poignant or highly effective dialogue lines that affect readers so greatly.  What are these? 

And for list 5, look at each step in the story, each scene, each character, and each line of dialogue and determine a mood, tone, or style to assign to it.  Does that scene in the closet need to be foreboding and dark?  Does the scene on the beach need to be refreshing and affirming?  For each one, list as many details as you can about what you can do to add depth and breadth to these story elements. 
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A bullet list is not a completed piece of writing.  It is the beginning of a piece of writing.  A writer can come back many dozens of times to work on a brainstorm to add more detail, cross out erroneous items, question past ideas, and develop the story’s basic layout into something more complex.  With that bullet journal brainstorm in place, the next step of outlining becomes a quick and natural progression towards a completed story.  The bullet journal can be used for some many different types of projects, and it works wonderfully for a brainstorm. 
 

Video: How to Set Yourself Up for Writing Success 
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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.

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