Writers Block: To Keep a Journal or Not to Keep a Journal

There are several ways to approach this question, really.  In the end, however, it really depends on the writer.  Some people like to keep a journal, like me, of every single idea, while others prefer to only focus on one idea in a particular journal and not wander around with their ideas, and still others don't keep any journal. 

If you're not sure whether you should or not, I recommend trying it.  And don't follow anyone else's rubric for one.  Just write how you feel most comfortable.  When I decided to keep a journal I wasn't sure what to do and wrote down whatever idea came to mind instead of focusing on one thing in particular and using all my energy on that.  My imagination is always working in over time and I don't want to waste any of my ideas or completely drop whatever it was I was working on because I found The Next Best Thing, so this worked perfect for me.  Better then perfect, actually, and I'm on my third journal because the others filled up.

But this may not work for you.  Like I said earlier, some people like to focus on one idea/subject per notebook or journal.  Other's may keep their's like a diary.  Or just write poems.

And then maybe you just don't need to keep a journal.  Stephen King doesn't.  He says that the really good ideas stick around (and he's right!) and why should he write down all the bad ones.  Maybe this works best for you, I know several people who work this way, and I used to work this way.  However, I tend to get attached to all my ideas and like to write them down now.

Where to keep your journal is another big question.  While I mainly use a little notebook at home and when I'm on the move, sometimes I like to keep it on my computer.  I also keep ideas on scraps of paper that lie around pretty much everywhere.  It's a bit scatter-brained.  Computer's are nice because you can keep adding to an idea and never run out of room or mix different notes for things if you don't want.  Physical notebooks are nice because they can travel easier.

Anyways, it is up to you.  Don't forget that when you start journaling (or not).



Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Phoenix