Writing Tip Wednesday: Keep a Journal

I’ve never been one to journal my feelings. But journaling has proved to be an excellent source for writing novels! Becoming a school speaker has taught me a lot about what I do well and where I need improvement because kids can sense if you are telling the truth! They ask everything from whether I drive a Lamborghini (which I don’t) to how many hours a day I write. The one tip that teachers say is the most helpful is when I talk about keeping a journal. Whenever an idea comes to me, I write it down in my notebook. Typically I’m not in front of my computer when these ideas enter my brain, so I started a habit of keeping a notebook in my purse. It goes everywhere with me! Later when I sit down to write, I look over the notes and often implement them somewhere in the story.

A few years ago, in the middle of writing my first novel, Sour Lemon and Sweet Tea, I was listening to country music (yep, that’s what Southern girls do)! I was suffering from writer’s block and this song was exactly what I needed. I wrote the concept in my notebook and it later became the black moment in the novel.

Another example happened a week ago when my husband and I were watching a documentary about technology on Netflix. My current young adult novel addresses what happens when technology is used against us and how it can be harmful. During the film, I furiously took notes on the terminology and phrases the tech executives used. Once again, my trusty notebook served me well as I added words like “growth hacking” and “surveillance” to my current manuscript.

I blogged a while back about an online service called Plottr. Since discovering this fantastic online tool, I have converted all my notes into a digital format. Now rather than having multiple notes in my phone, journal, and within my document, they are in the notes feature of Plottr. This feature allows me to copy and paste notes directly into my manuscript.

I’d love to hear from you. Let me know how you keep track of your ideas!