Lisa Tener

Book Writing Coach

Journaling

Day 16: October Journaling Adventure with The Joy of Writing Journal

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Welcome to Day 16 in our community jaunt through The Joy of Writing Journal: Spark Your Creativity in 8 Minutes a Day.

One activity I assign to all aspiring authors at the beginning of a project is to create a vision statement that you can read to inspire you, create momentum and also help you make decisions about your book (or other writing) that align with that vision and will help it come into fruition. One of the three major aspects of that vision is what your writing will do for your readers.

reading the joy of writing journal
Photo by Seth Jacobson Photography

Here in our journals, of course, the reader is you! But do you write other stuff (or dream of it)? What would you love to hear your dream reader say about your work and how it impacts them?

Today’s prompt invites you to imagine someone reading some of your work (not your journal but an article, story, poem, book, etc.) and what it does for them. What might they say about it?

Here are excerpts from my journal:

From an imagined aspiring writer: “Lisa, I’ve always been intimidated about journaling and writing. The Joy of Writing Journal made writing so easy and fun. I even wrote a poem. And yesterday I wrote my author’s statement. It was so much fun. I feel empowered and surprised.” – Imaginary Reader 1

From an imagined therapist/blogger , “I’ve stuck to pretty focused, no-nonsense writing in the past. The Joy of Writing Journal taught me to experiment, take risks on the page, expand my horizons, to play and have fun. Thank you.” – Imaginary Reader 2

And then this: “Lisa Tener’s Joy of Writing Journal is such fun and an empowering romp for journalers and lovers of the written word. We’re doing a special series with the journal at Reese’s Book Club if you want to journal along in community. Join us on Writing Wednesdays for an 8 minute romp through creative process.” – Reese Whitherspoon (in my mind)

The Joy of Writing Journal: Spark Your Creativity in 8 Minutes a Day

Your Turn to Share

What do you imagine your readers saying after you publish or share some creative project?

If you’ve never shared a comment on this blog before, this is your chance to share a little something—a phrase or even a word from your imagined reader. We want to hear your voice! Sharing even a word can empower you to feel:

a) a sense of belonging

b) more confident

c) bolder

Your Muse will thank you for it!

Day 15: October Journaling Adventure with The Joy of Writing Journal

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Welcome to Day 15 in The Joy of Writing Journal: Spark Your Creativity in 8 Minutes a Day.

In today’s video, Sherry Burton Ways Steine, author of Feel Good Spaces, shares three tips for enhancing your writing space for creative flow. Then, it’s time to address today’s prompt in your own feel-good writing space!

Today’s prompt about sprucing up our writing space to enhance creative flow took me in an unexpected direction when I journaled. I explored the space inside my head—my thoughts—and how to clear them up!

An interesting question: How to clear up the inner space, not just the space that surrounds us, outside of ourselves.

Of course, our outer space often reflects our inner space; doesn’t it?

The Joy of Writing Journal: Spark Your Creativity in 8 Minutes a Day

Your Turn to Share

Has today’s prompt inspired you to make changes to your “outer” space? Your inner space?

What came up for you today?

Did you feel inspired by the post to make changes to your writing space? Did new ideas emerge about your relationship to your environment when you write?

Share a snippet or some of your experience in writing today.

Day 14: October Journaling Adventure with The Joy of Writing Journal

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Today we’re writing about our writing dreams, dreams for our writing life and you can find the details in The Joy of Writing Journal: Spark Your Creativity in 8 Minutes a Day.

writing dreams

In my journal, I discover that none of the five so-called writing dreams I listed actually feels like it’s mine.

Maybe that’s the American Dream. Or the Swedish Dream. Or some Swede’s dream. Hell, I don’t know where the dream came from. I just know it’s not mine.

So I pick raspberries and blueberries for a few days at the height of the season and my mind clears enough to return to this seemingly loaded prompt.

When I finally let go of my borrowed dreams, I can return to explore mine, which starts in bed, recording dreams, journaling, writing freely.

Only then, after journaling, do I imagine starting my dream creation.

I listen to my muse, the maker of alphabet soup, and in this particular imagining, she puts some mighty strange things in the soup—a stone, chum, a finger of ginger, a slender purple carrot, an exquisite Romanesque cauliflower.

My muse places the spoon in my mouth and I taste, not the ginger or the chum, certainly not the stone, but the melding of all ingredients and my entire being feels/knows/says, “Thank you. I needed this.“

Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash

I don’t know how my muse has managed to create a delicious, nourishing stew of it all. That’s her magic.

In this dream, when I finish my creative projects. I usher them into the world and trust in them.

Maybe some writing projects were meant to work their magic on me alone. Maybe some will speak to and incite (or inspire) one other person. And maybe some are meant to do more. In my dream, I am happy with any outcome.

I honor the muse. We make the soup.

We taste. We invite you to the meal. We break bread together.

Some days we eat in silence; others we argue heatedly. Some days we read to each other. Some days we look into our bowls of alphabet soup and see what words float around, then scribble them down in our journals.

Being Okay with Whatever We Write

Whew, that’s a quirky journey. But we’re not here to impress each other. We’re here to journey, explore, unearth little (or big) somethings together.

We gather here together:

  • To work our creative muscles.
  • To develop writing habits.
  • To take pleasure in journaling or writing.
  • To feel more joy as we honor our creativity and the spirit of play.

Your Turn to Write

The Joy of Writing Journal: Spark Your Creativity in 8 Minutes a Day

No pressure here to be clever. Or write something share-worthy.

Be free and write what comes.

Share a sampling if you feel so moved.

How is it to write your dreams? Do they feel authentic or do you need to release them and find something more true to you?

Note: Spend time on the Week 2 summary page: Note things that happened this past week that you can write about; make note of things that inspired you; schedule your writing times.

Day 13: October Journaling Adventure with The Joy of Writing Journal

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These posts are designed to work with The Joy of Writing Journal: Spark Your Creativity in 8 Minutes a Day. If you haven’t bought your copy yet, get it here and join us for the free October Journaling Adventure!

We have a few celebrity novelists in today’s video: New York Times Bestselling author (for multiple books) Jaquelyn Mitchard (watch for her new book The Good Son: A Novel coming out in December!), Global Read Aloud winner and multi-award winning author Padma Venkatraman whose novel, The Bridge Home, won over 50 awards (“Gorgeous Storytelling” – The New York Times Book Review) and Kristin Bair O’Keefe, author of Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything, PEOPLE Magazine’s “Best New Book, 2020” among new writers to discover!

Of course, you may prefer to respond to the prompt, “A stranger knocks. What happens next?” before you watch the video or read my excerpt. Start by listing 5 possible next lines. Which one inspires (or scares) you the most? Write from that one!

My own dream-like response to this prompt surprised me. I run out the back door!

The stranger pursues me.

Finally, I’m cornered at a chain link fence. Here’s my excerpt:

I hear his rapid breathing, then his heartbeat, feel his breath on the back of my neck.

Still, I face the fence, eyes closed, my own breath shallow, stomach clenched.

“You Lisa?” he asks.

“Why?” I open my eyes but do not turn toward him.

“I got your mail. By Accident. I live next door.”

I turn then, mesmerized by his blue blue eyes. I don’t hear what he says. I’m lost in his gaze.

The stranger hands me my mail—two letter sized envelopes and a thick 8×10 package.

My taxes.

I knew I should have run away.

Your Turn to Journal

The Joy of Writing Journal: Spark Your Creativity in 8 Minutes a Day

I hope you had as much fun with this prompt as I did!

What ideas came up? Which did you choose?

In the comments, share an excerpt or just a first sentence.

Or share what surprised you about the experience.

How have you been enjoying the October Journaling Adventure? Are you able to journal every day (or close to it)? If not, what do you think you need to commit more deeply? What’s missing? Do you need to use the planning page to schedule specific times? Put your journal in a different place so you see it daily?

If you’re journaling daily, share what’s helping you be consistent. Your insights may help others!

Day 12: October Journaling Adventure with The Joy of Writing Journal

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My list for today included many places I’ve wanted to visit for a long time—India, Iceland, Utah—and a few I briefly glimpsed and wish to really see—Mount Shasta, Thailand. But the last entry surprised me—Israel.

Tel Aviv, Israel
Photo by Shai Pal on Unsplash

You could say I’ve internalized my parents’ fear of danger there—from the violence and bombing throughout my childhood. You’d be half right.

Beneath, “Who will put their lives in danger by traveling to Israel?” is a deeper impulse—to leave the past—along with our Jewishness—behind. Assimilate.

Once again, a seemingly innocuous prompt—to imagine a visit to one of the places on my list—provokes an exploration of deep-seated beliefs and internal restraints, which have less hold for me when I bring them to the surface to examine them.

Rereading my journal entry, I realize I didn’t even do what the prompt says. Instead of imagining a visit, I explore why it surprises me for Israel to come up on the list! As you work through The Joy of Writing Journal, feel free to improvise and follow your muse.

Your Turn to Journal

A prompt is just that—something to prompt you. Where you go from there? That’s wide open.

The Joy of Writing Journal: Spark Your Creativity in 8 Minutes a Day

As I mentioned yesterday, when I wrote The Joy of Writing Journal, I intended to help spark my readers’ creativity. I went for a light touch, focusing on qualities like playful, quirky and fun. But sometimes a prompt provokes a more intense exploration.

Today’s prompt may inspire a deep dive for you too, or it may just as likely bring up a long held desire to visit some exotic or beautiful land. Or perhaps the land of your ancestors! Maybe it will inspire your next vacation!

Where does today’s prompt lead you? Share an excerpt or any surprises, insights or delights that arose when you journaled today.

Day 11: October Journaling Adventure with The Joy of Writing Journal

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Today’s prompt stirs memories of my cousin’s bar mitzvah—all the ancient relatives from my dad’s side that I’ve never met before, or met once or twice. I’m eight or eleven and confused by all these seeming strangers.

Stella Andre

I feel particularly embarrassed when Grandma Stella sings. Her intense emotion makes Barbara Streisand seem tame...

…Now that I’m older, I’ve begun to appreciate what Stella must have gone through on her journey to America—the pogroms she survived, the exodus portrayed in Fiddler on the Roof. Only, in the real life exodus people stumble along the way. As a young girl, did she have to step over bodies to keep going?

Her singing provided a way to express her pain. I think the root of my own shame is in the pain she expressed. As if I wanted to stop her and say, “No. It’s too much.”

The Joy of Writing Journal: Spark Your Creativity in 8 Minutes a Day

When I wrote The Joy of Writing Journal, I intended to help spark my readers’ creativity. I went for a light touch, focusing on qualities like playful, quirky and fun.

But when we immerse ourselves in writing—be it journaling or other creative writing—we cheat ourselves if we try to control our emotions and remain in a comfort zone emotionally.

There’s power in exploring our shame and other uncomfortable emotions. Often, when we allow ourselves to feel and explore these emotions, we discover a certain freedom, and insights we would not have experienced had we stayed comfy and safe.

Your Turn

When you give yourself “permission to be bold” where does it take you? What did you write about today? Share a snippet or some of your experience in writing today. Or even post a video of you reading some or all of your entry!

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