While reading this news story I felt inspired to write several of my own family stories in my journal today. Your journal is a great place for storing and working on your family tales. The news article is about storyteller Donald Davis who has been telling stories to others for more than 24 years.
I liked this advice offered by Davis:
“… too many people attempt to write down their childhood memories, only to become frustrated because they feel they can’t write. He suggests making a list of places and people, not happenings, to form the starting point of rebuilding memories.”
He …read more

If you’ve written plenty of interesting personal stories in your journal you may be interested in this competition. Sheila Bender is hosting this competiton at her Writing It Real website. The deadline for submission is December 30 this year. There is a reading fee, but you also get a six month subscription to the online magazine Writing It Real.

Another book recently published which features journal entries, along with letters and emails, is Operation Homecoming: Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front, in the Words of U.S. Troops and Their Families.
I discovered this book through a news story here, which has a great write up on the book. I was most impressed to find the editor was overwhelmed with submissions for this book, even though he expected few entries. The stories offer a glimpse into the personal tales of these brave men and women.

When I saw the headline: Mind fiction: Why your brain tells tall tales on the front of the current New Scientist magazine I knew I had to take a look. Seems very journal writing related to me.
I flipped the pages and found a four page article. But short of standing at the store to read it, I know that’s frowned on, I’ll have to see if my library stocks this mag before I can read this article. The price is a little expensive for me at the moment.
For the opening couple of paragraphs, as a teaser, click here; from …read more

I received my subscription copy of The Writer magazine today. After a quick glance at the cover I was happy to see yet another article on journal writing, this time by Christina Baldwin.
This lead me to search for Christina online and I stumbled on her Storycatcher website, which is loaded with information anyone who loves journal writing will enjoy reading.
There’s also an excellent section on the Storycatcher: Making Sense of Our Lives through the Power and Practice of Story book with excerpts of each chapter and readers’ stories. I know I’ve only just begun to read all that’s …read more