The Day Book

I haven’t been connected to the internet on my home computer since October of 2010 but this doesn’t mean I haven’t been writing. While surfing one of my favorite websites, www.edutopia.com, I found this great blog on how to encourage kids to write. The idea is to keep a Day Book, a place to write ideas that will not be graded in any way. So I adopted the idea. First you have to find a journal that is bound and hopefully the kind that you can find again later so you eventually can put the date range on the cover and you’ll have a nifty “series” of Day Books on your shelf. I found a composition book that has this great black and white floral pattern on it at the grocery store. Super cheap since I bought it during tax-free weekend for school supplies. And keeping with the concept, I made a few rules...

1.     No tearing out pages. I have done this with other journals that I’ve kept over the years because I did not want to revisit an experience or thought the writing was lousy.

2.     Write with what you want. This satisfies the office supply junkie in me. I love pens, markers, highlighters and pencils.

3.     Let it flow. No need for complete sentences. Include lists or a word that just tickles my fancy.

4.     Editing is allowed, but no erasers. This way I can still see the original work.

5.     Use of sticky notes allowed. Another way to get at those beloved office supplies!

6.     Glued in elements are encouraged as well as drawings, doodles, etc. I like the scrapbook idea for writing. Found objects are great and I always used to doodle in my school notebooks.

7.     Use both sides of each page. This encourages my eco-friendly side and days flow.

8.     Date each entry so you can remember. Seasonal elements add depth to writing.

9.     There are no bad ideas. If you end up crossing something out, you may just go back and use that idea later on.  

I now have a place to blog without typing, which is not always great since I can type way faster than I can handwrite. I now have a place to store all my ideas that end up on my blog. Hope this helps any inspiring writer of any kind. I’m sure it is not a new idea, but it just struck me as so wonderful that I had to share it.  

Speaking of online writing, if you are interested in publishing unique pieces online, please visit www.revolutionhousemag.com, an online magazine that is accepting written works for its inaugural online edition.