Post #20 – Memoir Writing, Journaling – Amber Starfire
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MANY people think that journal writing (or diary keeping) is just for girls (and later, women). After all, writing about your daily events and — especially — feelings is not considered very “manly” in today’s American culture. But historically, many famous men have kept journals, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Alan Bennett, James Boswell, and Lewis Carroll, to name but a few.
Today’s inspirational quote about journal writing is by Anthony Doerr (yes, a male author): “… I’ve been keeping a journal forever. In high school my friends would make fun of me — ‘You’re doing your man diary again.’ So I was always trying to translate experience into words.”
There are several things we can learn from this quote:
- Journaling is not limited by age or gender.
- We write for ourselves.
- Translating experience into words is the essence of journaling.
What experience will you translate into words today?
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journaling
memoir journaling
journal writing prompt
reflective journaling
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Each of the men you mention–Ralph Waldo Emerson, Alan Bennett, James Boswell, and Lewis Carroll–used their journals with different intentions and different results. Journaling is a wide-ranging and powerful tool for refining thoughts.
Janet Riehl
Janet, thanks for your comment. Yes, I think that is one of the reasons I love journaling as a form of writing. It has so many purposes that inform other aspects of our lives, as well as life-writing in general.
I find myself relaying the ongoing experience of moving. It seems to be dominating my life and thoughts. When I get up from writing I feel so much lighter. Physically. It is uncanny.
At night I feel like my mind is doing jumping jacks in my sleep, but when I write I feel like my heart beat slows back down, my thoughts come together and the world makes sense.
Abby, what a beautiful description of what happens when you put your life experiences into writing! Moving (I assume you mean from one house to another) is a stressful experience and does dominate so much of our thoughts before, during, and after. There’s a lot of emotional stuff that goes along with it. Getting it down on the page anchors it and frees you to be in the present.
Amber,
I so appreciate the focus on men in this post! It is inspiring to know so many well known male historical figures as well as current figures are journal keepers. The fact that journaling has no age or gender bias is one of my favorite aspects of journaling. Anyone can benefit!
I love the quote: Translating experience into words is the essence of journaling.
Yes, it is! And so profitable an exercise it is!
I have chosen this post, Daily Inspiration for Journal Writing: Anthony Doerr, as my #JournalChat Pick of the Day for all things journaling on Twitter.
I will post it on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and my blog Refresh with Dawn Herring.
Thanks for the focus on the gentlemen today! It was a refreshing post!
Be refreshed,
Dawn Herring
JournalWriter Freelance
@JournalChat on Twitter