NaNoWriMo Series: Writing Tip #15

Raise your hand if you have a blank journal somewhere within a mile radius for you to grab and start writing in. Raise your other hand if you have more than one. Raise your big toe if they are more than six months old. As writers, we have this fantastic habit of collecting beautiful journals with the genuine intention of writing our next big project inside of them. We get the urge to use it only to get stabbed in the neck with thoughts of 'perfectionism' and 'messing up the pristine pages' that are meant to be scribbled on. For whatever reason that ails you from cracking up the prettiest journal you have and writing 'The' on the first page, this is your affirmation to do it.

When I was at the peak of my adolescent writing days, my friends in high school would often find me zoning out into my stories mentally before blindly reaching for the nearest scrap of paper to write my ideas down on. Being in school makes it easy to have a loose piece of paper and a pen hanging around. But flash forward ten years later and it's not as easy as you think. As I type this out, all of my beautiful journals are locked away in storage. So, now, all of my ideas get thumbed down into my Google Docs as fast as I can type and I can just open it up and continue later.

My point is, write it all down. Every idea you get is precious and you canNOT rely on something as fickle as memory to capture the essence of your brainblast. Believe me, I'm still scratching my head over the name I came up with for my next poetry series that I didn't write down and it's like playing Wheel of Fortune blind. If inspiration strikes on the bus, you better yank out something to write it down. It doesn't have to be every day or even every week. But the more you do it, the more habitual it becomes and the more content you have to draw from when it's actually time to write. While you wrap your head around this concept of breaking in those untouched journals, ask yourself some of these questions to help you get started:

1. Where do you usually get inspired the most?

2. What three places would make the most sense to carry a journal with you in case inspiration strikes?

3. Would you step away to write down an idea in the middle of a party? Why or Why Not?

4. What stops you from writing in your blank journal and is it a good enough reason to not write in it?

If you want to learn more NaNoWriMo tips, check out the 30 Days of Tips that will unfold this month. Can't wait? Then check out my mini-course on The Basics of Storytelling that's available for $1. I look forward to seeing you in whatever form I appear. Until next time.

About the Author

Crystal Cabrae is a storyteller who specializes in writing dystopian, romantic, and adventurous worlds for animation and fantastical fiction. She is a proud graduate of Full Sail University, AMDA, and New World School of the Arts. Her six years of acting training in New York and Miami gives her a unique perspective when approaching her characters. She has a passion for sharing how to create stories with the world and inspiring the storyteller that lives within all of us. Follow her on IG or Pinterest to know the latest.