Workshop:
Six Conversations for Writing Creative
Journals
“Writers are
the custodians of memories.” William Zinsser
In
his book Writing About Your Life Zinsser
continues, “Your biggest stories will often have less to do with their subject
than with their significance…how that situation affected you.”
Sometimes
it will be an anecdote shared over a meal with family and friends or a mutual
special occasion over many years. Or a life changing experience that you are
still exploring the depths of and know others can benefit from your discovery.
Once we identify the significance then we will have a better understanding
whether it is meant for personal or public communication. The reflection
exercises we’ve looked at so far keep us in touch with ourselves now; the
memoir exercises enable us to see how our past and present intertwine.
Seeds as
Prompts
Begin
building a memory journal for yourself. Tie it to specific personal
memories—both trauma and joy—and fix the location whenever relevant. Focus the
emotional description. Next to each category list the senses incorporated and
how the senses responded.
Or,
if it feels too emotional to address with a clear perspective, take a step back
and examine the memory as if you are a main characters that you are questioning
in an interview.
Begin
with basic journal entries as before:
· saddest day
· happiest day
· scariest
· challenging
· hopeful
· joyous
· disappointing
· despairing
· successful
Action
Steps:
1. Choose two categories to focus on. Focus
on one that you have a lot of material for, and one that feels limited so far.
2. Make a list of questions for what is
missing from your memory for each category?
Share: What
surprised you?
Read deep, marcy
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