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Journaling for Memoir
Workshop A Short Course in Writing Deeply
Workbook
JournalingforMemoirWorkbook Page2©AmberLeaStarfire,2012-2017AllRightsReserved
Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. - Anton Chekhov
JournalingforMemoirTeleseminarAShortCourseinWritingDeeply
byAmberLeaStarfire
TheBenefitsofJournalingforMemoirWriters
Mostwritershavekeptjournalsfromtimetotime,andwe’reawareofthe
powerfulbenefitsofajournalingpractice—catharsis,emotionalhealing,clarity,
makingmeaningoflife’sevents,stressreduction,andenhancedcreativity,tonamea
few.Butwemaynotbeawareofthemanywayswecanusejournalingtechniquesto
enhanceourcreativewritingpractice.
Idividejournalingformemoirintothreecategories:
1. Journalingtodayfortomorrow’smemoirs
2. Miningpastjournalsformemoirswe’rewritingtoday
3. Developingthestory
Journalingfortomorrow
Recordinglife’seventsonpaperisliketakingsnapshotsandstoringthemina
photoalbum.Later,whenyouwanttorememberthoseevents,youcanlookatthe
photographs.Itstandstoreasonthatthemoresnapshotsyoutake(i.e.,themore
eventsyourecord),themoreaccessibleandaccurateyourmemorieswillbecome.
Thinkofjournalingasacameraofwords:itprovidesawayforrenewingold
memoriesandcapturingnewones.
Journalingfortomorrowisaboutcapturingyourmomentsasclosetowhen
theyoccuraspossible.Thegoalofwritingcapturedmomentsistostoptheaction
andrecordallthesensoryandemotionaldetailssurroundingit.
JournalingforMemoirWorkbook Page3©AmberLeaStarfire,2012-2017AllRightsReserved
Here’showyoudoit:
1)
2)
Practice:
1. Chooseanexperienceyouhadtodayoryesterday.
2. Briefly,writewhereyouwere,whowastherewithyou,andwhathappened.
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3. List3things/qualitiesoftheexperienceforeachsense(sights,smells,tastes,
sounds,andthingstouched).Includephysicalreactions.
Sights:
• _________________________________________________________________________________
• _________________________________________________________________________________
• _________________________________________________________________________________
Sounds:
• __________________________________________________________________________________
• _________________________________________________________________________________
• _________________________________________________________________________________
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Smells:
• __________________________________________________________________________________
• _________________________________________________________________________________
• _________________________________________________________________________________
Tastes:
• __________________________________________________________________________________
• _________________________________________________________________________________
• _________________________________________________________________________________
PhysicalTouch:
• __________________________________________________________________________________
• _________________________________________________________________________________
• _________________________________________________________________________________
PhysicalSensations/reactions:
• __________________________________________________________________________________
• _________________________________________________________________________________
• _________________________________________________________________________________
4. Jotdownemotionsfelt,includingconfusion(youdon’tknowhowyoufeltor
feel).
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JournalingforMemoirWorkbook Page5©AmberLeaStarfire,2012-2017AllRightsReserved
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5. Notecontextualitems—newsitems,weather,holidays,generalmoodetc.
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That’sallyouneedtodotocaptureamomentforthefuture.Ifyouhavetime,
afteryou’vejotteddownphrasesorlistswiththedetails,gobackandwritea
poemorbitofproseaboutthemomentorevent,processingyouremotionsas
younormallywouldinyourjournal.
JournalingforMemoirWorkbook Page6©AmberLeaStarfire,2012-2017AllRightsReserved
Miningpastjournals
Now,we’regoingtoreviewjustafewofthemanywaysandreasonstopull
thosejournalsoutofstorageoroffyourbookshelvesandusethemtohelpwithyour
memoirwriting.Thesimplestmethodsinvolvereadingentrieswhilelookingfor
informationthatinforms:
Scene:_________________________________________________________________________________
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Reflection:____________________________________________________________________________
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Context:_______________________________________________________________________________
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AnotherwayistolookforPatterns:
Seasonal:______________________________________________________________________________
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Thematic: _____________________________________________________________________________
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Metaphoric(recurringimages)______________________________________________________
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JournalingforMemoirWorkbook Page7©AmberLeaStarfire,2012-2017AllRightsReserved
Developingthestory
Yourjournalistheplacetoexploreimages,concepts,characters,places,and
themes—allwithoutthepressureoftryingtowriteanactualsceneorstory.It’sa
practicedesignedtodeepenyourunderstandingofyourstory.
DevelopmentTechniques:
Clustering: ____________________________________________________________________________
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ExampleofClustering
JournalingforMemoirWorkbook Page8©AmberLeaStarfire,2012-2017AllRightsReserved
PracticeClustering:
1. Useafreshsheetofpaper
2. Asyournucleus,chooseapersonorplaceandwritethenameinthemiddleofthepage.
3. Clusterfor2minutes.
4. Writefor8minutes,usingyourclusterforinspiration.
Listsof100:___________________________________________________________________________
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• 100thingsyourcharacterwants• 100thingsyourcharacterhates• 100thingsyourcharacterloves• 100personalitytraits• 100fears• 100thingsyourcharacterisgoodat• 100thingsyourcharacterwisheshecoulddo• 100peopleyourcharacteradmires• 100thingsyourcharacterbelievesin• 100physicaltraits• 100thingsyourcharacterdidasachild
Dialogues: ____________________________________________________________________________
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LettersandInterviews:______________________________________________________________
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Anyjournalingpromptsorsentencestarter:______________________________________
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SomeStarters(youcansubstituteit/I/he/sheinanyofthese):
• He’sthekindofman/womanwho…• It’sthekindofplacethat…• Mybiggestfearis…• Whatshereallywantsis…• Ifhecoulddoanythinghewanted,hewould…• Itsmellslike…• Ifeelmostsecurewhen…• Themostwonderfulthingthathappenedwas…• Iamsohappythat…• Hewassodepressedthat…• ThemostdifficultthingIeverhadtodealwithwas…• Thesituationwas…• Tome,atruefriendis…• Shehated…• Heloved…
JournalingforMemoirWorkbook Page10©AmberLeaStarfire,2012-2017AllRightsReserved
More...Doyouwanttotakeyourmemoirwritingtothenextstep?
Doyouwanttouseyourjournalmoreeffectively?
Thisshortcourseisonlythebeginning…
JournalingforMemoirisasix-weekguidedstudycourseinwhichyouwill
learnadditional,proventechniques,including“BurningMoments”toreveal
importantthemesinyourlifeanddriveyourwritingprocess.
FINDOUTMORE@WRITINGTHROUGHLIFEONLINECLASSES
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