Journal Endings

For most of my students this is now the end of the semester and academic year. This means handing in your journals too!

My last piece of advice is to make sure that you treat your journal like any otehr assignment. Pop on a cover page, put it in a presentation folder and make sure it looks neat and tidy for your reader. They will appreciateit when they have 120 to read!

It is also a nice touch to write a final entry (whether youa re asked to or not). This isn't about adding marks, but more about having a sense of finishing a product.

And if you enjoyed the journal process then by all means join the many journallers who write regularly about all kinds of things, in all kinds of ways. You can be more creative when you know it isn't for a mark!

Happy end of semester.

Write the Day You Wish

Waht would you write in your journal in the morning, if you KNEW that what you wrote would be what happened?

It's an interesting thought isn't it? If you believe that your thoughts determine the experiences you have, then how powerful might it be to write your journal with all the things you wish for in your day ahead.

You could even write it as if the day had already happened.

Hmmm ... what would I wish for? What would you wish for?

Journals are a place to relax ... or not ...

Your journal can be anything you like. Anything. You might draw, paste, scribble, plan, write lists, write fiction ... or a combination of these and many more techniques.

Your journal doesn't have to be some special format. It only has to work for you.

So perhaps you DO write/keep a journal now I have expanded the definition of a journal for you?

I was talking to a goal orientated, organised 18 year old yesterday ... she told me she didn't keep a journal. "But I have a notebook I write eveything in" ... she explained ... every trip I have planned, each to do list, my lists of everything.".

This is her tool to write in and record parts of her life ... is that not what a journal does?

The lesson for today? There is no need to start your journal pages with a date and "dear Diary ..." There is only a need to make it work for you ....

Day Dreaming is Hard Work!

Day dreaming is hard work. Don't let anyone tell you any different - please.

I feel strongly that we spread the word ... that the whole world learns to understand that for writers, journallers, and generally all creative types, day dreaming is hard work and an essential daily activity.

Think about it. Just a little. If the great inventors, writers and philosophers didn't sit under trees, look out to sea or even stare in to open space ... would we have a theory of gravity, so many fantastic novels, electricity or microwave ovens? I think not.

Day dreaming is the process of free thinking. A process which clears your mind of barriers and 'why not's' and re-fills your mind again with a perfect world and sometimes, just sometimes, the solution to how to achieve the perfect world.

Day dreamers unite. We need global action to promote our worthy cause.

Look Good Online

Hey we all want to look good right?

Well one kind blogger (who wants to remain anonymous) has been following the "who reads your journal" theme this month, and told me about new recruitment practices where a recruiter will check out applicants profiles on line and use this information to determine their employability!

As an HR professional I find this a little sneaky ... after all we all have private lives which we are allowed to keep from potential employers because in most developed countries there are strict privacy laws which prohibit using personal information on applicants UNLESS they have provided it. And we are all allowed to have a life out of work, that doesn't determine our professional standing ... but then I am often a little naive ...

Now I am the first one to suggest not using your hotmail or gmail email address on your resume if it is something like poledancer@bmail.com ... but it looks like you need to do more than that these days ...

But wait ... there's help!

You can improve your on line image by taking some of the advice in this article ... phew!

When People Read Your Personal Journal...

When people read your personal journal ...what are they learning about you anyway?

The theme this past couple of weeks has been the concept/issue of people reading your private journal. For bloggers, we face this every time we post an entry. You can tell the people who have had their share of nutters leaving strange comments or sending emails because they are either very guarded or sometimes they even just say things like "nutters need not comment" when they say something they know readers will react to.

So the blogosphere already deals with the issue of reduced privacy. And of course you never know who is reading you on here ... we have seen bloggin friends sacked for their blogging, disowned by family and friends ... the list goes on. Same rule applies to both blogs and more traditional journals though I reckon ... if you read it ... you take it on yourself to accept what you read. If you don't like it. Don't read it. Easy really.

But what about someone reading your personal thoughts you had written only for you ....? Well once again people who do that are really not nice people in my book. HOWEVER should they read your journal. Smae rule applies. You take what you read. It is like being able to read people's thoughts. Do you REALLY want to know what people think ... honestly ... all the time...

Personally? I prefer to think I am practically perfect in everyway ... and NOT know what people think ... unless I choose to ask. And asking is by far the best way to find out what someone thinks about you or anything else. Reading diaries and journals is a waste of time ...

And if you read mine? Remember I am a writer and I write as much ficiton in my journal as the truth! HA! That'll confuse you!

Are Journals Really Private?

Ok ok ok. I get it. This theme is obviously hitting a spot with many readers.

I have had emails from people who are sure the FBI is watching them via their personal diary blog. Other emails from people assuming I asked the question about reading diaries because they thought I was promoting it as an activity. Emails from people with stories about reading journals or having their journals read.

One would be forgiven for thinking that reading of personal journals is an epidemic.

I don't like that.

Personal blogs are one thing. If you put it on the 'net it's fair game. And we are all learning that employers, family, the media, the law enforcement agencies will all use what you write to hold it against you if you are being a naughty blogger. We don't need warning for that.

However. As one person commenting on the last post questioned ... do you ever really 'accidentally' come across someone's journal?

So unless someone choose to share it with you ... do you think we could all just keep our curiosity to ourselves? Or is that asking too much?

Reading Other People's Journals

Some questions to ponder ...

Is there ever a time when it is appropriate ... or 'ok' to read someone else's journal?

Would you ever read a journal you came across by accident? In any circumstance?

What would intrigue you about someone else's journal?

Do you mind other people reading your journal?

Should a journal be secret at all costs ... even if reading it might uncover information which would assist another person?

Be honest here ... comment anonymously if you like ...

How much of a voyeur are you? Are there times and cicumstances where that is ok?

Pens & Stuff!

I figured it was time for more news from the surveys!

So many people responded about the tools they used to write their journals and blogs with.

Journal writers sometimes said they just used whatever pen was available ... but many people responded as much about what pen or other tools they used to write their journal as they did regarding what kind of journal or blank book they wrote in.

I've raved on about my purple pen obsession before on this blog so I will save you the rant and rave, but in doing this research I discovered that I wasn't the only one. Some people had specific pens for their journal only. Others used coloured pens, pencils and yes, crayons. One journaller told me all about the special ink pen from their grandfather that was used for their journalling - which meant the paper in the blank books they bought had to be able to take ink from a fountain pen.

Bloggers had their obsessions too. Like only blogging on certain computers - a few people said they would never blog on a public computer unless they really had to. Others talked about trying out blogging from their mobiles and hating the experience.

Daily habits are fun to learn about ... it really is a little peek in to the way we all make our ordinary days extroidinary.

I might go buy a new purple pen today ... just coz I can!

Back To Basics

The New Century Notebook Blog Reverts To Basics!

After an enforced break due to blogger beta problems ... I've had some time to review the whole reason for the being of this blog. To paraphrase some stuff Paul has been writing about ..."the unexamined blog is not worth blogging about"!

This blog started as a way of experienceing blogging ... which I was really new to. Why did I want to experience a new addiction you might ask? Well it is all related to the research I am doing on journal writing and blogging ... all of which will be turned in to a book by the same name as this blog over the Australian Summer 2006-2007.

You can join this research by sending me a response to my blogging and journal writing survey in an old post ... right here ... This is getting to be just about your last chance to contribute now ... The research is going really well and I am learning so much about how OTHER people write their journals and blogs. I love hearing about it so please send me your ideas!

This blog has also been a source of information about journals and blogging in the past ... I am getting a clear message to continue this (and not just from Uni students of mine!).

In between? There is the occassional mad rant and rave about life in the writer's world. There is a need to rant somewhere!

In fact blogging and ranting kind of go hand-in-hand don't you think?

The Marking of Student Journals ...

For non students in the blog community, please be patient with me while I do one more entry on journals for students. Due to the lack of entries while blogger was down I feel a little behind and sincerely want to make sure my own students get some more hints and ideas ... after all I read their journals every week ... it is only fair they get an insight in to something about me in return ...

a) Yes - it is a privlege to mark student papers at the best of times ... but it is especially a privleged position to makr journals.
b) Yes - it does affect how you teach the unit. Over years of marking journals for the same unit, it has helped me to evaluate my own progress.
c) Yes - I keep a 'teaching journal' to assist me along with the unit too ... it works for me. In the end, what works for me improves the student experience (I hope!).
d) Yes - I know that writing a journal and having someone mark it is a difficult task. It can make you feel vulnerable. I also know that for many students, writing a journal is about par with going to the dentist. I also know some students love it. Most rewarding? Are the students who tell me (sometimes years later) that they now keep a regular journal.
e) Yes - Sometimes when you write something down in your journal it will affect how you feel about it. That might be a positive thing. That might be a negative thing. It is, at the very least, an adventure. See it for the adventure it is ... not therapy. Therapy is what you do with a therapist.
f) No - I don't subscribe to writing anything you don't want to disclose. The journal exercise gives you total control over what you want to include. Keep the power with you.

Remember ... you are only being marked on your ability to reflect and demonstrate applied knowledge and learning. You are not being marked on your opinion.

Erotica Authors Association

For those of you trying your hand at writing Erotica, or even if you are just writing some steamy scenes in your creative writing (or journals!), do stop by the Erotica Authors Association web site. It is full of useful links and resources. If you are looking for some new titles to read you can access exclusive offers there too.

I've just started reviewing books for the Association and completed my inaugural author's interview for the Association... an interview with a really interesting couple who are aithors & experts on Tantric Sexuality (Mark Michaels and Patricia Johnson).

You don't have to become a member to use this site ... so once again another useful free resource to help with writing ...

Student Journals - Presentation

So sorry about the lack of entries guys! As you know blogger was giving me a hard time. I thopught students deserved the first real entry back ...

Journal presentation ... this is an issue often raised, but with no easy answer other than "Check with the lecturer invovled". Referencing, whether you can hand in a blank book you have been writing in instead of a word processed doc etc are all real questions. I have students in my Interpersonal Skills class who do some really creative stuff with their journals to get their point across. I absolutely love this ... but some lecturers (even for the same subject) might not. So always ask. We're a funny bunch of people us lecturers. Never assume we will all want the same thing.

You know those quasi journals ... the ones that are really mini assignments. They should look like any normal assignment in presentation. Be careful of those "journal" assignments that are really a reading log or similar assignment and thus no different that many other assignments in terms of presentation and use of the first person etc etc ...

ASK. It is rare that a lecturer is found biting a student for asking questions!!!!

Welcome Me Back!

I'm Back!

You would not believe me if I told you I had won lotto and given up writing would you?

What actually happened is that I was silly enough to say YES to the Blogger Beta trial and as a consequence I was not able to access my blog in any way, shape or form for a few weeks.

How irriated was I?

Hmmm ... so irritated that during the summer break I will be going to wordpress I think and linking this blog to my web page ... but until then I have much work to do!

So what did I learn from this experience? (Don't forget I see every single thing that happens to me as fodder for one of my writing projects!!!). I learnt that a paper based journal never fails to be ther for you! I learnt not to trust blogger/goggle. I learnt that when I am not blogging I get a lot of OTHER things done!!!

For now I am pleased to be back and will get on with the old blogging network with great excitement! (I will try and see if I can publish the many comments waiting to be ok'd!)

A Walk In The Sun ...

Dear Diary ...

There is nothing like a wander in the sun on a winter's day ... It clears the heart, creates a creative space for your soul, and gives your writing a great boost.

Perth winter's are remarkably mild ... and days like today are many.

Kind of a blessing really.

I'm taking the rest of the day off to write. It's what I do best.

SO ... when do we get protective over what we write?

Copy right and owning ideas has been a bit of a theme around me this last couple of weeks ...

I really believe that what we write doesn't belong to any of us in particular. As soon as you write it, people read it and will make of it what they will in a way that works (or not!) for them.

I do think that those of us trying to make a living out of writing have the right to protect our works though ...

So where does that really leave my opinion.

I'm confused.

Past Journal Entry

When you are busy with working ... there is nothing like day dreaming about being on holidays having a break ...

When I looked back at an old journal, I found exactly that feeling ... (2001)

"I feel like I am really on holidays this week and it's great. No plans, sleeping in, afternoon naps reading, and just going around and doing what I feel like. It could be seen by some to be a boring holiday. But it's just what my soul needs."

And it didn't get any more exciting obviously as this is what I said just a few days later ... (I was at the end of a really hard working year and was Managing an organisation in the middle of a lot of change!)

"I'm still really enjoying being on holidays. Taking it a day at a time. Lying in in the mornings. Having time to do a few things around the place. Spending time on my own and with others."

And just because I thought I was slow at learning how to be on holidays ... a few days later I write ...

"I feel like I am finally getting the idea of how to be on holidays! I'm enjoying a clean house, lying in, time on my own, time with friends, doing what I want"

You know what? From reading this I think all I need to do is sleep in and I will get that holiday feeling back again!!!!

Reading it back ...

Anji had a great idea for her blog today ... reading an old diary entry (or two) and mentioning them on her blog ... but then again Anji Patchwork often has brainwaves! I'll copy later in the week when I have more time .... *sigh*

What's it like to mark journals?

This was an intersting question posed by one of my University students today ... For someone who loves journalling, is researching journal writing and writing a book about journals and blogs you would think that I had perhaps considered this question before now wouldn't you? Well I hadn't really ... and I have been pondering it since I was asked this morning.

What came out of my mouth when I was answering was ...

"I feel so privleged"

... and nothing could be truer. It is really a privlege to get to know your students more individually through what the express in their journals ... it gives you a better chance of getting your teaching content just right for that particular class too.

Most of all, journal reading when students grow throughout the semester is incredibly rewarding. And I learn so much through reading them too.

I DO find it difficult to allocate a mark to them. I have no trouble scribbling all over them with comments, and sometimes have to stop myself - it is just that they are always so interesting. But when it comes to quantifying a mark ... one someone's JOURNAL? I do struggle with that, and always refer back to the guidelines from the beginning of semester when I want to give everyone 100% just for tacking the whole exercise!

I know for myself, when I included my personal journal excerpts in my thesis ... I was a little scared of showing these to my academic supervisors ...but they modelled it well for me .. they stayed reasonably objective about the things I raised in my journal, guided me softly and showed intense respect ... so I had good teachers myself I suppose...

It is a task I do with great respect for each student ... and by the end of the semester it is usually with great pride too ... but don't tell them I said that ... they'll think I'm really a softie ...

Student Journals - Linking to What You Are Reading

Unless you are writing a totally creative journal for your assessment, there will be a requirement to reflect on what you are reading.

In fact, quite often what is called a journal is actually a reading log. So once again, make sure you know what your lecturer is after.

So how do you link to what you are reading? If you are having problems, start with giving an honest opinion of a chapter or reading. How did you react to it? What do you think caused that reaction in you (both about yourself and the reading).

Link your feelings and experience to any set readings for the subject you are studying. And then go a step further. Compare this to how you feel about other items you have read as well. (Unless your guidelines tell you differently of course!)

Do they agree with each other? Do you feel differently about each article? Why is this?

Once again always link back to the topic at hand, what you are reading and your own epxerience and thoughts on it. And with regard to full referencing in a journal? Check with your lecturer.

Hope your semester is going well.