Weekly Diary Quote ...

"The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another"

James Barrie (1860-1937). Author of Peter Pan ....

Another Movie Journal!

Sometimes you take a chance when you watch a DVD ... you never know if the movie will be any good or not ... and if you're me and into researching journals and journal use you never know if there will be a journal in the movie or not!

We watched Turistas on the weekend. Bad choice. Horror movie, pretty poor all around. HOWEVER all was not lost! This John Stockwell horror is about a group of tourists stranded in Brazil after a rickety bus with a rough driver wipes out their transportation on a cliff ...

I'm not here to tell you about the movie ... but about one of the characters ... and the journal of course. One character is writing in her travel journal. It appeared to have some pics and well as small amounts of writing in it. She was working on it when the bus crashed ... everyone turned over again and again .... and she got out of the crashed vehicle, totally overturned ... and next shot she had her journal in her hand again! Terrible editing, but I was pleased to see the journal survived ... I saw little point to the journal in the movie so was surprised at the billing it got in terms of air time. But pleased nonetheless of course.

Ahhhhh travel journals. One of the original types of journals kept ...

A Summer Journal

The Christmas season is upon us ... and here in Australia it is also the beginning of long days, warm days and nights, and thoughts of the coming long summer break. Even for those who don't take a long holiday during summer, there is a sense of holiday in the air even in the busiest of workplaces as soon as December hits ...

December 1st marks the beginning of summer. For a few years in a row, a dear friend and I kept a summer journal. We would meet on Dec 1 (the first time was at a gorgeous cafe in Northbridge, whose name escapes me, but whose Strawberry Shortcake I still lust after). An entry would be made on the 1st and we would set some summer goals - usually ones about enjoying ourselves over summer.

We would then take turns having the journal and writing in it. There was hardly more than a dozen entries each summer ... but we did this for years. And then each Dec 1 became even more fun as we re-read past entries, and had a laugh or two before setting more summer goals.

I can't remember when we stopped doing this. But I do know she still has it in a box of goodies somewhere ... and I might just suggest we pull it out again this summer ...even if just to read ...

Writing with a friend you love and trust with your summer secrets, is one of life's really special memories ...

Diary Quote for the Week!

In Hollywood now when people die they don't say, 'Did he leave a will?' but 'Did he leave a diary?'

Liza Minnelli

To Do List Vs Journal

Journals take many forms ... and one is the notebook full of to do lists. Always a fun way to record part of your life, while also being useful. There is a To Do List blog (recently published as a book ... congrats!) .... worth a visit for to do listers!

Journal Writing Conference

For those of you in North America (or planning a trip next June) there is a Journal Conference coming up ... special topic writing to heal ... check it out here! (And if you go you must tell me about it!).

Diary Quotes

I'm searching for quotes about diary and journal writing ... will share some here ... (do send me some if you know any). Can't help but start with good old Oscar Wilde ...

"I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train. " Oscar Wilde

Beach Journal ...

Bought the perfect journal for beachy summer journalling ... the shells are real ... the string is string! :-) Love it.

Student Journals

I 'fessed up to my student group today! I am marking papers from the lecturing I have been doing this semester and left some of the best till last! The student journals. I confessed to them that I love reading them - and had told them this in the first workshop 12 weeks ago ... I've been honest. It is such a privledge to read their musings, hear about their growth, and see all the things they experience and learn. Better still they are only a PASS or FAIL. I can't hack it when journals for tertiary students are given a GRADE. Defeats the whole purpose ...

Journals in Movies

Why would you use a journal to create the back story in a film? There are so many techniques at hand to make back story connections ... but the journal brings a sense of privacy, hiding information, personal troubles and feelings with it.

I watched Lady in The Water last night and the main character Cleveland Heep is a janitor. While he is central to the entire story, it isn't until another character finds (and reads!!!!) his journal that we find out about his past... and perhaps help to explain a little of his life as it appears in the film.

While I would never condone the reading of another's journal ... it's use in the film provides back story while at the same time showing us a little of the pain that the main character has in his life.

Good old journals!

Beach House Journal

Here's an idea I have been trialling for the novel I'm writing ...

I have been writing the journal of the main character. Not that it will appear in the end novel (well I don't think it will) ... It's purpose is to really get into the head of the main character and include descriptions of the beach house where most of the story is set.

Apart from being fun it is useful in many ways. I suspect its possibly a good writer's exercise as well ...

Guilt Journals

Journals suck you in. A set of blank pages, ready to be scribbled on with witty rantings can set off a whole new set of responsibilities in your life. Bloggers seem to suffer from the same fate.

Just because you CAN write every day, doesn't mean you HAVE to. Even when you use a dated journal ... who said you have to fill every page?

Yet so often in the journals (and blogs) I have been reviewing people apologise for not writing regularly ... or after a long break. So what?

I don't know about others ... but I have enough REAL deadlines to deal with, without feeling guilty about taking a break from writing a journal/blog/diary ...

So here ... have a day off!

Book Month and Book Crossing

October is Book Month ... time to make a new commitment to setting books free.

I'm sorting my office this month coz we are getting new carpet ... which means I have to move my entire library! Sooooooooooo to make it a more positive experience I have downloaded a page of ten tags and will release 10 books!

If you don't know about Book Crossing .... then the time to check it out is now!

Tomorrow morning I set one free up at the uni and see if one of my students gets it ...

Reflective Journals - one for the students

I know I am a journal writing purist when I get cranky about student assignments being set as journals ... and then the students are told exactly how they are to keep this journal, what to write, how to set it out! Worse still ... it is given a mark. Ouch.

I also know I am a realist.

Assignments must be graded in the big bad world of tertiary study and journals are a useful tool for students to learn for reflection - either in study or for their future professional lives.

Having waxed lyrical ... here is a useful article on line about writing a reflective journal.

I'll talk more about grading these in a future blog entry ....

Final Sense

Big thanks to Final Sense for the new Template.

No thanks to Blogger for loosing my last one and not replying to my request for assistance!

If you are looking for a new Blogger Template pop by to Final Sense ... they have 100s of lovely ones to share.

Writing Habits

Some of my writing habits have really taken a beaten. Blame getting married and having a great honeymoon, blame taking on more 'other' work than was conducive for writing, blame procrastination. Doesn't really matter what I blame ... they've taken a beating.

Every writer knows the key is to write daily, edit yourself harshly, live creatively and curiously, and read read read ...

I have been doing all this. Just not as much as I possibly could have. So the holiday is really over ha ha!

I've still had some nice pieces in magazines like Flourish and Perth Today tho ... but some of my bigger projects that are just for me have taken the beating ... No more I say. No more!

Oh and I'm back in blog land too!!! (While I was away the blogger fairies stole my template and everything in it ... so excuse the randomness of my new template!).

Flourish in Spring!

Spring Has Sprung .... Where have I been?

Blogging just took a little back seat for awhile tis all!

(While I was away the blogger fairies stole my template and everything in it ... so excuse the randomness of my new template!).

This month I've had some nice pieces published in magazines like Flourish and Perth Today ...

Check them out ... Flourish is really setting some great new standards in women's magazines in Australia - lots of encouraging and uplifting articles and less celebrity gossip ... so much to read in each edition and not all full of ads.

The Holiday Is Over

Well the holiday is well and truly over ... and testimony to that is the lack of action my blog! No I haven't given up ... just catchin' up.

For regular readers ... here is a pic which integrates both my holiday and past postings ... I had the pleasure of having cuddle with Elmo at Sea World on the Gold Coast here in Australia while we were away. regular readers will know that Elmo is rather important to me ... see previous blog entries with his picture!

We did it!

What does one say about eloping?

(Photo courtesy of Ferrettography)

We had the perfect setting and day - Queensland turned on the sunshine and blue skies, the resort provided a perfect backdrop, our celebrant provided an intimate service for exchanging vows and rings, and our visual historian photographer gave us momento shots and a fun morning of picture taking.

I really just want to thank Stuart for the privilege of being his wife ....

The pictures are the closest I could ever get to recording the event ... words don't cut it ...

Eloping to the Gold Coast

We're off for now ... I reckon this is a good enough reason not to be blogging for awhile!

(Yes I'm taking TWO journals with me!)