{writer's notebook} journaling giveaway!!!

I'm a sucker for idea books. Love love love them -- love flipping through them, love seeing them on my bookshelves, love seeing all the gorgeous ideas, love the feeling of inspiration that always fills me after I look at one. I'm guessing that some of you may share this addiction. If so, then today's blog post is going to make you all very happy!

(photo from Michele's blog)

Michele Skinner, an '07 Memory Makers Master, was kind enough to donate a copy of her new book, Your Words, Your Story: Add Meaningful Journaling to Your Layouts to us for a blog giveaway. Michele has a true talent for authentic, honest journaling, and the book is full of great prompts and journaling tips. It's also filled with some gorgeous layouts from a great group of contributors -- all in all, it's something you don't want to miss!

Here's what you have to do to win. Since {writer's notebook} is about journaling, we want to hear YOUR best tips for journaling on your layouts. Maybe it's a prompt that never fails to motivate you, or a technique that you've found to be especially helpful, or an idea for including more journaling on your layouts. Whatever it is, share it with us! We've seen your talent in the galleries and read your stories -- we know you've got great ideas when it comes to journaling, so we want to hear them. Post your journaling tip (and your email address) in the comments section by 12:00 EST on Wednesday, 11/26/08, and we'll choose one random winner to receive a copy of Michele's new book!

Don't forget to check out this week's Book Fair too -- Kathryn has created such a fun holiday kit for us!

Comments

[Tamara]

Always write the feelings of the moments. Journalling is always bought to life for me when the feelings are recorded. This is where list writing is vital to me. Second thing for me is to take photos. They help the list making process.

[Nicole]

I write the way I speak. I pretend that I am telling the story to someone else and then just write it down the way I would say it - no fancy words or concern for grammar. I'm not sure how it reads to others, but when I go back and read my own journaling I feel like I am hearing a story from an old friend and it transports me back to the moment.

[Dawn]

I journal like I a speaking to my kids. It had a hard time adding journaling until I started pretending I was telling my adult children about the pictures. It has really helped!

[ann]

I usually keep a scrapbook when I travel. I like to take scraps from the day and write then. For example, using the hotel's stationary or postcards to review the day. I also like to interview my husband at a restaurant and use a napkin or receipt or business card to write his answers.

[lynn judge]

I usually have a small notebook that i keep so i can write in while things are still fresh in my mind!! It really makes it easier to scrap the pictures when i get them.

[Trace Geworsky]

That would be an amazing book. I took a class with Michele last October, and she was wonderful.
When I journal on a project, I write as if I were speaking to my son....basic and heartfelt.

[Becky]

I do lots of different things that inspire my journaling and am learning even more effective ways in Listmania (thanks, Aud!), but I am always wanting to communicate the emotions of the moment or the day that the picture represents....once a moment is gone, it can never be redone....I am starting a journal that I can write down thoughts in that can then be used for my journaling!

[Melinda]

Often times I put photos up on my blog for family to see before I have a chance to scrap them. When I find the time to scrap them, I go back to my blog entries and use the descriptions of the events and places as a starting point for the journaling on my layout.

[raeclevett]

I used to have a hard time journaling but what has made it easier for me lately has been to look at the photo and think about what emotion/memory of that photo will I want to be reminded of 5,10 or 20 yrs from now that I probably wouldn't remember otherwise. That has helped me to remember to add in things like what I liked, didn't like that day, what made me laugh, what I found strange, what happened previously to the photo, etc along with the pertinent facts of the moment.

[denali]

I use the same trick as many others here: I write what I would say if I were explaining the page to a friend. I've even gone back to re-journal when I find I'm having to explain more even WITH journaling. There is such a thing as too personal, though, so sometimes I carefully & creatively edit ;)

[zalaine]

Song lyrics - sometimes I have my photo and I start crusing my music library or ITunes to go with the picture. When you have those two elements, the layout takes on a life of it own and I am just along for the ride.

[Lynnette]

When I am stuck I just make a list... a list usually includes what we did/where we were/how we felt/what we saw/when we did it, etc. I really love the loose and carefree feeling it creates on my page.

[Leslie]

I'm awful at journaling and really need this book to help me find my voice!

Leslie

[Amber Herron]

I blog a lot of the things that end up being layouts eventually, so I often go back to my blog to find the exact date and copy and paste some of my writing for the journaling on my page. I occasionally will find a song that expresses exactly what I want to say and will use lyrics for my journaling. Most of my pages however, I think through what I want to say to my son that he can read back years later and what comes out is what goes on the page!

[Margaret]

I ask for help. My kids have younger minds and remember more of the details so I ask them what they remember about the specific photo that I'm scrapping. Sometimes I will just use a quote to capture the "feeling" of a photo and not necessarily tell a story. What a lot of people don't know is that a story can be told in many different ways and that's why they get hung up!

[Gabi]

In the past I had problems writing on my pages(well, I didn't know exactly what to write and how to put my words on paper, was shy and afraid about the grammar) but by the time I've learned that the journaling is very important to me and if I don't include it on my page, there is something missing.
I usually put my thoughts and feelings about the photo on my page - it is a story I'm telling to the person who is the page - what, when, why etc. So in few years when my kids or me or anybody from my family/friends will take a book with my pages into her/his hands, will know that each photo has its own story and we will remember all those moments forever.
I would like to say thank you to Audrey for her List mania class. This class really makes me look at a lot of things differently :).

Thank you also for the change to get this gorgeous book!

Gabi (garynka at gmail dot com)

[Stephanie]

I always write my journaling into a Word document before I do the actual layout. This way I can think about what I want to say before I get caught up on the whole artistic side of things. I also know how much space I need to leave within the document, too. And spell checking is important for me. ;)

[Amy]

I make it a priority to journal on 90% of my pages which helps to ensure that I'll get the words onto the page. I try to always focus on not only the basics (who, what, where, etc) but also the feelings behind the photos. I often just write and write and write to get it out & then go back and edit to tell the story I'm looking to tell. My best journaling advice - JUST DO IT!

[Kathy]

I need journaling help. I often use a poem, quote, or song lyrics to get me started.

[Kristen]

Keeping a blog has really helped me find my voice as a writer, the daily discipline of writing and it is a wonderful way of keeping track of all those scrap moments.

[Annelies]

I mostly scrap vacation pictures and because I'm way behind with that, I keep a diary during every vacation so I can't forget what happened. I must admit I often just write down the facts and forget special feelings or sentiments. So a book with some tips would be very welcome. Thanks for a chance to win! Greetings from Belgium, Annelies

[Michelle]

Like many others here, I try to journal like I'm explaining something to my kids. I've got quite an age gap with my children, and I've learned from past mistakes when looking thru pages I scrapped 10-13 years ago. I don't want to make the same ones with my present pages, so I try to make it a point to journal conversationally with some detail.

[Vianna]

I always answer the Who, What, when, where, why and sometimes the how question, because when looking at photos taken 50 years ago, this is most important. You can make the process simple or elaborate, as time permits. I also believe in keeping a "personal" scrapbook (or diary) for the feelings as some things are best left private.
To become a better writer, I suggest taking one or more creative writing classes at your local junior college--you'll gain invaluable knowledge.

[Karin]

I too make sure to include the who,what,where and when. But taking inspiration from Rebecca Sower, I also try to talk about what the event,occasion,person means to me. Or the funny story or things said. I usually "talk" in my journaling but sometimes I get grammatics wrong. I don't worry about it too much, as long as I get it on paper

[vanessa]

I really want to capture how my kids are today (5, 3 years and 5 months) So sometimes, i just try to get into their heads, and journal all about their strangest or cutest little behaviour! I describe the games they love to play and the funny things they say! I always think that when they will be older, they would love to hear how they were as a kid!!!