Six Ideas for Starting a New Writer's Journal

Writers must write in order to continue improving their craft, so when you don't have an assignment or project on which to work, a journal is your next best bet. I'm not talking about the "Dear Diary" days from your childhood; a writer's journal is a tool with which you can find weaknesses in your writing and improve upon them.

Starting a new writer's journal is a great idea, but where do you begin? What type of journal do you start and how do you stay motivated to write in it on a regular basis? Writer's journals are not very complex, but you might want to come up with a "theme" to keep yourself motivated.

Travel Journal

If you enjoy traveling and you do it often, a travel journal might be the best new writer's journal to begin. A travel journal can be anything you want, but it should chronicle your movements when you go someplace new. You don't have to travel to Paris or Guam or Cancun for a travel journal to be effective; a trip to the next town can inspire great writings.

Word Meditations

A writer must be in tune with his or her surroundings, so word meditations might be a great way to start a new writer's journal. Word meditations are easy and don't involve long writings every day, so you won't be intimidated by the task. Choose one or two words every day and write five descriptive paragraphs about each. The type of word doesn't matter -- "elephant" works just as well as "pipe" -- but start learning to hone your descriptive techniques.

Letter Journal

I don't know about you, but I've written hundreds of letters in the past that were never mailed, either because I didn't really want to disclose the thoughts therein or because I didn't know who I should send them to. If you're wanting to start a new writer's journal, how about writing letters? You can write a note to your high school teacher or to an old significant other or the owner of a business that made you angry.

Weather Journal