Journaling

How important is journaling to a writer? To anyone? For anyone who wants to examine themselves and their lives I believe it's vital. It gets things out, onto the page and the writer begins a never ending journey of self-discovery and personal indulgence. Journals are a forgiving medium. They are not to be edited, critiqued, or much of the time, even seen by anyone other than the author. I've tried to keep journals in the past but got tired of the trite writing prompts like, "Write about a bed," or "Lunch." These can be good jumping off points for fiction, but if you are interested in plumbing the depths of your own soul, try Journalution by Sandy Grayson. It's a journal guide and self-help book all in one. What comes out on the page may not be pretty, may hurt like hell, but it will be the truth and it will be you.