The Journal - Character Bible

The Journal

Journal Keeping for the Creative Writer

The Emotions Journal

This is a notebook to carry around, and whenever you are feeling a strong emotion - whether it be sad, happy, angry, bitter, depressed, confused, amazed - write very descriptively about how you are feeling. Write words or images that come into your mind as you are feeling this way. Write as much as you can and be as detailed as you can.

Make sure you title your entry with the name of the appropriate emotion you're feeling at the time.

This journal serves two purposes: the first is purely therapeutic - writing about how you're feeling will put things into perspective, and make you feel a bit better when you're upset.

The second purpose of this journal is purely literary.

The emotions journal will provide you with a collection of descriptions to draw upon for inspiration when writing: especially when you're blocked.

The descriptions in your journal may remind you of how you felt when you wrote the entry, allowing you to use these memories for whatever you're writing.

For example, if you're writing a fighting scene and can't quite find the right words to display the anger in the atmosphere, you can look in your emotions journal under any "angry" entries for ideas and inspiration.

Through your Character Bible (see last issue's Journal) you've developed very real characters. With the Emotions Journal, you can bring these characters to life, making them feel, and making your readers feel along with them.