What does being a Writer mean to you?

What does being a Writer mean to you?

BLOG SESSION

April 22nd, 2018

Welcome back Writers!  Today's Blog Session is just for you specifically.

Grab your Journal, because what we will talk about today will be something that you will need for the writing that you will be doing in the years ahead ~ mainly because that is who you are -- a Writer.

Journal Notes

As you take a moment to think about what it is that you truly want to write about, you will no doubt come up with a subject matter that is close to your heart.  Whatever that subject matter is, please take a moment to write it down in your Journal.  You may have several areas of interest that are close to your heart -- if so, please write all of those areas down in your Journal.

The subject matters that you cherish connect with certain genres.  If you already know what those genres are, also write them down in your Journal.  If you are unsure about the genres that tie into your area of writing interest, take the time to do your research on Literary Genres.  Here is a good place for you to start when it comes to research on Genres...

LITERARY GENRES LINK:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_writing_genres 

You'll find many other places online where you can learn more about all of the Literary Genres.  Don't forget to list the links in your Journal that you use to do your research.  You'll do doubt refer back to those links from time to time.

Doing your Research

Doing your research will help you to answer the question that this Session is about:  What does being a Writer mean to you?

Being a Writer branches off into many different areas.  You may be interested in writing Novels.  There are a host of genres that cover Novels.  Be sure to research the genre(s) that you are interested in.

You may be interested in becoming a Script Writer.  If so, Script Writing is an area that calls for specific research on the proper format to use for writing Scripts.

Another area that many writers are interested in is Memoirs.  You could be a Writer who has had a dream to write a Memoir.  A Memoir is a historical account or Biography written from personal knowledge or special sources.

If a Memoir is an area in which you are interested in, please take time to read some of the Best Selling Memoirs such as:

1)  The Diary of Anne Frank (The Diary of a Young Girl)

2)  Barbara Bush:  A Memoir

3)  A Higher Loyalty:  Truth, Lies, and Leadership by James Comey

Biographies and Autobiographies

The key way in which Biographies and Autobiographies differ is in their Author.  A Biography is written about a person by someone else, while an Autobiography is written about a person by that person.

It should be noted in your Journal that both Biographies and Autobiographies provide essential information about their subject.

Documentary

You may be interested in writing a Documentary.  A Documentary is a movie, television, or radio program that provides a factual record or report.

You may want to check out the following link if you are interested in writing a Documentary...

TOP DOCUMENTARY FILMS

Searching your soul, and doing your research will help you to answer our question posed for today ~ What does being a Writer mean to you?

We'll see you in our next Blog Session Writer!

OUR NEXT BLOG SESSION:

About Poetry

Peace, Love & Light

By René Allen

©Copyright - René Allen - 2014-2018 - All Rights Reserved

Come ye Artists and let's make a Diary!

Come ye Artists

and let's make a Diary!

BLOG SESSION

August 11th, 2017

Good Morning all you fabulous Artists!

We are back today to continue our discussion about the Diary for the Artist.  No matter what your walk of life, inside of you is the most fabulous Artist you've ever met.

If you were here for our last Blog Session, then you should have plenty of Journal notes about how you can get started creating and maintaining your Diary.  We also listed several disciplines in the line of artistry to give you a conceptual idea of what exactly constitutes an "Artist".

Now is the time to grab your Journal as we always do to take notes for today's Blog Session...

Artistic Journal

Remember, a Diary is another place to let your artistic talent show forth.  In our last Blog Session we displayed some Diaries from a couple of famous Artists, Leonardo da Vinci and Frida Kahlo.  We even showed you a couple of pages from Actress Marilyn Monroe's Diary.  The last question that was asked for you to think about was . . .

How will your Diary look?

Many famous Artists have kept Journals, Diaries, Notebooks, Notepads and/or Sketchbooks — for many Artists, it is a creative necessity, for others, a place for exploration, and for some an art form in and of itself.

As many already know, Diaries, Journals, Sketchbooks, Notebooks and Notepads are all interchangeable.  It depends on what you'd like to use any of those mediums for with your artistic talents in mind.

Artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944) once stated, “Just as Da Vinci studied the recesses of the human body and dissected cadavers, I try to dissect souls” (Tojner, 2003, flyleaf). Munch used his visual journals to further develop ideas he had worked on in his younger years.  For Munch, visual journaling was also the process of recording questions and daily observations, as well as a starting point for ideas and sketches that would later become paintings.

Edvard Munch

"The Scream"

Tempera and Crayon on Artboard

1893

Sketchbook Visual Journal Page

Edvard Munch

"Untitled"

Approximately 1900

Edvard Munch

"Despair"

Sketchbook Visual Journal

Approximately 1893

As an Artist, your Diary is about getting to know more about the desires of your soul.  Your mission with your Diary is totally up to you, but if you keep your focus on really zoning in on what your "calling" in life is, then undoubtedly, your artistic talents (especially if you have many of them), will surface and come to life in your daily Diary entries.

Artist Eric Fischl (1948- present) described visual journaling as an adventurous, shrewd, alert and relentless process where there are no rules.  Fischl co-authored a book entitled "Sketchbook with Voices", which provides glimpses into the complex workings of the creative mind while examining visual journaling as a potential key to the art-making process.  For Fischl, the visual journaling process began in the sketchbook, but eventually grew into large-format visual journals created as glassine drawings.

The Visual Journaling process can take place inside a Diary, Journal, Notebook, Notepad, or Sketchbook.  Take a look at some of the pages depicting the visual journaling process of Artist Eric Fischl . . .

Eric Fischl

"Study for the Sheer Weight of History"

Oil on Mylar - Three Panels

1982

Eric Fischl

"The Sheer Weight of History"

Oil on Linen

1982

Eric Fischl

"Woman in Bath"

Oil on Glassine ~ Two Panels ~ 49" x 67"

1980

Each of these Artists was from different generations and exemplified different aesthetic viewpoints, but possessed similar contextual approaches to visual journaling.

Your Diary

The style of your Diary is totally up to you of course, but if you like sketching, painting or drawing in addition to writing your Diary entries, then you should make sure that your Diary will accommodate your artistic visuals.

We have so much to talk about when it comes to creating a Diary that will be both intriguing and edifying for you.  The goal here on the Blog in our Sessions is to help you to discover the benefits of keeping a daily Diary.  Knowing that there is a very talented Artist inside of you, then you will be pleased to come back here for our next Blog Session this afternoon wherein we will be discussing . . .

The Decorative Diary

of 

The Artist

Friends, Diary Writers and Artists, See you back here for our next exciting Blog Session! ~

Until then . . .

Peace, Love & Light,

By René Allen

© Copyright - René Allen - 2014 - 2017 - All Rights Reserved

Did you read your Journal this morning?

Did you read your Journal this morning?

BLOG SESSION

July 31st, 2017

Good Morning Journalers ~ If you were here for our last Blog Session, then you were able to relax and write what came out of your spirit after your relaxation time last night in your Journal.

Your Decorated Journal

As you looked at your Journal this morning, what did you think of your Writing or Artwork that you created?  If you are surprised by what you created ~ Good!  Journaling should be a daily exercise for you if you are a Writer or an Artist.  Journaling helps to keep your creative juices active and flowing.  You'll find it much easier to write if you continue your Journaling.

For those of you following along, you should never underestimate the power of writing in a Dairy as well.  You can use your Diary for your personal reflections.  Using a Diary will help you to understand your thinking.

Diary Reflections

Do make notes in your Journal today about some of the things you can write about in your Diary . . .

1)  Writing in your Diary is a great way to reflect back on your day and/or vent concerning your frustrations.

2)  If you are not sure of what to write in your Diary, write about your latest ideas.

3)  Write about Projects that you are working on and your progress each day.

4)  Write about the things in your life that you are grateful for.

5)  Write about what is most important in your life in the present moment.

6)  Always be honest and true in your Diary, and use lots of details.

7)  Personalize your Diary entries with artwork, doodles, and side-notes in the margin.

8)  Consider adding objects and artistic items to the cover of your Diary to personalize it.

If you discover that you are benefiting greatly by keeping a personal Diary, you should consider making sure you have a Diary for each year of your life (or every six (6) months of your life).  Diaries are dynamic keepsakes that you'll be grateful for if you keep them over the years.

NEXT BLOG SESSION:

Scrapbooks for the Artist in YOU!

Friends, Writers, Authors, Artists, Journalists, Poets, and all Creatives ~ See you in our next Blog Session!

Until then  . . .

Peace, Love & Light,

René

© Copyright - René Allen - JULY 2017 - All Rights Reserved

  

Writing from a place of c a l m . . .

Writing from a place of  c a l m . . .

BLOG SESSION

July 2017

Good Afternoon Blog Readers, Followers & Visitors, we are here for another fabulous Blog Session.  Today we are going to talk about writing from a place of "c a l m".

When you are writing your short stories, Novels, or other creative writings, you must learn how to write from a place of calm.  In order to do this, you must tune yourself down from the hyper activity of the day.

We have so much going on in our daily lives that we have to make sure that we are in a place of calm when it comes to our writing.  When we write from a place of calm then we will find that our writing flows freely and clearly.

Imagine that you are filled with hundreds of activities from your day ~ telephone conversations, internet activity, emails, work-related tasks, family issues, personal circumstances, and unexpected situations that pop up from time to time -- vehicle issues, home repairs, daily chores ~ doing the lawn, cooking, cleaning, straightening out papers and records, and on and on.  If you were to Journal your daily activities from beginning to end, you would be very surprised at the amount of items that are in your day to day life.

If you do not meditate on a daily basis, you should try doing so.  Stress is a build up of overwhelming activities and issues that are happening to you on a daily basis.

Take time to Meditate Daily

Pressure or tension comes from being in a state of mental or emotional strain.  The tension that many of us feel is a result of having adverse or very demanding circumstances in our life.  We have to learn how to eliminate all things in our life that are demanding of our time or attention and serve no real purpose.

Another way to get into a place within yourself that brings about "calm", is to get ahead of all of your projects and activities, and not let your projects and activities get ahead of you.

Please make a note in your Journals about the medical definition of stress:

Stress: In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension.  Stresses can be external (from your environment, psychological, or social situations) or internal (illness, or from a medical procedure).

Take a moment to get your Journal out . . .

Journal Notes

Make a Note of all of the things that are going on in your life that could possibly be sources of stress and tension.  Number the items that come to your mind . . .

1)    Dealing with a relative's illness

2)    Work demands

3)    Co-workers or employees that cause problems

4)    Any medical issues that you have personally

5)    Taking care of pets

6)    Financial demands

7)    Children in school and their activities

8)    Too much noise on a daily basis

9)    Too much talk on a daily basis

10)  Too many meetings; events; and/or activities

Then make a list of what you can do to eliminate some of the items on your list.  For instance, can someone else in the family help with your relative's doctor visits or getting their medicines?  Is there any way to downsize on your work demands?  Are there ways that you can not be closely associated with co-workers or employees that cause problems?  Are you taking good care of yourself, and if not, why not?  Is there anyone else who can help you with the care of your pets?  Are you working on your financial demands with the help of a Financial Planner?  Do you have help with your children and their activities, and if not, can you find help?  Is there a way for you to cut down on your daily in-take of noise and talk in your life?  Is there a way to cut down on the amount of meetings, events, or activities that you currently have going on?

Another way for you to get into a place of "calm" is to listen to calming meditations or music in the privacy of your home or car, or with your head phones.  You can also listen on your lunch breaks at work . . .

Listening to Meditations

Listening to Soothing Music

You may use the "Comments Section" at the bottom

of this Blog to share your ways of getting to the place of

"calm".

Current Meditation going on online

Oprah & Deepak

Click here

Started during the month of July 2017

Remember to Bookmark this Blog,

and

you may also "Follow by Email"

by entering your email address

(SEE far right column under my eyeball)

and then click Submit.

Friends & Writers, until our next fabulous Blog Session, remember to relax, meditate, and learn how to get to the place of "calm" daily ~

Peace, Love & Light,

René

© Copyright - René Allen - JULY 2017 - All Rights Reserved

How to Write a Memoir

How to Write a Memoir

BLOG SESSION

July 2017

Good Morning Writers ~ We're back today to talk about another area of writing that some of you may have considered and need further information about.  That specific area that we are going to discuss today is writing a Memoir.

The first question that will come to mind for those Writers that have never heard of the term, "Memoir", is what is it?

A Memoir is a narrative about your personal experience.

If you are wondering what on earth you could possibly write a memoir about, then here are a few ideas for you to write down in your Journal.  You can write a memoir about:

• A specific event that happened to you.
• A specific aspect of your life (for example, your relationship with your mother, your travel through Africa, your struggle to overcome a personal situation).
• A particular time period of your life.
• The impact on your own life of an outside event (for example, a war, an economic crisis, an unexpected death that affects your family, a life change due to the loss of a job, a fire that devastates your living arrangement.)

At this point in our Blog Session, if you have not reached for your Journal to take notes, please do because you will enjoy the following tips that you will gain from two memoirists.

Journal Notes

 

Kendra Bonnett and Matilda Butler are memoirists, teachers of memoir writing, and founders of the website: Womensmemoirs.com.  Their collective memoir, Rosie's Daughters: The "First Woman To" Generation Tells Its Story, won an IPPY National Book Award in 2008.

Both Kendra Bonnett and Matilda Butler were members of my Website back in the day when we were all on Gather.com, which is no longer in existence.  I am so very proud to see all that they have accomplished.

Both Kendra Bonnett and Matilda Butler were interviewed for the Website Creative Writing Now.  I believe you will find their entire Interview, which is in several parts, to be quite helpful if you are interested in learning more about writing a Memoir.

I'd like to highlight Part 2 of their Interview here in this Blog Session primarily because it gets into the topic of Journal Writing.  The following is an excerpt from the Website Creative Writing Now . . .

A Conversation with Kendra Bonnett and Matilda Butler:  Journaling and Writing a Memoir

Kendra: For many people, memoir comes out of their journaling, but that isn’t 100 percent.  Matilda and I, for example, are not journalers -- not for lack of respect or interest in the process, I just think I am not disciplined enough to do it.  I’m too busy doing other things during the day.  I don’t know, I don’t get to it. I respect people who do this, and I think they have a wonderful wealth of material to draw upon.

Matilda:  I think that Kendra’s raising the correct distinction there, which is that journaling is an ongoing daily process, and people who journal tend to have one time in the day that they always write.  Sometimes it’s when they first get up, and sometimes it’s late in the evening before they go to bed.  And they have a journal, they write the date, and then they maybe only write a few sentences; maybe if something bigger has happened, they will write several pages.  But it is a process almost of recording a life as it’s going by; whereas, memoir is always a sense of reflection.

For Part 1 of the Interview of Authors Kendra Bonnett and Matilda Butler, you can expect to find the following information . . .

What is a Memoir? Memoir Writing Interview Part 1

What is a memoir?  Kendra Bonnett and Matilda Butler discuss this question in Part One of the Interview about memoir writing.

Of Note:  Distinction between a memoir and an autobiography:

Interview of Matilda Butler:

First of all, I would like to make a distinction between memoir and autobiography, because everyone gets a little confused on that.  They really mean two quite different things, yet they are sometimes used interchangeably and it makes it really confusing.

An autobiography is the story of your life to date. It is usually chronologically based, and it starts with when you are young and all the things that happened to you along the way in your life.

Please visit the Website for the entire Part One Interview.  (Click the link)

Learn more about writing a Memoir by visiting

the Website Creative Writing Now

Friends & Writers until our next Blog Session ~

Keep working on those Novels!

Peace, Love & Light,

René

© Copyright - René Allen - JULY 2017 - All Rights Reserved