JRIF - The Importance of Journaling (Lesson)

The Importance of Journaling

Introduction

“Write every day, line by line, page by page, hour by hour. Do this despite fear. For above all else, beyond imagination and skill, what the world asks of you is courage, courage to risk rejection, ridicule and failure. As you follow the quest for stories told with meaning and beauty, study thoughtfully but write boldly. Then, like the hero of the fable, your dance will dazzle the world.” ― Robert McKee

In Robert McKee’s book Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting, three categories of research are indicated as necessary in fighting the war on cliché. These are Research of Memory, Research of Imagination, and the Research of Fact. In this microlesson, you will explore the meaning and purpose of each. Personal investment is the key to avoiding cliché in writing. It is crucial that we write about things we know and care about. Learning and honing the skills associated with researching, writing, and revising without personal buy-in will not result in quality writing. One of the ways to work towards that investment is to cultivate a habit of writing based on prompts and projects that you care about. This includes personal experience, personal imagination, and personally selected factual research.

Winning the War on Cliché: The Importance of Journaling

In the presentation below, we will discuss three categories of research from Robert McKee’s Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting: Research of Memory, Research of Imagination, and the Research of Fact. In this presentation, you will explore the meaning and purpose of each.

Below the presentation, you will find a link to a presentation guide. Download the presentation guide and fill it out as you follow along with the presentation. The guide is not graded, but will serve as a study tool to help you capture and understand the content of the presentation.

Click here to download a presentation guide for "Winning the War on Cliche, here. Complete the guide as you follow along with the presentation. Links to an external site.

Accessing Memory: So, Where to Start?Brainstorming through Heart Mapping

By now you understand how important journaling is to story-writing process. However, it can be difficult to begin accessing memory for a Research of Memory journal response. One strategy to prompt ideas is called a Heart Map. A heart map is a visual thinking routine that will help you brainstorm what is important to you personally. Goals of using the heart map for journal prompts include:

Discover and reinforce what is important on a personal level
Develop an inner voice
Sharpen self-reflection skills

Let's take a look at an example of a Heart Map:

Example of a Heart Map
{Image from Heard, Georgia. Awakening the Heart: Exploring Poetry in Elementary and Middle School. Heinemann, 1999.}

How to Fill a Heart Map

Start from the center of the heart, placing the most important person, place, or thing in the center of your heart. Then, work your way out using specific words in each section.

Consider the significance of the spacing and word choice in how the map is filled.

Heart Map Questions To Get Started	Heart Map Questions To Get Started
What has stayed in your heart? What has really affected your heart? What people have been important to you? Are they friends, siblings, parents, grandparents, teachers, or other people? What are some experiences or central events that you will never forget? What special moments stand out to you? What happy or sad memories do you have? What secrets have you kept in your heart? What’s at the center of your heart?	What small things or objects are important to you – a tree in your backyard, a trophy, a stuffed animal… ? What places, books, fears, scars, journeys, dreams, relationships, animals, comforts, and learning experiences do you hold in your heart? Should some things be outside of the heart and some inside of it? Do you want to draw more than one heart – good and bad; happy and sad; secret and open – and include different things inside each heart? Do different colors represent different emotions, events, relationships? What’s outside, around the edges?

Heart Map Questions To Get Started

What has stayed in your heart?
What has really affected your heart?
What people have been important to you? Are they friends, siblings, parents, grandparents, teachers, or other people?
What are some experiences or central events that you will never forget?
What special moments stand out to you?
What happy or sad memories do you have?
What secrets have you kept in your heart?
What’s at the center of your heart?

What small things or objects are important to you – a tree in your backyard, a trophy, a stuffed animal… ?
What places, books, fears, scars, journeys, dreams, relationships, animals, comforts, and learning experiences do you hold in your heart?
Should some things be outside of the heart and some inside of it?
Do you want to draw more than one heart – good and bad; happy and sad; secret and open – and include different things inside each heart?
Do different colors represent different emotions, events, relationships?
What’s outside, around the edges?

Click here to download a template for the Heart Mapping by clicking here. Links to an external site.

The Importance of Journaling Challenge Activity

Review the lesson material through the self-assessment below. If you still have questions about this lesson's material, reach out to your instructor.

IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS. HEART MAP IMAGE USED WITH PERMISSION