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In order to teach writing effectively, teachers must be writers themselves. They must experience the same uncertainty of starting a new draft and then struggling to revise. As they learn to move past the fear of failure, they discover the nervous rush and exhilaration of sharing work with an audience, just as their students do. Only by engaging in the real work of writing can teachers become part of the writing community they dream of creating for their students.

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In order to teach writing effectively, teachers must be writers themselves. They must experience the same uncertainty of starting a new draft and then struggling to revise. As they learn to move past the fear of failure, they discover the nervous rush and exhilaration of sharing work with an audience, just as their students do.

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Chapter 1 Breathings of the Heart: Heart Mapping Beginnings-the How and the Why

Heart Mapping with Children

How Heart Mapping Nurtures Writers

Chapter 2 Heart-Mapping Essentials: What You Need for Your Journey

How to Introduce Heart Mapping

When to Introduce Heart Mapping

What to Include on Heart Maps

Time Needed for Heart Maps

Chapter 3 The Heart of the Matter: Twenty Heart Maps to Inspire and Engage Writers

1. Blank Canvas Heart Map

2. My Writer's Heart Map

3. My Reader's Heart Map

4. Small Moment Heart Map

5. First Time Heart Map

6. Last Time Heart Map

7. Family Quilt Heart Map

8. My Name Heart Map

9. My Pet or Favorite Animal Heart Map

10. Gratitude Heart Map

11. Home Is Where the Heart Is Heart Map

12. My Wishes Heart Map

13. Special Place Heart Map

14. Be the Change That You Wish to See in the World Heart Map

15. A Beloved Character Heart Map

16. People I Admire Heart Map

17. Where I Find Poetry Heart Map

18. Senses Heart Map

19. What I Love About My Topic Heart Map

20. What I Wonder About Heart Map

Chapter 4 Digging Deeper into Heart Maps: Sharing, Reflecting on, and Writing from Heart Maps

Sharing Heart Maps

Writing from Heart Maps

Revising Writing from Heart Maps

Using Mentor Texts with Heart Maps

Reflecting on Using Heart

Chapter 5 Three Hearts: Guest Essays

"LitWorld Heart Stories," by Pam Allyn

"What Matters," by Nancie Atwell

"Tune in to Your Heart Map Playlist," by Penny Kittle

Epilogue: Keeping Our Hearts Open

"Passion drives effort. If we want students to invest effort in learning to write well, we must provide opportunities to explore their passions and find relevance in their writing. Georgia Heard shows us how to open students' hearts, discover their stories, and bring their passions to the page. Rich with practical strategies, student examples, and lists of mentor texts, Heart Maps is a book that I will use and recommend to teachers for years to come."
-Donalyn Miller, author of The Book Whisperer

"This book will steal your heart. Filled with strategies, student work examples, stories from the classroom, mentor texts, inspiration, and practicality, you'll find yourself relying on this book again and again as a trusted source as you help your student writers craft a writing life."
-Jennifer Serravallo, author of The Reading Strategies Book and The Writing Strategies Book

"We understand that children read and write more earnestly and truthfully when engaged by emotion. We have, in Heart Maps, a stunning array of potential discoveries for young readers and writers: discoveries about what really lies within our complex emotional lives; about the budding passion they find in the social or natural world; and about the hearts of those around them. The discoveries and insights children will make as they craft heart maps will be lasting and profound."
-Ellin Keene, author of Talk About Understanding; coeditor of The Teacher You Want to Be

"From the first page of Heart Maps, Georgia takes us on a journey of 'possible' from a child's-eye-view with 20 heart maps as our navigation tool. She helps us envision writing from the inside out, taking us on a passionate voyage unfettered by impersonal rules where joyful meanderings of powerful, personal, purposeful writing keep 'possible' in view."
-Dr. Mary Howard, author of Good to Great Teaching and RTI from All Sides

" Heart Maps is filled with wonder and beauty. It will capture and hold the why of any writer's journey: to name the passions that live inside of us, waiting to be written. Georgia offers wise guidance and practical tools for writing teachers of all ages, including 20 kinds of heart maps and dozens and dozens of mentor poems and gorgeous student examples to spring deep thinking across genres. This is a rich and lasting gift for my own teaching and an essential book for all who lead writers."
-Penny Kittle, author ofBook Love and Write Beside Them

" Heart Maps shows and powerfully provides a tangible way for a teacher to help a child plumb their natural creativity. The heart map method is also a bridge: by using and being open to it, a solid connection between the teacher and student is inevitable. Even more, by practicing heart maps, a child can learn to connect with their own vast and unique identity as a writer-for-life. There may be no greater gift a teacher can give."
-John Fox, author ofFinding What You Didn't Lose: Expressing Your Truth and Creativity Through Poem-Making; founder of The Institute for Poetic Medicine

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In Heart Maps, Georgia shares 20 unique, multi-genre heart maps to help your students write from the heart. Filled with full-color student heart maps,

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How closely do your students read their writing? What are the implications for those who do and those who don't?

During her work in classrooms, literacy coach Paula Bourque noticed that students who read their own writing closely are engaged in their work, write fluently, are able to produce lengthy drafts, and incorporate teaching points from mini-lessons into the day's writing.

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How closely do your students read their writing? What are the implications for those who do and those who don't?During her work in classrooms, literacy coach Paula Bourque noticed that students who read their own writing closely are engaged in their work, write fluently, are able to produce lengthy drafts, and incorporate teaching points from mini-lessons into the day's writing.

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Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

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The Paperback of the Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott at Barnes & Noble. FREE Shipping on $25 or more!

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on writing: 10th anniversary edition: a memoir of the craft

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biography & autobiography / personal memoirs

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composition & creative writing - general

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creative writing & creative writing guides

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language arts & disciplines / composition & creative writing

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On Writing: 10th Anniversary Edition: A Memoir of the Craft

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Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King's critically lauded, million-copy bestseller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work."Long live the King" hailed Entertainment Week...

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The Courage to Write: How Writers Transcend Fear

Anxiety is routine among anyone who dares to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard. Yet it's rarely addressed in books about writing. The Courage to Write confronts this topic head-on. Ralph Keyes's message is not that one shouldn't be scared. Rather, his book treats fear as a normal, inevitable part of the writing process. Keyes illustrates this point by showing how successful writers deal with what he calls "page fright." "I have to talk myself into bravery with every sentence," admitted Cynthia Ozick.

In The Courage to Write, Ralph Keyes shows that anxiety is felt by writers at every level. Drawing on 30 years as an author and writing teacher, Keyes argues that this is inevitable. In his words, "Anxiety is a normal, manageable, and even a useful part of the writing process."

A normal fear of writing can be transcended. Doing so first calls for identifying the fears of those learning to write. Among them are: fear of self-revelation, fear of being criticized, and fear of self-discovery. Topics covered in The Courage to Write include:

Why it's so hard to face the blank page.

Procrastination: the "as soon as" syndrome. ("As soon as ________, I'm going to get some writing done.")

False fear-busters. True courage-boosters.

How writers use obfuscation to soothe writing nerves. Helping new ones to learn the courage to write clearly.

Confronting anxiety about the opinion of important others ("What's Mom gonna think?"). Peer fear. Censors-in-Chief.

Converting the fear of writing into excitement.

The Courage to Write is also a powerful motivator. The book's author, said one reader, "wrote this for me, and in many ways, about me."

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The Courage to Write: How Writers Transcend Fear | Ralph Keyes

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Anxiety is routine among anyone who dares to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard. Yet it's rarely addressed in books about writing. The Courage to Write confronts this topic head-on. Ralph Keyes's message is not that one shouldn't be scared. Rather, his book treats fear as a normal, inevitable part of the writing process.

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Poemcrazy by Susan G. Wooldridge | PenguinRandomHouse.com

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Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge is a poet and teacher who conducts workshops privately, as well as in the California Poets in the Schools program. Her exuberant, critically acclaimed teaching guide takes instructors,...

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Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

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The Paperback of the Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg at Barnes & Noble. FREE Shipping on $25 or more!

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The Paperback of the The Writing Life by Annie Dillard at Barnes & Noble. FREE Shipping on $25 or more!

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Mindful Pathways - Integrative and Holistic Mental Health Counseling with Janet G. Nestor

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| Posted on |

Journal

A journal is a way to keep a record of something that is important to us.It records our thoughts about a particular topic, and our topic is JOY. I kept one for a long time, and now I think it would be fun if you kept one too.There is no better way in the world to have a visual of our daily blessings and all the little miracles that happen.

Our Joy Journal keeps a record of the small joys of life just as surely as it records the major joys and accomplishments.In fact, I'm interested in the small joys because they are the ones that we don't mentally "record".We notice them, but for some reason we seldom remember them beyond the second they happened.

How Do I Keep a Joy Journal?

Keeping a joy journal is very easy and fun.We begin to focus on all of the positive happenings in our life.We keep our joy journal just like we would keep any other journal, only this one requires only a minute or two of our time once or twice each day.We simply jot down a few words about something positive that happened.I love to keep my joy journal in my purse.But you can keep it by your bed, in your pocket, in your desk drawer or on the counter top in the kitchen.All we have to do is write down the joys of our life a few words at a time.No page long stories.Just a sentence or two when something good happens.

Joys come in all sizes and shapes.What are yours?Here is a list of things that you might not consider writing down, but these are the kinds of things I want you to begin to notice.Remember it is the little things that can add up to something really mind blowing.

A huge bright blue butterfly landed on my window sill.

A stranger actually stopped and helped me get my car out of the ditch.

I loved the way that mother looked at her little twins.

The woodpecker came to the bird feeder again this morning. Yipee!

My neighbor brought me a warm loaf of bread this morning.

My husband (wife, friend, or companion) called me from work just to say hello.

My daughter passed the history test she was sure she failed.

I helped my 5 year old son ride a two wheel bike to day.

The lawn looked so green after the rain...it looked like a post card.

Every joy is important.Each time we smile it is important.Each time we have a small success, it is life changing.Each time we laugh, we strengthen our immune system.Most of us have no idea how many positive things happen to us in any given day.We take them for granted.

Each time you read your joy journal, it will make you happy all over again!After a few weeks pass and you flip through the pages, you will be AMAZED at all the wonderful entries.

Have fun, and if you think about it, email me and let me know how you liked this activity. janetnestor@gmail.com

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How to Keep a Joy Journal - Mindful Pathways

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Journal A journal is a way to keep a record of something that is important to us. It records our thoughts about a particular topic, and our topic is JOY. I kept one for a long time, and now I think it would be fun if you kept one too.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Mindful Pathways - Integrative and Holistic Mental Health Counseling with Janet G. Nestor

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| Posted on |

Journal

A journal is a way to keep a record of something that is important to us.It records our thoughts about a particular topic, and our topic is JOY. I kept one for a long time, and now I think it would be fun if you kept one too.There is no better way in the world to have a visual of our daily blessings and all the little miracles that happen.

Our Joy Journal keeps a record of the small joys of life just as surely as it records the major joys and accomplishments.In fact, I'm interested in the small joys because they are the ones that we don't mentally "record".We notice them, but for some reason we seldom remember them beyond the second they happened.

How Do I Keep a Joy Journal?

Keeping a joy journal is very easy and fun.We begin to focus on all of the positive happenings in our life.We keep our joy journal just like we would keep any other journal, only this one requires only a minute or two of our time once or twice each day.We simply jot down a few words about something positive that happened.I love to keep my joy journal in my purse.But you can keep it by your bed, in your pocket, in your desk drawer or on the counter top in the kitchen.All we have to do is write down the joys of our life a few words at a time.No page long stories.Just a sentence or two when something good happens.

Joys come in all sizes and shapes.What are yours?Here is a list of things that you might not consider writing down, but these are the kinds of things I want you to begin to notice.Remember it is the little things that can add up to something really mind blowing.

A huge bright blue butterfly landed on my window sill.

A stranger actually stopped and helped me get my car out of the ditch.

I loved the way that mother looked at her little twins.

The woodpecker came to the bird feeder again this morning. Yipee!

My neighbor brought me a warm loaf of bread this morning.

My husband (wife, friend, or companion) called me from work just to say hello.

My daughter passed the history test she was sure she failed.

I helped my 5 year old son ride a two wheel bike to day.

The lawn looked so green after the rain...it looked like a post card.

Every joy is important.Each time we smile it is important.Each time we have a small success, it is life changing.Each time we laugh, we strengthen our immune system.Most of us have no idea how many positive things happen to us in any given day.We take them for granted.

Each time you read your joy journal, it will make you happy all over again!After a few weeks pass and you flip through the pages, you will be AMAZED at all the wonderful entries.

Have fun, and if you think about it, email me and let me know how you liked this activity. janetnestor@gmail.com

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How to Keep a Joy Journal - Mindful Pathways

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Journal A journal is a way to keep a record of something that is important to us. It records our thoughts about a particular topic, and our topic is JOY. I kept one for a long time, and now I think it would be fun if you kept one too.

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Writing every day has numerous benefits far beyond finally getting that novel of yours out in the open. Whether you're aiming to improve your vocabulary, keep track of your dreams, or keep a journal of all the goings-on in your world, writing daily can bring about some stellar effects in your life.

A Wake-Up Call for Your Brain

Have you ever hauled yourself to work and then sat there for a couple of hours, waiting for your brain to warm up enough so you could be articulate and productive? That's a massive waste of time, especially since anything you'd be forced to tackle during that warm-up would be tepid at best.

Instead, consider hitting the ground running by sitting down with a writing assignment while you're sipping your coffee/tea/wheatgrass smoothie. You can either list a bunch of topics on slips of paper and just pull one from a jar to write about each day, or subscribe to one of the numerous mailing lists that can deliver a subject to your inbox every morning. Figment is great for that, but all you need to do is a quick Google search for "daily writing prompts" and you'll have no shortage of topics to scrawl about. Getting the gears spinning so early in the morning shakes your brain-meat into good working order, and by the time you roll into the office, you'll be sharp, focused, and ready to plough your way through anything that lands on your desk.

Stream of Consciousness Purging

Writing a few pages as soon as you wake really is a perfect way to begin your day. You don't have to write a story, but rather just let all the first thoughts of the morning flood their way onto paper. This could be as mundane as: "Great, another Wednesday morning. I forgot to get cat food so I'm feeding Mr. Fripples a tuna omelet. I have no idea where my socks are. Hopefully Martha will remember to get more coffee for the office kitchen..." etc.

What good does all of this do? It allows you to vent any frustrations/worries that may have percolated in your skull overnight, thus allowing you to begin your day with a clean slate. It's also a great means of self-exploration and reflection: after you've written every day for a few weeks, take an afternoon one weekend to sit down to read what you've been scribbling. If you find that the same worries and issues are popping up every day, that's a strong clue that these need to be addressed so they'll stop weighing on you. Should you discover that you begin every morning with self-criticism, you can make a conscious effort to be kinder to yourself, and to start your days with positive affirmations, or perhaps something self-loving like yoga, a walk in the park, or a few minutes' worth of meditation

Dream Recall

If you're looking for a specific subject to write about, consider keeping a dream journal. Keep it by your bedside so you can write notes if you happen to startle into the waking world in the middle of the night, but be sure to take a few minutes to jot down some notes every morning. If you didn't dream anything, make note of it. If you did, try to write down everything you can recall from the night's meanderings, even if it's just vague imagery or colours. Over time, you'll realise that your ability to remember details from your dreams has improved significantly, and you may start to notice patterns or themes to your dreams.

Vocabulary Maintenance and Expansion

Are you familiar with the saying that falls along the line of "use it or lose it"? That applies to many different aspects of life, and one's vocabulary is no exception. In an era when texting and tweeting are the main vehicles for communication, many people find that their mental word banks are dwindling in favour of creative ways to condense thoughts into as few words and characters as possible. This can be problematic when you're sitting in a meeting and can't remember vital jargon, or if you're writing an essay and have a word dancing just on the periphery of your memory, but it won't come through; you'll likely end up using a term that isn't completely appropriate, unless you spend time sifting through a thesaurus to find the right word.

One fun way to expand your vocabulary is to subscribe to a Word of the Day email: every morning, you'll receive a new (and often obscure) word, and you can try to fit that into a conversation or written exchange at some point that day. How fun would it be to toss words like "confrere" and "factotum" into emails to your colleagues and family members?

Evening Contemplation and Relaxation

Most of us have very busy schedules as well as a fair bit of stress on our minds, and it's not uncommon for these things to weigh on us when we actually have a few moments' respite from non-stop responsibilities-like when we're trying to sleep. Consider keeping a notepad or journal beside your bed, and allot 15-20 minutes every night to writing down your thoughts about the day. If there are things that are stressing you out, getting them down on paper to acknowledge them may help to alleviate the anxiety so you can get some rest. Alternatively, you can use that time to think about all the great things that happened to you over the course of the day, so that the last thoughts you have before drifting off are positive, constructive ones.

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5 Benefits of Writing: Why You Should Write Every Day

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Writing every day has numerous benefits far beyond finally getting that novel of yours out in the open. Whether you're aiming to improve your vocabulary, keep track of your dreams, or keep a journal of all the goings-on in your world, writing daily can bring about some stellar effects in your life.

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Where writing teachers walk the talk, capture small moments, and courageously share their words.

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When you attempt to envision a "writer," I'd posit most of you see a quirky recluse, hunched over a desk in some cabin, crumpled paper strewn about as they obsessively work on the next great American novel.

To me, writing is so much more than that. Writing is thought put to page, which makes all of us writers - even if we don't have the chops to spin beautiful prose.

I know, I know. Here's someone who blogs regularly talking about the benefits of writing. And not a hint of bias was seen that day!

It's true that I owe a lot to writing.
Related: The Psychology of Color in Marketing and Branding
Many of you probably know me from my "business" writing for my startup, like my piece on Unforgettable Customer Service Stories(read the 3rd one, it will warm your icy heart).

Truthfully though, writing isn't really "my job."

It is a key part of what I do, and I get just as much out of writing in my personal life as I do at work.

Personal and non-fiction writing is such an interesting topic to me because I get the sense that many (financially) successful people are secretly regular writers:

Warren Buffett has described writing as a key way of refining his thoughts (and that guy reads and thinks a whole lot).

Richard Branson once said "my most essential possession is a standard-sized school notebook," which he uses for regular writing.

This one is more for fun, but I find it hilarious that Bill Gates finds time to blog (do you think it's really him?).

There are obviously many more examples, some of which are beautifully highlighted in the book Daily Rituals.

In these cases, writing has just become another tool for thinking, expression, and encouraging creativity; cabin dwelling novelists be damned.

So, should people who don't consider themselves writers bother with trying to make writing a regular habit?

You folks already know the goals I have for this site, and you can probably predict my answer: "Maybe."

Writing can be an incredibly useful outlet for many people.

But let's look at some of the research on how writing can affect the mind, and you can make the decision for yourself.

Writing makes you happier

It seems much of the literature on the benefits of writing deals with "expressive writing," or putting what you think and feel to paper (or, let's be honest, to the keyboard).

For instance, one form of expressive writing might be thinking about and writing out your goals in life-an activity that research has shown is beneficial for motivation.

Even blogging " undoubtedly affords similar benefits " to private expressive writing in terms of the therapeutic value.

Expressive writing has also been linked to improved mood, well-being, and reduced stress levels for those who engage in it regularly.

Research by Laura King shows that writing about achieving future goals and dreams can make people happier and healthier. Similarly, there's plenty of evidence that keeping a gratitude journal can increase happiness and health by making the good things in life more salient.

And Jane Dutton and I found that when people doing stressful fundraising jobs kept a journal for a few days about how their work made a difference, they increased their hourly effort by 29% over the next two weeks.

Many people shun expressive writing because they don't fully understand what it means. Stick with me through the rest of this post, see the other benefits of regular writing, and I'll break down what expressive writing really entails and how you can get started.

It doesn't necessarily mean spilling your guts in essays starting with "Dear Diary," so don't knock it until you let me explain it!

Moving on...

Writing leads to better thinking + communicating

Laziness with words creates difficulty in describing feelings, sharing experiences, and communicating with others - especially true when it comes to persuasive messages.

Constantly having that " tip of the tongue " feeling, or being able to flesh out thoughts in your mind only to have them come stumbling out when you speak is very frustrating. It paints an unfair picture of you, and regular writing can keep this from happening.

In both emotional intelligence and in "hard sciences" like mathematics, writing has been shown to help people communicate highly complex ideas more effectively.

This is just my personal hunch, but I would say it is because writing helps elminate that "it sounded good in my head" syndrome. It forces ideas to be laid out bare for the thinker to see, where it is much less likely that they will be jumbled up like they are in your head (hey, it's crowded up there!).
Related: Lessons in Customer Service From the World's Most Beloved Companies
Is writing an outlet for handling hard times?

The connection with expressive writing and traumatic events is quite complex.

On one hand, I've seen a study or two that shows especially stoic people tend not to receive many benefits when they write about their troubling times.

On the other hand, there are some pretty amazing studies that conclusively show writing about trauma is a powerful way to come to terms with what happened, and to accept the outcome.

In one interesting study that followed recently fired engineers, the researchers found that those engineers who consistently engaged with expressive writing were able to find another job faster.

The engineers who wrote down their thoughts and feelings about losing their jobs reported feeling less anger and hostility toward their former employer. They also reported drinking less. Eight months later, less than 19% of the engineers in the control groups were reemployed full-time, compared with more than 52% of the engineers in the expressive writing group.

Interesting, right?

In an older study, writing about traumatic events actually made the participants more depressed... until about ~6 months later, when the emotional benefits started to stick.

One participant noted: "Although I have not talked with anyone about what I wrote, I was finally able to deal with it, work through the pain instead of trying to block it out. Now it doesn't hurt to think about it."

It seems that timing is critical for expressive writing to have an impact. "Forcing" the process to happen may only worsen things, but if it is an activity that is engaged in naturally, the benefits seem to be clear for many traumas.

Writing keeps you sharp with age

Writing is a thinking exercise, and like physical exercise, it can help keep you "in shape" as you age.

While the only research that I've seen discussed mentions hand written ideas as a good cognitive exercise, I don't think the leap to typing is all that far.

Just like how friendships help keep you happy and healthy through their ties to social interaction and dialogue, writing seems like the private equivalent - it keeps you thinking regularly and helps keeps the mental rust from forming.

Writing leads to increased gratitude

Counting your blessings is an activity that is proven to enhance one's outlook on life.

As the authors noted in this study, subjects who reflected on the good things in their life once a week (by writing them down) were more positive and motivated about their current situation and their future.

The thing was, when they wrote about them every day, the benefits were minimal.

This makes sense. Too much of any activity, especially something like reflecting on one's blessings, can feel disingenuous and just plain boring if it is done too often.

In spite of this, it is interesting to me that writing about the good things in your life has such an impact. Perhaps because it forces you to really look at why those things make you happy.

Writing closes out your "mental tabs"

Have you ever had too many Internet tabs open at once? It is a madhouse of distraction.

Sometimes I feel like my brain has too many tabs open at once. This is often the result of trying to mentally juggle too many thoughts at the same time.

Writing allows abstract information to cross over into the tangible world. It frees up mental bandwidth, and will stop your Google Chrome brain from crashing due to tab overload.

Although I've heard it argued that the information age might be making memories worse, I'm inclined to cite the quote about Hemingway from that very same article:

Hemingway's words came from experience. When his wife lost a suitcase that contained all existing copies of his short stories, the work was, to his mind, gone for good. He had written himself out the first time around. He couldn't recapture it-whatever it was-again.

Getting important ideas down alleviates the stress caused by anticipating this dreadful outcome. I've personally never felt inclined to not work on something just because I "archived" the idea with some notes or an outline-in fact, I'm more likely to work on it since it has already been started!
I'll close out this section with one of my favorite Mitch Hedberg jokes.

I sit at my hotel at night, I think of something that's funny, then I go get a pen and I write it down. Or if the pen's too far away, I have to convince myself that what I thought of ain't funny.

Don't let that happen to you!

Writing leads to better learning

Learn as though you need to teach.

The concept of having a "writer's ear" never fully clicked with me until I started blogging regularly.

There's a certain discipline required to create interesting articles that demands the individual be receptive and focused on finding new sources of information, inspiration, and insight. I've read books, listened to podcasts/radio, and watched videos I may have normally put off in order to learn something interesting that I might write about later.

Simply being a curator of good ideas (which blogs tend to be perfect for, like Farnam Street) encourages deeper thinking, research, and "heading down the rabbit hole" in order to find unique takes on topics that matter to you.

Committing to creating a volume of work also allows you to tackle big ideas more effectively.

From humble beginnings, writing around a certain topic for some time will allow you to build off of older thoughts, utilizing what you've already written down to develop ideas on a grander scale (I'm sure many writers have had a paragraph lead to an essay, which lead to a series of articles, which lead to a book).

In this way, writing encourages a specific style of personal development. You'll begin to want to build on ideas, which will lead to a further exploration of your interests and a better understanding of your subject matter as you push onward into new topics and angles.
Related: 10 Insights on Building, Motivating and Managing an Exceptional Team
Writing is leadership at scale

I'm borrowing this phrase from my man James Clear, as it is a smart way of looking at publishing your writing online.

Despite the fact that the world is now being suffocated by 'new media,' there are obviously a lot of interesting opportunities that an "anyone can publish" world brings about.

The ability to leave an impact at scale through your words alone is a pretty amazing concept.

I've had people email me saying that what I've shared "saved their grades," improved their life, and one person even credited me for landing their dream job! That's insane.

I imagine writers like Mr. Money Mustache, who has helped thousands of people finally get their finances straight, or David Cain, who has forever changed the outlook many people have on life (including me) probably feel the same way. It is exciting, and humbling.

Is a cited study even necessary here? Without a doubt, the positive feedback for this "leadership at scale" leads to increased happiness for the writer.

Even in the face of criticism (which is guaranteed online), writers learn to build thick skin like few others. And believe me, criticism, even unwarranted criticism, is the breakfast of champions.

A Simple System to Encourage Regular Writing

From where I'm standing, personal non-fiction writing will generally fall under two main categories: emotional writing (the personal writing about trauma, described above) and educational writing, which is the "personal development" style of writing that focuses on learning.

Given the medical nature of 'emotional writing' (meaning, you should talk to a psychologist/psychiatrist first), I'm going to avoid discussing it.

I'll instead focus on the educational writing aspect, which is something everyone can engage in.
One of my favorite templates for educational writing is the following article from Buffer CEO Joel Gascoigne.
It is a quick read at 342 words, and demonstrates what I believe is a frictionless approach to getting started with non-fiction, educational writing. Notice how approachable it is for writers of all skill levels.

It focuses on learning a single important concept.

It utilizes quotes to "stand on the shoulders of giants" (including thoughts of others).

It emphasizes a concise writing style that forces quick thoughts and quick sentences.

As a regular writer, I have no doubt that Joel wouldn't even consider this one of his Top 25 written pieces.

But that's okay - Joel is a regular writer with 100+ published articles. I chose this piece because the structure is one that even the newest of writers can duplicate in their first couple of articles.
Related: The Shocking Truth: Customers Don't Want to Engage With Your Company
You'll find that sticking to a "500 words a day" regiment is much easier when the entire process is focused on sharing what you've learned through a handful of carefully chosen words. You can work your way up to 2000+ word articles down the line.

The first piece I ever published online was called 5 Life Lessons from The Wire ( the HBO show) - I no longer have a copy of it, and it was almost certainly awful, but hey, at least I took some input and turned it into writing!

You'll need to find your own voice as a writer, and I simply encourage this style because it generally results in a good give-and-take. You'll find yourself giving experiences a special sort of attention in order to write about them later, and you'll find that the "writer's ear" will start to form.

If you're just looking to jot down personal thoughts by hand, definitely look into getting a Moleskine notebook. If you prefer to type, but never want to publish, I really enjoy ZenWriter, or plain ol' Microsoft Word.
If you want to publish your writing online, you can do it with the following tools:

1. If your budget is between $0 and zilch... No problem! You can use a platform like Medium (which Joel uses above) or Svbtle, which are my two favorite free platforms at the moment.

2. If your budget is between $3-10... You'll find that you have more control here, as the free platforms above don't let you do much at all (and actually own your content, yikes!). The most reasonable choice here would my preferred setup for new writers, WordPress + Bluehost, which sets up with one-click and includes a free domain for $4.95 (referral, my thanks if you use it).

A version of this article first appeared at SparringMind.com.

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The Psychological Benefits of Writing: Why Richard Branson and Warren Buffett Write Regularly

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When you attempt to envision a "writer," I'd posit most of you see a quirky recluse, hunched over a desk in some cabin, crumpled paper strewn about as they obsessively work on the next great American novel. To me, writing is so much more than that.

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Wait!!! Don't press delete!
I'm not talking about writing a book. I guarantee that if you write just a few paragraphs every day about your experiences, hopes, memories and feelings and you will immediately begin to experience benefits to your personal growth and potential.

If you are not interested in growth and potential you can press delete now. If you are, continue reading to discover what you might be missing.

1. You will almost immediately become better at expressing yourself. When I am forced to write every day because of a book deadline, I am always amazed at how quickly my writing and verbal communication skills improve.

When we become lazy with words, it is more difficult to describe feelings, share experiences and make ourselves understood.

2. You will remember things long forgotten. As you write about memories it is like opening an old photo album. Your pen begins to expose feelings and details you had forgotten, and dreams you had lain aside. You suddenly remember people you would like to reconnect with.
Writing is a focused activity that keeps distractions at bay long enough for you to explore wonders of the past. Sometimes it is frightening, sometimes wonderful and almost always beneficial.

3. Writing about daily experiences and feelings provides a recorded history that will impact how you make future decisions.
There's a reason that the greatest leaders in history were students of history. They learned from what had happened before. Your history is important. Don't let it be forgotten.

4. Writing reminds you of your dreams and keeps you moving toward them. It is a means of keeping track of your purpose and the goals that will lead you to fulfilling them. Reviewing what you have written is a perfect way to see your progress and to reveal when you have been distracted and may need to refocus.

5. Writing gives you a record of God's faithfulness. In the midst of troubled times it is so easy to forget what He has done for us.

In my book Fully Alive I wrote a chapter entitled "Out of the Valley of the Shadow of Death." That chapter includes an entry I found in my journal that was written at one of the lowest points in my life.

When I read it again I wept, because I had forgotten the hopeless feeling of that experience and the joy of being delivered from it.

6. Writing a little every day could provide the material that someday becomes a published book. When I wrote about my depression and about my four-year-old granddaughter being lost in the mountains, I never dreamed it would be in a book.
My friend and business partner Michael Hyatt just wrote a best seller, Platform: How to Get Noticed in a Noisy World. Much of his book was based on short posts he wrote over several years.

Try this. Buy a small notebook or create a file on your computer called "My life." Write something every day. It might be:

A memory

A prayer

A blessing

Feelings

Something that made you laugh

Something you are proud of

A promise

A dream

Something you are thankful for

Forget about making it perfect, just write it down.
You say you don't know where to start?? Start right now by writing a comment on this blog post, then keep writing something every day. When you begin to experience the benefits write to me again and let me know.
My friend Jeff Goins says, "We are all writers, some practice and some don't." If you want to become a better writer, you will enjoy reading his posts here.

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6 Benefits You Can Experience by Writing Something Every Day

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Wait!!! Don't press delete! I'm not talking about writing a book. I guarantee that if you write just a few paragraphs every day about your experiences, hopes, memories and feelings and you will immediately begin to experience benefits to your personal growth and potential. If you are not interested in growth and potential you can [...]

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We are all writers. Discover why writing is a tool so useful for thinking, productivity, and creativity.

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We hope you'll join us all as we tell our stories.

Write your post and please share the permalink to your own blog post with the community.

Comment on at least three other posts.

If you are a slicer who is attending NCTE in St. Louis and you're interested in joining Stacey and Deb for dinner on 11/18 at 7:30 p.m. (NOTE the TIME CHANGE.) Please email Stacey at stacey[at]staceyshubitz[dot]com. We'd love to raise a glass and toast members of our community in person!

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IT'S TUESDAY! PLEASE JOIN US WITH A SLICE OF LIFE!

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We hope you'll join us all as we tell our stories. Write your post and please share the permalink to your own blog post with the community. Comment on at least three other posts. If you are a slicer who is attending NCTE in St.

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When is the last time you wrote something? Really wrote something, putting pen to paper, and not just typing away an email or report on a computer or smartphone. If it's been awhile, you might want to consider getting back into the practice -- writing (whether it be expressive writing, like you would do in a diary, or keeping a gratitude journal) has been linked with a number of benefits for both body and mind. Read through the list for some ways to write your way to a better you.

Writing by hand can help you learn better.

Step away from the computer -- the very act of using a pen or pencil to put things on paper can help you better retain the information you are writing, according to research. That's because in the physical act of writing, signals are being sent from your hands to your brain to build motor memory.

Expressing emotions through words may speed healing.
Writing down your thoughts and feelings after a traumatic event can actually make physical wounds heal faster, according to a study from New Zealand researchers. In this study, participants were assigned to write in a journal either about their deepest, most innermost thoughts and feelings, or about anything except their feelings or beliefs. Then, after two weeks, they had skin biopsies taken -- which left a wound on their arms. Researchers followed up with the participants until those wounds were healed, and found that those assigned to expressively write in the journals had faster healing times than those told to avoid writing about their feelings, TIME reported.

It could help change the way cancer patients think about their disease.
Attitude is everything, and that phrase couldn't be truer for people going through a life-changing experience like a cancer diagnosis. A 2008 study in the journal The Oncologist showed that expressive writing could help cancer patients not only think about their disease in a different way, but also improve their quality of life. "Moreover, despite the pilot nature of the present study, initial findings suggest that a single, 20-minute writing exercise led to changes in how some patients thought about their illness," the researchers wrote in the study.

Consider it a fundamental part of your gratitude practice.

When's the last time you counted out everything you have to be thankful for in life? Keeping a gratitude journal could help you feel happier, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of California, Davis and the University of Miami. The New York Times reported that people in the study who kept a gratitude journal that they wrote in once a week for two months were more optimistic about life (and, interestingly, exercised more), compared with people who did not keep such a journal.

And writing down what you're thankful for could help you sleep better, too.
Spending just 15 minutes a night writing down what you're thankful for could do wonders for your sleep, according to an Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being study. Researchers found that study participants who wrote down a list of things they were grateful for before bed experienced longer -- and better -- sleep, Psychology Today reported.

It makes your mind -- and body -- better.
According to a 2005 article in the journal Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, the benefits of expressive writing aren't just experienced short-term -- they can also pay off in the long run. Expressive writing has been linked with improved mood, well-being, stress levels and depressive symptoms, as well as more physical benefits of lower blood pressure, improved lung and liver functioning and decreased time spent in the hospital. Some research has also suggested that expressive writing could help people with post-traumatic stress disorder, though TIME notes that some of the research on writing's effects on psychological health are a little more conflicting.

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6 Unexpected Ways Writing Can Transform Your Health

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When is the last time you wrote something? Really wrote something, putting pen to paper, and not just typing away an email or report on a computer or smartphone.

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Mindful Pathways - Integrative and Holistic Mental Health Counseling with Janet G. Nestor

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Journal

A journal is a way to keep a record of something that is important to us.It records our thoughts about a particular topic, and our topic is JOY. I kept one for a long time, and now I think it would be fun if you kept one too.There is no better way in the world to have a visual of our daily blessings and all the little miracles that happen.

Our Joy Journal keeps a record of the small joys of life just as surely as it records the major joys and accomplishments.In fact, I'm interested in the small joys because they are the ones that we don't mentally "record".We notice them, but for some reason we seldom remember them beyond the second they happened.

How Do I Keep a Joy Journal?

Keeping a joy journal is very easy and fun.We begin to focus on all of the positive happenings in our life.We keep our joy journal just like we would keep any other journal, only this one requires only a minute or two of our time once or twice each day.We simply jot down a few words about something positive that happened.I love to keep my joy journal in my purse.But you can keep it by your bed, in your pocket, in your desk drawer or on the counter top in the kitchen.All we have to do is write down the joys of our life a few words at a time.No page long stories.Just a sentence or two when something good happens.

Joys come in all sizes and shapes.What are yours?Here is a list of things that you might not consider writing down, but these are the kinds of things I want you to begin to notice.Remember it is the little things that can add up to something really mind blowing.

A huge bright blue butterfly landed on my window sill.

A stranger actually stopped and helped me get my car out of the ditch.

I loved the way that mother looked at her little twins.

The woodpecker came to the bird feeder again this morning. Yipee!

My neighbor brought me a warm loaf of bread this morning.

My husband (wife, friend, or companion) called me from work just to say hello.

My daughter passed the history test she was sure she failed.

I helped my 5 year old son ride a two wheel bike to day.

The lawn looked so green after the rain...it looked like a post card.

Every joy is important.Each time we smile it is important.Each time we have a small success, it is life changing.Each time we laugh, we strengthen our immune system.Most of us have no idea how many positive things happen to us in any given day.We take them for granted.

Each time you read your joy journal, it will make you happy all over again!After a few weeks pass and you flip through the pages, you will be AMAZED at all the wonderful entries.

Have fun, and if you think about it, email me and let me know how you liked this activity. janetnestor@gmail.com

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How to Keep a Joy Journal - Mindful Pathways

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Journal A journal is a way to keep a record of something that is important to us. It records our thoughts about a particular topic, and our topic is JOY. I kept one for a long time, and now I think it would be fun if you kept one too.

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Some of the most influential people in history kept detailed journals of their lives. Those journals served two purposes: a permanent record for posterity, and cathartic release for the people writing them. Even if you don't think you need either, keeping a journal has great benefits you can enjoy immediately. Here's why you might want to sit down regularly to jot down your thoughts.

Even if you don't think there'll ever be a documentary that uses your journal for flavor commentary, there are plenty of reasons to keep one for yourself. Maybe you want to leave something behind for your children that tells your story and what you accomplished. Maybe you're more practical, and want a way to harness your creativity. Maybe you just want the cathartic release that comes with regular writing. Whatever it is, these are all great reasons. Let's look at each one, and why they matter so much.

Regular Writing has Mental Health Benefits

Writing can do wonders for your health. Beyond keeping your creative juices flowing-a separate topic we'll get to shortly-regular writing can give you a safe, cathartic release valve for the stresses of your daily life. We've discussed some of those mental and emotional benefits of writing before, from the angle of creative writing-but you don't have to write fiction to get them. For example, we've mentioned that keeping an awesomeness journal can do wonders for your self-esteem. Not only does regular writing make you feel good, it helps you re-live the events you experienced in a safe environment where you can process them without fear or stress.

In fact, there's so much data about the mental and emotional benefits of journaling that counselors, social workers, and therapists often encourage their patients to do it. This study from the journal Advances in Psychiatric Treatment is a great experiment, and a solid summary of current research on the topic. In the piece, the researchers noted that 15-20 minutes on 3-5 occasions was enough to help the study participants deal with traumatic, stressful, or otherwise emotional events. It's been specifically effective in people with severe illnesses, like cancer, for example. In fact, the practice is so well regarded, there's a Center for Journal Therapy dedicated to the mental health benefits of regular journaling, both in therapeutic and personal settings.

It's not just what you write about though. How you write plays a role as well. This University of Iowa study showed that journaling about stressful events helped participants deal with the events they experienced. The key, however, was to focus on what you were thinking and feeling as opposed to your emotions alone. In short, you get the best benefits of journaling when you're telling your personal story, not just writing about your feelings on their own. It's a great example of how telling your own personal story can make a huge difference in your well being.

Keeping a Journal Helps Harness Your Creativity

The creative benefits of keeping a journal are also well documented. You've likely heard that the best way to get better at writing is to just keep doing it. That's true, but the benefits go deeper than just crafting better sentences. For example, regular writing can help you learn to process and communicate complex ideas effectively. It can also help you memorize important information, and brainstorm new ideas. In other words, writing about your experiences not only helps you process them, it helps you see opportunities that may not have been apparent at first glance. It also helps you learn to break down complex experiences into relevant, useful bits of information organized coherently.

Even if you don't think anything special has happened to you, the very act of keeping a journal can help you brainstorm. How often have you caught yourself writing about something that seems dull on the surface, but led you to a spiderweb of other thoughts, ideas, and memories as you were processing it? Regular writing opens the door to those opportunities every time you sit down.

Even If You Don't Do Creative Work, Regular Writing Has Practical Benefits

Regular writing can be functional, too, and serve as a reminder of mistakes you've made, accomplishments you're proud of, and great moments you want to remember. For example, keeping a work diary can serve as a track record of mistakes and successes. That written record can come in handy later when you're feeling down, but they can also help you right your personal ship when you're feeling lost. Pick up your work diary and look back over the things you did really well with-you may be able to pick out a pattern of things you want to follow, career-wise. Similarly, those achievements and awesome moments don't just boost your self-esteem, they give you great justification for a raise or promotion when it comes time to talk to the boss about an increase. You don't have to be a creative worker to appreciate looking back over the things you did well, and the things you need to work on. Seeing your own mistakes before they're pointed out to you is a great thing, and documenting your achievements makes sure they're never overlooked.

Regular writing can apply to more than just work, too. Keeping a journal is a great way to build better habits, as it forces you to be aware of your actions and behaviors. If you're looking to watch what you eat, keeping a food diary is a great way to stay paying closer attention-one that's been proven to help people eat more healthfully. Similarly, just writing down positive things that happened to you or tracking your mood can help you identify good patterns in your life that are repeatable that you should make time for-not to mention things that make you feel bad or throw you off your game that should be eliminated.

Which Medium You Should Choose, and Why

Once you've decided to keep a journal, your next decision is the medium to use for it. You have plenty of options, and what works for one person won't work for another. You have to choose the one that works best for you. Here are a few options:

Paper Notebooks

If you love the feeling of physically writing down your thoughts, a paper notebook may be the best option for you. There's really nothing like setting pen to paper, and we even have some paper notebook suggestions to get you started. Keeping a paper journal gives you total physical control over your writing, and it gives you the most privacy, since there's little chance of your journal being "hacked" or "lost" when a service shuts down or is compromised. However, paper journaling means you don't have backups in case something happens to your work-theft, fire, or just a lost backpack means your journal is gone forever.

If you don't want just a plain empty notebook, the Bullet Journal productivity method fits in nicely if you're already using your paper notebook for to-dos and notes, and the previously mentioned Sorta has unique notebooks with removable pages. If you're afraid you're too busy to journal, consider the Five-Minute Journal, a paper notebook that's sets you up with a motivational quote, then gives you daily writing prompts to fill out like "Today I'm grateful for," "What would make today great?" and "3 Great Things that happened today."

Journaling and Diary Apps

If you just can't separate yourself from your phone or laptop, there are plenty of apps that promise privacy and security as well as a great writing environment. We've featured a few before, but some of the stand-outs include Penzu, an all-online private journaling webapp with mobile apps, and Day One, a good looking iOS/OS X app that's location-aware, lets you add photos, and more. If you prefer free and open-source, try RedNotebook. It's a fantastic wiki-style journaling tool that's cross-platform.

Of course, you don't have to use apps at all. You could just keep an encrypted text file in Dropbox, use Evernote or Google Keep, or any other note-taking app you prefer. You can even roll your own custom journaling system with whatever tools you prefer, but keep in mind that the more you automate the process, the less you're actually journaling, so you don't get quite the same benefits.

Blogging

Blogging is another great way to get the benefits of journaling, regardless of whether you get started to make a name for yourself, or to just get your thoughts and feelings out in the open. Keeping a blog opens the door to the widest possible audience, but it comes with the sacrifice of privacy. If that's your preferred route, you have a wide array of tools and hosts to choose from, both free and paid. We've walked you through some of the most popular blogging platforms, and even introduces some of the new contenders you may have heard of. All of them offer different looks, cater to different audiences, and are designed for different kinds of people. Whatever you choose, keeping a personal blog may not come with writing prompts or fancy mobile apps (although some do), but they can come with community, and option to share your story with the world.

However you choose to keep your journal, there are clear benefits to doing it. You don't have to be Kurt Cobain, Isaac Newton, Abraham Lincoln, Andy Warhol, Leonardo Da Vinci, or any other famous artist, creative, politician, scientist, or famous figure for your thoughts and experiences to be worthwhile. In every case, they can be a huge benefit to you, personally, and enlightening for anyone you choose to share them with.
Title photo made using Oliver Hoffman (Shutterstock). Other photos by Laurelville Mennonite Church Center, Joel Montes de Oca, loppear, JimileeK, Day One, and Chris Booth.

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Why You Should Keep a Journal (and How to Start Yours)

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Some of the most influential people in history kept detailed journals of their lives. Those journals served two purposes: a permanent record for posterity, and cathartic release for the people writing them. Even if you don't think you need either, keeping a journal has great benefits you can enjoy immediately.

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Psychology researchers aren't necessarily Thanksgiving experts-they may not know how to make fluffy stuffing, say, or beat the traffic to your in-laws' house-but they have become a fount of wisdom on thanksgiving (with a small "t").

Over the past decade, they've not only identified the great social, psychological, and physical health benefits that come from giving thanks; they've zeroed in on some concrete practices that help us reap those benefits.

And perhaps the most popular practice is to keep a "gratitude journal." As we've reported many times over the years, studies have traced a range of impressive benefits to the simple act of writing down the things for which we're grateful-benefits including better sleep, fewer symptoms of illness, and more happiness among adults and kids alike. We've even launched our own digital gratitude journal, Thnx4.org, here on Greater Good.

The basic practice is straightforward. In many of the studies, people are simply instructed to record five things they experienced in the past week for which they're grateful. The entries are supposed to be brief-just a single sentence-and they range from the mundane ("waking up this morning") to the sublime ("the generosity of friends") to the timeless ("the Rolling Stones").

© esolla

But when you dig into the research, you find that gratitude journals don't always work-some studies show incredible benefits, others not so much.

To understand why, I took a closer look at the research and consulted with Robert Emmons, arguably the world's leading expert on the science of gratitude and an author of some of the seminal studies of gratitude journals.

Emmons, a professor at the University of California, Davis, shared these research-based tips for reaping the greatest psychological rewards from your gratitude journal.

Don't just go through the motions. Research by psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky and others suggests that journaling is more effective if you first make the conscious decision to become happier and more grateful. "Motivation to become happier plays a role in the efficacy of journaling," says Emmons.

Go for depth over breadth. Elaborating in detail about a particular thing for which you're grateful carries more benefits than a superficial list of many things.

Get personal. Focusing on people to whom you are grateful has more of an impact than focusing on things for which you are grateful.

Try subtraction, not just addition. One effective way of stimulating gratitude is to reflect on what your life would be like without certain blessings, rather than just tallying up all those good things.

Savor surprises. Try to record events that were unexpected or surprising, as these tend to elicit stronger levels of gratitude.

Don't overdo it. Writing occasionally (once or twice per week) is more beneficial than daily journaling. In fact, one study by Lyubomirsky and her colleagues found that people who wrote in their gratitude journals once a week for six weeks reported boosts in happiness afterward; people who wrote three times per week didn't. "We adapt to positive events quickly, especially if we constantly focus on them," says Emmons. "It seems counterintuitive, but it is how the mind works."

In looking over this list, what strikes me is how keeping a gratitude journal-or perhaps the entire experience of gratitude-is really about forcing ourselves to pay attention to the good things in life we'd otherwise take for granted. Perhaps that's why the benefits seem to diminish when you start writing more than once per week, and why surprises induce stronger feelings of gratitude: It's easy to get numb to the regular sources of goodness in our lives.

Indeed, Emmons told me that when people start keeping a gratitude journal, he recommends that they see each item they list in their journal as a gift-in fact, he suggests that they "make the conscious effort to associate it with the word 'gift.'" Here are the exact instructions he gives participants in his studies:

Be aware of your feelings and how you "relish" and "savor" this gift in your imagination. Take the time to be especially aware of the depth of your gratitude.

"In other words," he says, "we tell them not to hurry through this exercise as if it were just another item on your to-do list. This way, gratitude journaling is really different from merely listing a bunch of pleasant things in one's life."

So why might this particular practice do such good for our minds and bodies? Emmons points to research showing that translating thoughts into concrete language-whether oral or written-has advantages over just thinking the thoughts: It makes us more aware of them, deepening their emotional impact.

"Writing helps to organize thoughts, facilitate integration, and helps you accept your own experiences and put them in context," he says. "In essence, it allows you to see the meaning of events going on around you and create meaning in your own life."

It has become common for therapists to recommend writing about unpleasant, even traumatic events (a practice we'll discuss in the teleseminar I'll be participating in this Friday, hosted by the National Association of Memoir Writers). Similarly, says Emmons, gratitude journals may help us "bring a new and redemptive frame of reference to a difficult life situation."

Though he does have suggestions for how to keep a gratitude journal, Emmons also stresses that "there is no one right way to do it." There's no evidence that journaling at the start of the day is any more effective than journaling before you go to bed, for instance. And aesthetics really don't matter.

"You don't need to buy a fancy personal journal to record your entries in, or worry about spelling or grammar," says Emmons. "The important thing is to establish the habit of paying attention to gratitude-inspiring events."

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Psychology researchers aren't necessarily Thanksgiving experts-they may not know how to make fluffy stuffing, say, or beat the traffic to your in-laws' house-but they have become a fount of wisdom on thanksgiving (with a small "t").

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There are a myriad of benefits to journaling, and everyone should consider keeping a journal.

However, one of the obstacles that people face when they want to pick up the practice of journaling is that they don't know what to write about. In this post you'll discover 119 journal prompts to help you get started in keeping a journal, or as additional inspiration for dedicated journalers.

I recommend that you do the following:

Below you'll find 119 journal prompts for your journal jar.

Sunday Scribblings

Sunday Scribblings is a site that posts a writing prompt every Saturday. The idea is that on Sunday you create a piece of writing inspired by the prompt, post it on your blog, and leave a comment on the "Sunday Scribblings" site letting them know that you've participated. These can also be used as journal prompts.

Here are some of their prompts:

Create Lists

You can create lists of many things, such as the following:

Places you've enjoyed visiting.

Things you've done that you previously thought you could never do.

The people you most admire.

Your favorite books.

Your favorite movies.

Your favorite songs.

Your top five short term goals.

Your top five long term goals.

As a bonus, here's an infographic with 60 lists to make when you need to lift your mood (you can download a PDF with these 60 list ideas at the end of this blog post).

Confessions

Do you have anything you would like to confess (even if it's just to the pages of your journal)?

Nobody knows that I . . .

Dear ____, it weighs on me that I never told you . . .

The biggest lie I've ever told is . . .

Is there anything you feel guilty about? Is there anything you need to be forgiven for?

What's the worst thing you've ever done?

What's your secret desire?

What's the most outrageous thing you've ever done?

Use Quotes as Journal Prompts

Look at the following quotes and write whatever comes to mind when you read them:

The Most . . .

Visual Journaling Prompts

Leaf through a couple of magazines and cut out any images that catch your attention. Use each one as a prompt.

Look through your photographs and choose a few to write about.

Buy art books that are at a discount and cut them up for images.

Three Things

Three things you can't go without.

Three celebrity crushes.

Three favorite book characters.

Three favorite things to wear.

Three things you want in a relationship.

If you had to evacuate your home because of a natural disaster, what three things would you take with you?

Three pet peeves.

Three things you'd do if you weren't so afraid.

Three favorite TV shows.

100 Things I Love

You're going to make lists that will add up to 100 things you love. Make sure you give an explanation for each of the things you add to your list. For example, don't just list your favorite restaurants, write down what you enjoy about each one (the warm bread they serve before the meal, the waiter who always remembers your favorite dish, the whimsical decor, and so on).

10 Activities

10 Restaurants

10 People

10 Foods

10 Games

6 Drinks/Beverages

4 Desserts

10 Paintings

10 Web Sites

10 Writers

10 Famous lines from books/movies

Express Your Emotions

Rituals and Traditions

My favorite Sunday ritual . . .

The Holiday traditions I most look forward to . . .

Things I always did with my dad when I was small . . .

Things I always did with my mom when I was little . . .

Ask "If" Questions

These prompts were inspired by the book If... (Questions For The Game of Life).

Memories From Your Childhood

What was your favorite toy?

Did you ever get lost?

Who was your best friend in elementary school?

Did you ever run away from home?

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

What was your favorite subject in school?

Who was your favorite teacher?

What's your first memory?

What was your favorite cartoon?

What book did you read over and over again as a child?

What is your most vivid memory of the kitchen in your childhood?

As a child, who was your favorite relative?

Thinking of the Week That Just Ended

Who made you feel good this week?

What was the biggest mistake you made this week?

What did you do this week that moved you closer to reaching your goals?

Is there anything you did this week that you wish you'd done differently?

What did you most enjoy doing this week?

How did you procrastinate on important tasks this week?

What did you learn this week?

What's the funniest thing that happened to you this week?

Write a Letter

Landmark Events

The Sky's the Limit

What would you do if you knew you could not fail?

What would you do if money were no object?

What would you ask for if a genie granted you three wishes?

What's your wildest dream?

What would you do if you could live a day without consequences?

What grand adventure do you wish you could go on?

If you could become an expert in any subject or activity, what would it be?

What would your perfect day be like?

Close your eyes and imagine the kind of world you would like to see. What is it like?

An Ode To Your Uniqueness

What makes you unique?

How do you stand out from the crowd?

What are your best character traits?

What are you really good at?

How would you describe yourself?

How would your best friend describe you?

What character traits do you need to work on?

What are some of your idiosyncrasies?

How do you indulge yourself? Do you need to indulge yourself more often?

How do you think others see you when they meet you for the first time?

Dream Triggers

Use your journaling sessions to think about your ideal life. Ask yourself dream triggers, such as the following:

You'll find 1000 dream triggers, covering 10 different life areas, here.

Memory Triggers

My eBook, "Create Your Life Story", contains 444 memory prompts, covering several life areas, to help you get started recording your memories and writing your life story. They can also be used as journaling prompts.

Here are three of the prompts that you'll find inside:

Was there anything noteworthy about your mother's upbringing -she grew up in extreme poverty or extreme wealth; she grew up during the Great Depression; she grew up surrounded by artists, philosophers, or politicians; her family moved around a lot when she was growing up; and so on?

Write down three of your father's favorites (it could be his favorite singer, his favorite book or author, his favorite movie, his favorite time of the year, his favorite basketball player, his favorite artist, his favorite meal, his favorite dessert, and so on).

Do you have any famous or high profile family members? If so, write about them.

Conclusion

Keeping a journal is a great tool for changing your life for the better. In addition, keeping prompts in a journal jar will make journaling easier. The prompts above are a great place to start.

As promised above, here's the PDF with the 60 lists to make when you need a mood lift. Download it, print it, and put it somewhere you can grab it when you feel like making lists. Just fill in your name and email in the form below.

Related Posts:

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119 Journal Prompts for Your Journal Jar -

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For those times when you're not sure what to write about in your journal, you need journal prompts. Here are 119 journal prompts.

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A journal is a way to keep a record of something that is important to us.It records our thoughts about a particular topic, and our topic is JOY. I kept one for a long time, and now I think it would be fun if you kept one too.There is no better way in the world to have a visual of our daily blessings and all the little miracles that happen.
How Do I Keep a Joy Journal?
Keeping a joy journal is very easy and fun.We begin to focus on all of the positive happenings in our life.We keep our joy journal just like we would keep any other journal, only this one requires only a minute or two of our time once or twice each day.We simply jot down a few words about something positive that happened.I love to keep my joy journal in my purse.But you can keep it by your bed, in your pocket, in your desk drawer or on the counter top in the kitchen.All we have to do is write down the joys of our life a few words at a time.No page long stories.Just a sentence or two when something good happens.

A huge bright blue butterfly landed on my window sill.

A stranger actually stopped and helped me get my car out of the ditch.

I loved the way that mother looked at her little twins.

The woodpecker came to the bird feeder again this morning. Yipee!

My neighbor brought me a warm loaf of bread this morning.

My husband (wife, friend, or companion) called me from work just to say hello.

My daughter passed the history test she was sure she failed.

I helped my 5 year old son ride a two wheel bike to day.

The lawn looked so green after the rain...it looked like a post card.

Every joy is important.Each time we smile it is important.Each time we have a small success, it is life changing.Each time we laugh, we strengthen our immune system.Most of us have no idea how many positive things happen to us in any given day.We take them for granted.

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A journal is a way to keep a record of something that is important to us.It records our thoughts about a particular topic, and our topic is JOY. I kept one for a long time, and now I think it would be fun if you kept one too.There is no better way in the world to have a visual of our daily blessings and all the little miracles that happen.

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It takes more than a good grasp of grammar to teach students the true power of the written word.
Lori Sparkia/Shutterstock

I was a closet writer from an early age. In the second grade I wrote a poem for my classmate Patrick O'Neal, who sat alone everyday on the playground, but I didn't give it to him. A few years later, I started writing a book that featured a thinly disguised amalgam of Laura Ingalls Wilder and myself making do in a little house on the prairie. In middle school, I documented love triangles and made lists of my first, second, and third-best friends in a diary that locked. My secrets were safe, and so was my budding desire to be a writer.

Year after year in school, I dutifully underlined subjects and circled verbs on grammar worksheets. I wrote answers to the study questions at the end of the chapter and learned how to nail the five-paragraph essay my junior year in high school. (I haven't been asked to write another one since, even in college.)

In school, writing was a closed circuit. The teacher gave an assignment, I responded, then she passed it back with a letter grade at the top of the page. I was good at school, but none of it felt like writing. Writing was what I did on my own time. I composed poetry and song lyrics in secret and hid my journal in my sock drawer when I heard footsteps in the hall.

So Kelly Ford's Senior English class came as a surprise.

Even in 1982 at the age of 17, I knew that something was different. For starters, we wrote every single day. No grammar worksheets in Kelly's class and no study questions either. Instead, his favorite drill went like this: Enter the room. Grab your journal. Read the prompt on the chalkboard, and start writing. Give me 10 full minutes without stopping. No excuses.

Sharing what we wrote was an important drill, too. We gave feedback to one another in writing groups so we could improve our work. I learned that Marlon, the calf roper who sat behind me in sixth period, could also turn a phrase because when Marlon's poetry moved him, Kelly thought we should hear it out loud, too.

Some assignments felt familiar, like my research paper on the Wars of the Roses and the essay analyzing the symbolism of the albatross in "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." But for the first time ever, I also wrote poetry and short stories in class. I wrote a personal essay about my Aunt Eunice whose sure hands had fed me fish and cornbread every summer of life. I described how bony her fingers looked that Christmas before she died, how they opened and closed like restless birds on the quilt draped across her lap. I wrote song lyrics intended to keep my boyfriend from abandoning me when we left for different colleges in the fall. (It worked. We've been married for 27 years.)

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The Best Writing Teachers Are Writers Themselves

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It takes more than a good grasp of grammar to teach students the true power of the written word. Lori Sparkia/Shutterstock I was a closet writer from an early age. In the second grade I wrote a poem for my classmate Patrick O'Neal, who sat alone everyday on the playground, but I didn't give it to him.

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I kept a diary as a child and I loved it. One day I excitedly reported to my mom that I'd filled 6 whole pages and was still going! I was so proud that I had so much to write about.

That is until, "Just make sure that what you're writing is important," she said. "You don't want to be writing about just anything. Make sure it's not boring."

Those weren't her words exactly but that's how my child's mind heard them and the wind immediately left my sails. Every time I opened my diary, my mom's advice would echo in my head. What if what I was writing wasn't interesting? Did it have to be interesting to just me or were others going to see it? If that were the case, how could I be totally honest?

I began to believe that my entries had to be perfect. I hated if I had to scratch out a word or if something was misspelled. I would always end my rants with, "Well I'm sure they had a good reason," or "they really are nice enough." Anything so that if the person I was complaining about happened across my diary, I could redeem myself.

I never felt I could be honest with questions I had about my life, school, boys, sex, even my mom's passing. How could I pour out all of my thoughts and fears? It wasn't appropriate. If someone were to read it, they wouldn't understand.

Since I had nowhere to release my feelings, they quickly grew into issues concerning trust and my own self-worth. Nothing notable was happening to me so I had nothing compelling to write about. I'd save the pages until something remarkable happened. Something that I'd want to reread in the future. I'd never want to go back and read about how I'd had a crummy day at work or couldn't find a date to prom. Diaries were for happy memories.

As I grew older I tried many times to start a journal; wanting something to do with all the extra thoughts in my head. I would go strong for a few days but quickly lose steam. I still had nothing exciting to put down. All I seemed to do was vent and it would just upset me more. What was distressing me was that I was writing for someone else and not for myself. It's hard to work through anything when your main concern is how others will react to you.

At some point, during my quest to "fix" my issues, I realized how beneficial journaling could be. That other people actually did it daily. That if I wrote about what was upsetting me, I'd usually feel better by the end of the entry. I learned that journaling wasn't just about me describing my day. It could be drawings or random words or even my own name written over and over.

I started doing Morning Pages and slowly stopped editing myself. I started to allow messy handwriting, then even a few misspellings here and there. I began to release worries, fears and joy without holding back.

A few weeks ago it really hit me: my journal is my safe place. I can write anything about anyone, myself or life and its fine. There's no judgment, no opinion. My journal listens without reaction. It understands me even when I'm not being clear or viewing things slightly askew. It doesn't need me to go back and edit or revise my run-on sentences. It knows exactly what I mean every single time and I can face it the next day without fear or embarrassment. I can just be me without any explanations or apologies. And that is a fabulous feeling.

__________

Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/seanj/416528241/

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Christina Keach is a home/petsitter who has found that her journal is an even better listener then her four-legged charges. With the help of her ever-patient journal and Mari's workbooks, she's slowly found her inspiration and drive again.

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Are you ready to begin a journaling practice? Here are a few tips to help you start.

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My Journal Writing: I Need To Vent And I Need It To Be Okay

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I kept a diary as a child and I loved it. One day I excitedly reported to my mom that I'd filled 6 whole pages and was still going! I was so proud that I had so much to write about. That is until, "Just make sure that what you're writing is important," she said.

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Becoming Your Own Expert-Teachers as Writers - National Writing Project

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I know I don't like vague written comments on my writing, like a rejection slip I recently collected. It only said that the work had promise and I should try again, but sorry this time. "Is that all?" I chafed. What part had promise? What was weak? I was frustrated.

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Teachers Write! is a group created for Kate Messner's Virtual Summer Writing Camp for teachers, held on the blog www.katemessner.com/blog. Please note: This is not a public group - it's specifically for teachers, librarians, and the author volunteers who contribute to our summer writing camp.

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Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

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Much has been said and written about the power of big fat hairy goals, what I call audacious goals.

Far away and seemingly impossible goals can keep you moving forward for the years they may take to accomplish. But today I'm going to embrace my full contrarian self and sing the praises of the exact opposite: setting a few absurdly simple, easily accomplished, tiny goals.

The Easily Accomplished, Tiny Goal

This was something I did for a long time before I recognized it for what it was.

For example, I've written before about my manipulation of my virtual running partner Frank. I set him to run at an absurdly slow pace so I can be sure to beat him on days when I need a mental boost.

But come to find out, this is a real thing.

I recently heard Tim Ferriss (productivity blogger and guru) talking about this very thing in a video with Entrepreneur magazine.

The gist of his idea (and what I'd been doing without realizing it) is setting a ridiculously tiny goal for yourself so you know you can accomplish it.

Rig the game so you'll win, as he puts it.

The Journey Of A Thousand Steps...

Big audacious goals are great for the long haul, but sometimes those goals can be intimidating precisely because they are so big.

Achieving them can seem impossible at times. Progress can be slow. Sometimes painfully slow.

This is where tiny goals can play a part, especially when you tie your tiny goals up into bigger and bigger benchmarks. Before you know it, the tiny goals will lead you to achieve your audacious goal.

The book does a great job describing how this process can work.

The idea of the book is to figure out the tiny thing you can do today, such that by doing it, makes everything else easier.

Why Tiny Goals Need A Place

They Are Actionable

Big monster goals aren't actionable.

There isn't one thing you can do to get you from where you are, to where you need to be to accomplish your massive goal.

But when you break down your massive goal far enough, you get little activities you can do every day to move you forward.

You can't do the big stuff, you do the little stuff.

They Aren't Intimidating

If you set a big goal that stretches your limits, that can be intimidating.

You may talk yourself out of trying because it's scary and you'd have to push your limits.

Running a marathon if you are a couch potato or doing 100 push-ups can be terrifying.

But running a single block? Doing a single push-up?

Not remotely intimidating.

They Get You Over The Starting

The hardest part of nearly every project is the starting.

Heading out the door for a run, or starting with a blank page when writing the next great American novel. That first step and that first word are often harder than all the others put together.

If your goal is ridiculously small, you can't make any (legitimate) excuses not to do it. And once you get started, you may as well keep going.

I read somewhere about someone who set a goal of flossing one tooth a day. That is such an absurdly low bar, he had no excuse to not floss a single tooth. But once he did that, he was much more likely to keep going and floss all of this teeth, he'd already started after all.

They Build Habits

What You Do Every Day Matters More Than What You Do Once In a While. - Gretchen Rubin

Regular, tiny, successful goals will keep you moving in the right direction on a daily basis. These small goals will get you in the habit of taking action every day.

The small goals are actionable and easy - so you do them. Every day.

This keeps you moving in the right direction and reminds you regularly of what you are trying to accomplish.

They Create A Sense Of Accomplishment

I regularly do the Monday New York Times crossword puzzle. They run the easiest puzzles on Monday and get progressively harder through the week. While the Sunday puzzles can be a fun challenge, I hate the feeling of being stymied by ink on a piece of paper.

I like Monday puzzles because I know I can finish them. My brain doesn't care that the puzzle is easier on Monday, it only knows I finished it.

Reaching a goal makes you feel good. Your brain doesn't know (or doesn't care) that you rigged the game.

You set a goal and you accomplished it.

That feels good, no matter how small the goal was.

Sara is a runner, running coach, writer, blogger, and a lover of all things written.

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Tiny Goals: Why You Should Set A Few Absurdly Small Goals ·

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Much has been said and written about the power of big fat hairy goals, what I call audacious goals. Far away and seemingly impossible goals can keep you moving forward for the years they may take to accomplish.

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Note: This is a guest post from Shaunta Grimes. Shaunta is the author of Viral Nation and Rebel Nation. She blogs about writing at What is a Plot? You can sign up for her free class on how to develop and test a story idea here.

Hi. My name is Shaunta, and I'm a "tiny goal" addict. Also: Hi. I'm a writer, and I have never had writer's block. Like, ever. It's true. And guess what. Those two admissions are closely tied together.

I've never had writer's block because I am addicted to tiny goals.

It wasn't always that way. I used to make big goals for myself. I'd get a notebook and write out an elaborate plan for writing three hours a night after my kids were in bed (even though I'm totally a morning person.) Or writing 2,000 words a day, because that's what Stephen King does. He said so in .

And I might make it through a day or two. Maybe a week. But inevitably, something would happen. Some family thing. Some work thing. And when I was faced with not having a three-hour block for writing, I'd skip the whole day. And without fail, that day turned into a week or a month or even a year.

And then the whole thing would start over again.

I was writing, sometimes, but I didn't feel like a writer. I didn't feel like it was my job, because I was making such sporadic progress. Sometimes I wrote like a fiend. Sometimes I'd go weeks or months without writing a word, because I felt so behind that it was hard to even think about writing without feeling guilty.

How I started using tiny goals

When my daughter Ruby was five, she had pneumonia. We lived in a tiny rural Nevada town, so I had to travel with her to Las Vegas where she was in the hospital for three weeks. I wrote a lot during those days, and I thought a lot about being a writer.

I didn't have much else to do, and writing kept me sane. Writing has always kept me sane, so pulling out a notebook every day was a no-brainer.

I realized, during those weeks, sitting with my little girl in the hospital, that I really did want to be a writer, and I wasn't going to get there by writing in short-lived (but heroic) bursts. I needed a daily writing habit. I made a promise to myself to write a page a day for a month after we got home.

Six weeks later, that page a day goal turned into the first draft of my first published novel.

How tiny goals work

Think of either an amount of time or a number of words that you are absolutely certain that, no matter what else happened in a day, you could meet.

Now cut that in half.

Maybe, cut it in half again.

Keep going until you have a goal so small that it would be psychologically more difficult for you to break it than it would be for you to just give in and get it done.

Now, small is relative. After years of working really hard to get here, I was finally able to quit my day job this year. I'm a full-time writer. So writing 500 words or working for thirty minutes a day on my fiction writing is my current tiny goal.

You might be thinking, Jeez, lazy. Thirty minutes a day, and you don't even have a day job? That's ridiculous. I get that. Just stick with me, though.

You'll see.

A few months ago, I was still working full-time, and I was building an online business, and I still had the regular family obligations. (I'm a soccer mom, I have an adult son with autism, and my parents-in-law with dementia live with me.) Back then, 500 words a day wasn't a tiny goal. It was a pipe dream.

My tiny goal then was ten minutes a day.

I can do anything for ten minutes a day. I can write for ten minutes a day-even on my busiest, craziest day. Sure, sometimes I might be scribbling at red lights or in a notebook balanced on my knees when I'm in the bathroom, but I can do ten minutes every single day.

I've never personally had to go less than that for a tiny goal, but I see absolutely nothing wrong with having a thirty-second goal if that's where you are. A one-sentence goal. Honestly, whatever hits that sweet spot for you where it would be harder to skip it than to just get it over with.

Tiny goals are (mostly) just a trick

I mean, sure. Technically, if you want to set your timer for thirty seconds, write one sentence, and quit until tomorrow, go for it. At that rate, you'll probably write one book in your lifetime, and that's all Margaret Mitchell knocked out, right?

But if you can do ten minutes, here's what that might look like in practice:

You sit down at your desk. You open your manuscript file. You maybe re-read your last paragraph. You put your fingers on the keyboard. You start typing.

Here's what the transformation from ten minutes of writing to twenty or thirty or an hour or more looks like:

You keep typing.

See?

The whole purpose of a tiny goal is to get you started. The stuff that happens before you start writing can be monumental. You have to talk yourself into choosing writing over all the other things you could be doing with those ten minutes. And if you are anything like me, every minute of your day, you're making a choice between at least three things you could be doing.

Write or start a load of laundry?

Write or check your kid's math homework?

Write or talk to your partner about that bill you forgot to pay?

And those are just things you could do instead of writing for ten minutes. If you have a goal of, say, writing three hours a day, now you've entered a whole other ball game.

Write or have a part-time job?

Write or take a college course or two?

Write or take your kid to the park?

Whew. Pressure! No wonder it's so easy to just skip it, sometimes for days or weeks on end.

Tiny goals to the rescue!

What a tiny goal does is help you get past the initial hurdle of starting to write. It gets your butt in a chair. It gets that manuscript file opened. It gets your fingers moving.

Once you get going, momentum takes over. I would estimate that at least 90 percent of the time, I far exceed my tiny goal. Right now, I generally write fiction at least two hours a day. When I was still working my day job, I usually managed twenty to thirty minutes a day.

Having a daily tiny writing goal does something else, too. It keeps the idea that you really are a writer front and center in your brain. And you want to be a writer, so keeping that little bitty commitment becomes something that feels really good on more than one level.

Tiny goals aren't only a mind trick, though. It's not like I give mouth service to writing 500 words a day but secretly expect myself to write 2,000 instead. I truly give myself permission to write 500 words a day (or, when things are super hectic, 10 minutes a day.) There are days where I stop mid-sentence and put it away until tomorrow. There are days when I feel like I'm fishing each word out of my gray matter with a toothpick.

On those days, I get my little bit of forward motion in, and then I don't think about it again until the next day. The key is to make that forward progress every single day.

If you commit to making a tiny bit of progress every day, you'll find that momentum carries you right through writer's block like it doesn't even exist. If you're really stuck, go ahead and give that thirty-second goal a try.

What ridiculously tiny goal can you set today? Share in the comments.

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How Tiny Goals Changed My Life And Made Me a Real Writer

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Note: This is a guest post from Shaunta Grimes. Shaunta is the author of Viral Nation and Rebel Nation. She blogs about writing at What is a Plot? You can sign up for her free class on how to develop and test a story idea here. Hi.

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It's one thing to call yourself a writer and quite another to actually write. So what separates the pros from the amateurs? Is it God-given talent? Natural skill? Or something else?

Real writers do one simple thing: they write every single day. Forming a daily writing habit isn't easy. It forces you to give up your misconceptions about writing and embrace the truth. It's not a gift; it's a discipline.

Of course, we all have things we've been given, skills we inherited and opportunities we didn't deserve. But what we do with those gifts and opportunities is what separates the outliers from the rest of the pack.

The difference between a professional and an amateur is simple - it's practice. But that sounds a lot easier than it is. So how do you get up every day and write? This is the question that plagues those of us who struggle to stay motivated in our creative lives. We know we have something to say. We're just not sure how to say it.

Fear is what holds us back. The trick is to form a habit, to get up and do it without thinking. That's what the pros do. And it's what you must do, too, if you're going to get serious about your craft.

The three steps

There are three steps, I've found, to starting a daily writing habit:

1. Pick a space. It can be your dining room table or a desk, even the couch. But the idea is that this is special, sacred even. It's where inspiration happens. Try to set it apart.

2. Set a time. It can be 5am or 11:30pm. Whatever it is, just try to make it consistent. You need to show up every day at this time and put your butt in the chair. It doesn't matter if you have any idea what you're going to write; until you commit to a time, you never will.

3. Choose a goal. This can be a hundred words or a thousand words. Whatever it is, give yourself grace. Hemingway was renowned for writing 1500 words one day and 300 the next. In my experience, anything from 300-1000 is sufficient to forming a writing habit.

Do this over and over and over again, every day and every week. And within months, you'll be surprised by how much easier writing comes to you.

Sounds too good to be true, right? I can already hear the objections...

"What if I don't know what to write?"

That doesn't matter. Write anyway. If you haven't formed a habit yet, your writing may not be that good. All you're trying to do is show up, to be consistent enough to start practicing and get good.

Still, if you need a prompt or two, here are some ideas:

Write about your surroundings.

Write about what you did today.

Write a section of a chapter to that book you've been working on.

Write a letter to your kids... or one to yourself.

Write anything!

I'm not kidding when I say what you write about doesn't matter. It really doesn't. At the end of the day, there is one box you need to check, and it reads:
"Have I written?" (Check YES/NO)
If you miss your word count, blow your scheduled time, and write a bunch of malarkey - but you still get to check "yes" - then consider the day a success. Get up tomorrow and do it again.

Good luck.

It's one thing to call yourself a writer; it's quite another to actually write.

Ready to get started writing daily? Sign up for the My 500 Words Writing Challenge and get a prompt every day for a month to help you stay on track. Click here to get started.

Other writing resources

Why You Need to Write Every Day

How a Daily Writing Habit Makes You Better

Do you write every day? Why or why not? Share in the comments.

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Three Steps to Start a Daily Writing Habit

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It's one thing to call yourself a writer; it's quite another to actually write. So what separates the pros from the amateurs? Is it God-given talent? Natural skill? Or something else? Of course, we all have gifts that we've been given.

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So many of us say we'll start writing "as soon as" - as soon as we feel like it, as soon as we retire, as soon as we win the lottery. Here are thirteen pieces of advice to help you sit down and do it, shared by essayist and novelist Anne Lamott.

When it comes to working, says essayist and novelist Anne Lamott (TED Talk: Truths learned from life and writing), "every writer I know sits down and goes, 'Oh, I'm doomed, the well has run dry, I'm beating a dead horse, it's awful, my tooth hurts, I think I need a root canal ... and plus I have cancer in my leg.'"

Fortunately, for all of us ill-fated, dried-up, tooth-hurting scribblers, Lamott has decades of practice goading herself - as well as scores of students - into action. After all, she is the author of Bird by Bird, one of the top-five best writing books ever. In June, she participated in a Facebook Live conversation at TED's NYC headquarters, and we've distilled her essential advice.

1. Set your sights small.

"A blank piece of paper is like an unassaulted ice floe - whether you're a well-known writer or a beginner, it's overwhelming. I teach a second-grade workshop with my grandson right now, and I tell them about keeping a one-inch picture frame on their desks - all you have to do on any given day is what you can see through that one-inch picture frame. I'll say, 'You don't have to write a whole book on birds; just pick one bird.' We have a lot of pelicans where I live, so I'll say, 'Read about pelicans, and then write me two sentences about pelicans in your own voice.'"

2. Think of your writing as a pond - now go play in it.

"I picture a novel or a work of nonfiction as a lily pond. I buy poster-sized sheets of graph paper, and I'll start at one end and draw a big circle. I put what I know into that lily pad, like who the characters are, what this is going to be about, and when and where this is happening. Then I'll begin filling out a few of the lily pads that I'm going to land on. As I draw them and fill them in, I'll think, 'Oh, I really want to cover this' or 'This scene is something that is so important.' I'll put those somewhere on the graph paper - there's lots of blank space around the lily pads. If I need to get someplace, I put a little note to myself: 'I need to get here.' It's kind of like stringing beads on a necklace."

3. There's no shame in hitting the "delete" button.

"If you write something and it doesn't work, it does not mean you are a morally inferior person. It just means you need to take it out and try again. I have a lot of erasers, and I also hit the delete button a lot."

4. Your first draft will stink - and that's OK.

"A terrible first draft is the secret of life. Your first draft of a novel might be 450 pages, but it can't be - it really wants to be 310 pages. You'll have to take out stuff that you've spent so much time on, that you love more than life itself. As one great writer said, 'You must kill your little darlings.' It means you have to take out your favorite lines and your favorite descriptions that you think make you look much more educated than you really are. It hurts to take that stuff out but you do."

5. Find a couple of critics you love.

"Everybody needs two people who respect them and love their work and will give you the gifts of honesty and help. One of my people often says, 'I'm going to love this. But I think your first two pages are throat clearing, and I didn't know why you summoned me to sit by the campfire to listen to your story until I got to the very bottom of page three.' I hate criticism, and I always think, 'Well, this is a bad person, and I don't really want to be friends anymore. This is a negative, judgmental person.' And then I think, 'Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, because you saved me from giving it to an agent or editor before it's been polished to the very best surface that it can present.'"

6. Imagine the book you dream of finding, and then bring it to life.

"I always told my writing students to write what they'd love to come upon, because then it puts it into existence. Whether it's a memoir, a confessional, a screenplay, whatever, just start writing this book."

7. You'll get so much more out of writing than just a manuscript.

"Writing teaches us awareness. It teaches us to pay attention, to savor the moment. It's like that great Henry James line - a writer is someone on whom nothing is lost. Writing teaches you to take yourself seriously and to take life seriously. Scribble down whatever blows your mind. Whether you went to India or whether you were in the express line at Safeway, this thing got your attention so you scribble it down. Then you read other people who are doing the same kind of stuff and you think 'Yeah, that's what I'm going for.'"

8. It will probably take some trial and error before you find your voice as a writer.

"You can only tell a story in your own voice, which is so awful because the voices of the writers I love most, like Isabel Allende, are much more erudite. It doesn't mean you can't have a narrator who is from Bolivia and has a speech impediment; it just means I can't tell my truth in Isabel Allende's voice. That's a huge struggle, because how do you find your voice? Well, it's back to the eraser and the delete button. You find out what it isn't you, and you get closer and closer to what it is. For instance, in my first book, Hard Laughter, I was writing about my father's brain cancer. It's a pretty funny novel, but it's about how you survive an unsurvivable loss. I kept making things a little bit funny and less real, because I didn't want people to think I was a buzz-kill or a depressive. And it stuck out. In fact, the first review I got said that "whatever meager charms" I possessed were "ruined frequently by show-offy overkill.' But I have to tell you: that's probably the most important piece of feedback I ever got."

9. Don't wait to be "in the mood" to write - unless you want to wait forever.

"Writing is like playing piano or learning tennis; if you do it every day, you're going to get better and better. It's not about writing when you feel like writing. I can honestly tell you that I never feel like writing. I feel like taking the dog for a walk; I feel like catching up on the new New Yorker. When I was teaching, all my students explained to me that they'd start writing 'as soon as' - they were going to get serious when their last child left home or they were about to retire. And I'd say, 'You're either going to write tonight at 10:00, or you're never going to write.'"

10. If all else fails, send Stevo Lamott a letter.

"I have a younger brother named Stevo, who I really adore. When I'm stuck, I pretend I'm writing a letter to him. I'll say, 'Hi, honey, do you have a minute? I want to get this down before it's gone. But something happened yesterday that reminded me of when you and I were at Inverness in that little pond after John nearly drowned and this thing happened with Mom and Dad.' I'll write it all down, and don't care because it's just a letter to my baby brother. I've told many of my students 'Just write to my brother Stevo. He's gentle, he's brilliant, he teaches special ed, he's a great reader.' People have told me 'I've been writing to your brother Stevo for all these years!' Because it takes the pressure off. You're not writing so that Michiko Kakutani will admire you and write a huge New York Times review. You're writing a first draft so that your first draft can exist."

11. Waste more time and more paper.

"The most important advice I would give my younger writer self is what I'd give my younger woman self: What other people think of you is none of your business. And I wish I had believed when I was a young writer that I had some time to find out who I was and that I was going to find a precious community of older colleagues who would help me. The American way is to do it yourself, figure it out yourself, stick to the decisions you make - and all of that was a lie. I was taught as a child 'we don't waste time; we don't waste paper.' If you stared off into space when I was eight, a grown-up said, 'Don't you have anything to do? Is your room clean?' I'd teach my younger self to stare off into space more often. I would tell her to waste more paper. I would tell her she doesn't need to stick to a decision; she can change her mind."

12. Try to be your own coach.

"I would also tell my younger writer self to be with myself the way I'd be with a girlfriend or my younger brother: encouraging. I would be a birth coach or a helper; I would not be a critic. I would have told my younger writer self, 'Find a couple of people to help you and who you will help. You will do the very scary thing of telling them the truth about their work, and ask them to tell you the truth about yours - with respect and with love.' Like Dr. Spock always said, with two- and three-year-olds you should be firm but friendly. Now, as a 63-year-old writer, I'm firm but friendly with myself. I take my grandson to school at 8:30. After that, I have about 15 minutes to watch MSNBC, and then I'll tell myself 'Look, it's 9:00. Time to sit down and write.'"

13. Think of your writing as a gift to the world.

"It's such a gift for someone to tell you the truth, and it's such a gift for someone to create art with the mess and the chaos and the despair of life, to have turned it into a song, a poem, a novel. It's the hugest gift we have to offer one another."

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13 writing tips, from beloved teacher Anne Lamott

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So many of us say we'll start writing "as soon as" - as soon as we feel like it, as soon as we retire, as soon as we win the lottery. Here are thirteen pieces of advice to help you sit down a...

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1. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The Danger of a Single Story
Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice - and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.

2. Isabel Allende: Tales of Passion
Author and activist Isabel Allende discusses women, creativity, the definition of feminism - and, of course, passion - in this talk.

3. Andrew Stanton: The Clues to a Great Story
Filmmaker Andrew Stanton (Toy Story, WALL-E) shares what he knows about storytelling - starting at the end and working back to the beginning.

4. Lisa Bu: How Books Can Open Your Mind
What happens when a dream you've held since childhood ... doesn't come true? As Lisa Bu adjusted to a new life in the United States, she turned to books to expand her mind and create a new path for herself. She shares her unique approach to reading in this lovely, personal talk about the magic of books.

5. Amy Tan: Where Does Creativity Hide?
Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club, The Kitchen God's Wife and The Hundred Secret Senses, digs deep into the creative process, looking for hints of how hers evolved.

6. Billy Collins: Everyday Moments, Caught in Time
Combining dry wit with artistic depth, Billy Collins shares a project in which several of his poems were turned into delightful animated films in a collaboration with Sundance Channel. Five of them are included in this wonderfully entertaining and moving talk - and don't miss the hilarious final poem!

7. Elif Shafak: The Politics of Fiction
Listening to stories widens the imagination; telling them lets us leap over cultural walls, embrace different experiences, feel what others feel. Elif Shafak builds on this simple idea to argue that fiction can overcome identity politics.

8. Joe Sabia: The Technology of Storytelling
iPad storyteller Joe Sabia introduces us to Lothar Meggendorfer, who created a bold technology for storytelling: the pop-up book. Sabia shows how new technology has always helped us tell our own stories, from the walls of caves to his own onstage iPad.

9. Elizabeth Gilbert: Your Elusive Creative Genius
Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses - and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius. It's a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk.

10. Tracy Chevalier: Finding the Story Inside the Painting
When Tracy Chevalier looks at paintings, she imagines the stories behind them: How did the painter meet his model? What would explain that look in her eye? Why is that man ... blushing? She shares three stories inspired by portraits, including the one that led to her best-selling novel Girl With a Pearl Earring.

11. Jarred McGinnis: Writing is the Only Magic I Still Believe In
Jarred McGinnis shares his passion for stories and demonstrates the power of words from Speech Act Theory to the genius that is the children's book 'That's Not My Pirate'. Jarred is an American living in London, and the co-founder of the literary variety night, The Special Relationship.

12. Julian Friedmann: The Mystery of Storytelling
How we tell stories seems to be a mysterious process that millions around the world want to be able to do, but 99.9% effectively fail. Why is it so hard for storyteller and audience to be one? What we communicate can change the lives of the writer and the audience. However, why stories matter and how to tell them better may not be as mysterious as it seems. Julian Friedmann has worked with writers for over 40 years; he believes understanding that storytelling is more about the audience than the writer will result in better storytelling.

13. John Green: The Paper Town Academy
When we think of education as a school-based phenomenon, we do a disservice both to students and to the rest of us. Best-selling author ofLooking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars John Green argues that we should imagine education as a kind of cartography, and discusses how online communities are helping to build learning maps that will encourage students.

Follow @A_WritersStudio

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13 Inspirational TED Talks for Writers | Aerogramme Writers' Studio

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1. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The Danger of a Single Story Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice - and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.

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Becoming Your Own Expert-Teachers as Writers - National Writing Project

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I know I don't like vague written comments on my writing, like a rejection slip I recently collected. It only said that the work had promise and I should try again, but sorry this time. "Is that all?" I chafed. What part had promise? What was weak? I was frustrated.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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Should Educators Be Writers?

Last week, Donalyn Miller wrote a Nerdy Book Club post, entitled "Getting on the Bus." She wrote, "I am intolerant about teachers and librarians who don't read. I recognize this failing, but I have seen the power that a teacher or librarian's knowledge of books has for students and the lack of interest children have for reading when their teachers don't know much about books." Donalyn wrote passionately about the need for teachers and librarians to be readers themselves and to share that reading life with their students. She issued a challenge for all of us in the "choir" she was preaching to, that we should have more conversations about helping other teachers to "get on the bus." She said, "It's not enough to count our blessings when our own schools and the schools in our communities do more to engage teachers, children, and families with reading. Children's reading lives should not depend on their luck in getting a teacher who knows about books or a school with a librarian. All children deserve these opportunities. Every year."

Donalyn Miller's post was one I couldn't put out of my mind. I responded to it on my personal blog, Courage Doesn't Always Roar, last week. Stacey Shubitz, TWT's Chief of Operations and Lead Writer, commented on my post and asked, "How do we preach to those who aren't writing daily to get them to be teachers who write?" Donalyn challenged us as readers, but now we were considering the idea of educators as writers, and the importance of that for students. How could we further spread the message, that being an educator who writes is important, beyond what we are already doing?

In an interview with Scholastic, Donald Graves was asked if he had to choose one thing teachers should do when teaching writing, what would it be? He answered, "Write yourself. Invite children to do something you're already doing. If you're not doing it, Hey, the kids say, I can't wait to grow up and not have to write, like you. They know. And for the short term and the long term, you'll be doing yourself a favor by writing. All of us need it as a survival tool in a very complex world. The wonderful thing about writing is that it separates the meaningless and the trivial from what is really important. So we need it for ourselves and then we need to invite children to do what we're doing. You can't ask someone to sing a duet with you until you know the tune yourself."

Katie Wood Ray addresses the idea of teachers as writers in her book What You Know By Heart: How to Develop Curriculum for Your Writing Workshop. She states, "This is why so many of us try-at least once- the things we are asking students to do in our writing workshops. We live in the world as writers, searching for and capturing ideas for writing. We keep notebooks with these ideas in them. We take some of those ideas and grow them into something bigger that we eventually write for real audiences or for other reasons that matter to us. We draft, revise, and edit those pieces. We share them with others and deal with their feedback in our revision. We write in a variety of genres and forms. We write about the same topics in different ways. We give our writing away to others, finding out how scary that can be, and how joyous. Basically, we try to do for ourselves the things we are going to teach students how to do." Later, she writes, "We write so that we know what to teach about how this writing work gets done. We write so that we know what writers think about as they go through the process. We write so that our curriculum knowledge of the process of writing runs deep and true in our teaching. We write so that we can explain it all. (2002, 3)"

Yes, here at Two Writing Teachers, we write. We are a community that shares our Slices each Tuesday and all of March. Many of us blog at other times as well. Some of us are published authors of books. Some of us have spent summers with local sites of the National Writing Project, giving up weeks of summer freedom to explore what it means to be a writer. We keep notebooks and have special pens and give our writing as gifts. We share our writing with our students. But are we representative of most educators? Do most students learn to write from a teacher who regularly engages in writing? Do most schools promote the importance of educators writing?

This is a multifaceted topic with no simple solutions. I have many questions around this issue, including:

Does the education community believe that teachers of writing should write themselves? If so, why should they write?

Is it important that administrators and instructional coaches also be writers themselves and share that with teachers and students?

Is the experience different for a student learning from a teacher who writes, as opposed to learning from a teacher who never writes? In what ways? Is there research that proves this?

Would having teachers who write more themselves increase students' growth as writers?

Many passionate teachers readily call themselves readers but avoid identifying themselves as writers. Why are teachers more reluctant to take on the identity of "writer"?

What are the roadblocks or obstacles that prevent teachers from writing?

What has to change in schools for teachers to grow as both readers and writers themselves?

How might a school culture change if teachers wrote more often and shared that writing with their students?

If we believe that teachers should write, and would lead to increased student achievement, then why aren't schools making time for that, having conversations around that, building time into the calendar for that endeavor?

As the passionate choir here at Two Writing Teachers, do we have a responsibility to share what we know and believe about being writers to colleagues who are not writing?

If you are interested in this conversation, I would love to explore this idea more with you in a Two Writing Teachers Voxer group. Our group will share thoughts and ideas around this topic, with the goal of coming up with ideas to promote the notion that teachers who teach writing should write themselves. If you sign up for the Voxer group, you are granting permission for your ideas to be shared in a future Two Writing Teachers blog post about this topic. Please click here to fill out the form and join this conversation through Voxer.

Educators- to write or not to write? That is the question, and here at Two Writing Teachers, we would confidently state our answer. We firmly and passionately believe teachers should write. We believe students benefit when they are led by a teacher who writes. We have a feeling you agree, but what about your colleagues and administrators who might not be as certain? How can we be the writing ambassadors in our schools and communities? We look forward to the conversation!

Some resources supporting teachers as writers:

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Last week, Donalyn Miller wrote a Nerdy Book Club post, entitled "Getting on the Bus." She wrote, "I am intolerant about teachers and librarians who don't read. I recognize this failing, but I have seen the power that a teacher or librarian's knowledge of books has for students and the lack of interest children have for reading when their teachers don't know much about books."

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Updated October 17th, 2017
Are you looking for a free, easy, step-by-step guide on how to start a blog?

My free guide on this page will show you how to create a blog that is beautiful and functional, all in an easy step-by-step tutorial (with pictures).

Ready to start the simple step-by-step tutorial? Click here to go to Step #1

My name is Scott Chow, and I am going to be your guide on this journey to building a successful blog. I have been building blogs and websites since 2002. In that time I have launched several of my own blogs, and helped hundreds of others do the same.

I know that starting a blog can seem overwhelming and intimidating. My free guide was designed just for beginners, and requires only the most basic computer skills. So whether you're 8 or 88, you can have your blog ready to go in less than 20 minutes.

I am not ashamed to admit that when I was first learning how to build a blog I made a ton of mistakes. You can benefit from more than a decade of my experience so that you don't repeat these same mistakes. I created this free guide so that anyone can learn how to blog quickly and easily. And if you get stuck at any point, please send me a message and I will do my best to help you!

Skip the rest of this introduction and start building your blog!

What is a blog anyway?

In short, a blog is a type of website that focuses mainly on written content, also known as blog posts. In popular culture we most often hear about news blogs or celebrity blog sites, but as you'll see in this guide, you can start a successful blog on just about any topic imaginable.

Bloggers often write from a personal perspective that allows them to connect directly with their readers. In addition, most blogs also have a "comments" section where readers can correspond with the blogger. Interacting with your readers in the comments section helps to further the connection between the blogger and the reader.

This direct connection to the reader is one of the main benefits of starting a blog. This connection allows you to interact and share ideas with other like-minded people. It also allows you to build trust with your readers. Having the trust and loyalty of your readers also opens up the door to making money from your blog, which is something I discuss later in this guide.

Should you start a blog?

One of the misconceptions about starting a blog is that you need to be a great writer to be successful. Nothing could be further from the truth. People read blog sites to get a personal perspective on things, so most bloggers write in a very informal and conversational style.

In addition, you don't need to be an expert on your topic in order to have a successful blog. For example, readers of a cooking blog don't want to read a textbook from a food scientist, they want to hear the experiences of someone who has actually cooked some real meals, mistakes and all.
To be successful as a blogger there is really just one requirement: a passion for your topic.
At its heart, blogging is about sharing your knowledge with the world. Choosing a topic that you are passionate about makes the process of starting a successful blog so much easier. Writing about more than one topic is totally fine too. As long as you are writing about things that you are genuinely interested in, your passion will shine through and keep your readers interested.

So why would you go to the trouble of blogging? There are a few reasons:

Make money from home. Blogging can be quite lucrative if done correctly. The top bloggers in the world obviously earn quite a bit, but even a part-time blogger can expect to make a nice profit if things are done correctly. The best part about it is that blogging is a form of passive income, since you can spend just a few hours a week writing a blog post and then continue to make money from it long after the blog post is written. I go into much more detail on how to blog for money later in this guide.

Share your story. A blog allows you to have a voice and be heard. You can share your story with the entire world if you so choose. One of the most common ways blogs are used are as a diary where the blogger writes about their daily experiences so that friends, family, and others can all be a part of their lives.

Recognition for yourself or your business. No, you probably won't have paparazzi following you around because of your latest blog post. But a successful blog can gain you a ton of recognition in your respective field. Many bloggers are known as experts just because of their blogs, and some have even gotten book and movie deals based on their blogs.

Find a community. Blogging at its heart is interactive. You write a blog post and people comment on it. This is a great way to connect with people who are interested in the same things as you are. Blogging allows you to teach these people based on your experience, and it gives you the opportunity to learn from your readers as well.

The good news is that the internet is exploding with growth right now. More people than ever are online. This explosion in growth means more potential readers for your blog. In short, if you are thinking about starting a blog then there is no better time than right now.

How to Start a Blog in 6 Steps

Learn how to create a blog in about 20 minutes following these steps:

1. Pick a blog name. Choose something descriptive.

2. Get your blog online. Register your blog and get hosting.

3. Customize your blog. Choose a free template and tweak it.

4. Write & publish your first post. The fun part!

5. Promote your blog. Get more people to read your blog.

6. Make money blogging. Choose from several options to monetize your blog.

Let's start your blog!
Step 1: Pick a blog name

The first step to finding a good blog name is choosing your topic.

If you're not sure what to blog about, there are a few ways to find a good blog topic:

Hobbies & passions. Hobbies or other interests you are passionate about are a great place to start. Cooking, travel, fashion, sports, and cars are all classic examples. But even blogs about more obscure hobbies can be successful, since the your audience is literally anyone in the world with the internet.

Life experiences. Everyone has lessons they have learned through life experience. Sharing this knowledge can be incredibly helpful to others in similar situations. For example, I recently helped a woman start her blog about being a fireman's wife. She has a lot of experience and knowledge to share with others about this topic, and it has helped her connect with others in similar situations.
Think about the things you have experienced in life. This could be related to your family (example: a blog about being a stay at home mom), work (a blog about experiences dealing with clients), or other life experiences (a blog about dealing with a troubling time such as a disease or divorce, or about a happy time such as preparing for a wedding or a birth of a child).

A personal blog. A personal blog is a blog all about you. This will include a variety of topics, from things you do on a daily basis, to random thoughts and musings. This is a great way to share you thoughts with the world without having to stick to just one topic.

Once you have a topic it's time to choose your blog name.

A good blog name should be descriptive so that potential readers can instantly tell what your blog is about just from the name.

If you are blogging about one specific topic then you will definitely want to include that in some way in your blog name. Try not to get hung-up on just one word though. For example, a cooking blog doesn't necessarily have to have the word "cooking" in it. The words "food", "recipes", and "meals" would also let people know that your blog is about cooking.

If you are planning to create a personal blog where you discuss a variety of topics then I recommend using your name, or some variation of it, since your blog is all about you. For example, I own the blog scottchow.com. You can also add your middle name or middle initial if you find your name is already taken. Or you could use a variation like "Scott Chow Blog" or "Blogging with Scott".

Once you have some blog name ideas you will need to choose a domain extension.
A .com domain extension is the most preferred, but .net or .org work as well. It is also important to note that for the purposes of a blog domain you cannot have any spaces between words. So "Blogging with Scott" becomes bloggingwithscott.com

Now that you've got your name and have picked an extension it's time to make sure that no one else has already registered the same name:

See if your blog name is available
Note: You cannot use any spaces or punctuation other than dashes in a domain name.
If you find that the name you wanted is already taken there are a few things you can do:

Try a different domain extension. If the .com version is already registered you may still be able to get the .net or .org version of your blog name.

Add small words. Words like "a", "my", or "the". For example, this site is called TheBlogStarter.com instead of BlogStarter.com.

Add dashes between words. For example, scott-chow.com

Step 2: Get your blog online

Now that you've got a name picked out it's time to get your blog online. This might sound hard or technical, but the steps below will walk you right through and make the process easy.

To get your blog up and running you need two things: blog hosting and blogging software. The good news is that these typically come packaged together.

A blog host is a company that stores all of the files for your blog and delivers them to the user when they type in your blog name. You must have a blog host in order to have a blog.

You also need to have the software to build your blog. In this guide I will be showing you how to build a blog using the WordPress blogging software, because it is the most popular, customizable, and easiest to use.

The blog host I recommend, and the one I show you how to use in this guide, is BlueHost. I personally use BlueHost and I recommend them for all new bloggers because:

They will register your blog name for you for free, making sure no one else can take it.

They offer a free, simple installation of the WordPress blogging software (which I show you how to use in this guide).

They have been recommended by WordPress since 2005 and currently host over 2 million blogs and websites.

They have helpful 24/7 customer service via phone or web chat.

They have a money-back guarantee if you are unsatisfied for any reason.

Use any BlueHost link on this site by October 31st to make sure you get the special BlueHost Halloween Sale price of $2.75 per month. BlueHost compensates me when you purchase through my link, so my services are free of charge to you! In fact, if you have any trouble at all setting-up your blog with this tutorial, just contact me and I will do it for you.

2. Select your plan. I recommend that new bloggers get the basic plan. Click "Select" to choose your plan.

3. Type in your domain name in the left box and then click "next" to start the registration process.

If you already own a domain name and want to use it for your blog, type your existing domain in the right box and then click "next". Only use the right box if you have previously paid to register a domain!

4. Fill out your billing details on the registration page.

5. You will also need to choose your hosting package and options.

The 36 month package gets you the lowest monthly rate, while the 12 month package has a lower up-front cost. Remember, you can cancel anytime.

I uncheck the boxes next to the other products when I sign-up. You can always get these products later if you decide you need them.

6. You will then need to create a password for your account. Once you do that you can choose a basic design template for your blog (you can easily change this later, as you will see).

Now your blog software (WordPress) will be installed. Once the install is complete click "Start Building" to be logged-in to your blog.

You should also receive an email with your blog log-in details. ( NOTE: The login details for your blog will be different than for your BlueHost account.)

Having trouble installing your blog? Get help here.

Step 3: Customize your blog

Logging in

To start with, you will need to login to your blog. Go to http://www.yourblog.com/wp-admin to bring up the login screen (replace "yourblog.com" with your domain name). If you are unsure of your login name or password, check the email that was sent to you from BlueHost that has this information.

Changing your blog design

Once you login you will be in the WordPress administrator area. This is where you can make any changes you want to your blog.

Everyone has a different idea of how they want their blog to look. One of the great things about a WordPress blog is that you can change your entire layout and design with just a few clicks.

In WordPress, blog layouts are known as "Themes". What is a blog theme? Themes control the entire design of your blog. To change your theme you are going to click on the "Appearance" tab on the left menu.

You will see several themes are already installed on your blog: Twenty Seventeen, Twenty Sixteen, etc. These are well-designed, clean-looking themes that can work for just about any type of blog. In fact, many of the world's top bloggers use one of these themes.

Unless you have a very specific design in mind for your blog, I suggest you use one of these themes to start with. For our example, let's use the "Twenty Twelve" theme. In order to activate the theme on your blog, hover over the theme and click the "Activate" button. That's it! You have changed the entire design of your blog with just one click!

If you don't like any of the themes that are already installed you can easily choose from thousands of other free themes. To install a new theme, click on the "Appearance" tab on the left menu and then click "Add New".

This is the theme search screen. By clicking the "Feature Filter" you can search by color, layout, and more. Check the boxes that you want and then click "Apply Filters".

Now you can browse the themes that have the characteristics that you want. When you find one that you like click the blue "Install" button.

Once the theme is installed click "Activate" to activate the theme on your blog. To see your new theme in action, go to your blog and take a look!

Changing your theme is the simplest way to customize your blog, but there are lots of of other customizations you can do. Check out my full post on customizing your blog for an in-depth step-by-step guide. You can also watch the video at the end of this guide to see me completely customize a blog from scratch.

Step 4: Write & publish your first post!

Now that your blog is up and running it's time to actually do some blogging!

Go to the left menu and click on "Posts".

You will see there is already a post there. This is a default post on every new WordPress blog, and we don't need it. To delete it click "Trash" just under the post.

To begin writing a new post, click the "Add New" link.

You are now on the post editor screen. Enter the title of your post in the top box and then begin writing your post in the lower box.

If you would like to add a picture to your post, click on the "Add Media" button and click "Select Files" to upload a picture from your computer. You can make adjustments to the picture size on the next screen. When you are ready click "Insert into post" to add the picture.

Once you have finished your post just click the "Publish" button on the right side of the screen to publish it.

Publishing Your Blog

Even after you have written a post your blog may still be showing a "Coming Soon" page.

When you are ready to make your blog public just click the "BlueHost" menu at the top left of the menu in your administrator area then click the blue "Launch" button to remove the "Coming Soon" page.

Congratulations! You now know how to publish content on your blog!

Step 5: Promote your blog

Creating a well-designed blog and writing great content is just the start. In order to get readers for your blog you will need spend some time promoting it, especially when you first start.

One of my favorite ways to get readers to my blog is to post links on my social media accounts like Facebook and Twitter. This is great, because not only do your friends see the link, but if your friends share the link with their friends it automatically multiplies your readers. If you have created high-quality content on your blog then social media is a great way for your blog to go viral.

In addition to getting new readers to your blog, you will also want to make sure your current readers are coming back. This is where email marketing plays a big role. By collecting the email addresses of your visitors (with their permission of course), you can then notify them when you post something new on your blog. This keeps people coming back to your blog, which not only gives you more readers over time, it also allows you to build a closer relationship with your readers.

Email marketing is too big a topic to cover well here, so I created a separate guide to email marketing for those who are interested (hint: every blogger who wants more readers needs to read this guide).

For more tips on promoting your blog make sure to check out my in-depth guide to blog promotion.

Step 6: Make money blogging

Once you have put in the effort of creating great blog content and promoting your blog, making money from your blog is actually the easy part.

There are several ways you can make money blogging, from selling your own products or services, to getting paid to write reviews of products on your blog. But the easiest way to make money from your blog is to sell advertising space.

Once you have a popular blog, advertisers will be hounding you for the opportunity to advertise. The best way to take advantage of this situation is to use Google Adsense. They find the advertisers for you and all you have to do is place the Google Adsense code on your blog to start running ads. Google Adsense takes all of the hard work out of the process and just cuts you a check.

I go into the full details of how to set up Google Adsense for your blog here. For more information on making money from your blog see my full guide here.

Need more help?

I hope this guide has answered any questions you had on how to start a blog, but if any of the steps were unclear to you, you can find a more detailed version of each step by using the menu at the top right of this page (or at the bottom of this page if you're on a smartphone).

How do I start a blog? You can watch me build and customize a beautiful blog from scratch here:

The video above should answer a lot of questions you might have about getting your blog set up and customized, but more specific tutorials can be found on my blog page. Here are some of the most popular tutorials from my blog:

Contact me if you have any issues at all and I will personally respond to your email.
The step-by-step guide on this site should give you everything you need to get started, but if you run into some issues, or just want some personalized advice, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time. Blogging is my passion, and I would love to talk with you about it!

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How to Start a Blog - Free 2017 Beginner Guide - Create a Blog in 20min

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Updated October 17th, 2017 Are you looking for a free, easy, step-by-step guide on how to start a blog? My free guide on this page will show you how to create a blog that is beautiful and functional, all in an easy step-by-step tutorial (with pictures). Ready to start the simple step-by-step tutorial?...

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Russell Stannard (Teacher Training Videos)

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Quick introduction to blogging for students & teachers

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Quick 5 minute video that shows you why blogger is such a useful tool to teachers and students.