This blog has been weighing heavily on my mind for a while now. It began about seven years ago because friends said I should write a blog and I thought I’d give it a whirl. It quickly became a daily writing exercise that I gamified to see how many days in a row I could keep it going and without being too repetitive.
It was mostly about the things I was seeing out in the world, namely while I was out weekend adventuring. Some stories featured pictures and stories of things you’ve seen and heard about but mostly I focused on the obscure, small dots on the map kind of stuff that’s off the beaten path.
Then Scout came along and joined the mix.
And then the Covid pandemic hit and the adventure stories came to a grinding, nail biting halt. We were all stuck at home, just trying to navigate this brave new world the best we could. I began telling some of those stories, began telling you about the nature around me, what I was reading and about the outdoor landmarks in my region. I began talking more about lifestyle related stuff and occasionally reaching back in the treasure trove for pictures and untold stories from past adventures.
At some point though, I lost the regularity that I once enjoyed. The entire reason I forced myself into a daily writing exercise here is that I know consistency is king with me. I either write every day or I forget to write at all. But it’s hard when you’re not out running around in the world every weekend like I once did.
It’s also hard when you feel like the stories you want to share aren’t welcome in this divided country of ours. I have gotten into the habit of thinking lots of things and feeling like I shouldn’t say most of them. So much for my First Amendment rights.
All the same, the title of this blog is Make The Journey Fun. It’s not Let Me Tell You All That You’re Getting Wrong.
And so, here we go again. Another rebirth of the blog where I attempt to keep it mostly light and interesting and where I sometimes take a deep dive into a place or just give you the 10,0000 foot view so you’ll want to go see it for yourself. You’ll still get a lot of Scout stories and lifestyle ones too. In other words, you won’t see much change except in publishing consistency.
I owe you some stories and pictures now from the Sherman House Museum in Lancaster, Ohio and from last week’s trip to Cleveland. Plus, I realized that I never told you about the Ted Lewis Museum in Circleville, Ohio. We will go there next!
Mystery writer William Kent Krueger advises an aspiring writer to write every day. At least, this is the advice he gave to this aspiring writer as I held up the line at his book signing in Charleston, West Virginia last fall. Up until that day, I had trouble even calling myself a writer but I took his advice to heart and set about to follow it.
He said he writes first thing in the morning, every morning, no matter what. He protects that time. He guards it as though it’s the most important part of his day because it is. When I tried that, it required me getting up at 5 a.m. so I would have time before work.
Let me tell you something: I’m not very smart that early in the day.
I kept up that pace for about a month before deciding I needed to retool my approach. Spoiler alert. That never happened. Now, I mostly write at night when I ought to be winding down for the day. It’s rarely on special projects and usually just for this blog.
Clearly, the world hasn’t missed out on my completion of the Great American Novel but I’m certainly not going to get there if left to my own devices.
Most writers are masters of distraction and I know this to be true of myself. Recreational writing at home is hard because there is a ton of stuff to take my hand and lead me away from my intentions. Dishes need washed, trash needs taken and there’s a fine layer of dust on the dining room table that has peacefully existed for weeks but now requires immediate attention. The cat looks lonely. Maybe he would like to be picked up. No? I put him down and go find a bandaid because now my hand is bleeding.
All true stories. None are exaggerated. As for the cat scratch, it happens more often than I should admit. And as Scout likes to say, he wouldn’t have to scratch me if I weren’t going around asking for it.
I recently spent some time in a waiting room and got to write recreational projects for about ninety minutes. Then I went to a public library for a little more. I put my watch and phone in my bag. The computer I use for writing is only for writing. I can’t access social media from here and have to actually remember and type in my email password. In other words, the only distractions were a handful of people coming and going as they browsed the stacks. There were other people working at tables around me but we all were quietly minding our own business.
This quiet combined with the gentle hum of an air conditioner and lovely view of nature, allowed me to sit still and concentrate long enough to string together a cohesive series of sentences into paragraphs that actually make sense. It was a gratifying, reassuring, inspiring and delightfully encouraging experience. It’s wonderful to know that I’m capable of doing more than I normally manage.
I have kept a journal off and on since I was a kid using everything from fifty cent composition notebooks to fancy leather bound volumes. Sometimes I write on scraps of paper because there is nothing else available and there are ideas to deposit somewhere.
My brand of journaling is all over the place. Sometimes I write simply to vent and to make peace with a situation. Sometimes it’s to document events or conversations I want to remember later.
Occasionally a problem is best examined through writing. Talking about problems with other people is useless because I find everyone wants to solve it with their brand of wisdom or, worse yet, they fan the flames and make things worse. Writing helps me put all my cards on the table and sift through what really matters until the solution is clear.
Some people use journaling as a creative outlet while others use it to preserve and recall memories. Gratitude journaling is extremely popular right now and I do that sometimes too. In fact, if I’m having a bad day, it’s helpful to take a minute and write about something I’m grateful for at that moment. Gratitude can help put everything into perspective and improve attitude. If you’re not into gratitude and have a lot of angst to unload, rage journaling is kind of fun too!
Finally, if you are experiencing anxiety, grief or some kind of trauma, there is no better therapy than simply dumping all those words and problems onto paper. Even if you just write those thoughts on a scrap of paper and set it on fire, it’s a great release of all that negativity, all that stress, all that stuff you badly need to escape.
Modern researchers often use historic diaries as tools for piecing together historic details and to shed insight into daily life. To be clear, I would be mortified if anyone ever studied or published my journals. In fact, I need to collect all these old books and burn them because I don’t trust my family to do that for me when I die.
My writing is often just glorified scribbles and nothing anyone wants to read. Incidentally, I notice that it’s when I stop journaling that I need to unload some ideas the most. Sometimes the days turn into weeks of skipped writing and it’s usually caused by a desire to look the other way rather than face whatever is bugging me.
If you’re thinking about starting a journaling habit here are a few tips:
– Have a dedicated book. This can be a cheap notebook or an actual journal. TJ Maxx and Marshall’s are a great source for attractive and affordable blank books.
– Type It. Not into old school pen to paper? Type it up! There are websites and apps you could try but a regular old Word document would work perfectly for this. Anyone remember Doogie Howser typing his journal entries back in the day?
– Set a dedicated time to write. It’s easier to make a habit stick if you build it into your daily routine. End of day is a popular time because it’s nice to recap the day and release whatever is on your mind before bed. Personally, I often write at lunch or just before I begin my workday. I tend to keep my journal in my work bag to make this easier.
– Start with a prompt. Sometimes it’s easier to get started with a prompt like what you’re grateful for today, something funny that happened today, what you look forward to this weekend or simply what’s bugging you right now.
– Just write. Don’t stress over it. Penmanship, spelling and grammar are important to me but I’ll be honest. My mediocre penmanship becomes truly terrible when I’m journaling and I’m ok with that. After all, I’m writing for me and no one else is supposed to be reading my innermost thoughts. It doesn’t need to be legible.
Do you have a favorite writing prompt to get the juices flowing? Do you journal or are you thinking about starting? I would love to hear your ideas!
Honestly, I don’t know where I would be today if not for my lifetime habit of journaling. The world would probably be a gentler place if everyone wrote down their achievements, insecurities and troubles in a private place where it’s safe to state the truth.
English Catholic historian, politician and writer Lord Acton famously said “Learn as much by writing as by reading.”
There’s much wisdom in this idea.
Writing is a versatile tool for sorting through thoughts and ideas, through problems and opportunities. To put something on paper requires organizational and analytical skills that sharpen with use. In fact, I think the best way to become acquainted with a subject is to write about it.
Earlier this year, I heard an expert speak on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education. An oversimplified definition of AI is that it leverages computers to mimic the decision making abilities of humans.
The presenter gave several examples of how AI can be used and showed us a couple of free tools that can do some interesting things.
For example, when he asked it to explain the difference between a crocodile and an alligator, it created a narrative that detailed all the differences between these two creatures. When he asked it to rewrite that response for a grade school level or in the style of Dr. Seuss, it was able to do just that.
It was kind of a novelty to see it unfold.
He showed us how you can have a conversation as well. One example was interviewing a seventeenth century Native American about his life, what he eats and his encounters with Europeans. This fascinated me because it’s such such an unexpected way to engage students who think they don’t like history.
This is where he lost me.
He showed us how easy it is to write a prompt requesting a letter for a specific purpose. In this case, a math teacher’s letter to the parents of students letting them know what to expect from the class.
It seems so harmless, farming out a basic letter to a computer but I found it unsettling. After all, written communication teaches us something about the sender. Is their writing dry and direct? Maybe it’s flowery. Maybe they use a turn of phrase that you’ll hear from them in real life. Maybe they’re not much of a writer but that’s a message too.
Then there’s the fact that research can be done and entire papers can be plagiarized.
A tour guide for Rick Steves recently posted on social media about a poorly done AI generated guidebook that was written under the name Mike Steves. It’s selling though, thanks to well placed reviews and creative marketing.
The presenter likened using AI for writing to the early days of the personal calculator in the classroom but I’m not buying it. After all, 2+2 will always equal four. The 26 letters in the alphabet can be strung together in billions of ways in messages both creative and mundane.
Speaking of creativity – it’s good for the human mind and soul to engage in creative pursuits. Being able to express an idea in writing is both a creative pursuit and and educational one, as Lord Acton suggests.
I do understand that writing isn’t a favorite pursuit of everyone in the world. In the case of that math teacher’s letter, stereotypes tells us that math people often aren’t writing people and that writing a letter may be incredibly hard for that person. But, if we ask computers to do all the things we aren’t good at, odds are we won’t ever improve.
I already have concerns that people are losing their ability to be creative or even to entertain themselves without the benefit of television, phone or computer. Kids today aren’t given crayons and time to play outdoors. They’re given videos on an iPhone and structured schedules that keep them jumping from one activity to another.
Whether we are talking kids or adults, most of us are already short on time to be creative, to problem solve, and to just stop and think things through. Yet, humans have the ability to imagine and create incredible things. That ability is like a muscle that strengthens with use and atrophies when ignored.
Is it really asking too much to have people write their own letters and kids do their own homework?
One week ago, author William Kent Krueger encouraged me to write every morning before the day gets busy. On Monday, I got up early, cracked open my new book of writing prompts and got to work.
I wrote every day this week, exploring fiction topics both familiar and foreign. This week I used a different prompt a day. Next week, I intend to use the same writing prompt every day to encourage finding new ways to look at the same idea.
Honestly, I’m already sold on the effectiveness of writing before the world gets its hooks into me. However, the practicality of getting up at 5 or 5:30 in the morning is hardcore unpleasant for someone who dislikes mornings. Bit I will keep it up either until it’s a habit or until I just can’t take it anymore!
Want to read about what inspired me to turn over a new leaf? Click here!!!
This blog has been quiet while I have wrestled with whether I want to continue writing at all. When I started writing here in 2018, it was a place to tell stories about my travels for friends and family to enjoy.
Since then it has evolved into a daily creative and accountability exercise. Lots of strangers have found their way here and become new friends. I hold myself accountable to show up every day and write something or to at least match a quote with an original picture of interest.
I took a break, thinking it would last for three days, but the respite has stretched into weeks. The more distance I put between me and writing, the less I missed it. I also journaled less and spent absolutely no time thinking about other types of writing besides what I do for work.
My brain felt tired and I was lacking in motivation.
Then something special happened. I received some encouragement from an author I admire. William Kent Krueger spoke Saturday at the West Virginia Book Festival. If you aren’t familiar, he is a New York Times bestseller and popular mystery writer. Known for his Cork O’Connor mystery series, as well as three fabulous stand alone books, he earned a spot in my heart with This Tender Land. If you haven’t read it, you should.
On Saturday, he talked about how he became a writer, crediting his parents for reading to him as a child and encouraging him to understand that there are no limits when it comes to storytelling.
He talked about his career, his failures and second chances. He wanted to write the great American novel but couldn’t find his voice so he just stopped writing.
He didn’t write a thing for years.
Then one day, he woke up in middle age and decided that he was going to write again. This time it wouldn’t be a botched great American novel. It would be something people would actually want to read. He got a laugh at that comment! So he did something unexpected. He embraced the Mystery genre even though he had never read a mystery before in his life.
After a grueling period of daily writing and stretching to find his voice, Cork O’Connor was born. This character would elevate the writer Kent Krueger to the New York Times Bestselling Author William Kent Krueger, making him a household name for readers far beyond his chosen genre.
I’m sad to say that I didn’t discover his work until he published This Tender Land a few years ago. This stand alone book captivated my imagination and won a spot on my bookshelf as an all time favorite.
This is what brought me to the room where Kent (he asked us to call him Kent!) told his own story.
He spoke about writing with a sense of profound joy, inspiring me to go home and write something of my own.
He seems like a common guy, reminding me of some librarian friends and a little of a favorite college English professor. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to sit in a writing class with him!
It ended all too quickly but he did sign books afterward and you can believe I took my two favorites to be personalized. I used my time in front of him wisely and acted like a fan girl as he signed my books. I let him know how much I love his writing and that he made me want to go home and write. That caught his attention and he asked some questions and offered encouragement.
He encouraged me to not let my writing projects at work sour me or get in the way of writing for myself. He advised writing every day and working to find my voice. When he worked a regular job, Kent said he got up early every day to write for an hour before work.
This advice makes sense to me because it would give a writer an opportunity to use their authentic voice before venturing out into a noisy world that insists on crushing our individuality.
I walked away knowing that I wanted to accept his advice.
My first act is to try reviving this blog because I need the accountability exercise. The next step is to dust off my journal because journaling is akin to a daily tidying routine for my mind.
The fiction piece is harder. I have a writing project in mind and it’s manageable. There’s another writing project that is less manageable. While we were out book browsing after the festival, I procured a book of writing prompts to help establish what I hope will be a morning writing exercise habit. I’m not a morning person so this may get shifted to another time of day to humor my morning failings.
I can at least try.
Something else I need to work on is my inability to call myself a writer. When one of my favorite writers took an interest in me and asked if I’m a writer too, I honestly didn’t know what to say. So I stammered out some nonsense about how I write but am not really a writer. In my mind, I just scribble and have never written anything that really mattered.
Yet, my professional resume includes writer/editor positions and two other jobs where writing has been a central responsibility. Personally, I practice writing here, drop thoughts in a journal and occasionally work on a short story.
I shared this with someone important to me the other day. He aptly responded “that means you’re a writer.”
And so it goes.
Will I ever be a writer like Kent Krueger? Not a chance. The man is brilliant. However, I will enjoy the journey as I work to improve myself. In this results oriented world, we forget sometimes that there’s merit in simply bettering ourselves – even when no one less is looking.
Meanwhile, I’ll see you back here tomorrow morning.
