Dear Diary Day - tracking your writing progress

Today, is Dear Diary Day. 

Do you keep a journal or diary while you write your book? 

As a child and teenager I wrote in journals. They chronicled my everyday life, the hopes and dreams of typical young girl. But I never showed them to anyone. 

Today, I take a more calculated approach to journaling in between note-taking and free writing, I also use a journal to tracking my book writing progress. 

I can hear you saying why would you want to track your book writing progress. The story is already there on paper. However, tracking your progress isn't only about daily timed writing or daily word counts.  

Here's some ways that journaling can work for you.

• Journaling allows you to track how you feel when you're writing, your joys, inspirations, up and downs. 
• Arguments you might be having with your characters or maybe they're wanting to take over the story.
  
• On days when your are feeling less than and you still want to reach your writing goals then write down how you are feeling. This might just be the motivation you need to clear up your writer's block. 
• The time of day when you write. Are you more productive at one time versus another. 
• Do a free-write before and "how do you feel" write after your writing time.
  

Many of the literary greats kept a journal of their writing progress. John Steinbeck, Pulitzer Prize winning author of more than 25 novels including The Grapes of Wrath and Cannery Row noted his conversations between him and his publisher (this was in the days before email. He wrote about having a little extra money and bought two ducks to swim in the pond in his yard. 

A few entries later he states that he sold the ducks to buy paper to keep writing and that they made a horrible mess. Yes, Steinbeck was very poor when he was penning his stories and being rejected.In another instance when Steinbeck had reached a very low point with his writing, he told his editor

 "I wonder you don't lose faith in my future. Everyone else does. For myself, I haven't brains enough to quit. Maybe you haven't brains enough to get out from under the wreck." 

Getting the words on the page is difficult enough. Pick a journal and let yourself have some fun. You can find an assortment of journals on Amazon. 

 To Your Book Writing Success! 

 

ABOUT REBECCA 

Rebecca Camarena is an inspiring book writing and publishing coach. She is an international Best-Selling author of the women’s anthology book, Out of My Comfort Zone: Stories of Courage, Perseverance and Victory.

Rebecca is known for helping experts, entrepreneurs, coaches and others write their life changing stories. As a Book Coach, Rebecca has specialized expertise helping authors with all aspects of book writing; from vision to concept to writing and publishing.

Rebecca is a wife (caregiver to her husband), mother and grandmother and earned a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature after raising her family. The beach is her happy place where she enjoys the sand, surf and sun. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

 If you'd like to know how I got out of my comfort zone and started writing then check out my book, Out of My Comfort Zone: Stories of Courage, Perseverance and Victory.

Purchase Your Copy Today at RebeccaCamarenaBooks