Starts Tuesday January 10th

 Tuesdays 6-7:30pm (GMT) via Zoom

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In The Hidden Writer, Alexandra Johnson notes that writers' diaries "shed light on what goes on in the making of literature, into the forging of a creative life." There is something fascinating about diaries–a secretive aspect that seems to draw readers into a more intimate relationship with the author, whether they were intended for publication or meant as an exclusively personal space. Many writers have fictionalised journals or incorporated the form into memoirs or even poetry. Then there is the much romanticised, often touted notion of the daily writer sitting at their desk to write without fail. But what do they find to write about day after day? Creative journaling for writers will look at the intersections between genre writing and journal writing while offering a range of angles for you to write from.

 

Each session will explore a different facet of diary keeping, with plenty of opportunities to read and discuss literary diarists as well as exercises and ample writing time. This course will provide many ideas for you to try out in a personal journal both during and between sessions, so that by the end of the three months you will be used to incorporating diary writing in your daily life.

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This course is open to all skill levels and writers and creatives of any medium. You are welcome to sign up for all or just the sessions that interest you most!

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January 10th: Don't Publish This! literary journal writing
We will discuss why writers keep journals and how to choose the right tools to get started
yourself.

January 17th:Daily Poetries: the unstoppable present

Looking at poetry journal, we'll explore how to write regularly by jotting down daily lines and reflections.

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January 24th: Dreaming it All Up: the oniric, visions and futures

Train yourself to remember dreams, let your imagination run and capture insights.

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January 31st: (Mis)rememberings: exploring the past

Reflecting on salient life events will lead us into tentative memoir writing.

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February 7th: Dialogues & Unsent Letters: writing in relationship

Capture conversations in your journal and address your writing to real-life characters.

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February 14th: That's Sentimental: all about feeling

We'll reflect on touchy subjects and find ways to express emotions and address trauma.

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February 21st: The Open Journal: collabs and breaches of trust

Some journals are shared; some are written for publications; some are meant to remain private: let's see how these scenarios have inspired literature.

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February 28th: Illustrated Lives: sketching, collage & mixed media journaling

Consider adding art to your journal–will you sketch, paint, collage, sew?

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March 7th: Nature/Nurture: observations in the great outdoors

We'll be taking our journals out into the garden or park, the street, the museum.

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March 14th: Map It Out: lists, graphs, diagrams & maps

Incorporating a range of visual tools helps us gain clarity and shows us ways to experiment with form.

 

March 21st: Detective Work: the research journal

Follow patterns and intellectual trails in your diary through note-taking and the addition of marginalia.

 

March 28th: Inspirited: journal magic

We'll discuss spiritual uses of the journal and reflect on diary-keeping as itself a kind of magic.

 

April 4th: Optional Open Mic

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