I misled you all last week by mentioning that I had five writing rules. There are a lot more than five rules when it comes to professional or magazine writing. I meant to say journaling rules. Would you like to be a better journaler? Keep these five tips in mind.
1. Don't try to sound like anyone but you.
You don't have to try to be funny, or try to sound cool, or try to sound like a genius. Just sound like you. That's good enough! Think about it this way: if you were reading one of your grandmother's old letters, would you want to hear her voice through the letter? Or would you want to hear her trying to imitate the cool lady in her quilting circle? Your kids and grandkids will know you and love you just as you are. When they look through your layouts in years to come, they'll want to hear your voice.
2. Avoid excessive slang.
You don't want to end every journaling block with, "peace out!" or "aiight?" And you don't want to misspell words like "bid-naz" and "evah!!!" for effect, except in rare instances, for obvious comic effect. Why? Because it will really date your writing. Use trendy terms here and there, but in general just follow rule number one and be yourself. You'll thank me later. Because who would have guessed that the use of "def" as an adjective would sound so stupid 20 years later? (Well, I could have told you that.) Of course, if you're quoting your teenager on a layout, bring on the slang! It'll be fun to record the weird things teens used to say way back in 2009. For more fun with slang, check out this excellent podcast from Grammar Girl.
3. Just do it.
Don't wait until you've mastered the Chicago Manual of Style to start journaling on your layouts. You do not have to be perfect. Has your scrapbook style evolved at all since you started scrapbooking? Well, your writing style can evolve too. And the biggest way it evolves over time is that it becomes your voice. You start sounding more and more like you. But in order for that to happen, you've got to sit down and write. You've got to start somewhere. So just put pen to paper, and let yourself learn, grow, and evolve as you go.
4. Be specific.
It's wonderful to create layouts every now and then with a big, beautiful photo and a title that says, "I love you to the moon and back,"especially if the phrase means something special to you and your sweetie. But if you never delve any deeper than these high-level sentiments, you'll be skipping over important parts of your story. What sets you apart from all those other people who also love their spouses in lunar proportions? On some of your layouts, also make sure you write down specific details about why you love your guy so much: "I love the way you pull me close while we're drifting off to sleep," or "I love the silly voices you use when you read bedtime stories to the kids," or "I love how you text me that you already miss me 10 minutes after leaving for the airport."
5. Read.
The best way to become a better writer is to become a better reader. You don't have to diagram sentences or study syntax or take a grammar class at the local community college. Just read a lot. Read well-written blogs, evocative journaling on layouts, good books, and engaging magazine stories. Expose yourself to strong writing and you'll naturally pick a few things up. And I'm willing to help you out. Keep checking back here; I promise to link you to lots of examples of outstanding writing, from blogs and layouts to memoirs and magazine articles.
For example, here's a link to a lovely blog post I read a few weeks ago. Alicia's style is casual and conversational, and it has a very authentic feel. I imagine that she writes the way she speaks. She sounds real, approachable—like she's opening her heart up and letting you in. I don't care about every sentence being perfectly punctuated; she gets the job done. Here's my favorite sentence: "And it feels like grace, something suddenly bestowed." Nice, isn't it?
