Journaling Retreat Tips: What do you do?

How is it possible to have enough to do in a journaling retreat that lasts, ideally  12-15 hours a day for 1 day, let alone anything more than that? Is something you might wonder.

It's easy, if we have lots of choices. So, what are the choices?

* Read the blog post from Monday and all of the links I have there and do them.

* Do lots of Stream of Consciousness writing--where you write for a 10-15 minute block anything that comes to mind. The key is to write fast. If you run out of anything to say, either write, "I don't know what to say," or rewrite the most powerful thing you wrote in the session. And keep repeating either, or both, until you know what to say.

* Do several journaling exercises or prompts. Look throughout this blog. Download a free copy of my book, THE JOURNALING AND STORYKEEPING ENCYCLOPEDIA OF 2013 and do anything found there. Look at the other blogs I have recommended and listed on the side of my blog, including THE JOURNALING PATH blog. Trust me between all these, you have enough material to write for a lifetime.

* Make lists. List your memories, all the people in your life, all your favorite possessions, all of the places you've lived and work, your favorites of anything, TV shows you have watched in your life, movies you have seen, books you have read... Then, do a journaling entry about any and all of them.

* Look at your photographs and journal about them.

* What photos do you not have that you wish you had? Write about them, what happened, what you experienced, and why you wish you had them.

* Go to Flickr and find photos to inspire you and write about.

* Look up inspirational quotes and journal about them.

* Journal anything your heart desires.

~ Stacy Duplease
Journalkeeper & Memoir Writer

The way

Journaling helps find your way.

~ Stacy Duplease
Journalkeeper & Memoir Writing

Experiment

Experiment as you journal. Figure out what works for you today and what doesn't. Then, when it stops working, try something else. 

My goal is to provide you with endless options so you can journal any time, no matter what. 

So, experiment. And have fun doing it as you journal.

~ Stacy Duplease

Sanctuary

Your journal is a sanctuary.

~ Stacy Duplease

Be Real

It is important to be real in your journal. Do not put on a show. Do not wear a mask. Address what I call the good, the bad, the ugly, the indifferent, and everything else. After all, the more real and authentic you are, the more you will get out of your journaling. 

~ Stacy Duplease

Hint or Tip

If you ever look up journaling resources or journaling programs online...

And they ask you to pay money to learn their tips or use their program. Do NOT do it. It is a waste of money. There are so many good websites and tools out there for free you do not need to ever pay to learn the secrets or tips of journaling.

The exception is if they have a book to sell... But, their website should share information for free. 

Be careful not to be conned. Save your money. 

Just a hint or tip.

Stacy Duplease

RYP Journaling Starters and Questions (Prompts) List #1

This is an ongoing list I will add to continually at the bottom of the list. 


Make sure to go through and answer all of these at least once. Ideally, you will go through this entire list once a year. 


Also, when you feel stuck or want to add some spice to your journaling, answer some of these questions. When you answer these questions, make sure to answer why you answer your question in the way you do. 


Another suggestion: With each of the RYP Journaling Starters and Questions listed below, make sure to ask them in the past, present, and future tense. Each tense will glean new responses. Also, when you answer each starter about your past, you might want to answer the question regarding each decade of your life.


* Who am I?
* What do I think of my life?
* What is my favorite color?
* What do I believe?
* Who are my family members and friends?
* What is my favorite food?
* Where do I live?
* What is my favorite drink?
* When will I be the happiest?
* What are my favorite books?
* What are my favorite Tv shows?
* Where are my favorite places?
* How would I define my life?
* What do I like to do?
* What are your goals?
* What are my top 10 most powerful memories?
* Who are you married to? Describe them.
* List you favorite memories with your spouse.
* List your favorite memories with each person in your life.
* What do you regret?
* If you were living the best life possible, what would that look like?
* What matters to you?
* What do you like to do?
* What memories bring you pain?
* What does a typical Monday look like in my life?
* Tuesday?
* Wednesday?
* Thursday?
* Friday?
* Saturday?
* Sunday?
* Where do I work?
* What dreams of mine have come true?
* What do I do?
* When did I marry?
* What was my wedding like?
* What are my dreams?
* What are my favorite songs?
* What are my goals?
* Do you like who you are?
* What have I accomplished?
* How would I describe myself? 

Stacy Duplease
Prayer Warrior, Fantasy Author, and Journalkeeper
of Remembering Your Present, LLCdba USAGC 2026 * Kingdom of Lethana

Email: usagc2026@gmail.com or lethanastories@gmail.com
Blog for USAGC 2026: http://usagc2026.blogspot.comBlog for Lethana: http://kingdomoflethana.blogspot.com
Blog for Journaling: http://journalingchronicle.blogspot.com
Blog for Writing: http://writingchronicle.blogspot.com
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

RYP Journaling Starters and Questions (Prompts) List #1

This is an ongoing list I will add to continually at the bottom of the list. 

Make sure to go through and answer all of these at least once. Ideally, you will go through this entire list once a year. 

Also, when you feel stuck or want to add some spice to your journaling, answer some of these questions. When you answer these questions, make sure to answer why you answer your question in the way you do. 

Another suggestion: With each of the RYP Journaling Starters and Questions listed below, make sure to ask them in the past, present, and future tense. Each tense will glean new responses. Also, when you answer each starter about your past, you might want to answer the question regarding each decade of your life.

* Who am I?
* What do I think of my life?
* What is my favorite color?
* What do I believe?
* Who are my family members and friends?
* What is my favorite food?
* Where do I live?
* What is my favorite drink?
* When will I be the happiest?
* What are my favorite books?
* What are my favorite Tv shows?
* Where are my favorite places?
* How would I define my life?
* What do I like to do?
* What are your goals?
* What are my top 10 most powerful memories?
* Who are you married to? Describe them.
* List you favorite memories with your spouse.
* List your favorite memories with each person in your life.
* What do you regret?
* If you were living the best life possible, what would that look like?
* What matters to you?
* What do you like to do?
* What memories bring you pain?
* What does a typical Monday look like in my life?
* Tuesday?
* Wednesday?
* Thursday?
* Friday?
* Saturday?
* Sunday?
* Where do I work?
* What dreams of mine have come true?
* What do I do?
* When did I marry?
* What was my wedding like?
* What are my dreams?
* What are my favorite songs?
* What are my goals?
* Do you like who you are?
* What have I accomplished?
* How would I describe myself? 

Stacy Duplease
Prayer Warrior, Fantasy Author, and Journalkeeper
of Remembering Your Present, LLCdba USAGC 2026 * Kingdom of Lethana

Email: usagc2026@gmail.com or lethanastories@gmail.com
Blog for USAGC 2026: http://usagc2026.blogspot.comBlog for Lethana: http://kingdomoflethana.blogspot.com
Blog for Journaling: http://journalingchronicle.blogspot.com
Blog for Writing: http://writingchronicle.blogspot.com
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

Journaling Hints

When you start to journal, do not think you have to sit down and write an entire page. Going from doing nothing to an entire page is a big jump. You most likely will not make journaling a daily habit then. It is just too much.

Instead, start off with one sentence each day. After you do that five days straight, add another sentence. Keep doing that. Before you know it, you will journal five pages a day without even thinking about it.

Stacy Duplease
Prayer Warrior, Fantasy Author, and Journalkeeper
of Remembering Your Present, LLC

Journaling Hints

When you start to journal, do not think you have to sit down and write an entire page. Going from doing nothing to an entire page is a big jump. You most likely will not make journaling a daily habit then. It is just too much.

Instead, start off with one sentence each day. After you do that five days straight, add another sentence. Keep doing that. Before you know it, you will journal five pages a day without even thinking about it.

Stacy Duplease
of Remembering Your Present, LLC