Idea Journals: What Are They, And Why You Should Have One

 Idea Journals: What Are They, And Why You Should Have One

Hello and welcome fellow writers! I figured that I should introduce to you all what an idea journal is, and why you should have one(if you don’t already).

What Is An Idea Journal?

Idea journals are journals that, at their core, are what you would write your ideas in. Now, the term ‘idea’ is very broad, so I will give you a mini-list of what I use my(meaning, you can use yours for whatever you want) idea journal for. 

I use my idea journal for setting, character descriptions, character dynamics, conflicts, and even vague ideas, like a setting and character or conflict and setting. Any idea that I might want to use later, or just think would be fun to play around with goes into this journal. 

A lot of things inspire me, so I get a mixed bag of seedlings in my journal. I have ideas based around what-ifs, like, what if America became a communist country? And I have ideas based around a ‘backdrop’, like, a school for the arts that doubles as a school for spies. 

Now that I’ve given you the basics on what an idea journal is, let's change gears and talk about why you should have one, and the best way to use it.

Why Should You Have An Idea Journal?

1. It is the perfect place to jot down any inspiration you may get, whether it be a full-scale conflict or a seedling for a character. 

2. Journals are generally(and by generally, I mean, get a small journal) small enough for you to carry around with you in your purse, backpack, or pocket if you have pockets the size of tablets.

3. You will have an easily-accessible fount of ideas to look comb through at your fingertips. I personally love going through my ideas to get my mind churning.

What If I Mostly Use My Phone Or Computer? 

The answer to that question is really simple– just make a Google Document, Word Document or Note in your Notes app. That way you have a quick go-to area without dozens of cluttered notes or several Docs lying around.

I actually have a Google Doc for inspiration, though I typically use it when I do fast writes. But, it has quite a lot of ideas for me to sift through if I ever wanted to.

Anyway, that’s all for idea journals! I hope that you choose to make one! Please comment if you have an idea journal, and what you use it for, and make sure to tell your friends about my blog! 

Have a good day!