A Great Tool for Writers: The Writer’s Journal

 

By Tammy Karasek

 

Have you ever been sitting or even standing somewhere and someone said something that, as a writer, you thought—oh, I could use that line in my book? What about a time when someone made a quirky gesture or face you wanted to give your fictional character? As writers, we need to realize many of these items could be used in our writing. Not in fiction alone either.

Below, I’ve listed eight items that assist me in keeping track of these gems. Maybe they will help you as well.

1.      Keep a writer’s journal of these so you know where they are. I’m afraid to admit how many post-it notes I’ve lost with good tidbits on them. In my journal, I added the peel and stick-on tabs to keep the categories separate and to be able to find the right one when needed. Choose one easy to carry with you when you are out and can grab to add to your list.

2.      Whenever you are out, watch the people around you. Let’s not get creepy, but notice and pay attention to what they are doing. Those tics and idiosyncrasies that are different or new to you, could that be used in your story? Read peoples’ faces. Faces down and frowns or chins up and smiles. Facial expressions can say a lot, and so can body language.

3.      Also take notice of the sensory items you are encountering. What smells and tastes are around you or that you’re partaking? What about colors of your surroundings and decorating? Finally, the sounds. Is it loud or quiet where you are? How does that make you feel?

4.      Notice the way people talk. Fast, slow. Loud, soft. Normal words or big and fancy. Did you hear a word you thought would be neat to use? Or how about a word you’ve never heard of? Write that one down and look it up. You’re a writer, and words are your friends, so make some new friends.

5.      Eavesdrop. Yes, I’m going there! Not to be nosy of what they are saying, but rather how they are saying it. As you listen, what type of flow do they have? Are they patient, letting the other person finish, or do they get excited and interject a comment? This makes a great lesson for us writers to make our dialogue better and more realistic. Truth be told, most writers I know admit to eavesdropping. Listen closely to the grammar. Is it good or full of slang? Good writers know the mechanics of language; make sure you keep up with grammar.

 

6.      As you sit and watch the people around you, ask yourself, “What if?” If you’re writing fiction, you might make up a scenario about the couple sitting two tables over. If you’re reading something, the “What if?” question that comes to your mind as you read it could springboard an idea for an article, blog post, or an entire book regarding the topic.

7.      This happened to me recently. Sitting at a red light, a great first line came to me. Not for my current WIP (work in progress) but for one of my other books. I grabbed my journal and scribbled it down. I didn’t want to forget it. Or maybe you’re reading a book, and the first line grabs your attention. Write that line in your book and jot a reminder for yourself of what that sentence did for you when you first read it. Learn from that line and use what you’ve learned to write your own amazing first lines.

8.      You’ve heard this I’m sure, but it’s worth repeating. If you are a writer, you need to be a reader as well. Also, you need to read widely, not just the genre you write. Read magazines, newspapers/online news, biographies, memoirs, fiction and nonfiction. And don’t roll your eyes at me, but I read cookbooks like textbooks. As a cooking school grad, I love to devour a new cookbook from front to back. I love knowing about the cook/baker and the other items they might share in their book. No, I’m not writing a cookbook looking for ideas—yet! But one of my WIPs is about a girl in cooking school. Imagine that. 😊

What about you? Do you have a journal or notebook where you jot down some of these items for your writing? If you do have something like this, what else would you add to the list above?

 

 Photo by Susan Weber on Unsplash

Tammy Karasek uses humor and wit to bring joy and hope to every aspect in life. Her past, filled with bullying and criticism from family, drives her passion to encourage and inspire others and show them The Reason to smile. From down and defeated to living a “Tickled Pink” life, she believes there’s always a giggle ready to release! 

Tammy writes romance—with a splash of sass. Her book, Launch That Book, re-released December, 2025. She’s also published in several compilations: Sustaining Life’s Victories, The PAC Method for Writers, and Cool-inary Moments. She’s also a regular writing team member for The Write Conversation, Blue Ridge Writer’s Conference Blog, The Write Editing, New Mercies Café, and The Word on Wednesday.

Contact: https://www.tammykarasek.com.