You may have noticed that there was a lull of updated articles for WriteField during the holidays. Did your humble writer's block fighter yours truly suffer from writer's block himself? No. That would be too conveniently ironic. I was simply lax in my duties and I apologize for that.

However, this does offer an opportunity to explain yet another in my seemingly endless supply of suggestions for your endeavours at writing: taking stock. After you've been at journaling for awhile, and your online diary has several entries, you might want to go back and review your past entries. See if there are patterns or perhaps see if you have changed or grown over time. In fact, some of you may have already done this, but walked away from a couple hours of browsing your own online diary a bit perplexed. Did you learn anything, really? Were you able to retain any knowledge from the past that you left for yourself?

A person's online diary is actually a series of letters one writes to oneself. The you of your past left these entries behind as a sort of time capsule, for the you of the future to go back to and find later. When you go back, you might want to have a pad and pencil by your computer, or have notepad up and running so you can make a few notes.

And yes, the results may prove useful for yet another journal entry, where you explain to your readers that you went back today and took a look at where you've been.

WriteField Review

To point out how this works, I've used previous entries of this semi-regular column of mine. I went back and skimmed the past suggestions I've made, and attempted to briefly jot down what each entry offers. In some cases I noticed I got from the words I left behind something slightly different from what I intended to say several weeks ago. Still, it's a telling revelation of the attempts of wisdom I've left here so far.

Let's review:

1. Start with a focus. It can be a single word or a picture or an object. Use that as the central point of your writing for one day. See how many times you can incorporate that focal point into the day's entry. Start with it. Try to end with it. Mention it at least once in the middle of that day's writing. See where it takes you.
2. If you can't talk about it but you must, necessity is the mother of invention.
3. For those you regularly plan to mention in your journal, be mindful of their wishes. Ask for their permission, or respect their privacy by using alternate but consistent pseudonyms when you refer to them. You may want your life to be an open book, but others should also have that choice. It will make things easier for you later on if you ask first.
4. Sometimes being a little dishonest in your journal helps you to be honest with yourself. A bit exagerration here and there is good for the soul. Not all skeletons can come out of the closet simultaneously. If you must talk about it but can't, consider beating around bush and talking around an issue until you find a place or a way in which you can get to the heart of the matter.
5. When being deceptive in your online diary, do not assume your deception goes undetected by the reader. If you consciously care at all whether or not others read your online diary (and why would you make it public if you didn't care?) understand that the more obvious your deception, the less likely people will trust your words in the future, or be able to appreciate your diary with sincerity.
6. Never assume you write with impunity. What you write in there has a tendency of backfiring. Do not let this freeze you up, however. Embrace it. Be willing to accept any consequences that come from your actions and your words; online or off. Believe me, it helps make you a better person.
7. There are no clear-cut rules for journaling. If someone tells you otherwise, they are trying to enforce their opinions upon you as fact. Life and all the elements within it will affect your decision-making regarding your corner of the Web, but in the end the only limits you have are those you place upon yourself. Know your limits.
8. The question "why?" makes a very good, all-purpose jumpstarter tool for any writing.
9. Sometimes the answer to your writer's block problem is standing right in front of you. Sometimes the obstacle itself can be the focal point.
10. Don't be afraid to let the reader into your personal space. Describe where you are, either literally or as a virtual, metaphorical representation of your state of mind at the time.
11. It doesn't have to be about today.
12. You don't have to get it all in there. Break down your day and touch on the highlights.
13. Try to answer for yourself the reasons why you want to write an online journal in the first place. This more than anything else will help you stay on course. If you cannot answer why yet, that's okay. Just be aware that your longevity as a journaler is in direct relation to your goals. If you don't know what you want from journaling, you won't be able to ascertain what you are getting from it.

So all that above is the ground I have covered thus far. Let's see if next time I can find some all new territory. See you next time.