Idea Journal

I started my Idea Journal in February 2006. I got the idea from visiting some some web sites that talked about the concept of an Idea Journal. This little booklet has been in my purse or work bag for most of the last 3 1/2 years.

Basically, with an Idea Journal, you have a ready place to write down thoughts, names, inventions, story ideas, jokes, a humorous incident, a funny/sweet comment your child or loved one made. Whatever you want. I enjoy writing and thinking of story ideas, so a lot of my ideas are geared towards that, but not all of them are.

I number my ideas and sometimes add the date. Here are some entries:

3. Letters & Journals magazine (Feb 2006)

10. Grothe Road, St. Louis, MO I was traveling in St. Louis and came across a street sign that was the same as my maiden name. Grothe is not a name you see everyday, so I wrote it down to remember it and to remember where I saw it. (Feb. 2006)

19. "Baseball is back in the news. Life is good." My husband is a big sports fan. One morning, while reading the paper, he made this comment and I wrote it down.

41. Giants Graveyard- Imagine visiting and walking among the gravesites of giants and how big their headstones might be. I think I had seen a giant rock that looked like a headstone and then just imagined a bunch of them and wondered what that would be like.

81. In defense of senility- I had misread a headline and thought that this is what it said and I was drawn in by wondering what the argurment could be for defending senility.

89. Edworthy- I thought that was a cool name

121. Arctic Smile- what must that look like? An author had used it in a book and I thought it was a great description.

I have found that when I have the book with me, I am more apt to look for or think of things to add to it. If I don't have it I may not always take the time to write my idea down to be transferred later. Sometimes, but not always.