Dear Blog

Dear Blog,

Writing a letter is a method of journal writing. The writer chooses someone, a person living, dead or imaginary, and writes a letter to that person in his or her journal. I use this method myself in my Gratitude journal and Writing My Spiritual Journey.

It allows the writer to free his or her mind and just write. As I said, the writer addresses the letter to anyone. The writer can address a character in a story or novel. The letter can even be from a character in a story or novel. I does not matter who the writer addresses or is from, just as long as it is a letter.

The last part of the letter is the closing, the normal closing of “Yours Truly” or “Sincerely” work fine. However, I prefer to use closing appropriate to whomever I am addressing in the letter. For instance the closing in my Gratitude journal is "Thankfully and Gratefully Yours".

Your blog author,
Poet 999

Writing on Thursday November 20, 2008

Mom has a dental appointment this morning at 11:00 AM and since her Paratransit pass says she has a helper going with her, I'm taking off work today. I think from now on we're going to make the appointments in the afternoon rather then in the morning. All though, since I take the Paratransit to work and home, that may be a problem in getting Mom to her appointments on time.

The past few days the bus picking me up at work and taking me home was late to pick me up. Normally I don't mind since I have a book to read and a pen and paper journal for writing thoughts. However, since I don't have a car we have to take either Paratransit or the regular CAT bus everywhere. This means that if I make doctors appointments on the same afternoon as I work mornings, one late bus will throw the entire schedule off. Oh well, I'll just have to deal with it.

I really need to find something else to write about besides doctors' appointments and Paratransit rides. I think my entries are getting a bit boring. Therefore, I'll move on to my e-mail which I haven't checked in a couple of days. I'll have to check them today because I think I have some e-mails to answer and people to contact.

After going to the store Tuesday, I spent the rest of the day updating my virus protection. Yesterday, when I came home I made some post and went to bed early. For once I didn't get up early so this morning I'm feeling rested. I feel much better this morning then I have in a long time. Maybe what I need was just a little more sleep.

Writing before Dawn in Las Vegas

It is early and the sun is still beneath the horizon. Las Vegas never actually sleeps; it has a terminal case of insomnia. I, on the other hand, do get a little bit of sleep at regular intervals, occasionally. Last night I went to bed at 8:00 PM and got up at 1:30 AM this morning.

I lay in bed for a few minutes looking out my bedroom window into the darkness. Some people know precisely what time they get up without looking at a clock. I don't, I have to get out of bed and walk into the living room to find out the time. True, if I put the clock beside my bed, I wouldn't have to get out of bed to look at it.

The original reason for putting the clock that far away from my bedroom was to force me to get up and turn the alarm off. However, for the past nine or ten months I've been getting up before the alarm goes off. The reason for putting the alarm clock in the living room no longer exist, so I can move to clock to my bedroom.

I like getting up before the alarm goes off and before dawn illumines the sky. I like looking out the window and watching the sky change colors in the morning. The gradual change of shade of the sky indicates a change in the city. There is a difference between Las Vegas at night and Las Vegas during the day.

I like living in Las Vegas, the city with terminal insomnia because if I get the midnight munchies, I can go to a coffee shop in one of the hotels and have someone else fix and serve me my snack while I write in my journal.

Letter Writing as a Journaling Technique

Another journaling technique I use is letter writing. I have two off line journals (1) Writing My Spiritual Journal and (2) a Gratitude Journal. I have given the gratitude journal a name. I call that journal Glory and whenever I make a gratitude entry I write a letter. When I write the letter I address the journal by "Dear Glory". I also use this technique in Writing My Spiritual Journey. In this case I address the letter to the Glory of God.

Letter writing frees my mind to address subjects that I normally would not consider. I can deal with issues that I could not face otherwise. I am writing the letters to a friend and confident, therefore I can write with confidence. At some later date I may also address other people in my journal. I would like to write a letter to my father and my grandparents. In fact, there are a number of people I who have passed into the next world, that I would like to address a letter to. I can do this in Writing My Spiritual Journey.

Letter writing is a wonderful technique that can be used with any type of writing. For instance, a letter can be address to a character in a short story or novel. In addition, the characters in a story can write a letter to the author. This is a way to help over come writers' block or to become unstuck when working on a novel.

A writer can use this technique in many ways. A writer can address letters in a journal to anyone including his or he muses. I have never tried this myself, as yet, but I have heard of writers doing with success.

Free Writing

Free writing is a journaling method in which a person writes anything and everything that comes to mind. The writer decides on a time-period, anywhere from five to thirty minutes. Then the person begins writing nonstop until the chosen time has elapsed. During the writing period, the person does not correct misspelled words or worry about syntax errors. The idea is just to keep writing.

There are two ways to approach free writing. Using the first approach, the writer does not pick a subject, but writes whatever comes to mind. With the second approach, the writer decides on a subject and writes on that subject. The person still writes everything that comes to mind, even if the writing does not appear to relate to the subject.

Free writing is a wonderful tool, especially if a person is dealing with writers' block. This words well, at least I think it does, with writers' block because one does not have to worry about what one writing. This method is also good when beginning an assignment because it helps find a personal approach to the assignment. The third way to use free write is to learn about one self and put the writing in a personal journal.

Free writing allowd a writer to use either a computer or a pen and paper journal. Either one works equally well with free writing, all though if you have difficulty reading your own handwriting, then a computer journal is probably best. I have used free writing in both a computer generated and a pen and paper journal with success.

Free writing is not the only journaling method I have used successfully to discover personal approaches to subject or break writers' block. I will discuss some of the others in later entries.

Writing in the Early Morning

‘Idál (Justice), 9 Rahmat (Mercy), 165 BE – Wednesday, July 2, 2008 about 5:30 AM PDT

It is early Wednesday morning. I got up at about 3:30 AM and the alarm goes off at 4:00 AM. I put cloths in the dryer, made coffee and said prayers (not necessarily in that order). I am going to start checking the washer before I go to bed at night because I should not leave wet cloths in over night. I know from experience that I am not going to wash the wet cloths over that are in the washer, I will put them in the dryer of a morning and get on with my day.

I have gotten several paragraphs written this morning. I made an entry in Writing My Spiritual Journey Journal. I decided to change the format of the letter in that journal. I write letters to Baha'u'llah and this morning the format, for some reason, seemed a bit too formal. Therefore, I am changing the format of the letters to something less formal.

I have to be at work by 8:30 AM, but I live less then a mile away so I can start getting ready to go at about 6:00 AM. The garbage trucks come today and there are trashcans on the curb. Fortunately, someone else took them out last night. I have the check to see how close they are to the curb. All right, maybe I am being a little too "something or other" on this trashcan thing.

Writing in the early morning

is coffee to my muse

she wakes to the sound of a keyboard

like the soul wakes to prayers

or the body to a dark breakfast brew.

Writing is a thankless job

Fidál (Grace), 9 Jamál (Beauty), 165 B.E. – Tuesday, May 6, 2008 about 6:29 PM PDT

Writing is a thankless job, but somebody has to do it. Sometimes it seems I am not getting anywhere. I write and write without ever knowing if someone reads what I write. Then unexpectedlyI receive a comment on something I have written. Someone reads a poem or a story or a blog entry and comments on it.

I get a comment and it gives me a boost. I get a positive or a negative comment and I realize someone is reading what I am writing. A comment encourages me to continue to write. The comments I have received are rare, but that does not matter. The realization that someone read what I wrote and took the time to comment encourages me.

Before I go any further, I want to thank those who have commented on my past writings. Sometimes I am remiss at sending thank you to those who comment. I am not sure why I do not say thank you. This is something I need to explore in my off line journal. Once I have figured out the reason then I can either blog about it or write a poem on the subject. In this entry, I want to admit that I am remiss in saying thank you and apologize to those who have commented and not received a thank you reply.

I will attempt to do better, of course. I am not sure how well I will succeed. Everyone attempts to do better when catching themselves in bad habits. Everyone attempts to do better, but not everyone succeeds. That is part of being human, but we have to continue to try to do better. We have to continue to try because sometimes a person succeeds in changing a bad habit into a good habit. We have to continue to try because that is part of being human.

Sundays Are

Jamál (Beauty), 19 Jalál (Glory), 165 B.E. – Sunday, April 27, 2008 about 6:30 AM PDT

Journal Writing Prompt for Sunday, April 27, 2008: Sundays are...

Sundays are for planning the week ahead,
for looking at old and new goals,
for changing the changeable,
for accepting the unchangeable,
for attempting to know the difference.

Sundays are for prayer and meditation
on the important reasons for living life to the fullest
and finding ways to achieve the goal.

Sundays are for relaxing and contemplating
the little things that bring us joy and happiness.

Sundays are for proclaiming the eternal beloved,
for stopping to smell the roses,
for watching the dawn of a new day,
for acquiescing to the will of God.

Sundays are for making new decisions,
for letting go of the past,
for listening to the inner voice of happiness,
for memorizing prayers,
for eating peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches,
for trying a new breakfast cereal.

Sundays are for being alone,
for experimenting with a new recipe,
for catching up on the important things left undone
over the past week.

Sundays are for singing,
for writing letters,
for relaxing.

A new week begins

A new week begins a new chance to achieve something wonderful in my writing. The first day of a new week is like putting on a new dress or new pair of shoes. There is a great deal of potential in a new week, but by the end of the week a person looks back and ask "Where happened to the week?"

Sometimes a person lets the week go by without noticing what happened to the week or how much time is wasted or well spent. I belong to a journal-writing group, in that group Saturday is the day of review for the past seven days and Sunday is the day to set goals for the coming week. It do not do any good to set goals, whether those goals are spiritual or material without reviewing the way one achieved or did not achieve those goals.

There are two methods of reviewing goals. One is a weekly review and the other in daily. In some cases, it is good to review daily, but in other cases weekly is all right. When it comes to spiritual goals, daily review is probably better because one knows what to work on tomorrow. The individual must decide which method works best.

A Writer's Mid Week Reflections

‘Idál (Justice), 4 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 164 B.E. – Wednesday, March 5, 2008 about 3:34 PM PST

Weekly Journal Writing Prompt: Take some time to write in your journal. What's happened so far this week? Share with the list if you'd like.

I look in the mirror of the week,
I see the could haves and the should haves
I see the accomplishments and the new experiences.

I look in the mirror of the week,
I leave the should haves and the could haves unlisted
I focus on the new experiences and accomplishments
I list the new experiences and the learning which occurred.

I experienced my first chemical peel on Monday,
I learned on Monday that it takes five quarts of oil to fill an engine,
I learned on Monday that the routing code on a check
and the routing code on a deposit slip are different,
on Monday I found a penny laying face up next to my car.

Now I have to incorporate these items
into my writing and expand my learning experiences
to add more depth to my writing.

I'm Doing it Again

Fidál (Grace), 3 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 164 B.E. – Tuesday, March 4, 2008 about 12:41 PM PST

I am participating in the Follow the Leader: Redux contest on writing.com again. This is the second time this year I have entered the contest. The concept of the contest is leading entries. Each participant is assigned a day to do a leading entry. The subject and them of the leading entry is up the "leader" for that day. The rest of the group responds to the leading entry.

I am using my regular writing.com blog Snow Melt for my leading and response entries in this contest. This edition of the contest begins Thursday, March 6, and ends Wednesday, March 26. My leading entry is scheduled for Monday, March 10. Since March 10 is going to be a busy day for me, I am going to be in and out of the house all day. I will compose the entry and post it at midnight Eastern Time, which is about 9:00 PM Pacific Time.

Staying Positive as a Write

Fidal (Grace), 13 Mulk (Dominion), 164 B.E. - Tuesday, February 19, 2008 about 9:06 AM PST

The best way to stay positive as a writer is to write. I have difficulty staying positive sometimes, so I have an offline journal called Writing my Spiritual Journey, which contains letters written to Baha'u'llah. In this journal I can pour my heart out about everything that is happening in my life.

In Writing my Spiritual Journey, I usually use the free write exercise of just beginning and writing what comes to mind. If I repeat words or phrases then I repeat them. In free write the idea is to continue to write for a specific period of time or until you have written the subject out whichever comes first. The best way to do a free write is to write for a specific period, such as 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 minutes. One can always take up the subject again latter if it is not covered completely in on setting.

Writing my Spiritual Journey is to keep things in that I do not want to put in my blog. In addition to writing through the darkness letters, I use it to bring myself to account. This helps me focus on what I have accomplished and what needs done. Every blogger should have an offline journal to write in because it helps focus a person's thoughts and it reveals subjects that one might want to blog about later.

A Beautiful January 31, 2008 in Las Vegas

Istijlal (Majesty), 13 Sultan 164 B.E. - Thursday, January 31, 2008 about 8:49 AM PST

The morning is beautiful, the sun is bright and it is a bit chilly. All expected this time of year in Las Vegas. All reasons to get up early and begin to write about the day, which is Thankful Thursday for my Yahoo journal-writing group. Once a week you post ten things you are thankful for to the group. I will post my thankfulness list later today.

Tomorrow, February 1, Write Week begins for the first seven day of February I will write at least 5,000 words on a new writing project. In addition, I am still looking for a subject for my leading journal entry on February 11. I have responded to three of the leading entries in the Follow the Leader Journal contest on writing.com. I have not checked to see if today's leader posted the leading entry yet.

A Contest I Entered

'Idal (Justice), 12 Sultan (Sovereignty), 164 B.E. - Tuesday, January 29, 2008 about 6:24 PM PST

I entered the Follow the Leader Journal contest on writing.com. This is a contest I have entered before and the present session last about three week. Each contestant is assigned a day to make a leading journal entry. After the leader makes his or her entry then the rest of the contestants make entries using the same title. I will write the lead entry on February 11.

The contest started on January 28, I responded to that entry, but haven't responded to the lead entry for today, January 29. I logged in this morning to see if the leader for today had made her entry, but she had not written it. I have to log on writing.com in a few minutes to see if it is posted yet. The leader has until midnight Eastern Standard Time to post an entry. The other contestant can respond at their leisure, but have to have all the responses completed three days after the contest ends. I usually try to respond everyday because it is too difficult for me if I wait until the last minute.

Wednesday, Midweek Reflections

14 Qawl 164 B.E. - Wednesday, December 5, 2007 about 5:51 PM PST

Wednesday is midweek reflections day on the yahoo journal writing group I'm a member of. The exercise is to sit down and write in your journal about what happened so far this week. I like this exercise because it allows me to look back at the three proceeding days and find lessons learned. I begin each paragraph in the exercise with "So Far this week..."

So far this week I've learned never to question that God answers prayers. Sometimes those answers come in a miraculous way, but most of the time they occur through ordinary happenings. Never question that prayers receive answers because when you do you prevent yourself from seeing the answer.

So far this week I've realized that I can't do everything. When I have to do more then normal the idea is to do what can be done in a day and finish the rest the following day. Everything eventually gets, done and if it don't, what will the effect be in say 10,000 years.

So far this week I've learned to let go and let God. One of those irritating sayings that everyone gives you at sometime. Even if they don't use those words we know the paraphrase for those words and hear the phrase in our minds rather than the words said.