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Writing Away: A Creative Guide to Awakening the Journal-Writing Traveler by Lavinia Spalding
ceejay63's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
papidoc's review against another edition
5.0
“His journal was 33 black binders on the shelves of his personal study when President Spencer W. Kimball was called to be President of the Church in 1973. Since then, he has frequently counseled and exhorted members of the Church to keep personal journals…” As President Kimball once said, “What could you do better for your children and your children’s children than to record the story of your life, your triumphs over adversity, your recovery after a fall, your progress when all seemed black, your rejoicing when you had finally achieved? Some of what you write may be humdrum dates and places, but there will also be rich passages that will be quoted by your posterity.” (New Era, December 1980)
It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and that may be true. Most of us take cameras with us when we ride, knowing that we will often happen upon beautiful scenery or people or events we wish to remember. However, we have been counseled, and it is true counsel, that we should document our incomings and outgoings in words also for our own benefit and that of our posterity. My experience, and I’m sure that of many of us, has been that riding my motorcycle often puts me in a philosophical frame of mind, with a tendency to ponder and think about many things.
My mind turns to the things of eternity, and sometimes I find myself thinking metaphorically about motorcycling and the gospel. At other times, I simply want to record for myself and my children the beauties of the earth and the goodness of the people I encounter while out riding. At yet other times, my musings lead me to questions and answers about the important issues in my life and the lives of my loved ones, thoughts that I think are important to record. And much of the time, I find my abilities are unequal to the task of expressing myself in writing. And here is where this month’s book has helped me, and might help you.
While on a trip this past summer, I came across a copy of Lavinia Spalding’s book, Writing Away, in the Glen Canyon NRA VC’s bookstore. It is replete with dozens of ideas and methods for livening up a travel journal, many of which I have begun to put to good use in my daily journal writing. What I want in my journal writing in general, and especially while traveling, is to write so as to keep the events and learnings of the trip as alive and as fresh as when I first experienced them. With chapters ranging from how to choose a good journaling notebook (she advocates unlined pages, as they allow for more freedom of expression), to freeing your artistic side, to ways to observe more keenly so as to be able to record what you see more fully, Spalding’s ideas have already begun to enliven my journaling.
At the end of each of her 13 chapters, Spalding summarizes several recommendations for turbo-charging your journal. In particular, I appreciated her chapter titled “Journal to the Center,” on traveling inward and exploring each moment. She suggests, for example, making a point every day to notice something you normally wouldn’t, to focus on the details no matter how seemingly insignificant, and then to describe it in the minutest detail possible. Another is the opposite, to scope the area in which you find yourself, for a person, object, family, or situation to write about in a magnified way. Yet another is to write (again, in detail) about something that surprised you…an unfamiliar ceremony or event, something unexpected.
I’ve been journaling, off and on, since I was about 12 years old, and it has certainly been a learning process. I wish I had been able to read Spalding’s book decades ago…I greatly fear that most of what is in my journals will be the most boring reading imaginable for my posterity. My hope is that future efforts will be more lively, entertaining, and interesting. And it is not just for my posterity (nor should yours be, either). Rather, we should write for ourselves, and go back from time to time to read what we have written before, to remind ourselves of lessons learned, trips taken, experiences cherished, and friendships made. And, if nothing else, remember Oscar Wilde’s wisdom...
As President Kimball noted, “What could you do better for your children and your children’s children than to record…your triumphs over adversity, your recovery after a fall, your progress when all seemed black…” Hopefully we will not be writing of too many falls, but most of us have been on a motorcycle when the skies blackened, and progress was uncertain, when our clothes were soaked, our bodies shivering with cold, or red with summer’s heat. We know the adversities of riding, but (as with life) we ride anyway because we know the joys outweigh the hardships. Preserve those memories!
“It’s not a bad idea to get in the habit of writing down one’s thoughts. It saves one having to bother anyone else with them.” -- Colegate, Isabel
It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and that may be true. Most of us take cameras with us when we ride, knowing that we will often happen upon beautiful scenery or people or events we wish to remember. However, we have been counseled, and it is true counsel, that we should document our incomings and outgoings in words also for our own benefit and that of our posterity. My experience, and I’m sure that of many of us, has been that riding my motorcycle often puts me in a philosophical frame of mind, with a tendency to ponder and think about many things.
“Writing has been a way of explaining to myself the things I do not understand.” -- Rosario Castellanos
My mind turns to the things of eternity, and sometimes I find myself thinking metaphorically about motorcycling and the gospel. At other times, I simply want to record for myself and my children the beauties of the earth and the goodness of the people I encounter while out riding. At yet other times, my musings lead me to questions and answers about the important issues in my life and the lives of my loved ones, thoughts that I think are important to record. And much of the time, I find my abilities are unequal to the task of expressing myself in writing. And here is where this month’s book has helped me, and might help you.
“Writing of every kind is a way to wake oneself up and keep as alive as when one has just fallen in love.” -- Pico Iyer
While on a trip this past summer, I came across a copy of Lavinia Spalding’s book, Writing Away, in the Glen Canyon NRA VC’s bookstore. It is replete with dozens of ideas and methods for livening up a travel journal, many of which I have begun to put to good use in my daily journal writing. What I want in my journal writing in general, and especially while traveling, is to write so as to keep the events and learnings of the trip as alive and as fresh as when I first experienced them. With chapters ranging from how to choose a good journaling notebook (she advocates unlined pages, as they allow for more freedom of expression), to freeing your artistic side, to ways to observe more keenly so as to be able to record what you see more fully, Spalding’s ideas have already begun to enliven my journaling.
“There is only one journey. Going inside yourself.” -- Rilke, Rainer Maria
At the end of each of her 13 chapters, Spalding summarizes several recommendations for turbo-charging your journal. In particular, I appreciated her chapter titled “Journal to the Center,” on traveling inward and exploring each moment. She suggests, for example, making a point every day to notice something you normally wouldn’t, to focus on the details no matter how seemingly insignificant, and then to describe it in the minutest detail possible. Another is the opposite, to scope the area in which you find yourself, for a person, object, family, or situation to write about in a magnified way. Yet another is to write (again, in detail) about something that surprised you…an unfamiliar ceremony or event, something unexpected.
“Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.” -- E.L. Doctorow
I’ve been journaling, off and on, since I was about 12 years old, and it has certainly been a learning process. I wish I had been able to read Spalding’s book decades ago…I greatly fear that most of what is in my journals will be the most boring reading imaginable for my posterity. My hope is that future efforts will be more lively, entertaining, and interesting. And it is not just for my posterity (nor should yours be, either). Rather, we should write for ourselves, and go back from time to time to read what we have written before, to remind ourselves of lessons learned, trips taken, experiences cherished, and friendships made. And, if nothing else, remember Oscar Wilde’s wisdom...
“I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.” -- Oscar Wilde
As President Kimball noted, “What could you do better for your children and your children’s children than to record…your triumphs over adversity, your recovery after a fall, your progress when all seemed black…” Hopefully we will not be writing of too many falls, but most of us have been on a motorcycle when the skies blackened, and progress was uncertain, when our clothes were soaked, our bodies shivering with cold, or red with summer’s heat. We know the adversities of riding, but (as with life) we ride anyway because we know the joys outweigh the hardships. Preserve those memories!
jenn_stark's review against another edition
5.0
a dear friend gave this book to me from her shelf, knowing how much i'd love it. i did. this book not only inspired me to write down my memories of travel and everyday life, it also reminded me to fully experience what's happening, to let go of the constant need to over-document in a meaningless way, and to always have to share instantaneously. a book that values slowness and thoughtfulness. such a great read. i'll be flipping through it for years.
tenderbrushes's review against another edition
3.0
Lots of prompts and tips to start (and finish) a travel journal. I thought the writing a little tediously lengthy, but there are a lot of great ideas that are useful even for an everyday journal.
carolime630's review against another edition
4.0
"A traveler without observation is a bird without wings." - Moslih Eddin Saadi
This book came highly recommended by fellow travel journalists as an introduction to the art, and importance of, keeping a travelogue. I picked up this book because I wanted to gain inspiration to help breathe life into past travel notes as well as become inspired for trips I have yet to take.
"Writing Away" details the rewards that come by preserving experiences through words, using the heightened senses enticed by travel as a muse for personal development. Although great to have a standard "diary" of what you did, saw, or experienced on each day abroad, Spalding urges travelers to dig deeper and focus on the minutia and feelings evoked from experiences to solidify memories, resulting in raw, electric writings. While not on board with all of her points (I'm not a scrapbooker or an artist and I will always prefer the convenience and ease of typing over handwriting), I did gain some fresh ideas and perspectives that should enhance my future travel journal entries and make me a more self aware traveler as a result. 4 stars.
This book came highly recommended by fellow travel journalists as an introduction to the art, and importance of, keeping a travelogue. I picked up this book because I wanted to gain inspiration to help breathe life into past travel notes as well as become inspired for trips I have yet to take.
"Writing Away" details the rewards that come by preserving experiences through words, using the heightened senses enticed by travel as a muse for personal development. Although great to have a standard "diary" of what you did, saw, or experienced on each day abroad, Spalding urges travelers to dig deeper and focus on the minutia and feelings evoked from experiences to solidify memories, resulting in raw, electric writings. While not on board with all of her points (I'm not a scrapbooker or an artist and I will always prefer the convenience and ease of typing over handwriting), I did gain some fresh ideas and perspectives that should enhance my future travel journal entries and make me a more self aware traveler as a result. 4 stars.
tangerineteeth's review against another edition
5.0
Great tone and offers so much in the way of ideas, prompts, and guidance. I read this as a long-time journaler looking for some fresh inspiration; I would recommend it to someone interested in starting a journal too. And you absolutely do not have to have globetrotting in your future, near or distant, for this book to be worth reading.
papi's review against another edition
5.0
“His journal was 33 black binders on the shelves of his personal study when President Spencer W. Kimball was called to be President of the Church in 1973. Since then, he has frequently counseled and exhorted members of the Church to keep personal journals…” As President Kimball once said, “What could you do better for your children and your children’s children than to record the story of your life, your triumphs over adversity, your recovery after a fall, your progress when all seemed black, your rejoicing when you had finally achieved? Some of what you write may be humdrum dates and places, but there will also be rich passages that will be quoted by your posterity.” (New Era, December 1980)
It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and that may be true. Most of us take cameras with us when we ride, knowing that we will often happen upon beautiful scenery or people or events we wish to remember. However, we have been counseled, and it is true counsel, that we should document our incomings and outgoings in words also for our own benefit and that of our posterity. My experience, and I’m sure that of many of us, has been that riding my motorcycle often puts me in a philosophical frame of mind, with a tendency to ponder and think about many things.
My mind turns to the things of eternity, and sometimes I find myself thinking metaphorically about motorcycling and the gospel. At other times, I simply want to record for myself and my children the beauties of the earth and the goodness of the people I encounter while out riding. At yet other times, my musings lead me to questions and answers about the important issues in my life and the lives of my loved ones, thoughts that I think are important to record. And much of the time, I find my abilities are unequal to the task of expressing myself in writing. And here is where this month’s book has helped me, and might help you.
While on a trip this past summer, I came across a copy of Lavinia Spalding’s book, Writing Away, in the Glen Canyon NRA VC’s bookstore. It is replete with dozens of ideas and methods for livening up a travel journal, many of which I have begun to put to good use in my daily journal writing. What I want in my journal writing in general, and especially while traveling, is to write so as to keep the events and learnings of the trip as alive and as fresh as when I first experienced them. With chapters ranging from how to choose a good journaling notebook (she advocates unlined pages, as they allow for more freedom of expression), to freeing your artistic side, to ways to observe more keenly so as to be able to record what you see more fully, Spalding’s ideas have already begun to enliven my journaling.
At the end of each of her 13 chapters, Spalding summarizes several recommendations for turbo-charging your journal. In particular, I appreciated her chapter titled “Journal to the Center,” on traveling inward and exploring each moment. She suggests, for example, making a point every day to notice something you normally wouldn’t, to focus on the details no matter how seemingly insignificant, and then to describe it in the minutest detail possible. Another is the opposite, to scope the area in which you find yourself, for a person, object, family, or situation to write about in a magnified way. Yet another is to write (again, in detail) about something that surprised you…an unfamiliar ceremony or event, something unexpected.
I’ve been journaling, off and on, since I was about 12 years old, and it has certainly been a learning process. I wish I had been able to read Spalding’s book decades ago…I greatly fear that most of what is in my journals will be the most boring reading imaginable for my posterity. My hope is that future efforts will be more lively, entertaining, and interesting. And it is not just for my posterity (nor should yours be, either). Rather, we should write for ourselves, and go back from time to time to read what we have written before, to remind ourselves of lessons learned, trips taken, experiences cherished, and friendships made. And, if nothing else, remember Oscar Wilde’s wisdom...
As President Kimball noted, “What could you do better for your children and your children’s children than to record…your triumphs over adversity, your recovery after a fall, your progress when all seemed black…” Hopefully we will not be writing of too many falls, but most of us have been on a motorcycle when the skies blackened, and progress was uncertain, when our clothes were soaked, our bodies shivering with cold, or red with summer’s heat. We know the adversities of riding, but (as with life) we ride anyway because we know the joys outweigh the hardships. Preserve those memories!
“It’s not a bad idea to get in the habit of writing down one’s thoughts. It saves one having to bother anyone else with them.” -- Colegate, Isabel
It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and that may be true. Most of us take cameras with us when we ride, knowing that we will often happen upon beautiful scenery or people or events we wish to remember. However, we have been counseled, and it is true counsel, that we should document our incomings and outgoings in words also for our own benefit and that of our posterity. My experience, and I’m sure that of many of us, has been that riding my motorcycle often puts me in a philosophical frame of mind, with a tendency to ponder and think about many things.
“Writing has been a way of explaining to myself the things I do not understand.” -- Rosario Castellanos
My mind turns to the things of eternity, and sometimes I find myself thinking metaphorically about motorcycling and the gospel. At other times, I simply want to record for myself and my children the beauties of the earth and the goodness of the people I encounter while out riding. At yet other times, my musings lead me to questions and answers about the important issues in my life and the lives of my loved ones, thoughts that I think are important to record. And much of the time, I find my abilities are unequal to the task of expressing myself in writing. And here is where this month’s book has helped me, and might help you.
“Writing of every kind is a way to wake oneself up and keep as alive as when one has just fallen in love.” -- Pico Iyer
While on a trip this past summer, I came across a copy of Lavinia Spalding’s book, Writing Away, in the Glen Canyon NRA VC’s bookstore. It is replete with dozens of ideas and methods for livening up a travel journal, many of which I have begun to put to good use in my daily journal writing. What I want in my journal writing in general, and especially while traveling, is to write so as to keep the events and learnings of the trip as alive and as fresh as when I first experienced them. With chapters ranging from how to choose a good journaling notebook (she advocates unlined pages, as they allow for more freedom of expression), to freeing your artistic side, to ways to observe more keenly so as to be able to record what you see more fully, Spalding’s ideas have already begun to enliven my journaling.
“There is only one journey. Going inside yourself.” -- Rilke, Rainer Maria
At the end of each of her 13 chapters, Spalding summarizes several recommendations for turbo-charging your journal. In particular, I appreciated her chapter titled “Journal to the Center,” on traveling inward and exploring each moment. She suggests, for example, making a point every day to notice something you normally wouldn’t, to focus on the details no matter how seemingly insignificant, and then to describe it in the minutest detail possible. Another is the opposite, to scope the area in which you find yourself, for a person, object, family, or situation to write about in a magnified way. Yet another is to write (again, in detail) about something that surprised you…an unfamiliar ceremony or event, something unexpected.
“Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.” -- E.L. Doctorow
I’ve been journaling, off and on, since I was about 12 years old, and it has certainly been a learning process. I wish I had been able to read Spalding’s book decades ago…I greatly fear that most of what is in my journals will be the most boring reading imaginable for my posterity. My hope is that future efforts will be more lively, entertaining, and interesting. And it is not just for my posterity (nor should yours be, either). Rather, we should write for ourselves, and go back from time to time to read what we have written before, to remind ourselves of lessons learned, trips taken, experiences cherished, and friendships made. And, if nothing else, remember Oscar Wilde’s wisdom...
“I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.” -- Oscar Wilde
As President Kimball noted, “What could you do better for your children and your children’s children than to record…your triumphs over adversity, your recovery after a fall, your progress when all seemed black…” Hopefully we will not be writing of too many falls, but most of us have been on a motorcycle when the skies blackened, and progress was uncertain, when our clothes were soaked, our bodies shivering with cold, or red with summer’s heat. We know the adversities of riding, but (as with life) we ride anyway because we know the joys outweigh the hardships. Preserve those memories!
lapetite's review
4.0
Whoa. I started to read this back when I was heading to India last year. I couldn't finish it and the enormity of the trip mixed with my inability to keep a travel journal won over my good intentions.
Nonetheless, I have made it my mission this year to keep a travel journal.
Everyone raves about this book and with good reason. Ms. Spalding's candor helps you see the act of journaling as one of self-discovery. She helps you see the benefits of keeping a real journal (though she doesn't blame you if you want to keep a blog) and how to make it a fun, creative experience. It is one of the most entertaining and sincere how-to writing guides I've ever read.
Nonetheless, I have made it my mission this year to keep a travel journal.
Everyone raves about this book and with good reason. Ms. Spalding's candor helps you see the act of journaling as one of self-discovery. She helps you see the benefits of keeping a real journal (though she doesn't blame you if you want to keep a blog) and how to make it a fun, creative experience. It is one of the most entertaining and sincere how-to writing guides I've ever read.
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