You’ve been journaling religiously.
Every day.
Every other day, or even once or twice a week.
But you just can’t seem to see how you’re going to turn your daily musings into saleable material.
Take a deep breath because… you can learn to use journaling for salable ideas.
There is a market for your personal story
We all have a story to tell and your journal contains that story.
You just have to recognize it and believe.
Believe there is a market for your personal story
There are many saleable article ideas that can come from your journaling and there is a market for your musing.
You might think that your journal is simply a hodge-podge of your daily life but it can be a great source of ideas as we discussed in last month’s article.
Write with purpose and intent
Every time you sit down to write in your journal, keep in the back of your mind the thought that what you’re writing might, one day, be turned into an article. Or the catalyst for a story.
Keep in mind that everything you write about your daily life won’t necessary be suitable for a story or an article.
But, the vast majority of it can be turned into saleable manuscripts and/or articles that can be a source of income.
Turning your life events into profit
If you haven’t started or kept up with a journaling practice, try this exercise to get you motivated.
• Pick a time in your life that was particularly stressful or upsetting (or even happy) and journal about it.
• After you’ve written down everything you remember about the event, walk away from it for a couple of days.
• When you come back to it, turn your happiness or sadness into an article that will help someone else.
For instance, if you wrote about a time when you lost a family member, this can be turned into an article on grief and healing you could pitch to a magazine or blog that deals with death, dying, and grief.
Or, did you write about your child reaching that first milestone?
Turn this into an article you can pitch to a parenting magazine.
Did you write about the first teacher who believed in you and your writing abilities?
This is an article that can easily be pitched to an educational magazine.
There are blogs, magazines and publishers looking for personal experience stories.
They need your story.
Your journal gives you a never-ending supply of ideas that can be pitched to just about any this market.
If you want to make money as a writer….make your journal your best friend.
And, if you need help doing this, learn more about Fearless Freelance Writing, a 10-week e-course and mentoring program that teaches you a proven system for making money writing about your personal experiences.
About Patricia Bumpass
Patricia (Pat) Bumpass (www.patriciabumpass.com) is a North Carolina-based freelance writer.
She writes a weekly blog for her current employer while building her freelance writing business.
Pat enjoys writing and has journaled since she was a teenager. She lives with her 17-year-old son who is blessed with Autism.
