Drafting

How does writing work in the magical world of movies, from the songs that brings forth the mood, the clever words that the characters speak and the vivid setting of action, history and fantasy?  Emily Edwards, a journalist in TV/ radio news and interested in animated films, came to UNCG to discuss the importance of writing, especially in a journal.  Most of us probably have already read The Diary of Anne Frank, Flowers for Algernon or A Diary of a Wimpy Kid. they are wonderful stories and what is interesting about them is that they are written in a journal format.  Even before they became world best sellers, every book, movie, play, poem, scientific discoveries, historical text, artistic masterpieces and sport plans all started with an idea and preserved with the ink as it flows across the blank page.  Ever since Emily was 5 years old, she had kept a journal with her.  So whenever she had an idea or a sudden spark of inspiration, she would write or sketch it down.  Sometimes when you are in the zone or just trying to get everyone down in a short amount of time, your ideas may get messy, filled with scribbles, shortened phrases in codes or symbols, with doodles on the side.  It does not always have to be organized and perfect; it just proves that your brain is working overtime and the journal are a way to remember your big “Aha” moments so you can organize and edit later.  Most of the greatest people in the world kept journals, diaries and recordings of what they discovered and came up with.  Leonardo Da Vinci kept all his greatest pans, ideas and blueprints in his journal, and some of his earlier inventions are still used today.  While working on his famous formula E=mc2, the equivalence of energy,  Albert Einstein wrote down his equations over and over, making notes, trying to see the numbers relate until he figured out the solution.  Using his notes, he wrote pamphlets and articles to explain his revised formula.  Ever heard of Dav Pilkey, his teacher used to tell him he will never get anywhere in life if he keeps drawing cartoons.  A few years later, he grew up to be the author of the Captain Underpants book series which soon will be an animated film.  Even dancers, sport coaches and costume designers use a journal to come up with ideas for choreography, contrast color patterns, see how their visions will contradict in a play or movie, make uniforms, how to practice a sport and game plans to win the game.  


As a blogger, it is essential and easier for me to carry a notebook so I could write down the events that is occurring during the Young Writer’s Camp, so I can keep my facts straights, remember important quotes, know the names of the guest speakers and the questions already in my hand so I could ask to the students and staff about how they feel about this summer experience.  Even as a young girl in elementary, I would do a morning prompt about a specific topic and to add more of my flare, I would draw a colorful picture to go with my story.  As I practiced my hand in art, I had a sketchbook, so I could not only learn new drawing and paint techniques, but also draw what I felt, the images I saw throughout my life and the ideas that just sprung into my head.  Since science is one of my major passions, I hope that someday I would invent or innovate something that will change the world.  So whenever I come up in what I believe will be a scientific breakthrough, I write it down or draw a little sketch.  Once in a while, I would look back through my notes from last week to a few years ago and I can see my former self within the pages.


Writing in journals is not only a way to preserve your ideas, but also help you practice for the future on how you process your thoughts.  After practicing so much with a pen, the hand becomes faster, new ways of keeping notes are developed, even schoolwork will be a breeze.  And don’t just write it down, record, take pictures, etc.  Everyone has their own style in creativity and keeping their thoughts together.  With the world always changing, it is important to be ready, whether the usage of a plain notebook paper to the age of tablets and smartphones.


So go out there and explore, creativity is endless and it is waiting to be discovery by a bright person like yourself.