A simple doodled theme in honor of National Novel Writing Month.
In honor of November as National Novel Writing Month (US), I doodled images that came to mind when I think about writing a novel. I colored those images with watercolor.
NOTE: While the pages are like those who setup their Bullet Journals (BuJo), I use this journal more as a memory keeper/diary. The BuJo-inspired pages encourage me to make note of the good things in life, even on the worst days.
In case it's helpful, below are the topics covered in this post:
November is National Novel Writing Month
November is National Novel Writing Month (US). It is a month dedicated to encouraging people to put pen-to-paper (or fingers-to-keyboards as most of us do nowadays) and write something.
I will celebrate this month by continuing a novel I started and abandoned in my youth. I do not intend to share it publicly because, as you may know from my blog, my writing skills are subpar. However, I hope to improve my writing and storytelling skills by continuing my old novel.
Since I plan on participating in this random month of celebration, I decided to doodle a design theme that reminds me of writing. I used the word "doodle" because it did not take me much thought and effort to do it. I just had fun with it!
Calendar Overview Pages
The calendar overview is where I note important dates I want to document in my journal.
The larger calendar fills much of both pages. I note events such as birthdays, appointments, and holidays within the appropriate block that represents a day in the month. During the month, I'll make a short note of something that happened.
On the left, I have a mini calendar for next month and another box where I'll note next month's events coming soon. I like being able to visually see ahead to things I may need to be aware of before those days come.
Productivity-related notes like to-do lists are managed in a separate and more simplistic Bullet Journal.
A typewriter came to mind as I thought about writing a novel. I used it to write many stories using my Dad's typewriter until my Mom got rid of it. I loved and hated it at the same time. I knew I wanted to include a typewriter somewhere in the design.
In addition to a large typewriter, I doodled wadded paper (something I did often in my youth), some office supplies, desktop calendar books, and a plant.
I colored the doodles with a quick wash of watercolor. I did not worry about highlights or shading with the images, although I added light shading to the paper wads and tabletop.
Highlights and Hobbies & Dogs' Pages
Every night, I write a line of text highlighting one good thing about that day on my highlights page. Usually, I write about a simple thing that made me happy. Even on the worst days, I try to think about a highlight of that day to write down. This page is intentionally left blank since I'll fill it in throughout the month.
On the hobbies & dogs page, I note when I complete my favorite hobbies. While many journal enthusiasts track their habits, tracking my favorite hobbies reminds me to dedicate time for myself and happiness. The hobbies I track are:
arts + crafts,
writing, and
gaming.
My dogs' care and happiness are equally important. I track the following for my dogs:
when they go for a joy ride,
when I've cared for their coat with a brush, leave-in shampoo, or bath,
when they received teeth care with brush chews or teeth brushing,
when they participated in extended, extra, or hyper playtime, and
when something unusual happens with my dogs (e.g., upset stomach).
I left the highlights page mostly blank with a doodle of an opened book along the bottom. I doodled several books and wadded paper to the hobbies & dogs page.
Mood Page
I treat my mood tracker page as a coloring page of sorts. Each night, I'll color-in a part of an image that represents my overall mood for that day: awesome, meh/OK, sick, or bad/sad.
This was my favorite page of them all. The clutter made the design catch my attention even before color is added to the plain, numbered books.
I liked creating a full-page design. However, I needed to remind myself that the previous pages will be filled throughout the month. Those pages will eventually capture my attention visually as well.
What's Next?
Why not attempt to write a novel? Whether you are an experienced author or someone with a story in mind, this month is a great opportunity to write what is on your mind. At the very least, it will serve as a writing exercise to keep your creative juices flowing!
Have you set up your November journal design? Comment below to share what theme you went with and what materials you used to create it.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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