The difference between journaling and storytelling is context. Journaling is simply documenting what happened. Storytelling involves illustrating the meaning of what happened. Our goal as storytellers is to tell a story that builds in meaning as it progresses.
Have you ever been to a party and been cornered by someone who tells you some excruciatingly detailed account of their life, but you have no idea why they are telling you? We don’t want to accost our readers. There must be a thematic relevancy to our story.
What is it about? Is it about forgiveness, revenge, freedom, truth, justice, survival, connection, loyalty, voyeurism, control, power, ambition, regret, loss, status, rage, acceptance? Be curious about the nature of that thing you wish to express.
What happens is less important than why it happens, and how your protagonist comes to a new understanding because of that.
Do you find yourself journaling or storytelling?
Learn more about marrying the wildness of your imagination to the rigor of structure in The 90-Day Novel, The 90-Day Memoir, or The 90-Day Screenplay workshops.
What is Genius?