5-Year “Q&A A Day” Journal
Author: Potter Style Imprint
Release Date: November 23, 2010
Publisher: Potter Style (Crown Publishing)
Source: Blogging for Books
Genre(s): Journal
Rating: ★★★★☆
Review Spoilers: Low
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When I first requested a review copy of the Potter Style 5-Year “Q&A A Day” Journal I admit that I wasn’t sure how much I was going to like it. I am the absolute worst when it comes to keeping a daily journal or diary. I have tried so many times but as much as I loved reading the Dear America book series as a kid I have just never been able to get my personal thoughts down on paper.
The prospect of being asked simple, thought provoking questions each day really appealed to me because it was a way I could get to know myself and get my thoughts down without the pressure of figuring out how to present them myself. I’ve been keeping up with the journal for a couple days now and I’ve really enjoyed them. Sometimes the simplest questions bring out the real stories and memories.
For example, yesterday’s question was: “How did you get to work today?” It’s a simple question, right? But think about that question for a moment and think about all the things that could be going on in your life one year that aren’t the next. In 2015, maybe you drove yourself to work. In 2016, maybe your car will be in the shop and you’ll be driving a rental. In 2017, maybe your future significant other dropped you off. In 2018, maybe you didn’t go to work. Maybe you stayed home and did something fun with the family. Maybe it was a weekend.
Each question gets you thinking and really makes you wonder what the subsequent years will bring and how your answers will compare. It’s really cool when you think about it.
That said, I want to offer another use for this five year journal.
I like to pretend I’m a writer and that someday I’ll maybe write a novel. Mostly, though, I just like coming up with characters and scenarios. While reading through this unique journal I realized that it could have some really serious potential for character development. Imagine going through the book and answering each question as a different character. You could do just five or answer different questions for different characters.
No matter how you chose to use it, the journal would ask a lot of simple questions to get you really thinking about your characters. Will what your character “can smell right now” really matter in the long run as you write your story? Maybe not. But how often do you think about things like “the last time [your character] went swimming?”
These are things that encourage you to think about the little things you might never need to tell your readers about your characters. But each question could help you develop your characters for yourself. It could really help you get inside of them and look past the basics.
No matter how you use this journal, I think you’ll get a lot out of it. I absolutely love it. For the first time in my life I actually feel like I might be able to keep a journal of any kind. And I have to say that it’s a pretty awesome looking journal. It’s got a very classic look. Admittedly, I’d like if it were a little bigger with a little bit more space to write. And it’d be nice if they had given us a ribbon book mark to keep track of where we are. But over all it’s a really cool book and $16.99 for a book that you can use – and should hold up – for five years? Definitely worth it.
English