Joyce Heatherington resides in Oregon, and she has been journaling off and on since junior high school. She is 37 years-old and has written in 72+ journal notebooks. Because she’s unable to work due to health issues, journaling helps Joyce to write down and process what she is going through.
From 2000- 2014 Joyce has completed and won four years of the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and she also completed EasyJournaling.com’s 30-Day Digital Journaling Challenge held in October of last year.
When she has the strength and the energy, she likes to do many art crafts, such as sewing, art journaling, scrapbooking, and taking pictures. She likes to watch TV and movies on Netflix. She does a yearly reading of the Bible, and has done so for ten plus years. During the Summer time, Joyce likes to be outdoors relaxing in her patio swing, where the unknown neighbor’s cat whom she has named Gracie comes and visits daily. She likes to grow her hair out and donate it to Pantene who needs eight inches.
1. Why are you doing National Journal Writing Month?
I want to be a fluent writer, and I want to accomplish something. The feeling of accomplishment is a powerful thing. Also, to me journaling is fun. I may not always write a lot; however, whatever amount of words I do write, I find writing to be fun. It used to be that I felt like I had to journal, like it was a duty in my life, but now I see it as a fun and relaxing activity.
2. What influenced you to start keeping a journal?
I cannot remember what actually influenced me. I have been journaling off and on since I was in junior high school, and when I saw this [NaJoWriMo] challenge I knew without doubt I wanted to participate in it and meet the challenge.
3. What do you find most beneficial about journal writing?
Journaling is a place that I can write about anything. Journaling helps me keep track of daily events, the bad and the good. Journaling helps me keep focused, and even when it does not, journaling helps me to not keep my feelings and emotions bottled up inside.
4. What’s going to be your approach to completing NaJoWriMo?
My approach is writing at least 500 – 1,000 words a day in a paper journal, or type in an online journal website called LifeJournal.
5. What suggestions do you have for other journal writers participating in NaJoWriMo?
When you cannot think of anything to write, take a five minute break, drink some coffee, juice, water, tea, or a beverage of your choice. If your not thirsty do some simple stretches. Then come back and see if the words start flowing out.
