I get it. I really do. We’ve been told by many experts that journaling every morning is good for the soul, good for clarity, good for our writing muscle. Personally, I’ve spent 25+ years journaling my morning pages, and I love the process. Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way is a goldmine for living the creative life, and I recommend it to every writing student I meet.
But I realized something: I love journaling so much that sometimes I mistake it for actual writing. And I see the same pattern in so many women I talk to.
They pull out beautiful stacks of notebooks filled with ideas, reflections, and intentions. “My book is all in here,” they say. And yet, the book itself has never left the page.
Does that sound familiar?
What if you journal about wanting to write your book for years to come, but never actually start the book?
What if you could keep the benefits of journaling and turn it into steady progress on your manuscript?
Here’s a simple three-step practice to turn morning journaling into book writing:
Step 1: Free-Write (Brain Dump)
Spend the first half of your page writing whatever comes to mind. There are no rules for this and no editing. You can write out your to do list, frustrations, aspirations, fears, things you're grateful for or even “I don’t know what to write.” Get everything out of your head and onto the page. Think of this as clearing the clutter so creativity has room to breathe.
Step 2: Transition to Writing Prompts
After your brain dump, shift gears. Pick a book-writing prompt (you can use my list from last week’s Substack). Spend a page on it. Don’t rush. Doodle if you want. Write big and bold. Let your ideas take up space because they deserve it.
Even one question, like “What story in my life taught me a lesson others need to know?” can unlock clarity you didn’t realize you had.
Step 3: Move Notes into Your Outline
Now comes the bridge. Take five minutes to move one or two sentences from your journal into a document on your computer. That document becomes your working outline.
For example, when I was drafting The Paradise Perspective-It’s a Mindset Destination not a Physical Location, my notes started with three simple pillars: vision, practice, and place. From there, the book began to take shape.
This part doesn’t need to be fancy. Even transferring a few lines each day builds momentum. And once you’re in that document, you may find yourself writing longer than you planned. Think Atomic Habits wisdom here.
Why This Matters
I’ve spoken to countless women who’ve either been working on a book for 10 years or thinking about writing a book for 10 years. Journaling is safe. It’s private. But books aren’t meant to stay hidden in journals. They’re meant to be shared.
This three-step practice is how you move from “someday” to “in progress.”
Your Next Step
Imagine how it will feel to open your laptop and see your book taking shape chapter by chapter because you finally moved beyond journaling into authorship. That shift can start today.
👉 Join the TellaDraft Waitlist here to be the first to try the platform designed to help you turn your ideas into a manuscript without losing your voice.
Your story deserves more than a journal. Let’s make it a book.
I’ve been meaning to pick up The Artist’s Way! I’ve heard so many great things about it. I also felt your statement about people who say “my book is in here” as they point to their journals. I have been there🙋🏼♀️