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I always carry a little notebook with me to jot down things. Whether it be a quote from my son or to stop at the store for milk, it's always there so I don't forget.

The best writing tip that I have (and try to remember myself) is to write as if you were writing to yourself... don't worry about who is going to read it or censoring yourself, write from your heart as if you were writing in your own journal and the words will end up so much more meaningful.

My tip is to get onto the computer shortly after the event and journal the feel of the event. Then once the pictures are developed and I go to work on the layout I can edit the journalling to fit the space on the layout.

I guess for myself it's just to get it down. Not to worry about if it sounds completely right, but to just tell the story from my heart - to express what the pictures make me feel, or what I was feeling when they were taken, etc.

Lately I couldn't journal without twitter or facebook... they have made it so much easier!!!

My best journaling tip is to imagine yourself showing the layout to someone who was not present for the event or knows nothing about the story you want to tell. What would you say to that person? Think about all the things that you would tell them as they were sitting beside you. That's your story. Write it down with love.

write from the perspective of writing a letter to the person in your photos or as if you were telling a story to some future person reading your words. the journalling then comes alive
it also saves repeating the title over and over in phrases or just the usual who what when info

I just bought a camera that has a function that will let me make a recorded note about a picture. I haven't figured out how to take a good picture on the darn thing yet, but as soon as I do that feature is next. I think it will relly help with days where we hike in a bunch of different areas, or remembering why shots of random things were worth taking.

Journal onto your calendar....having a new baby means grabbing time where you can. Jotting notes on the calendar helps me to organize my thoughts and to get the sequence of events correct. I save my calendars, year after year. Checkbooks also hold a lot of information!

Journaling was the only part of scrapbooking that I didn't enjoy- sometimes it almost felt like a chore. In my heart though I knew that my pages weren't finished without the story, so now I use what I call 'The NIKE Method of Journaling'-- just do it!

Never be afraid to write the story - always get your thoughts down. Don't let fears of not being able to write well or tell a great story hold you back. Just be sure to tell your story in your words just like you are talking over coffee to a friend - that way it will always be true to who you are and what your style is. Words written no matter how they sound are always, always better than those that never make it to the page.

I just journal from my heart. I think about what I want my children to hear from me and what would my grandchildren want to know. That is what I put into my layouts.

Start with rough paper and let it go, write without stopping, without editing yourself, and without trying too hard to get it all right the first time. Writers are the people who go to a party and think of the perfect thing to say...the day after. Let it simmer. Give yourself permission to edit later, but say what you have to say without worrying about the "best" way to say it.

Sometimes a list works best. You don't need to have full sentences or worry about grammar (not too much anyway).

I tend to journal like I'm writing in my diary. And inspiration usually hits late at night when the kids are asleep.
Thanks for the opportunity.

My biggest tip is:
DO NOT BE AFRAID TO WRITE!!!
I try not to worry about if what I'm saying sounds silly or dumb. I write for myself, so I can look back and see how much I've grown. I write for my friends and family so that we can all remember our story.

I wish I had a real trick- what I try to do is write my idea on a little notebook in my purse shortly after I take the pictures. I also use the same plain notebook to write funny quotes my DS says because I KNOW I would never remember what he said when it was time to journal :)

BE sure to write down ideas as they happen in a notebook. The small, wonderful details slip away in no time.

I think it is most important to speak from your heart - so that those who read your albums have a sense of what is most important to you. Additionally, perhaps because my children are grown, I find it very important to always have a journal with me so that I can write down those little rememberances that come to me throughout the day.

I love to write using a label maker like Dymo to get snippets of the story. I also just free write the journaling to get my initial thoughts down and then go back and edit before adding to my page. It is stress free that way.
Thanks!