Recreational Writing

Recreational Writing

By Gene Wilburn

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2011 Gene Wilburn

ISBN: 978-1-895934-10-6

Smashwords Edition, License Notes:

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Journals and Diaries

Chapter 2: Memoir

Chapter 3: Blogs

Chapter 4: Poetry and Fiction

Chapter 5: Nonfiction

Chapter 6: Publishing Your Writing

About the Author

Introduction

When you think of recreation, you may conjure up images of partying, skiing, golf, camping, traveling, listening to music, or reading for pleasure. What you probably don’t think of is writing. Many people have had bad experiences writing school assignments and can’t imagine writing for fun.

What I hope to do is convince you otherwise. I believe that writing, as recreation, can be fun, contemplative, and insightful, and that it can provide answers to a fundamental question: Who am I?

The primary goal of this brief minibook is to explore the kinds of recreational writing you can undertake, with topic ideas on what you might write.

In Chapter 1, Journals and Diaries, we explore the personal journal. When you keep a journal of your thoughts, feelings, and events, you begin to see patterns that shed light on who you are and what you’re doing with your life. The patterns that emerge bring fresh insights. The insights, in turn, define how you see yourself and those around you.

In Chapter 2, Memoir, we examine the writing down of memories and recollections of parts of your life. Writing a memoir of key times in your life will take you traveling to the past where half-remembered and totally forgotten events and people spring back into your mind to enrich your memories and understanding.

In Chapter 3, Blogs, we take a tour of blogging, a form of public recreational writing. Blogging is an entertaining option for anyone who likes to review things, critique them, or just write about things in general.

In Chapter 4, Poetry and Fiction, we look at a particularly rich vein of creativity. You may feel you have stories you’d like to create, or poems to write. This chapter encourages you to take up the challenge and explore your creative nature.

In Chapter 5, Nonfiction, we explore the many routes your recreational writing can take, from family emails to personal essays.

In Chapter 6, Self-Publishing Your Writing, I show how easy it is to create an e-book (or traditional paper book) that you can share with family and friends, or offer for sale.

From these chapter summaries, it may strike you that recreational writing sounds a lot like work for something that’s recreational. In part that’s true. Writing by its nature cannot be mindless entertainment. No more so than can golf. To enjoy golf fully you must practice your swing, work on your drives and your putting game, and develop course strategies. Skiing, likewise, requires work and practice if you want to tackle ever more challenging slopes. So it is with writing — the more you do it and the more you succeed with it, the more enjoyable it becomes.

Writers, and that includes you if you write regularly, often feel a sense of homecoming and anticipated pleasure