Oh the stories your little red diary can produce. Do they still make those things? Are they still called diaries? Why were they red? Perhaps there were other colors, but somehow I never remembered seeing any other color besides red. The presence of the gold lock and key signified that the contents were off limits to those other than the owner. Why was everyone so curious about what was inside that little red book, especially when it belonged to someone else? Is it because when you know something is forbidden, your urge to explore the mysteries behind it intensifies? One thing for sure, you could only write a brief summary of what you were entering in your diary, because there were only three to four lines in that compact treasure trove.
Whether you called it a diary, journal, log, record, chronicle or memoir, your daily account of events were written and securely tucked away from those snoops who were eager to get their hands on your personal secrets. As I look through that little red diary my mother gave me when I was entering high school, I couldn’t believe some of the emotional, as well as, monotonous stuff I wrote. Although I may not remember all of those events vividly, boy can I write some thrillers from my teenage accounts. As I reflected on some of the things I wrote, I thought about the writing opportunities that these daily records could produce. I felt obligated to fill in those tiny little lines with something that occurred on that particular day. Here are a few things I jotted down that appear to be pointless and non-incriminating, but definitely have hidden story potential:
1. What I ate that day
2. Where I went that day
3. The day I got my report card
4. What album I bought that day
5. My first kiss
6. My first argument with my boyfriend
7. My first heartbreak
8. The day I got my drivers license
9. The day I got my first after school job
10. The day I bought my car
11. What I felt like on graduation day
Each one of these seemingly boring entries has the potential to produce some exciting compositions (a poem, short story, novel or article). Imagine that! I listed eleven things from a five year diary that could generate clips and credits to add to my writing portfolio. You could generate interest and excitement to any memoir, by simply adding a splash of creativity to make your words come alive.
This is the first of a twelve part series encompassing “My Little Red Diary” that will break down these eleven daily accounts and offer suggestions for creating marketable compositions from them. You may want to burn that diary, because it could contain some scandalous things. Before you do that, take a closer look to see if your diary holds some profitable possibilities without offending or damaging another party. You never know what sizzling stories could come from those daily accounts.
Kym Gordon Moore is a public relations strategist for budget conscious new authors and coordinates creative marketing packages for her clients. She is fascinated with writing instruments, machines and other noteworthy objects that contributed to the progression of the art of writing. Many of her articles, essays, short stories and poems appeared in a variety of magazines, newspapers, ezines and anthologies. kymgmoore.com kymgmoore.com
