Journal On! Coffee Share


Good morning, Everyone.
How are you holding up with social distancing and quarantining? It is a scary situation. I live on Long Island in New York, just outside the epicenter. All reposts of the number of confirmed cases and the dire healthcare impact are absolutely accurate. My healthcare worker and first responder friends, neighbors, and family members are overwhelmed with the enormity of the virus’ demands. A miracle cure is not on the horizon. We need to combat the virus the old-fashioned way, wash your hands, stay home, stop whining.
Like everyone else, I am trapped at home. I am grateful that I have a yard to putter in, places to walk, and since I pumped up the tires on my bicycle and squirted the brakes with WD-40, I can bike around. The other night Matt and I parked at the West Sayville dock to watch the sunset and toast the day with Prosecco (thank God liquor stores are considered essential). It was not that romantic since dozens also had the same idea. We all kept our distance, nodded to each other, and enjoyed the view.
I’ve been busy on the writing front. Rejections come in faster than it takes to get anything out. It is all part of the business and craft.
This week I had posted an introduction and six Write On! Journaling the Journey Writers’ Workshop lessons for teachers and parents to use as a resource for their kids during the COVID-19 crisis. I found self-videoing very hard. I don’t have a cheap video editing program nor a video-presence to teach in front of a camera. The seven-minute videos were taking me hours. It will take a while to learn how to edit and look like I am engaging students in an empty room.
Suddenly, it’s April. At first, I was going to skip the 2020 Blogging A to Z April Challenge. There is enough on my plate with fine-tuning Daily Bread, my middle-grade novel, and taking care of home, hearth, and husband. But school will be out for another month, and the call for teaching resources is louder than ever. I decided to revamp the journaling workshops into a narrative format—my comfort zone, and post daily during April. The challenge gives me structure and deadlines. I aim for the workshops to do the same for teachers, parents, and children.
The first thing I had to do was change the name. Write On! Journaling the Journey Daily Writers’ Workshop was a mouthful. I pared it down to Journal On! Daily Writers’ Workshop. I am continuing with the three levels of prompts per workshop to accommodate the Pre-K to middle-school grade ranges. Canva’s free version offered adequate templates to create a banner and a squarish logo. I outline a daily agenda and hope to get a head start before April 1st.
Now that I have committed to all of you over coffee, I’m excited. This is way better than cooking and cleaning, making sure my shirt is stain-free and the cat is out of my office.
Perhaps you too may like the journaling practice. I’d appreciate all comments and suggestions.

Big thank yous go out to Ecelic Ali for keeping the Weekend Coffee Share up and running.

Have a safe and healthy weekend and week, Everyone. Make it great!

Antoinette Truglio Martin is the author of Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer. The memoir is a wimpy patient’s journey through her first year of breast cancer treatment.

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13 thoughts

  8. ‘Journal On’ is a wonderful title which captures what you’re teaching and implies a sense of action and moving forward. Stay safe and well, and best wishes with your workshops! #weekendcoffeeshare

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