Beyond the Basic 5 W’s of Scrapbook Journaling, is the more advanced details. I have dubbed these the advanced 5 W’s. They are in essence the same as the Basics, but in greater detail. These will take your journal writing into a more complete stage. If you are comfortable with just the basic 5 W’s, then stop there. But if you want more depth in your journaling, then let’s focus on the more advanced techniques.
Let’s start with a simple statement using the basic 5 W’s rule.
“Johnny played for hours outside on this chilly day in October.”
Now let’s see how to advance it.
When:
The advanced aspect of the “when” in journaling, includes using ages and more detailed information. At the bottom of the page or even the backside of the layout you can include the actual date of the photographs.
Who:
When including the more advanced “Who”, don’t just include the people in the photo. If Jenny the neighbor was there jumping in leaves that day, write her name down too, even if there isn’t a photo with her in it. I think that knowing who attended events or was present but not photographed is nice. I almost always include the who when doing “event scrapbooking”. Obviously using candid photos on a layout doesn’t exactly allow for the “who” since it’s obvious who is in those pictures. But be sure to include everyone’s name that does appear in the photos.
Where:
Were you in the back yard of your old house? Or on a vacation in some exotic island and the photo was taken at a tourist spot? And in what city and state? These are the things you want to include in your journaling.
What:
What were they doing? What is happening in the photos? Was there anything the camera didn’t capture? This is where you want to add the funny little anecdotes and things that were said. This is where your writing hits an even more personal level.
Why:
Why were you there? Why was the event taking place? Was it somebody’s birthday? Did you go out one night because your friend was going through a divorce and you needed a girls night? The Why is very seldom easily defined by looking at a series of pictures. It’s because of that fact, it becomes important to include.
So, after applying these advanced journaling techniques, our very simple statement will look more like this when you are done.
“In the Fall of 2000, Johnny was 6 years old. We were living in North Dakota back then. Often after school our neighbor Jenny over on Elm St. would come over to play in the back yard. Jenny and Johnny raked and jumped in leaf piles for hours on this chilly day in October.”
See how easy that was? We went from a simple statement to something far more personal and fun to read! Enjoy your new found journaling style and be sure to have fun. Journaling is a process, not a procedure. Make it a natural part of every layout!