Jury Duty is Writing Material

The surprises and events of our lives provide an endless source of writing material. We write about life, what we've learned and what we wish we'd known, as well as the joys and frustrations, hesitations, and head-long leaps. Because we've lived them, our writing can flow with rich detail and feeling. (Unlike my beloved research, which produces more fact than feeling.)

[My books, And Now We Dance: Journaling for the Woman Within and The Many Faces of Journaling: Topics & Techniques for Personal Journal Writing, both contain pages of my personal experiences.]

Another one will open for me in a few days: my first call to Jury Duty, and my curiosity has kicked into high gear. What? Who? Why? Who says so? I'll present myself at the St. Louis County (Missouri) Circuit Court at 8:30 and hope that everything in my carry-all purse will pass inspection.

I'm told by a more experienced friend that the holding room for potential jurors can become a social event, but that the waiting time can still be long and tedious. I wonder where we'll eat lunch, and if we'll break off into groups. Imagine the new friends I might meet! Being quizzed by the defending attorney and prosecuting attorney should be interesting.

How will I apply what I learn to the stress book I'm working on now? Who knows? But I'll make lots of notes in my writer's journal as soon as I return home each day, so later I can pick and choose depending on the writing project at hand.

That is what life experiences and a writer's journal are all about: building a personal treasure trove of fascinating ideas and material.

Happy writing ~

Lin