The Evolution of Fennel's Journal - Part 5
The Fennel's Journal series of books began life as handwritten letters. This series of eleven blogs tracks the development of the letters into what we know today.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11
2006: Fennel resumes the handwritten version of Fennel's Journal
2006 marked the year when I decided to rebuild my life on my terms. It marked the 10th Anniversary of when I began writing the Journal, so I decided to commemorate it by returning to being the person I once was and doing the thing that most defines me: writing. I readopted my Fennel identity and set about recovering from the trauma of recent years.
I was also shaping my new world view by exploring subjects that would characterise my interpretation of what it means to live a meaningful life. I was also reaching out to old friends who hadn't heard from me for years, giving them confidence that I was back in action and had returned to the fold.
A year of discovery
I decided to treat 2006 as a new beginning with a new journal and more focused style of writing. The first letter was written in the early hours of New Year's Day.
My letters from 2006 were short, many of them being jottings sent to friends. (I later revisited the letters, expanding them into the magazine articles and book chapters you know today.) The most powerful of these was written in April 2006 when I sat down at my kitchen table and wrote four words onto my notebook that have since become the Fennel's Priory mantra: Stop – Unplug – Escape – Enjoy.
2007: A waterside year, piecing it all together
I was still feeling vulnerable in 2007, so Mrs H encouraged me to recover and heal in the one place that most restores my spirit: woodland next to water. I spent nine months living in a tent in a wood in Worcestershire, spending most of my time writing. Here's the first letter I wrote at the lake.
If you like this blog, you'll like Fennel's book A Writer's Year.
You might like the video of The Fennel's Journal Story.
Please also subscribe to the Fennel on Friday weekly email. You'll receive either a blog, video or podcast sent to you in time for the weekend.