Pardon me, but I don't think we've even begun to creatively utilize the possibilities of personal writing on computers. The tendency is to simply transfer our writing habits from the typewriter onto our PC writing methods or to adapt business software. But we can do far more than that.

A major component of wellness is finding an effective way to tap into our creativity. Writing is a good way, but writing connected to music, color and art is even better. Don't just think in terms of .doc files when you write. Use web authoring software or Power Point that allows you to add music, graphics and colored backgrounds. When writing about a particular person, insert their photo in the document. If you are working on fiction, find an image of a character online then use it as a model. When writing about Paris, insert ariel views of the city, a subway map, a slide show.

Create a family virtual scrapbook. It's just what it sounds like. There is software available or you can create your own through software used for websites. This makes a good family project via e-mail.

Blogs are personal web logs put online. In a sense they are a cross between a journal and a writing group. Here's what Salon.com has to say about them:

A blog, or weblog, is a personal Web site updated frequently with links, commentary and anything else you like. New items go on top and older items flow down the page. Blogs can be political journals and/or personal diaries; they can focus on one narrow subject or range across a universe of topics. The blog form is unique to the Web -- and highly addictive.

You can create a blog through Salon.com if you so desire.

Create a StorySite instead of just writing a short story. Use web authoring software to add music, photographs, art work, etc. to enhance your story.

HYPERTEXT

In addition to jazzing up the look and feel of what you are writing, don't overlook the possibilities of hypertext or creating links from selected words or passages. Literature based on hypertext is beginning to emerge, but in the meantime, create your own documents and journal entries that leap from doc to doc with the click of the mouse.Start with any sentence, perhaps one from your journal, for instance:

When my husband John and I inherited the family farm in East Texas, his sister Deborah would often come to visit.

Create new pages called "John," one named "farm," one named "Deborah."

Now you have:

When my husband John and I inherited the family farm in East Texas, his sister Deborah would often come to visit.

Depending on John, the farm & Deborah, the subtext could be much more interesting that the "face" sentence. Hypertexting a good way to get to buried material.

You could also do a page on East Texas and, if needed, another on husbands. You can "drill down" on any of the linked pages, adding more layers of material by linking from those pages.