People journal in different ways. There's really no right way set in stone. You can chose a method that best fits what you want. Here are a few basic rules that you may want to follow no matter what way you choose:
- Put the date above each entry. That gives your journal some structure and helps you to remember more about the day when you go back and read it.
- Try not to lose your journal. It is such a pain to go looking for it when you have something you really want to write about.
Now that we have those rules out of the way, let's go over a few possible techniques for writing a journal entry.
- Collage Journal: You include pictures and doodles about the event or person you are writing about. The added pictures give the entry some added depth. You could keep your journal almost completely in picture form with just captions, titles, or dates in wording.
- Newspaper Journal: Write your entry like a newspaper article. This is a different approach that can spice things up a little bit.
- Write in like a letter to someone. Each entry can be written to a separate person or they can all be the same. For example, one day I might write it to someone I'm mad at and tell why I'm mad at them while the next day, I may write it to my crush about why I like him. Of course, you do not have to mail these letters. They are for your eyes only.
- Friendship Diary: Purchase a notebook and pass it between your friends. Each person can keep it for a little while and write in it. They pass it to the next one. They get to read what the last person wrote and add some more of their own.
- Poetry Journal: You could write the entry entirely or partially in poems.
Whether you chose one of the methods above or come up with your own way, good luck and have a great time keeping one!
Hi! I love to journal now, after many many years of staring at empty pages in pretty books wishing I knew what to write. Journaling is different for everyone. Below is a blog post I did about journaling, and it's what I do.....
1. Buy (or make for that matter) a journal that attracts your attention and makes you WANT to use it. If it's different from everything else you'll feel more inspired. Get a hardcover.
2. Don't use pencil, and don't cross stuff out. Pen of any color makes it more exciting!
3. Write TO somebody or something. God, a pet, anything.
4. NEVER EVER go back and cross out or change anything you wrote before. Just make a new entry and say "I didn't mean that" or "I was so weird" or something.
5. Put it in a place where it can be safe, but also that is easy to get so that you don't have the excuse of saying you don't feel like getting it.
6. Don't put many photographs or mementos in it. A few are okay but if it has alot it doesn't feel like a journal anymore and you are using up writing space. Make a scrapbook instead for those things!
7. Don't talk about it to people that much. It's your own personal thing.
8. Don't date it! Know the date you started it, but then don't put the date after that! If there is a date you feel like you can't do it anymore if it's been a while. And it's another thing you have to remember. If there's no date you can write whenever you want. And if it's been a while just write that it's been a while! haha.
9. Don't rush yourself when you're writing. You won't remember everything and it won't really be a journal entry, just a side note. Make time for yourslef to do it. Either in the morning before your day is started or at night when it's over.
10. Have fun! Don't set limits! Don't say it can only be about one rage of subjects, let yourslef write whatever!
11. Keep your Bible with you when you journal. You may need it to reference on while you're writing and also it's sometimes fun to end with a "random verse" or a verse that's been stuck on you lately.
12. Don't be afraid to be random! Write down a song stuck in your head, a saying you just made up, a joke you told, anyhting. Something you can't stop thinking about. SOMEONE you can't stop thinking about..... ;P