Journal Writing Techniques

By Author: Samantha Asher
Total Articles: 18
Comment this article

So you've decided to start writing in a journal. You went out, got a beautiful journal to write in and a fancy pen to write with and you are now ready. You sit down, pen in hand, journal open, and are ready to go. Then, you feel stuck. What are you supposed to do? What are you supposed to write?

For some, journal writing comes naturally. They feel like they could write forever if they wanted to. If you look in their closet they have stacks and stacks of full journals that they went through last year. You don't feel quite the same. You haven't written a journal entry in your life, or your only experience is the princess diary or marble notebook you wrote with when you were a kid. Now you are writing in a real journal. What are you supposed to write?

There are no specific instructions on what to write in your journal. There is no How to Write a Journal Manual that you must follow. What you write in your journal is entirely up to you. If you want an idea, first you should decide what you are trying to accomplish by writing. Are you keeping a journal to improve your writing because you want to become ...
... a creative writer? Do you want to keep a journal recording your feelings about a specific goal you are trying to reach? Do you want to keep a travel journal recording all your travel experiences?

Once you've decided what you want to keep a journal about, try to make a list of possible topics. For example, if you are keeping a writing journal, you could make a quick list of possible short story ideas, poem topics, or different writing topics you want to work on. If you are keeping a journal to record your weight loss journal, you could make a simple template of how you update it. Maybe you could say each day how you felt that day or how you did. Be creative and always have a list of ideas. This way, whenever you are stuck, you can look over your list for some writing ideas.

What type of technique should you use? There is no specific journaling technique, but you could make up your own. Maybe you always write beginning with your day then writing how you felt about it. Or, your technique could be not to have a technique. Everyday you write in a completely different way from the day before. The point is that journaling a creative act. You be as creative as you want. Explore new things and give yourself a time to cope with life.

Often people use journals to help discover who they are and their purpose. You might start your journal one way and slowly watch yourself grow throughout time as your record all that is happening. Don't make journal writing too constructed and planned. Just write whatever comes to you and let it flow. You will be happy that you did!