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Writing a Research Paper for an Academic Journal: A Five-step Recipe for Perfection

The answer to writing the perfect research paper is as simple as following a step-by-step recipe. Here we bring to you a recipe for effortlessly planning, writing, and publishing your paper as a peer reviewed journal article.

Updated on March 15, 2022

As a young researcher, getting your paper published as a journal article is a huge milestone; but producing it may seem like climbing a mountain compared to, perhaps, the theses, essays, or conference papers you have produced in the past.

You may feel overwhelmed with the thought of carrying innumerable equipment and may feel incapable of completing the task. But, in reality, the answer to writing the perfect research paper is as simple as following a recipe with step-by-step instructions.

In this blog, I aim to bring to you the recipe for effortlessly planning, writing, and publishing your paper as a peer reviewed journal article. I will give you the essential information, key points, and resources to keep in mind before you begin the writing process for your research papers.

Secret ingredient 1: Make notes before you begin the writing process

Because I want you to benefit from this article on a personal level, I am going to give away my secret ingredient for producing a good research paper right at the beginning. The one thing that helps me write literally anything is — cue the drum rolls — making notes.

Yes, making notes is the best way to remember and store all that information, which is definitely going to help you throughout the process of writing your paper. So, please pick up a pen and start making notes for writing your research paper.

Step 1. Choose the right research topic

Although it is important to be passionate and curious about your research article topic, it is not enough. Sometimes the sheer excitement of having an idea may take away your ability to focus on and question the novelty, credibility, and potential impact of your research topic.

On the contrary, the first thing that you should do when you write a journal paper is question the novelty, credibility, and potential impact of your research question.

It is also important to remember that your research, along with the aforementioned points, must be original and relevant: It must benefit and interest the scientific community.

All you have to do is perform a thorough literature search in your research field and have a look at what is currently going on in the field of your topic of interest. This step in academic writing is not as daunting as it may seem and, in fact, is quite beneficial for the following reasons:

You can determine what is already known about the research topic and the gaps that exist.
You can determine the credibility and novelty of your research question by comparing it with previously published papers.
If your research question has already been studied or answered before your first draft, you first save a substantial amount of time by avoiding rejections from journals at a much later stage; and second, you can study and aim to bridge the gaps of previous studies, perhaps, by using a different methodology or a bigger sample size.

So, carefully read as much as you can about what has already been published in your field of research; and when you are doing so, make sure that you make lots of relevant notes as you go along in the process. Remember, your study does not necessarily have to be groundbreaking, but it should definitely extend previous knowledge or refute existing statements on the topic.

Secret ingredient 2: Use a thematic approach while drafting your manuscript

For instance, if you are writing about the association between the level of breast cancer awareness and socioeconomic status, open a new Word or Notes file and create subheadings such as “breast cancer awareness in low- and middle-income countries,” “reasons for lack of awareness,” or “ways to increase awareness.”

Under these subheadings, make notes of the information that you think may be suitable to be included in your paper as you carry out your literature review. Ensure that you make a draft reference list so that you don't miss out on the references.

Step 2: Know your audience

Finding your research topic is not synonymous with communicating it, it is merely a step, albeit an important one; however, there are other crucial steps that follow. One of which is identifying your target audience.

Now that you know what your topic of interest is, you need to ask yourself “Who am I trying to benefit with my research?” A general mistake is assuming that your reader knows everything about your research topic. Drafting a peer reviewed journal article often means that your work may reach a wide and varied audience.

Therefore, it is a good idea to ponder over who you want to reach and why, rather than simply delivering chunks of information, facts, and statistics. Along with considering the above factors, evaluate your reader's level of education, expertise, and scientific field as this may help you design and write your manuscript, tailoring it specifically for your target audience.

Here are a few points that you must consider after you have identified your target audience:

Shortlist a few target journals: The aims and scope of the journal usually mention their audience. This may help you know your readers and visualize them as you write your manuscript. This will further help you include just the right amount of background and details.
View your manuscript from the reader's perspective: Try to think about what they might already know or what they would like more details on.
Include the appropriate amount of jargon: Ensure that your article text is familiar to your target audience and use the correct terminology to make your content more relatable for readers - and journal editors as your paper goes through the peer review process.
Keep your readers engaged: Write with an aim to fill a knowledge gap or add purpose and value to your reader's intellect. Your manuscript does not necessarily have to be complex, write with a simple yet profound tone, layer (or sub-divide) simple points and build complexity as you go along, rather than stating dry facts.
Be specific: It is easy to get carried away and forget the essence of your study. Make sure that you stick to your topic and be as specific as you can to your research topic and audience.

Secret ingredient 3: Clearly define your key terms and key concepts

Do not assume that your audience will know your research topic as well as you do, provide compelling details where it is due. This can be tricky. Using the example from “Secret ingredient 2,” you may not need to define breast cancer while writing about breast cancer awareness. However, while talking about the benefits of awareness, such as early presentation of the disease, it is important to explain these benefits, for instance, in terms of superior survival rates.

Step 3: Structure your research paper with care

After determining the topic of your research and your target audience, your overflowing ideas and information need to be structured in a format generally accepted by journals.

Most academic journals conventionally accept original research articles in the following format: Abstract, followed by the Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion sections, also known as the IMRaD, which is a brilliant way of structuring a research paper outline in a simplified and layered format. In brief, these sections comprise the following information:

In closed-access journals, readers have access to the abstract/summary for them to decide if they wish to purchase the research paper. It's an extremely important representative of the entire manuscript.

All information provided in the abstract must be present in the manuscript, it should include a stand-alone summary of the research, the main findings, the abbreviations should be defined separately in this section, and this section should be clear, decluttered, and concise.

Introduction

This section should begin with a background of the study topic, i.e., what is already known, moving on to the knowledge gaps that exist, and finally, end with how the present study aims to fill these gaps, or any hypotheses that the authors may have proposed.

This section describes, with compelling details, the procedures that were followed to answer the research question.

The ultimate factor to consider while producing the methods section is reproducibility; this section should be detailed enough for other researchers to reproduce your study and validate your results. It should include ethical information (ethical board approval, informed consent, etc.) and must be written in the past tense.

This section typically presents the findings of the study, with no explanations or interpretations. Here, the findings are simply stated alongside figures or tables mentioned in the text in the correct sequential order. Because you are describing what you found, this section is also written in the past tense.

Discussion and conclusion

This section begins with a summary of your findings and is meant for you to interpret your results, compare them with previously published papers, and elaborate on whether your findings are comparable or contradictory to previous literature.

This section also contains the strengths and limitations of your study, and the latter can be used to suggest future research. End this section with a conclusion paragraph, briefly summarizing and highlighting the main findings and novelty of your study.

Step 4: Cite credible research sources

Now that you know who and what you are writing for, it's time to begin the writing process for your research paper. Another crucial factor that determines the quality of your manuscript is the detailed information within. The introduction and discussion sections, which make a massive portion of the manuscript, majorly rely on external sources of information that have already been published.

Therefore, it is absolutely indispensable to extract and cite these statements from appropriate, credible, recent, and relevant literature to support your claims. Here are a few pointers to consider while choosing the right sources:

Cite academic journals

These are the best sources to refer to while writing your research paper, because most articles submitted to top journals are rejected, resulting in high-quality articles being filtered-out. In particular, peer reviewed articles are of the highest quality because they undergo a rigorous process of editorial review, along with revisions until they are judged to be satisfactory.

But not just any book, ideally, the credibility of a book can be judged by whether it is published by an academic publisher, is written by multiple authors who are experts in the field of interest, and is carefully reviewed by multiple editors. It can be beneficial to review the background of the author(s) and check their previous publications.

Cite an official online source

Although it may be difficult to judge the trustworthiness of web content, a few factors may help determine its accuracy. These include demographic data obtained from government websites (.gov), educational resources (.edu), websites that cite other pertinent and trustworthy sources, content meant for education and not product promotion, unbiased sources, or sources with backlinks that are up to date. It is best to avoid referring to online sources such as blogs and Wikipedia.

Do not cite the following sources

While citing sources, you should steer clear from encyclopedias, citing review articles instead of directly citing the original work, referring to sources that you have not read, citing research papers solely from one country (be extensively diverse), anything that is not backed up by evidence, and material with considerable grammatical errors.

Although these sources are generally most appropriate and valid, it is your job to critically read and carefully evaluate all sources prior to citing them.

Step 5: Pick the correct journal

Selecting the correct journal is one of the most crucial steps toward getting published, as it not only determines the weightage of your research but also of your career as a researcher. The journals in which you choose to publish your research are part of your portfolio; it directly or indirectly determines many factors, such as funding, professional advancement, and future collaborations.

The best thing you can do for your work is to pick a peer-reviewed journal. Not only will your paper be polished to the highest quality for editors, but you will also be able to address certain gaps that you may have missed out.

Besides, it always helps to have another perspective, and what better than to have it from an experienced peer?

A common mistake that researchers tend to make is leave the task of choosing the target journal after they have written their paper.

Now, I understand that due to certain factors, it can be challenging to decide what journal you want to publish in before you start drafting your paper, therefore, the best time to make this decision is while you are working on writing your manuscript. Having a target journal in mind while writing your paper has a great deal of benefits.

As the most basic benefit, you can know beforehand if your study meets the aims and scope of your desired journal. It will ensure you're not wasting valuable time for editors or yourself.
While drafting your manuscript, you could keep in mind the requirements of your target journal, such as the word limit for the main article text and abstract, the maximum number of figures or tables that are allowed, or perhaps, the maximum number of references that you may include.
Also, if you choose to submit to an open-access journal, you have ample amount of time to figure out the funding.
Another major benefit is that, as mentioned in the previous section, the aims and scope of the journal will give you a fair idea on your target audience and will help you draft your manuscript appropriately.

It is definitely easier to know that your target journal requires the text to be within 3,500 words than spending weeks writing a manuscript that is around, say, 5,000 words, and then spending a substantial amount of time decluttering. Now, while not all journals have very specific requirements, it always helps to short-list a few journals, if not concretely choose one to publish your paper in.

AJE also offers journal recommendation services if you need professional help with finding a target journal.

Secret ingredient 4: Follow the journal guidelines

Perfectly written manuscripts may get rejected by the journal on account of not adhering to their formatting requirements. You can find the author guidelines/instructions on the home page of every journal. Ensure that as you write your manuscript, you follow the journal guidelines such as the word limit, British or American English, formatting references, line spacing, line/page numbering, and so on.

Our ultimate aim is to instill confidence in young researchers like you and help you become independent as you write and communicate your research. With the help of these easy steps and secret ingredients, you are now ready to prepare your flavorful manuscript and serve your research to editors and ultimately the journal readers with a side of impact and a dash of success.

Lubaina Koti, BS

Scientific Writer

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How to Write an Academic Essay in 6 Simple Steps

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Written by Scribendi

Are you wondering how to write an academic essay successfully? There are so many steps to writing an academic essay that it can be difficult to know where to start.

Here, we outline how to write an academic essay in 6 simple steps, from how to research for an academic essay to how to revise an essay and everything in between.

Our essay writing tips are designed to help you learn how to write an academic essay that is ready for publication (after academic editing and academic proofreading , of course!).

Your paper isn't complete until you've done all the needed proofreading. Make sure you leave time for it after the writing process!

Download Our Pocket Checklist for Academic Papers. Just input your email below!

Types of academic writing.

With academic essay writing, there are certain conventions that writers are expected to follow. As such, it's important to know the basics of academic writing before you begin writing your essay.

Step 1: Preparing to Write Your Essay

The essay writing process involves a few main stages:

Researching

As such, in learning how to write an academic essay, it is also important to learn how to research for an academic essay and how to revise an essay.

Read More: Online Research Tips for Students and Scholars

To beef up your research skills, remember these essay writing tips from the above article:

Learn how to identify reliable sources.

Understand the nuances of open access.

Discover free academic journals and research databases.

Manage your references.

Provide evidence for every claim so you can avoid plagiarism .

Read More: 17 Research Databases for Free Articles

You will want to do the research for your academic essay points, of course, but you will also want to research various journals for the publication of your paper.

Different journals have different guidelines and thus different requirements for writers. These can be related to style, formatting, and more.

Knowing these before you begin writing can save you a lot of time if you also want to learn how to revise an essay. If you ensure your paper meets the guidelines of the journal you want to publish in, you will not have to revise it again later for this purpose.

After the research stage, you can draft your thesis and introduction as well as outline the rest of your essay. This will put you in a good position to draft your body paragraphs and conclusion, craft your bibliography, and edit and proofread your paper.

Step 2: Writing the Essay Introduction and Thesis Statement

When learning how to write academic essays , learning how to write an introduction is key alongside learning how to research for an academic essay.

Your introduction should broadly introduce your topic. It will give an overview of your essay and the points that will be discussed. It is typically about 10% of the final word count of the text.

All introductions follow a general structure:

Topic statement

Thesis statement

Step 3: Writing the Essay Body

When learning how to write academic essays, you must learn how to write a good body paragraph. That's because your essay will be primarily made up of them!

The body paragraphs of your essay will develop the argument you outlined in your thesis. They will do this by providing your ideas on a topic backed up by evidence of specific points.

These paragraphs will typically take up about 80% of your essay. As a result, a good essay writing tip is to learn how to properly structure a paragraph.

Each paragraph consists of the following:

A topic sentence

Supporting sentences

A transition

Step 4: Writing the Essay Conclusion

Your essay conclusion is the final paragraph of your essay and primarily reminds your reader of your thesis. It also wraps up your essay and discusses your findings more generally.

The conclusion typically makes up about 10% of the text, like the introduction. It shows the reader that you have accomplished what you intended to at the outset of your essay.

Here are a couple more good essay writing tips for your conclusion:

Don't introduce any new ideas into your conclusion.

Don't undermine your argument with opposing ideas.

Read More: How to Write a Conclusion Paragraph in 3 Easy Steps

Now that you know how to write an academic essay, it's time to learn how to write a bibliography along with some academic editing and proofreading advice.

Step 5: Writing the Bibliography or Works Cited

The bibliography of your paper lists all the references you cited. It is typically alphabetized or numbered (depending on the style guide).

Read More: How to Write an Academic Essay with References

When learning how to write academic essays, you may notice that there are various style guides you may be required to use by a professor or journal, including unique or custom styles.

Some of the most common style guides include:

Chicago style

For help organizing your references for academic essay writing, consider a software manager. They can help you collect and format your references correctly and consistently, both quickly and with minimal effort.

Read More: 6 Reference Manager Software Solutions for Your Research

As you learn how to research for an academic essay most effectively, you may notice that a reference manager can also help make academic paper editing easier.

Step 6: Revising Your Essay

Once you've finally drafted your entire essay . . . you're still not done!

That's because editing and proofreading are the essential final steps of any writing process .

An academic editor can help you identify core issues with your writing , including its structure, its flow, its clarity, and its overall readability. They can give you substantive feedback and essay writing tips to improve your document. Therefore, it's a good idea to have an editor review your first draft so you can improve it prior to proofreading.

A specialized academic editor can assess the content of your writing. As a subject-matter expert in your subject, they can offer field-specific insight and critical commentary. Specialized academic editors can also provide services that others may not, including:

Academic document formatting

Academic figure formatting

Academic reference formatting

An academic proofreader can help you perfect the final draft of your paper to ensure it is completely error free in terms of spelling and grammar. They can also identify any inconsistencies in your work but will not look for any issues in the content of your writing, only its mechanics. This is why you should have a proofreader revise your final draft so that it is ready to be seen by an audience.

Read More: How to Find the Right Academic Paper Editor or Proofreader

When learning how to research and write an academic essay, it is important to remember that editing is a required step. Don ' t forget to allot time for editing after you ' ve written your paper.

Set yourself up for success with this guide on how to write an academic essay. With a solid draft, you'll have better chances of getting published and read in any journal of your choosing.

Our academic essay writing tips are sure to help you learn how to research an academic essay, how to write an academic essay, and how to revise an academic essay.

If your academic paper looks sloppy, your readers may assume your research is sloppy. Download our Pocket Proofreading Checklist for Academic Papers before you take that one last crucial look at your paper.

About the Author

Scribendi's in-house editors work with writers from all over the globe to perfect their writing. They know that no piece of writing is complete without a professional edit, and they love to see a good piece of writing transformed into a great one. Scribendi's in-house editors are unrivaled in both experience and education, having collectively edited millions of words and obtained numerous degrees. They love consuming caffeinated beverages, reading books of various genres, and relaxing in quiet, dimly lit spaces.

Have You Read?

"The Complete Beginner's Guide to Academic Writing"

21 Legit Research Databases for Free Journal Articles in 2024

How to Find the Right Academic Paper Editor or Proofreader

How to Master the 4 Types of Academic Writing

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How to Write an Essay

Use the links below to jump directly to any section of this guide:

Essay Writing Fundamentals

How to prepare to write an essay, how to edit an essay, how to share and publish your essays, how to get essay writing help, how to find essay writing inspiration, resources for teaching essay writing.

Essays, short prose compositions on a particular theme or topic, are the bread and butter of academic life. You write them in class, for homework, and on standardized tests to show what you know. Unlike other kinds of academic writing (like the research paper) and creative writing (like short stories and poems), essays allow you to develop your original thoughts on a prompt or question. Essays come in many varieties: they can be expository (fleshing out an idea or claim), descriptive, (explaining a person, place, or thing), narrative (relating a personal experience), or persuasive (attempting to win over a reader). This guide is a collection of dozens of links about academic essay writing that we have researched, categorized, and annotated in order to help you improve your essay writing.

Essays are different from other forms of writing; in turn, there are different kinds of essays. This section contains general resources for getting to know the essay and its variants. These resources introduce and define the essay as a genre, and will teach you what to expect from essay-based assessments.

Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab

One of the most trusted academic writing sites, Purdue OWL provides a concise introduction to the four most common types of academic essays.

"The Essay: History and Definition" (ThoughtCo)

This snappy article from ThoughtCo talks about the origins of the essay and different kinds of essays you might be asked to write.

"What Is An Essay?" Video Lecture (Coursera)

The University of California at Irvine's free video lecture, available on Coursera, tells you everything you need to know about the essay.

Wikipedia Article on the "Essay"

Wikipedia's article on the essay is comprehensive, providing both English-language and global perspectives on the essay form. Learn about the essay's history, forms, and styles.

"Understanding College and Academic Writing" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

This list of common academic writing assignments (including types of essay prompts) will help you know what to expect from essay-based assessments.

Before you start writing your essay, you need to figure out who you're writing for (audience), what you're writing about (topic/theme), and what you're going to say (argument and thesis). This section contains links to handouts, chapters, videos and more to help you prepare to write an essay.

How to Identify Your Audience

"Audience" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This handout provides questions you can ask yourself to determine the audience for an academic writing assignment. It also suggests strategies for fitting your paper to your intended audience.

"Purpose, Audience, Tone, and Content" (Univ. of Minnesota Libraries)

This extensive book chapter from Writing for Success , available online through Minnesota Libraries Publishing, is followed by exercises to try out your new pre-writing skills.

"Determining Audience" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

This guide from a community college's writing center shows you how to know your audience, and how to incorporate that knowledge in your thesis statement.

"Know Your Audience" ( Paper Rater Blog)

This short blog post uses examples to show how implied audiences for essays differ. It reminds you to think of your instructor as an observer, who will know only the information you pass along.

How to Choose a Theme or Topic

"Research Tutorial: Developing Your Topic" (YouTube)

Take a look at this short video tutorial from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to understand the basics of developing a writing topic.

"How to Choose a Paper Topic" (WikiHow)

This simple, step-by-step guide (with pictures!) walks you through choosing a paper topic. It starts with a detailed description of brainstorming and ends with strategies to refine your broad topic.

"How to Read an Assignment: Moving From Assignment to Topic" (Harvard College Writing Center)

Did your teacher give you a prompt or other instructions? This guide helps you understand the relationship between an essay assignment and your essay's topic.

"Guidelines for Choosing a Topic" (CliffsNotes)

This study guide from CliffsNotes both discusses how to choose a topic and makes a useful distinction between "topic" and "thesis."

How to Come Up with an Argument

"Argument" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

Not sure what "argument" means in the context of academic writing? This page from the University of North Carolina is a good place to start.

"The Essay Guide: Finding an Argument" (Study Hub)

This handout explains why it's important to have an argument when beginning your essay, and provides tools to help you choose a viable argument.

"Writing a Thesis and Making an Argument" (University of Iowa)

This page from the University of Iowa's Writing Center contains exercises through which you can develop and refine your argument and thesis statement.

"Developing a Thesis" (Harvard College Writing Center)

This page from Harvard's Writing Center collates some helpful dos and don'ts of argumentative writing, from steps in constructing a thesis to avoiding vague and confrontational thesis statements.

"Suggestions for Developing Argumentative Essays" (Berkeley Student Learning Center)

This page offers concrete suggestions for each stage of the essay writing process, from topic selection to drafting and editing.

How to Outline your Essay

"Outlines" (Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill via YouTube)

This short video tutorial from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shows how to group your ideas into paragraphs or sections to begin the outlining process.

"Essay Outline" (Univ. of Washington Tacoma)

This two-page handout by a university professor simply defines the parts of an essay and then organizes them into an example outline.

"Types of Outlines and Samples" (Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab)

Purdue OWL gives examples of diverse outline strategies on this page, including the alphanumeric, full sentence, and decimal styles.

"Outlining" (Harvard College Writing Center)

Once you have an argument, according to this handout, there are only three steps in the outline process: generalizing, ordering, and putting it all together. Then you're ready to write!

"Writing Essays" (Plymouth Univ.)

This packet, part of Plymouth University's Learning Development series, contains descriptions and diagrams relating to the outlining process.

"How to Write A Good Argumentative Essay: Logical Structure" (Criticalthinkingtutorials.com via YouTube)

This longer video tutorial gives an overview of how to structure your essay in order to support your argument or thesis. It is part of a longer course on academic writing hosted on Udemy.

Now that you've chosen and refined your topic and created an outline, use these resources to complete the writing process. Most essays contain introductions (which articulate your thesis statement), body paragraphs, and conclusions. Transitions facilitate the flow from one paragraph to the next so that support for your thesis builds throughout the essay. Sources and citations show where you got the evidence to support your thesis, which ensures that you avoid plagiarism.

How to Write an Introduction

"Introductions" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This page identifies the role of the introduction in any successful paper, suggests strategies for writing introductions, and warns against less effective introductions.

"How to Write A Good Introduction" (Michigan State Writing Center)

Beginning with the most common missteps in writing introductions, this guide condenses the essentials of introduction composition into seven points.

"The Introductory Paragraph" (ThoughtCo)

This blog post from academic advisor and college enrollment counselor Grace Fleming focuses on ways to grab your reader's attention at the beginning of your essay.

"Introductions and Conclusions" (Univ. of Toronto)

This guide from the University of Toronto gives advice that applies to writing both introductions and conclusions, including dos and don'ts.

"How to Write Better Essays: No One Does Introductions Properly" ( The Guardian )

This news article interviews UK professors on student essay writing; they point to introductions as the area that needs the most improvement.

How to Write a Thesis Statement

"Writing an Effective Thesis Statement" (YouTube)

This short, simple video tutorial from a college composition instructor at Tulsa Community College explains what a thesis statement is and what it does.

"Thesis Statement: Four Steps to a Great Essay" (YouTube)

This fantastic tutorial walks you through drafting a thesis, using an essay prompt on Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter as an example.

"How to Write a Thesis Statement" (WikiHow)

This step-by-step guide (with pictures!) walks you through coming up with, writing, and editing a thesis statement. It invites you think of your statement as a "working thesis" that can change.

"How to Write a Thesis Statement" (Univ. of Indiana Bloomington)

Ask yourself the questions on this page, part of Indiana Bloomington's Writing Tutorial Services, when you're writing and refining your thesis statement.

"Writing Tips: Thesis Statements" (Univ. of Illinois Center for Writing Studies)

This page gives plentiful examples of good to great thesis statements, and offers questions to ask yourself when formulating a thesis statement.

How to Write Body Paragraphs

"Body Paragraph" (Brightstorm)

This module of a free online course introduces you to the components of a body paragraph. These include the topic sentence, information, evidence, and analysis.

"Strong Body Paragraphs" (Washington Univ.)

This handout from Washington's Writing and Research Center offers in-depth descriptions of the parts of a successful body paragraph.

"Guide to Paragraph Structure" (Deakin Univ.)

This handout is notable for color-coding example body paragraphs to help you identify the functions various sentences perform.

"Writing Body Paragraphs" (Univ. of Minnesota Libraries)

The exercises in this section of Writing for Success will help you practice writing good body paragraphs. It includes guidance on selecting primary support for your thesis.

"The Writing Process—Body Paragraphs" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

The information and exercises on this page will familiarize you with outlining and writing body paragraphs, and includes links to more information on topic sentences and transitions.

"The Five-Paragraph Essay" (ThoughtCo)

This blog post discusses body paragraphs in the context of one of the most common academic essay types in secondary schools.

How to Use Transitions

"Transitions" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This page from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill explains what a transition is, and how to know if you need to improve your transitions.

"Using Transitions Effectively" (Washington Univ.)

This handout defines transitions, offers tips for using them, and contains a useful list of common transitional words and phrases grouped by function.

"Transitions" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

This page compares paragraphs without transitions to paragraphs with transitions, and in doing so shows how important these connective words and phrases are.

"Transitions in Academic Essays" (Scribbr)

This page lists four techniques that will help you make sure your reader follows your train of thought, including grouping similar information and using transition words.

"Transitions" (El Paso Community College)

This handout shows example transitions within paragraphs for context, and explains how transitions improve your essay's flow and voice.

"Make Your Paragraphs Flow to Improve Writing" (ThoughtCo)

This blog post, another from academic advisor and college enrollment counselor Grace Fleming, talks about transitions and other strategies to improve your essay's overall flow.

"Transition Words" (smartwords.org)

This handy word bank will help you find transition words when you're feeling stuck. It's grouped by the transition's function, whether that is to show agreement, opposition, condition, or consequence.

How to Write a Conclusion

"Parts of An Essay: Conclusions" (Brightstorm)

This module of a free online course explains how to conclude an academic essay. It suggests thinking about the "3Rs": return to hook, restate your thesis, and relate to the reader.

"Essay Conclusions" (Univ. of Maryland University College)

This overview of the academic essay conclusion contains helpful examples and links to further resources for writing good conclusions.

"How to End An Essay" (WikiHow)

This step-by-step guide (with pictures!) by an English Ph.D. walks you through writing a conclusion, from brainstorming to ending with a flourish.

"Ending the Essay: Conclusions" (Harvard College Writing Center)

This page collates useful strategies for writing an effective conclusion, and reminds you to "close the discussion without closing it off" to further conversation.

How to Include Sources and Citations

"Research and Citation Resources" (Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab)

Purdue OWL streamlines information about the three most common referencing styles (MLA, Chicago, and APA) and provides examples of how to cite different resources in each system.

EasyBib: Free Bibliography Generator

This online tool allows you to input information about your source and automatically generate citations in any style. Be sure to select your resource type before clicking the "cite it" button.

CitationMachine

Like EasyBib, this online tool allows you to input information about your source and automatically generate citations in any style.

Modern Language Association Handbook (MLA)

Here, you'll find the definitive and up-to-date record of MLA referencing rules. Order through the link above, or check to see if your library has a copy.

Chicago Manual of Style

Here, you'll find the definitive and up-to-date record of Chicago referencing rules. You can take a look at the table of contents, then choose to subscribe or start a free trial.

How to Avoid Plagiarism

"What is Plagiarism?" (plagiarism.org)

This nonprofit website contains numerous resources for identifying and avoiding plagiarism, and reminds you that even common activities like copying images from another website to your own site may constitute plagiarism.

"Plagiarism" (University of Oxford)

This interactive page from the University of Oxford helps you check for plagiarism in your work, making it clear how to avoid citing another person's work without full acknowledgement.

"Avoiding Plagiarism" (MIT Comparative Media Studies)

This quick guide explains what plagiarism is, what its consequences are, and how to avoid it. It starts by defining three words—quotation, paraphrase, and summary—that all constitute citation.

"Harvard Guide to Using Sources" (Harvard Extension School)

This comprehensive website from Harvard brings together articles, videos, and handouts about referencing, citation, and plagiarism.

Grammarly contains tons of helpful grammar and writing resources, including a free tool to automatically scan your essay to check for close affinities to published work.

Noplag is another popular online tool that automatically scans your essay to check for signs of plagiarism. Simply copy and paste your essay into the box and click "start checking."

Once you've written your essay, you'll want to edit (improve content), proofread (check for spelling and grammar mistakes), and finalize your work until you're ready to hand it in. This section brings together tips and resources for navigating the editing process.

"Writing a First Draft" (Academic Help)

This is an introduction to the drafting process from the site Academic Help, with tips for getting your ideas on paper before editing begins.

"Editing and Proofreading" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This page provides general strategies for revising your writing. They've intentionally left seven errors in the handout, to give you practice in spotting them.

"How to Proofread Effectively" (ThoughtCo)

This article from ThoughtCo, along with those linked at the bottom, help describe common mistakes to check for when proofreading.

"7 Simple Edits That Make Your Writing 100% More Powerful" (SmartBlogger)

This blog post emphasizes the importance of powerful, concise language, and reminds you that even your personal writing heroes create clunky first drafts.

"Editing Tips for Effective Writing" (Univ. of Pennsylvania)

On this page from Penn's International Relations department, you'll find tips for effective prose, errors to watch out for, and reminders about formatting.

"Editing the Essay" (Harvard College Writing Center)

This article, the first of two parts, gives you applicable strategies for the editing process. It suggests reading your essay aloud, removing any jargon, and being unafraid to remove even "dazzling" sentences that don't belong.

"Guide to Editing and Proofreading" (Oxford Learning Institute)

This handout from Oxford covers the basics of editing and proofreading, and reminds you that neither task should be rushed.

In addition to plagiarism-checkers, Grammarly has a plug-in for your web browser that checks your writing for common mistakes.

After you've prepared, written, and edited your essay, you might want to share it outside the classroom. This section alerts you to print and web opportunities to share your essays with the wider world, from online writing communities and blogs to published journals geared toward young writers.

Sharing Your Essays Online

Go Teen Writers

Go Teen Writers is an online community for writers aged 13 - 19. It was founded by Stephanie Morrill, an author of contemporary young adult novels.

Tumblr is a blogging website where you can share your writing and interact with other writers online. It's easy to add photos, links, audio, and video components.

Writersky provides an online platform for publishing and reading other youth writers' work. Its current content is mostly devoted to fiction.

Publishing Your Essays Online

This teen literary journal publishes in print, on the web, and (more frequently), on a blog. It is committed to ensuring that "teens see their authentic experience reflected on its pages."

The Matador Review

This youth writing platform celebrates "alternative," unconventional writing. The link above will take you directly to the site's "submissions" page.

Teen Ink has a website, monthly newsprint magazine, and quarterly poetry magazine promoting the work of young writers.

The largest online reading platform, Wattpad enables you to publish your work and read others' work. Its inline commenting feature allows you to share thoughts as you read along.

Publishing Your Essays in Print

Canvas Teen Literary Journal

This quarterly literary magazine is published for young writers by young writers. They accept many kinds of writing, including essays.

The Claremont Review

This biannual international magazine, first published in 1992, publishes poetry, essays, and short stories from writers aged 13 - 19.

Skipping Stones

This young writers magazine, founded in 1988, celebrates themes relating to ecological and cultural diversity. It publishes poems, photos, articles, and stories.

The Telling Room

This nonprofit writing center based in Maine publishes children's work on their website and in book form. The link above directs you to the site's submissions page.

Essay Contests

Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards

This prestigious international writing contest for students in grades 7 - 12 has been committed to "supporting the future of creativity since 1923."

Society of Professional Journalists High School Essay Contest

An annual essay contest on the theme of journalism and media, the Society of Professional Journalists High School Essay Contest awards scholarships up to $1,000.

National YoungArts Foundation

Here, you'll find information on a government-sponsored writing competition for writers aged 15 - 18. The foundation welcomes submissions of creative nonfiction, novels, scripts, poetry, short story and spoken word.

Signet Classics Student Scholarship Essay Contest

With prompts on a different literary work each year, this competition from Signet Classics awards college scholarships up to $1,000.

"The Ultimate Guide to High School Essay Contests" (CollegeVine)

See this handy guide from CollegeVine for a list of more competitions you can enter with your academic essay, from the National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Awards to the National High School Essay Contest by the U.S. Institute of Peace.

Whether you're struggling to write academic essays or you think you're a pro, there are workshops and online tools that can help you become an even better writer. Even the most seasoned writers encounter writer's block, so be proactive and look through our curated list of resources to combat this common frustration.

Online Essay-writing Classes and Workshops

"Getting Started with Essay Writing" (Coursera)

Coursera offers lots of free, high-quality online classes taught by college professors. Here's one example, taught by instructors from the University of California Irvine.

"Writing and English" (Brightstorm)

Brightstorm's free video lectures are easy to navigate by topic. This unit on the parts of an essay features content on the essay hook, thesis, supporting evidence, and more.

"How to Write an Essay" (EdX)

EdX is another open online university course website with several two- to five-week courses on the essay. This one is geared toward English language learners.

Writer's Digest University

This renowned writers' website offers online workshops and interactive tutorials. The courses offered cover everything from how to get started through how to get published.

Writing.com

Signing up for this online writer's community gives you access to helpful resources as well as an international community of writers.

How to Overcome Writer's Block

"Symptoms and Cures for Writer's Block" (Purdue OWL)

Purdue OWL offers a list of signs you might have writer's block, along with ways to overcome it. Consider trying out some "invention strategies" or ways to curb writing anxiety.

"Overcoming Writer's Block: Three Tips" ( The Guardian )

These tips, geared toward academic writing specifically, are practical and effective. The authors advocate setting realistic goals, creating dedicated writing time, and participating in social writing.

"Writing Tips: Strategies for Overcoming Writer's Block" (Univ. of Illinois)

This page from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Center for Writing Studies acquaints you with strategies that do and do not work to overcome writer's block.

"Writer's Block" (Univ. of Toronto)

Ask yourself the questions on this page; if the answer is "yes," try out some of the article's strategies. Each question is accompanied by at least two possible solutions.

If you have essays to write but are short on ideas, this section's links to prompts, example student essays, and celebrated essays by professional writers might help. You'll find writing prompts from a variety of sources, student essays to inspire you, and a number of essay writing collections.

Essay Writing Prompts

"50 Argumentative Essay Topics" (ThoughtCo)

Take a look at this list and the others ThoughtCo has curated for different kinds of essays. As the author notes, "a number of these topics are controversial and that's the point."

"401 Prompts for Argumentative Writing" ( New York Times )

This list (and the linked lists to persuasive and narrative writing prompts), besides being impressive in length, is put together by actual high school English teachers.

"SAT Sample Essay Prompts" (College Board)

If you're a student in the U.S., your classroom essay prompts are likely modeled on the prompts in U.S. college entrance exams. Take a look at these official examples from the SAT.

"Popular College Application Essay Topics" (Princeton Review)

This page from the Princeton Review dissects recent Common Application essay topics and discusses strategies for answering them.

Example Student Essays

"501 Writing Prompts" (DePaul Univ.)

This nearly 200-page packet, compiled by the LearningExpress Skill Builder in Focus Writing Team, is stuffed with writing prompts, example essays, and commentary.

"Topics in English" (Kibin)

Kibin is a for-pay essay help website, but its example essays (organized by topic) are available for free. You'll find essays on everything from A Christmas Carol to perseverance.

"Student Writing Models" (Thoughtful Learning)

Thoughtful Learning, a website that offers a variety of teaching materials, provides sample student essays on various topics and organizes them by grade level.

"Five-Paragraph Essay" (ThoughtCo)

In this blog post by a former professor of English and rhetoric, ThoughtCo brings together examples of five-paragraph essays and commentary on the form.

The Best Essay Writing Collections

The Best American Essays of the Century by Joyce Carol Oates (Amazon)

This collection of American essays spanning the twentieth century was compiled by award winning author and Princeton professor Joyce Carol Oates.

The Best American Essays 2017 by Leslie Jamison (Amazon)

Leslie Jamison, the celebrated author of essay collection The Empathy Exams , collects recent, high-profile essays into a single volume.

The Art of the Personal Essay by Phillip Lopate (Amazon)

Documentary writer Phillip Lopate curates this historical overview of the personal essay's development, from the classical era to the present.

The White Album by Joan Didion (Amazon)

This seminal essay collection was authored by one of the most acclaimed personal essayists of all time, American journalist Joan Didion.

Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace (Amazon)

Read this famous essay collection by David Foster Wallace, who is known for his experimentation with the essay form. He pushed the boundaries of personal essay, reportage, and political polemic.

"50 Successful Harvard Application Essays" (Staff of the The Harvard Crimson )

If you're looking for examples of exceptional college application essays, this volume from Harvard's daily student newspaper is one of the best collections on the market.

Are you an instructor looking for the best resources for teaching essay writing? This section contains resources for developing in-class activities and student homework assignments. You'll find content from both well-known university writing centers and online writing labs.

Essay Writing Classroom Activities for Students

"In-class Writing Exercises" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This page lists exercises related to brainstorming, organizing, drafting, and revising. It also contains suggestions for how to implement the suggested exercises.

"Teaching with Writing" (Univ. of Minnesota Center for Writing)

Instructions and encouragement for using "freewriting," one-minute papers, logbooks, and other write-to-learn activities in the classroom can be found here.

"Writing Worksheets" (Berkeley Student Learning Center)

Berkeley offers this bank of writing worksheets to use in class. They are nested under headings for "Prewriting," "Revision," "Research Papers" and more.

"Using Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism" (DePaul University)

Use these activities and worksheets from DePaul's Teaching Commons when instructing students on proper academic citation practices.

Essay Writing Homework Activities for Students

"Grammar and Punctuation Exercises" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

These five interactive online activities allow students to practice editing and proofreading. They'll hone their skills in correcting comma splices and run-ons, identifying fragments, using correct pronoun agreement, and comma usage.

"Student Interactives" (Read Write Think)

Read Write Think hosts interactive tools, games, and videos for developing writing skills. They can practice organizing and summarizing, writing poetry, and developing lines of inquiry and analysis.

This free website offers writing and grammar activities for all grade levels. The lessons are designed to be used both for large classes and smaller groups.

"Writing Activities and Lessons for Every Grade" (Education World)

Education World's page on writing activities and lessons links you to more free, online resources for learning how to "W.R.I.T.E.": write, revise, inform, think, and edit.

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How to Write a Journal: 6 Tips to Get Started

by Pamela Hodges | 61 comments

Writers are collectors of ideas, and where do we keep them? On scraps of paper, napkins, the notes app of our phones, and sometimes in journals. But as anyone who's started a journal can attest, sometimes it's hard to begin and even harder to keep one going. So how to write a journal? What to write in a journal? Let's look at some simple ways to start capturing ideas.

There are a number of ways to capture ideas, from keeping a gratitude journal, to a reading journal, to a project journal. No matter what type of journal you keep, let me share with you some tips from my journaling experience for how to keep a journal and why a journaling habit pays off for writers.

4 Advantages of Keeping a Journal

Julia Cameron, acclaimed author of The Artist's Way and more recently a 6-week program outlined in a book called Write for Life, begins the writing and artistic life with a practice she calls morning pages. In essence, she suggests writing three pages each morning to explore ideas and life, and to clear the mind.

The benefits of journaling this way are numerous. Writers who establish regular journaling time may find it helps them clear their minds and explore new ideas.

There are many reasons why it is a good idea to keep a journal. I want to share four big reasons this daily habit may help you with your writing process and develop your writing skills.

1. Remember details

When I traveled to Europe in 1978, I kept a journal of my daily life. I have notes from the trip to Greece where I wiped out on a moped, weeded sugar beets on Kibbutz Reshafim in Israel, and hitchhiked through occupied territory in the south of Israel.

There were several details of my trip that I had completely forgotten until I re-read my personal journals.

Recording the details of your life can enrich your stories. One year when for The Spring Writing Contest at The Write Practice, I wrote a story about when the IRS called me to say I owed money.

In my first draft, I wrote that the amount they said I owed was, $638. After I had completed the first draft I went back to the notes I had written in my journal, and the correct amount was over six thousand dollars: $6,846.48 to be exact. Well, maybe there are some things we don't want to remember.

Thankfully, I didn't send the money. It wasn't the real IRS. But it was even better than a writing prompt for a story idea.

2. Find old friends

Keeping a journal can help you find old friends. One of the women I met on November 26th, 1978, wrote down her address. I found her on Facebook and just sent her a message. (Social media and Google can also help, but the journal did remind me of her name.)

We'll see if she responds to my Facebook message. It has been almost forty years since she lent me a pair of gloves when I scraped my hand on the pavement when I fell off my moped.

3. Help process feelings and ideas

When you keep thoughts in your head it can be hard to know how you think and feel. Writing down how you feel will help you process your emotions , as feelings become words, which can be then be edited.

Processing your feelings and ideas can lead to personal growth and peace, but that's not all. Expressive writing can be therapeutic, but it can also help you flesh out characters later.

4. Preserve the writer's history

When you are dead and a famous writer, your journals will give your readers insight into your life, thoughts, and process.

You may never sell more than one hundred copies of your book, you may never publish your writing, or your journals may only be read by the mice that crawl through your basement. Or your journals will be read by zombies after the zombie apocalypse, sharing insight into your life and daily routines.

If you don't want anyone to read your journal, keep it in a locked box and swallow the key. (Please don't really swallow the key. It would be unpleasant to have to find it again, and you might choke.) Put the key in a safe spot, and then remember where you put it.

6 Tips for How to Keep a Journal (and What to Write in a Journal!)

Now you know why journaling can be helpful. But how should you journal? It is very personal, and you should do what works best for you. But I will give you some tips to help you get started on a journaling practice.

1. Choose your kind of journal

You have several options for how to keep your journal.

A book, where you write with a pen or pencil onto paper: Write in a book that is not so pretty you are afraid to write in it. Keep the size small enough you don't mind carrying it in your messenger bag, and big enough you can read your handwriting. Do not try journaling at night when the only paper you have on your bedside table is a bandaid. The next morning I couldn't read my writing on the band-aid, and the idea I wanted to journal was lost.

The advantage of pen to paper is you can write without having to be plugged into an electronic device. You don’t have to worry about a dead battery, and you can write even when the sun is bright or the airline makes you turn off your electronic devices.

The disadvantage to a paper journal is if you lose the journal and you didn’t make a copy of it, you have lost all of the writing. But either way, the journal writing helps you pay attention and record the moments of everyday life that will fade with time otherwise.

Software: There are several software applications and journaling apps on the market you can use to keep a digital journal. Be sure they sync to the cloud, as you don’t want to lose your entries because you fry your computer's hard-drive.

Journey and Day One can add photographs and text, and export all of your entries into a PDF. You can also journal in Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or Scrivener and save your files to a cloud-based program that will keep your files safe if you lose your computer or pour water on your keyboard.

2. Date your entry

You think you will remember when it happened, but without a written date, you might forget. Make it a part of your journal writing routine to date the entry.

3. Tell the truth

The journal is a record of how you felt and what you did. Telling the truth will make you a reliable storyteller.

If you haven’t cleaned the seven litter boxes for a week, don’t write that you clean them every day simply because you want your readers one hundred years from now to think you had good habits. The beauty of journal writing is that you can record things honestly for yourself that you might not otherwise record or share.

4. Write down details

Record details like the time, location, who you were with, and what you were wearing. Details will help bring the memory alive when you record using your five senses .

To this day, if I smell a certain kind of Japanese soup, I can remember vividly the day I flew to Korea to renew my Japanese visa, only to discover the Japanese embassy was closed for a traditional Japanese holiday.

5. Write down what you felt

What you were thinking? Were you mad? Sad? Happy? Write down why.

6. Write a lot or a little

A journal entry doesn’t have to be three pages long. It can be a few words that describe what happened, a few sentences about the highlight of your day, or it can be a short description of an event from your day, where you describe details to help you remember what happened. What time of day was it? What sound do you remember?

Your journal entry might be a drawing, a poem, or a list of words or cities you drove through. It is your journal, and you have the freedom to be creative.

You can use journal writing prompts or simply tap into a memory that floats into your mind.

Bonus tip: How to write a journal entry

Aside from the date, you can write your journal entry in a number of ways. You can write stream-of-consciousness, try bullet points written rapid fire, you can use various art materials, or any form that speaks to you. Try a list or a mix of writing and doodling, or even dialogue exchanges.

The most important thing is just to take the journaling time and make a regular habit of it, even if it isn't on a daily basis. The words will show up when you do.

When to Journal

There is no right or wrong time to write in a journal. Write when you will remember to do it. Do you always brush your teeth before you go to bed? Have writing in your journal be part of your bedtime routine. Perhaps put it on your bedside table, or beside your hammock, or on the floor beside your futon.

If you are a morning person, consider keeping your journal on the table where you drink your morning coffee, tea, water, milk, or orange juice.

These are only suggestions. You don’t have to write down your feelings or why you felt a certain way. I hate being told what to do. Even if it is a good idea. But I hope you'll give it a try and see if you find it unlocks your own writing.

Do you write in a journal? Why is keeping a journal a valuable practice? Please tell us in the comment s.

Do you write in a journal? Do you think writing in a journal is a good idea for a writer, or a bad idea? Please tell us why in the comments .

Write for fifteen minutes about some aspect of your day as though you were writing in a journal. Your journal entry might be a drawing, a poem, a list of words, or a list of cities you drove through.

Please share your writing in the Pro Practice Workshop here and leave feedback on someone else’s practice today. We learn by writing and by reading.

Pamela Hodges

Pamela writes stories about art and creativity to help you become the artist you were meant to be. She would love to meet you at pamelahodges.com .

61 Comments

I found writing a journal to be a learning experience in itself. When I started, I soon realised I didn’t really know what I was trying to achieve. It seems obvious now but I had to keep at it a while for that to become apparent. Everyone has to find their personal journalling style. A few pointers certainly help, so thanks for your post. I completely agree about the sensory aspect. It’s not the result of a to-do list we’re writing, it’s shades of what gave meaning to our day.

Hello Saul Marchant, I love your description, “shades of what gave meaning to our day.” So, not just a list, but what has meaning. Best, xo Pamela

I also like your “shades of what gave meaning to our day.” Sometimes I find myself lamenting that I want more meaning in my activities—as evidenced by my journal entry above. I need to remember that the purpose and the meaning come from my perspective of the experiences, in all the various colors and shades. Thank you.

I agree with Pamela I to love your description “shades of what gave meaning to our day. I think I fall more into a listing journalistic style but time has lead me to include more meaning as I progress.

Pamela, Thank you for a great article on journaling. I started out writing a diary when I was twelve years old, then moved into journaling as an adult, which I did for twenty years, and dropped off for about five years. I renewed my journaling practice in September 2002 and began daily journaling shortly after that. I record the date and time of the entry and number my pages. I am now on page 6515 (since 2002). Some days I journal just a paragraph—other days, I write up to ten pages. It depends on what is happening in my life, and how I am feeling. The time of day and my energy level also play a part—sometimes, I am too tired to write much, but I arrange my day so that I journal every day. I am in the process of reading previous entries and harvesting them for prompts for my fiction writing and blog posts. The depth and wisdom of some of my entries amaze me. Journaling enriches my life and allows me to process my feelings and emotions which contribute to my well-being.

Hello Billie L Wade, Thank you for sharing your journaling experience. I love the idea of numbering the pages. I regret not keeping a journal when I lived in Tokyo, I have some of my letters a friend saved, but there is so much I don’t remember. Would you like to share a short excerpt from when you were twelve, or something more recent, in the comment section on The Write Practice? xo Pamela

Hi Pamela. Unfortunately, I no longer have my journaling prior to 2002 (long stories). The following entry is indicative of a frequent experience with me in which I start out with with a challenge, problem, or issue and come to some resolution by the end of the session. This entry spans pages 6447-6449. This is not edited except to remove names of people. Thank You.

Monday, 3/20/17, 9:38 p.m. I’ve been afraid I’ll die before I’m ready, before I feel fulfilled, before I’ve done what I want to do, before I’m successful, before I’m “self-actualized,” before I’m joyous. At the same time, I hear of young people—22, 35, 38—with plans and futures and young children, dying of cancer and strokes. I’m 67. I’ve lived to see my son grow into adulthood. Really puts things into perspective. I’m not financially wealthy, but I have enough—my bills are paid; I have life, car, renters, health, and supplemental insurance; I have food; I enjoy dining out with friends; I can afford my medications; I have a car; I have books and magazines to read; I can think and feel and love; I can see and hear; I have my natural teeth; I have a new cell phone; I have leather-bound journals and hand-crafted pens; I drink bottled water that is delivered to me; I live in a beautiful apartment with a nice, green view; if I’m frugal, I can afford a few extras each month. I have people in my life who care about me; by many standards, I’ve had three successful careers, I’m educated and articulate; I can taste and smell and feel the sensuousness of touch; I can write; I have challenging projects to work on; I have a therapist who “gets” me and respects me; I have [my family]. The future is uncertain—always has been—and I sometimes feel frightened when I hear the prospects. I read an article within the past few days in which the author wrote something similar to “our acceptance and behavior in the present moment are predictors of our future.” When I am joyful and grateful and fully alive in the present moment, I have a better chance that I will do so in the future. The more I cultivate an attitude of gratitude, faith, and hope today, the more likely I will feel those attitudes in the future. And, how great it would be to die as [my partner] did—with joyful anticipation and expectancy; with gratitude; with hope; in peace. I can feel fulfilled every day by bringing acceptance and awareness and appreciation to everything I do.

…exquisite … and inspiring

thank you for your gift of words and reflection

Thank you Susan.

I started keeping a journal in the third grade, after reading “Harriet the Spy.” I have a drawer full of them, dated and numbered, and I get them out to browse whenever I’m working on a kids story or something YA. It’s a great resource for me to be able to see how a twelve year old mind worked. I’m so glad I kept them. My five year old keeps a drawing journal of the things he sees during the week, which I hope will eventually grow into something he does for a lifetime.

Hello Amanda Niehaus-Hard, Wow! How exciting to have writing from when you were twelve. I am happy you kept them too. What a treasure. A drawing journal is a great idea, a way to journal for children who might not be writing yet. If you would like to, please share a short excerpt from one of your third grade journals with the date, and/or one of your child’s drawing, if they don’t mind. All my best, xo Pamela

Hi Amanda, I am impressed that you have your journaling from age twelve, organized so you can easily use them. Everything I wrote before 2002 was destroyed, and I miss not having all of my writing. I am glad you can use your journaling to inform what you are writing now. Happy writing to you.

Hi, I did not want to do it this way, but this is regarding my guest post submission idea that I proposed on 31st March. I got the email of confirmation from the automatic mailing system, but did not recieve any manual response for the idea that I had submitted. What has brought me here today is that just six days later, a guest post was published on this very website titled “Show, Don’t Tell : How to Inject Drama Into Your Writing.” This did not seem to be a coincidence, since when I read the article, most of it seemed to be derived from the idea that I had proposed to you, and got no response to. I wrote another email, and that too has not recieved a reply regarding the state of my query. I know that this is not how this matter is appropriately resolved, but since I have got no response from your side, I am becoming both ancious and disappointed. The publication of the guest post resembling my idea might have been a coincidence, albeit a strange one. But the fact that I have recieved no response troubles me. All of us are writers here, and I think that beyond a moment of doubt, all of us would agree that it isn’t in the best interest of the art of writing and all the virtues which come with it. Again, I know this is not the way things are supposed to be dealt with, but right now, I seem to have no other option left to retrieve the creative right over what is beyond a doubt my own idea, credited to someone else right now. Thanking you, and hoping for a legitimate response, Abhijato. (I would have provided my email here, but I do not want any spam. I request you to kindly respond to my enquirery.)

Great article. I have tried in the past to journal but have never kept it up. Perhaps my life is not interesting enough or I’m not disciplined enough to form the habit. I’m going to start again and not put so much pressure on myself thanks to this article.

Hello Marieca Lashawn, I don’t journal every day either. I treasure the journals I have from my trip to Europe in 1978. It never occurred to me that every day life also had value. I am going to start again too. We don’t have to be perfect, and there are no rules to keeping a journal. I will floss all of my teeth, and write something every day. A new habit for me too. xo Pamela

Hello Marieca; I think one for the reasons I journal is that I feel I don’t have to be interesting. Sometimes years go by before I reread what I have written. Some is boring, so what? Now if I am writing a story, and article or a memoir,, I try to be literate and interesting. But journaling, hey the pressure is off and at least I am writing.

The great travel writer Tim Cahill just taught a writing class in Morocco, which I was part of .. and the biggest take away I got (he said if you only remember one thing..it’s this) : “take copious notes” (as life happens, whether traveling or whatnot). Great post and in the exact same vein as Mr. Cahill’ instructions!

Hello Jacqueline Gu, Morocco, how fun. A writing class with Tim Cahill. “Take copious notes.” I love this. It is worthy of a tattoo. Or at least writing it on my chalkboard. Thank you for sharing your adventure, and the lessons you learned. Now I will look up Tim Cahill, I am not familiar with his work. Do you have a favorite book written by him? What book do you recommend I read first? What do you like to write? xo Pamela p.s. Where in Morocco were you? I was Casablanca in 1989 talking photographs for a Japanese client.

Hi Pam – nice to meet you. always great to be acquainted with a fellow writer. I’m reading Tim’s “Pass the Butterworm” but I also heard good things about “Hold the Enlightenment”. I do creative nonfiction/travel/memoir writing but I haven’t shared my stuff with many ppl yet so i’m working on becoming published. I was in Fez/Moulay Idriss/Sahara/Chefchouwen for my 2 week trek in Morocco. So much material (so much copious notes) now to write from! And 1989? That’s awesome – sounds like a trip too! Did you ever write about Morocco?

Cheers to you Pam! I will look up your blog and url now. Jackie

Writing a journal is the only consistent form of writing I have done for the past few years. My journal consists of Writing down which of my 12 daily disciplines I have accomplished and which ones are left to do. I began this practice when I retired and found my days slipping by without accomplishing much and giving into a lifelong leaning towards depression. After some time I changed the disciplines around and found the exercise helped me in many ways. Life, however intervened and heart attacks, strokes, and major moves intervened in the practice since my life priorities changed. So to the twelve disciplines I added a daily description of the foods I eat in a day; the physical activity and exercise I have done; and a spiritual insight along with five things for which I am grateful on each specific day. Today’s post is timely, because I was thinking the practice was getting me nowhere; but I think I will continue since so many successful writers do journal. Thanks for the timely post.

I like the sound of daily disciplines. Life has begun to slide recently. A reformed depressive, a serial dropper outer, I love writing but have not allowed myself to recently, ditto dancing and yoga. I love lists and the daily disciplines sound list like, something with a big tick beside it to feel like achievements until they build up into something big and can count as such. I used to blog and make copious entries and notes and have let that slide too. So thanks for the timely post and for contributions, and here’s to getting back to good habits.

Hello Maryjhowell, Yes, here’s to getting back to good habits. There is a yoga class I keep meaning to get to, I am a serial do it tomorrower. Wishing you all the best, and hope you find time to dance, stretch and journal. Please share your url for the next blog post you write, as you find your way back to yourself. xo Pamela

Hello retrogeegee, I love the name you use here, very creative. I hope you are feeling well, I am sorry to hear you have experienced heart attacks and strokes. Thank you for sharing how you write in our journal with your daily disciplines. What did you eat today? Today I will also write down five things I am grateful for. Sometimes I lean towards depression too, exercise has helped me. Looking at what is good in my life will help too. Thank you for sharing your life. I appreciate your honesty. xo Pamela

I have kept a diary since childhood, although those are long gone. It was a good habit, and I have been journaling since I am an adult. Now I am writing Our Story – 45 years in Japan – and some details that I needed were in there. My son thought the dog under our house gave birth to eight puppies. I checked my journal – it was only six! I have separate loose page journals for the visits we made to our missionary kids in Zaire (now Congo), and the ones in Nepal volunteering for six years with MCC. Wonderful memories preserved.

Hello Mary Derksen, The journals sound really helpful in remembering details. “45 Years in Japan”, sounds like a great title for a memoir. I lived in Tokyo for seven years, and wish I had kept a journal when I was there. What happened to the puppies? That must have been a fun memory. Hope you are well. So nice to meet you and hear of your and your children’s adventures. xo Pamela

Hi Pam, great inspiring article. I have been journal writing and keeping diaries for years. For some reason I started this practice in the 5th grade. I went back to read the first entry in this diary hoping to find why I started this practice, but unfortunately I didn’t write the reason Why. You are right, journaling helps people keep personal records of their life. Mine have taken me from grade school to high school, to college. Through dating, marriage, kids, divorce, death and now back to a long term relationship, that I could probably turn into a never ending novel.. Some things that were too painful to write about, I put them in these journal writings as short stories to make it seem as if these were things that happened to someone else. To date I have 38 diaries/journals. Most recently I started a journal for my writing ideas and a personal one for my everyday happenings. So really I now have 40 journals.

Hi Cheryl, Yes, our journals get us through so much. Mine are a constant repository of self-nurturing as I wrestle with the gamut of feelings and emotions, challenges and resolutions. Rereading my entries validates my perseverance and resilience. I am up to 18 journals now, lots more to go. Best to you.

Thank you Billie, all the writing instructors always say write daily. So when I’m not writing on a story, I make it a habit to write something in my journals. So that’s my way of writing everyday.

Hello Cheryl Sams, Your approach of writing the hard parts of your story as short stories is a great idea. A record of what happened, but keeping the pain in the third person. I hope your story has more sunshine in it today, and in your tomorrows. I wonder what your 5th grade self thought. How special that you have all of your journals. Wishing you all my best. xo Pamela

Sorry to get back to you so late Pam, but you had me wondering about what did I write about in my first diary. Well I dug it out of my pile of journals, and my first entry was dated January 1, 1979. I introduced my immediate family, my grandmother, mom, aunt, uncle, stepdad, siblings and half siblings, and my 5year old cousin. It was the deep south and on that day it was windy, wet, cold, and there was a chance of snow. Christmas vacation was over and I was ready to go back to school. I didn’t want to be at home, school was more exciting(I stayed in a very rural area). Well I caught a cold and I was miserable, and I stated “I’m tired of writing now, I’m going to bed.” Well I guess I went to bed for a very long time, because my next entry was dated January 1984 and I was in college getting ready to go out on a date with an upperclassman. This was a one year diary, but I wrote in it throughout the years. My last entry Jan.2016. I updated my life. Three more pages left in this 38 year old diary. So I’m going to finally close it out on a very positive life update. Just needed to share. thanks.

Yes! Creativity doesn’t recognize boundaries or rules! I write, am an artist too, many mediums for both. I think it’s a pretty healthy, natural condition. Haven’t had the rich overseas experiences, but lived in a good many U.S. states and Canada, amassed 37 addresses so far, leaving fingerprints and/or words/artwork in my wake. Many journals created, some with people whose names I’ve forgotten but whose sketched faces I recognize. Hope to check in with you often. Cheers! 😀

wow … “whose sketched faces I recognize.” … I can just imagine the lovely nature of your journal with sketches intertwined with your written thoughts.

Definitely do come back to The Write Practice to visit … it’s a welcoming place, as is Pamela Hodges’ wonderful website!

Thx Susan. I’m a fan of The Write Practice, visited Pam’s site as well. My site’s a bit wonky at present–but c’mon over if you don’t mind stepping over the mess! { kdadams.com }

I thought I might have been making a wrong assumption based on your “check in” phrase. Nevertheless, I’m glad I commented and got your response so I could visit your website. LOVELY! Looks like you do remarkable, meaningful work. Loved, for instance, reading the glowing feedback from your memoir workshop participants. I’ll visit again.

Sorry for delay- my digital myopia caused lapse in finding your note. Have not yet launched newsletter but hope to find reliable tech soon! What’s your writing?

Hello Kristine Adams, Love your description of leaving fingerprints in your wake. Words and artwork. You have lived in a lot of places, so many memories. Where in Canada? I grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Hugs to you. xo Pamela

Sorry for delay- email folder used w/ Write Practice exchange was misplaced. I lived just into southern Ontario–first near Petrolia, and later near Sarnia. Shared communal houses with friends who now are in B.C. Wow, with our bogus potus, Canada’s appeal is skyrocketing!

I absolutely LOVE this article. I’ve been writing journals since i was a kid but quit writing for a very long. I’ve again started to write down my journals. It’s the best thing I’ve discovered. I’m more aware of my thoughts and myself now. It’s the best practice for a winter of any sort. Be it a beginner or a published author. I’m not sure if I want to share it with anyone but i just enjoy the whole process of writing my journal

Hello shiwangi agarwal, Thank you for confirming that journal writing has helped you be more aware of your thoughts. You don’t have to share your thoughts. I like having a private place to write and think. Now to find a safe spot to hide a key, where no one else will find it and I can remember where I put it. xo Pamela

This doesn’t relate to this post, but feedback is greatly appreciated.

Mara shivered, pulling her ratty, practically obsolete sweater closer around her torso. Tevrah was cold this time of year. And drizzly. A drop of rain landed on her nose, freezing and unexpected. She wished she had warm pants instead of her school dress and her mother’s cardigan.

Her younger brother, Deo, tugged on her hand and pulled her off-course toward a stand selling jewelry. A young woman was standing behind the tables, smiling benevolently at her customers. She eyed Mara and Deo. “We don’t have long,” Mara warned him in their language, trying to smile innocently at the shopkeeper. It wasn’t as if they were going to steal something, but they certainly had the stink of poverty around them, accentuated especially by their thin, dark features. Deo’s hair was sticking up all over the place, his face the only inch of cleanliness on his body. Their mother was quite persistent about the need for washing your face twice a day, even if nothing else was clean. “It is important to make a good impression,” she had warned. Mara could only imagine what the people of this town thought of her and Deo, as she surely looked just the same as her six-year-old brother. She wished she hadn’t disregarded the necessity of neatness that morning. Every sort of person on earth could be observed in this market. The rich, the seedy, the fine, the poor, the gaudy, the drab. And Mara and Deo looked like beggars.

She still had a few coins left in the pockets of her sweater. Her bag was filled with day-old bread, bruised apples, and several rolls of bandages. They still hadn’t found someplace selling sponges for cheap, which was unfortunate since the younger kids cried when you scrubbed them with the rougher brush. And that was Mara’s job. She would have taken a used oil cloth by now to avoid Skya Menyon’s sharp glance whenever she heard the wail of her toddler, who was the whiniest child Mara had ever met.

It had been her job back at the village, at least three hundred kilometers from Tevrah’s town of North Market. They were three hundred kilometers from the place Mara had never left in her life– until now. The people were different here, even not so far away. The area was drizzly and brown and green, filled with grays. The people here had lighter hair, while the skin on Mara’s arm was dark as a macadamia nut’s shell. Her village was all but disappeared, nothing but ashes on the gods’ gentle breeze.

The day after the fires, the women of the village had shorn their hair to shoulder length, Mara included since her fifteenth birthday had passed two weeks prior. She wasn’t used to it. She liked to twirl strands of her hair, mindlessly twist them together as a nervous habit, and with it so short it was hard to wrap her black locks around her index finger. She kept reaching up only for her hand to stop short and sink back down to her side.

Deo was gawking at a gold necklace. The shopkeeper’s hawk eyes stayed locked on him, drawn as a moth to a flame. She was clearly suspicious. “Deo,” Mara hissed. He barely looked up.

“What?” he muttered. “Stop it.”

Mara tugged him a few feet away from the necklace, the shopkeeper still watching them. “Stop looking at that like you’re going to grab it.”

“I wasn’t going–” “She doesn’t know that!” Mara protested. Deo frowned, looking at his grubby hands curiously.

“Is it time for lunch yet?”

“Deo!” she chastised. The woman had begun to emerge from behind the booth. Mara turned toward her, widening her eyes. “Yes?” she inquired politely, switching to Tevranian for the shopkeeper’s sake.

“You kids like my jewelry?” she demanded.

Mara smiled shakily. “I apologize, miss, but my brother, he is not so smart,” she said, patting Deo’s hair and shushing his protests with a hand over his mouth. She tried to adjust the bag on her hip so the woman could peer into it and see there was nothing out of the ordinary inside.

“Oh?” the woman said, raising an eyebrow.

“He does not know how much the necklace does cost, you see?”

She grunted again.

“The cost is too much for us, anyway, because you see–” Mara saw something out of the corner of her eye. A glint of silver. A flash of crimson red. She stopped short, aware of the shopkeeper’s eyes trained on her dubiously. A girl had slipped in behind the stand, wearing vibrant red pants and a gray shirt, hair that must have been white as ivory when it was clean hanging in strands down her back.

“Yes?” the woman prompted.

“Yes…” Mara forced herself to look away. “I, um, we were not taking the necklace.” The fair-haired girl’s hand danced out of her pocket and hooked the bracelet onto a finger. She stuffed it into her overcoat.

Mara stared for a second before coming to her senses. “Hey!”

The shopkeeper whirled around. “What–”

The girl’s green eyes darted up to meet her accuser’s, and then she nimbly slipped into the crowd, that white hair a blur behind her. Mara began to run after her, leaving Deo and the shopkeeper behind, but stumbled over a man’s shoe. He sneered at her. “S-sorry,” she stammered. “Sir.”

A warm, dry hand grasped Mara’s hand in its grip. She looked down to see Deo staring up at her, his hair wet from the rain. “Deo,” she said , trying to see over the crowd’s heads, “go… go find Thyme and Yuri.” She shoved the basket of goods into his hands.

He began to whine, but Mara was already gone. She darted around a fruit cart, a few berries falling to the ground as she bumped it. The boy selling the fruits cursed at her in a language she didn’t understand. Mara kept going. Where had that girl gone? And why hadn’t she yelled “Thief!” and left other people to take care of it?

She was an idiot, Mara reminded herself, that’s why.

She tripped over her own shoes, a size and a half too large, not once but twice. Her gray dress was small on her, barely modest as it ended a few inches above her knees. The only reason Mara could get away with it was because she didn’t look her age. She’d kept a bit of baby fat, and she hadn’t shot up like a bamboo stalk. At least, not yet.

Ah. Under that bridge over there, stretching across the rushing river below, its banks mossy and wet. Mara saw a flash of blonde hair and those strange red pants the girl was wearing before she took off again. By now, the rain was coming down hard, clumping Mara’s dark eyelashes together and blurring her vision. She stumbled over the muddy ground beyond the market, the sounds of the city disappearing from her ears, and ducked under the cover of the old bridge.

It was quiet but for the sound of rain pattering the stone above.

“Hello?” Mara called out softly. There were no footprints in the mud leading off into the forest on the other side of the tunnel, but she couldn’t see where else the girl could have gone. Perhaps she’d disappeared, like in the Yaba’s stories back home. “Hello?” Mara said again, louder this time. She took a tentative step forward, then froze in her tracks when a voice responded.

“It’s not worth that much.”

Mara startled, whirling around. No one. “What?”

“The bracelet,” the voice explained. “Didn’t cost as much as that lady was selling it for.”

“Ay.” Mara didn’t know what to say to an invisible person. The distant sounds of shouting salesman only just reached her ears.

“You can leave and pretend this never happened.”

Mara seethed. “No.”

“Why not?” the disembodied voice challenged.

“You took it!”

“I stole something deserving of a halved coin.”

“What in ny anaran’Andriamanitra is a half coin?” Mara retorted. She wrung the rainwater out of her hair, and it splattered on her already-soaked dress, hanging limp around her knees. She wasn’t sure where to look, as she couldn’t see the person she was talking to.

“Oh, you know.” Mara didn’t. “A copper. Not even a single silver. She was marking it three times its worth.” They didn’t have much of silver where Mara was from.

“And who are you,” Mara said, “to judge?”

“And who are you?” the voice echoed.

“I–” Mara started, then cut herself off. “You are a criminal.”

“Hm.” The girl’s body dropped from the top of the bridge, and she landed perfectly balanced, wearing that red sweater and brown, unfitted pants. Mara stumbled back, surprised at the girl’s entrance, and almost tripped over a rock behind her. “I disagree,” the girl said.

“Are quite good at climbing things,” the girl said. She stared at Mara unblinkingly, her green eyes startling against the gray of the day. A gust of wind picked up her wispy blonde hair on its wings. “I’ll tell you what. You let me go, I’ll give you this bracelet.”

“That is not a deal!” Mara said, indignant. “You took it! Here is the idea: give it back and I will not… tell. Tell the police.”

The girl chuckled, flashing a crooked smile, dimples appearing at the corners of her mouth. “Let me guess. You aren’t from around here?”

Hello, Pamela. Nearly every journal I’ve ever written starts with, “Well, I’m not good at journal writing, but I’ll try again” or some such lame thing, and invariably that entry is followed by a handful of dated entries, followed by some more six months or six years later. I try to let go of that feeling of “defeat before I’ve even started” because what’s the point? I tell myself, “Let go of thoughts of perfection because it ain’t coming to my doorstep any time soon.”

I’m going to include here an entry in my journal from the month after my mother passed away in 2014. I’m guessing that I was using your writing style as part of my inspiration because I included a level and type of detail that I may not have previously.

I was reflecting on why I am thankful. It reads, …

The piece I’m going to start with is the sweet gesture that Mehrzad [my husband] made yesterday, showing me his deep love and such a respectful honoring of Mom. We sold her car yesterday at Carmax [2003 Lexus ES 300 silver/light blue, “wood” steering wheel and other trim areas, 40,708 miles bought for about $30,000 new – mom’s decision with no consultation – sold for $7,000] Carmax gave us back the license plate [NWSTOY] and license plate frames [“I’d rather be stitching”]. I’m thinking, “OK, What do we do with these? Should we keep them? No, we’re trying to declutter not reclutter.” A bit later on, Mehrzad lovingly says, “Shall we hang these up in the garage? It’s part of your mom’s life and we want to keep that history. We’ll need to find a place to hang it.” WOW! … THANKFUL! —- [I just now took a picture of the license plate on our pegboard in the garage to include here, but I guess an upload option is not included; forgot that.] —– As always, I’m thankful for you, Pamela.

Hello Susan WA, Thank you for sharing the excerpt from your journal about your mom. The detail about the car, including the milage brought me emotionally into the story. Life is made up of concrete details. Little bits of reality that allow me the reader to feel the story. I am so sorry your mom died. And, so thankful to read of the kindness of your husband who hung the license in the garage. So nice to hear from you Susan. I am thankful for you also. xo Pamela

One of my biggest heartaches is that I accidentally threw out a notebook that I thought was empty … turns out it was my son’s reflections on quotes from when he was in 8th grade … it was a daily exercise by his history teacher, a man who inspired my son deeply, and is his favorite teacher of all time. Love those amazing connections when a teacher has such an impact on a student’s life.

Hi, Pamela! Here is a way to have both the handwritten and the electronic record: https://store.moleskine.com/usa/en-us/Moleskine-/Evernote/C26

I haven’t tried this system, but it looks pretty interesting. I also like the idea of using Scrivener. I prefer to journal with pen and paper, but am currently doing a hybrid: early morning brain dump online at http://750words.com , and then a notebook and my pretty new purple fountain pen throughout the day.

Hi GirlGriot, So nice to see you here! Thank you for the suggestion to combine the handwritten and the electronic. Maybe I need to get a pretty purple fountain pen too. Something to remind me to take notes on my life. I will check out the 750 words site, and dump out my brains too. Hope you are well. xo Pamela

(FYI, 750 words is a paid site now. Not sure what it costs. I joined when it was free and was grandfathered in when they switched over.)

Hello TerriblyTerrific, You could always swallow the key. (This is meant to be funny, and is not a real suggestion, in case you do swallow the key, and then want to hire a lawyer and say we told you to eat a key) How old is your daughter? Maybe she needs to find a safe spot to hide her journal. 🙂 xo Pamela

I started writing journals when my children grew up and went to college. I felt lost in myself and wanted to get the emotions out of my system. I then began to cycle long distances with some friends. We cycled from coast to coast in various countries including Australia, Vietnam; parts of Europe and the Himalayas. I have recently been expanding some of my journals and one thing I noticed is that, throughout all the scary parts of the journeys; when we thought we were in dire states, someone came out of the blue and saved the day. When the bike broke, when we ran out of food or water on the mountains, or when we had no shelter. I call them the Angels on my journeys all of which I am deeply thankful for.

The journal in 2014 helped me deal with a lot of sudden deaths of close family and friends, there was almost one a month that year. When I look at that year I realise we are all challenged and no matter how hard that challenge with a bit of help we can get through it. Journals can be lifesavers reminding us to be grateful and how lucky we are.

Hello Elizabeth McKenna, You have lived some amazing adventures. I love your perspective on how “journals can be lifesavers reminding us to be grateful and how lucky we are.” I am sorry about the sudden deaths of family and friends in 2014. That sounds like a hard year. Sending you hugs and sunshine, xo Pamela

In Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way,” she teaches her students to writing their “Morning Pages,” as a way to get back their creativity. Sometimes they are referred to as our “Mourning Pages,” because we mourn the ills of our life. I wrote faithfully for about a year then quit. It’s something that cleansed the soul and helped me dig down deep to the heart of my frustration with a certain family members and clear out some junk. Journalling is so important to our mental health and to bring us clarity. It can help us clear our mental blocks to our creativity as well. Thanks for the post.

April 20, 2008

We had breakfast with Uncle Jerry today after church. He made waffles, and we brought the side dishes: sausage, fried potatoes, cheese soufflé, and crunchy cantaloupe. It was nice to be together. He’s having more trouble with his breathing, but he isn’t taking any treatments for it. He’s refused what treatment the doctors have offered, although for his condition—interstitial lung disease—there really isn’t much they can do. He is allowing the disease to run its course. It’s strange seeing it happen to him because I know that I will follow soon.

In truth, I’m simply afraid. I have always had a horror of drowning, of suffocation, of being unable to breathe. Since I’ve got late-stage pulmonary hypertension, that’s exactly how I’ll die: one gasp at a time. I might get lucky, though. People with this disease often die of sudden cardiac death. The heart just stops, and they’re dead before they hit the ground. I like Door Number 2 much better than Door Number 1.

“Writing is the only way I have to explain my own life to myself.” Love that. Must try it, but I need to be ‘plugged in’. I thought I’d never write again after the shakes got me. Now I can even read my writing!

Hello Pamela, Many thanks for your article on keeping a journal. Very handy. I wrote a journal in the past, for a year, when I was grieving. There was no one to confide in, and writing my feelings and the events that filled my day, brought a little solace. Now I write daily, (in longhand, in a small blue booklet) to record my husband’s medication, (the names of his medicines and the hour in which he took them) his moods, and in brackets, a little about myself. The journal is a verification of what we did. My husband contests me on many things, declaring that ‘we did not’. Out comes my journal to satisfy his verification. I’m glad I recorded it on paper. In the blue booklet, I write the day, then the date, and below, the weather and mean temperature. I record where we went and why, like, shopping for shoes, meat, presents, etc:. I write of guests who came to lunch or to visit.

I write a line about Minnie and her friends. Yesterday I recored that she vomited… a bunch of grass.

Please give our love to Harper and the users of the other six litter boxes.

With love, Lilian

I love journaling and have even taught journal workshops. It is what helps untangle my thoughts and make sense of life. I make a practice of re-reading (currently once a week). That’s when I’m reminded of things I need to follow up on. It’s about the only time I use paper and pencil now, which really sets it apart from all other activities.

Great article. I took a trip to Europe a few years ago and I was so happy when I came across my travel journal. All the details that I had forgotten are in there! I’ve now converted to a digital journal since it’s accessible from anywhere and I usually have my phone on me to jot down entries when I have a few minutes. (Disclaimer: I blog for JRNL.)

I have an urgent need to journal, and I do so, but always with a feeling of trepidation because am afraid my kids will judge me poorly when I’m gone. Haven’t committed crimes or anything like that but am somehow ashamed of the strong feelings of insecurities that come up again and again. But I need very much to write them. Anyone else have this problem?

Yes. I sometimes feel like you as well. That is why, I write a lot and then get rid of it. This helps me with my self awareness. When you write everything down as true as it has happened and you read back to yourself, you somehow judge yourself and that would become very valuable to you for many reasons. 1) you might realise, it was not as important, good or bad or even important as you first thought. 2) You can realise what went wrong or right in that occasion and you might have the opportunity to make it better or try to accept it and draw a line under it. 3) you have become your own best imaginary friend whom you can talk to in confidence and get help without any worry of it going further or be judged. The list of benefits are endless and can go on and on and on, but I am sure, you got the gist of it. 🙂

I love this articular because it explain how writing journals makes you a better writes. it help you express your emotions also your daily lifestyle. I never really writing a journal before but I starting to write down my thought in my journal. it’s the best way to practice writing or express yourself for example I wake up seven in the mourning eat breakfast brush my tooth and wash my face.I get dress walk out the front door to wait at the bus stop.

Journaling leads to growth, which is especially important for a writer. Benjamin Franklin had the habit of keeping a journal, which helped him to become healthy and wealthy: https://constantrenewal.com/keeping-a-journal/

Great post. I have journaled ever since junior high and maybe even a bit earlier. As time goes on I think I’m writing down better things, descriptions and such and digging deep into my real feelings about things and life. It’s a good way to explore and figure out who I am and what I’m thinking. 🙂

I started journaling few months ago and I think it really improved my mental health a bit lol. Usually, I write at night and sometimes, I forget what just happened hours ago (which I have to reopen my gallery to find some specific photos that have to do with my “day”). Anyways, it’s a great and a helpful article btw!

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Writing in a Journal: A Short Course on Journal Writing for 2023

Do any of the following statements or questions sound like you?

“I don’t have time to write a journal!”
“I don’t know what to write about!”
“How do I get started?
“I’m a lousy writer!”

If so, then this short course on journal writing is for you! Here are five easy steps to get started with writing, eight suggestions for new journal writers, and 14 writing techniques for your journal.

How to Get Started with Journal Writing

It’s Easy to W.R.I.T.E.

Just try these five easy steps. You’ll be writing in no time!

W – What do you want to write about? What’s going on? How do you feel? What are you thinking about? What do you want? Name it.

R – Review or reflect on it. Close your eyes. Take three deep breaths. Focus. You can start with “I feel…” or “I want…” or “I think…” or “Today….” or “Right now…” or “In this moment…”

I – Investigate your thoughts and feelings. Start writing and keep writing. Follow the pen/keyboard. If you get stuck or run out of juice, close your eyes and re-center yourself. Re-read what you’ve already written and continue writing.

T – Time yourself. Write for 5-15 minutes. Write the start time and the projected end time at the top of the page. If you have an alarm/timer on your PDA or cell phone, set it.

E – Exit smart by re-reading what you’ve written and reflecting on it in a sentence or two: “As I read this, I notice—” or “I’m aware of—” or “I feel—”. Note any action steps to take.

In summary….it’s easy to W.R.I.T.E. ! W hat topic? R eview/reflect I nvestigate T ime yourself E xit smart

Looking for free journaling workshops? Check out our on-demand courses including “ J is for Journal: A Short Course on Writing for Healing, Growth, and Change ,” with seven lessons containing a total of 68 writing prompts!

Eight Suggestions for New Journal Writers

1. protect your privacy..

Store your journal in its own special place so that the temptation for others to read is diminished. Ask for agreement with your housemates that your journal is private. Reserve the first page of any new journal for your name and phone number or e-mail address, along with a notice: This is my personal journal. Please do not read it without my permission. If none of that would stop whoever might read your journal, get a shredder. Find a creative way to protect your privacy, such as a new gmail or yahoo account, freshly passworded, from which to write yourself at that address. Or keep your journal on a flash drive. Make your privacy an intentional act.

2. Start with an entrance meditation.

Nearly every journal technique benefits from a few minutes of focused quieting. Use visualization, soft music, candles, deep breathing, stretches, whatever works for you.

3. Date every entry.

If you only establish one habit in your journal, let it be this one! Dating every entry allows you to chronologically reconstruct your journal by date. It also lets you hear the silence between your entries.

4. Keep (and re-read) what you write.

Often the writes that feel like throw-aways contain the seeds for future insight. Keep it, re-read it later, and surprise yourself with how much you knew that you didn’t know you knew!

5. Write quickly.

You can outsmart dreaded “journal block” by writing so fast that the Internal Critic and the Internal Censor can’t keep up. Keep your pen moving!

6. Start writing; keep writing.

Start with the present moment (“What’s going on?”) Or start with a feeling (“I’m so mad I could bust!”) Or start with a story (“Today the weirdest thing happened….”) Once you’ve started, don’t go back to edit or rewrite. And don’t think too much. Let it flow.

7. Tell yourself the truth.

Your own truth is not your enemy. Don’t try to talk yourself out of knowing what you know or feeling what you feel. Give yourself permission to tell the truth. Also give yourself permission to pace yourself. If the truth seems too bright or harsh, then slow it down.

8. Write naturally.

If there is one inviolate rule of journal writing, it is that there simply are no rules! Do what works. Don’t worry about what you’re not doing. Give yourself permission. Let yourself enjoy the process!

14 Writing Techniques for Your Journal

1. sentence stem..

A sentence-completion process. Fill in the blank with a word or phrase. May be very universal (Right now I feel———-) or highly customized to an individual’s immediate question, problem or interest.

Start with the beginning of a sentence:

Today I will—
Right now I feel—
The most important thing to do—
I want—
I need—-
What I wish I could say to you—
If only I could—
I wonder–

—and finish it with a word, a thought, the rest of the sentence.

Boom. You’re done.

2. Five-Minute Sprint .

A timed writing process designed to bring focus and intensity in short bursts. Excellent for those who are resistant or aversive to journal writing, or who are uncertain about how to start, or who state they do not have time to write journals.

It’s a two-step process that couldn’t be more simple:

Set the timer on your phone or kitchen stove. Stop writing when signaled!
Keep your pen or fingers moving the entire time. It’s only five minutes. It goes fast.

Ready? Set your timers–and WRITE! Start with this prompt: What’s going on?

3. Inventory.

An assessment of life balance in major areas of living (health, family, home, work, spiritual/religious, emotional well-being, etc.) Gives a quick picture of which life areas might need attention.

4. Structured Write.

A series of Sentence Stems grouped and sequenced to reveal consistently deepening layers of information and awareness.

structured write journal writing technique example

5. Clustering.

Visual free-association from a central word or phrase. Lines and circles connect key thoughts and associations to the central core. Work quickly to maximize results. A brief writing to synthesize findings may follow.

clustering example for journal writing technique

6. Lists of 100.

A list of 100 items, many of which will probably be repetitions, on a predetermined theme or topic. Repetition is an important part of the process. Topics can be about any current issue (for example: 100 Things I’m Sad About; 100 Things I Need or Want to Do; 100 Places I Would Like to See). At the end of the list, group the responses into themes and synthesize the information.

In this video, Kathleen Adams, Founder of the Center for Journal Therapy, shares what she likes about using short lists as a journaling technique.

7. Alphapoem.

Write the alphabet, A-Z, or any collection of letters, vertically down the side of a page. Then write a poem in which each successive line begins with the next letter. Excellent for groups as it promotes a high level of participation and sharing. Adolescents and reluctant writers respond well.

Check out this example of an Alphapoem:

An Alphapoem on Alphapoems

by Kay Adams and Scribe (journal group members)

A nticipate a B lossoming of C reative D elight! E asy, really, once you F ind the rhythm and the pace. G ather up the thoughts you H old secret in your heart. I magine them J ust drifting out, a K aleidoscope of L etters M aking words. N o rules to follow–except the O bvious one. P erhaps you’ll find a poet inside? Q uite likely! R ead your Alphapoems; you’ll find them S tartlingly T rue–an U nusual way to give V oice to the W himpers, wonderings, whys, wins. X hilerating feeling to find Y ou’ve reached the Z enith of the poem!

8. Captured Moments.

Vignettes capturing the sensations of a particularly meaningful or emotional experience. Written from the senses with strong descriptors. Captured Moments of beauty, joy, blessing, calm can add balance, hope and perspective to a challenging time.

9. Unsent Letters .

A metaphoric communication to another that is written with the specific intention that it will not be shared.

10. Character Sketch .

A written portrait of another person or of an aspect of the self. Can also be written about emotions by personifying an emotion and giving it a characterization – an appearance, a style of dress, a personality and temperament.

11. Dialogue.

A metaphoric conversation written in two voices. Anyone or anything is an appropriate dialogue partner. There is no constriction by time, space, physical reality or literal voice.

On the page, it looks like a script:

Me: So how do I do this?

Dialogue Partner: Just ask me a question, and I’ll respond.

Me: Seems a little silly.

D.P.: Just make it up! Write the next thing in your head.

You can write a dialogue with anyone or anything: Your Wise Self, your spouse/partner/child, your job, your body, your feelings, your dreams and desires – anything goes!

12. Perspectives .

An alteration in point of view that provides a different perspective on an event or situation. Through magical realism, we can jump time, compare alternative realities and walk a mile in another’s moccasins. The writer experiences a new dimension of time, place or voice.

A different time: Using imagery, time-travel to a date in the near or distant past or future. Write that altered date at the top of the page. Imagine who you are, how you feel, what is different, how a problem got solved or an issue resolved. Write in the present tense, as if it were that time.
A different place: When faced with a tough choice or decision, jump time and write Perspectives entries in the present tense as if you’d made each choice. One man, conflicted about applying to medical school or a psychology program, saw himself miserable as a psychiatrist and fully engaged as a psychotherapist working with veterans and their families. See what nudges forward from your subconscious mind!
A different voice: Write in someone else’s “I” voice, in the present tense, as if that person were writing in a journal about you or a disagreement (argument, conflict, painful difference) the two of you are experiencing.
Another different voice: Alter your own voice by writing in past tense, in the third-person voice (s/he, her/his), about your own experience. This pulls back the camera lens, puts you in the role of omniscient narrator/compassionate witness and allows useful distance and objectivity. This is particularly helpful if you are working with difficult stories that can create intense emotional states.

13. Springboard.

A free-write with a prompt. Starting a free-write with the smallest structure of a question, thought or topic can focus and frame the writing session.

Here are some sample springboards:

What’s the next thing to do?
A year from today, I will ….
Why don’t I … ?
I’m sorry I didn’t….
What am I avoiding?
If I knew I would succeed, I would ….
I want to overcome….
Where am I going?
What do I want?
If I weren’t scared….
What’s the best thing? What’s the worst thing?

In this video, Kathleen Adams, Founder of the Center for Journal Therapy, talks about using props to get started with writing.

14. Free Writing.

Unboundaried, unstructured, unpaced narrative writing. Useful for creative flow or spontaneous writing sessions. Can be structured by adding a time limit or page limit.

Center for Journal Therapy

3440 youngfield st., #411 wheat ridge, co. 80033 phone: (303) 209-9599 contact us >>.

How to Write and Publish a Research Paper for a Peer-Reviewed Journal

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Published: 30 April 2020
Volume 36 , pages 909–913, ( 2021 )

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Clara Busse ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0178-1000 1 &
Ella August ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5151-1036 1 , 2

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Communicating research findings is an essential step in the research process. Often, peer-reviewed journals are the forum for such communication, yet many researchers are never taught how to write a publishable scientific paper. In this article, we explain the basic structure of a scientific paper and describe the information that should be included in each section. We also identify common pitfalls for each section and recommend strategies to avoid them. Further, we give advice about target journal selection and authorship. In the online resource 1 , we provide an example of a high-quality scientific paper, with annotations identifying the elements we describe in this article.

Literature reviews as independent studies: guidelines for academic practice

Open peer review: promoting transparency in open science

The journal coverage of Web of Science, Scopus and Dimensions: A comparative analysis

Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

Introduction

Writing a scientific paper is an important component of the research process, yet researchers often receive little formal training in scientific writing. This is especially true in low-resource settings. In this article, we explain why choosing a target journal is important, give advice about authorship, provide a basic structure for writing each section of a scientific paper, and describe common pitfalls and recommendations for each section. In the online resource 1 , we also include an annotated journal article that identifies the key elements and writing approaches that we detail here. Before you begin your research, make sure you have ethical clearance from all relevant ethical review boards.

Select a Target Journal Early in the Writing Process

We recommend that you select a “target journal” early in the writing process; a “target journal” is the journal to which you plan to submit your paper. Each journal has a set of core readers and you should tailor your writing to this readership. For example, if you plan to submit a manuscript about vaping during pregnancy to a pregnancy-focused journal, you will need to explain what vaping is because readers of this journal may not have a background in this topic. However, if you were to submit that same article to a tobacco journal, you would not need to provide as much background information about vaping.

Information about a journal’s core readership can be found on its website, usually in a section called “About this journal” or something similar. For example, the Journal of Cancer Education presents such information on the “Aims and Scope” page of its website, which can be found here: https://www.springer.com/journal/13187/aims-and-scope .

Peer reviewer guidelines from your target journal are an additional resource that can help you tailor your writing to the journal and provide additional advice about crafting an effective article [ 1 ]. These are not always available, but it is worth a quick web search to find out.

Identify Author Roles Early in the Process

Early in the writing process, identify authors, determine the order of authors, and discuss the responsibilities of each author. Standard author responsibilities have been identified by The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) [ 2 ]. To set clear expectations about each team member’s responsibilities and prevent errors in communication, we also suggest outlining more detailed roles, such as who will draft each section of the manuscript, write the abstract, submit the paper electronically, serve as corresponding author, and write the cover letter. It is best to formalize this agreement in writing after discussing it, circulating the document to the author team for approval. We suggest creating a title page on which all authors are listed in the agreed-upon order. It may be necessary to adjust authorship roles and order during the development of the paper. If a new author order is agreed upon, be sure to update the title page in the manuscript draft.

In the case where multiple papers will result from a single study, authors should discuss who will author each paper. Additionally, authors should agree on a deadline for each paper and the lead author should take responsibility for producing an initial draft by this deadline.

Structure of the Introduction Section

The introduction section should be approximately three to five paragraphs in length. Look at examples from your target journal to decide the appropriate length. This section should include the elements shown in Fig. 1 . Begin with a general context, narrowing to the specific focus of the paper. Include five main elements: why your research is important, what is already known about the topic, the “gap” or what is not yet known about the topic, why it is important to learn the new information that your research adds, and the specific research aim(s) that your paper addresses. Your research aim should address the gap you identified. Be sure to add enough background information to enable readers to understand your study. Table 1 provides common introduction section pitfalls and recommendations for addressing them.

The main elements of the introduction section of an original research article. Often, the elements overlap

Methods Section

The purpose of the methods section is twofold: to explain how the study was done in enough detail to enable its replication and to provide enough contextual detail to enable readers to understand and interpret the results. In general, the essential elements of a methods section are the following: a description of the setting and participants, the study design and timing, the recruitment and sampling, the data collection process, the dataset, the dependent and independent variables, the covariates, the analytic approach for each research objective, and the ethical approval. The hallmark of an exemplary methods section is the justification of why each method was used. Table 2 provides common methods section pitfalls and recommendations for addressing them.

Results Section

The focus of the results section should be associations, or lack thereof, rather than statistical tests. Two considerations should guide your writing here. First, the results should present answers to each part of the research aim. Second, return to the methods section to ensure that the analysis and variables for each result have been explained.

Begin the results section by describing the number of participants in the final sample and details such as the number who were approached to participate, the proportion who were eligible and who enrolled, and the number of participants who dropped out. The next part of the results should describe the participant characteristics. After that, you may organize your results by the aim or by putting the most exciting results first. Do not forget to report your non-significant associations. These are still findings.

Tables and figures capture the reader’s attention and efficiently communicate your main findings [ 3 ]. Each table and figure should have a clear message and should complement, rather than repeat, the text. Tables and figures should communicate all salient details necessary for a reader to understand the findings without consulting the text. Include information on comparisons and tests, as well as information about the sample and timing of the study in the title, legend, or in a footnote. Note that figures are often more visually interesting than tables, so if it is feasible to make a figure, make a figure. To avoid confusing the reader, either avoid abbreviations in tables and figures, or define them in a footnote. Note that there should not be citations in the results section and you should not interpret results here. Table 3 provides common results section pitfalls and recommendations for addressing them.

Discussion Section

Opposite the introduction section, the discussion should take the form of a right-side-up triangle beginning with interpretation of your results and moving to general implications (Fig. 2 ). This section typically begins with a restatement of the main findings, which can usually be accomplished with a few carefully-crafted sentences.

Major elements of the discussion section of an original research article. Often, the elements overlap

Next, interpret the meaning or explain the significance of your results, lifting the reader’s gaze from the study’s specific findings to more general applications. Then, compare these study findings with other research. Are these findings in agreement or disagreement with those from other studies? Does this study impart additional nuance to well-accepted theories? Situate your findings within the broader context of scientific literature, then explain the pathways or mechanisms that might give rise to, or explain, the results.

Journals vary in their approach to strengths and limitations sections: some are embedded paragraphs within the discussion section, while some mandate separate section headings. Keep in mind that every study has strengths and limitations. Candidly reporting yours helps readers to correctly interpret your research findings.

The next element of the discussion is a summary of the potential impacts and applications of the research. Should these results be used to optimally design an intervention? Does the work have implications for clinical protocols or public policy? These considerations will help the reader to further grasp the possible impacts of the presented work.

Finally, the discussion should conclude with specific suggestions for future work. Here, you have an opportunity to illuminate specific gaps in the literature that compel further study. Avoid the phrase “future research is necessary” because the recommendation is too general to be helpful to readers. Instead, provide substantive and specific recommendations for future studies. Table 4 provides common discussion section pitfalls and recommendations for addressing them.

Follow the Journal’s Author Guidelines

After you select a target journal, identify the journal’s author guidelines to guide the formatting of your manuscript and references. Author guidelines will often (but not always) include instructions for titles, cover letters, and other components of a manuscript submission. Read the guidelines carefully. If you do not follow the guidelines, your article will be sent back to you.

Finally, do not submit your paper to more than one journal at a time. Even if this is not explicitly stated in the author guidelines of your target journal, it is considered inappropriate and unprofessional.

Your title should invite readers to continue reading beyond the first page [ 4 , 5 ]. It should be informative and interesting. Consider describing the independent and dependent variables, the population and setting, the study design, the timing, and even the main result in your title. Because the focus of the paper can change as you write and revise, we recommend you wait until you have finished writing your paper before composing the title.

Be sure that the title is useful for potential readers searching for your topic. The keywords you select should complement those in your title to maximize the likelihood that a researcher will find your paper through a database search. Avoid using abbreviations in your title unless they are very well known, such as SNP, because it is more likely that someone will use a complete word rather than an abbreviation as a search term to help readers find your paper.

After you have written a complete draft, use the checklist (Fig. 3 ) below to guide your revisions and editing. Additional resources are available on writing the abstract and citing references [ 5 ]. When you feel that your work is ready, ask a trusted colleague or two to read the work and provide informal feedback. The box below provides a checklist that summarizes the key points offered in this article.

Checklist for manuscript quality

Data Availability

Michalek AM (2014) Down the rabbit hole…advice to reviewers. J Cancer Educ 29:4–5

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International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. Defining the role of authors and contributors: who is an author? http://www.icmje.org/recommendations/browse/roles-and-responsibilities/defining-the-role-of-authosrs-and-contributors.html . Accessed 15 January, 2020

Vetto JT (2014) Short and sweet: a short course on concise medical writing. J Cancer Educ 29(1):194–195

Brett M, Kording K (2017) Ten simple rules for structuring papers. PLoS ComputBiol. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005619

Lang TA (2017) Writing a better research article. J Public Health Emerg. https://doi.org/10.21037/jphe.2017.11.06

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Acknowledgments

Ella August is grateful to the Sustainable Sciences Institute for mentoring her in training researchers on writing and publishing their research.

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Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, 135 Dauer Dr, 27599, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

Clara Busse & Ella August

Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2029, USA

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Busse, C., August, E. How to Write and Publish a Research Paper for a Peer-Reviewed Journal. J Canc Educ 36 , 909–913 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-020-01751-z

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Published : 30 April 2020

Issue Date : October 2021

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-020-01751-z

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How to Write a Journal Guide

How To Start and Write a Journal

We keep a lot of things in our heads, but we put less down on paper. All those thoughts and ideas bouncing around can sometimes feel overwhelming. You have to-do lists, hopes, dreams, secrets, failures, love, loss, ups and downs. Ideas come and go, feelings pass. How do you remember all of them? How do you keep them organized? A great way to keep your thoughts organized and clear your mind is to write them down in a journal. Writing is a great exercise for anyone and by expressing yourself in a personal place is a wonderful way to stay sane.

Starting a Journal

To start a journal, you just need to be willing to write. You don’t have to write well, you just need to want to do it. You don’t even need to decide what to write, you just need to let your words flow. Once you’ve decided you want to create a journal, here is a long list of instructions to guide you:

Set up a schedule of when you play to write in your journal. You want to turn your writing into a habit, so create a schedule. Pick a time and the days of the week you will want to write and create a timely calendar reminder, so you don't forget. By scheduling the same times, journaling will become a natural and regular part of your agenda that you can look forward to.

Screenshot of a modern calendaring application used to help schedule when you should journal.

Find the right space to write.

When you’re writing, it is helpful to be in a space where you can focus and concentrate. A quiet room with no distractions works best. Allow yourself to focus on your writing, without any interruptions. Make sure you are able to sit upright and are comfortable. An office or a study room is always great.

A cozy and private desk space perfect for conentrating and focusing on journal writing.

Buy a physical journal or Sign-up for Penzu

Penzu is a digital journal that will allow you to write from any device. It will make your journal writing incredibly easy-to-use, accessible, organized and private. It will save all your work and date it for you, so you never need to remember. It is a great tool for writing anywhere and keeping your work in one place.

Close your eyes and reflect on your day.

You may not know what to write about and that’s okay. Your journal can be about anything you want. A good way to begin writing is to close your eyes and think about what you’re feeling.

A woman meditates before recording her reflections into her journal.

Ask yourself questions.

What has happened that day? How did that make you feel? Are you excited about anything? Why? Reflect on the thoughts and feelings you’ve been having.

Woman standing in front of a cloud of question marks on a chalkboard.

Dive in and start writing.

It is easy to begin sentences with, “I feel,” or “I think,” or “I wonder.” Don’t feel pressured to stick to any particular form or topic. The beginning of your journal writing can just be an introduction to your thoughts at the time. This is your personal space, so you should feel comfortable writing.

A pen rests on a blank pad of writing paper - perfect for sharing your reflections, thoughts, and feelings.

Time yourself.

Set a time for how long you want to write. Somewhere between 5-20 minutes is ideal, depending on how much you want to jot down. Setting a time will help you stay focused and stop you from getting carried away. It is easy to feel like you need to write down every detail and this will help prevent that.

A hand holds a stopwatch ready to start the timer whenever it's time to start journaling.

Re-read your entry and add additional thoughts.

A hand holds a pen over a full page of lined writing paper in a notebook.

10 Tips When Writing a Journal

Here are some tips to get started properly and consistently writing in your journal.

1. Set a schedule

As we mentioned earlier in the article, setting a schedule is a great first step. Decide how many times you want to write and set a schedule. Whether it be once a day, or once a week, decide on a time you want to write and don’t skip it.

2. Keep it private

A journal is personal and should be a place you feel comfortable expressing yourself honestly and truthfully. Penzu keeps your journal safe and secure, with all your entries made private by default, only made available to share under your command.

3. Meditate

Any journal entry will benefit from some moments of reflection before you begin writing. Before you start writing, go to a quiet place and focus on your breath for a few minutes. This is a wonderful exercise to clear your head and settle your thoughts .

4.Brainstorm

If you want your journal to be about something specific, brainstorm ideas to write about. You can write a bible journal , a dream journal , cooking, work, school, anything you want! Feel free to start writing down ideas of what you are interested in or feel you should be writing about. This is the perfect place to get your creative juices flowing. Check out this page for a list of all the different types of journals .

5.Date your entry

It is important to keep each journal entry dated, so you know when you wrote it. You will want to go back through your journal at some point and see when the entries of the topic you’re writing about were added. Also, it will be nice to see how you were feeling at different points in your life. Penzu automatically dates your entries for you, so you don’t have to worry about remembering to do it.

6.Title your entry

If you can, try and title your entries. This will help you navigate your journal and keep your writings focused. You don’t need to title it before you start writing though. A great way to think of a title is after you’ve written, but it is something to keep in mind.

7.Write naturally

When writing, don’t feel like you have to follow any form or structure. Just do what comes naturally. Follow your train of thought and see what kind of writing follows.

8.Write quickly

Don’t let writer’s block get in your way. Just keep writing whatever comes to mind. It is always hard to stop and start again, so keeping writing. It doesn’t have to make sense. Don’t think too much about the words you are putting on the page. You can make sense of them later.

9.Write honestly

Your journal is for your eyes only, so be honest. You don’t want to lie to yourself. Be real with your thoughts, feelings and opinions. Be as candid as you can. You want your journal to be an honest representation of yourself and the times you’re writing in.

10. Have fun

Writing a journal should be an enjoyable experience. Have fun with your writing and take pleasure in it. Writing in your journal shouldn’t be a chore. It should be something you look forward to doing, so make it a fun exercise.

8 Extra Tips For New Journal Writers

Writing a journal entry is different for everyone. We all write differently and about different things, so it is a different experience for everyone. We can help with pointing you in the right direction, whatever that direction may be. Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Think about what you want to write.

Your journal doesn’t need to have a theme, but an easy way to start writing an entry is to think about what you want to write about.

Do you want to write about that day’s events?
Do you want to write about your plans for tomorrow?
Are you planning a trip?
Are you working on a project?
Are you in a new relationship?
Do you want to discuss your family?

Decide what you wish to discuss and go in that direction.

2. Try writing with a journaling prompt

If you are having trouble deciding on a topic, try writing personally and/or creatively to get you started. Here are some journaling prompts you could think about:

What is your earliest childhood memory?
What is/was your favorite subject in school? Why?
Write a poem about your first romantic encounter.
What is your biggest secret?
Who is someone in your life that made a large impact on you? Why?

3. Plan ahead

Make sure you have a designated time to write. That way you can start thinking about what you want to write throughout the day and can prepare ideas. This will also get you looking forward to writing.

4. Practice

Write as much as possible. Writing will become easier you more you do it. Try and get into the habit of writing regularly and your entries will start coming to you naturally.

5. Write letters

There are certainly times in your life where you wish you said something, or wish you didn't say something. Write about these moments. Think about writing letters that you will never send. They can be addressed to specific people or not, but they are great outlets for honest thoughts and make for compelling entries.

6. Try different perspectives

A helpful method of writing is to write from different perspectives. Pick a topic or event to write about and try writing in from someone else’s perspective, like a parent’s, a friend’s, or even an animal’s. It is healthy to think about things from different points of view.

7. Add pictures

Pictures say a thousand words and can certainly inspire more. With Penzu you can import photos right into your entries, so feel free to add them throughout or just at the beginning to give you inspiration. You can talk about what is happening in the picture, the person that took it, what isn’t pictured, or just what it means to you. Think of it as giving the picture a long caption.

8. Free write

Free writing is without direction, structure or motive. This means just take yourself to the page and go wild. Whenever an idea pops into your head, just write it down. It doesn't have to be cohesive or have a purpose.

To Start Writing in a Journal With Penzu

Now that you’ve learned many tips of how to start and write in a journal, it’s time to get started with Penzu. Here’s how to get started:

Grab your phone, computer or tablet.
Make sure you are connected to WiFi.
Go to Penzu.com to create an account.
Enter your name, email and a password for your account.
Download the apps.
Log in and begin writing!

Writing journals is simple and easy! Download Penzu today and get let the words flow!

There's no time like the present - start your free online journal today!

Loved by millions!

Get access to your diary wherever you are – download the free Penzu app for your all of your iOS and Android devices today!

Journal Basics

What is a Journal?

Journal Entries

Benefits of Journaling

Journal Types

Journal Examples
Journal Prompts

Ideas for Journals

Gratitude Journal

We'll explain what a gratitude journal is, how to figure out what you're grateful for (and why), and some guidelines for keeping one through Penzu.

Prayer Journal

Deepen your relationship with God by writing down your prayers every day. Learn by reflecting on prayers that have been answered, and others that haven’t.

Dream Journal

Dream journals are instrumental in fields as diverse as psychology, natural science, creative arts and advanced mathematics. What is your subconscious trying to tell you?

Pregnancy Journal

A pregnancy journal helps you remember important information about your health and make better decisions while you're expecting.

Travel Journal

Create a collection of adventures, stories, memories, and discovery while you travel. You’ll remember more about your trips and appreciate everything you experienced.

Free Signup
What is a Journal
Reflective Journal
Bible Journal
Five Year Journal
Secret Diary
Electronic Diary
Diary Templates
Wedding Diary
School Diary
Health Diary

How to Start a College Essay: 5 Effective Techniques

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Impressionable Openers

Descriptions and demonstrations, show vulnerability, be authentic, stay personal, fun & quirky, common mistakes to avoid in your college essay.

Ways to Overcome Writer's Block

Frequently Asked Questions About Starting a College Essay

College essays are a huge part of your college career. If not huge, one of the biggest, and for someone who has been there and done that, I know the amount of pressure the beginning of a college essay, as well as the entire essay, can put on your shoulders.

Not only are you trying to juggle things like word count and grammar errors, but you're also trying to create the perfect college essay introduction that will attract admissions officers to your application or professors to your writing skills. And that, itself, can feel impossible, fill you with dread and self-doubt, but just breathe. I am here to help all present and future students know how to start a college essay.

Today is all about starting a college essay. I have come up with five easy and effective techniques that will help you create essays so good you're going to leave your readers wanting more , starting with your opening sentence! So, this is for all college students and college applicants. Stress no more! This guide was created to help you write a successful college essay. Let's get into it.

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The beginning of your essay should, first and foremost, always have a strong opening sentence . This sentence sets the tone for not only your readers but for the entire essay. Having a wobbly, almost interesting opener can steer an admissions officer and/or professor away, so you want it to be strong. And it doesn't have to be complicated! Less is more in this situation. Here are a couple of ways you can accomplish this.

Look within and be relatable
Use your real life for inspiration
Think about ways to evoke emotion

Here are some examples of impressionable openers:

Example 1: When I was 11 years old, my mother told me she had cancer over breakfast.
Example 2: Maybe yellow isn't my favorite color.
Example 3: I sat next to this girl in class who made me feel stupid.

DISCLAIMER : your opener should ALWAYS adhere to the essay prompts. These are just a few examples that can capture your reader's attention almost immediately.

In order to keep readers interested, visuals are key . Image-based descriptions will not only add value to your writing, it will give your readers front seats to your essay's journey. These descriptions let actions speak for themselves.

Here is an example of a description and demonstration in an essay:

Example 1: "I was sitting on a bar stool when the word 'cancer' hit me like the smell of her coffee brewing on the stove. The Rice Krispies were popping in my cereal bowl, and MTV Jams was playing in the background, yet all I could hear was the sound of doom all around me. The lips of my mother were moving, but I was frozen, crumbling on this stool like my mother's health. She was sick, and I didn't know how sick or what that even meant, and that terrified me."

Why This Works:

Here you can clearly feel the writers emotional state: shocked, still, scared. Not only is this moment at breakfast traumatic, you feel frozen in time with the writer. Using descriptions like this will evoke so much emotion and leave your reader wanting more.

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Something one of my teachers told me in high school was any good essay will have personal elements in it, no matter the topic. That always stuck with me and became the way I approached my college essays. Showing vulnerability in your writing will always guarantee interest. It also evokes emotion.

You can show vulnerability by:

Being honest
Explaining what's going on inside underneath the exterior
Describe what's going on around you at the moment
Letting go of the fear of being seen
Connecting with the topic
Being transparent about mistakes/flaws

Examples of showing vulnerability:

Example 1 : My mother telling me she had cancer over breakfast was not on my bingo card this year.
Example 2 : I never thought losing someone I love would change me.
Example 3: I had to lose everything in order to gain everything.

I know being vulnerable can be tough for some , but showing this side of you to college admissions officers and/or professors will not only make you stand out, but it can also help free you of things that might be weighing on your mind. Not to sound corny, but it can be therapeutic and make you a better writer . Just make sure you are staying on track with the essay prompt, and you're set!

Whether it's believed or not, an admissions officer wants to see pieces of you in your personal statement, so starting your essay by showing authenticity is a major major key. Along with being vulnerable, there are a few ways you can achieve this.

Reflect : Take the time to reflect on your experiences, values, and beliefs that have shaped who you are today. Let your values, passions, and interests shine through in your writing.
Mind Your Voice : Write in your own voice and avoid trying to sound like someone you're not. Authenticity comes from being genuine and true to yourself.
Tell Your Story : Share personal anecdotes and insights that show your unique perspective.
Be True to You : Focus on what matters to YOU (as long as you're on topic!). Write about what is meaningful and important to you rather than what you think admissions officers want to hear.

Above all, be open . Showing introspection and self-awareness in your essay will show any admissions committee who you are beneath the surface, as well as your personal growth.

You can also begin your essay being as random and silly as you'd like . It goes hand-in-hand with other important factors like vulnerability and authenticity. But don't get too crazy . Beginning your essay with something strange will definitely draw readers in. Let me show you what I mean.

Example 1 : I start my mornings off in silence and solitude to keep people away from me.
Example 2 : Sometimes, I like to circle big words in complex articles to learn new words. Yeah, but to also keep one in my back pocket for later use.
Example 3 : Being the youngest child means getting away with everything you want, and that's exactly how I like it.

Do you see how each sentence draws you in? Not only are they light-hearted, but they also make you want to know why you want to keep people away in the morning and what kind of weapon you're forming against others with new words. And every youngest sibling will attest to feeling that exact same way. All of these examples are sure to make your essay fun, show who you are, and leave readers wanting more.

Years of writing college essays have taken me through every high and low of the process possible. And when they're good, they're great! But for some reason, my mistakes stick out more than anything. So, I've compiled a list of common mistakes to avoid when writing your college essay .

Avoid Being Cliche - While you want to be captivating, you want to avoid overly used syntax and phrases that could potentially lose your reader's curiosity. For example, "in today's day and age," "follow my heart," "don't judge a book by its cover," etc. are all cliches that can be avoided by thinking outside of the box.
Using Vocabulary to be Impressive - I know you want to impress the admissions committees, but it's important to stick to what you know and not what you can allude to. That is, use verbiage that resonates with your personality. Using extravagant words can work against you, and they can also sound forced. College admissions officers want to see the real you, so show it to them.
Steer Clear of Controversy - Though it's not said enough, your college essay should tell your personal story and not touch on things that can stir the pot. For instance, talking about politics and religious beliefs may not be the route you want to take UNLESS it's called for in the college essay topic. And if so, stay on track with the essay prompts.
Procrastinating : Waiting until the last minute to start writing your essay will bite you in the butt. You will feel rushed and end up writing a poorly crafted piece. Give yourself enough time to complete an essay draft, edit the draft, and repeat this two-step cycle until your essay is complete.
Lack of originality : This goes hand-in-hand with avoiding cliches. Your college essay should exude a lot of your personality, so show admissions officers and teachers who you are! Include your cultural background, test scores that you're proud of, any future aspirations, etc. This all depends on the essay prompts, of course, but in my experience, every essay topic has room to show who you are.
Ignoring the prompt : This is a major key. STAY ON TRACK. Make sure to carefully read and understand the essay prompt, and write your essay accordingly. The last thing you want to do is write a college essay that has nothing to do with the prompt. Reading is essential here.
Lack of focus : If you want to know how to start a college essay, that means knowing how to stay focused. Find a quiet space, turn off electronics, hide your phone, and really nestle into how you want to capture your reader's attention. This will help you use your five senses clearly, keep your writing strong and not write an overly wordy essay. Focus is the tool here.
Poor organization : Make sure your essay has a strong structure with clear transitions between paragraphs. An outline will work best to accomplish this. If you go into starting your college essay without a plan, be prepared to hit all roadblocks.
Neglecting to Revise and Edit : Like procrastinating, don't fail to revise and edit your work. Always, always, always proofread your essay for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors , as well as clarity and coherence.
Not Seeking Feedback : Listen, I know that completing an essay is an accomplishment in itself, and you immediately want to submit it, but it's so beneficial to have others read your essay for feedback. You can only spot so many holes in your work when your eyes are constantly reviewing it, so a second, third, or even fourth set of eyes can help point out areas for improvement.

Above all, trust the writing process. Though I do want you to be aware of your jargon, don't get too wrapped up in thinking you're making a mistake. That's what editing is for! Once you complete your college essay, you should always revise and edit accordingly . What you thought sounded good might make you edit it to sound great. Just keep in mind that many colleges are looking for honesty and authenticity vs how well you can sound on paper . So, if you're aware of these factors, you'll be good to go.

Ways to Overcome Writer's Block

Take it from someone who has suffered from chronic writer's block, it's a pain to get through . Imagine being on a writing streak so good that when you stop, the entire essay writing process stops as a whole. It's definitely a challenge, but after 10 years of writing essays and really honing my craft, I learned a few things that have helped me get through even the thickest of writer's blocks, and I want to share them with you. Check them out:

Take a break : This works every single time. Take a short break and step away from your computer to clear your mind and come back with a fresh perspective. For me, 15 minutes is all I ever need. If you need more time, that's okay. Just try not to make your break a rest.
Freewriting : Sometimes, I'd start writing without worrying about my structure or grammar to get the ideas flowing, and surprisingly enough, I found my essay taking a pleasant turn.
Change your environment : Move around. Don't underestimate the effects of a different location or workspace to stimulate creativity. Try coffee shops, bookstores, a park, or a new room in your house. New environment, new energy.
Set small goals : This one is actually the most important. Some people get overwhelmed with the word "essay" for things like lack of proper writing skills, pressure to write a great essay, etc. But if you try breaking down your writing task into smaller, manageable chunks to make it less overwhelming, it can help. For example, set a goal of three paragraphs one day, take a day to edit those paragraphs, two more the next day, and so forth. Find a formula that works for you.
Brainstorming : Write down all your ideas--everything. No matter how small you think the idea is, write it down. Even if these ideas seem unrelated, they will help you generate new thoughts and connections.
Read or listen to music : It took me a while to realize this helps, but engaging in other forms of art can inspire new ideas and break through mental blocks. And new creativity can lead you to impress admissions officers.
Talk it out : As a writer, it's hard to let people in on the creative process, but discussing my ideas with a friend, family member, or colleague helped me gain new perspectives and insights.
Relax and Meditate : Hear me out: it works! Practice deep breathing and/or meditation to reduce stress and anxiety that may be contributing to writer's block.

I won't sugarcoat it: the college application process can be intimidating , but it doesn't have to throw you off your game. When it comes to college essays, I see them as opportunities to be fun and expressive. Trust me when I say if you have fun with it, you'll attract the reader's attention , paint vivid details, and write an essay that will leave the admissions officer wanting you at their school. So, take it one step at a time and watch your personal statement come to life.

How can I make my college essay stand out to admissions officers?

Simply put, be yourself. As long as you stay on track with the essay's topic, showing pieces of yourself will allow admissions officers to know more about who you are. Essays are meant to show readers who you are, how you feel, and what you think naturally, not robotically, so be authentic in your writing, and you'll be sure to stand out amongst the rest.

What are some common mistakes to avoid when writing a college essay?

Some common mistakes to avoid in your essay are using cliches and boring wording. You also want to avoid procrastinating, wasting time, not focusing, not editing, etc. When writing your essay, you want to make sure you give your writing the time and attention it deserves, so make sure you're aware of what is pulling you away from your writing. This will help you stay focused. If you have any other doubts, refer to the section about mistakes in this article and let it guide you to success.

How important is the college essay in the admissions process?

Your college essay is key in the admissions process . It's an admissions committee's first impression of you as a writer and potential student, so it should be taken very seriously. Trying to cut corners or rush through the writing process will be obvious, and it will stand out more than things like test scores, academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and any other positive influence you've had in your life. So, don't take the easy way out and really work on your essay.

Feeling confident in your college essay skills and want to explore some other essay content? Explore our blog on the comma splice to enhance your technical writing skills!

10 strategies for writing a college application essay, what is a coordinating conjunction, best colleges in tennessee.

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Education and Communications
Journal Writing

How to Write a Journal

Last Updated: March 21, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Catherine Boswell, PhD . Dr. Catherine Boswell is a Licensed Psychologist and a Co-Founder of Psynergy Psychological Associates, a private therapy practice based in Houston, Texas. With over 15 years of experience, Dr. Boswell specializes in treating individuals, groups, couples, and families struggling with trauma, relationships, grief, and chronic pain. She holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Houston. Dr. Bowell has taught courses to Master’s level students at the University of Houston. She is also an author, speaker, and coach. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 244,564 times.

Journal writing is a creative form of recording your feelings free from the fear of judgement or criticism. Writing in a journal can allow you to work through complex issues in your life, exploring them thoroughly and candidly. It can also be a way of relieving stress, rather than inadvertently taking out your unexplored feelings on someone else. See Step 1 below to start writing your own journal.

Journal Entry Template

Starting Your Own Journal

Step 1 Find something to contain your journal entries.

If you're looking at computer-based options for your journal, you might want to consider starting a blog - essentially an online journal that other people can read . A variety of free blog sites exist, some of which allow you to control who can and cannot read your blog.

Step 2 Start your first entry by setting the scene.

If you're writing a blog, you may want to begin by addressing your readers.

As an exception to this rule, if you're writing a blog, while you'll want to be open with your emotions, consider your audience. You may want to consider censoring your most intense and/or personal thoughts.

Many journal-writers like to add an entry every night before bed. This is a healthy routine because it allows the writer to relax and unwind at the end of the day by "letting out" any lingering emotions. Be sure to write honestly, don't overthink it, and stay focused.

Step 5 Re-read your past entries for insights.

Use your past entries to reflect on your life. As you read, ask yourself questions like, "Am I the same person who wrote this entry?", "Is my life going the way I want it to?", and "How can I work to solve any problems that may have been troubling me when I wrote this entry?"

Step 6 Give your journal some personal style.

The experiences you have while travelling can be some of the most influential ones in your life. Discovering the beauty of nature, making a friend in a far-off place, and even simply leaving your home can shape you, so document these things!

If you're using a digital journal, like a blog, try adding photographs to your posts, including links, and choosing colorful templates.

Writing Great Journal Entries

Step 1 Think of your journal as a safe place to express yourself.

If you're having trouble turning off your filter, try writing "free form" as an exercise - scrawling your thoughts down in a stream-of-consciousness form the moment they come to you, whether they make sense or not.

For instance, were you in a miserable mood when you wrote yesterday, but are now feeling better? Comment on this! By doing so, you may start to understand why you felt this way in the first place.

Step 4 Use writing prompts when you're bereft of ideas.

You may find that, by pursuing a prompt, your writing ventures into interesting new areas you might otherwise never have explored. Be adventurous and pursue these new topics to your heart's content!

The diary of Samuel Pepys
The Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank's diary)
The diary of Jemima Conduct
The diary of Franz Kafka
Bridget Jones's Diary
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
The Color Purple
Flowers for Algernon
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Expert Q&A

Reader Videos

Share a quick video tip and help bring articles to life with your friendly advice. Your insights could make a real difference and help millions of people!

Find a secluded and familiar place to write (for example, your bedroom with the door locked), but other secluded places are good too. (Your backyard.) Thanks Helpful 7 Not Helpful 0
It's best to write with a pen because pencil can fade. Thanks Helpful 8 Not Helpful 3
It's best if it is a secret. It's better if no one reads about your feelings and your secrets. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 3

Tips from our Readers

If you're worried about someone reading your journal and invading your privacy (like nosy siblings, for example), don't mention that you have one (and especially don't mention where you keep it).
If you really need a safe place to hide your journal, you can hide it behind a picture frame or canvas.
Try giving a name to your journal so it doesn't feel like you are writing to an inanimate object.

Always keep it in a safe no-one-knows box of secrets after writing. It's best if it has a lock. Thanks Helpful 85 Not Helpful 7
If this person does and reads it, confront them and tell them you absolutely do not want them to read it. Then take necessary precautions, such as getting a notebook with a lock. Thanks Helpful 77 Not Helpful 7
Your secrets may be posted around the net if you don't lock it. (This is for blog authors only.) Thanks Helpful 60 Not Helpful 8
Someone could find out about your journal. Thanks Helpful 67 Not Helpful 15

Things You'll Need

A cheap but good composition notebook.
A working pen or pencil.
Colouring in pens or pencils.

↑ https://docs.google.com/
↑ https://psychcentral.com/blog/ready-set-journal-64-journaling-prompts-for-self-discovery
↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mindful-musings/201611/3-reasons-let-yourself-feel-your-emotions
↑ Catherine Boswell, PhD. Licensed Psychologist. Expert Interview. 29 December 2020.
↑ https://www.writersdigest.com/whats-new/7-writing-routines-that-work
↑ https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/mar/22/how-to-start-journal-writing-drawing
↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/tips/travel-photos-journal-memories-/
↑ https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentID=4552&ContentTypeID=1
↑ https://psychcentral.com/blog/ready-set-journal-64-journaling-prompts-for-self-discovery#the-journal-prompts

About This Article

To write a journal entry, start by writing down the date, time, and location where you're writing. Then, let your emotions flow and write about your feelings, like your family life, crush, or dreams. Try not to overthink it by writing things down as soon as they come into your head. You can also use writing prompts. To make your entries as useful as possible, get into a routine of writing regularly. Then, review your past entries to assess your feelings with the benefit of hindsight. To see a list of some famous journal writers and get tips on how to decorate your journal, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Guide on How to Write a Reflection Paper with Free Tips and Example

A reflection paper is a very common type of paper among college students. Almost any subject you enroll in requires you to express your opinion on certain matters. In this article, we will explain how to write a reflection paper and provide examples and useful tips to make the essay writing process easier.

Reflection papers should have an academic tone yet be personal and subjective. In this paper, you should analyze and reflect upon how an experience, academic task, article, or lecture shaped your perception and thoughts on a subject.

Here is what you need to know about writing an effective critical reflection paper. Stick around until the end of our guide to get some useful writing tips from the writing team at EssayPro — a research paper writing service

What Is a Reflection Paper

A reflection paper is a type of paper that requires you to write your opinion on a topic, supporting it with your observations and personal experiences. As opposed to presenting your reader with the views of other academics and writers, in this essay, you get an opportunity to write your point of view—and the best part is that there is no wrong answer. It is YOUR opinion, and it is your job to express your thoughts in a manner that will be understandable and clear for all readers that will read your paper. The topic range is endless. Here are some examples: whether or not you think aliens exist, your favorite TV show, or your opinion on the outcome of WWII. You can write about pretty much anything.

There are three types of reflection paper; depending on which one you end up with, the tone you write with can be slightly different. The first type is the educational reflective paper. Here your job is to write feedback about a book, movie, or seminar you attended—in a manner that teaches the reader about it. The second is the professional paper. Usually, it is written by people who study or work in education or psychology. For example, it can be a reflection of someone’s behavior. And the last is the personal type, which explores your thoughts and feelings about an individual subject.

However, reflection paper writing will stop eventually with one very important final paper to write - your resume. This is where you will need to reflect on your entire life leading up to that moment. To learn how to list education on resume perfectly, follow the link on our dissertation writing services .

Unlock the potential of your thoughts with EssayPro . Order a reflection paper and explore a range of other academic services tailored to your needs. Dive deep into your experiences, analyze them with expert guidance, and turn your insights into an impactful reflection paper.

Free Reflection Paper Example

Now that we went over all of the essentials about a reflection paper and how to approach it, we would like to show you some examples that will definitely help you with getting started on your paper.

Reflection Paper Format

Reflection papers typically do not follow any specific format. Since it is your opinion, professors usually let you handle them in any comfortable way. It is best to write your thoughts freely, without guideline constraints. If a personal reflection paper was assigned to you, the format of your paper might depend on the criteria set by your professor. College reflection papers (also known as reflection essays) can typically range from about 400-800 words in length.

Here’s how we can suggest you format your reflection paper:

How to Start a Reflection Paper

The first thing to do when beginning to work on a reflection essay is to read your article thoroughly while taking notes. Whether you are reflecting on, for example, an activity, book/newspaper, or academic essay, you want to highlight key ideas and concepts.

You can start writing your reflection paper by summarizing the main concept of your notes to see if your essay includes all the information needed for your readers. It is helpful to add charts, diagrams, and lists to deliver your ideas to the audience in a better fashion.

After you have finished reading your article, it’s time to brainstorm. We’ve got a simple brainstorming technique for writing reflection papers. Just answer some of the basic questions below:

How did the article affect you?
How does this article catch the reader’s attention (or does it all)?
Has the article changed your mind about something? If so, explain how.
Has the article left you with any questions?
Were there any unaddressed critical issues that didn’t appear in the article?
Does the article relate to anything from your past reading experiences?
Does the article agree with any of your past reading experiences?

Here are some reflection paper topic examples for you to keep in mind before preparing to write your own:

How my views on rap music have changed over time
My reflection and interpretation of Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Why my theory about the size of the universe has changed over time
How my observations for clinical psychological studies have developed in the last year

The result of your brainstorming should be a written outline of the contents of your future paper. Do not skip this step, as it will ensure that your essay will have a proper flow and appropriate organization.

Another good way to organize your ideas is to write them down in a 3-column chart or table.

Do you want your task look awesome?

If you would like your reflection paper to look professional, feel free to check out one of our articles on how to format MLA, APA or Chicago style

Writing a Reflection Paper Outline

Reflection paper should contain few key elements:

Introduction

Your introduction should specify what you’re reflecting upon. Make sure that your thesis informs your reader about your general position, or opinion, toward your subject.

State what you are analyzing: a passage, a lecture, an academic article, an experience, etc...)
Briefly summarize the work.
Write a thesis statement stating how your subject has affected you.

One way you can start your thesis is to write:

Example: “After reading/experiencing (your chosen topic), I gained the knowledge of…”

Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs should examine your ideas and experiences in context to your topic. Make sure each new body paragraph starts with a topic sentence.

Your reflection may include quotes and passages if you are writing about a book or an academic paper. They give your reader a point of reference to fully understand your feedback. Feel free to describe what you saw, what you heard, and how you felt.

Example: “I saw many people participating in our weight experiment. The atmosphere felt nervous yet inspiring. I was amazed by the excitement of the event.”

As with any conclusion, you should summarize what you’ve learned from the experience. Next, tell the reader how your newfound knowledge has affected your understanding of the subject in general. Finally, describe the feeling and overall lesson you had from the reading or experience.

There are a few good ways to conclude a reflection paper:

Tie all the ideas from your body paragraphs together, and generalize the major insights you’ve experienced.
Restate your thesis and summarize the content of your paper.

We have a separate blog post dedicated to writing a great conclusion. Be sure to check it out for an in-depth look at how to make a good final impression on your reader.

Need a hand? Get help from our writers. Edit, proofread or buy essay .

How to Write a Reflection Paper: Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: create a main theme.

After you choose your topic, write a short summary about what you have learned about your experience with that topic. Then, let readers know how you feel about your case — and be honest. Chances are that your readers will likely be able to relate to your opinion or at least the way you form your perspective, which will help them better understand your reflection.

For example: After watching a TEDx episode on Wim Hof, I was able to reevaluate my preconceived notions about the negative effects of cold exposure.

Step 2: Brainstorm Ideas and Experiences You’ve Had Related to Your Topic

You can write down specific quotes, predispositions you have, things that influenced you, or anything memorable. Be personal and explain, in simple words, how you felt.

For example: • A lot of people think that even a small amount of carbohydrates will make people gain weight • A specific moment when I struggled with an excess weight where I avoided carbohydrates entirely • The consequences of my actions that gave rise to my research • The evidence and studies of nutritional science that claim carbohydrates alone are to blame for making people obese • My new experience with having a healthy diet with a well-balanced intake of nutrients • The influence of other people’s perceptions on the harm of carbohydrates, and the role their influence has had on me • New ideas I’ve created as a result of my shift in perspective

Step 3: Analyze How and Why These Ideas and Experiences Have Affected Your Interpretation of Your Theme

Pick an idea or experience you had from the last step, and analyze it further. Then, write your reasoning for agreeing or disagreeing with it.

For example, Idea: I was raised to think that carbohydrates make people gain weight.

Analysis: Most people think that if they eat any carbohydrates, such as bread, cereal, and sugar, they will gain weight. I believe in this misconception to such a great extent that I avoided carbohydrates entirely. As a result, my blood glucose levels were very low. I needed to do a lot of research to overcome my beliefs finally. Afterward, I adopted the philosophy of “everything in moderation” as a key to a healthy lifestyle.

For example: Idea: I was brought up to think that carbohydrates make people gain weight. Analysis: Most people think that if they eat any carbohydrates, such as bread, cereal, and sugar, they will gain weight. I believe in this misconception to such a great extent that I avoided carbohydrates entirely. As a result, my blood glucose levels were very low. I needed to do a lot of my own research to finally overcome my beliefs. After, I adopted the philosophy of “everything in moderation” as a key for having a healthy lifestyle.

Step 4: Make Connections Between Your Observations, Experiences, and Opinions

Try to connect your ideas and insights to form a cohesive picture for your theme. You can also try to recognize and break down your assumptions, which you may challenge in the future.

There are some subjects for reflection papers that are most commonly written about. They include:

Book – Start by writing some information about the author’s biography and summarize the plot—without revealing the ending to keep your readers interested. Make sure to include the names of the characters, the main themes, and any issues mentioned in the book. Finally, express your thoughts and reflect on the book itself.
Course – Including the course name and description is a good place to start. Then, you can write about the course flow, explain why you took this course, and tell readers what you learned from it. Since it is a reflection paper, express your opinion, supporting it with examples from the course.
Project – The structure for a reflection paper about a project has identical guidelines to that of a course. One of the things you might want to add would be the pros and cons of the course. Also, mention some changes you might want to see, and evaluate how relevant the skills you acquired are to real life.
Interview – First, introduce the person and briefly mention the discussion. Touch on the main points, controversies, and your opinion of that person.

Writing Tips

Everyone has their style of writing a reflective essay – and that's the beauty of it; you have plenty of leeway with this type of paper – but there are still a few tips everyone should incorporate.

Before you start your piece, read some examples of other papers; they will likely help you better understand what they are and how to approach yours. When picking your subject, try to write about something unusual and memorable — it is more likely to capture your readers' attention. Never write the whole essay at once. Space out the time slots when you work on your reflection paper to at least a day apart. This will allow your brain to generate new thoughts and reflections.

Short and Sweet – Most reflection papers are between 250 and 750 words. Don't go off on tangents. Only include relevant information.
Clear and Concise – Make your paper as clear and concise as possible. Use a strong thesis statement so your essay can follow it with the same strength.
Maintain the Right Tone – Use a professional and academic tone—even though the writing is personal.
Cite Your Sources – Try to cite authoritative sources and experts to back up your personal opinions.
Proofreading – Not only should you proofread for spelling and grammatical errors, but you should proofread to focus on your organization as well. Answer the question presented in the introduction.

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Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

Want to get started with journaling here's how + tips for building the habit, from experts.

From the diaries we kept as little kids to the Notes app we all have on our phones today, writing thoughts down is part of what makes us human.

And journaling, as an ever-popular pastime, allows us to not only vent our frustrations but also record our day-to-day experiences, work through our emotions, and even plan for the future.

Want to try it yourself? Here, we're diving into the many styles of journaling, how to journal, plus tips for building the habit if you're just getting started.

Grab your journal and let's get into it!

What is journaling, exactly?

Journaling , by definition, is simply writing in a journal or diary. The beauty of this practice is that the rest is entirely up to you!

You can write about virtually anything you want, take yourself as seriously (or not seriously) as you want, and of course, you can write a paragraph, 10 pages, or anywhere in between.

As artist and guided journal author Meera Lee Patel previously explained to mindbodygreen, "The purpose of journaling is to awaken conscious thinking, which is simply having an honest conversation with yourself."

She adds that this does not mean being conscious of your writing—of the words you're using or the sentences you're forming.

"In fact, if being hyper-aware of your writing is causing you to censor yourself," she says, "it defeats the purpose of journaling."

Depending on which style of journaling you're going for, you might have a more regimented practice or routine (i.e., gratitude journaling about things you're grateful for every day, or dream journaling every morning when you wake up).

But if you're going for your standard "freeform" writing, much like a basic diary, you can take any liberties you like.

That said, let's break down the different types of journaling you might want to try.

Types of journaling

Freeform journaling or daily journaling.

Freeform journaling, or daily journaling, is the kind of diary-style writing you probably imagine when you think about journaling.

According to psychotherapist Babita Spinelli, L.P. , this kind of journaling is used for personal reflection but can also benefit personal growth and mental health. "This is our personal diary," she explains.

Mindfulness journaling

Mindfulness journaling involves combining a mindfulness practice with a journaling practice, such as by describing your current surroundings or emotional experiences in detail.

You might write down what's going on around you, or the things you can feel, touch, and smell with your senses.

Mindfulness journaling is a great way to get out of your head and into your body, as well as connect to the present moment.

This style is great if you want to calm down, regulate your emotions, or strengthen your mindfulness practice in general.

Gratitude journaling

Gratitude journaling, which involves writing down and reflecting on the things you're grateful for, has been extensively researched for its role in mental health.

As one study 1 published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology found, feelings of gratitude are linked to the anterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex—regions of the brain that influence our decision-making, willpower, motivation, and mood.

And by taking your gratitude practice to your journal pages, you're actively carving out time to recall what you're grateful for.

As Spinelli tells mindbodygreen, "This type of journaling can increase positivity and balance negative intrusive thoughts. We can lose perspective about what matters, and gratitude journaling also reminds us of those blessings."

Morning pages

Similar to freeform journaling but with more of a routine, writer Julia Cameron's morning pages technique involves handwriting three pages of thoughts in the morning.

The stream-of-consciousness method is meant to illuminate thought patterns and unlock creativity first thing!

Bullet journaling

If you're less inclined to write about your feelings and experiences but love keeping a planner, you'll love bullet journaling.

The Bullet Journaling Method combines elements of a calendar, to-do list, and notebook all in one.

This style of journaling allows you to not only reflect but also plan. You can find bullet journals with formats already in place, though many fans of this style opt to create their own pages with blank journals and daydreams all in one place.

Here's our full guide to bullet journaling for more information.

Dream journaling

If you're someone who always has wild dreams that leave you guessing what they mean, dream journaling might be for you!

As Spinelli notes, "Our dreams reflect our inner subconscious. Dream journaling records our dreams and can help us or our psychoanalyst interpret them."

The key with dream journaling is to keep the journal right on your nightstand so you can write your dreams down as soon as you wake up.

The quicker you get up in the morning, the faster your memory of the dream will slip back into your subconscious—but to that end, the more you get into the habit of dream journaling, the better you'll remember your dreams!

Tarot journaling

Similar to a dream journal, a tarot journal is a place to write down the cards you pull (and their interpretations) in tarot , oracle , or any other spiritual reading.

Here, you can also write down feelings that come up during the reading, how you think the reading relates to your life, and even what the "call to action" is going forward.

Manifestation journaling

Have a goal you're trying to reach? Enter the manifestation journal , which is essentially a journal used for—you guessed it—manifesting.

Manifesting uses the law of attraction to attract things into our lives using positive energy, thoughts, and behaviors, so you can think of a manifestation journal as a written record of what you want to attract.

In the same way that a vision board is a visual depiction of those things, for example, by holding your goals in mind as you write, you're fueling your intentions.

Guided journaling

If you're new to journaling and have no idea what the heck to write about, you might want to check out guided journals with built-in prompts and reflection exercises.

This is a great option if coming up with ideas is stumping you and frustrating you. Just pick a prompt that piques your interest and start writing!

(Psst: There are prompts later on in this article if you're looking for some.)

Therapy journaling

Last but not least, Spinelli tells mindbodygreen you can also keep a therapy journal if you're currently working with a mental health professional. After all, a lot can be said in a one-hour session, and you might want to reflect on it further.

"Therapy journaling is a way to reflect on your sessions with your therapist. It also helps to release and track what brings you anxiety, joy, grief, anger, and other feelings," Spinelli explains, adding, "You can organize your thoughts before and after your session."

How to start journaling

Decide which style of journaling is right for you.

Ready to get started with your new journal? The first thing to figure out is what you want this journal to be. If you're feeling freeform, you're ready to start writing!

Otherwise, ask yourself what it is you hope to get out of journaling. Do you want to feel happier and more grateful? Gratitude journaling, then, would be the best bet for you.

Similarly, if you're looking to be more calm, centered, and mindful, you would, of course, go for mindfulness journaling.

And remember, there's no rule saying you can only have one journal. If it feels right to have four different journals for four different things, more power to you!

Make it a part of your routine

Like any new habit, sitting down with your journal at a set time is a great way to work it into your everyday routine. "Pick a day and time that is best for you—you can be flexible with yourself but maintain consistency in your practice," Spinelli suggests.

Start small

On the topic of habit-building, it can be tempting to get overzealous and push yourself to write pages at a time or for an extended period of time. But that's just a recipe for frustration.

Instead, Spinelli tells mindbodygreen, "By starting with a few minutes at a time then gradually increasing, we feel less overwhelmed and more likely to continue," adding, "Journaling may take some time to get used to."

Release any judgment or expectation

According to Spinelli, another key to enjoying your new journaling practice is to release any judgment, criticism, or expectations for your self.

"Do not become consumed with trying to journal 'perfectly' or making sure everything is written correctly," she says, adding, "This is your private journal to allow you to express yourself with pure freedom. Don't let your inner critic take over."

Pause if you need to

Things can get heavy when you're writing about a horrible day, a bad breakup, or even a childhood trauma. While journaling can help you work through these difficult emotions, Spinelli explains, "There may be times when journaling may stir up sadness, anger, or other emotions."

Remember that it's all a part of the process, and you can make room to pause if needed, Spinelli notes.

Stay consistent

Going back to the idea of creating a routine and starting small, try to be as consistent as possible to build the habit up.

If you miss a day, don't get down on yourself about it, but commit to sitting down with your journal and writing something .

It doesn't have to be long, profound, or even especially deep. If all you write is, "Today was the worst," at least it was the worst and you journaled about it.

Try using prompts for inspiration

And of course, as aforementioned, journaling prompts are a great option to help spark inspiration when you're not sure what to write about.

As Spinelli explains, they're great to lean on if you're finding it difficult to get started, or even to focus.

Journaling prompt examples

What have you recently introduced into you life that's brought you peace, joy, or comfort ?
What are 10 things you like about yourself?
Who is someone that makes you feel seen in your day-to-day life, and how do they do that?
What are five things around you right now that you're glad you don't have to live without?
What are some beautiful moments that happened this past week?
What powerful lessons have you learned?
What do you appreciate about yourr current life circumstances?
Picture a wise, loving, and more evolved version of you. Not someone else but the you you're meant to be. Imagine becoming that you. Describe yourself.
What values did your parents have, and do you hold those same values?
How would you describe yourself without any titles? (i.e., without any roles like "mom" or jobs like "writer")
What are 10 everyday occurrences that make you happy?
What emotion do you tend to experience the most?
Is there anything you're currently working on changing or shifting in your life?
What would you like to stay the same?
Who is your hero and why?
In what ways do you show up for others?
In what ways do others show up for you?
Is there anyone in your life you need to forgive?
Is there anyone in your life who you want to forgive you?
What does success mean to you?
What about your financial situation are you grateful for?
What about the way you make money brings you joy?
What problems do you usually run into in the workplace?
How do these issues reflect your inner values possibly not being met?
What is your dream job and why?
Do you think career and purpose are intertwined?
What is your relationship to your purpose?
Describe your childhood bedroom using all five senses.
How do you feel after going for a long, meditative walk? Does the world seem any different after you've been breathing deeply and paying attention?
Write about a tiny detail you noticed today—light falling on a leaf, a broken clasp on a necklace, an unusual stone.
Describe your favorite smell in detail.
Step outside and close your eyes for a moment. Upon opening them, write about what your gaze gravitates to first.
Where do you want to be in one year's time? How about five years?

Benefits of journaling

Can improve mental health .

Journaling has a number of benefits, including most notably, its benefits for mental health. Spinelli says she highly encourages her clients to journal to support their mental and physical well-being.

"Writing down our thoughts and feelings helps to reduce our anxiety, regulate our emotions, bolster our self-awareness, and provides perspective," she explains, adding that it also helps to stop intrusive thoughts and break unhealthy patterns of obsessive thinking.

"It helps us to get unstuck by writing down our thoughts and unloading it from our minds to paper," Spinelli says.

And as licensed marriage and family therapist Linda Carroll, M.S. , previously told mindbodygreen, "Journaling can be a useful tool for all of us, including for those times when we are depressed," adding, "It can be a place to express ourselves as long as we are not judging ourselves."

Can help with emotional processing and regulation

Getting your thoughts out on paper is a great way to express and process emotions, as well as regulate them when you're feeling stressed, upset, or mad.

According to Spinelli, journaling also provides relief by helping us release the emotions that weigh heavily on our minds. "This reduces stress and anxiety, [and] it helps to process our feelings and address emotions we have been avoiding," she explains.

Can help strengthen your relationship with yourself

If nothing else, journaling can be thought of like a date with yourself. It's an opportunity to get clear on how you actually feel about something and work through any difficult emotions. It's intentional time you spend with yourself, and it's an act of self-care.

As Spinelli notes, "Journaling also holds us accountable and can support committing to changes we want or need to make. It's an impactful tool for personal and professional growth."

Can help you sleep

Last but not least, you'll be happy to know journaling can even help you sleep! The caveat is it's only specific kind of journaling.

Specifically, as research published in the 2 Journal of Experimental Psychology 2 found, writing a detailed to-do list of everything you have to do tomorrow can help you fall asleep faster.

"The more specifically participants wrote their to-do list, the faster they subsequently fell asleep, whereas the opposite trend was observed when participants wrote about completed activities," the study authors write, adding, "Therefore, to facilitate falling asleep, individuals may derive benefit from writing a very specific to-do list for five minutes at bedtime rather than journaling about completed activities."

Keeping that in mind, leave your journaling sessions to earlier in the evening as you're winding down rather than journaling just before you sleep. Leave that time for your to-do lists! (Looking at you, bullet-journalers.)

The takeaway

From gratitude journaling to dream journaling, there's a style of journaling out there for everyone. And remember, no one's judging if you go out and buy five different journals for different topics.

The world, or in this case, your journal, is your oyster—and getting into the habit of sitting down with it is a beneficial practice you can come back to time and time again.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01491/full
https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fxge0000374

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The Ultimate Guide to Journaling

As a lifelong journaler with a notebook-buying problem, I will be the first to recommend the good, old-fashioned art of putting your feelings to paper. But I’m not just a fanatic—it legit supports my mental health. And if I had a Moleskine for every therapist who’s ever recommended journaling for self-care, well…I’d be a very happy camper. Still, as much as I love jotting down all my thoughts and feelings, sometimes it’s much easier to buy fancy new journals than it is to actually use them.

From busy schedules to writer's block, we all have our sources of struggle with the practice. And that’s not even counting all the difficult stuff that could come up in the process. “There’s a vulnerability in journaling,” says Megan Logan, LCSW , therapist and author of Self-Love Workbook for Women . “It's one thing to think something in your head, and it's a whole other thing to document it in black and white.” Plus, scribbling about your innermost workings can feel self-indulgent when you’re not used to dedicating time to yourself.

But if you can get over your roadblocks, it’s worth it. Journaling gives you a place to unload your heaviest emotions, celebrate the good stuff, and discover who you truly are. “Pausing to reflect on how things are going by writing them down will give you more intentionality and clarity during your day and throughout your life,” says Ryan Howes, PhD , clinical psychologist and author of Mental Health Journal for Men . And when you’re more in-tune with yourself, you can end up feeling more confident and less anxious and stressed as a result.

So what’s a non-journaler to do when there are so many hurdles to being a person who, you know, journals? Here are some expert-backed strategies so you’ll stick to it (for real this time).

Try different kinds of journaling.

Half the battle in making journaling a habit, especially if you’re starting from square one, is finding a method that works for you and your self-expression, says Logan, adding that ease and accessibility can determine if you follow through with the practice. It might take some time for you to find your style, but here are some things to consider.

Hard copy journals vs. digital journaling

I don’t know about you, but I go back and forth on this all the time. Some days I romanticize the heck out of handwriting in a diary—it feels special and distinct from typing, which I do all day long. Other times, I get impatient with physical logs because handwriting takes more effort, so I embrace the casualness and ease of the Notes app. Is it messy and unorganized? Yes. Is it the only way I journal consistently? Also yep!

Like me, you may have to experiment a bit to find the best match(es). Analog lovers may take a second to find a pen that doesn’t bleed in your favorite journal…or a favorite journal in the first place. For the digital types, you might dig apps like Daylio , Day One , or Happyfeed and how they’re with you all the time if you’re attached to your phone. Or you might be more comfortable typing on the computer, recording voice notes, or a mix of more than one.

Freeform vs. guided journals

Intimidated by the blank page or screen? There are tons of guided journals and workbooks that encourage you to open up because they “give you permission to explore and talk about things you otherwise wouldn’t,” says Logan. Some center on particular topics or identities, like the Mindfulness Journal for Depression or the Mental Health Journal for Black Women . Others provide time or space restraints, like the popular One Line A Day memory book or this astrological journal that gives you a half page per day. And some apps like Reflectly , Dabble Me , and Grid Diary offer a mix of specific prompts to keep you focused.

On the other hand, Dr. Howes notes that you might feel stifled by a structured format and prefer to explore whatever inspires you in the moment. In that case, freeform writing in a blank notebook or Google doc could be your jam. (Some apps offer blank space for freewriting too.)

Even if you go the freeform route, you can still self-impose some guidance if it helps you commit to the practice or go deeper. For example, you can organize your thoughts into themed lists (most embarrassing memories, songs that speak to you, things that bring you joy) or word association clouds (stick a person, place, feeling, or another word in the center, then branch out from there). Of course, it’s your journal—anything goes!

Lean on journal prompts for inspiration.

One of the most common barriers to journaling Dr. Howes hears is: “I don’t know what to write.” He often recommends guided journals to folks for this reason, but if you want to forge ahead with a blank canvas, here are a bunch of journal prompts for whatever you’re feeling.

Journal prompts for self-discovery
Journal prompts for loneliness
Journal prompts for mental health
Self-esteem journal prompts
Motivational journal prompts
Confidence journal prompts
Anxiety journal prompts
Anger journal prompts

Looking for more inspiration? Here are some therapist-backed strategies for getting started.

Log what you’re grateful for

Both Dr. Howes and Logan say gratitude journaling is the MVP for beginners or anyone whose journaling practice has gotten a little stale. Not only is it super low effort—just jot down one thing you’re grateful for a day—but the mental health benefits of gratitude are well-documented. Hello, reduced depression and stress and increased overall happiness and life satisfaction .

Chronicle your day

If you struggle to journal because you’re afraid of unleashing intense emotions, it can be easier to start on the surface by scribbling about the ins and outs of your daily life, Logan says. Think: “I went to the grocery store and wandered through the aisles for two hours today because I had literally nothing else to do.”

Plus, it’s fun to reread these entries, and not just for nostalgia. You might spot behavioral patterns when reviewing old events—and your interpretations of them at the time—which can help you see if this way of living is working for you or put your current life into perspective, says Dr. Howes.

It sounds obvious, but it bears repeating: Your diary is the perfect playground for whatever you’ve got swirling around inside your head. “We often have 20 different thoughts and feelings going on at once,” says Dr. Howes. “One thing that journaling forces us to do is to focus on one at a time.”

You don’t have to do anything but express your straight-forward thoughts and emotions, like how you think your boss hates you or you feel frustrated about today’s meeting. But you can do some low-key therapy work if you’re down. According to Dr. Howes, your journal is a great place to spot and challenge negative thought patterns or get to the bottom of how you’re really feeling . For example, write about why your boss’s lack of exclamation points in her last email sent you spiraling. Are you feeling insecure or undervalued? Do you typically need constant reassurance that people aren’t mad at you? Has she given other signs she’s not pumped about your work?

Check in with your goals

You could even think of your journal as a goal or habit tracker where you check in on your progress, Dr. Howes says, noting that this is especially handy for those who struggle with productivity and yearn for more accountability and motivation . When writing about your goals, ponder over your five-year plan , remind yourself why finishing X is important to you (if it even still is), or measure your growth so far. If you need more in-depth instruction, try this goal-setting worksheet .

Problem solve

It can be more enlightening to bounce around ideas with yourself in a journal than in your own head, says Dr. Howes. “If you’re feeling stuck , try throwing a bunch of possibilities on the page and sorting through them until you find the best one,” he advises. Other ways to reach a decision: List the pros and cons, name steps you definitely won’t take, or write about how you ideally want a situation to resolve.

Explore your past

Your journal is a safe space to sort through life events and how they inform your present. Dr. Howes says you can dive in anywhere: pick an age, brag about your highlight reel, unpack a time that felt particularly challenging, or explore a random memory that comes to mind. Then, write down whatever comes up, like how you felt at the time, how you feel about the event now, and how you think it might’ve impacted you. “If you don't want to write about yourself directly, then write about a role model you had or a significant event you witnessed,” Dr. Howes adds.

Make sense of your dreams

Dr. Howes has had clients bring their dream diaries into sessions with him, and good material comes up, he adds. “In part, dreams are your brain processing the information you've taken in during the day, so they can offer a kind of internal litmus test—a state of the union,” Dr. Howes says.

He recommends keeping your journal or phone near your bed so you can write down dream details when you wake up and before they slip away. When recapping, note any repeat scenarios and images that come up. No need to go ham on dissecting the symbolism unless you want to. Just get curious about the general themes, like if you’re being chased or are falling, he suggests.

Brain dump

Give yourself a time or space constraint (10 minutes or three pages, for example) and just word vomit. Even if that means writing “I don’t know what to write” or “I hate journaling” over and over. You usually wind up stumbling into something more substantial to express, says Dr. Howes. (Fun fact: Many associate this stream-of-consciousness journaling with morning pages, made famous by Julia Cameron’s everpopular The Artist’s Way , yet another guided journal available!)

Troubleshoot your biggest barriers.

Even after you’ve picked your notebook or app and decided what to write, getting yourself to journal consistently is a whole other ballgame. Here are a few tips to help make the practice stick.

If you keep forgetting to journal…

Try a routine. Many people benefit from some sort of consistency, at least in the beginning. Dr. Howes says that when you wake up or before you go to sleep are common time slots for journaling (especially because morning and nighttime routines are good for your mental health too). You can also tie the activity to events, feelings, or other random triggers, like journaling after therapy, when you feel jealous, or whenever you have the apartment to yourself.

If it feels like a chore…

If you’re a newbie, manageability is key. A routine might keep you consistent, but be flexible about breaking it and be open to cutting back on how much or how often you try to write. “If you feel like writing a lot some days, great. If you don’t feel like writing much or anything at all other days, that’s also great,” says Dr. Howes. “The journal is there to serve you. You don’t want it to feel like a job.”

If you’re not motivated…

Logan is a fan of making A Thing out of journaling so it becomes an activity to look forward to. “I always like to pair it with doing something special, like having hot tea, wearing fuzzy pajamas, and sitting in your special chair with a candle,” she says. You could also try bringing your notebook to a coffee shop or park. If that doesn’t help, you might be bored with journaling itself, so think about if there’s another way you could switch things up. Perhaps you’re in the market for a guided journal or some journal prompts?

If you’re worried people will read this…

Maybe it’s a legit concern ( ugh, nosy siblings ) or a hypothetical one ( what if I get famous and my diaries are published after I die?! ). Either way, it’s hard to get real in your journal if you're preoccupied with how you’re coming across, Dr. Howes says. Do what you need for peace of mind, like using an encrypted app, a ’00s-inspired Password Journal, or a password-protected note on your phone. Hell, you can even entrust someone with the job of burning your diaries after you die! Alternatively, you can skip the paper trail altogether and tear up each page you complete, delete your docs, or use apps with vanishing text, like Halka .

If you’re overthinking your words…

According to Dr. Howes, plenty of journalers put pressure on themselves to be amazing wordsmiths. But unless practicing your prose is the goal of your Me Time, don’t waste the brain space. Instead, try leaning into writing as poorly as possible to see if it shakes your perfectionist tendencies. “Forget about word choice, forget about grammar, and forget about complete sentences if you want,” says Dr. Howes. “As long as you’re getting your thoughts onto the page, leave the editing for…well, never, really.”

Maybe it’s the content of your words, not the quality, that has you nervous about seeing it on paper in black and white. Understandable, Logan says. If you’re in that boat, take a stab at forgoing words altogether. Doodling, collaging, making playlists, and other creative outlets are all ways to harness the spirit of journaling without having to write. This can also help with writer’s block because “sometimes you can’t find the words, or there aren’t words that do justice to what you’re actually feeling,” says Logan.

If it doesn’t feel awesome…

That’s normal. Shit can get really real and uncomfortable when you’re looking your emotions right in the eye, Logan says. That’s another reason she likes creating a comforting space and adding self-care to her writing routine. “Doing something nice for yourself at the same time can help you walk away from journaling without carrying those dark things with you,” she adds.

There’s also a chance you’ve fallen into a ruminating trap, whether you’re rehashing the same rant over and over, catastrophizing, or just plain hurting your own feelings, says Dr. Howes. To combat future spirals, he recommends setting a timer for your writing sessions, at least when you’re working through topics that get you going . “One of the best parts about a journal is how you can close it,” Dr. Howes says. “You can say, ‘This is where I'm keeping these tough feelings for now. I'll come back and visit them when I'm ready to, but I don't have to stay in them.’”

The bottom line: There are plenty of hurdles to journaling, so experiment to find the methods that work for you. And if you still hate journaling after about a month, there’s no shame in trying something else, like talking through your feelings in therapy, Dr. Howes says.

Wondermind does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a replacement for medical advice. Always consult a qualified health or mental health professional with any questions or concerns about your mental health.

Experts share how journaling can help improve mental health — plus, how to start

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While you probably kept a journal as a child, you may have put it down for good somewhere in your early teens. But it may be time to pick it back up again because experts say that the practice can have a host of benefits, from improving mood to boosting mental health .

Though, if you've tried to do it recently, you may have found yourself staring at a blank page wondering what to write and how exactly you should be doing it. For anyone who has resolved to get back into the practice, we spoke with two psychologists to find out everything you need to know about journaling.

What are the benefits of journaling?

Studies have shown that various types of journaling can help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression , improve memory and even boost immunity .

"Journaling also improves mental health and allows for stress relief, because it can provide a safe space to unload your pent-up thoughts and feelings," says Dr. Carla Manly , a clinical psychologist based in Sonoma County, California. "In general, whether it's after a therapy session or just after a long day, it is a safe space just to put everything out there and close it up."

Dr. Sabrina Romanoff , a licensed psychologist in New York City, told us that it also helps you look at your thoughts in a more objective way. "Oftentimes we approach our thoughts as facts which can get us into trouble when we believe our most anxiety-provoking thoughts without hesitation," she says. "The process of reading a biased thought outside of your mind can provide an alternative outlook and [help you] see things more clearly."

When should you be journaling?

Instead of being rigid about your writing process, Romanoff said that you should simply make it part of your routine. "The best formed habits are paired with activities that you already do or enjoy," she says. "For example, if every day you drink coffee in the morning, try to work in 10 minutes of journaling during that time. Or if you used to watch a show after dinner, try to supplement that with journaling."

And while it may be tempting to sneak in a journaling session right before you turn the lights off for the night, Manly recommends keeping your journal outside of your bedroom. "Oftentimes we churn up some thoughts and feelings that might be uncomfortable or really intense, so we don't really want to be doing that in our sleep space or keeping it in our sleep space," she says. "We want our sleep space to be very sacred and quiet and feel very gentle."

What should you write in your journal?

One of the key elements of journaling is to remove judgment from the process, Manly explains. People tend to overthink the grammar and context of what they're writing or question what would happen if someone else read their journal or if they reread their entries later on. "You want to put any of that kind of judgment aside," Manly says. "Because if you don't, you're actually hurting the process."

When it comes to what you're writing, there are a handful of different approaches that you can use — and you can switch it up, depending on your needs. "You can engage in various types of journaling," Romanoff says. "Sometimes it feels helpful to get it all out through a journaling ‘vent session,’ other times you might want to be more structured in your journaling."

If you're looking for the latter, a helpful strategy can be to create a thought log , Romanoff says. This type of journaling centers around a triggering event or situation that elicits a strong reaction. To try this, you'll note the thought associated with that moment, the consequence or behavior of that reaction and then, most importantly, create a rational counter-statement to it.

For example, say your supervisor at work is angry. "Your thought could be, 'I must have made a mistake — now I’ve done it. They’ll fire me for sure,'" Romanoff says. The consequence, then, is that you might feel sad and anxious, and will spend time obsessing over the mistake. In this situation, she said that the rational counter-statement could then be something like this: "'My supervisor could’ve been angry about anything. They are usually happy with my work, so even if I’ve made a mistake it isn’t a big deal.'"

Another option if you're looking for something a little more structured? Try a guided journal. "Guided journals are helpful for people who are unsure how to begin journaling or what they would like to work on," Romanoff explains.

Manly adds that you can also use prompts to guide the process. Here are some of her favorites: What am I grateful for? What are my blessings in life? What do I want to let go of in my life? What do I want to bring into my mind? What are the thoughts and mindsets that hold me back in life? Where am I stuck in life? What and who do I value in life?

Journals to try

While you don't actually need a journal to get started, (Romanoff says that the easiest way to start is by using the Notes app on your phone or a document on your laptop), for those who want to go the traditional route, we rounded up a handful of bestselling and shopper-loved journals that you can try.

Paperage Lined Journal

Lined Journal

Lined Journal $ at Amazon

This affordable journal features 160 pages of lined, acid-free paper. According to the brand, the paper is thicker than average notebooks, so you won't have to worry about your pen bleeding through. The journal also features an attached ribbon bookmark, which makes it easy to pick up right where you left off during your last writing session.

Moleskine Classic Notebook

Classic Notebook

Classic Notebook $ at Amazon
Classic Notebook $ at Target

Moleskin's notebooks are a classic choice, and the brand says that they're perfect for journaling or taking notes in meetings. They come in a number of colors as well as ruled, unlined, dotted and other styles, so you can find one to suit your preferences.

Papier Colorblock Hardcover Notebook

Colorblock Notebook

Colorblock Notebook $ at Papier

Personally, I always find that I'm much more likely to keep up with a journaling habit when I have a cute journal. I've been a big fan of Papier's customizable planners for a while and am currently eyeing this lined notebook from the brand. I love the idea of personalizing it with my name and the year and then getting a new one each year so I can eventually look back on everything I wrote.

No Particular Order: Volume 1

No Particular Order: Volume 1 $ at No Particular Order

“I’m trying to get back into regular journaling and have been looking to get this journal,” shares social media editorial assistant Annie Shigo. “It has unique prompts that get you to go deeper and really think about what you want.”

Intelligent Change: The Five Minute Journal

The Five Minute Journal

The Five Minute Journal $ at Amazon
The Five Minute Journal $ at Target

Made to be used in the morning and at night, this journal features prompts that are meant to help you reflect on your day and encourage you to practice gratitude. And some reviewers say that it makes the process of journaling feel easier. "I am guilty of having collected dozens of journals and notebooks throughout my life, with the same results every time: excitedly writing in them for a few days (or a few weeks if I'm lucky) and then slowly forgetting about them — mostly due to the amount of time and energy it takes to keep one up," one reviewer wrote. "If you're like me — this is the perfect answer! It truly takes 5 minutes to fill out the section and it is difficult to find an excuse NOT to do it each day.

No Worries: A Guided Journal

No Worries: A Guided Journal $ at Amazon
No Worries: A Guided Journal $ at Barnes and Noble
No Worries: A Guided Journal $ at Walmart

Another popular guided option, this journal is designed to help you process your thoughts and re-frame them to calm anxiety and relieve stress . The 12-week journal includes journaling pages, exercises, habit trackers, monthly reflections and more.

3 Minute Positivity Journal

3 Minute Positivity Journal $ at Amazon

The "3 Minute Positivity Journal", is currently the No. 1 bestselling journal on Amazon with more than 2,500 five-star ratings. And many shoppers have described it as being "life changing." Part book, part journal, it includes a 50-page positivity guide and 120 unique prompts and entries that inspire you to reflect on your thoughts, feelings and goals.

Gratitude Journal

Gratitude Journal $ at Amazon

Those hoping to start gratitude journaling can try this affordable option, which is popular with Amazon shoppers. The 90-day journal includes quotes, affirmations and prompts that are made to encourage you to spend a few minutes a day jotting down what you're grateful for and thinking about future goals, daily learnings and more.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com

This article may contain affiliate links that Microsoft and/or the publisher may receive a commission from if you buy a product or service through those links.

Experts share how journaling can help improve mental health — plus, how to start

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Hello friends! This is Sian or @perceivegrace, on both Instagram & Youtube! In this blog post, I’ll be sharing two minimal layouts you can use in your journals for book reviews! Whether you want to start a reading journal or simply log your reads at the end of every month in your bullet journal planner, I hope you can take inspiration from these examples.

Supply List

As always, start with the Archer & Olive journal you wish to house your book review spreads. You can use my code SIAN10 to save 10% with Archer & Olive on the tools you need. Below are the materials I used:

Everyday Bookish Stamp Set + Permanent Ink
Use the black ink that comes with the set or if you have other colors pull those out too! In one of the examples I use brown Archival Ink
Dot Grid Planner Stencil
Any pens and brush pens you would like
Decorative tape (if you want to keep it minimal but add something to tie in the vibe of the book, matching decorative tape is a great way to add that flair)
Book covers - you’ll notice I printed out the covers of books that I wanted to review but if you do not have a printer at home you can always log your book reviews without including the book covers!

Flat lay image showing a travelers size bullet journal, stencil, stamp set, pens, a pencil pouch, a washi tape set, and lit candle

Getting Started

Like all ideas for journal spreads, they can be customized and altered depending on the journal size you’re using or the desired look you have in mind. One of the first things to consider is do you prefer full page, half page, quarter page, or so on for each book review. The answer to that question may also affect or be affected by your journal size preference. I have found that for minimal book reviews, someone might use A6, B6, Travelers, or A5 sizes and for more intricate or in-depth book reviews someone might use A5, 8x8, or B5 sizes and so on. In the example below are two half page book review layouts, one before the pen and one after the pen. This is also a great example of matching decorative tape in my collection to the book covers.

(Apologies for misspelling the title of the book on the left-hand side! I didn't realize until after the fact).

An open travelers size bullet journal showing two half page book review spread examples.

For these minimal examples I used a traveler's size but if you want to see A5 and B5 maximalist scrapbook style examples from me, be sure to check out the corresponding youtube video linked down below. I share those examples toward the end!

What to Include

I have put together a list of things someone might want to document about a book within their book review for future reference:

Publisher (ex: Independent versus Traditional)
Setting (ex: Places, Years, Time periods…)
Genre (ex: Romance, Thriller, Historical…)
Date that you started and finished the book
Format (ex: paperback, hardcover, ebook, Advanced Reader Copy, audiobook)
Page count
Tropes and themes
Series (ex: series name, if the book is a stand-alone, or what place the book is within its series)
Your star rating
What year the book was released or published
Your thoughts!
Whether or not your would recommend the book to someone else

If you plan on sharing your book review spreads on social media but sure NOT to include spoilers! :)

Efficient Quarter-Page Example

The Book Review stamp in the Everyday Bookish Stamp Set is the perfect size for a quarter-page layout in a travelers size. I also think this amount of space would look great in an A6 if your goal is simply to log every book you read and your star rating for them. In my travelers quarter-page layout, I left the decorative tape bookish themed and kept my thoughts brief. (I clearly love regency romance).

Image of an open travelers size bullet journal showing a simple example of a quarter-page book review spread highlighting four book reviews and my ratings for them.

How to Print Book Covers for your Reviews

I anticipate questions on how to print book covers. I simply find the covers on Google Images and save them. I have a Cricut Maker, so I upload the book covers to Cricut Design Space where I reformat the size and use the print then cut feature to print them on matte sticker paper with my regular household inkjet printer and then load into my Cricut maker for cutting. If you do not have a cutting machine, but you have a printer, simply insert the book covers into any document processor like Google Docs or Word. You can resize the book covers there by height and then print on regular printer paper or even sticker paper if your printer is an inkjet or laserjet printer. Lastly, you can then cut the book covers by hand or using a cutter.

An image of the upper left hand corner of bullet journal showing a simple and brief book review of Federica by Georgette Heyer

In Conclusion

I really want to remind everyone reading this, that just like your reading and journaling journeys are your own, so are the two if you join them together in your journal. Utilize the resources you have or explore new resources if you have the ability. With that being said, if you do not have the Everyday Bookish stamp set I used in my examples today, have fun with writing out your book review categories or utilize the free printable below where I put together simple book review entries you can customize once inserted to your journal. Happy journaling AND reading!

Digital image highlighting the free printable with this blog post which is simple book review entries to print out and insert into your journal

Book Review
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Reading Journal
Reading Log

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Moving Back Home to Save for a House: How to Make It Work

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After starting a career in engineering in Boynton Beach, Florida, Moisey Abdurakhmanov was renting a home with friends when he decided he wanted his own place.

"I realized I was basically paying somebody else's mortgage every month," he recalls.

So when the lease was up, he moved back home with his parents, saved every dime he could and bought a house five months later in January 2021 — "easily one of the best decisions I've made."

Many millennials are taking a similar path to homeownership. About a quarter (24%) of people ages 25 to 33 who bought a home between July 2022 and June 2023 said they moved in directly from a family member's home, according to a National Association of Realtors' survey. Last year 29% of people who planned to buy a home in the next 12 months had already moved in with their parents to save money, and another 22% said they'd consider doing so, according to a May 2023 survey by Realtor.com and Censuswide.

With high housing prices and rising mortgage rates, you might think saving for a house will take ages. Moving in with parents can speed up the process and eliminate the headache of synchronizing a home purchase with the end of a rental lease.

But the strategy comes with challenges, no matter how much you like your folks. Here's how to make it work.

Clarify your savings goals

Before broaching the idea, research the market where you plan to buy, figure out how much home you can afford and set a savings goal.

The two biggest upfront expenses are the down payment and closing costs. Minimum down payment requirements vary by mortgage type. Some conventional loans have minimum down payments as low as 3%, but the more you put down, the less your monthly payments will be. Closing costs range from about 2% to 6% of the loan amount.

Consider taking a first-time home buyer's class to learn about the process, and consult with a lender or two. When you're ready to shop for a home, you'll want to get preapproved for a mortgage. When you're still months away from house hunting, apply for pre-qualification — a less intense process — to see how much you may be able to borrow and what your monthly payments might be.

Then set a time frame. How long will it take to reach your goal if you move back home?

Discuss expectations — yours and your parents'

Have a conversation with your parents about your goals and time frame. Express your expectations about moving in, and ask them about theirs.

"We can avoid distress by recognizing our own expectations first and then communicating clearly with each other about what we're hoping for … A red flag for me would be if the parent says yes without any conversation about expectations. That would set up a recipe for ill feelings on the back side," says Saundra Davis, founder of Sage Financial Solutions, a nonprofit financial education and planning agency in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Give space for discussing pros and cons and how you'll navigate the challenges, including the emotional ones. Understand that there may be mixed feelings about the new living arrangement. "Very few people feel 100% bad about something or 100% good about something," says Ed Coambs, a certified financial therapist, fee-only certified financial planner and author of "The Healthy Love & Money Way: How the Four Attachment Styles Impact Your Financial Well-Being."

Some parents and adult children may feel a stigma about moving back home, but don't let societal pressures subconsciously drive your decisions.

" I think that the United States as a culture has normalized what we call 'launching.' If you look at other cultures and in the Black community, it is not abnormal for our kids to stay home longer," says Davis, who is also a mindfulness teacher and master certified coach. The "failure to launch" concept can put extra pressure on parents and young adults. "If there is shame, where does it come from? Do we believe it? And does it serve us?" Davis says.

Sort out those feelings and do what's best for you and your family.

Agree on household responsibilities

"The question is, what does it look like for us as mature adults and family members to live in this space together?" Coambs says.

Will you chip in for household expenses? How much? Will you share groceries? Who will do the shopping? What about cooking and cleaning? Will you call home if you're going to be out late?

All of these — and more — are up for discussion.

Abdurakhmanov, who moved back home in August 2020, says his folks agreed to let him stay rent-free and fully supported his plan to buy a house. But the transition was still an adjustment.

"When I went from having the freedom to do what I want, when I want, to being under the roof of my parents again, there was a lot of headbutting between how I wanted to live my life and what my parents wanted me to do," he says. "It was a little rough."

So they talked.

"I drew some boundaries and told them there were certain things that we would just not argue about anymore … We all agreed to shift our focus and look forward to the future."

Meanwhile, Abdurakhmanov agreed to join his parents more frequently for family dinners and events. "They had missed spending time with me … They felt I was drifting away from them, and they didn't like that, which is understandable. I can see where they were coming from."

Schedule regular family check-ins

Keep communication lines open after you move in. Set a regular time to check in about how things are going.

What's working well with the living arrangement? What could be handled better? Are you on track with meeting your saving goals? Do you need to adjust the timeline?

It doesn't have to be a formal business meeting. In fact, these conversations might go better during a meal or a relaxed outing.

Listen and empathize

No matter how well you've planned and communicated, occasionally you'll get on each other's nerves. Listen and be curious.

"Often we get stuck in our own perspective or what we think is the other person's perspective," Coambs says. "When we can insert empathy into the relational dance, oftentimes it can loosen things up and open up new options."

Then the potential payoff from moving back home is more than a home down payment .

"It can also represent a great opportunity to continue to grow and nurture your adult-to-adult relationship with your parents," Coambs says.

Abdurakhmanov says living with his folks helped prepare him for his next chapter. "It was a good buffer period for me to reestablish myself and everything about me that I wanted to take forward moving into my own place."

On a similar note...

Meaning and Manifesto: Embracing Transdisciplinarity in SoTL

Laura Cruz The Pennsylvania State University
Sara Nasrollahian Mojarad University of Iowa

This critical reflective essay works to provide a framework of transdisciplinarity in SoTL (the meaning) which considers how this foundational value can be further conceptualized and integrated across multiple facets of SoTL scholarship, people, and practices. We make the case that through the power of dialogue, we can transform, even transcend, prior norms of academia (the manifesto) through the fostering of diverse ways of knowing (scholarships); the forging of transcendent and boundary-less connections (communities) and the propagation of knowledge through open, inclusive, and burgeoning co-creation (pedagogy).

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How to Live Forever

By David Owen

Photo illustration of the author with his mother.

A friend of mine knew a wealthy man who had decided to live forever. That made him hard to be around, my friend told me, in an e-mail, because he was “always dropping to the floor to do ab crunches or running out for bottles of water or falling asleep or outgassing Chinese herbs.” Immortality is attractive to rich people because simple arithmetic shows that if they live a normal lifespan they won’t have time to spend enough of their money. Peter Thiel , the billionaire venture capitalist, has expressed interest in receiving blood transfusions from young donors, an intervention that apparently adds weeks to the lives of laboratory mice. Jeff Bezos’s chiselled physique suggests a similar concern. The longevity evangelist Bryan Johnson, who sold a company he’d started to PayPal for eight hundred million dollars, wears a device that monitors the quality of his nighttime erections.

Life extension is a trade-off, though. You have to weigh the time you stand to gain against the time you lose while trying to gain it. When Jackie Onassis learned that she was dying, of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, she is said to have regretted having done so many pushups. There’s also the discouraging fact that extra years, if any, come at the end of life, when even many rich people have begun to think about winding down. A wealthy bridge partner of mine, now deceased, told me as she approached ninety that she was already feeling a bit bored.

Einstein wrote that “the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.” He presumably didn’t mean that, after death, he expected to travel back and forth through his life, as though riffling the pages of a book. Or maybe he did. At any rate, his statement hints at a better strategy, one that I myself have practiced for decades. The simplest, most foolproof way to extend life is to do so backward, by adding years in reverse.

During the summer of 1975, following my sophomore year in college, I got a job as a secretary at a book-publishing company in New York. My main task was typing letters from editors to authors. I used a typewriter, because there were no personal computers yet, and to create duplicates I used copy sets, which were sandwiches of carbon paper and thin regular paper. Carbon paper—for those too young to have any idea what I’m talking about—is paper or plastic film that is coated on one side with semi-gelatinous ink; when you press something against the un-inked side, the inked side leaves a mark. Carbon paper barely exists nowadays, except at some rental-car counters and in the etymology of the “cc” (which stands for “carbon copy”) in e-mails. At my publishing job, I placed a copy set behind a sheet of letterhead and rolled the two together into my machine. When I’d finished typing, I had an original plus one or two flimsy but legible facsimiles, for filing.

That same summer, inspired by my job, I began using carbon paper to make duplicates of my own letters. I was writing a lot of poetry at the time, and I believed that the copies would be useful to my biographers, whom I assumed I’d have someday. I gave up on poetry and literary immortality a year or two later, but I continued making carbons, and I saved letters that people wrote to me. Because of the pack-rat instincts of various members of my family, I also have the letters I wrote home from summer camp; the letters my father wrote home from the Second World War; the letters my wife, whose name is Ann Hodgman, wrote to my parents before and after we got married; the letters Ann’s mother wrote to her father when they were dating; and thousands of other letters, documents, e-mails, and texts. In recent years, I have digitized most of that stuff, so that I can search it.

When I was in high school, I tried several times to keep a diary—again, thinking of my biographers—but I was never able to stick with it for more than a week or two. This is a common problem. A dozen years ago, I found a diary that my daughter, Laura, had started when she was ten. It had a pink cover, more than a hundred ruled pages, and a lock on the front, which she hadn’t locked. The entry on the first page was about her piano lessons. It said:

EXTRA MINUTES PRACTICED Wednesday—1 min. Saturday—8 min.

All the other pages were blank.

Soon after I had begun making copies of my letters, I realized that if I saved them in chronological order I’d have the equivalent of a diary. I eventually bought an electric hole punch and filled many three-ring binders. In the late eighties, I started another kind of quasi-diary by making a written record on my computer of funny or interesting things my children had said or done. I got that idea when Laura was three and her brother, John, was in utero, but I was able to extend the entries back to the day of Laura’s birth by inserting material from letters I’d saved. I called it my “kid diary,” and I kept it going, with several lapses, for about ten years. The completed text contains almost ninety thousand words and is, by far, my favorite thing I’ve ever written. It’s the one thing I would save if I could save only one.

Of course, most of the real work on my kid diary was done not by me but by my kids. Laura, at four: “Dave, is cheese vegetables, or what is it?” (She began calling me Dave when she was three, and John eventually did the same.) John, at almost six: “God didn’t make people, Dave. Monkeys did.” Laura’s favorite feature in the children’s magazine Highlights was the advice column, and she used to make up readers’ questions and the editors’ replies. When she was four and a half, I overheard her, in the playroom, pretending to read aloud from a recent issue:

When I go to school I have a hole in my pants near my penis. My friends call me “penis-puh.” What should I do? Tom. I understand how you feel, Tom. Ignore your friends and find a nice quiet place where you can concentrate. Raise your hand if your friends have a problem with your penis.

Me, when John was two and a half:

My mother was reading John one of his dinosaur books and leaving out occasional paragraphs, so that she could get him to bed quicker, but he caught her. “You did not say ‘fleet-footed,’ ” he said.

Me again, when John was in kindergarten:

Yesterday, John sat at the kitchen table writing ransom notes, with spelling provided by Ann. One of his notes read “INQUISITIVE PERSON. 1,000,000 DOLLARS.” To write his notes, he put on snow boots, knee pads, and non-matching mittens.

Laura, when she was four:

Why am I not a grownup? I’ve been here for so many years.

And so on, for three hundred and fifty typed pages. I’m now keeping track, on a smaller scale, of funny or interesting things that my grandchildren have said or done. Alice, the eldest, when she was three: “Mom, I’m just going to relax and ring this bell.”

The final stages of Alzheimer’s disease have been described as living death: if you can’t remember your life, can you truly be said to be alive? I worry about that, of course, but I also worry about perfectly ordinary memory loss, which shortens a life more subtly, by allowing great swaths of it to leak away. My memory works pretty well, but writing things down has made it work better, and many of my favorite moments from the past forty years exist only because I kept a record. My kid diary has lengthened my life just as surely as rolling back my biological age would have, and it has done so without ab crunches, pushups, or erection monitoring. It has also lengthened the lives of Ann, Laura, and John, as well as reminding Ann and me that our children’s childhoods didn’t go by in a blur, as parents often feel when they look back. A friend told me recently, “If G.P.S. had existed from the time I got my driver’s license, I would have lived an entire second lifetime with the time I’d have saved not getting lost.” That’s the same idea, more or less.

Preserve too much, though, and you’d recreate the dilemma that Jorge Luis Borges explores in his story “Funes the Memorious,” from 1942. The title character is a young man who, after being thrown from a horse, discovers that he now remembers literally everything. “Two or three times he had reconstructed a whole day; he never hesitated, but each reconstruction had required a whole day,” the narrator explains. Funes “knew by heart the forms of the southern clouds at dawn on the 30th of April, 1882, and could compare them in his memory with the mottled streaks on a book in Spanish binding he had only seen once.” He’s so entranced by his new ability that he doesn’t realize it has impaired him. “To think is to forget differences, generalize, make abstractions,” the narrator reflects. “In the teeming world of Funes, there were only details, almost immediate in their presence.”

Funes is a fictional character, but there are real people with a similar ability. One of them is Jill Price, who can remember her life, from childhood on, in extraordinary detail. In her autobiography, “ The Woman Who Can’t Forget ,” she writes, “My memories are like scenes from home movies of every day of my life, constantly playing in my head, flashing forward and backward through the years relentlessly, taking me to any given moment, entirely of their own volition.” Price was the first person to receive a diagnosis of hyperthymestic syndrome, later renamed highly superior autobiographical memory, or HSAM . Both terms were coined by James McGaugh and his colleagues at the University of California, Irvine, where, starting in 2000, Price was studied extensively. Researchers would mention a news event, and without hesitating she would give them the date and the day of the week it occurred, or they would give her a date and she would give them an event. “And she was flawless,” McGaugh told me recently. He asked her if she knew what had happened to Bing Crosby . She said that he died on a golf course in Spain on Friday, October 14, 1977, when she was eleven. She remembered because his death had been mentioned on a news program she’d heard on the car radio that day, as her mother was driving her to soccer practice.

Price has been, at times, an obsessive journal-keeper, and some people have wondered whether she had simply memorized the entries. But she abandoned her journal on several occasions, once for years, then changed her mind and filled in the hundreds of missing days retrospectively, entirely out of her head. She makes the journals to tame the flood of her recollections, which she views as a torment. “If I didn’t write things down, I would get a swimming feeling in my head and would become emotionally overwhelmed,” she explains in her book.

McGaugh and his team eventually identified about a hundred people with HSAM . One is the actress and author Marilu Henner, who starred on the television show “Taxi” and was fired by Donald Trump on “The Celebrity Apprentice.” Henner, unlike Price, revels in her ability. “It’s something that makes me feel really good, and I can’t imagine not having it,” she told me. “My siblings will say, ‘Come on, Mar, do a week from our childhood.’ ” Henner’s book “ Total Memory Makeover ,” which was published in 2012, is an effort by her to help the rest of us develop what she refers to as our “brain muscle”—a desirable goal, since she agrees with me that memory can be a powerful time-expander and longevity-increaser. “By really exploring your past, or remembering it in some way, you get a piece of your life back,” she said. “Your life becomes longer and richer, and kind of stretches in the middle.”

Henner describes a good autobiographical memory as “a line of defense against meaninglessness.” For those of us who, unlike her, can’t do it all in our heads, old letters, diaries, and photographs are indispensable aide-mémoire. On Presidents’ Day in 1988, Laura came home from nursery school and said, “Abraham Lincoln was shot!” I said, “I know, honey,” and she said, “But I’m keeping him alive in my thoughts. Emmy is keeping him alive in her thoughts, too.” She and Emmy, a classmate, were three years old at the time, so they probably wouldn’t remember today that they had taken on that chore if I hadn’t written it down.

My mother will turn ninety-five in June. She was my family’s principal historian until I took over the position. She made two photo albums for me as I was growing up. The first covered my birth through sixth grade, and the second covered junior high through college. She invented analog image-enhancing techniques that anticipated, by decades, digital tools that are now standard: using nail-scissors and glue to replace my brother’s frowning face with a smiling one in our Christmas card from 1966, when he was four; using an X-Acto knife to give me a haircut and to slice an uninteresting background from a family photo a decade later; eliminating red-eye with a black Flair pen. I studied both my photo albums so often over the years that they began to fall apart. I have now preserved them by extracting the original pages and placing them in individual sleeves in large archival portfolios.

For many people, documenting family life in this way is no more appealing than doing pushups or ab crunches. But I don’t think of it that way, and neither did my mother. “I have been pasting my scrapbooks,” she wrote to Ann and me in 1980. “I get more fascinated with them every day. I don’t know when I’ve had a project I’ve enjoyed so much.” For her, documenting the history of our family was an immersive hobby, like making quilts (my sister), photographing birds (my brother), or gardening and playing ice hockey (Ann). By the time I graduated from college, my mother was mainly researching genealogies, writing reminiscences, and organizing ancestral photographs, documents, and ephemera. I’ve relied on her work several times when researching things that I’ve written, most recently an essay about her own family.

Nowadays, producing and saving images is so easy that few people bother with paper prints, photo albums, or even cameras. They hold up their phone and click away, hoping to end up with something decent, which they then post on Facebook or Instagram or whatever. But a digital camera roll containing thousands of unsorted, unedited, contextless images is not an intelligible narrative of a life. Turning the pages of a physical book is a different experience from swiping a finger across a screen, and, if you don’t store your memories on paper, you allow your past to be held hostage by a potentially obsolete digital format or by Google’s unpredictable commitment to the cloud.

I’ve made dozens of physical photo albums, first by gluing paper prints and other mementos into the kinds of blank scrapbooks my mother used, and, then, since 2006, by uploading images to companies that produce paper photo books. (My favorite is Mixbook .) In addition to making annual family scrapbooks, I’ve documented vacations, visits by grandchildren, moments from the life of a friend who had just died, two years that Ann and her parents spent living in Germany when she was a baby and her father was a U.S. Army doctor, the history of the place we visit every summer on Martha’s Vineyard, the wedding of our guinea pig and one of our dogs, and trips that my father’s parents took between the nineteen-forties and the nineteen-sixties. The project that I’m the proudest of is a hybrid: two eleven-by-fourteen volumes containing the complete text of my kid diary, illustrated with several hundred corresponding snapshots.

At some point during COVID , I realized that I could create a truly comprehensive chronicle of my life if I consolidated all the best parts of my hoard of digitized text into a single document. The result is a million and a half words long, and it grows by roughly five hundred words a day. My goal is to come as close as I can to a day-by-day record—but not one like Jill Price’s, which consists mostly of brief mentions of things like the weather, the names of TV shows she watched, and what errands she ran. I’m trying to do what Elmore Leonard said he tried to do with his novels: leave out the parts that readers skip. I’m the only reader so far, and I may be the only reader ever, but I don’t want even my own interest to flag. I haven’t added photographs yet, but someday I will.

One of my richest sources of material in recent years has been a small e-mail group that my wife and I are part of. It began around 1996 (no one remembers exactly when), and currently includes ten participants. We’re all within ten years in age: the youngest were in their thirties when we started; the oldest are in their seventies now. All but one or two of us are self-employed. Most are writers. In the early months, I often worried that the others would lose interest and disappear, but the group has never been in serious danger of disbanding, and the lineup has barely changed. No member has died yet, although one spouse died last year. Two children and eight grandchildren have been born. Several children have married. All the parents who were alive when we started have now died, except for Ann’s mother and my mother. Despite our long history, the ten of us have never all been in the same room at the same time, except online. The first full in-person gathering, if there ever is one, will probably be a funeral.

Ten people who’ve spent almost three decades getting to know one another turns out to be the ideal configuration for a social network; it’s the scale at which Facebook and X would feel like life-enhancing communities of human beings, rather than ego-driven, soul-destroying, democracy-undermining time-sucks. Our e-mail exchanges are the kinds of conversations that people who have worked together for years sometimes have over lunch or cocktails—and our exchanges are mostly coherent, even grammatical. I used to brood that civilization had suffered a huge loss when people switched from sending paper letters to sending e-mails, but I now think the real loss occurred when people switched from sending e-mails to sending texts, which young people in particular tend to fire off in bursts of unpunctuated sentence fragments. E-mails are actually superior to paper letters in many ways, because they easily accommodate thoughtful, extended multi-user back-and-forth, in real time.

In the early years of our group, it somehow almost never occurred to me to save anything. Eventually, though, I began preserving notable e-mails, which I later combined into PDFs. I now copy funny or interesting passages as they arrive, and paste them into my burgeoning chronicle—including that line I quoted at the beginning of this essay about outgassing Chinese herbs, and the later one about G.P.S. and getting lost. Also this, from Ann:

I helped at the Epiphany pageant at another church yesterday. The girl who played Mary carried a doll. After the pageant, she said, “Jesus looks hella real.” . . . I recently gave blood at the school she goes to. Two students, a girl and a boy, were staffing the snack table. An older boy who had just donated came and sat down. The girl told him, “We saw your blood.”

And this, from me:

I woke up at 3:00 this morning and lay awake for a long time. I would have thought I never fell back asleep except that I know Henry [our poodle] can’t talk. He told me that he thought some ants that were crawling inside a rotten tree trunk looked as though they were carrying parachutes. I didn’t think it was odd that he was talking—just odd that he would describe ant eggs that way.

I’ve also saved many serious, poignant, and distressing discussions—of life, work, children, pets, politics, religion, marriage, divorce, cancer, everything. Many of those discussions unfolded over days, and almost all of them are too personal to share with strangers. My solipsistic record has thus evolved into more than the story of my own life, and is now also a steadily growing group autobiography. Every so often, I’ll quote something back to the others and, even if it’s just a couple of years old, it usually turns out that everyone has forgotten it.

Someday, I’ll turn my archives over to my children and grandchildren. I hope they’ll be interested in at least some of it, because it’s important for young people to be reminded that old people had pre-decrepit existences. But I would continue collecting, organizing, and preserving even if I knew that no one but me would ever look. Thinking about my life and the history of my family is interesting to me—just as it was for my mother—and I agree with Marilu Henner, who writes, “We all owe it to ourselves as living beings to take full advantage of our own experiences.” My preservation projects have given me a nearly Einsteinian view of time and mortality. I picture myself in a nursing home—not soon, I hope!—surrounded by photo books and letters and e-mail excerpts and portable hard drives, busily adding images to text, reading and rereading everything, creating compilations of compilations, contentedly living forever, backward and forward, until the end. ♦

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How new LGBTQ organization is preparing for its first Salina Pride event this Saturday

A new organization representing the LGBTQ community in Salina is set to host its first Pride celebration this Saturday.

The Smoky Hill Equality Coalition is hosting Salina Pride from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 1 at Oakdale Park with guest speakers, games for all ages, a drag show and more.

Josh Gilmore, founder, director and president of Smoky Hill Equality, said the organization got its start in August 2023 and is using this first Pride event to not only celebrate but also to educate and engage the community.

"Our objective is to introduce Smoky Hill to the LGBT community of Salina and celebrate Pride and the individuality of the LGBT culture," Gilmore said.

Education and information part of Salina Pride

Part of the education on that day will be a foldout wall with history and information about LGBTQ figures and icons, with QR codes that can provide even more information.

Gilmore said this information is important to those outside of the LGBTQ community and particularly to those within it.

"As we grow and come out of high school, we're not taught our own history in the LGBT culture," Gilmore said. "It's very vital for these young individuals to understand that they can grow and become anything they'd like to be."

He said by seeing other people like them, LGBTQ youth and community members can aspire to achieve some of the same goals, like winning a Nobel Prize, becoming a politician or producing films in Hollywood.

In addition to this wall of history and information, Gilmore said people will be speaking on LGBTQ-related topics throughout the day, such as mental health and suicide awareness and prevention, as well as a word from the leader of Kansas Pride, an event happening June 14 and 15 at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson.

Gilmore said groups and organizations will have booths to learn about opportunities in the community — such as Moms Demand Action, the League of Women Voters and other nonprofits that are LGBTQ-friendly and LGBTQ-oriented.

More: Youth Services at Salina Public Library to be updated with $3.6 million project announced

Entertainment at Salina Pride will include a drag show and games

Gilmore said Salina Pride will not only be about getting information but also about celebrating the LGBTQ community in Salina.

Some of that celebration will be with such entertainment as local baton group Taylor's Twirlers and music and games throughout the day.

One of the main events during Pride will be a drag show starting at 2 p.m. Gilmore said the show will incorporate three different acts with breaks between where the queens and kings will play games with the audience.

"(This show is) family-friendly, there's nothing provocative about this," Gilmore said. "I've already gone over the music with (the performers) and they all know it is family-friendly entertainment."

Finally, after the show, which will end around 5 p.m., Gilmore said there will be more music, final thank you's and announcements before organizers and volunteers help break things down.

Find more info about Smoky Hill Equality Coalition and Salina Pride

Gilmore said this event is a way to let people in the community know that Smoky Hill Equality is here and ready to help the community wherever it is needed.

One of these ways has already begun, as the coalition is collecting hygiene products — including toothpaste, soap, shampoo, tampons, condoms and more — that will be going to Salina Shares to pass out during laundry nights there. That drive will continue through Salina Pride.

"We're trying to extend that hygiene drive to make a very big impact on the homeless community here," Gilmore said.

Though he has spent time in other places around the country, Gilmore said he is a third-generation Salinan who wants to make a lasting impact on his home and this coalition, which has established an office in the Temple, registered as a nonprofit and more to make that legacy a reality.

"Smoky Hill is really about bringing the community together, not only the LGBT community, but the allies that lie beyond our community," Gilmore said. "It's important for all of us to come together during this month and see that when we're cooperative with each other, (there's) much we can bring to the community."

For more information about the Smoky Hill Equality Coalition, visit its website at smokyhillequalitycoalition.com . More information about Salina Pride can also be found on that website or on the event's Facebook page .

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PDF Strategies for Essay Writing
When you write an essay for a course you are taking, you are being asked not only to create a product (the essay) but, more importantly, to go through a process of thinking more deeply about a question or problem related to the course. By writing about a source or collection of sources, you will have the chance to wrestle with some of the
Academic Guides: Common Assignments: Journal Entries
Journal Entries. This guide includes tips on writing common course assignments. Both in traditional and online classrooms, journal entries are used as tools for student reflection. By consciously thinking about and comparing issues, life experiences, and course readings, students are better able to understand links between theory and practice ...
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So, please pick up a pen and start making notes for writing your research paper. Step 1. Choose the right research topic. Although it is important to be passionate and curious about your research article topic, it is not enough. Sometimes the sheer excitement of having an idea may take away your ability to focus on and question the novelty ...
The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay
The essay writing process consists of three main stages: Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline. Writing: Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion. Revision: Check your essay on the content, organization, grammar, spelling ...
How to Write a Research Paper
Develop a thesis statement. Create a research paper outline. Write a first draft of the research paper. Write the introduction. Write a compelling body of text. Write the conclusion. The second draft. The revision process. Research paper checklist.
How to Write an Academic Essay in 6 Simple Steps
Step 4: Writing the Essay Conclusion. Your essay conclusion is the final paragraph of your essay and primarily reminds your reader of your thesis. It also wraps up your essay and discusses your findings more generally. The conclusion typically makes up about 10% of the text, like the introduction.
Write and structure a journal article well
Abstract. The purpose of your abstract is to express the key points of your research, clearly and concisely. An abstract must always be well considered, as it is the primary element of your work that readers will come across. An abstract should be a short paragraph (around 300 words) that summarizes the findings of your journal article.
Writing a Research Paper Introduction
Table of contents. Step 1: Introduce your topic. Step 2: Describe the background. Step 3: Establish your research problem. Step 4: Specify your objective (s) Step 5: Map out your paper. Research paper introduction examples. Frequently asked questions about the research paper introduction.
How to Write an Essay
How to Prepare to Write an Essay. Before you start writing your essay, you need to figure out who you're writing for (audience), what you're writing about (topic/theme), and what you're going to say (argument and thesis). This section contains links to handouts, chapters, videos and more to help you prepare to write an essay.
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In this article, our thesis is threefold. First, there are many effective strategies for building up to that statement. Second, underlying these strategies is a smaller set of common purposes. And finally, working with an awareness of both the first and second principles is a sound way to write strong introductions. Strategies and Purposes.
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But I will give you some tips to help you get started on a journaling practice. 1. Choose your kind of journal. You have several options for how to keep your journal. A book, where you write with a pen or pencil onto paper: Write in a book that is not so pretty you are afraid to write in it.
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Watch on. In this video, Kathleen Adams, Founder of the Center for Journal Therapy, shares what she likes about using short lists as a journaling technique. 7. Alphapoem. Write the alphabet, A-Z, or any collection of letters, vertically down the side of a page. Then write a poem in which each successive line begins with the next letter.
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The introduction section should be approximately three to five paragraphs in length. Look at examples from your target journal to decide the appropriate length. This section should include the elements shown in Fig. 1. Begin with a general context, narrowing to the specific focus of the paper.
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In an academic essay, you typically introduce a journal article in the first sentence of a paragraph. Then, use the sentences that follow to show how the material from the article relates to the rest of your essay. Submit a Tip. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Submit.
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5.Date your entry. It is important to keep each journal entry dated, so you know when you wrote it. You will want to go back through your journal at some point and see when the entries of the topic you're writing about were added. Also, it will be nice to see how you were feeling at different points in your life.
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To begin writing in your journal, label your first entry with the date, time and, optionally, location. For instance, you might start with "Monday, January 1, 1.00p.m., Bedroom". Next, if you'd like to, write a salutation. Many journal-writers like to use "Dear Journal" or a similar greeting to start each entry.
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Common Assignments: Journal Entries

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Writing a Research Paper for an Academic Journal: A Five-step Recipe for Perfection

Secret ingredient 1: Make notes before you begin the writing process

Step 1. Choose the right research topic

Secret ingredient 2: Use a thematic approach while drafting your manuscript

Step 2: Know your audience

Secret ingredient 3: Clearly define your key terms and key concepts

Step 3: Structure your research paper with care

Introduction

Discussion and conclusion

Step 4: Cite credible research sources

Cite academic journals

Cite an official online source

Do not cite the following sources

Step 5: Pick the correct journal

Secret ingredient 4: Follow the journal guidelines

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How to Write a Journal: 6 Tips to Get Started

4 Advantages of Keeping a Journal

1. Remember details

2. Find old friends

3. Help process feelings and ideas

4. Preserve the writer's history

6 Tips for How to Keep a Journal (and What to Write in a Journal!)

1. Choose your kind of journal

2. Date your entry

3. Tell the truth

4. Write down details

5. Write down what you felt

6. Write a lot or a little

Bonus tip: How to write a journal entry

When to Journal

Pamela Hodges

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