Over half a decade ago, I wrote a blog post called “16 Rules of Journaling I’ve Learned after 5 Years” where I shared my experience of keeping a journal. I shared the different apps and methods I had tried and the lessons I had learned. At the time, I was still figuring out what worked best for me, but I’ve finally found success with a website called 750words. This website has helped me stay consistent and make the most out of my journal entries.

Long story short, over the years, I’ve picked up a few rules that have helped me make the most out of my journal writing. These rules include writing daily, using Markdown, writing with meaning, avoiding self-censorship, valuing positivity, being honest, having an ego check, being open-sourced, avoiding burnout, loving my past self, and accumulating and reviewing. These are the rules that have worked for me, but I encourage readers to pick and choose the rules that work best for them.

Since then, I’ve taken the craft of writing in my journal a lot more seriously, setting a 100-day streak and just recently getting to over 500,000 words written since I began my digital journal on 750words in 2011.

As time passed, I’ve continued to learn and grow as a journal writer. I’ve found new techniques and strategies that have helped me take my journal writing to the next level. I will delve deeper into the art of journal writing and show you how to turn your mundane journal entries into fascinating, narrative-driven stories that are rich in imagery, characterization, and setting.

A Journal Entry from 2016:

An old screenshot of 750words back in 2016.
An old screenshot of 750words back in 2016.

A Journal Entry from 2023:

A new screenshot of my current streak on 750words!
A new screenshot of my current streak on 750words!

Elevating the Craft

Take a look at the differences between the two following journal entries:

Today, I went to work. I had a meeting in the morning and then spent the rest of the day at my desk. I went to the gym after work. I had dinner at home and watched TV before going to bed.

Vs.

As I stepped out of my front door and into the bustling city, the sounds of honking cars and chatter filled my ears. I walked to the train station, the autumn air biting at my cheeks, and the leaves rustling under my feet. The morning meeting at work was filled with tension as my boss and colleagues discussed the upcoming project deadline. After the meeting, I sat at my desk, the hum of the fluorescent lights above me and the clicking of keyboard keys providing background noise to my thoughts. As the day dragged on, I found my mind wandering to the gym and the release of endorphins that awaited me there. The burn in my muscles as I lifted weights and the pounding of my feet on the treadmill provided a welcome escape from the monotony of the office. After my workout, I returned home, the smell of the homemade dinner my roommate had prepared wafting through the air. As I sat on the couch, watching my favorite TV show, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the small moments of excitement and pleasure that had broken up the monotony of my day.

One of the most common struggles that journallers face is how to make their daily entries interesting and engaging to read. After all, when the majority of our days are filled with routine tasks and mundane activities, it can be difficult to find the story in our lives. But, with a few simple techniques, you can turn your journal entries into fascinating, narrative-driven stories that are rich in imagery, characterization, and setting.

The key to making your journal entries more interesting is to focus on the sensory details of your day. Instead of simply listing the events of your day, try to include as many sensory details as possible. This can include the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures you encountered throughout the day. For example, instead of writing “I went to the park,” you could write:

“I walked to the park, the sun warming my skin and the sound of children’s laughter filling the air. The grass was soft under my feet and the smell of blooming flowers filled my nose.”

These sensory details will help to make your journal entries more vivid and interesting to read.

Another technique to make your journal entries more engaging is to incorporate dialogue into your writing. Including dialogue in your journal entries can help to bring your stories to life and give them a sense of immediacy. It can also help to reveal character traits and relationships. For example, instead of writing “I met with my friend,” you could write:

“I met with my best friend, Jane. We sat on a wooden park bench, the summer sun shining down on us. “How was your day?” she asked cheerfully. “It was okay,” I shrugged a reply. “Just busy at work.” As we chatted, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for her easygoing nature and how she always knew how to cheer me up.

In addition to focusing on sensory details and incorporating dialogue, it’s also important to use descriptive language to create a sense of atmosphere and setting. Use descriptive words and phrases to create mental images that will transport the reader to the time and place you’re describing. For example, instead of writing “I went to the beach,” you could write:

“I walked to the beach, the sand warm between my toes, the sound of waves crashing against the shore filling my ears. The sun was setting, casting a orange and pink hues over the water. The salty sea breeze blowing through my hair.”

Another important element to include in your journal entries is the development of characters. Your journal entries may be about your personal experiences, but that doesn’t mean you can’t also develop interesting and complex characters within your writing. Think about the people you interact with on a daily basis and try to bring them to life on the page. Describe their physical characteristics, their personality, and their actions. This will help to make your journal entries more dynamic and engaging to read.

Finally, it’s essential to add conflict to your journal entries. Every good story needs conflict, and your journal entries are no exception. Think about the challenges you faced throughout the day and how you overcame them, or how you reacted to unexpected events. For example, instead of writing “I had a difficult day at work,” you could write:

“I had a difficult day at work, my boss was on my case about the deadline for the project. I felt overwhelmed and frustrated, but I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I’ve handled difficult situations before and I can do it again. I worked late into the night to make sure the project was completed on time, and the satisfaction of a job well done made it all worth it.”

It’s important to reflect on your experience at the end of each journal entry. Take time to consider the emotions you felt, what you learned, and how the experience affected you. Reflecting on your experiences will not only help you to understand yourself better, but it will also give your journal entries a sense of purpose and meaning. It will also give you an opportunity to think about the bigger picture and how your day fits into the larger narrative of your life.

Incorporating Larger Themes and Making Your Writing More Literary

Once you find yourself more comfortable with the above techniques, you may find yourself wanting to take your journal writing to the next level by incorporating larger themes and making your writing more literary.

One way to do this is to start looking for patterns and themes in your journal entries. As you write, you may begin to notice certain recurring themes in your life, such as relationships, work, or personal growth. By identifying these themes, you can begin to explore them in greater depth in your writing. For example, if you find that you frequently write about your struggles with self-doubt, you could explore this theme further by writing about specific instances where you felt self-doubt, examining the causes of your self-doubt, and considering ways to overcome it. By taking a deeper dive into these themes, you can turn your journal entries into more meaningful and purposeful pieces of writing.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different literary techniques such as metaphor and symbolism. Metaphors and symbols can add depth and meaning to your writing, making it more evocative and powerful. For example, instead of writing “I felt lost,” you could write “I felt like a ship adrift in a sea of confusion.” This metaphor not only adds imagery to your writing, but it also gives the reader a deeper understanding of how you were feeling.

Another way to make your writing more interesting is to try different perspectives. When you’re used to writing in first person, it can be refreshing to try writing in third person or even second person. For example, instead of writing “I walked to the park,” you could write “She walked to the park.” This small change in perspective can give your writing a whole new feel and make it more engaging to read.

Lastly, it’s essential to keep your journal well-organized. This will make it easier for you to go back and reference specific entries, and it will also make your journal more visually appealing. You can organize your journal chronologically, thematically, or by specific topic. You can also use different colored pens or markers to highlight specific entries or themes. You can also consider using a journaling app or software which allows you to tag and filter entries, and also set reminders to journal regularly.

Organizing and Archiving Your Journal for Memoir Writing

As your journal grows, it can become increasingly difficult to keep track of all of your entries and make sense of the overall narrative. In this third part, we will discuss ways to organize and archive your journal to make it more easily readable and useful as a source for memoir writing.

It’s essential to establish a consistent filename convention for your journal entries. This could include the date of the entry, a descriptive title, and a file extension (such as .txt or .md for plain text or markdown files). This will make it easy to locate specific entries and keep track of them over time. Additionally, you can use folders to organize your entries by year, month, or theme. For example, you could have a folder for each year and then subfolders for each month, or a folder for a specific theme such as “relationships” or “career”. Here are a few examples of folder hierarchies and filename conventions that you could use for a markdown-based journal system:

Example 1:

journal/  
|\-- 2021/  
|   |\-- 01-January/  
|   |   |\-- 2021-01-01-entry-title.md  
|   |   |\-- 2021-01-02-entry-title.md  
|   |\-- 02-February/  
|   |   |\-- 2021-02-01-entry-title.md  
|   |   |\-- 2021-02-02-entry-title.md  
|\-- 2020/  
|   |\-- 01-January/  
|   |   |\-- 2020-01-01-entry-title.md  
|   |   |\-- 2020-01-02-entry-title.md

In this example, the journal is organized by year and then by month, with each entry having a filename that includes the date of the entry and a descriptive title.

Example 2:

journal/  
|\-- relationships/  
|   |\-- 2021-01-01-entry-title.md  
|   |\-- 2021-01-02-entry-title.md  
|\-- career/  
|   |\-- 2020-12-01-entry-title.md  
|   |\-- 2020-12-02-entry-title.md

In this example, the journal is organized by theme, with each entry having a filename that includes the date of the entry and a descriptive title.

Example 3:

journal/  
|\-- 2021/  
|   |\-- January.md  
|   |\-- February.md  
|\-- 2020/  
|   |\-- December.md  
|   |\-- November.md

In this example, the journal is organized by year and then by month, with each month having a single markdown file that contains all of the journal entries for that month, this file name is the name of the month. In each case, the filename convention is clear, and the folder hierarchy is easy to understand, it’s also easy to search and filter the journal entries based on the metadata included in the filename.

Another way to organize your journal is by using YAML metadata. YAML (short for “YAML Ain’t Markup Language”) is a simple and human-readable data serialization format that can be used to add metadata to your journal entries. This could include information such as the date of the entry, the author, keywords, and even a summary of the entry. By including this metadata, you can easily search and filter your journal entries, making it easier to find specific entries and themes. Additionally, you can use a text editor or markdown editor with YAML frontmatter support to add metadata to your journal entries, which will allow you to edit and structure your journal entries more efficiently. Here are some examples:

\---  
date: 2022-01-01  
title: New Year's Resolutions  
author: Walt Whitman  
keywords: resolutions, goals, personal development  
mood: determined  
location: Home  
summary: Reflecting on the past year and setting new goals for the year!  
\---  


\---  
date: 2022-07-15  
title: Summer Vacation  
author: Emily Dickinson  
keywords: travel, family, adventure  
mood: excited  
location: Beach  
summary: The family spent the summer vacation on a beautiful beach  
\---

\---  
date: 2022-12-25  
title: Christmas Day  
author: T.S. Eliot  
keywords: family, holiday, traditions  
mood: nostalgic  
location: Home  
summary: Reflecting on family traditions and feeling nostalgic on Christmas day  
\---

Another tip for keeping your journal organized is to regularly review and summarize your entries. This could be as simple as reading through your journal entries once a month or once a year and highlighting any recurring themes or patterns that you notice. You can also create summary or summary and highlights of your journal entries, which will make it easier to understand the overall narrative and identify areas that you may want to explore further in your memoir writing.

Finally, it’s essential to have a backup plan in place for your journal. This could include regularly backing up your journal entries to a cloud-based storage service or an external hard drive, or printing out copies of your journal entries and storing them in a safe place. By having a backup plan in place, you can ensure that your journal entries are safe and secure, even if something happens to your computer or other digital devices.

SUMMARY:

  • Use vivid imagery and descriptive language to bring your journal entries to life
  • Incorporate characterization and setting to add depth and context to your writing
  • Look for larger themes and connections between your entries to add meaning and purpose to your journal
  • Experiment with different perspectives and writing styles to find new angles and interest in your writing
  • Use folders and YAML metadata to organize and archive your journal for easy searching and filtering
  • Establish a consistent filename convention for your journal entries
  • Regularly review and summarize your entries to identify recurring themes and patterns
  • Have a backup plan in place to ensure the safety and security of your journal entries
  • Create a summary or highlights of your journal entries to make it easier to understand the overall narrative
  • Use your journal as a source for memoir writing, by exploring further the themes and patterns identified in your review and summary
  • Incorporate literary techniques such as similes, metaphors and other figures of speech to make your writing more interesting and evocative.
  • Use your journal as a tool for self-reflection, to gain insight and understanding into yourself and your experiences.
  • Be honest and raw with your journal writing.
  • Keep your journal entries consistent and regular!