Private journal writing is a great way to practice your writing daily. In addition, it can be a very therapeutic process because you are writing your thoughts down every day and possibly working out feelings, emotions, and life’s daily problems. You can do all this without worrying about other people reading your words. There is comfort in the plain fact that your writing will not be read by anyone but yourself.
Now “when you first start, your writing may feel stilted or awkward…just keep going and soon you’ll find thoughts will begin to flow and you’ll begin writing automatically. Sometimes I don’t think I will write any more than a couple of lines…but once I get going, it begins to flow and sometimes I end up with a couple of pages” ((May 2008). Some days you may think that you do not have a lot to write about, and then surprise yourself as you fill up page after page. Regardless, the length of your journal entries does not matter. Brevity can be nice, but sometimes you might find that you have a lot to put on your page. There is a wonderful freedom here that mirrors the freedom in free writing.
Another great thing about journal writing is that is gives you the ability to reflect on your writing and on your life. Therefore, “it’s beneficial to date every entry e.g. Wednesday 19/3/08. This is useful when you want to reread your journal; you can see how you were going at a certain time in your life compared to where you are now” (May 2008). Reflection is an important thing to practice as a writer, and this type of writing simultaneously allows you to reflect on your writing and on your own life.
Works Cited May, J. (2008, September 15). Journal Writing: 10 tips on getting started! Retrieved June 8, 2010, from Aspiration Plus: http://www.aspirationsplus.com