Paper notebooks give you total control and privacy, but you won’t have a backup option unless you make copies. [2] X Research source Keep in mind that anything you store online is susceptible to hacking, so even if your online diary is password protected or private, there’s always a chance someone could get in. [3] X Research source

Some great options for paper diaries include the ‘Leuchtturm’ 1917 notebook, Moleskin notebooks, or Whitelines notebooks. [5] X Research source Most stores have a notebook section – browse the shelves and see if anything pops out at you. If you don’t love your diary, you probably won’t write in it. To increase the security of a paper diary, you can purchase one with a lock on it. Just make sure you keep the key in a secure place.

To make sure you stick to your writing schedule, you can use a smartphone, your watch, or your computer to set a reminder to write every day at the same time.

Setting a timer can help you write within the time limit without having to check your watch every few minutes.

Take things further. If you are writing at home, sit in the same armchair or at the same table each time.

You can also copy down new poems or quotes as you go.

If you want to get fancy, write out the full date, like: July 14, 2018. If you want to keep things simpler, try: 7/14/2018 or 7/14/18. If you plan on keeping multiple journals, one for each year, you can write 7/14.

Traditional paragraph-like entries To-do lists Drawing Poetry Stories

You don’t always have to write short entries, however. Sometimes you’ll find you have a lot to say about your day or something in particular that happened. It’s okay to write long entries in those cases.

Look online for “writing prompts. " The internet is a great resource for these type of thing.

If you’re not quite sure how to start this type of entry, simply format it as if you’re actually writing a letter, with the date and address of the person you’re writing to at the top.

For example, let’s say something really embarrassing happened to you at school or work. Writing down all the details helps you get them all out of your head, and might prevent you from reliving the event over and over.

These can be as simple as “the sun was shining” or as detailed as a conversation that you had with a friend.