Creating Journal Entries with Microsoft Word

Journals aren't what they used to be. My first diary came with pink-lined pages, a heart-shaped lock, and two sets of keys. Fast forward 20 years and meet the electronic journal. It’s neither cute nor compact, but it can be accessed from almost anywhere and leaves plenty of room for entries and deletion. This article takes you through the process of creating your own electronic journal using Microsoft Word.

• Microsoft Word 2000 or later
• An internet connection to download the templates

Please refer to the Microsoft Word Templates section of this six-part article series for further information.

Here are some tips and tricks for customizing your own journals.

Diversify. Never limit yourself to one type of diary if you actually require several. For example, you can create one type of journal to record your personal entries and another to manage your gardening, or cooking entries. Microsoft Office Online has plenty of templates to choose from depending upon your personal needs. Feel free to explore.

Be consistent. Set aside a time to record your thoughts and experiences every day. If a thought pops into your head before that time, jot it down on a piece of paper and transfer it over later.

Be creative. Try adding photos, shapes, WordArt, or Clip Art. Never limit yourself to just plain text. Explore your creative side by adding a photo or two from an event and experimenting with different shapes and colors. For more information on working with shapes, please see below.

*Note: See Creating Greeting Cards with Microsoft Word for further information on inserting and editing pictures and WordArt. See Creating Certificates with Microsoft Word for further information on inserting Clip Art.

Working with Shapes

Shapes can help you to visually express your mood. If you are creating a personal diary, consider adding a legend to symbolize your moods. You can do this by creating a simple table as detailed below.

To create a mood/shape legend in Microsoft Word 2007:

1. Select the Insert tab.
2. Select Table and create a table with two columns and five rows.
3. In the first row and column, type Shape.
4. In the first row and second column, type Mood.
5. Select the Insert tab and click Shapes. A drop-down list of all the shapes will appear.
6. Choose a shape by clicking it. A crosshair will appear. Click and drag the crosshair into the cell directly below the Shape heading.
7. If you want to color the shape, click Shape Styles > Shape Fill and click a color to apply it to the current shape.
8. In the adjacent cell, type a description of the shape.
9. Repeat steps 5 to 8 until all of the cells have been filled in. Format the table as you wish and save it. You have now created a new mood legend using Shapes in Microsoft Word!