The Journal Newsletter
Introduction
I hope everyone had a Happy July 4th! (And a couple happy weeks since then. =) )
The big news for July is The Journal’s Web page overhaul/update/face lift. Check out the new look at:
This month, Susan Michael adds another couple writing exercises, and our tip is about color code your category tabs. Finally, Wayne Watson tells us how he uses The Journal to help disabled veterans of the Vietnam War.
If you would like to share how *you* use The Journal, I would love to hear from you. You don’t even need to ask permission. Just email me your story (support@davidrm.com) and tell me how you want to see your byline. See “Submission Information” at the end of this newsletter for more information.
Thank you for choosing The Journal!
The Journal News
The Journal 7 is the current release.
To see if you have the latest version of The Journal:
- Click on the “Help” menu in The Journal.
- Choose “Check for Update of The Journal”.
If you are using The Journal 6 (or an earlier version):
Tips & Tricks
TIP: How to have Colored Category Tabs
One of the new features of The Journal 7 is the ability to have color-coded tabs for your categories. All categories come with a default color, based on their type (calendar or loose-leaf), but you can select any color you want for the tab, and any color for the name of the category that’s displayed on the tab.
You have to turn this feature on before you will see the colored tabs. To do that: Click on the User menu and choose “User Preferences…” Bring up the “Category” tab. First, check the option “Categories are tabs (classic layout)”. Then check the option “Show category colors on tab and in tree”.
To set the colors for the tabs, click on the Category menu and choose “Category Properties…” You set the tab and tab text color on the “General” tab, where it says “Tab/Tree Color” and “Tab/Tree Text Color”.
The category’s tab color is displayed on the tab, and also as a border around the category’s calendar and entry tree.
NOTE: If you are using the new tree layout for categories, the category’s color will display in the tree when active. The color border is displayed normally.
Additional Note: This option doesn’t work if you have The Journal 6-style skins active. You have to be using The Journal 7’s new themes.
Writing Prompts
Free Writing Prompt – Write for 20 minutes using the following as your starter: “One Black Sharpie”
Journaling Prompt – Go back to a journal entry you made a year or more ago where you were struggling with a question or a choice. What would you tell yourself now? What advice do you wish you could have given your younger self?
Memoir Prompt – Make a list of the pets you’ve had in your life, both as a child and as an adult. If you have pictures, include them. Write the first memory that comes to mind about each pet.
From Susan Michael:
Prose Exercise – Write a story using the title “A Sketch of Imagination”
Poem Exercise – Write a poem using the title “What You Need to Survive”
How I Use The Journal
Editor’s Note: The Journal is used by people from all over the world, from many nations, representing a variety of personal, professional, and religious backgrounds. Journaling is by definition an intensely personal undertaking, so it should not be surprising that when someone writes about how or why they keep a journal that they will end up sharing personal information. The Journal Newsletter does not support any particular personal or religious lifestyle, but rather attempts to support anyone who keeps a journal, for whatever reason they do so. Thus, the views and opinions expressed in “How I Use The Journal” are solely those of the submitter and not necessarily the views of DavidRM Software. Whether you agree with the submitter’s views or not, I encourage you to read the article and glean from it the information and techniques that “ring true” for you.
By Wayne Watson, Sgt, 4th Infantry Division
I use The Journal for only one thing and for just that it was well worth the price.
I was in Vietnam in 1966-1967. We were in an infantry unit and in the field most of the time. I went to The National Archives at College Park, Maryland, and collected thousands of unit reports which detail our daily activity. I also went to the National Personell Records Center in St. Louis and got daily activity journals.
I have entered all the pertinent data on a daily basis into The Journal along with a note identifying which record contained the information.
Since the data is so searchable I have been able to provide needed info to many of my brothers in arms. The Journal has helped in reviewing info for some of the guys disability claims. Recently, a person writing a book had me search The Journal records to confirm info he wanted to have in the book.
Thanks for helping.
Wayne
Submission Information
If you would like to contribute to the “How I Use The Journal”, “Writing Exercises”, or “Tips & Tricks” sections, or would like to submit an article about journaling, writing, or another The Journal-related topic, we would love to hear from you.
Submissions for the newsletter should be sent to: support@davidrm.com
If you are submitting for a particular section, please indicate which one. Try to limit your submissions to 500-1000 words. Submissions may be edited for length and content.
If you prefer to remain anonymous, please state this in the email. Otherwise your name (but not your email) will be used in the article heading.
As always, if you have any suggestions for, or bug reports about, The Journal, please feel free to email them. Both are always welcome.