The Journal

The Journal

 

By

Johnie H. Scott, M.A., M.F.A.

Pan African Studies Department

California State University, Northridge

 

The following guidelines apply to preparing and maintaining your Journal. Keep in mind the fact that the Journal, while representing your own personal statements on certain events at given points in time, nonetheless is to meet certain basic criteria. Those criteria include the following:

 

  1. All entries that are listed in your course syllabus or given verbally by the Professor must be addressed in your Journal (Note: You can, of course, enter “personal entries” as well. In fact, you are encouraged to do so but these are not to replace or supersede those expected for the class itself.).
  2. Do not use pencil when writing in your Journal. The entries are to be done using blue or black ink only – no red, brown or different colored ink is to be used. All entries are to be written on one side of the page.
  3. The very first page in your Journal is the Cover Page. This page will contain the title that your give your Journal, your name and student file number, the course and ticket number, the academic term during which the Journal was developed, the phrase “Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for (name the course by ticket number and title – e.g., Pan African Studies 100, ‘Introduction to African American Culture’), and the date of formal submission for final grading.
  4. Each Journal is to have its own Table of Contents. That is the purpose of the two pages immediately following the Cover Page. This Table of Contents lists each and every Journal entry by number, title and pages

Ex.

 

Table of Contents

No.                                                    Entry                                     Pages

                                                     Preface                                           iv

1                                  Why Did I Choose This Class?                      1-2

2                                  Three Goals I Have for this Class                  3-4

3                                  My Major Concern About College                5

4                                  The Aftermath of Sept. 11th (Personal)          6-8

5                                  A Portrait of My Parents                                 9-10

6                                  The Lakers Go for 3-Peat  (Special)               11

 

The pages for the Table of Contents are enumerated bottom-centered, using lower case Roman numerals “i” and “ii.”

 

  1. Each Journal is to have a Preface. This immediately follows the Table of Contents. It is paginated bottom-center with a lower-case Roman numeral “iv.” The Preface is written in letter form starting with “Dear Readers:” This Preface tells how the Journal came into existence and the technique used. You want to indicate when most of the entries were written, and where. For those unable (unlike your Professor) to read all of the entries, take time to identify 3-4 that you feel strongly about in recommending those to the readers. Conclude the Preface by crediting those who gave you support and encouragement along with way. Then, sign it as you would a letter with your name, the location (i.e., your hometown) and date of writing.
  2. Every Journal entry should have written in the upper right hand margin the date of writing (e.g., 6/17/02) and the time of writing (e.g., 9:15pm). On the top line, every entry is to have the Entry # (e.g., Entry #16) followed by the title of that particular entry.
  3. Every entry is to have a Center of Gravity sentence: a single, complete sentence with a subject and a verb that summarizes the main idea contained or reflected in that particular entry. The Center of Gravity sentence follows the entry, as you skip a line and write the phrase “Center of Gravity” before writing the actual sentence.
  4. The first actual Journal entry is paginated with the Arabic numeral “1.” All of the entries are numbered sequentially so that, by the end of the semester, you will have anywhere from 38-plus pages numbered as such. That is why your Entry #24 might be found on pages 50-52, for example. The numbering for page 1 is bottom-centered and it is your choice whether to continue numbering bottom centered or to have pages 2-conclusion in the upper right hand margin right after the time of the entry.
  5. Make certain all entries carry a title (i.e., the converse would be acquiring a book that had no chapter headings!). This includes any “personal” entries you may have developed. Make a special note that it is always a good feature to include newspaper clippings and photos to illustrate entries.
  6. Take pride in your Journal. This is your book. You want it to look good. Don’t submit a Journal that is smudged, torn, damaged as this reflects on you. Always strive for professionalism in your work.

 

The Journal Technique

 

The Journal writing technique is actually very simple and straightforward, being similar to freewriting. I describe it accordingly:

 

1)      Write nonstop for absolutely no less than 10 full minutes. During this time, do not stare up to the ceiling or heavens for inspiration. Do not allow yourself to be distracted. Find a quiet place, if at all possible, to write. If you, for any reason, run out of things to write, do not stop. Instead, continue by writing those old-fashioned standards: “I have run out of things to say.” The point is to discipline your mind to keep focused on the task – write nonstop for that full ten minutes.

2)      During the time you are writing, don’t worry about spelling and errors in grammar and mechanics. That will only keep you from generating ideas. Focus on the task in front of you which is to generate as much thought as possible in that ten minutes of time you have.

3)      When the ten minutes is completed, stop. (Note: The time will come when you have topics where you want to write for longer than the ten minutes. When that happens, you have “arrived.” Keep writing, at that point, until you are finished. But in the meantime, don’t cheat yourself! – always do the ten minutes. Look at it as giving yourself ten minutes out of a full day – a small investment for a very large return!

4)      Now, skip a line and then write the phrase “Center of Gravity.” Reread your entry, then summarize what appears to be the main idea into one sentence, complete with a subject and a verb. This is your “Center of Gravity” sentence.

Ex.

 

Journal Entry: Murder On a Sunday Morning

 

Center of Gravity: Murder on a Sunday Morning is the film I think best tells what it is like growing up in the inner city today for young people.

 

 

You have now completed your Journal entry and are ready for the next.

 

Enjoy.