Over the course of the semester, my process of writing journal entries has become a type of ritual. I will sit down at my desk with my notebook open, the book (or film or document) we are discussing on my desk, and my laptop showing a word document with the week’s prompt typed on it. Then after thinking about the prompt for the entry, while I read or watch the subject assigned I will jot down some notes, highlight quotes, write down my reactions, and include any thoughts I have that might help me answer the prompt in my notebook. It is not until after the chapter/book is read or the film is watched that I will begin to write my journal entry. While I understand that they are different, I tend to look at journal entries as little essay- responses or extremely polished notes. This might be because I’ve had little experience writing journal entries for class except in my AP Literature class where we would post our essay assignments on a class webpage.
I believe that note taking is similar to the foundation for a journal entry. When you write a journal entry you need to be clear, organized, and know what you want to say. Notes provide the basis for your thoughts without having the added requirement of staying centered around one topic. Notes can include all of the ideas and things that you think of, not just what you will use to answer your prompt like a journal would. This freedom, I’ve found, helps you eventually center on a claim because you can look back at all of your ideas and see if there is any overlap, relation, or similarity. I’ve noticed that when I’m watching a film, my notes will focus on my reactions, filming techniques, and the things that I find particularly poignant at the time. Sometimes my film notes will include the time or scene at which something occurs. When I’m summarizing, my notes will often look like a brief outline of the chapter, similar to a table of contents. If I’m reading a book/novel, my notes will be jotted down on sticky notes or pieces of paper that I can slip into the pages.
While I feel that note taking itself is an action that has benefits, I believe writing a journal entry magnifies those benefits. Writing a journal entry forces us to really understand the content of the media were focusing on. You cannot write a journal entry based off of something that you skimmed… you really need to know the material that you discussing. Although journal entries are more work, I’m glad we are doing them. Looking back on my entries, I’ve noticed that I’m discussing and analyzing techniques (whether they be artistic, literary, or film) and aspects that I most likely wouldn’t have noticed had I been just asked to watch the movie or read the book. I find myself questioning authors’ intentions more, rather than just accepting them as fact and moving on. For example, when writing about The Arrival, I hypothesize on Tan’s reasoning for weathering the pages instead of just noting that he did so. Journal entries don’t only force one to understand the topic, they also make one look for deeper meanings.
