I have a reading journal and I’ve been using it to track my progress through the years. I love it and it’s very helpful but I notice my actual individual book entries (fiction) are lacking in substance and meaning. They read more like day-in-the-life diary entry, I might mention something important but it’s just recording vibes. I find these entries might mention something important but it’s mostly just rambly, and I don’t include major parts of books or big things that stuck with me.
Reflecting on my journal I do not like this. I want to utilize it more as a tool for reflection, growth, and development. I also want to capture more of my actual feelings, ideas, likes/dislikes, more depth and detail. I’ve looked around various sources for prompts and questions but they all seem like basic reviews or like a book report.
There’s also a huge human element to journaling, so I want to know from other readers or those who journal, what questions or prompts have been most valuable that you’ve used in your experience? Are there any specific questions or formats that you use to capture in depth your thoughts on a book as you read it? Anything you look back on that you’re glad you wrote down? I’m finding I have a few nuggets in my entries but mostly noise, which is why I ask all this.
Thank you in advance!
by definitelyofflinern