How to Create Your Own Online Journal Website (4 Steps)

By Carl Hose

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Journals can be fun to create and maintain. For some, journal writing is a way to discover things about yourself or others, gather your thoughts and give your emotions a place to rest. Some writers use a journal to help develop ideas for stories. Others might keep a journal for the simple enjoyment of writing. Whatever your reason, the Internet has opened doors to a world of journal writing online. Creating an online journal is easy and, thanks to the number of free options, doesn't have to cost you anything.

Step 1

Find a free Web provider. There are numerous free Web hosting services that offer easy-to-use tools for creating a custom website (see Resources section). Many of these providers have journal templates. Another option, easier for a beginner, is to sign up with a website designed to allow users to create online journals (see Resources section).

Step 2

Customize your journal environment. Online journal websites are basically blogs. You can typically choose a theme, colors or the font you want to use. Set your journal up so that it's comfortable for you, and therefore conducive to writing. The point of a journal is for you to write freely. Having a relaxing environment can help you do this.

Step 3

Set your journal up so formatting is consistent. Decide whether your headings will be titles or if they will simply include the day and date. Try to keep all the headings the same, which gives your journal a neat appearance and makes it easier to read.

Step 4

Decide whether you want your journal public or private. The advantage to using a journal-based website over a free Web host is that websites devoted strictly to journal writing tend to allow you to make your journal private, while a Web site with a free web host will be open to anyone who stumbles upon your journal.

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