DavidRM Software's The Journal Newsletter

May/June/July 2007
Volume 8, Issue 7

Introduction
The Journal News
Tips & Tricks
Writing Exercises
Submissions

INTRODUCTION

Is it almost halfway through Summer 2007 already? Oops.

I rather dropped the ball on the newsletter this summer, due to a few personal issues (finding a house, buying a house, selling a house, etc.) which have--finally!--settled back into a "more normal" routine. To prevent a similar lapse in the future, though, I've added a reminder for myself. (Reminders have been in The Journal for over a year now, and I only just created a newsletter reminder? Shocking, I know.)

Even though The Journal Newsletter has been silent, there has been quite a bit of news. In May and June, I worked on a new, Windows Vista-compliant release of The Journal that came out in June. Then in July, The Journal and Steve Pavlina (of www.stevepavlina.com) teamed up to create a new add-on: Steve Pavlina's Templates. Look in the The Journal News below for more information.

I hope your own summer is pleasantly eventful!

Thank you for using The Journal!

THE JOURNAL NEWS

Download the latest update of The Journal from here:
http://www.davidrm.com/download/jnl4setup.exe

Check to see if you have the most recent update of The Journal by clicking on the Help menu (in The Journal) and choosing Check for Update of The Journal.

Add-on Packages Available

Steve Pavlina's Templates - 20 journaling exercises to help you discover your life purpose, assess your relationships, solve your problems, and more!
Learn more about Steve Pavlina's Templates for The Journal.

MemoryGrabber - Start your autobiography or help your loved ones start theirs.
Learn more about MemoryGrabber for The Journal.

Writing Prompts 1 - Improve your writing skills!
Learn more about Writing Prompts 1.

Writing Prompts 2 - Prose Challenges by Mike Hommel - Stretch your mind and your writing skills!!
Learn more about Writing Prompts 2.

Devotional Prompts 1 - Keep a record of your reflections about God, yourself, and others!
Learn more about Devotional Prompts 1.

Extended Security - Do you need a higher level of security?
Learn more about Extended Security for The Journal.

To order the add-on packages for The Journal, or to order The Journal on CDROM:
1. Click on the Help menu in The Journal.
2. Choose "Upgrade The Journal".

TIPS & TRICKS

TRICK: i-to-I Auto-Correction

You can use The Journal's spell checker's auto-correction to automatically replace i (lowercase) with I (uppercase).

Here's how:

1. Click on the "User" menu and choose "User Preferences..."

2. Bring up the "Spell Checker" tab.

3. Click on the "Dictionaries" button.

4. Select the dictionary with your user name (Example: J3Spell-David), then click on "Edit".

5. Bring up the "Auto-Correct Pairs" tab.

6. Replace: i

7. With: I

8. Click on "Add", and then "OK", "OK", and finally "Done".

Of course, you can create other auto-corrections, as well. And now you know how. =)

TIP: Using Tables for Text Layout (putting text beside an image)

You can use tables to control the layout of text and pictures. The most obvious example of this is using a table to put text beside a picture.

Here's how you do it:

1. Click on the "Table" menu and choose "Insert Table..."

2. Number of Columns: 2

3. Number of Rows: 1

4. Size Table Manually: 100 percent

5. Click on the left table cell.

6. Insert the image ("Insert" menu, "Insert Image...").

7. Use the mouse to resize the left table cell to fit the image.

8. Click on the right table cell.

9. Enter the text to be beside the image.

You can also use this to create 2-column (or 3-column, or more) text in an entry.

WRITING EXERCISES

Free Writing Prompt - Write for 20 minutes using the following as your starter: "This year, on my summer vacation, I ..."

Journaling Prompt - Have you ever justified yourself with that old saying (and 1970's disco lyric): "You gotta be cruel to be kind"? Were you rationalizing then? Are you rationalizing now? Do you have that song stuck in your now (like I do)?

Memoir Prompt - Did you live in the same house throughout your childhood? Or, like me, did you move around a lot? List the places you remember living as a child. Do you have any special memories (good or bad) from each house you lived in?

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 or another The Journal-related topic, we would love to hear from you.

Submissions for the newsletter should be sent to: davidrm@davidrm.com

If you are submitting for a particulare 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.