The first rule as reinforced by both Leslie Hay and Dr. Craigie is that there is no one 'right way' to journal. Every person will discover a different approach that works for him or her.
Words are just symbols, as are drawings, pictures or musical notes.
There are many different ways we can express ourselves depending on our talents and interests. Journaling can be in the form of writing letters to either yourself or a close confidant, or simply through noted insights or goal setting. Regardless of your method, dedicating a specific time of day to do your expressive writing is helpful in establishing a routine. In her book Cameron explores techniques to unleash one's creativity of which journaling is an integral step. Her prescription is to simply write out three long-hand pages every morning for better or worse as a way to clear one's thoughts for the day.