My journal looks like a hormonal teenager lives inside of it. I rarely write in a direct line of thought, although I do often record memories or AHA experiences & it's a great way to process it. When I write about anything heavy, I've noticed that I rarely make it to the end of the "story". Something about the way writing slows me down to "tell" the story also helps me to process it somehow. I've learned that's it's ok to stop wherever I want to - it's MY story after all. The point is to "get there" in my head & heart - my written work isn't being read or graded by anyone else.
I also doodle like mad, keep lists like my "Recovery Checklist" of buzzwords & phrases - I can flip to that list when I am feel like I'm spiraling & ground myself with reminders like HALT, stay hydrated, are you sleeping well?, more will be revealed, etc. etc. etc.
When I write to others, those become burn letters for me - not something I want to give energy to by revisiting over & over once it is healed. Not something I want to create a permanent record of. I connect to it as "woundology" as described by Caroline Myss - so when I figure out how to heal a wound I also work on not using it as a way to create ongoing connections with others. It's a constant work in progress - but as long as there IS progress, it's all good!