How do you write notebook entries in Japanese as a beginner?
I just joined the italki community and noticed that they highly encourage users to write notebook posts in the language they're attempting to learn. However, I'm very hesitant to try to write a whole post in Japanese. Since my native langauge (English) and target language (Japanese) use completely different characters, it's not quite as easy as moving between languages with the same or highly similar alphabets. Although I already recognize most of the hiragana and katakana, I am often a bit confused on proper sentence structure and when it's better to use hiragana or default to katakana. I know I want to avoid writing my entries in romanji, but is it "bad form" to write only in hiragana and katakana?

Also, since notebook entries are typed and not actually written out, can anyone suggest a good app/program/etc to improve my typing skills when forming Japanese sentences? Maybe something that helps you speed up typing common words and phrases like　ください and こんにちわ.

Question

How do you write notebook entries in Japanese as a beginner?
I just joined the italki community and noticed that they highly encourage users to write notebook posts in the language they're attempting to learn. However, I'm very hesitant to try to write a whole post in Japanese. Since my native langauge (English) and target language (Japanese) use completely different characters, it's not quite as easy as moving between languages with the same or highly similar alphabets. Although I already recognize most of the hiragana and katakana, I am often a bit confused on proper sentence structure and when it's better to use hiragana or default to katakana. I know I want to avoid writing my entries in romanji, but is it "bad form" to write  only in hiragana and katakana?

Also, since notebook entries are typed and not actually written out, can anyone suggest a good app/program/etc to improve my typing skills when forming Japanese sentences? Maybe something that helps you speed up typing common words and phrases like　ください and こんにちわ.

Answer

If you decide to write entirely in kana there's nothing particularly wrong with that, although you may want to add spaces to make it easy to determine where words end.  I don't think it's bad form at all to write only in kana while you are learning, that's what Japanese children would need to do before they learn each Kanji.  You can slowly start replacing the hiragana with Kanji as you get to know the proper character.

Your Japanese IME will will automatically suggest the words both Kanji and Hiragana/Katakana based on what you have typed in the past.   Additionally, most IMEs will connect with your system dictionary so you can get an idea what particularly kanji mean if you're having trouble choosing which to use.

The default IME for both windows and mac are both perfectly fine and easy to use.
http://www.textfugu.com/season-4/social-learning/9-2/

Answer

Hi Octavia!! I'm Non, Japanese. I also agree with Kirsten. There is nothing wrong if you make sentences only in hiragana and katakana, because I think you aren't able to use kanji unless you have some knowledges of kanji. First of all, I suggest you should be used to using hiragana and katakana in writing. After that, you can change some words of hiragana for kanji. I reckon it's gonna be efficient, because that kanji could be related to what you want to express is easy for you to remember.
Sorry, but I'm not good at computer, so I have no idea about that app...And sorry for my bad English. I hope you will understand...