diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ab0e30e..e496076 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ LDLIBS=
 
 PREFIX=/usr/local
 
+SRC = src/journal/main.o \
+    src/journal/journal.o \
+    src/journal/emotion.o
+
 all: ensure_bin journal
 
 ensure_bin: bin
@@ -22,10 +26,10 @@ uninstall:
 	rm $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/bin/journal
 
 # currently we only have one journal util, others may come later
-journal: src/journal/main.o src/journal/emotion.o
-	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o bin/journal \
-	    src/journal/main.o src/journal/emotion.o $(LDLIBS)
+journal: $(SRC)
+	$(CC) $(LDFLAGS) -o bin/journal $(SRC) $(LDLIBS)
 
+src/journal/journal.o: src/journal/journal.c
 src/journal/emotion.o: src/journal/emotion.c
 src/journal/main.o: src/journal/main.c
 
diff --git a/src/journal/emotion.c b/src/journal/emotion.c
index 31382c2..a316ec7 100644
--- a/src/journal/emotion.c
+++ b/src/journal/emotion.c
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 
-void handle_emotion()
+#include "journal.h"
+
+void handle_emotion(FILE *journal, char* msg)
 {
-    printf("test\n");
+    // TODO: add newline to msg
+    journal_write(journal, msg);
     return;
 }
diff --git a/src/journal/emotion.h b/src/journal/emotion.h
index 4f2cf78..b9b6393 100644
--- a/src/journal/emotion.h
+++ b/src/journal/emotion.h
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #ifndef __EMOTION_H__
 #define __EMOTION_H__
 
-void handle_emotion();
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+void handle_emotion(FILE*, char*);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/journal/journal.c b/src/journal/journal.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5aaee17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/journal/journal.c
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+// functions to deal with the journal file
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+FILE *journal_open(char *topic)
+{
+    char *home_path = getenv("HOME");
+
+    // combine w/ home path
+    char *journal_dir = (char*)malloc(1024);
+    snprintf(journal_dir, 1024, "%s/.lunabot", home_path);
+
+    // construct a 744
+    mkdir(journal_dir, S_IRWXU | S_IRGRP | S_IROTH);
+
+    char *journal_path = (char*)malloc(1024);
+    snprintf(journal_path, 1024, "%s/%s", journal_dir, topic);
+
+    FILE* res = fopen(journal_path, "a");
+
+    free(journal_path);
+    free(journal_dir);
+
+    return res;
+}
+
+void journal_write(FILE* journal_fd, char* message)
+{
+    // TODO: strlen()?
+    fwrite(message, strlen(message), 1, journal_fd);
+}
+
+void journal_close(FILE* journal_fd)
+{
+    fclose(journal_fd);
+}
diff --git a/src/journal/journal.h b/src/journal/journal.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5151fef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/journal/journal.h
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#ifndef __JOURNAL_H__
+#define __JOURNAL_H__
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+FILE *journal_open(char *topic);
+void journal_write(FILE*, char* message);
+void journal_close(FILE*);
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/journal/main.c b/src/journal/main.c
index 6674c24..6c243e1 100644
--- a/src/journal/main.c
+++ b/src/journal/main.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include <string.h>
 
 #include "emotion.h"
+#include "journal.h"
 
 #define TOPICS 10
 
@@ -20,17 +21,23 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
         "emotion"
     };
 
-    void (*handlers[])() = {
+    void (*handlers[])(FILE*, char*) = {
         handle_emotion,
     };
 
     for(int i = 0; i < TOPICS; i++)
     {
         const char* cur_topic = topics[i];
+
         if(strcmp(topic, cur_topic) == 0)
         {
-            void (*fun_ptr)() = handlers[i];
-            fun_ptr();
+            void (*fun_ptr)(FILE*, char*) = handlers[i];
+
+            FILE* journal_file = journal_open(topic);
+            fun_ptr(journal_file, "hello world");
+            journal_close(journal_file);
+
+            printf("done\n");
             return 0;
         }
     }