Dream Journal Trouble

Hello, everyone! I'm new to this community (though I have lurked around a few times) and I'd like your advice on what I have experienced.

Okay, so back in December-January I was really excited to try Lucid Dreaming. I was getting into the habit of doing reality checks throughout the day, such as looking at my hands to make sure I had five fingers, looking at clocks to see if the time has changed, and trying to breath while plugging my nose, as well as asking myself: "Am I dreaming?". After about a week of this I decided to buy a Dream Journal.

This is where I had trouble.

Note: Before I had bought the Dream Journal, I could remember my dreams really well; sometimes I could remember whole dreams. So, after the first night of using the DJ, I couldn't remember a thing when I woke up in the night, or in the morning. I thought it might be a coincidence, so I tried again the next night. This time I could remember very small portions of my dreams. So... I gave up. But I'm willing to try again!

TL;DR: Bought a DJ, couldn't remember a thing even though I could remember dreams really well before. Want to try again.

Question Time:

Has this happened to anyone else? Is it normal?
Should I have just kept going? Would the problem fix itself?
Am I doing something wrong?

I know it's kind of long, but thankyou for taking the time to help! :)

it may be cause you want to remember it so much your mind concentrates too much and forgets the dream but its just a guess

I would say that it was merely a coincidence. Dream recall will often go through dry spells/droughts/slumps. Just keep practicing and using your dream journal. Even if you don't remember anything, write down the date and put "Couldn't remember any dreams," or something similar. If you only remember fragments, write down what you remember. Try to be detailed if possible and keep the journal at your bedside. Try to write them down as soon as you wake up. Sometimes, it helps to stay still when you wake up and recap your dream. Then immediately write it down. It sounds like you are doing fine, just stay confident and work on building that recall. Good luck to you and if you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Okay, thanks. I'll keep recording in my Dream Journal, even if I can't remember.