Hi!

1: Everyone learns how to LD at a different rate. There's no guarantee way of getting lucid and sadly some people spend months of trying without achieving lucidity. Those people are rather rare though and with dedication you should get lucid in a week or two. Start doing RC's during the day and question your reality. Do that and also try some mantras before bed.

2: Well, the reason you should write down in your DJ is to include details. That way you improve your recall greatly. Also it's very nice to read old entries for motivation's sake or nostalgia.

3: It's normal, everyone seems to have different "recall" when it comes to the five major senses in dreams. Some people can't hear much sound and some can't taste or smell things.

4: It might have to do with how you wake up, how the dream was or when you wake up. Just lie completely still and wait for the dreams to come to you and something should appear soon.

5: What you want to do is to imagine a dream scene, not just a DC. Try interacting with that scene like touching an object and smelling it. Just make sure you've relaxed enough to be in SP first and then start visualizing.