A diary is a perfect way of keeping an account of your most memorable moments and cherished memories; however, it entails several more benefits. Diaries spark the inner creativity in you, enhance your mental health, and enable you to be a proficient writer. For many people, keeping a diary is a routine therapy for the mind that helps them stay sane and be at peace.
Diaries are ideal places to talk about your day, feelings, thoughts, opinions, dreams, and ideas, and be stored in your own private, safe space. There is an assortment of diaries you can maintain, ranging from school to health to your love for food. However, since there is no right or wrong way to write a diary, a few helpful tips will enable you to get the most out of your diary.
Your diary should be a spot where you can always open up your heart and write about what you want. There are simply no predefined rules on what or how you should write. If this is your first time and you are clueless about writing, you have landed in the right place. Our ultimate guide on tips to diary writing will surely inspire you to start writing like a pro on any topic that you fancy.
The Time-Honored Tales of Diary Writing
Many people underestimate the
benefits of keeping a journal or diary. Ever since the concept of diary entries came into existence, human beings have poured out their deepest contemplations, most secret desires, creative musings, anguished frustrations, and memorable experiences. These diaries have no bounds. Many people consider it to be the perfect daily ritual for clearing your mind and a means of alleviating tensions and bidding farewell to insomnia.
How to Start Your Diary
The initial step to start writing and maintaining a diary is to have what it takes to write – the willingness! The "willingness" to write is undoubtedly more important than having the "ability" to write since the latter is something you can always work on. However, the former is something you must do yourself. A simple way is to do some thought-processing on what you should write in your diary or journal. If you are still unsure, just start writing any gibberish, your name perhaps, or about yourself, and see where it eventually leads to.
Many people hesitate to start writing because it is a common human misperception that one has to write down their thoughts and feelings in perfectly crafted sentences. This is not true at all. A diary is your own and writing in a stream of consciousness without editing can capture your thought in an accurate and authentic way.
An online diary, such as Memairy, allows you to record video entries when you feel more comfortable speaking than writing.
Furthermore, keeping a diary helps you to keep a track record of your personal development and growth. The more you write, the more it will reflect how much of you has changed with time. Here are some useful tips to give you a head start to begin keeping a diary and make the process more fun and creative.
11 Tips to Starting and Writing a Diary
As difficult as writing already is, it gets even more complicated when you have no idea how and where to start. Still, there is no use of stressing about writing diary entries. Know that there are endless things you can write about. You can even start writing about how you cannot think of practically anything to write about. Just as the words begin to come out, continue writing with the natural flow.
1. Decide to start
The first step is to make the decision that
you want to maintain a diary of your own. It can be driven by your inspiration, someone who owns a journal, or naturally out of the blue. After you have decided to keep one, you must decide what format you want to use for your diary. A traditional handwritten diary is preferred by some.
However, more and more people are using online diaries that provide numerous advantages such as the option to record videos, include photos, easily search and analyze.
2. Decide what to write.
The second step is the most challenging part, but at the same time, it is the most integral part. If you want to keep your journal or diary specific to a theme or topic, you need to decide the one you that you want to devote the most entries to. Typically, diaries are a reflection of yourself including your inner-most feelings and private thoughts. However, they can also serve as a wonderful object for maintaining a record of your personal musings on a variety of topics such as,
● Daily events
● Family
● Friends
● Work
● Food
● Fashion
● Sports
● Books
● Dreams
● Travels
● Academic life
● Movies and Songs
These are a handful of ideas just to give you inspiration to start writing about your interests.
3. Create a routine
Starting to write a diary calls for frequent writing. Still, it is your choice how frequently your diary should be filled in by you. It can be daily, weekly, or making a schedule that suits you best. The most essential thing in this step is to adhere to the schedule diligently if you have created one. Consistent writing will only help you get better with time.
If you are writing a general diary that covers everything, you might want to write in it every day at a specific hour, suppose before you are about to go to sleep. When writing about more particular topics such as food, the frequency might differ. You will probably want to write in your diary every single time you have found a new recipe, tried it, visited a restaurant, or devoured a delectable meal. Hence, make sure the chosen schedule is workable for your topic and you.
4. Set a time limit
Generally, once we start writing, chances are that we get carried away with writing too much. One way to maintain conciseness and stay on track is to limit your writing time. Based on how much you want to talk about and write in your diary, fix a time limit that mirrors it. The ideal time limit for writing is usually around 15 to 30 minutes. However, if you want to allocate more time to writing, please set a time-limit that suits you well.
5. Keep your diary handy
An easy way to start writing and make it a habit is to keep your diary or journal handy. This means your diary should be somewhere that is easily accessed when you want. The majority of people with handwritten diaries often carry their diaries with them.
An advantage of online diaries is that they can be accessed from mobile devices which are already often carried everywhere. A handy diary allows you to write anything you want, any time you want.
6. Date your entries
The best thing about having a diary you can write into is to have a written account of all the things you have written about. All your entries are stored, and you have the advantage of looking back and seeing your progress. It is essential to date each of your entries so you can back on a particular day if the need ever arises.
Online diaries automatically date entries and are easily searched to ensure that you can always find what you are looking for.
7. Create an introductory entry
For your initial entry, write an introductory paragraph of what this diary is about and the things you will discuss. Give an exciting and welcoming introduction about yourself, the things you fascinate, something essential to you, what this diary will be about, and how it will proceed. It is good to be completely open and expose your most genuine self.
8. Create a topic list for entries.
On some days, you will feel naturally confident in writing and the words flow easily. On other days, you might be entirely clueless on where to begin writing. On days like these, a list of pre-made questions or topics can be a great help. Some suggestions for entries are as follows:
● The things you did today or yesterday.
● A lesson you have learned.
● An event that occurred, good or bad.
● Your current emotional state.
● The things you are thankful for.
● Your plans for the day.
● The food you had today.
● An inspirational quote or exciting news that you read today.
● The most essential thing or tasks you must accomplish this week.
9. Act like you are writing to a trusted companion
The key to writing a diary entry is to treat your best friend whom you are talking to. It is your private diary, so only you can see and have access to it. Treat it like your very own humble and trusted companion whom you want to open your inner self to. Addressing your diary as "Dear Diary" might sound cliché. Still, it certainly does make you become engrossed in writing more than ever. Additionally, it guides you to a casual conversational tone. A diary's ultimate goal is to help you contemplate things frankly and honestly, just like you would do with your closest confidantes.
10. Be descriptive
Sometimes, even the most exciting events can sound quite bland if you put it into writing and are not very descriptive about it. Writing "Tonight I visited one of the best 5-star restaurants and had an amazing meal" will not stimulate much interest. Conversely, if you describe the restaurant's ambiance, the brilliant dining ware, the gastronomic delights on the menu, the immaculate presentation of your meal, and the moment when the chef presented you with his finest, tender-cooked meat will instantly get you drooling and reminisce the entire experience. These delicate details beautify your writing style, making it more fun to write and even more interesting to read later.
11. Have fun!
Keeping a diary is a fun activity that should not be considered a burden or a chore. Always remember to enjoy yourself while writing your diary. It gets even more fun when you write about things that you really like. Your diary should be considered a place of unlimited creativity, solace, and personal therapy. It should be a place of your own reflection. Lastly, treat a diary as a place where you have the freedom to express your emotions and thoughts.
