Writing

Diary WritingProducts Relating to 'Diary Writing'

Diary writing is done in a special book for writing separate entries, usually set out by date, relating what has happened over the course of a certain period, usually a day. This is an important task in many areas of our civilization. Diary writing includes:
* governmental ledgers
* business ledgers
* military records.

Diaries can also be very personal to an individual, since they can contain the workings of a person's inner psyche as well as an expression of one's innermost self. Diary writing can also vary from business notations to listings of the weather and daily personal events. Some use the word 'diary', others use 'journal' to mean the same thing. It seems that the current preference is to use the word 'journal'. People are often heard to refer to 'journaling'.

Some people who journal think of their diaries as special, even naming them in some instances. This is because they feel they have an audience for their self-expression, a personal space or a 'listener'. This 'listener' is the book being written in and read only by oneself.

In history, some have thought of their journal composing as a future weapon to be used against tyrants and terrorism. This is evidenced by Friedrich Kellner, a justice inspector in the Third Reich who called his book 'My Opposition'. The secret diary he kept decried the militarism of his countrymen and the insanity of Hitler.

More than 16000 diaries have been published since book publishing started. One notable diary is 'The Diary of Anne Frank'.

Diary writing appeals to people:
* All you need is a pen and paper, no education is needed.
* You do not need to know how to spell or use grammar.
* Some people are driven to write a diary since it is the only way to make sense of their existence.

All too often there is the image of diary writing only being undertaken by teenager girls. This is why cheap diaries are sold in 'cute' colours with locks and keys; they help foster this illusion. Many people refer the word 'journal' to avoid being caught up in the stereotype. This way they hope to expand log writing's use beyond a mere catalogue of events.

It was Ira Progoff who, in the 1960s, started using magazine composing in psychotherapy. There is now a small library of books on a variety of journal techniques. They describe how to use the journal for self awareness and healing from any number of personal troubles including physical illness and trauma.

As the use of the internet grew, people began to use it as another medium with which to write about their lives, this time in front of an audience. The first online diary is that of Carolyn Burke in January 1995. The huge explosion in personal storytelling started with the advent of weblogs or blogs.

Diary writing or journaling is done by a lot of people. Some do it only to keep a factual account of events as they pass, others delve deeper into their psyche, and some do it on the internet. It is a useful tool for understanding ourselves and the world around us.

Article Published: Monday 25th December 2006