What Are Diary Entries and 8 Tips To Help You Write Them

A diary is where you keep personal musings about your life, the people in it and the things you care about. Your diary is a safe place where you can be honest and candid about your thoughts, feelings and opinions. Diaries are for the eyes of their owners and no one else. Your diary is for you and by you. Reflect, create, dream. Do whatever you want with your words.

What is a dairy entry?

A diary entry is a section of writing that has been organized by date. The entries within your diary are how you organize the thoughts, feelings and opinions you are pouring into it. They break up your diary into smaller pieces. Think of them like chapters of a book. They can be as short or as long as you want.

8 Tips for Writing a Diary Entry

Since diary entries are like chapters in a book, you first have to decide what your book is going to be about. Brainstorm ideas for your diary, like whether you want it to be just about you or about a specific topic. Once you have a theme, then you can begin!

1. Date your entries

Since your diary will be kept over a long period of time, each of your entries should be dated based on when you write them. Penzu’s free diary software does this for you.

2. Pick a topic

Like chapters in a book, you want your diary entry to have some sort of theme or direction. Is it about what you did today? Is it about an upcoming event? An event that already happened? Try and stay focused when writing.

3. Write naturally

Don’t feel like your entries need to impress anywhere. They are just for you, so relax and go for it.

4. Be truthful

The worst person to lie to is yourself, so when writing your entry try and be as honest as you can.

5. Be friendly

When you’re writing, try and write as if you’re writing to a friend. How would you tell a story to your best friend? That is how you should be writing about it in your digital diary.

6. Keep writing

If you feel like you’re at a loss for words, just keep writing through it. Feel free to record your train of thought. Think about why you have hit a wall. What is getting in the way? Think about what you’re writing about and how that could be effecting your entry – and write about that thought process!

7. Re-read your entry

Once you have finished your entry, re-read your entry and maybe list some things you hope to focus on in your next entry. Reflect on what you have just wrote. Maybe some new things will come to mind that you can jot down before you put your diary down.

8. Make it a habit

The more frequently you write entries in your diary, the more you will enjoy doing it and the more you will learn from them. Set a certain time during the day that you want to write in your diary and try to keep to that schedule. The more you practice writing diary entries, the better you will become at it.

Now that you have read these tips, create your online diary with Penzu and start adding entries! Practice makes perfect, so start practicing your writing today!