Do you keep a personal journal?

[Gabriel Morgan]

A writer friend shared a bit of his personal journal with me recently and it got me thinking.

 

I haven't kept a journal in years, but when I did, I felt oddly self-conscious about it. When I went back and read my entries, they seemed sort of contrived, like I was writing what I wanted to be able to read later.

 

Do you keep a journal? What is its function for you? Do you go back and read your old entires? Or is it the act of writing it to begin with that satisfies you, and you never look at it again?

[Graeme]

I have an online journal -- a blog with a restricted number of people who can look at it. However, I haven't written in it for almost a month now. I just haven't been motivated. I used to try to write daily, but I would miss a day here and there. I keep telling myself to start again, but it's hard after such a long break (yes, a month is a long break for me ).

 

My answer to the third question isn't quite accurate. I was using it mainly as a record of my family life. For anyone who's read my Family Snippet stories, you'll know the sorts of things I would write about. Many of them could have become Family Snippets if I had taken the time to write them up and expand on them. But I had other things to do and never got around to it. Still, I've got almost two years of family life recorded, including some lovely gems from my two boys Some of those may appear in a story, if I ever have a story with characters of that age.

[RJ Santos]

I started keeping a journal when my best friend moved away... so yeah, I use it to vent/rant. I also used to write everyday, but ever since I found a job I only do so when inspired because I'm too tired to do it everyday. Sometimes I look at the past entries and see how much my views have changed, but so far, everything's still the same.

[jovian_w2002]

I keep a journal beside my pillow so it's easier for me to write before I hit the sack. I have this habit of writing in my journal before sleeping, lol. I don't normally write online because I don't want anyone prying about my personal life. LOL.

[BeaStKid]

I have a blog...the one at GA...where I rant and talk about myself and stuff...

 

And I enjoy writing it.

 

BeaStKid

[Tiger]

I have a blog on GA as well. I suppose it's the closest thing I have to a journal.

[Duncan Ryder]

If anyone else has read The Artist's Way, I find the "morning pages" an amazingly helpful tool, and I'm at my most creative when i do them as recommended, five pages, by hand, first thing in the morning. The idea is just to write something, anything, for five pages... even if you can't think of anything ot write except "This is stupid I can't think of anything to write" You just keep writing for five pages. It's amazing how, at least for me, the process just starts unlocking things... kind of like doing yoga where, when you first get into a position, you can only take it so far, and then after a while you get deeper and deeper into it...

 

Anyway, I do them most days, just to dump the crap out of my head and clear my mind. I generlly don't even reread them...they're not about anything except getting the mind clear.

 

I also carry a separate little notebook that does the thoughts, emotions, story ideas thing...and sometmies (though more seldom than I expected) I will move ideas etc from the morning pages into it.

[NickolasJames8]

I keep a blog on GA, and I still have an old Xanga account that I used to update on the regular for about 6 months, but now I just add short stories to it. I had a blog on another story site, but my entries were too revealing about the other forum members and I was constantly being sent warning PM's from the admin about my entries, so I took it down. The weird part was that my blog entries there were the exact same entries I have here on GA, but for some reason, the rules are different or something. Plus, the average age of a forum member on that site is about 80. Oh well, GA is the superior site anyway.

[Krista]

I have a blog here that I use for rants, raves, and updated personal stories and news really. I guess people read and are interested in how I spend my Offline time.. lol. Anyway, I used to keep a journal in one of those little black and white scientific notebook thingies but eh I've lost it or burnt it something as it's been a while since I even worried about it. I'm sure I wouldn't mind reading about all my exploits from the past, but as far as writing my life out with pen and paper I probably won't do that too much anymore.. as blogs serve that purpose. And I know grab happy people won't snatch it and read it if it doesn't exist.. lol.

[S.L. Lewis]

I usually keep a journal. But mostly use my livejournal on occasion. Just call me odd, yes? Now days it's a way for me to write out story ideas, story updates, scheduals and small snippets of stories that I write on occasion when I have nothing better to do. Usually at a doctors office. Ugh. Boring.

 

I have a blog, but it's mostly just another place to post my stories and what not. I don't really put out my life to the world all that often, but when I do, it's usually for my friends who I don't see all that often.

[Happiness is Key]

I bought myself a leather journal a little while ago, since getting it I can't stop writing in it.

I use it for a lot of things, mostly story idea's it's a good place to keep my thoughts and musings about events also. probably the best thing i bought. I also have blog, i actually have several to be honest. those are my venting places for my frusteration.