Writing a diary
I've started writing a diary several times. It was OK in my teens - I had the time, the inclination, and the impression that I was interesting - but as a grown-up I have none of these.

I did start writing one in runes a while back, which was fun for ten minutes, but quickly went the way of the rest.

I really don't get either the point or the idea. What do I write down? What I had for dinner? How I feel about something? About what? How much detail to go into? What is relevent.

I don't see the point unles one is incredibly interesting, and absolutely no one is in any way interesting.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 28 Jun 2010, 12:38, 6 replies)

agreed
I had a real div of a friend when I was in my teens. One day Stuart proudly told us as we all walked to school that he had been writing a diary. When we inevitably smuggled said diary out of chez stu we were rendered speechless by what we found inside. Basically he had been writing an exact log of each and every day for weeks. Went along these lines, every day:

I woke up at 7:43 and I put my uniform on then I went downstairs and had frosties for breakfast then C and M came to the house and we walked to school the lessons I had were french english maths then we had lunch then we had more lessons which were geography and pe we then walked home and I watched he man then we had dinner which was chips and meat then I watched more tv which was knight rider and the equaliser then I went to bed at 10:31.

All in one sentence. Every day. It was like 'flowers for algernon' with the middle bit cut out. And worse spelling. He didn't write much more after that, at least he never said he did. Thanks for reminding me, I've been stifling a giggle for the last five minutes...
(mersault, Mon 28 Jun 2010, 12:54, closed)

If it's any consolation
even the most mundane of diaries will be of interest to historians/sociologists of the future. I used to participate in something called the Mass Observation Archive, and they were always looking out for diaries documenting 'normal life'.

My mother recently found a copy of a diary she'd written in 1940 which at the time she thought was full of girlish nonsense, but which is now a fascinating read.
(Smale is stuffed, Mon 28 Jun 2010, 14:08, closed)

A link for you.
artofmanliness.com/2009/06/07/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-8-start-a-journal/
(ThomsonsPier consumes, Mon 28 Jun 2010, 14:13, closed)

That's good stuff. When my grandfather died a couple of years ago, we found his war diaries
Him and my grandmother would say the same prayer together at the same time of each day, wherever he was, and it detailed what local time was and him taking it into account for when she would be saying it.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 28 Jun 2010, 14:57, closed)

I was inspired by the
Secret diaries of Adrian Mole to start a diary, which in fairness I never finished because I got bored of measuring my cock ;)
(bROKEN aRROW PUA HVI Master, Tue 29 Jun 2010, 13:16, closed)

i kept a journal
every day for about 3 years. but I did it in outlook and i can do keyword searches on my life :) Its pretty cool! Tried re-starting it. lasted about a week. It is hard to keep up with them. As for how detailed and indepth you want to go. Its totally up to you!
(Miggyman, Tue 29 Jun 2010, 15:37, closed)