One Sentence Can Say So Much ... And So Little

By Tim Holman

Writing a diary should be a spontaneous act. Whether it is done on a weekly, daily or hourly basis, the words should flow freely from pen to paper, or via keyboard to screen. As a result, events, opinions and emotions are expressed as they occur in the language of the time.

Of course, this can lead to verbosity or repetition, but at least the writing is authentic. Looked at again in the future, it will bring back to life the events, thoughts and feelings of today.

The opposite approach is to take too much care with what is written and impose a form of self-censorship. My own diary from 50 years ago has a stark example of this. 14th November 1972: "Mum died at approx. 2.00am in hospital." 

That's all, quickly followed by a resumption of the usual list of school lessons attended and domestic bits and pieces. But what a confusion of heartache, uncertainty and family upheaval lies behind those words! It would have been better and more therapeutic to write more about my feelings and fears on that day and during the weeks that followed - and of course to talk about them, too. But I was 14 and immature, so kept all that stuff to myself. This was not a healthy way to proceed.

Nowadays many people take to social media to air at considerable length their opinions, woes, pet subjects and grievances. These can be quite tiresome to read, but at least nothing is hidden and everything on the internet has a limited shelf life, so it doesn't really matter. Diaries and journals have a physical form and can endure for much longer, so their potential value is greater. It is important, therefore, that they contain honest and vibrant writing, jotted down as thoughts occur. My 1972 diary shows clearly how NOT to do this.