Yet another attempt at starting a diary

[AimlessWanderer]

Keeping a diary type journal is something I have attempted a few times before. Six pages is probably the longest it lasted I've decided to have yet another attempt this year, and have so far managed to make some form of an entry on both days Who knows how long it will last this time though.

I'm using a Ryman A4 page per day diary, which unlike most, has a full page for all seven days, instead of splitting Saturday and Sunday on one page. I've only used Quink Black Permanent in it so far, and it's been well behaved, with show through on the thin pages, but no bleed or feathering.

Hopefully, I'll stick at it this time, and it will encourage me to be more active in life, so that I actually have something worth entering on the good health days. Be that leaving the house, or spending more time writing (fiction), or learning a musical instrument (of which I have several to gaff around with).

I may need to ignore the ruling on poorer health days though, as the spacing is tight at marginally under 5mm, and feint enough as to not be clear on poor health days.

The lack of motivation in previous years, was "audience" related. Who am I writing this for? Why would I want to read it back later, or want anyone else to read it? Now that the motivation is about making each day worthy of having something to record, rather than "communicating" with someone in future, I hope I'll find it more worthwhile, and find it easier to stick with.

 

[silverlifter]

If it will provide fodder for fiction, even the most mundane details--when read years later--take on a particular significance. It's those details, filetered through imagination, that worlds are built on. I hope that it goes well, and your poor health days are few and very far between. Good luck on the journey!

 

[FarmerTan]

I plan on doing my "memoirs" for my son, and posterity. It kills me that I know so little about the child that my dad was.

My son is old enough that he won't look at my wild ways as a youth as a license to be wicked. But honestly, the world should heer some of the stuff I survived!

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I plan on doing my "memoirs" for my son, and posterity. It kills me that I know so little about the child that my dad was.

My son is old enough that he won't look at my wild ways as a youth as a license to be wicked. But honestly, the world should heer some of the stuff I survived!

I'm quite a private person, and have never been interested in recording "The Story Of Me", no matter who else (if anyone) would be interested in it. I have done things and seen things worth writing about, but never felt comfortable doing so. Even this diary (and any that follow), might brush over things I feel uncomfortable sharing with the page.

That may change though, as I become more accustomed to it... or not.

For now, it may be more of a health diary. I don't have a standard body clock, and my waking hours are erratic. "Yesterday" started at 2:30PM on 1st of Jan, and I was awake until 10:30AM on the 2nd. "Today" started at 8PM this evening (2nd Jan), and I wouldn't try to predict when it ends. It's not unusual for me to have a 6 day or 8 day week, when everyone else is having a standard 7 day week.

What is attempted and achieved during those waking hours, varies too. With "today" being nocturnal, the shops will be closed for much of my "day". Learning a musical instrument would be as inconsiderate in conjoined housing, as hoovering or some other "normal" daytime activities. So it will be a fairly lazy day for me. Other days where I'm more in sync with the world, may be more active. Or at least, I hope this diary inspires me to try to be

 

[AimlessWanderer]

If it will provide fodder for fiction, even the most mundane details--when read years later--take on a particular significance. It's those details, filetered through imagination, that worlds are built on. I hope that it goes well, and your poor health days are few and very far between. Good luck on the journey!

I'm not sure my life is currently exciting enough to inspire fiction. I do keep a separate book with seedling ideas for such though, be they potentially dramatic or poignant scenarios, witty misinterpretations or comedy moments. Medication cycles can inhibit creativity for any duration, but those little snippets help fuel creativity when the mind is firing on all cylinders.

Significantly limited health/abilities are the norm for me, but I would like to make more use of the "functional" days, rather than idly dwell in the comfort of them, if that makes sense. Overall, every day is a new adventure, and things can change drastically, either way, from one hour to the next. Hopefully, being inspired to be more active, will lead me to pushing the peaks higher than the troughs are deep, even if they are more limited in number.

This may read more negative than it feels. From my perspective, the disability is like being bogged down in a day job, but I do have sporadic "weekends", where I can break free of that daily grind. Capturing those and making the most of them, is what I'm pushing for, although like anyone else, a balance of meaningful activity and meaningful rest will yield the greatest rewards.

 

[H4nk]

At some point in your life, you hopefully have more money than time. That's where I am. Then it's time to expand your mind by writing it out. My wife has retired. I have 3 more years. My father worked until he went into the hospital and he never came out. He was 70. But he wanted to work. It was all he knew.
I told my wife that we have to take a week off every month and go somewhere. It's that time. I wish my dad had done that.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

At some point in your life, you hopefully have more money than time. That's where I am. Then it's time to expand your mind by writing it out. My wife has retired. I have 3 more years. My father worked until he went into the hospital and he never came out. He was 70. But he wanted to work. It was all he knew.
I told my wife that we have to take a week off every month and go somewhere. It's that time. I wish my dad had done that.

Here, money is tight, and time is unknown. Planning is largely futile, but every so often, opportunities can still be pounced upon, so long as the goals are kept realistic.

 

[StuMcB]

I just use a cheap A5 note book (lined). I don't write in it every day but when I do I just note the dates I'm referring to, sometimes I add drawings and little side notes as well as a short weather note. Works for me.

 

[Toothpick]

A good excuse to use those fountain pens and try different ink. Maybe I’ll give it a go too.

Just don’t google “best diary”. What a bunch of crap suggestions!

 

[AimlessWanderer]

A good excuse to use those fountain pens and try different ink. Maybe I’ll give it a go too.

Just don’t google “best diary”. What a bunch of crap suggestions!

I've discovered that bolder, wetter nibs might bleed through a little on these pages, but finer nibs don't. Maybe ink is a factor too. Some exploration to do as and when it's time for a new pen/fill, but based on notes in another pad, it looks like most of my pens should be OK.

Now is the perfect time to buy a diary, as they tend to drop the prices once New Year is gone.

 

[Ted A]

I have done quite well writing in a journal for about 10 years now. In that 10 years of writing I doubt if there is even 5% that has any extrinsic value at all.

But I decided that I wanted to use my fountain pens and ink so I’ve written just stuff.

It makes me happy to write and see the ink flowing onto the page and making words and lines. Value beyond that is incidental.

One thing that I do when I just feel like I need something else to write about is to find a quote of the day online, copy it into the journal, then write some thoughts that it inspires.

Every once in a while I add a note to my family to the effect of “You don’t have to read this. There really isn’t anything of interest to you in here.”

 

[JeffJ]

Have been bullet journaling for six years consistently. Spartan, none of the fancy frilly stuff you see on the web. Daily to do and log, things I track, calendar, projects, topics, ideas. What has kept me going is focusing on the process of journaling, not what is written down. The value is taking the time to reflect, plan, dream, create, etc.

The tried and true Leuchtturn 1917 dot grid A5 size has worked well for years. Good though fountain pens bleed through the pages. Now trying a Rhodia goalbook. Much better paper. Like it so far.

 

[Gideon Parker]

Keeping a diary type journal is something I have attempted a few times before. Six pages is probably the longest it lasted I've decided to have yet another attempt this year, and have so far managed to make some form of an entry on both days Who knows how long it will last this time though.

I'm using a Ryman A4 page per day diary, which unlike most, has a full page for all seven days, instead of splitting Saturday and Sunday on one page. I've only used Quink Black Permanent in it so far, and it's been well behaved, with show through on the thin pages, but no bleed or feathering.

Hopefully, I'll stick at it this time, and it will encourage me to be more active in life, so that I actually have something worth entering on the good health days. Be that leaving the house, or spending more time writing (fiction), or learning a musical instrument (of which I have several to gaff around with).

I may need to ignore the ruling on poorer health days though, as the spacing is tight at marginally under 5mm, and feint enough as to not be clear on poor health days.

The lack of motivation in previous years, was "audience" related. Who am I writing this for? Why would I want to read it back later, or want anyone else to read it? Now that the motivation is about making each day worthy of having something to record, rather than "communicating" with someone in future, I hope I'll find it more worthwhile, and find it easier to stick with.


I notice that while writing a diary, I am writing about something that I have already heard, read or seen somewhere. Will it be a plagiarism of other people's thoughts or is it a deconstruction and deformation of my own thoughts? On the site onlineplagiarismchecker.net/ I always check for plagiarism in my scientific papers using a special checker. It would be interesting to check your text in the diary.

I often write a diary in order to understand my inner state and understand the reasons for my behavior.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Well, mine totally fizzled out I ought to give it another kick, but I don't think my heart is in it for daily entries. Maybe one day I'll find some sort of rhythm with it, but as it stands, I'm not really getting a sense of purpose with it... which is pretty much why previous attempts failed.

 

[H4nk]

A purpose is exactly it. For example, I am looking at music streaming services. That's Amazon, Spotify and Pandora. So the diary entries will be about the various experiences with the services. Luckily, they all offer free trials.
After that is settled, it will be time for a new sound system

 

[Dog Whiskerer]

Well, mine totally fizzled out I ought to give it another kick, but I don't think my heart is in it for daily entries. Maybe one day I'll find some sort of rhythm with it, but as it stands, I'm not really getting a sense of purpose with it... which is pretty much why previous attempts failed.

I started journal writing (and letter writing for that matter) as a way to use my fountain pens more. Not for diary-type entries, but as short reviews of books I had read, movies I've seen in the theatre or watched on DVD, and plays. Did quite well for a number of years, filling three lined journals. Then the pandemic. I haven't been to a theater in years and my reading has slowed to a crawl.

I thought about writing about music, I love music. I was going to revisit classic CDs/albums when they reached milestone dates since their release....25 years, 30, 50, etc. But, as much as I love music, I don't have the musical vocabulary to make for an intelligent journal entry. What am I going to say? Has a nice beat and is easy to dance to?

 

[AimlessWanderer]

I started journal writing (and letter writing for that matter) as a way to use my fountain pens more. Not for diary-type entries, but as short reviews of books I had read, movies I've seen in the theatre or watched on DVD, and plays. Did quite well for a number of years, filling three lined journals. Then the pandemic. I haven't been to a theater in years and my reading has slowed to a crawl.

I thought about writing about music, I love music. I was going to revisit classic CDs/albums when they reached milestone dates since their release....25 years, 30, 50, etc. But, as much as I love music, I don't have the musical vocabulary to make for an intelligent journal entry. What am I going to say? Has a nice beat and is easy to dance to?

I think my biggest hurdles are:

a) Is there a tengible benefit into doing this, beyond using my pens more? If not, I am just writing for the sake of it, and it quickly becomes banal.

b) Who is the audience? I will probably never read it back, and am conscious when staring at the page, that I don't want anyone else to read it either, so I kind of slam the brakes on before I even set off, and don't let any thoughts flow freely to the page.

Purpose and privacy. Somehow, I like the idea of a diary, but not the reality of one. If that doesn't make sense to anyone reading this, don't worry, it doesn't make sense to the one typing this either

 

[Toothpick]

I have Bullet Journal, with the dots. Initially I tried the “bullet system” with the index, and character keys, and page numbers yadda yadda. I gave up on that and just did my own thing. I don’t use it for daily entries. It’s more of a planner type journal and note/list making. I making a monthly calendar every month to track recurring bills. I have lists for cigars i like, books I’ve read/reading, ideas for my YT channel (when I was active with that), bunch of other crap. Basically it just replaced Post It Notes that I would keep all over. So I have one place to put everything.

I recently found my actual journal that I started, it’s got 4 entries from a few years ago. I been wanting to start that back up but can’t find the motivation.

 

[David Anderson]

I agree with AimlessWanderer completely. I struggle to keep a diary or journal for all the same reasons. I have tried and failed many times. I don't think I want to read my own entries and nobody else would be interested. So what's the point?

 

[H4nk]

I think it is what I call "mapping". My work day tends to be hectic so I need to keep track of what is happening and what needs to be done. I also have to keep track of what I have done. I keep my weekly printed daily planners in a clipboard so if someone asks "Did you do this?", I can look back through the week. I also need to write down things I want from places like the Amish Market or the Natural Food Store which require a journey. So my diary is a two page per day summary of what happened that day and what thoughts I had for the future.