Week 1: Public vs. Private Journaling

I’ve tried journaling multiple times, especially in middle school, but I never kept with it. I would write a few entries and either give up or just forget about it in general. Truthfully, I think I felt intimidated by what I believed a journal should be. Maybe I was too young, but whenever I would try to write about my day, opinions, or ideas, I immediately began doubting that it was something I would care about reading in the future. While I enjoy reading journals of other writers, I still do not have one of my own mostly because I haven’t thought about it until now. What I, and I’m sure many others, enjoy about reading journals is getting an insight into the lives of other people. Being able to read about the events and thoughts that people have experienced in their lives, and then relating it your own life, can be incredibly refreshing.

Even though I don’t have much experience journaling, I believe that journal writers initially write from a stream of consciousness, but depending on the purpose for their writing, some might also choose to edit it later. Recently I read excerpts from the diary of Frances Burney (1752-1804). Within this diary, she writes, “To Nobody, then, will I write my Journal! since To Nobody can I be wholly unreserved—to Nobody can I reveal every thought (2994). Burney discusses many private moments from her life ranging from the most embarrassing to the most traumatizing, but she intended to keep them private. Because of these wide range of topics, Burney’s diary also lacked organization. Therefore, it is probable that writing in a stream of consciousness also can cause private writers to pay less attention to thoughts relating to spelling, grammar, or organization.

Writing with the intent to share with others can put the writer in a completely different mindset. Public writers know that people are viewing their work, so they are more likely to focus on what they are putting out there and how it is being presented to those people. Someone could start off writing whatever comes to mind, and then make changes by adding/deleting ideas or fixing any errors to aid in the audience’s comprehension of the work.

Public journal writers could also decide to edit their entries that are more personal than they desire to share. When writing online, journaling should be as personal as the writer is willing to be while still creating something that is authentic. To what extent that is depends on how personal the subject is to that person. As for myself, I do not have an issue about giving people insight on my hopes, dreams, and thoughts. However, some information about my life remains off limits for the public, which is completely okay. Just because someone does not share every detail about their life online does not mean that they are being any less genuine. In fact, it might be best for the writer to leave some aspects of their life out of their journals if they find it serves no purpose to what they are trying to discuss. Otherwise these personal thoughts could cause the entry to become less clear to their audience.

Works Cited:

Burney, Frances. “The Journal and Letters.” English 3220, Oakland University. pp. 2992-3011.   Class Handout.