Diaries as a source of suffering tales Diaries are personal papers made by an individual to chronicle events, experiences, or feelings. The term diary has become popular since the 17th century, although historians believe that medieval monks wrote down what happened during their daily lives. Modern diaries may be used for a variety of purposes.
Diaries can be either private or public. Private diaries are kept between the writer and themselves while public diaries are written for others to read. Diary writing requires discretion because what is recorded in a diary can be used against you in court or in workplace situations.
Diaries can be either narrative or descriptive. A narrative diary tells the story of what happens throughout the day, while a descriptive diary lists events as they occur. Narrative diarists usually write about one event per page, whereas descriptive writers list several events from short to long descriptions on each page.
Diaries can be either informal or formal. Informal diaries are not edited or published, whereas formal diaries are written in a specific format which includes a title page with the writer's name, date of publication, and address, and a front cover with artwork or photos. Formal diaries are often given numbers to help readers find certain topics or entries within the journal.
Diaries are often written as a daily or weekly record of events, transactions, or observations. A memoir is written using scenarios as opposed to data. A Memoir allows you to choose photographs, events, and artifacts that disclose vital information about yourself. Diaries document facts; memories are interpretations of those facts.
Diaries are usually private documents while memoirs can be published or not depending on what you include or exclude.
In short, a diary records one's life; a memoir reveals it.
They may appear commonplace and inconsequential at first look, yet they are really vital historical documents. Diaries, in comparison to a variety of other historical sources, are honest and consistently produced. They are more intimate than any other type of record in bringing us closer to regular people and everyday life as it is lived. Also, since they are written by themselves or someone else explicitly for them, there is no third party interpretation of events.
Diaries have two main uses for historians. The first is as a vehicle for recording daily activities. This allows historians to get an accurate picture of what life was like during that period through the eyes of ordinary people. It also provides evidence for what politicians and others did every day. Historians can then use this information to understand how things worked back then and how they might work now. For example, if there were many laws on the books but not much enforcement then we would know there was a problem with law and order!
The second use of the diary is as a tool for discovery. Since they cover such a short time span (usually just one month) historians cannot always rely on other records for their facts. So they use the information within the diary itself to figure out what happened or who something belongs to. For example, if there is no note of an event in the diary but another source such as a letter or newspaper article mentions it occurred then we know that something must have happened because it matched what was already known about events in the past.
Individuals from many areas of life have used notebooks dating back to the thirteenth century (and occasionally much earlier) to chronicle their innermost thoughts and experiences. These legendary diary entries are extremely useful because they provide insight and context for some of history's most pivotal times. For example, Thomas Cromwell's notebooks, which he used to draft letters about his duties as chancellor of England, have been referred to as "the most important collection of its kind in the British Museum."
Not only do diaries help us understand past events, but they also help predict future ones. The notes that Napoleon made during his retreat from Russia were crucial in helping him plan his next step. William Shakespeare probably didn't intend for all of his ideas to be put into a notebook, but since he didn't publish his work at the time, this was the only way we would ever know how his mind worked.
Diaries are therefore an essential tool for historians to understand famous people from any period in history, as well as for scientists to explore concepts that cannot be measured with traditional methods.
In addition to these practical uses, diaries can also be valuable tools for writers to capture their thoughts and feelings about things that have happened or might happen.
Diary writing is a personal kind of writing in which a person keeps a diary in which he or she writes about his or her personal life or a scenario. It is a method of writing to oneself to communicate your sentiments and emotions. You can write about anything that comes to mind.
There are two main types of diaries: private and public. A private diary is written for the sole purpose of self-reflection and analysis, whereas a public diary is written for others to read. People who keep public dairies may do so as a form of art or activism. They may want to draw attention to an issue by making their experiences known to others through writing or they may want to help themselves by releasing some of their feelings through writing.
People start keeping diaries for many reasons. Some people keep track of their daily activities while others use the diary format to process their feelings. No matter why you decide to keep a diary, there is no right or wrong reason to do so.
In today's world, most people keep their diary online. There are several websites out there that allow you to create a journal page for free. Some examples include wordpress.com, notepad.io, and google docs. You can write about whatever you want on these pages and then post them on the Internet for others to see.