Should you keep a writing journal?

There is something a little bit romantic in the thought of keeping a writing journal. The idea of it conjures up visions of sitting at a desk, relaxed, calmly writing wondrous prose while sipping at a glass of something cold.

The reality might more closely resemble frantic scribbling while drinking coffee at 3am, and be mostly along the lines of “my novel is horrible, why am I a writer? Aaaaah”, but it’s still a nice idea – and a journal can be a beneficial undertaking.

For one, it can be a good way to de-stress. It’s a place where you can reflect on your day – writing or otherwise – and get all your frustrations out onto the page rather than holding onto them and letting them build up to the point where the only option is to delete your entire novel draft in a fit of frustration.

It’s also a good place to practice writing but without the pressure of a deadline or any particular project to write for. You can try out little scenes and exercises and if they don’t work, it doesn’t matter. It’s just for fun. This can be particularly good if you’re someone who suffers from writers’ block from time to time – a casual writing journal takes the pressure off and can be a good way to get you back into writing before you try again on that novel.

Of course, on the other hand, a writing journal can end up taking time away from your other writing, so whether or not you decide to keep one will ultimately depend on what you feel you get out of it. It might not be essential to have a diary/journal as such, but some form of recording your thoughts and ideas is essential, lest you forget them when it comes to using them. Whether it’s a few quick notes or a more leisurely exploration of your ideas, the concept of a journal – of some description – is definitely an important one for writers.