Diary entry

Diaries are perfect for memoirs; writing down events, thoughts, reactions, and feelings. Some people address their diaries directly, like they’re listening.

Reading this snippet, it seems Latoya Hunter has good reason to do this. She feels like her diary is the only ‘person’ she can talk to about her problems.

September 11, 1990

Dear Diary,

I never thought I’d get desperate enough to say this but I envy you. You don’t have to live in this troubled world; all you do is hear about it. You don't have to go to J.H. and watch the clock, praying for dismissal time to come. You also don’t have to go through a situation like sitting in a cafeteria watching others laughing and talking and you don’t know anyone. To sit there and eat the food that is just terrible because there’s nothing else to do.

You don’t do any of those things. All you have to do is listen to pathetic twelve-year-olds like me tell you about it.

Diary of Latoya Hunter: My First Year in Junior High(1992)

Here is an example, using this photo as a starting point.

July 1, 2019

Dear Diary,

I never thought a day could be better than Christmas, or my birthday, or when we win against my brother’s team at footy, but I tell you today was one of those days. You should have seen how great the weather was. You should have felt how warm the water was. You should have heard my heartbeat when a certain someone I’ve mentioned to you before swam over and held my hand under the water. The day was utter perfection!

I pity you. You don’t get to experience these things. Except, of course, when you have to listen to me be incredibly smug about them.

Write a diary entry, based on either a day you once had, or on the picture. Talk to it directly and tell it your feelings!

Memoir Genre (Middle Years)