How can you tell your story through diary entries or letters?

Diary entries and letters are two forms of writing that can help you tell your story in a personal and authentic way. They allow you to express your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in your own voice and style, as well as to explore different perspectives and relationships. In this article, you will learn how to use diary entries and letters as storytelling tools, and what benefits and challenges they offer.

1 Choose your format

The first step is to decide whether you want to write diary entries, letters, or a combination of both. Diary entries are usually written for yourself, while letters are addressed to someone else. You can choose to write in a fictional or non-fictional context, depending on your purpose and audience. For example, you can write diary entries or letters as a way of documenting your life, reflecting on your emotions, or creating a fictional character. You can also mix the formats, such as writing a diary entry and then a letter to someone who reads it, or writing a letter and then a diary entry about the response.

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Godfrey George

Writer. Storyteller. Multiple Award-winning Journalist. Senior Features Correspondent and Member, Editorial Board at PUNCH Newspapers, Lagos, Nigeria. Gender Advocate. Climate Migration Fellow. Research Fellow, ACDJ.
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One of my best books is Mariama Ba's So Long a Letter. I loved the style; I thought it was daring. Years later, I still hear the words of Ramatoulaye, the narrator, ringing in my head. It is not an easy style to write so any writer who decides to put down their thoughts in a diary must be ready first to find their voice. Your voice is that unique taste that sticks to the tongues of the readers. They taste the words and feel like they've known you for ages. There's no one format to do this but anyone you choose to go by, you should stick to it. It is the consistency of the format that makes the writing enjoyable. There must also be consistency in tenses and the writer must have the presence of mind to make these things work.

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2 Develop your voice

The next step is to develop your voice, which is the way you express yourself through words, tone, and style. Your voice should be consistent, distinctive, and appropriate for your format and audience. For example, if you write diary entries, you can use a casual, informal, and intimate voice, as if you are talking to yourself or a close friend. If you write letters, you can use a more formal, polite, and respectful voice, as if you are communicating with someone you care about or admire. You can also vary your voice depending on the mood, situation, and purpose of each entry or letter.

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Aradhita Saraf

Scriptwriter | Storyteller | Ex - Nas Daily, Ex - Penguin Random House
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Whether you write letters or diary entries, you must be authentic. Since both are non-fiction pieces meant to be authored by you, it is important that you be true to yourself. The next step is to ascertain who you are writing to. If your letters are addressed to a friend, they can be as casual as your tone would be if you're writing diary entries. However, if you're addressing older family members, people from your professional network in your letters, you might want to consider a more respectful tone.

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3 Create your characters

The third step is to create your characters, which are the people who appear in your diary entries or letters. They can be real or fictional, depending on your format and genre. You can use different techniques to develop your characters, such as describing their appearance, personality, background, and motivations, showing their actions and reactions, and revealing their thoughts and feelings. You can also use dialogue, quotes, and references to other sources to make your characters more realistic and engaging. You should make your characters relatable, believable, and dynamic, as well as relevant to your story and theme.

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4 Structure your plot

The fourth step is to structure your plot, which is the sequence of events that happen in your diary entries or letters. You can use different elements to create your plot, such as conflict, suspense, climax, and resolution. You can also use different techniques to organize your plot, such as chronological order, flashbacks, foreshadowing, and subplots. You should make your plot interesting, coherent, and meaningful, as well as aligned with your format and genre. You should also consider the length, frequency, and date of each entry or letter, and how they affect the pace and flow of your story.

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5 Establish your setting

The fifth step is to establish your setting, which is the time and place where your diary entries or letters take place. You can use different details to describe your setting, such as sensory images, historical facts, cultural aspects, and environmental factors. You can also use different methods to convey your setting, such as narration, description, dialogue, and symbols. You should make your setting vivid, accurate, and relevant, as well as compatible with your format and genre. You should also consider how your setting influences your characters, plot, and theme.

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6 Convey your theme

The final step is to convey your theme, which is the main idea or message that you want to communicate through your diary entries or letters. You can use different strategies to express your theme, such as showing the change or growth of your characters, highlighting the conflicts or resolutions of your plot, and using the symbols or motifs of your setting. You can also use different questions to explore your theme, such as what is the purpose or meaning of your story, what is the lesson or moral of your story, and what is the impact or implication of your story. You should make your theme clear, relevant, and universal, as well as consistent with your format and genre.

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Aradhita Saraf

Scriptwriter | Storyteller | Ex - Nas Daily, Ex - Penguin Random House
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It is important to have a theme that unifies your letters or diary entries - especially if you plan to compile them and put it together in the form of book. Once you have that unifying theme, you can divide them into individual letters/ diary entries. For instance the overall theme for Diary of Anne Frank is - futility of war and how it can lead to unnecessary, extreme destruction and devastation.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Rene Volpi

Freelance Writer | Creative Writing, Storytelling
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Write from the heart and expose your deepest honesty, the bare you. Don't write for anyone, write like if you were speaking to yourself. Catch your readers' attention by bringing up events that we don't hear everyday. Stay away from tedious details that nobody wants to hear. If you must, elaborate with some embellishments. If Ernest Hemingway did it, so can you!

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How can you tell your story through diary entries or letters?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Choose your format

2 Develop your voice

3 Create your characters

4 Structure your plot

5 Establish your setting

6 Convey your theme

7 Here’s what else to consider

Writing

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How can you tell your story through diary entries or letters?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Choose your format

2 Develop your voice

3 Create your characters

4 Structure your plot

5 Establish your setting

6 Convey your theme

7 Here’s what else to consider

Writing

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