Does writing regular diary entries count as writing practice?el DTe0дa T Jj Ds 69иpPд
One of the most common pieces of writing advice I hear is that you should write frequently and often. Writing regular entries in a diary should fit this criteria, but I'm hesistant to call my years of writing entries as serious, qualitative writing practice.
I do focus on more open-ended topics and don't usually deadpan describe everyday events. It's not uncommon to be incredibly meta in this, questions like 'why do I think this?' and the thinking that emerges from that can conclude by changing my own perspective or the way I think or approach a certain topic. I think that my problem with thinking of this as serious writing practice is because it's already a habit of mine and it feels like cheating to accept something that I already do and don't have to actively attempt to learn. It also isn't the exact same thing as trying to write an actual paragraph or chapter of a novel.
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1Practice doesn't mean doing the same thing every day. It means doing it with a goal in mind, and things to work on to improve – Thomo 7 hours ago
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To clarify: I don't write about the same things or daily, just frequently and when I feel like I have something to say. I usually end up writing pages about these ideas and my own perceptions of them. I do think having a goal in mind is a good idea in deciding whether or not a specific writing activity counts as practice. – ObsoleteUsername 7 hours ago
1 Answer
There is a distinction that needs to be drawn here: are you talking about practice that helps you improve your writing, or are you talking about the kind of practice you can put in a CV to help you get a job in journalism or something similar?
If you're looking for something to put on your CV, "I write a diary" is weak. "I write a blog" is stronger, because you can put a link to it. Even if the two are essentially the same thing - the fact that a blog is "published" makes people see it differently.
But if you're asking whether your writing is improved by the fact that you write a diary, then yes. Any exercise wherein you express your ideas in writing, improves your writing. School assignments. Blog posts. Diary entries. Letters. Stack Exchange answers. Expressing your ideas clearly, transmitting them in a way that lets them be understood by others - it is a skill. Any form of writing improves it. (Writing of ideas, I should say. Making a shopping list doesn't count.)
It is a habit that you have? That's great. You're getting practice through something you enjoy and do anyway, rather than through "dedicated practice". That's actually better, since it wouldn't tire you as much.
