Diary Entry Literature & Language Book Review Essay

Definition: This is a personal text, like a blog, email, personal letter, and social media posting. It is a personal account that describes what you did, saw, and felt on a particular occasion. While an entry can be an account of what you did that day, an interesting entry will contain your thoughts, feelings, and comments about that account. In other words, you need to reflect.
Structure: Your entry could be written in chronological order; however, it is usually spontaneous. A good diary entry should emphasize your reflections and comments. As a result, your entry does not have to be in chronological order. To focus on your opinions, instead of the events of the day, you might consider an exclamation, such as: “What a day this has been!” This, obviously, is more emotional than beginning with an opinion, such as: “I have never felt so insulted.” Another option is to start with a rhetorical question, such as: “How could I have imagined they could be so cruel?”
While diary entries are spontaneous, they should be structured in paragraphs with a topic sentence and clear focus for each. Conclude with a final statement or question, such as “I wonder what will happen next,” or “What will happen next?”
Style: Remember that you are actually writing to yourself. In other words, your audience is you. Therefore, your diary entry should reflect your mood and personality. Remember to use the simple past tense, if you are writing about something that happened the day before or “yesterday.” If you are writing about something that took place earlier in the day, or “today,” you will need to use the present perfect, such as, “Today has been wonderful,” or “I have finally discovered the true nature of the universe.” Your language can be somewhat informal; however, avoid using too much slang (a type of language that consists of words and phrases that are regarded as very informal, are more common in speech than writing, and are typically restricted to a particular context or group of people). It might be a good idea to place slang words in italics, such as "My legs were killing me after my first long run."
In Summary:
Structure
• Usually spontaneous
• May be chronological Audience
• Written to self
• Private, not public Style
• Generally narrative
• Also reflective (more interesting)