A Little-Remembered Form of Writing

When most people nowadays think of a "journal" they either think of a "diary" with all the oodalolly "feelings" that are such an irritation and embarassment to look back on in later years, or else they think of a dry chronicle of everyday things. I used to write in my journal something like this: "I woke up, I ate breakfast, I did chores, I did school, we took a walk, we made and ate lunch.....blah blah blah." Very boring indeed! :) But over the years I have read more journals from older times, wherein the entries were so interesting. Take this one for example:
"Remember the bright happy days of last winter; the guests at home, the visits abroad; the buggy rides, the walks, the dances every night; the merry, kind, voices that came from laughing lips, the bright eyes that then sparkled with pleasure? Is there nothing to remember with gratitude in all that?......" (speaking of her brother Harry) "...Was it years ago or only a week past that very night when he was laughing at me while I dragged Mother around in a dance, that he joined his violin to my guitar and called on Miriam and Lydia to sing with us? That last supper where we were so happy, where I drew from him stories of London and Paris, and complained that he did not tell me enough, and promised myself that one day, when I should be his little housekeepe, he would tell me all-- was that real?" -Sarah Morgan

That was not dull was it? So I revamped my vision for my journal writing. I purposed to write interesting accounts of all I did, describe the people I met, and in short, make a writing project of it! I thought to myself, "Wouldn't it be fun to find a well-written journal in some attic?" and so I decided to keep one worth finding someday! It has been so much fun to read back on a well-written journal entry, and actually be able to relive the scene simply from what I had taken a bit of trouble to put down that day! Miss Abigail knows how interesting my journal entries can be, don't you? :) I used to make the excuse that "people back then had servants to do all their work, so they just had ample free-time!) That may have been true, but I know as a fact that, if I make it a priority, I find some sort of time to describe something. Try it! You can use the detailed memories in a story if you do something worthwhile! :) Believe me, it is so worth it, and is a good exercise in learning to write fluently and easily! :) -Rachel