Journal-Keeping for Memoir Writers & Personal Essayists

Practical techniques, effective methods, and opportunities for creativity

The following piece is inspired by one of the classes in The Unexpected Shape Writing Academy’s curriculum, Journal-Keeping for Memoirists. To learn more about the Academy and all it includes, please keep reading until the end.

Are you a passionate memoir writer or personal essayist seeking to elevate your writing? Let’s explore how journaling can enhance your memoir-writing practice. Whether you're a regular journal-keeper or just starting out with a Mead notebook and ballpoint pen, you’ll hopefully find a gem or two here to contribute to your life as a creative nonfiction writer.

Before we dive into the specifics of journaling for memoirists, let's take a second to discuss the practical parts of journaling that can enrich your writing experience. Choosing the right materials is one small but important key to creating your enjoyable and fulfilling journaling journey: if you’re not already a stationery geek, consider factors such as the type and size of your notebook, paper quality, and binding style (ring binders and spiral notebooks can be tough for lefties). Explore options such as lined, wide ruled, narrow ruled, dot grid, or regular grid paper to find the one that suits your needs and aesthetics. And don't forget to find a pen or pencil that feels comfortable in your hand and complements your writing style. If you want to add a creative touch to your journal, consider incorporating photos using a portable photo printer; I like using the HP Sprocket 200. (For more about journaling as a restorative practice, check out my book, Rawness of Remembering: Restorative Journaling Through Difficult Times.)

Journaling is a great practice for my essay writing because it’s all about the art of keeping a record. Writing about what’s happened in your life is a great way to generate a wealth of material for your nonfiction writing, whether that’s on your Substack, in your essays, or in that memoir that you’re working on (or will work on in the future). It lets you analyze thoughts, emotions, and experiences deeply on the page, providing insights that can be stitched into your personal nonfiction narrative.

Now for the different methods and techniques that can assist you on this transformative journey:

The Anaïs Nin Method: Anaïs Nin’s diaries are novelistic—written like novels depicting the details of everyday life, including scenes that rival some of the best fiction out there. By trying this method, you can bring your memoir to life by capturing vivid scenes and creating characters who are as alive as you are.

Here’s an excerpt from Nin’s diary entries written in March 1947:

I was recovering from all the deep wounds of Bill Pinckard’s absence, of Gore Vidal’s unattainableness, of the disintegration of my love for Gonzalo. Hugo was away in Cuba, and I was going out with Bernard Pfriem, a vital, charming man who desired me but whom I did not desire.

Hazel McKinley is a burlesque queen in private life who strips herself bare at her parties, literally, and then the next day informs her friends of the previous night’s doings over the telephone. Hazel is blond, very fat, weighing at least two hundred pounds, a painter of childish watercolors proclaiming her age to be all of thirteen, an insatiable nymphomaniac who is always starved for men because they rarely stay more than one night. She telephoned me: “Oh, Anaïs, bring me some men. I’m having a little party, and I haven’t any men I could be interested in! Please, Anaïs.”

I, thinking that she would attack Bernard and keep him, agreed to come.

When I arrived at the hotel, I was ushered into an elevator with a tremendously tall young man. As I saw his handsome face, I said to myself: Caution. Danger.

His name was Rupert Pole.

In Hazel’s room, he and I stood talking for a moment. Rupert spoke first, having heard I was Spanish. Ordinary remarks. He intimated his belief in pacifism and mystical studies.

Later we found ourselves on the couch. I was on my guard. But somehow or other we talked about printing (he excused himself for the condition of his hands), and that created a bond. I told him I had printed my books; he told me he was printing Christmas cards to earn a living. I told him I was a writer; he told me he was an actor out of work.

He is twenty-eight. His mother is remarried, to the son of Frank Lloyd Wright. His father is a writer. As we talked, we plunged deep, deep eyes into each other. Then people intervened.

I was ready to leave early because Bernard was frightened by Hazel’s advances and wanted to make love to me. Rupert came up and said, “I would like to see you again.”

That night while Bernard made love to me, it was Rupert’s face that hung before my eyes.

Later, Rupert called me. Hugo was away in Cuba. I invited him for dinner. I lit all the candles I had placed on the Spanish feast table. He took charge of the dinner. I sat far from him on the couch. We did not talk very long. His eyes were wet and glistening, and he was hungry for caresses. The radio was playing the love scene of Tristan and Isolde. We stood up. My mood was, above all, amazement — to see this beautiful, incredible face over mine, and to find in this slender, dreamy, remote young man a burst of electric passion.

To experience the magic of the Anaïs Nin Method firsthand, try the following exercise: Set aside 10 minutes to reflect on a noteworthy event or encounter from your day. Write about it using this method, employing all of your senses to get it down. See how it enriches your journal with a vibrancy and authenticity that wouldn’t be there without treating your life like a novel.

The Timeline Method: Another approach is creating a comprehensive timeline incorporating personal milestones and significant world events. This method provides a factual and chronological framework as a solid foundation for your memoir.

I first discovered this way to journal when I purchased a Jibun Techo Planner, made by Kokuyo, a Japanese stationery maker. The Jibun Techo is a planner set that includes three main notebooks: one for months and weeks, one for making notes, and one called "Life." The Life notebook allows you to jot down the Gregorian year, your age during that year, and significant events that happened to you and in the world. It even divides the year into months. This level of detail provides a comprehensive life timeline, offering valuable insights—I learned, for example, that I started my period a year later than I actually had because Friday the 13th didn’t fall on a school day in the year prior. If you want to try the Jibun Techo Planner, you can find it on JetPens. Alternatively, you can create your own timeline in a notebook if you prefer not to purchase the Life notebook.

A life timeline allows you to examine events and ask yourself what might interest you enough to write more expansively about. If your memoir focuses on a specific period of time or theme in your life, knowing the events that occurred during that time can be invaluable. Could you look at the context in which these events occurred and how they shaped your experience? You might be surprised by the connections and insights that arise.

For the next exercise, think about a stretch of time that you would like to explore in your personal nonfiction. It could be a significant period in your life or a specific theme. Draw a line representing each year and mark important personal events alongside them. Consider your age during those events and any notable world events that occurred. Take your time to observe the connections and reflect on what interests you about those moments.

The Scatter Method: This technique is similar to the Anaïs Nin method, but focuses on capturing brief notes and observations rather than full sentences. Notable examples of this method can be found in the journals of Susan Sontag and Sylvia Plath; they recorded concise details and snippets of thoughts, which served as a rich source of material for their writing. This method is particularly useful for gathering sensory details to draw from when crafting your memoir. Start to jot down notes about your surroundings, emotions, and physical sensations.

Exercise: Take 10 minutes to generate a scatter of details from a scene or moment you find valuable. Focus on engaging your senses and capturing the essence of the experience.

During the analysis and feeling phase, connecting your observations with emotions and thoughts adds depth and introspection to your writing. Look back at the scatter method exercise or any other scene or detail you have explored. Ask yourself questions such as:

• What was I thinking at that moment?

• What were my expectations?

• What took me by surprise?

• How would my past self perceive this event?

• Were there any physical sensations accompanying this experience?

By diving into the analysis and feelings behind the details, you can uncover new perspectives and insights that enrich your memoir—making your journal more than a rambling inner monologue or a strict record of the events of the day.

Feel free to explore different approaches and find what works best for you. Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to journaling. If you have any ideas or methods you'd like to share, please drop them in the comments. And if you found this useful, have a quick look at The Unexpected Shape Writing Academy, which has the tools you’ll need to write, connect, & thrive. I’m wildly excited about sharing this with you wholeheartedly, and I think you’ll love it, too.