the naked self

It is every writer’s dream to one day make The New York Times bestseller list and have your book selected for Oprah’s Book Club. With that said, what happens when there is such a demand for your work that people become interested in your diary entries? There are a lot of writers that have maintained personal journals: Alice Walker, John Cheever, and Virginia Woolf (just to name a few). To read another person’s diary is a chance to really see that person. You are viewing the self that isn’t shared with the public. I have kept a journal since I was fourteen years old (if you want to learn how I began to journal, click here). Sometimes, I ask myself the following question: Would I want the world to see my private thoughts? I don’t think so. However, what I do like about journaling is that you are writing down the history of your life. You are charting your evolution. Hindsight is 20/20. And maybe someone can learn from your mistakes. Maybe someone can become inspired.