Diaries are ‘better than novels, more accurate than histories, and even at times more dramatic than plays’: Revisiting the diary for creative writers

Abstract

This paper [1] revisits the diary form of first person narrative. The diary is often a major primary resource in the creation of autobiographies, biographies and scholarly research projects, documents and reports. It is also often a rich source of inspiration for fiction, used by many writers as a tool for recording working ideas and progress, and mobilised in teaching creative writing. We argue that, despite this importance in the writing field, the diary has slipped from view in terms of creative writing research and scholarship. By examining its form, historical evolution, uses and what diaries illuminate about writers and their worlds, we foreground unique aspects of the diary that can provide writing inspiration, assistance with production and avenues for further