Journal Dialogue

Another useful technique to use in your journal writing is Dialogues. This technique is similar to the unsent letter or letter to your future self, except you also write the response from the person you are addressing. Another difference is that you don’t even have to dialogue with an actual person. You might choose to speak, or write, back and forth with an event, a part of your inner self, a memory, a part of your body or a non-existent person such as a sage or wise counsellor who passes on words of wisdom.

The first time I encountered this technique was in Tristine Rainer’s The New Diary, but have since seen it in many different ways in various books on journal writing and creative writing, including Ira Progoff’s At a Journal Workshop.

This technique is a great writing exercise to help you get to know your characters better. Stage an imaginary meeting or interview with them and write out the dialogue. You can write their name, their response, your name and your response or question in a continuous stream down the page. You may prefer to simply change the colour of the pen you’re writing with, representing yourself with one colour and who or whatever you’re dialoguing with in the other colour. Lucia Capacchione even suggests using your other hand to write your dialogue response in her book The Creative Journal

Dialogues are effective when you’re involved in a conflict with a co-worker, a relative or sibling in helping you understand the other person’s point-of-view. But this need not be a serious and deep session in your journal. One of my favourite online journal writers often uses this technique to dialogue with her rubber ducky. She calls him her therapist and writes light-hearted entries to brighten herself on days when she’s feeling down.

Like any technique journal writing is there for you to use. You might like to try it or not. Please share your experiences with using dialogue in your journals with us in the comments section.

Heather