Diary ideas: 90 things to write about

How to use these diary ideas

Do not try to answer a whole list. Pick one idea that makes you think "oh, I have something to say about that" and write until you run out. Five lines is a real diary entry.

• Short on time? Use the ideas in the lists section. A list takes two minutes.
• Bad day? Go to the ideas about yourself. Writing what you feel often makes it lighter.
• Nothing happened today? Use the memory ideas. Your past is full of stories.
• Writing for school? The student section has diary ideas that work well for class.

Diary ideas to write about your day

1. The first thing you thought about when you woke up this morning, and why.Write
2. The best ten minutes of today. Where were you and who was there?Write
3. Something someone said today that you keep thinking about.Write
4. What you ate today, and which meal was the best.Write
5. A moment today when you felt a little proud of yourself.Write
6. Something that annoyed you today. Was it really about that, or something else?Write
7. The weather today and how it changed your mood.Write
8. A small thing you noticed today that most people would miss.Write
9. What you would do differently if you could replay today.Write
10. Who you talked to the most today, and what you talked about.Write
11. Something that made you laugh today, even a little.Write
12. How tired or awake you feel right now, and what caused it.Write

Diary entry ideas about the people in your life

1. The friend you can call at any hour. Write about the day you knew they were that kind of friend.Write
2. Something your mom, dad or the person who raised you always says. What does it mean to you now?Write
3. A person you miss. Describe one ordinary afternoon you spent together.Write
4. Someone you had a falling out with. Tell the story from their side.Write
5. A teacher, coach or boss who changed how you see yourself.Write
6. The funniest person you know. Write down a joke or moment you never want to forget.Write
7. A stranger who was kind to you once.Write
8. Who you would invite to dinner tonight, alive or not, and what you would ask them.Write
9. Someone you admire but have never told. What would you say?Write
10. A sibling, cousin or neighbor you grew up with. What do you remember first?Write
11. A person who is going through a hard time right now. How could you help?Write
12. The way you are different around different people.Write

Diary ideas to write about yourself

For a whole page on this, see how to write a diary about myself.

1. Three words your best friend would use to describe you, and whether you agree.Write
2. Something you are secretly good at.Write
3. A fear you have that would surprise people.Write
4. What a perfect ordinary Saturday looks like for you, hour by hour.Write
5. A habit you want to start and the tiny first step you could take tomorrow.Write
6. What you worry about most right now. Write it all out, then write what you would tell a friend with the same worry.Write
7. A rule you live by, and where you learned it.Write
8. Something you changed your mind about this year.Write
9. What makes you feel calm. Be specific about the place, sound or smell.Write
10. Where you want to be one year from today.Write
11. A compliment you received that you still remember.Write
12. What you need more of right now: rest, fun, people, quiet or something else?Write

Memory diary ideas

1. Your earliest memory. What can you see, hear and smell?Write
2. The house or apartment you grew up in. Walk through it room by room.Write
3. A birthday you will never forget, good or bad.Write
4. The first time you felt truly grown up.Write
5. A trip, even a short one, that stayed with you.Write
6. A song that takes you straight back to one moment.Write
7. The best present you ever gave someone.Write
8. A time you got in trouble as a kid. Was it worth it?Write
9. A meal from your childhood that you would love to eat again.Write
10. The scariest thing you have ever done.Write
11. A day you were brave without knowing it.Write
12. A favorite toy, book or show from when you were small.Write

Diary ideas for students

These work for a school diary assignment or your own private diary. For the layout teachers ask for, see the diary entry format, and for even more school topics see our list of diary entry topics.

1. Your first day at a new school or new class. What did you expect and what really happened?Write
2. The subject you love and the one you dread. Why?Write
3. A test you studied hard for. How did it go?Write
4. A group project where something went wrong.Write
5. Lunch break today: who you sat with and what you talked about.Write
6. A school trip or field day you still remember.Write
7. Something a teacher said that stuck with you.Write
8. A day you helped a classmate, or a classmate helped you.Write
9. The last day before a long holiday.Write
10. A sports match, concert or competition you took part in.Write
11. What you want to be when you grow up, and what changed your mind before.Write
12. A rule at school you think should change, and what you would put in its place.Write
13. The best and worst part of this school week.Write
14. A book you read for school that you actually liked.Write

Creative diary ideas

1. Write today as if it were the first page of a novel about you.Write
2. A letter to yourself ten years from now. What do you hope has changed?Write
3. A letter to your younger self on their worst day.Write
4. Describe your room to someone who will never see it.Write
5. Write a conversation between you and your pet, or a pet you would love to have.Write
6. If today had a soundtrack, list the songs and say why each one fits.Write
7. Write the story of an object on your desk. Where has it been?Write
8. Invent a holiday and describe how you would celebrate it.Write
9. Write about today from the point of view of your shoes.Write
10. Your dream from last night, as much as you remember.Write
11. Describe the view from your window in five different moods.Write
12. A short poem about the last time you were happy, even if it does not rhyme.Write
13. If you could live one day in any year in history, which would it be?Write

Lists to keep in your diary

Lists are perfect for busy days and make fun pages to read back later. For page layouts and doodles, see journal page ideas.

1. Ten small things that made you happy this week.Write
2. Places you want to visit before you turn the next big age.Write
3. Movies and shows you want to watch next.Write
4. Books you have loved, with one line about each.Write
5. Things you are grateful for that cost nothing.Write
6. Songs on repeat this month.Write
7. Things you are proud of this year.Write
8. Foods you want to learn to cook.Write
9. Things that always cheer you up.Write
10. Questions you would love answered.Write
11. Your favorite words and why you like them.Write
12. Goals for this month, big and small.Write
13. Things you would tell a new friend about yourself.Write
14. What you want to do less of and more of.Write
15. Things you never want to forget about this year.Write

Tips for keeping your diary going

• Write the date every time. Even a short entry becomes a time capsule.
• Keep it small. Three lines most days beats a long entry once a month.
• Tie it to a habit. Write right after brushing your teeth at night or with your morning drink.
• Do not fix spelling. Nobody is grading this diary.
• Mix it up. Use one idea about your day, then one memory, then a list. Variety stops it from feeling like homework.
• Read back once a month. You will be surprised how much you forgot.

Questions people ask