Overview

Personal writing is writing about your thoughts, feelings, and actions. There are many forms of personal writing. A journal is one example. In a journal, you can write about your life at the present time and your wishes and dreams for the future. One type of journal is a learning log. In a learning log, you write comments and questions about what you are reading and studying. Writing in a learning log can help you understand and remember what you learn. Some people keep a learning log to record their reactions to the literature they read.

Journals and learning logs are usually private, but you can also use personal writing to share information about yourself. You can write true stories about your experiences for others to read. This particular form of personal writing is called autobiographical writing.

An autobiographical work about an event or a phase in a person’s life is called a memoir. A work about a person’s entire life is called an autobiography. Many readers enjoy these works because of the authenticity (the realness) of the people and the events described.

No two people have exactly the same experiences and interpretations. Personal writing allows you to tell your story from your point of view.