Q&A for How to Start a Diary

No. You may use colored pencils, pens or markers - any writing tool as long as you like it,

A good place to start is to decorate. Decorate the cover with gel, glitter, washi tape, stickers, anything. Draw or paste a small calendar on the first or last page and write birthdays or days to look out for. Believe it or not, personalizing something helps you form a bond with it. Then comes the fun: writing. Write a little or a lot, things that happen during the day, thoughts, poems, or stories. Don't put too much pressure on yourself to write a lot or to write perfectly. Draw or paste if you don't feel like writing. Take it everywhere with you. It is your personal place to write the good or bad, wishes and secrets, without anyone finding out.

Ignore them. They probably have one and are making fun of you, so that people think that they don't have one. Or they are just jealous, but don't worry about it. People can be rude.

Pick a secure hiding spot that no parents or siblings will think to look. Then just stick to that spot. Some suggestions are: Under an article of clothing in your dresser, in the sleeve of your jacket, or even under an area that has legs. Where not to hide it is: Under your bed, under your mattress or in your backpack or purse or briefcase or whatever you may have.

Don't worry about it. How often you write in your diary is up to you. Just write when you have time or when you feel like it.

Were there secrets in there? If so, shame on her. Do you know any private or embarrassing secrets about her? Tell her you'll keep her secrets private if she keeps yours. If not, make up a believable excuse for the super-embarrassing things. Scribble on the diary cover "dream diary," so if she brings it up you can say it was a super-crazy dream. Write things on top of the entries that hint it was a dream, like "2/3. Dream took place: Before waking." Put a few more entries of actual (or made up) dreams to prove it. Add far-fetched details to previous entries. If her memory isn't as large as a an elephants', you may fool her this way. It's risky, but it's for your dignity. A simpler way is to just forget about it, and she probably will too.

No, you don't have to. It's best to just write when you feel like it.

A simple solution is to not write in front of her. Hide it afterward. Or lie and say you are writing short stories or a fake diary or something like that. To save all that trouble, though, just write in secrecy or when your sister is not there.

Of course. If you want to, one can be your personal diary, and the other can be another type of your choice. It's up to you how much you want to write in your diary or whether you want to carry it around with you.

Start writing about a secret like this: Dear Diary (no need to write dear diary if you don't want to but it can ease you into the mood). Then write something like this: I think I've found love, I don't know if it's too early yet but I've got the feelings! His/Her name is _______. Then go on to talk about your feelings and hopes for this young love.

Make your diary fun and colorful, decorate it with pictures, etc. Writing in your diary should be a fun activity, it's not studying or homework, there's no procrastination. If you don't feel like writing, don't write. But as incentive, think about how cool it will be years from now to look back at your diary and relive all these great memories.

Use a fake name when you're writing about your crush in your diary so if he, or anyone else finds it. they won't know you're writing about him.

You can come up with a name for your diary, or just start writing, no introduction is necessary.

WHsmiths sells nice notebooks, you can look on Amazon.com, or you could try at your local Sainsburys etc. Even if you end up buying a plain notebook, you can decorate it with stickers, washitape, or even pens! I would recommend a binded notebook, preferably a standard 8/5 inch, about the size of your average book.

You can write however is convenient for you. You can use a regular notebook or even loose paper.

Start out by using the term: Dear Diary. Then write something like: This is my first time writing. From there, write anything that comes to mind, as there are no rights or wrongs for a diary's content.

You should keep your diary in a safe place where people can't find it and read it. If it does happen, it's up to you what to do. You could try to deny it and say that their name is really a code name for someone else. Or you could just not worry about it, as it's no big deal. Everyone has crushes, and usually people are flattered if someone has a crush on them. You can tell him you like him less now that he's read your diary, though, as that isn't nice.

If they're rude about it, call them out on it. If they don't talk about it, just ask them politely not to mention it, or say that it was a trap to see if anyone was reading it. If they insist on harassing you about it, inform a figure of authority at your school.

How to Hide Your Diary

It can be for some, so if you find it uncomfortable, you can skip that section of writing. But, this is your diary, a place to go to when you want to write down words that you want to get out but don't want others to hear. By writing down your agonies this may clear your head and have you feeling at ease with the situation.

That's totally up to you! It's perfectly fine to write a little introduction about yourself if you'd like, but it isn't necessary.

Most people do so they can know when things were written when they look back at their entries later on, but it's up to you.

Yes. You can write in your journal as many times a day as you'd like. You can even include the time that you made a particular entry.

You can hide your diary inside of a hollowed out book that you can buy at pretty much any craft store, or hide it in a place that she won't think to look. Try not to write in it while she is around, and she may not even realize that you have a diary.

Of course! You could keep two diaries, one at your dad's place and one at your mom's, or you could keep one diary and either leave it at your dad's or transport it back and forth. It's totally your choice.

No, not at all! If you're getting this idea from "Dork Diaries" and "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", try reading "Totally Lucy" instead.

You can write down things on the day that you remember.

Just write about your imaginary friend like you'd write about any of your other friends. Pretend that they're real. It's your journal, write whatever you want!

You can use your diaries for whatever you would like to use it for.

That's entirely up to you, but it's not common. Diaries are usually considered private, and most people don't want anyone to read what they've written in their diary.