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I find these answers interesting because to me, a diary is a place you confess your innermost thoughts, while a journal is something you write in every day to talk about what you did. (note the jou...
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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/6120 License name: CC BY-SA 3.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/6120 License name: CC BY-SA 3.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision
I find these answers interesting because to me, a _diary_ is a place you confess your innermost thoughts, while a _journal_ is something you write in every day to talk about what you did. (note the _jour-_ root, meaning "day") That having been said, if I'm reporting on what I did today, or yesterday, I'd use past tense, because it's something I _did_. But if I'm using the writing as a way to work out my thoughts or emotions, I'd use present tense, because it's something I _feel_, which is still ongoing.