People have been writing in journal as far back as Shakespeare and Dickens. Writing your journal in the third person opens the door to insight, and a wee bit of mischief.

The content of personal journals, once called commonplace books, is private and not for public consumption. The sanctuary of a journal allows you to write all that may be on your mind. Because it is your journal, it is your business. This holds true for anyone who keeps a journal, diary, commonplace book. 

When you’re writing in your journal, you’re writing when no one’s looking. Those last words, writing when no one’s looking, help create a sentence that opens the door to insight and mischief.

Let’s start with some insight. Instead of first-person writing such as: “I didn’t want to get out of bed this morning and when I did get out of bed, my lower back reassured me back pain would be happy to keep me company.” 

Your third person take might be: “When he woke up, his eyes opened which, for a minute or so, was the only movement an observer might see. However, when he got out of bed, his upper body flinched, he let out a groan and placed both hands on his lower back and tried to stretch.” 

Some third-person mischief might be, “When he woke, his eyes opened. He lay still no doubt thinking of great things he wanted to write. He did not groan when he stood up. In fact, when his hands reached for his lower back, he spoke aloud. “No pain can stop this writer!”  And then, the man who was arguably the handsomest man in the dwelling went into the kitchen and made coffee.”

That he was the handsomest man in the dwelling where he lived alone was beside the point. Remember, no one is looking.