i feel like keeping diaries used to be a massively popular thing just a little over a decade ago, to the point where every preteen to teenage protagonist had one, and now in 2026, you barely hear about them anymore... my theory is that with how the more out of pocket a post online is, the more attention it gets, but either way- with the amount of people realizing that nothing they post online is as privat as they think, diaries might be coming back pretty soon. so for those looking to switch to a diary soon, here's your tutorial!!

first, you have to choose what you want to use. with the rise in digital privacy being basically nonexistent, youll probably want to go with a physical option. contrary to popular belief, a diary doesnt have to look fancy- it can literally just be a composition notebook or a binder with a bunch of looseleaf paper. whatever option works best for you, do it.

when keeping a physical record of your day-to-day life, theres always the risk of someone getting access to and reading it.. which is why i suggest either getting a diary with a lock or adding one on yourself. one small hurdle is that most diaries that come with locks are either really easy to pick or really expensive. so if you plan on making your own, here's a tutorial:

- get a binder clip, and pinch on the little sliver bits to disassemble it.

- place them at the same height on the inside of both cover pages.

- place little strips of fabric on top of the disassembled pieces, and put super glue on them.

and voila!! you've made hoops for the lock to go through. as for the lock itself, id recommend getting a number or word lock instead of a key one- people can buy a lock with an identical key anyways, but they cant immediately guess the code to a lock with 1,000 to 10,000 possible combinations. one thing to note about number or word locks though- often times people pick things that are easy to remember due to personal relevance (birthdays, holidays, references, etc.) which can make them easy to guess. my advice is to pick a random pokemon and use its dex number- it doesnt have to be your favorite, it can be any one pokemon.

and that concludes my advice on keeping a diary!! thank you for reading, and happy writing<3