My Dear Diary,
It has been raining continuously all day.
Today, I am extremely upset since I have been suffering for (1) bogged down by my thesis for a long time. This feeling is just like I am swimming in a deep sea without any lights, and any confidence I had that things could be put right were (2) was smashed.
Self-doubt has been something I've been struggling (3)with all the time, from doubting (4) whether I could get a master's degree to believing I could succeed as a writer. I know self-doubt and the fear of failure have limited my ability to act, and we all have to struggle with it and every day. There are many people who give up on their dreams due to self-doubt and fear, and never overcome (5) them.
Am I working in a field I really love? Am I a perfectionist? Why do I always lose my passion so (6) fast / quickly? Why do I need to push myself so strongly just to get by each day?
I can't fix it. (7)
Another sleepless night. (7)
Hi Kim,
After reading your writing, I pondered briefly on why some people whom I know face each day with infectious energy while others withdraw themselves into a reclusive lifestyle. I do not claim to have any answer though I feel that our mind is really a powerful tool and we must take care of it. As a saying goes: The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Just a few suggestions for your writing:
(1) I understand that you wanted to describe how you were mentally affected by your thesis. I am not saying that "suffering" is wrong as you can be "suffering mentally". However, I used "bogged down" to mean that you are so involved in something difficult or complicated that you cannot do anything else properly.
(2) There has to be subject-verb agreement. It is not the "things" that were smashed; instead, it is the "confidence" that was smashed. "Confidence" is a mass noun and is considered singular. Therefore, it has to be paired with a singular verb "was".
(3) I used the present continuous tense (i.e. has/have been + verb-ing) to indicate an action that started in the past and is still ongoing now.
(4) A debate is an intellectual discussion where people offer conflicting ideas for consideration. I presume you are referring to an unsure feeling about your abilities. Hence, I used "doubting" for you.
(5) We "get over" something that is devastating, unpleasant, traumatic or stressful by giving ourselves time to recover or getting professional help. I presume you are referring to people's effort to triumph their inner fears. For this meaning, I used "overcome".
(6) I did not cancel your "fast" as it can be an adverb, so there is nothing wrong with using it. However, some writers consider the use of "fast" as an adverb to be very informal and even wrong.
Example: He ran off fast. (some writers consider this to be wrong) // He ran off quickly. (writers will consider this to be fine).
I am not here to argue who is right or wrong; therefore, I added "quickly" for you as another alternative.
(7) I was rather hesitant to add "I" and "Another" here because I am aware that you are writing informally to your diary. In casual speech, native speakers occasionally leave out a few words here and there and are still understood. You can ignore (7) if you want.
Hope this helps you.
