Have you ever tried to solve a problem by having a written conversation with yourself?

This may sound a little loopy, but I have done this for recreational math problems and I find the technique to be productive. It is helpful for generating ideas. I have noticed that initial ideas tend not to be used, but it helps to lead to better ideas. The flow of ideas is definitely not smooth.

I have never seen this technique recommended by anyone. It lends itself to logic puzzles, but I can imagine using it to solve less well defined problems. It could possibly be used as an adjunct to keeping a journal. Any thoughts on this?