Journal Writing - Seven Prompts For Seven Days

By Author: Phillip Alexander
Total Articles: 34
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Whether you are brand new to journal writing or you write regularly in your journal there will be a time when you might get stuck on what to write about or what to focus on. What I want to do now is provide you with prompts for journal writing that you can do every day for the next week. Remember that journaling is all about writing out your thoughts and feelings so as you complete each day do your best to connect with how you feel and what you think in your writing. One more tip. Keep your inner critic outside the door when you sit down to write! Okay, let's get going.
Journal writing prompt day one
Your first journal writing prompt is to write out seven facts about yourself that you want the world to know. If you had to tell people about yourself and your life, things you have accomplished, things you enjoy doing, people you have met, what would you want them to know? Write them out as facts about you. Once complete take those seven facts and see if they give you additional things you might want to journal about in the future. I remember writing that I used to be a tomboy and I was really good at playing cricket. ...
... Writing that one fact about me bought up loads of cricket related stories that I wrote out in my journal.
Journal writing prompt day two
Day two is about using a photo to prompt you into writing. Find an image from your childhood. Rather than sit and work your way through what could be hundreds of photos looking for the perfect one pick out 30 or more random photos with you in them then just close your eyes and pick one. Whichever one you pick is the right photo for you for today. Can you remember when the photo was taken? How old were you? As you look at that photo now how does it make you feel? What was going on in your life at that time? If you are allowed to (and if you want to) stick the photo in your journal and write out the story of that day.
Journal writing prompt day three
We are nearly half way through now and onto day three. Today you are going to take part in free writing. You write without stopping for a set period of time. I choose 10 minutes but feel free to make it shorter or longer. During this time you write without thinking. You write out whatever comes into your head. Today you are going to focus on writing about this topic 'things I have always wanted to say that I have never been able to say and the people I want to say them too'. For 10 whole minutes without editing yourself or stopping yourself you are going to write and make your language as colorful as you choose. What have you always wants to say but have never been able to say? Who are the people you want to say things to? Write it out in your journal. NO CENSORING and no stopping. Just write. Set a stopwatch and write for 10 minutes. Enjoy.
Journal writing prompt day four
Yesterday you took part in free writing. Today I want you to focus your journaling efforts on how you felt doing that activity. Did you limit yourself? Did you want to use rude words but censored yourself? Did you go completely crazy and really say everything you have always wanted to say? In your journal today take a look at how much freedom you gave yourself, how self expressed you were (or were not), how you felt about the process and any other insights that came out of doing that.
Journal writing prompt day five
Today we get creative. Grab yourself some coloring pencils, stencils, crayons and anything you can lay your hands on. There is no need to go out and buy something. If you only have pens and highlighters that will do. In fact if you only have pens that's enough. You are going to cover an entire page in drawings. Now is the time to let go of the inner critic that tells you that you can't draw. Vincent van Gogh said the best way to silence the inner art critic is to sit down and draw something. It does not have to look a particular way. It does not have to be about anything. Put some circles and squares on a page and color them in if that is all you can manage. Developing a journal is about freedom of self-expression. How much freedom are you giving yourself? When it is over write out how you felt about what you drew and any insights that came from doing that.
Journal writing prompt day six
On day one you wrote out seven facts about you that you want to share with the world. Take one of those facts and expand on it. Write a short story about what happened and why it happened if you are able to use it in that way. Remember to focus your attention on your feelings about what happened and any thoughts you want to share.
Journal writing prompt day seven
Today, as it is the final day of me prompting you, your focus is going to be on what you got out of using these daily prompts. In your journal write out how you felt about completing each day. Did you manage to complete each day? What insights did you gain about yourself? If you did not follow all seven prompts how do you feel about that? Use this final day to write about your experience over the last seven days of writing.

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