journal writing prompts


A Week’s Worth of Journaling Prompts: Pets 5

Dogs are loving, patient, companions, and I’ve always liked them, but as a child, I was not allowed to have one. My mother didn’t like animals. “They’re dirty and messy, and they die,” she’d say, shaking her head, when we asked for pets. Once in a while, we kids would […]


Into the Fire: What Happened Was… 6

This weekend I attended The Sun magazine’s annual writers’ workshop, “Into the Fire” at Esalen in Big Sur. Having been to one of these workshops four years ago, I anticipated the weekend as eagerly as a child anticipates an Oreo cookie–imagining twisting it apart, licking out the luscious filling, then […]


A Week’s Worth of Journaling Prompts: How We Labor 3

Yesterday we celebrated Labor Day in the U.S., a day of tribute to the working class in recognition of the contributions they (we) make to the *”strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.” Although no one knows exactly who first proposed the idea, we’ve been celebrating this holiday since 1882 […]


A Week’s Worth of Journaling Prompts: Regret 7

I received the suggestion for this week’s journaling prompts from Marlene Samuels, who wrote: I’ve been enjoying receiving your newsletters … Currently I’m working on a series of essays pertaining to decision making for the 3rd quarter of our lives, especially as seen by baby-boom generation women. I think it […]


Journal Writing Tips: Using “If” Statements 2

Life is a never-ending source of journaling prompts. We can write about current events, past events, and imagined future events. One fun (and often revealing) kind of journal writing prompt is the “If …” statement or question. If I had been born male, instead of female, what sports would I […]


A Week’s Worth of Journaling Prompts: Happiness 8

The U.S. constitution acknowledges our basic right to pursue happiness. And so we do. But happiness seems to be an elusive prize: each time we believe we’ve attained it, it seems to slip from our grasp once again. This may be, in part, because we’re not exactly sure what happiness […]