Journal Prompts for Bookworms

If you’re a bookworm, then these journal prompts are for you.

A good book is a writer’s paradise. At least, it should be.

A book can be an adventure. It can show us the world from a perspective we never could have imagined. It can be a mirror, a microscope, or a telescope, reflecting the world, enlarging it, or carrying us away to far-off places.

Books are extra special for writers. They entertain, inform, and inspire us. More importantly, they teach us our craft.

Journal Prompts

Lots of bookworms keep reading journals. A reading journal is perfect for a writer, especially a fiction writer, because it provides a place where you can write about what you’ve read and explore it in depth.

Why is this important? Why not just read a book, try to learn from it, and then move on to the next one?

When we take the time to write about something, we are forced to think clearly and critically. The process of writing about what you’ve read will help you understand the text more deeply.

You could simply write a review about whether you loved it or hated it and why. You could also write a synopsis, rehashing the story in your own words. These are useful exercises (and you can, of course, use them any number of ways–such as publishing your reviews on Amazon or Goodreads to help your fellow readers and writers).

Or you could dig in, deconstruct the work, analyze it, and extract new techniques that you can apply to your own writing projects by articulating your response to it.

Journal Prompts

These journal prompts encourage you to examine what you’ve read from a writer’s perspective. You can explore these in your journal to better understand what makes a story work. Choose the prompts that deal with areas of writing that you’re struggling with. Use them over and over with different books you read and learn something new every time.

• How did the book make you feel? Were you sad? Scared? Intrigued?
• What was it about the book that evoked an emotional response from you? Was it the characters? The plot?
• Did you feel more like an observer or were you pulled into the story, more like a participant?
• How did the author build tension? Write down each pinnacle or event that led to the final climax.
• Was the book a page-turner? What were the hooks or cliffhangers that made you want to keep reading?
• What was uniquely likable about the protagonist? What made the antagonist bothersome or despicable?
• How would you describe the tone of the narration? Was the prose flowery? Sharp? Poetic?
• Take a look at the cover. Did it make you want to read the book? How does it represent the book and/or compel readers? Notice the font used for the title and author’s name. Notice the placement.
• How was the book structured? Did it have chapters? Were they numbered or named? Was there an introduction, a prologue, or an epilogue? A table of contents? To whom was the book dedicated? Who did the author thank in the acknowledgments?

You can also use these questions to better understand storytelling in films, television shows, and other mediums.

As writers, we can learn a lot by reading books thoughtfully and closely and by contemplating them as we’re reading and again when we’ve finished reading. You can always use these journal prompts after you’ve read a book (especially a good book); you don’t have to write out your answers in your journal but doing so will likely reveal many details that you otherwise wouldn’t have noticed.

Do you read with a writer’s eye? Have you ever kept a reading journal? Do you consider yourself a bookworm? Finally, if you use any of these journal prompts to explore a book you’ve read, tell us how the experience helped you see the story in a clearer light. Share your thoughts by leaving a comment, and keep reading!

Journal Prompts for Giving Thanks

Journal prompts for cultivating gratitude.

Are you looking for a writing challenge? Want to stretch and tone your writerly muscles? Do you need ideas to trigger a good writing session?

Journal prompts can be used in a number of ways.

Journal writing is excellent for building skills and maintaining a regular writing practice, and journal prompts can help you use your journal creatively and effectively.

In keeping with the theme for November, a month when we here in the U.S. pay more heed than usual to giving thanks, today I’d like to present a series of journal prompts for promoting thankfulness.

Journal Prompts

You can use one of these journal prompts or use all of them. You might even want to start a gratitude journal just for giving thanks. Such a journal is a great way to remind yourself of all the things in life for which you are grateful and to keep your mind in a positive space.

1. One of the best experiences of my life was… I am grateful for that experience because…
2. Appreciating little things like a sunset or a delicious meal is important to me. Some of the little things that I appreciate are…
3. People aren’t perfect, but even with all their flaws, they bring much happiness to my life. I am grateful for the following people… I love or appreciate them because…
4. There are lots of things I can do to make sure I feel grateful each and every day. Some of those things include…
5. Sometimes, I need to remind myself that I have much to be thankful for. I can remember those things through journal writing and by…

You can also simply make a list of all the things and people that make you feel grateful. Write a list of 100 people you’re grateful for, 50 experiences you’re glad you’ve had, or 25 little things you appreciate every day.

Feel free to use these journal prompts to inspire a comment. Tell us what you’re grateful for! And keep writing.

Got any journal prompts to share? Leave a comment!