Journaling | Writing Forward

The Benefits of Keeping a Reading Journal

I’ve kept a journal on and off since I was a kid. My journals are full of poetry, drawings, story ideas, and random thoughts. I’ve always wanted to keep a reading journal, but I usually inhale books, leaving little time between chapters to jot down my thoughts. I like to read at night, and by…Read More

Journal Prompts for Giving Thanks

Journal writing is excellent for building skills and maintaining a regular writing practice, and journal prompts can help you use your journal creatively and beneficially. Journal prompts can be used to inspire creative ideas, to keep track of important things in our lives, and for personal growth. Today’s prompts are for the practice of gratitude….Read More

Journal Prompts for the Fearless and Fearful

Fears. We all have them, and we all have to face them sooner or later. Some people are plagued with fears that interfere with their ability to live a normal and healthy life. Others dance around their fears, cleverly avoiding those things that give them a nervous twitch. Still more people simply live day to…Read More

The Benefits of Keeping a Gratitude Journal

A journal is a log, usually with dated entries. Some journals are topical (dream journals, travel journals, freewriting journals), while others are left open to explore just about anything. Many topical journals are meant to improve the quality of life. For example, people who are working to lose weight might keep a diet and exercise…Read More

Journal Prompts for Aspiring Writers

Journal prompts are a great way to kick off a writing session when you’re feeling uninspired. We all have days when writing ideas are nowhere to be found, but that doesn’t mean you have to go a day without writing. In fact, on those days when my muse is being elusive, I like to either…Read More

Journal Prompts for Bookworms

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 new perspective. It can be a mirror, a microscope, or a telescope. It can reflect the world, magnify it, or carry us away to far-off places. Books are extra…Read More

Philosophical Journal Prompts

What is philosophy? Let’s turn to Wikipedia for a simple, straightforward definition: “Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language…It is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational argument.” Today’s journal…Read More

A Week’s Worth of Experimental Journal Prompts

As writers, we are constantly told (usually by other writers) that we should be writing every day (without exception!), but rarely are we provided with details of what we should be writing. Of course, many writers already know what to write. They are poets, short story writers, novelists, memoirists, literary journalists, and bloggers. Their niche…Read More

A Messy, Liberating Guide to Journal Writing

This post contains affiliate links that earn commissions from qualifying purchases. You should see my journal. It’s a cacophony of words and images, scribbles, doodles, and scraps of ideas tucked between the pages. It’s sort of a mess, and I like it that way. I know some writers are diligent about keeping their journals pristine….Read More

Ten Personal Journal Prompts

Most writers keep a journal of some kind to jot down ideas, scenes, thoughts, and questions. Journals can be used in many different ways. However, one of the most traditional uses for a journal is to write about one’s own life. Often, this type of journal is called a diary. It’s not always easy coming…Read More