Writing prompts can be used in the morning, during the day, or at night. Find a time that works best for you.
When you start to journal, jot down a prompt at the top of the page, set a timer for 15 minutes and write without concern for grammar, etc. At the end of the time, take a deep breath in and let it all go. Notice how you feel. Do you want to write more or do you feel complete?
Follow your feelings. Perhaps you feel like revisiting your writing, forgetting about it, or ripping it up.
1. Write about your favorite vacation or your dream vacation.
2. Write about the first time you held someone's hand. 
3. Write about the last thing/person that made you smile.
4. Write a letter to your 14-year old self.
5. If I knew then what I know now…
6. You have a billion dollars in your bank account. How did you make it?
7. A blind man falls in love, describe his feelings.
8. Write about an unlikely friendship.
9. What makes you smile? What makes you happy?
10. Write about your shopping wish list and how you like to spend money.
11. Write about a teacher that has influenced you.
12. Sit outside for about an hour. Write down the sounds you hear.
13. What if your mirror started talking to you? What might the mirror say?
14. Write about coming out of the dark and seeing the light.
15. The sun comes up, the sun goes down. It goes round and round. Write something inspiring about the sunrise or sunset.
16. Write a poem or journal entry inspired by what you can’t see.
17. Write a poem about the things that make you smile.
18. Write about your favorite season.
19. Write about a moment in your life you wish you could freeze and preserve.
20. Write about sharing something with someone else.
21. **Write from the viewpoint of a cactus. What’s it like to live in the desert or have a prickly personality? ** when I read this, it made me laugh!
22. Write about the good that happens in a bad situation.
23. What is at the end of a rainbow?
24. Go through a magazine and cut out words that grab your attention. Use these words to construct a poem or as a story starter or inspiration for your journal.
25. Go through a magazine and cut out words and pictures that grab your attention. Make a collage.
26. Write about your first kiss.
27. Take a few minutes to do some deep breathing relaxation techniques. Once your mind is clear, just write the first few things that come to mind.
28. Go cloud watching and write about what you imagine in the clouds.
29. Set a timer for 5 minutes and just write. Don’t worry about it making sense or being perfect.
30. Envision yourself traveling to a fictional place, what do you experience in your imaginary journey?
31. Write about a promise you want to make to yourself and keep.
32. Write about living in the present moment.
33. Write about not giving up.
34. Write your personal credo of things you believe in.
35. Write about something that happened by chance in a positive way.
36. Write about a time when someone forgave you or you forgave someone.
37. Write about a random act of kindness you’ve done for someone or someone has done for you, no matter how small or insignificant it may have seemed.
38. Write about a point in life where things turned for the better or worse.
39. Take your camera for a walk and write based on one of the photographs you take.
40. List five good things about today.
41. Make a list of twenty things that make you happy.
42. What is a new skill that you would like to learn and how can you learn it?
43. What is one long-term goal you wish to work towards?
44. Pick a single positive word that you want to focus on today – such as joy, gratitude, love or courage. Journal about all the ways you have experienced this word lately and all the ways you want to.
45. Write a list of the day’s accomplishments and victories, no matter how small. Celebrate each one individually.
46. Do a worry purge in the pages of your journal. Without stopping, write down everything that is churning around in your mind. Once it is out of your head, give yourself permission to leave it in your journal and come back to it later with a clearer head.
47. Sit quietly for a few minutes, just breathing and listening to your body, before you start journaling. What is it telling you? Where do you feel strong, healthy, energetic, relaxed? Where do you feel tense, worried, uncomfortable, tired? What is asking for more attention?
48. Tell a story in which you made a positive difference in someone’s life. How did you change them for the better? How did it change you? What does this reflect about you as a person?
49. Describe that one friend who makes you laugh so hard you cry. Recall one of those times when you couldn’t stop laughing.
50. The best advice I’ve ever received is …
51. Write about the most peaceful place you’ve ever visited or heard about.
52. This is what I would tell my best friend if she was struggling or having trouble falling asleep and called me right now.
53. I am thankful that I…
54. What past challenge has turned out to be a gift in disguise (even if it’s still painful)? Why? What was the silver lining?
55. If I knew that anything I asked for would be answered, I would ask for ________.
56. Make a list of twenty things that make you happy.
57. What is one place you would love to travel to and why?
58. Draw a picture of something that makes you happy. Write about the picture.
59. Write a letter to your future self.
60. What are some things/people/opportunities/privileges/everyday occurrences you are grateful for? How do these positively impact your life and why are you grateful for them? List as many as you can, the more the better.
61. What surprised you today? What moved you today? What inspired you today?
FDLP Library
