Journal prompts from 1200 Creative Writing Prompts.

Today’s journal prompts are taken from my book, 1200 Creative Writing Prompts, which is filled with inspiration for writers and includes prompts for writing fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction.

The journal prompts in the book are found in the creative nonfiction section. They urge you to think about your personal experiences, beliefs, and ideas and then write about them. Some of these prompts could be used to write personal essays. They might even inspire an idea for a memoir, a personal blog, or a weekly column.

All the journal prompts are designed to spark ideas for personal writing. If you get an idea that is different from the prompt, go with it. Change the prompts, combine them, and use them in whatever way you see fit.

Journal Prompts

• Write about someone you admire from afar—a public figure or celebrity.
• Have you ever felt like you were meant for something, that some event or moment in your life was fated? Have you ever felt an inexplicable call to do something? Where do you think this feeling comes from? Write about it.
• They say it’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. Whom have you loved and lost?
• Tell the story of the first time you earned your own money.
• Sometimes, we use common sense and do the right thing or make the best choice. But sometimes, we learn lessons the hard way. Write about a time in your life when you made the wrong choice and learned a lesson the hard way.
• Many of us have experienced a terrifying moment in which we thought we were going to die. If you’ve ever experienced a moment like that, write about it.
• Think of something you wish you were good at but aren’t. Write a narrative about your attempts to do this thing and how you coped with failure.
• Write about your earliest memory. Include as much detail as you can remember.
• Write about the happiest day of your life.
• Think back to the first time you had a best friend. Tell the story of your friendship.

Did any of these journal prompts inspire you to write? Which one? Did you write in your journal, or were you inspired to write something else? Where do you get your best creative inspiration? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment, and keep writing!