50 MORE Journal Writing Prompts

May 23, 2011

130 Journal Writing Prompts by Thomas W.P. Slatin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.tomslatin.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.tomslatin.com/legal/copyright/.These prompts are subject to copyright.

Name one thing that has always fascinated you.
What is the most valuable item or largest sum of money you have ever found?
Name one thing in your life you hope you never have to see or encounter.
Growing up, what career goals or dreams of accomplishments did you have? Did any of them come to be, how many did you abandon or revise along the way?
Write about a time in your life when things weren’t the way you or others thought they should be.
Describe an odd or unusual writing habit or ritual you or someone you know has. (Here are some Unusual Writing Habits.)
Can a book really be judged by its cover? Explain in as much detail as possible why or why not.
Describe a moment in your life you laughed so hard you cried, had a drink come out your nose, or peed in your pants.
Detail the greatest prank you have ever pulled off successfully.
What musical medium did you grow up with; vinyl records, CD’s, or MP3’s?
How long was your longest inter-personal relationship? Was it friendship, family, romantic, or something else?
What is your biggest ambition in life?
What is your lucky number, and why is it so lucky?
How long have you been able to live off the grid? No e-mail, Internet, electricity, running water, etc.
What is your favorite chess piece?
Do you have a daily or weekly routine that you follow?
What is the worst event in history to have ever taken place, in your opinion? Could something like this possibly happen again?
How would you classify your ideal living or working situation?
Who in your life has been the best positive influence on your life?
What things do you enjoy most in your life?
Is there anything you, ‘just know’ and have no explainable or rational way to explain how you know it?
What was the most intamite or personal question you have ever asked someone, or have been asked of you?
What Lo-Fi or non-electronic / old-school things from the past do you still enjoy?
Describe your first intamite experience.
If you could start your life over from birth, what is the one thing you would change about yourself?
Have you ever wanted to trade places with someone else for a day, week, or a lifetime? If so, who was it and why?
Name something you’ve always wanted that you will never ever have.
Describe a time in your life when you were lost (figuratively or not).
Do you believe the end of the world will come to pass during your lifetime?
If you could choose to believe in Science or religion, which would you choose and why?
Is there ever justification for revenge? What things in your life have made you vengeful?
Have you ever risked your life to save the life of someone else? Would you if the situation arose?
What is your biggest insecurity?
In your own opinion, what is the greatest downfall of modern society.
How long have you gone without something necessary to your survival (food, shelter, water, sleep, or clothing)?
Assuming you’ve lost your virginity, at what age did you lose it?
Are you or someone else the black sheep of the family?
Is beauty skin deep or does it come from somewhere else?
How good are you at keeping secrets? Spill 5 closely-guarded secrets.
Did you ever have your own ‘special place’ as a child?
What are your beliefs in regards to cosmetic or plastic surgery?
Do you believe in reincarnation?
Have you ever been homeless, or had no place to call your home?
Has anyone (besides yourself) ever read your journal, either with or without your permission?
What rumor(s) were spread about you? Were any of them true?
What are the best and worst memories of childhood?
Have you ever had a crush on an authority figure (i.e. boss, teacher, etc.).
Have you ever felt as if you were a failure or somehow ‘failed’ someone you care about?
Do you have any irrational fears?
Describe your relationships with your family/friends/parents/significant other.

The original 80 Journal Writing Prompts are here.

These prompts are subject to copyright.

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33 Comments on 50 MORE Journal Writing Prompts

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Aidy says:
April 28, 2012 at 11:57 PM

These are some excellent journal questions Thomas! I really love #42

Reply
- Thomas says:
  April 29, 2012 at 2:25 PM
  
  So, according to number 42, what is your belief?
  
  Reply
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Brimshack says:
March 19, 2012 at 5:45 PM

Interesting ideas. I will be using them next time I am stuck.

Reply
- Thomas says:
  March 19, 2012 at 5:55 PM
  
  Be sure to post your responses to a blog. I like to see what folks come up with. You can even include the original prompt in the post, with a link back.
  
  Reply
Manda says:
March 11, 2012 at 9:39 PM

Hey these are great, I’m going to use them in my journal on a website. I wont post all the questions in my journal. I will post the link to here and tell them that I am using them from here and every day I will come here and get a new question. Thanks for posting these : )

Reply
- Thomas says:
  March 11, 2012 at 10:12 PM
  
  This is great. Please mention where you got these from, if you post them on the Internet. That is all I ask (they are protected by US copyright). Enjoy, and thanks for the props!
  
  Reply
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miss nadia says:
January 28, 2012 at 8:01 AM

Hey, I would like to download this for my students journal writing. Thank you so much 🙂

Reply
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Katherine says:
November 3, 2011 at 5:42 PM

Hi, I’d love to use some of these. May I? I will of course give full credit!

Katherine

Reply
- Thomas says:
  November 3, 2011 at 5:58 PM
  
  Full credit? Then the answer is an absolute YES! Please don’t copy and paste the entire list anywhere online, or I’m gonna have to call you on it. And don’t forget to link to my site somewhere… 🙂
  
  Reply
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Melissa says:
September 19, 2011 at 5:58 AM

I really appreciate this list. I plan to share with teachers in my district who use writing prompts-and they will be sure to give you credit.

Reply
- Thomas says:
  September 19, 2011 at 11:31 AM
  
  That’s great! I’ll have a published book of these coming out soon, hopefully this year! Thanks again!
  
  Reply
David Batterson says:
September 17, 2011 at 3:17 PM

Great resources! I love it!

Reply
James says:
August 30, 2011 at 3:37 PM

Hey Tom! This is a great and inspiring list, along with the initial list of 80 prompts. I would love to use some of these with my 7th and 8th grade students, if that would be acceptable to you! I know they would be so inspired by these!

Reply
- Thomas says:
  August 30, 2011 at 5:36 PM
  
  Fine with me, so long as you mention clearly where you got it from (TomSlatin.com). Give credit where credit is do, and your class will surely enjoy!
  
  Reply
Sydney says:
June 27, 2011 at 8:45 PM

This looks like such a great idea for blogging!

Reply
slashess says:
June 27, 2011 at 2:07 AM

I’m gonna answer all these questions in a vlog starting tomorrow. Subscribe to www.youtube.com/user/slashess if you are interested. Pass it on! Show everyone you know!

Reply
fajas colombianas says:
June 15, 2011 at 12:02 PM

Well now this gave me some ideas on what to write about, thanks for this.

Reply
Ileandra Young says:
June 5, 2011 at 4:42 AM

Ooooh, you’ve got more? Heeey, I’d love to use these too – if you didn’t mind – once I’ve got through the original 80. 😀

Reply
- Thomas says:
  June 5, 2011 at 9:59 AM
  
  More? Oh yes, and a book out later in the year. You are free to use them, in fact I encourage you to, but please don’t copy and paste the entire list like some other folks have.
  
  Enjoy!
  
  Thomas 🙂
  
  Reply
  - Ileandra Young says:
    June 5, 2011 at 4:50 PM
    
    Hehe copy/paste the whole list? No, no, won’t do that. I’ll just use the titles as I have been doing and tag you at the bottom like I have been doing. That’ll suit me. 😀
    
    Reply
    - Thomas says:
      June 5, 2011 at 6:20 PM
      
      I’ve been reading your blog, and I’m really happy that you’re using my prompts!
      
      Reply
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