Skip to content

25 Journal Prompts That Will Get You Writing

Journaling offers a private space where you can explore your inner self, understand your emotions, and document your journey. Beyond its health benefits, including stress reduction and increased self-awareness, journaling can also boost your creativity and improve your writing skills. But staring at a blank page can feel daunting. Journal prompts can help you bypass the paralysis that often accompanies the prospect of starting from nothing. This blog provides a curated list of 25 thought-provoking journal prompts guaranteed to get you writing!

A picture from the side of a woman writing in a journal, representing journal prompts, journal writing prompts.

Why Journal Writing Prompts Matter

Journal prompts offer a focused way to begin writing. They can help you to bypass your initial hesitation and dive directly into the depths of your thoughts, feelings, and observations. By guiding your writing, journal prompts can lead to surprising discoveries about yourself and the world around you.

“When I write I can shake off all my cares. My sorrow disappears, my spirits are revived!”

Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

25 Journal Prompts to Get You Writing

  1. What are three things you are grateful for today, and why?
  2. Describe your perfect day. Where are you, and what are you doing?
  3. What is a challenge you’re currently facing, and what are some possible solutions?
  4. Write about a memory that brings you joy. It can help to think of the memory like a photograph – describe the snapshot of that moment in time.
  5. If you could talk to your younger self, what would you say?
  6. What feelings are you holding on to?
  7. Describe a place where you feel most at peace. What makes it special?
  8. Who has influenced you the most, and in what way?
  9. What is something you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t yet? What’s holding you back?
  10. Explore a book or movie that changed your perspective. How did it affect you?
  11. What does happiness mean to you?
  12. Write about a time you overcame a fear. What did you learn from the experience?
  13. If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?
  14. What are five things you love about yourself?
  15. Describe a dream you remember vividly. What do you think it means?
  16. How would others describe you? When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
  17. Imagine ten years from now. What does it look like?
  18. What’s a piece of advice you wish you had taken?
  19. Describe an act of kindness you witnessed or participated in.
  20. What is a habit you’d like to break, and why?
  21. Write a letter to someone who has hurt you or to someone who has loved you. (You don’t have to send it.)
  22. What are you most passionate about, and how can you pursue it more?
  23. What does success mean to you? Don’t write what you think other people want you to say – nobody else is here – write what it means in your heart.
  24. Write about a time you felt proud of yourself.
  25. If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be and why?

How to Use These Journal Prompts

Select a prompt that resonates with you or challenges you. Don’t overthink your response; let your thoughts flow freely. The goal is to explore your feelings and thoughts without judgment. Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to journal.

We hope these 25 journal prompts inspire you to pick up your pen and start writing. By committing to this reflective practice, you unlock the potential for enhanced creativity, improved mental well-being, and a deeper connection with your own narrative. Embrace journaling, and discover the words waiting inside you.


Meanwhile, at Dreamers…