Writing Journal Ideas


The following is a list of Organizational Skill resources for class or home.
Find ideas for improving writing skills through using daily writing and a writing journal.


Printable writing prompts with lined pages:

Writing Prompts Vol 1, Writing Prompts Vol 2, Writing Prompts Vol 3, Writing Prompts Vol 4, Writing Prompts Vol 5, Writing Prompts Vol 6, Writing Prompts Vol 7, Writing Prompts Vol 8, Writing Prompts Vol 9, Writing Prompts Vol 10, Writing Prompts Vol 11, Writing Prompts Vol 12, Writing Prompts Vol 13


pdf printable version of information


eHow.com version of information


Why should someone keep a writing journal? This is a good question. One reason is to keep track of writing progress over time. Another reason is to have a notebook of ideas to draw on when no ideas come to mind for writing assignments for classes in school or for professional writing assignments. Another reason is to stretch the imagination to go to different areas of thought or different genres of writing to improve overall writing skill. And still another reason is to get personal thoughts onto paper to help with self improvement of an emotional and psychological nature. This improves writing ability as well as the writer as a person. Personal growth is the food for thought for much of today's writing.

What supplies are needed? A journal can take many forms. Some people prefer using binder paper and a three ring binder. Others prefer using a spiral bound notebook where all of the pages are attached. Others prefer hard bound journals where it looks like a hard cover book with blank lined pages waiting to be filled. Some people have different types of journals for different purposes, such as a three ring binder with section separators to organize ideas for a book or research materials for non-fiction magazine articles. Some people even keep 3 x 5 cards with them for ideas on the run and then paste them onto pages of a spiral notebook for future reference. Last, but not least, don't forget writing instruments to help the flow of ideas into the notebooks. Write with a fine, expensive pen, or cheap multicolor pens, or crayons if your wish. The idea is to get the creative juices flowing onto paper.

What topics should I use? This is such a wide concept. There are books dedicated to giving inspirational ideas for writing topics. There are news items in the newspaper, magazines, or on the television to spark writing topics. Bits and pieces of conversations overheard in passing can be another source of writing topics. Writing about childhood memories is always a good place to start. Try writing about future goals for yourself or others. Create a new character for an unwritten book and give this character dialogue, personality, a background, and a love life. For more ideas on writing topics, I have a list gathered from different web sites on the internet.

Writing Prompts

It is also a good idea to keep a table of contents listing the date, topic and page number of each writing effort in the writing journal. This allows for quick access to information without going through every single page in the journal to find that nugget of gold you didn't know you needed at the time you wrote it. It is good practice to go through your writing after it has had time to age. Take a look at what was written a week or a month ago and see if there is something else that could be added or if there is an actual story trying to get out of the pages of your writing journal. Poems can be found by circling key words used on random pages of your writing journal. Keep in mind that this journal writing is free-flowing and should not be criticized harshly, but be celebrated for the reality of being a writer practicing your trade.

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