Journaling + Fiction – November 28

“Wisdom tends to grow in proportion to one’s awareness of one’s ignorance.”Anthony de Mello Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about an experience when you learned how little you knew about a subject. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist finds out that s/he’s ignorant about a topic s/he thought s/he knew well.

Journaling + Fiction – November 27

“We are made to persist. That’s how we find out who we are.”Tobias Wolff Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about an experience that demanded your persistence to find out who you really are. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist persists to the point s/he realizes s/he is something more than s/he believed.

Journaling + Fiction – November 26

“In all affairs it’s a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.”Bertrand Russell Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about the idea you most take for granted that most needs a question mark applied. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist learns the hard way that a cherished idea never should be taken for...

Journaling + Fiction – November 25

“People simply feel better about themselves when they’re good at something.”Stephen R. Covey Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about what you feel best about being good at. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist realizes at an inopportune moment that s/he isn’t as good at as s/he believed.

Journaling + Fiction – November 24

“True empathy is rooted in humility and the understanding that there are many people with as much to contribute in life as you.”Anand Mahindra Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about the most important thing you learned from the least expected person. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is surprised to be out-contributed by someone who appeared to have little...

Journaling + Fiction – November 23

“The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.”Groucho Marx Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about a time you used deception to achieve a fair outcome. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist persuades an ally that your protagonist is acting in the ally’s best interest even though the best interest served is...

Journaling + Fiction – November 22

“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.”Meister Eckhart Journal prompt: Reflect on your previous journal entries and spend at least 20 minutes writing about how someone has most helped you during the past year. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which someone from whom your protagonist needs help refuses because your protagonist failed to express sufficient...

Journaling + Fiction – November 21

“The capacity to care is what gives life its most deepest significance.”Pablo Casals Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about the subject or object of care that gives your life its deepest significance. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist realizes s/he is on the verge of losing what gives her/his life its deepest significance.