Journaling + Fiction – January 17

“Curiosity is a gateway drug to sympathy.”Victoria Schwab Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about a moment when curiosity inspired you to sympathize with another person. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist learns s/he should have been sympathetic towards another person but was not because s/he was too busy to be curious.

Journaling + Fiction – January 16

“Integrity is the essence of everything successful.”R. Buckminster Fuller Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about your experience or observation of an important project’s failure due to integrity problems. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which a lack of integrity endangers your protagonist.

Journaling + Fiction – January 15

“The mental flexibility of the wise man permits him to keep an open mind and enables him to readjust himself whenever it becomes necessary for a change.”Malcolm X Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about a topic of current interest about which you could afford to be more open-minded. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s mental inflexibility unnecessarily complicates...

Journaling + Fiction – January 14

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”William Arthur Ward Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about the person in your life for whom you feel the most gratitide. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist misses a chance to express gratitude to a person who in the future will have great influence over your protagonist’s...

Journaling + Fiction – January 13

“Value judgments are destructive to our proper business, which is curiosity and awareness.”John Cage Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about an experience in which you were judged inaccurately or unfairly. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is judged unfairly or inaccurately by a person in a position of authority.

Journaling + Fiction – January 12

“Being good is easy, what is difficult is being just.”Victor Hugo Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about a time you had to choose between being good and being fair. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist is treated unjustly by a person doing good.

Journaling + Fiction – January 11

“To build may have to be the slow and laborious task of years. To destroy can be the thoughtless act of a single day.”Winston Churchill Journal prompt: Reflect on your previous journal entries and spend at least 20 minutes writing about a time you caused or observed the destruction of another’s efforts. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s hard work is thoughtlessly...

Journaling + Fiction – January 10

“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.”William Shakespeare Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about a moment of need when you did not show sufficient kindness to yourself. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s kindness is repaid with hostility.