Journaling + Fiction – October 2

“Forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not.”Octavia Butler Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about an experience when you missed the chance to accomplish something good because you waited for inspiration that never came. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s muse fails.

Journaling + Fiction – October 1

“Curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last.”Samuel Johnson Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about the most curious event you’ve experienced in the past week. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s passionate curiosity cools the passion of an important relationship.

Journaling + Fiction – September 30

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.”Vince Lombardi Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about an experience when you let perfection become the enemy of excellence. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist fails at an important task because s/he won’t stop until achieving perfection.

Journaling + Fiction – September 29

“I value self-discipline, but creating systems that make it next to impossible to misbehave is more reliable than self-control.”Tim Ferriss Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about your experience comparing self-control to an external system of control. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist’s lack of self-control is frustratingly regulated by a system s/he...

Journaling + Fiction – September 28

“A leader is a dealer in hope.”Napoleon Bonaparte Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about whether hope really can be a strategy. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist must rally resistant allies to fight for a lost cause.

Journaling + Fiction – September 27

“We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it.”George Orwell Journal prompt: Reflect on your previous journal entries and spend at least 20 minutes writing about an experience when you were under the power of someone who had no intent of relinquishing it. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist realizes s/he has granted another person power over...

Journaling + Fiction – September 26

“The essential difference between emotion and reason is that emotion leads to action while reason leads to conclusions.”Donald Calne Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about a time when you acted because you thought you’d reached a conclusion but were instead following your emotion. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist acts without...

Journaling + Fiction – September 25

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”Anaïs Nin Journal prompt: Spend at least 20 minutes writing about how you could on this day most expand your life through courage. Fiction writing prompt: Write a scene in which your protagonist expands through a fight s/he previously shrank from.