11 Inspiring & Powerful Journal Prompts to Bust Through Writer’s Block
When you're blocked and can’t seem to find the words, it doesn’t mean they aren't there, though that's what it feels like.
Now, we know there's a difference between being blocked and empty, yet, many creatives point their fingers at the elusive idea of “writer’s block” when they can’t seem to get any words out.
What if I told you that there’s nothing in the way of your writing?
Instead, what if you’re just out of lived experiences to share?
When we attempt to force our writing, this is where our words can end up feeling inauthentic and icky. As an online business owner who works (mostly) from home, I know how easy it is to settle into writing from my home office and only venturing outside the house for essentials.
This bubble-living leaves very little lived experience for me to talk about, and I may wind up regurgitating things I’m reading online or conversations I’m having with clients.
If we’re living in a state where we’re constantly consuming and not experiencing, it won’t fill us up and we’ll have nothing to write about.
When reading advice, many things you're reading fall into two categories:
teaching
sharing
We can share, and someone may learn something, but the teaching part without the lived experience falls flat. This is why I likely struggled in history class. My teacher wasn’t there telling stories, only reciting facts. Pass me the pillow.
When a teacher, leader, or entrepreneur opens their mouths and stories come out, we’re rapt.
We remember. We connect. We take a piece of their journey, apply it to our lives and carry it with us.
It's why the very first SFD (now a surrendered first draft) of my book Unfussy Life felt flat to me. It had a shit-ton of advice in there but few stories. It wasn’t until my editor showed me the essays where I recounted a story and demonstrated how much more powerful it was that I realized how important stories were in my book.
Stories bind us together.
Narratives are what we remember and how we relate to people.
Even if you're a fiction writer, your lived experiences give your stories depth and meaning. It’s like a bank of mental images that you have to draw upon when you rest your fingers on the keyboard or weld your pen above your notebook.
If you're stuck on what to write, pushing through and writing just anything isn't always the answer. Sometimes it works, but you might just wind up writing mere crap. If you haven't left the house, taken a new class, or trekked to a new town in a while, you might not be tapping into your senses and awakening that part of yourself where experiences live.
Ask yourself, what do you need to see, hear, do, know, or feel before you have more to share?
Even if hopping on a plane isn’t in the cards for you at the moment, there are likely dozens of stories in your mind waiting to be told..
Perhaps you think, "No one wants to hear my stories."
I especially fell down this rabbit hole of thinking when writing Unfussy Life …
"Who am I to write a memoir? I'm not famous. No one cares about my stories."
Your stories don't have to be wild, jaw-dropping, or over-the-top. You can only digest so many of those stories at one time anyway. Sitting down to story after story of trial, tribulation, and overcoming can be exhausting.
My writing connects because I look for the lessons. So often, after an experience, I'll do something differently or make a new choice. Even if you think you don't have any stories to tell, start mining for them. And once you start unlocking all the stories you have in that brain of yours, you’ll begin to unlock even more.
3 steps on How to start mining for your lived experiences:
FIRST - Open up a notebook, note on your phone, or create a new Google Doc and title it "Stories I Could Tell.”
SECOND - Set a timer for 15-30 minutes and start listing any of the stories that come to mind. You don't need to actually write them. This isn't a commitment to sharing these accounts; they’re only there for inspiration if you need it.
LASTLY - Now, keep this list handy as you go through your day. The magic isn't going to come from the very first brainstorm. The magic is how you train your brain to start noticing stories to share. This is when you'll unlock ideas on the go. If you don’t already, expect more ideas in the shower, while driving, and chopping onions. Just like when you're shopping for a Volkswagen, you're going to start seeing them everywhere.
Keep adding to this list as you live your experiences.
Here are some powerful journal prompts for you to start thinking about your lived experiences:
Is there a moment from your school-age years that stands out to you?
Do you remember your first crush?
How did you do in your first job?
Is there a family vacation spot that stands out in your mind?
What do you remember about your grandparents?
What did you love to do as a kid?
What did you do when you were bored?
If you moved as a child, what was that experience like?
What’s your earliest memory?
What was your most embarrassing moment?
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Think of a time when you’ve been with a group of people, and each time someone shares a story, it sparks another, and the conversation unfolds. Or, when an old song comes on the radio, it brings those foggy memories and feelings back to life. Those are the feelings you can use to inject into your writing next time you feel stuck.
This is the power of unlocking stories you may not realize were even there. They’ve always been there — they just need some dusting off.
I invite you to go back to these notes when you can’t seem to find the words and want to get into the flow. Something ordinary to you may be extraordinary to your reader.
Intuitive Writers don’t get blocked.
We’re writing.
We’re taking action.
We’re sharing our words with the world.
Keep inching through your resistance to writing with these popular blogs:
And the #1 Amazon bestseller in business writing: Intuitive Writing: The Remedy for Writer’s Block & the Secret to Authentic Communication
