Writing is a skill and requires regular training. And for both a beginner and a professional writer journaling is a great option to improve this essential skill.
The positive effects of journaling go way beyond just practicing the skill of writing. Journaling contributes to the improvement of health, including stress reduction and better psychological well-being. This is related to the fact that poor physical and mental health is connected with unexpressed thoughts and emotions. And once we let them out by writing them in a journal, we instantly feel better.
When writing in a journal, we let ourselves express our thoughts and feelings more expressively, that is why this is the best way to practice writing: expressiveness lets us train structure our thoughts more accurately and train our ability to include stylistic devices and expressive means into our writing.
But where do you start? To practice writing by means of journaling you can use specific journal prompts, which are short sentences bearing the topic of what to write about. But the idea behind the journal prompts is way deeper: they push you to analyze yourself, which in its turn boosts inspiration and motivation to write. This is definitely the best and easiest way to practice writing.
So here are 10 quick prompts to boost your writing skill.
Write about your childhood
Analyzing your childhood memories can bring answers to your many questions. That is why therapists ask about your childhood: psychologists use this analysis in terms of psychoanalytic psychotherapy to find out the reasons of low self-esteem and some types of behavior.
Pick up a certain childhood memory and write about it being as expressive as you can be. Don’t be afraid to use metaphors and similes where necessary, but don’t overcrowd your writing with stylistic devices. Be as natural in your writing as you can.
Describe turning points in your life
Trying to recall defining points in your life can inspire you to even write a book. This is a great topic to write about if you’re trying to train a skill of motivational writing/speaking. “We always have new applicants write an application essay about turning points in their lives”, says Sarah Jackson, an HR manager at write-my-essay-for-me.com. “Such essays say more about the applicants than a simple job interview.”
When writing about the defining moments in your life, try to ponder on the things you would have changed, and how would you’ve done it.
Write about your fears
The science of conquering your fears lies beyond acknowledging them. And laying them down on the paper is a great option both to practice writing and to understand yourself better. Writing about your fears works as a kind of therapeutic writing: the more you write about what you’re afraid of, the more you understand the essence of your fears, which makes it easier to get rid of them.
Write a letter to your younger self
This is one of the most popular journaling prompts. Writing to your younger self implies explaining yourself how much you have achieved over the past several years and how unnecessary it was to worry and exhaust yourself. This is also a type of motivational writing, which allows you to analyze your actions and emotions at a certain point in your life, as well as practice your writing.
Write to people who disappointed you
Sometimes it is hard to let people know about our emotions when we get disappointed or frustrated with what they’ve done to us. There are many reasons for being afraid to say what you feel, including conflict phobia and fear of rejection. But letting these emotions out is necessary because if you don’t, they will continue poisoning you from the inside. Besides, it’s a good prompt to practice your writing.
Let your secrets out
A secret is something you always keep to yourself. But psychologists say that keeping secrets is bad for you as it brings more stress into your life. Putting them in a journal is still keeping them secret but between you and your journal.
You can also write down your confessions. Either way, it’s a great way to find inspiration and train your writing skill.
Write how you want to improve your life
This is a great way to learn how to structure your writing and support it with arguments. You can point out several improvements you would like to make and how they could influence your life. Then write a conclusion, emphasizing what you need to do to implement these improvements. It’s a great writing exercise, which will also help you figure out how you perceive your life and your choices.
Write about future plans
Where you ever asked “Where you see yourself in 10 years?” question during the job interview? This question also works well as a prompt to practice your writing. This is an analytical question that pushes you to analyze your current abilities and how you can improve them in order to achieve greater goals.
Write down your bucket list
What would you like to do in your life? Is there something that you’ve always been afraid of, but desperately want to try? Write it down. Describe each wish, why you were afraid to bring it to life and what you need to do to make it come true. It’s a great writing and motivational exercise.
Write about present situations
You can turn it into a daily activity. Each day, after coming back from work, write down certain events and how you feel about them. This a great daily exercise that will definitely improve your writing skill in no time.
Conclusion
Writing using journal prompts is a great way to exercise your writing skill. But remember: if you want it to be efficient, it is necessary to practice every day.
Author Bio
Tom Jager is a professional blogger. He works at A-writer. He has degrees in Law and English literature. Tom has written numerous articles/online journals. You can reach him at G+ or Facebook.
Leave Comment