Journaling Ideas

I generally write when I feel like I have something to say. It's a novel idea :-) I imagine that's why most people write.

However, as a writer I need to write. I need to put thoughts to paper. When I have no thoughts, no organized thoughts, to put on paper, then I'm up the proverbial creek. Like a coffee addict with no caffeine. Like a needle without a vein (thank you Tim and Faith).

Such is the way it was this morning. I wanted to create a blog entry. I needed to write. But, alas, a solid topic evaded me. So, I googled for journaling ideas and a few suggestions appealed to me.

• Write letters you would never mail. Tell old boyfriends what you'd like them to know now that you are older or wiser or dumber. Tell family members or friends something you never told them before. Tell a toy from childhood or a teacher from long ago about something that makes you think of them now. 
• Locate five words from anywhere around you: your bulletin board, a newspaper headline, a shopping bag, a warning label, or a card in your wallet. Write each of the five words on a scrap of paper and put the scraps in a bowl or hat. Choose one scrap and begin to write about that word. 
• Make the alphabet your friend. Challenge yourself to put down your thoughts entry by entry with titles that start, with each letter of the alphabet for 26 continuous entries. Or challenge yourself to start each entry itself for 26 days with words that begin with the alphabet's letters in order. Or write 26 meditations, one each on each letter of the alphabet.

Then there's the idea of writing from prompts, something I've never done. At least not as an adult. This actually sounds quite scary because I am not a creative writer, but I might be up for the challenge.

• What if you were a princess? How would you make the frog fall in love with you?
• Would you dare walk down the street with rollers in your hair and mismatched shoes?

You  have no idea how much I'd like to actually try the second suggestion and then write about my experience for this blog. Maybe this is something I can talk my sister into doing with me, since she's a writer too. What a fun memory that would be. Uh oh Emily, the wheels are turning.

Another website I googled suggested using photo prompts. Find a picture and write about it. What comes to mind, how do you feel, how would you describe it to a blind person, what does it mean to you. . .the possibilities are endless. I like this idea a lot too.

Hmmm. I have food for thought now. We'll have to see what I come up with for future blog entries.

In the meantime, if you haven't already, click on "Tim and Faith" above and watch the video to what is probably their best video/duet ever, and you know they have some good ones.