top of page

150 Journal Prompts that Will Inspire You to Write

Sometimes when you sit down to write, the inspiration just won't come, and your creativity comes to a standstill. But during these times, it's best not to fear, and just accept the fact that your ideas won't always flow. When this happens to me, my favourite thing to do is whip out some journal prompts and questions to ask myself, which helps to expand my ideas, as well as fuel self-discovery.

Here are 150 of the most interesting journal prompts / questions to ask yourself, for those times when you need inspiration.

  1. How do you want other people to see you? How do you currently see yourself? How do they differ?

  2. What do you miss most about your childhood?

  3. Write about a time in which you struggled to stand up for yourself.

  4. What do you feel is your biggest flaw, and why?

  5. Which book or movie has had the biggest impact on your personality or your beliefs?

  6. What has been the hardest year of your life so far, and why?

  7. List all of the different people you've been, and compare it to the person you are today.

  8. Which fictional character do you relate to the most? Why?

  9. If you were to represent each month in the last year with a song, which songs would you choose?

  10. Write the script for a movie scene about your life.

  11. What are the most conflicting sides of your personality (e.g. you are a worrier, but you are also very impulsive)?

  12. What kind of people do you find it hard to get along with? Do they have any traits that are in common with you?

  13. What year in your life do you wish you could go back and re-live?

  14. Think of someone you have been friends with in the past, when you were a kid. Would you still be friends with them today if they acted the same as they did then?

  15. What are some of the weirdest things you do when you're alone?

  16. Write an example of your inner dialogue. Then personify your inner dialogue and describe what they would look like if they were a person.

  17. What are three things that you like about your personality?

  18. What is one of your goals?

  19. What song lyric means a lot to you?

  20. If you were to make a movie, which part of today would make a good movie scene?

  21. What are ten ways to win over your heart?

  22. If you were to make a line-graph that shows your happiness levels over your entire life, would would it look like? A steady incline? A steady decline? Extremely up-and-down? Draw it.

  23. Write a letter to yourself, five years from now. Describe what you hope your life is like at that point.

  24. What is your biggest fear, and what memories trigger this fear? What do you think caused this fear?

  25. Do you dress to impress others, or do you dress for yourself?

  26. Do you feel like your fashion sense matches your personality?

  27. Does your zodiac sign suit you? Do you believe in zodiac signs?

  28. Write the worst poem you could possibly write.

  29. What part of yourself do you understand the least? Which part of yourself do other people not understand?

  30. If you could read anybody's mind, whose mind would you want to be able to read?

  31. What is the hardest thing you've ever done?

  32. What people do you admire the most?

  33. How do you feel about your name?

  34. Do you feel like the age you are right now? Or do you feel older or younger?

  35. What is the most important thing in a friendship?

  36. What is the most important thing in a relationship?

  37. List all the places that make you happy.

  38. Do you feel like you could improve any of your current friendships? If so, what could be improved?

  39. They say that everyone comes into your life for a reason. Think of someone unexpected who entered your life, and try to figure out what the reason for it was.

  40. Are you religious? If not, what are some of your beliefs?

  41. Do you have any regrets? If so, what?

  42. What specific emotion/feeling have you experienced that doesn't have a name? If you were to name it, what would you name it?

  43. What's the most important lesson you've ever learned?

  44. What's the best advice you've ever received?

  45. Do you have a life philosophy?

  46. List all the things you like about yourself.

  47. When you zone out, do you think about stuff? Or is your mind completely blank?

  48. How often do you remember your dreams? And how vivid are your dreams?

  49. List some of your most positive habits.

  50. Is there a difference between attraction and attractiveness? What matters most, to you?

  51. Write ten tips or tricks for surviving--and thriving--in a day in your life.

  52. Although perfection is unattainable, what is your personal idea of perfection? What would the "perfect person" be like? In what ways to hold yourself to that standard?

  53. What is something you are currently looking forwards to?

  54. List all the ways you have changed for the better.

  55. What's the biggest issue you are currently dealing with?

  56. What are your three most common emotions?

  57. Make a list of things you want to do/achieve in the next year, things you want to do/achieve in the next decade, and things you want to do/achieve in your lifetime.

  58. What is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?

  59. Do you like yourself? Why or why not?

  60. What do all of the friends you have ever had have in common?

  61. What is the meanest thing someone has said to you?

  62. What is the meanest thing you've said to someone else?

  63. List all the things you've worried about in the past, that seem silly now in retrospect.

  64. What is an object that is special to you?

  65. Have you ever had the desire to run away?

  66. What are some common assumptions you have about other people, based on their outward personalities/personas?

  67. What activities feel the most fulfilling to you?

  68. Make a list of goals you have achieved over the years.

  69. What is something you feel is difficult to explain?

  70. What things do you do that you know are self-destructive, but you do them anyways?

  71. List everything you'd do if you weren't afraid.

  72. If there was a clone of yourself--identical in every way--would you be friends with them?

  73. List 5 of your favourite things to experience with each of your five senses--e.g. 5 of your favourite smells, 5 of your favourite tastes, 5 of your favourite things to watch/see, 5 of your favourite things to hear/listen to, 5 of your favourite things to touch.

  74. What are some positive habits you want to adopt?

  75. A list of things you want, a list of things you need, and a list of things you already have and are grateful for.

  76. Which movie scene do you have the biggest emotional reaction to?

  77. Make a list of movies you haven't seen, but want to watch.

  78. What are some skills you would like to learn?

  79. Describe your favourite photo of yourself, from the eyes of someone who doesn't know you and has never seen you before.

  80. Make a list of your favourite people.

  81. We all have different personas that we take on depending on who we're around and what mood we are in. List these personas and give each a name, and then write some of the common phrases each persona uses.

  82. Write a list of all the places you would want to travel to.

  83. Write a list of random ideas for songs/poems that show up in your head.

  84. If you were an alien looking at the human race, what would some of your biggest questions be?

  85. Have you ever witnessed a miracle?

  86. What was the most hurt you have ever felt in your life?

  87. What does happiness feel like? Describe it as if you are explaining it to someone who has never felt it before.

  88. What does sadness feel like? Describe it as if you are explaining it to someone who has never felt it before.

  89. Have you ever wished that you did not have to experience emotions? When was this?

  90. What kind of person attracts you?

  91. Do you hold other people accountable for their mistakes?

  92. Do you hold yourself accountable for your mistakes?

  93. Write a list of the pros and cons of dating you or being your friend.

  94. Your life has been turned into a movie. Write a positive--or negative--movie review on the film from a critic.

  95. What don't you understand?

  96. Is there anybody in your life that you disrespect blatantly? Why do you disrespect them? Do you believe that disrespect can be deserved?

  97. What's the most controversial belief that you have?

  98. What's your favourite song to sing?

  99. List all the things that comfort you when you are upset.

  100. Do you like to take other people's advice?

  101. Do you follow your intuition? And how strong is your intuition?

  102. Do you believe in a higher power? Have you ever had a spiritual experience?

  103. Who in your life has caused you the most pain?

  104. Who in your life has caused you the most happiness?

  105. Write ten experiences you hope to achieve in the next month.

  106. What's an emotion you have never felt? Do you wish to feel it? What sort of experience would cause you to feel this emotion?

  107. In what ways do you idealize other people or experiences?

  108. On a scale of 1 - 10, 1 being immoral and 10 being extremely moral, how would you rate your morality?

  109. What is the first thing you notice when you look at yourself in the mirror?

  110. Make a list of reasonable things you want to improve about your life, and then come up with a list of strategies on how to achieve these improvements.

  111. What is the biggest wall between you and your goals?

  112. Describe an ideal date.

  113. Describe your first kiss like it is a scene from a really bad romance. Then describe it like it is a scene from a horror movie. Then describe it like it is a scene from a comedy.

  114. In what ways do you feel like you are better or worse than other people?

  115. Describe what you imagine the "average person" to be like in your demographic (age, gender, etc.) Do you feel like you are also average?

  116. Who would you be today, if you didn't do anything that other people told you to do?

  117. Did you have a good childhood? Why or why not?

  118. What was your parent's parenting styles like growing up? In what ways has that impacted who you are today?

  119. Do you believe that you have free will? Why or why not?

  120. In what ways do you find it hard to change?

  121. What are some things you like that most people think are weird?

  122. What is something that is missing from your life right now?

  123. Take a look at Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. What level are you on? Are your basic needs met? What about your psychological needs? Are you on the very top of the pyramid--have you had your self-fulfillment needs met?

  124. What is something--or someone--that you find difficult to forgive?

  125. Do you hold grudges? Why or why not?

  126. In what ways are you hypocritical?

  127. Do you find it difficult to say "no"?

  128. What does loneliness mean to you?

  129. What are some things that you've had to unlearn?

  130. What do you prioritize most in your life?

  131. Is it more important to work, or to play?

  132. What things has society taught you that you disagree on?

  133. What things has society taught you that you agree on?

  134. Do you believe in "acting your age"?

  135. What is something that you know the most about?

  136. What's the worst advice you've ever received?

  137. Write a list of things you've heard other people say that you think about often.

  138. Make a list of the pros and cons of thinking.

  139. Are you a perfectionist? Why or why not?

  140. What does "good" really mean?

  141. Which one of your friends do you have the most in common with? Which one do you have the least in common with? Which one are you closer to?

  142. Make a list of all the things you have in common with each of your parents. Which one do you have the most in common with?

  143. What is something you're good at, but hate doing? What is something you're bad at, but love doing?

  144. What is your love language?

  145. How do you want to be remembered?

  146. Do all good things come to an end?

  147. What makes a movie good? What makes a book good? What makes a song good?

  148. Do you treat other people like you treat yourself? Why or why not?

  149. What is your biggest luxury?

  150. Do you enjoy spending money?

13 views2 comments

Recent Posts

See All

2 Comments


saholoboff
Dec 24, 2021

Wow that is like the Apollo Saturn V and so funny

Like

saholoboff
Dec 24, 2021

Nice facts haha

Like
bottom of page