Another month, another series! This month, I want to talk about writing: how to become better at writing, how to effectively set writing goals, and much more. So many people love writing, but when it comes down to it, it can be tough to get started. Writing can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. In this series, I hope you’ll take the opportunity to really jump into writing. Thanks for joining me! You can see all posts in this series by clicking here.
Happy Saturday! Today is always a great day to rest and indulge yourself in a few of your favorite hobbies. Maybe you already write a lot (like I do) or maybe you just want to get into the habit. Maybe you just want to relieve some of your weekly stress.
Either way, I wrote this list of books with the intention that these are a great, low stress way to begin writing every day. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of feeling like you have an idea—and if you are drawing a blank, grabbing a book to start your daily journaling or a quick paragraph of writing is one way to get yourself started. Let’s dive in.
1. 52 Lists for Calm by Moorea Seal
Have I talked about the 52 Lists books enough? Maybe, maybe not. These are my favorite writing prompt books. They’re more personal, obviously, which makes them perfect for daily journaling. Grabbing a book and finding a single prompt to write about has become part of my daily habit. I love 52 Lists for Calm; it’s focus on releasing stress, addressing what makes us stressed and how we feel, and finding ways to support ourselves to calmness.
2. 52 Lists for Happiness by Moorea Seal
I just bought 52 Lists for Happiness and it goes without saying: I already love it. Right now, I think we all are trying to find joy wherever we can. These prompts have been really helpful to me the last few weeks in trying to find joy in little things and focusing on joy instead of feeling like I have nothing to look forward to. (No shame: one of the prompts inspired me to put up some Christmas decorations because they simply made me happy.) This is another great that is perfect for personal daily journaling, but may help inspire you for creative writing or nonfiction pieces.
3. Coffee Break Writing by John Gillard
I ordered this book in late July 2019, right after I got laid off. I was unhappy, worried, and trying to find a way to fill the time while I waited to find a job. (In case you’re wondering, it did help a little bit.) I’ve been working my way through it slowly but surely. I typically list books that have prompts I can either write in the book itself or write in my journal with, and these work perfectly. The focus of this book of prompts are ones you can write on quickly during a coffee break. There is a ton of variety and they work for a variety of mediums—whatever you want to write (journals, short stories, poems, blogs), you can adapt them to work for you.
4. Burn After Writing by Sharon Jones
This book has gone viral on the internet several times. I’ve actually owned 2 copies in my life: the one I have now and one I had I think in college that I really tore up. I can’t remember what I did with my college copy, but I still love this book as much now as I did then. This is another one that is perfect for personal journaling that can inspire you to write creatively. I also love that it’s easy to make this mixed medium: you can paint, draw, tear up, experiment, whatever, while writing about your life, or a make believe life, or whatever is in-between. If you’re looking to really stretch your creative muscles, this is a great option.