Journaling Writers’ Block: How to Get Unstuck

When you first start using a journal, it can seem like you will never run out of things to 
say. But for some people, they prefer having a specific topic in mind, instead of just 
doing a big brain dump on paper. This ultimately leads to writers’ block, where you want 
to journal, but just don’t know what to write about and have trouble sticking to it every 
day. 

These tips can help.


Use Journaling Prompts

This is probably the easiest way to find a topic to write about when you’re stuck. 
Journaling prompts come in many forms, and cover a wide range of topics. They might 
ask you a question about something that happened in your childhood, have you list your 
favorite things of a particular topic, or give you a short prompt of what to write about. 
While they can seem overly simplified, it is not uncommon for a single journaling prompt 
to give you inspiration for many other journal entries.


Just Start Writing… About Anything

This is called stream of consciousness writing, where you don’t have any type of topic in 
mind. Remember that journaling is flexible, and there are no rules. You can write about 
anything you want. For this method, just put pen to paper and start writing the first thing 
that comes to mind. Then let your writing follow your train of thought, no matter where it 
takes you.


Doodle in Your Journal

Who says you have to write in your journal? You can express yourself and channel your 
thoughts and emotions with more ways than just words. When you are really stuck and 
just have no desire to write anything, grab a pencil or coloring pencil, and doodle in your 
journal. Draw whatever comes to mind first, whatever shapes you feel, whatever 
crosses your mind. Having doodle pages throughout your journal is a great way to see 
how your mind and thought process changes day by day.


Read Past Journal Entries

Still feeling a little stuck? It might help to look back to where you have been. If you have 
been writing in your journal(s) for a while, you can look back at previous entries and 
read through them again. This might spark new ideas, or you might want to expand on 
what you wrote about before. Has the situation changed? Do you feel differently about it 
now? Those are great things to include in your journal.


