How to Start Journaling When You Don't Know What to Write

The simplest way to start journaling when you don't know what to write is to begin with a sentence that has already been started for you. Write "Today I'm feeling..." and finish it, then keep going wherever your pen takes you.

When you begin journaling, you might wonder, "Where do I start?" or "How do I know what to write?"

I know, from firsthand experience, how overwhelming the blank page can be. When I first tried journaling, I didn't know how to do it. I didn't know where to start. I opened up a blank page and panic hit.

But then I gave myself one sentence to finish: "A year from now I want to..."

I let my pen flow. Two pages later I had my first journal entry.

My next entry, possibly from the same day, began with the prompt: "Words I need to hear right now are..."

Another two pages of insights flowed, ending with the sentence: "You matter."

That's when I learned that a sentence that has already been started for you is all it takes to get the pen moving and insights flowing.

What is a sentence stem?

A sentence stem is the beginning of a sentence that you finish yourself, like "Today I'm feeling..."

Sometimes a question like "How are you feeling today?" feels a little more overwhelming than "Today I'm feeling..." The sentence has already been started, so all you have to do is finish it.

Sentence stems to try

• Today I'm feeling...

• Today I want...

• Today I need...

• Today was...

• Tomorrow I...

• A year from now I want to...

• Words I need to hear right now are...

  
  

Pick one, write it at the top of the page, and finish it. Then keep going wherever it takes you.

Let it be messy

Don't worry about what you're putting on the page, and don't edit anything for grammar. You can even write, "I don't know what I need to write, but I told myself I was going to write, so I'm going to sit here and write." Sometimes my pages look exactly like that! Let it be you, and trust yourself to find the stories that need to be written.

The most important thing is that you show up for yourself.

Common questions about starting a journal

How do I start journaling when I don't know what to write?

Begin with a sentence stem like "Today I'm feeling..." or "Today I need..." and finish the sentence. Then keep writing wherever it leads.

Do I need good grammar to journal?

No. You can get your thoughts onto the page as they come, without editing anything for grammar. You can write in list form, sentence fragments, run-on sentences, incomplete sentences... anything goes. Truly. What matters is the practice, not the finished product.

What if I still don't know what to write?

Write that. "I don't know what to write." Sometimes my pages look exactly like that, and then I try one of the stems above.

Want more help getting started?

My free How to Journal 101 guide has my best tips for getting started and a few of the techniques I use. You can find it at HERE.

If you'd rather write alongside other people, my journaling circle meets every other week, and you can drop in whenever it works for you. Our circles meet every other Friday at 9:00-10:00 AM EST. Drop in to try one session, then join the membership as a gift to yourself.

Bring yourself, a journal, a pen, and an open heart.

Catherine Sipher is a poet, the author of Barely a Whisper, and a journaling circle facilitator based in Boston.