642 Things to Write About: (Guided Journal, Creative Writing, Writing Prompt Journal)

This journal is fabulous! It's really helped get me out of my rut. I write recreationally, as a way to recharge and keep this version of myself connected to the liberal arts student I once was. It is set up perfectly for me. I prefer to sit down and start writing randomly, letting each sentence lead to the next. I am not currently attempting an actual writing project with a plot and detailed characters and all that jazz. This journal has 642 prompts, as the title suggests. Many are first sentences, and some are more general topic ideas. I suppose you could write directly in the book, but in my opinion there isn't nearly enough space to really flush out the ideas. I prefer to copy the idea elsewhere and get down to it. Many of the prompts are common, almost everyday ideas that actually get the creativity flowing. Some are more in depth and require significantly more effort. Some examples of topics, chosen randomly as I flip through the book, are: Describe something you wanted badly and, once you got it, never used. Something you've always regretted saying. Making soup. A beginners guide to getting noticed. Death is like this... Fix the plot of the worst movie you've ever seen. Choose an obituary and write about a day in that person's life. Explain to your boss why you spent $5,000 during one business meeting and why he should reimburse you. The topics zig-zag like this across the whole journal. So far, I haven't fallen into a rut since beginning the journal. The topics are so varied, it's impossible for me not to feel inspired by at least one of them at any given moment. Some topics are very in-depth and require plenty of reflection and maybe even some research, and others are vague enough to allow for free-form, stream of consciousness type writing. I've written as little as half a page and as much as...well, a whole lot more than that. The journal spans plenty of genres. I think, no matter what your genre or writing style, you would find plenty of prompts to suit your needs. Also, plenty are vague enough that you could tailor them to your style. Probably the most exciting aspect of this journal for me is that it's jump-started my long-dormant creativity. I'm getting back into old habits again, such as carrying a notebook with me and jotting down observations and ideas. I'm also looking at elements of my life and finding new inspiration. I'm keeping a personal journal, using this journal, and looking at my life through my writer's eyes, rather than as a passive observer. Getting back to what was once such a passion and an escape for me has made the rest of my life, the "real" or "normal" part, much more enjoyable. I highly recommend this journal. If you are looking for a gift for a writer or a creative writing student, I don't think you can go wrong with this.

Love all the prompts in this journal. If facing a writer's block this is a great way to get the creative juices flowing.

Fun and thought provoking. Kind of helps stimulate your thoughts and you can skip around in the book picking a prompt that sounds fun, serious, what ever you are in the mood for. I was recently in the hospital for 10 days and took this book along and it was a nice distraction and made me think of things that I had filed away in my head a long time ago. The "make believe" scenarios definitely stretch your creative writing. Give it a 4 only because there are many topics that had no interest to me, than to come up with 642 topics that all appeal to me isn't very realistic. Enjoy

This book is worth every dollar. My girlfriends and I Have created a group. We are called the "642 Club". We meet every week and go over our writings. It has allowed us all to grow as journalizers and our creative juices have awakened. I look to leave this book as a legacy for my kids and grandkids... it is fun and I too have been surprised by some of the writings. I do not think anyone would be disappointed by this great journal..... buy enough to give to all of your friends. Everyone that knows we are doing it wants to join and believe me... it is a fabulous tool for conversation.

A nice surprise was the sheer size of this book. I didn't look at the dimensions when I bought it, and it was wider and a bit taller than I figured. It just looks and feels nicer in my hand than I suspected, and leaves plenty of space for the prompts, which I like. Some of the prompts IMO work better as simple writing exercises, which they of course are, and IMO will help anyone who wants to write develop their creativity, but there are certainly plenty of prompts that may help someone build scenes or develop characters or even come up with whole plots for new stories. Developing that creativity and getting used to writing really is the key for any aspiring writer, so a book like this is perfect. IMO, a book like this may even be more helpful for an aspiring writer than buying a "how to" book. I'm not suggesting someone not buy a book that will teach lessons to develop and hone your craft -- of course you should -- but they should supplement the writing, not stand in for it. So, as I said in my headline -- go write! And I think this book is a helpful place to do it in, providing you a place to hone your skills and develop good writing habits until your stories start writing themselves.

So, I thought this was a different book I saw in a local bookstore when I ordered it. When it arrived, I was slightly puzzled until I went online and realized I ordered the wrong book. My fault, not the sellers. However, to my surprise this book is actually a good book. Any writer w/ brain block or in a slump, this will help you get back on track. I am inspired again to hop on my laptop and get back to writing. If you want to leave something for your kids you could use this book as well. It is neat and def. will get you thinking about your life and hopefully inspire new ideas.

I bought this thinking my 13yo son could write in it and I could save it took look back on in a few years, however, a good bit of the content is not appropriate for kids. I was excited about it because he is an excellent creative writer, and I was hoping it would give him some ideas to expand on. Some of the content is funny, others make you think outside the box, and like I said some of it is just inappropriate even for me.

This is a FABULOUS book. I purchased it for my 10 yr old son who loves to write stories. He has the "Dude Diaries" which he has LOVED, so I figured this would be a "step up" from those inviting him to become "deeper" when answering questions and having more "thought provoking" topics. However, my son is not QUITE ready for this journal. It's definitely geared towards the teenage (or older) crowd. Heck, I will probably keep it for myself b/c the questions are mature enough for even a mom of 4 (ages 8-20) to complete and have fun with! It's a GREAT way to help kids (or adults) get into the habit of keeping a daily journal/diary. Only with this book you dont simply write about your day...you have a new question to think about and answer each time you open it! I can't WAIT to start it!! :)

Livre très sympa pour les anglophones. Les thèmes proposés pour les histoires a écrire sont très variés et originaux. A part une page d'introduction d'un des auteurs, le reste du livre est entièrement composé de petits cadres ou de pages blanches introduits par une instruction, une consigne, un thème, pour écrire une histoire. La consigne fait rarement plus de quelques mots, et il y en a 642 différentes. Le format du livre est très sympa, assez gros pour pouvoir écrire confortablement. Le design rappel un vieux cahier d'écolier américain. Un beau cadeau offert à une amie. Je me suis acheté le même et nous échangerons nos livres une fois terminés afin de se lire.

The best decision I took this year so far was to order this journal. It is for those who love writing and can make up and tell stories at the drop of a hat. It helps your creative juices to flow and is a must if you are an aspiring writer. It can also serve as a bank for your memories. I will be buying the second part as well. The prompts are great. The quality of the book is excellent and is worth the bucks you pay to get it. But I wish the delivery was a bit faster.

Excelente

I bought this book for myself because I love to write, and it sounded like it would be fun to curl up and do some of these exercises. I've done a few of them now, and they're great! There are so many different ways to use this book. I'm using it pretty literally; just finding exercises at random and completing them, dating them so that when I look back later I can see how my writing has evolved. I can also see how this book would be neat just for brainstorming ideas for short stories or novels. The book is beautifully bound, and the pages are perfect for writing in (not too glossy!). All in all, a really fun book for writers everywhere.

I brought this book for myself and the next book '712 more things to write about' for my creative writing friends. Very creative questions and good for those mind block days. As my friend loves writing as a hobby I hope this book will fill her with inspirations. She would like to be a writer and this book I find would elevate her stories. I brought myself this book as I want to get into writing more and for reference. The size of the page is a decent amount to write, some questions will have more space to write than other questions. For writers you may want to write on your own line paper. I'm hoping to use this book over and over again. Very fast delivery, and fast response from the seller. Happy with my purchase.