If this is a question you have grappled with or are currently wrestling with, I want you to tape this affirmation to your bathroom mirror: “You are not too old, and it is not too late.”
Social media can make us feel like life ends at 35 or sometimes even 25, which is mind-boggling considering your brain isn’t even fully developed until then, but there is no expiration date on your dreams. Emily Dickinson’s writing career didn’t really start until after her death! But let’s not wait that long to share your work with the world.
June is here, and for many writers, that means longer days and new ideas or fresh energy for old ones.
Here at See Jane Write HQ, we’re also participating in the #1000WordsOfSummer challenge created by author Jami Attenberg. This challenge, which kicked off May 30, invites you to write 1000 words a day every day for 14 days.
But even if you aren’t doing the challenge, June is still a great time to lock in with your writing practice, and you can do that with journaling. Whether you’re drafting a novel, writing personal essays, building a freelance career, or simply trying to establish a consistent writing habit, journaling can help you stay connected to your creativity and your goals.
These June journal prompts for writers are designed to help you reflect, dream, plan, and write with intention throughout the month. Some prompts are inspired by Jami Attenberg’s book 1000 Words: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round. Other prompts help you set your goals for the month and encourage you to think about wellness, reading, creativity, and personal growth. Some prompts are about the writing life and figuring out how you want to show up in the writing world. Others are designed to get your muse moving and help you with your work in progress.
Is there a place for me in the Christian writing world? That’s the question I carried with me as I walked into last year’s Southern Christian Writers Conference (SCWC).
Prayer journaling is an essential spiritual practice for me and has been since I was in my late teens. But it was only recently that I realized how much I need journaling to feel connected to God.
“On a scale from 1 to 10, I’d give us a 3.”
That was my answer when my life & leadership coach recently asked me how things were going in my spiritual life. And by “us” I meant God and me.
“Why so low?” she inquired.
I gave an easy answer: “I haven’t been to church in weeks.”
In March, I started a new job, and I have yet to get a handle on my schedule – hence the absence at church. But I knew that this had little to do with the low score.
When I signed up for life and leadership coaching, I promised myself I wouldn’t spend this money only to spend an hour every other week lying to myself and my coach. So, I got honest.
“But if I’m being real, that can’t be why my spiritual life is in shambles,” I told her. Alice Walker once wrote, “Any God I ever felt in church I brought in with me.” And that’s exactly how I feel, I shared.
“So, what helps you feel close to God?” my coach asked.
“Prayer journaling,” I answered without delay.
As I struggled to adjust to my new life as editor of one of the last few remaining print publications in Birmingham, I not only neglected going to church but prayer journaling was pushed to the back burner too. This chat with my coach showed me that I had to fix this.
On Friday, April 17, I had the honor of delivering the keynote address at the Youth Leadership Birmingham graduation. Youth Leadership Birmingham (YLB) is a program by Leadership Birmingham for high school sophomores and juniors who are dedicated to creating meaningful change in their community and the city we call home. Founded in 1986 by visionary Leadership Birmingham alumni who recognized the need to cultivate young leaders, YLB creates transformative experiences by bringing together diverse student cohorts across Jefferson County for comprehensive leadership development – all at no cost to participants.
Many of the parents and other adults in the room told me that even though my talk was for the kids, they found themselves taking notes. What a compliment! So, I’ve decided to share my remarks here on the See Jane Write blog.
