Mari's Journaling Power Blog | Journaling Journeys

Writing Practices: My 6-month Story Journal Experiment

This blog post originally appeared on AnneJanzer.com on June 29, 2021.

On January 1, 2021, I opened a brand new journal, picked up a favorite pen, and wrote a simple anecdote about my first Zoom New Year’s Eve party the night before.

This was the first step in a prolonged experiment: What would happen if I wrote a story or anecdote every single day for a year?

I’m on my second journal now, and not planning to stop. The task takes anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, depending on how absorbed I become. It’s a welcome daily practice.

This experiment focuses on the first, fundamental skill of storytelling—identifying the story. I have always struggled with pulling ideas for stories out of thin air, so I embarked on this journal project to see if I could improve.

Now, halfway through the year, I want to share the results with you.