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Earlier this week, I filmed a video about my journaling process. I've been journaling/keeping a diary since I was 8 years old and I've never really had much of a plan/strategy. I usually write freestyle, letting my journal become whatever it wants to become for that season. However, I do think that questions/prompts can help you get started.

Last night, I went through some old journals and found this - apparently, I've been creating journaling prompts for a long time! This journal entry is from circa 1999-2000:

Below, you will find a list of 25 different ways I have filled the pages of my journal over the years. You can go by page by page, pick a few, or use these to come up with your own.

25 JOURNALING PROMPTS
1. What did you do this past week? - Write a log of everything you remember, going day by day. Look at your phone's camera roll for reference.
2. What's on your mind? - Even if you're thinking "I don't know what to write in this journal!" Just write that until something else comes up
3. Doodle first (even if it's scribbles or stick figures) and write words as they come up
4. Fill the page by writing your word-of-the-year over and over. Use markers or colorful pens if you'd like.
5. Look through your camera roll and find a photograph you want to remember. Describe it on the page.
6. Make a list of things you need to do for the week - even if you have an official list somewhere else, there's nothing wrong with writing it down again.
7. Fill a page with your favorite movie quotes, poems, song lyrics, verses
8. Write a letter to your younger self
9. Write a letter you will never send
10. Write one thought on a line at a time. Perhaps a poem will begin to take shape.
11. Go sit outside or by the nearest window and write down 25 things you notice. Use all of your available senses.
12. Create a bucket-list of things to do this year, only within a 25-mile radius where you live
13. What's going on in your life that you want to remember 6 months from now? Write that down
14. What's going on in your life that you want to remember 5 years from now? Write that down
15. Browse Pinterest and make a list of recipes or DIYs you'd like to try
16. Clip words and photos from magazines and fill the page. It may seem random now, but years from now, you might enjoy looking back to see what caught your attention back then. Here's mine, from way back in the day. It's not dated, but I would assume it's from whatever year the GameBoy Color Advance came out!

17. Fill the page with shapes. Circles. Squares. Triangles. Why not? Who says a journal is only for words? ;)
18. Draw a portrait of yourself. Stick figures are allowed. It's your journal!
19. Describe 3-5 things you wear all the time. Are they in the closet? In the hamper? In a pile on a chair? This will be fun to look back on years from now!
20. Describe the coffee mug/cup you always use. Where is it now? In the cabinet? In the sink? Journaling does not have to "deep." This another neat thing you can use years from now.
21. What's in your handbag/book bag right now? Write down everything that's there. These small things change so much over the years, and yet, they remind us: we're alive.
22. Just write a few words that speak to you, write in the center of the page. Sometimes you can let white space fill the page
23. Write "Note to self:" and then see what happens next.
24. Write down a few words that speak to you. Leave space in between them. Write what comes to mind for each word. It can be anything. No wrong answers

25. Write in different handwriting styles. All caps. Cursive. Fill the page with as many styles as you can come up with!

I hope you feel inspired to start journaling or to keep journaling!

Journal with me!

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25 Journaling Prompts by Morgan Harper Nichols

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Earlier this week, I filmed a video about my journaling process. I've been journaling/keeping a diary since I was 8 years old and I've never really had much of a plan/strategy. I usually write freestyle, letting my journal become whatever it wants to become for that season.

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Zak Ebrahim: I am the son of a terrorist. Here's how I chose peace.

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If you're raised on dogma and hate, can you choose a different path? Zak Ebrahim was just seven years old when his father helped plan the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. His story is shocking, powerful and, ultimately, inspiring.

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May deadline

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Update | June, 2016: Winners have been announced.
Easter bonnets and baby birds, new flowers, foods and fashions: Now that it's spring, we're celebrating " all this juice and all this joy" - and, as always, looking forward to the return of National Poetry Month.

Our Found Poetry Contest is our oldest blog tradition, and one we're thrilled to see embraced by teachers across the curriculum. No matter what you teach, consider it an invitation to have your students find and closely-read relevant New York Times articles - and have a little fun while they do it.

Everything you need to know is below, with links and tips galore. But if you have any questions, please post them in the comments, and we will answer you there.

Happy spring!

FAQ: Found Poem Challenge Guidelines

Q.
What's a found poem?
A.

A good nutshell description would be "poems that are composed from words and phrases found in another text." A New York Times found poem, then, uses words and phrases taken from one or more Times articles, past or present - and since the paper has been publishing since 1851, choosing which Times article(s) to use is often the hardest part.

You can mix and combine these words and phrases into a new piece, or you might simply "find" some Times writing that you think is already poetic, as Alan Feuer has done with Craigslist and its "Missed Connections" posts.

For more detail about found poetry and its history and classroom uses, we suggest an article from English Journal, "Found Poems and Headline Poems." (PDF)

Q.
What are the guidelines for this challenge?
A.

- Each poem must be 14 or fewer lines.

- You may give it your own original title if you like. The title does not count as one of the lines.

- Your sole source material must be Times pieces. You can use up to two articles. (Note: This is a change from previous years, when we allowed you to mix words from as many items as you wanted.)

- The poem itself should use no more than two of your own words. The rest of the words and phrases can be mixed up any way you like, but should all come from The Times. (You may repeat words from the articles as many times as you like.)

- You might choose to write in a traditional poetic form, or not.

- Poems may be submitted by groups or by individuals. Only one poem per person is allowed, however.

- You must be from 13 to 19 years old but can be from anywhere in the world.

- You must post your poem as a comment on this post by 7 a.m. Eastern time on May 3.

- At the bottom of your found-poem post, please provide us with the URL(s) of the article(s) you used.

- Though The Learning Network often publishes excerpts from literary and historical works on our blog via our Text to Text and Poetry Pairing features, those are off limits for this contest. The Times articles they are paired with are, of course, fair game

Note: Our commenting system doesn't recognize fancy spacing, so using words to create interesting shapes is, unfortunately, not an option.

Q.
What makes a great found poem?
A.

You can scroll through the work of all the students who have won so far here. In addition, keep in mind what we said in the first "Reflections" post.

And remember, too, that in a poem, every word, line break and mark of punctuation carries meaning, so have fun experimenting with repetition of words, alliteration, assonance or anything else that enhances what you would like to say.

Here is an interactive tool you might use to play with the words of your poem before you submit it: ReadWriteThink's Word Mover.

Q.
How do I find a focus for my poem with the entire New York Times to choose from?
A.

It's true you can choose any Times piece ever published for this challenge, and one of our favorites the first year used an article from 1892. But the nine others we liked best that year chose much more recent work, and that's fine, too.

Your poem can be on any topic or theme. It can be about something as broad as politics or as specific as one of the 2016 presidential candidates.

It can focus on something currently in the news, or you can use the Times archives or On This Day to write about the past.

You can explore a trend you've read about in The Times, or you might simply collect words and phrases from different articles around a theme like identity, loss or joy.

Q.
How and when do I post my poem?
A.

Between today, March 31, and Tuesday, May 3, at 7 a.m. Eastern time, post your poem as a comment on this post.

Q.
How do I participate if I don't have a digital subscription to NYTimes.com?
A.

The Times's digital subscription system gives readers free access to 10 articles each month. If you exceed that limit, you will be asked to become a digital subscriber.

One thing you should know, however, is that The Learning Network and all its posts, as well as all Times articles linked from them, are accessible without a digital subscription. That means that if you use any of the articles we have linked to on this blog for your found-poem project, they will not count as part of the 10-article limit.

In addition, keep in mind that you need only one great Times article to create a great found poem.

Q.
I'm not an English teacher. Can this exercise help me address the Common Core Standards in my subject area?
A.

Yes!

The process of creating a found poem entails closely reading sophisticated nonfiction writing in order to first identify salient words and details, then recombine those words to create something that summarizes, reacts to or comments on the topic.

So, if you're studying climate change in your science classroom, for example, having students work with one or more articles from the related Times Topics page can be a creative way of having them "determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development and summarize the key supporting details and ideas" or "analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics."

Creating the poem itself, by deciding what to say and how to say it, might then satisfy the standard that asks that students "apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style."

In 2013, when we first made this suggestion, we got many science-themed poems, on topics from the human brain to dragonflies, the "God particle," and the origins of the universe.

And judging by the many history-themed poems we receive every year, social studies teachers need little convincing that the contest can be a useful way to spur close reading of primary sources. For instance, 2012 was the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, and that year we received many poems that used both historic and current Times reporting on the event.

Here are some other ways we've suggested using found poetry in our social studies-themed lesson plans:
Good luck, and please post your poems and any questions you might have as comments on this page.

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Our Seventh Annual Found Poem Student Contest

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Update | June, 2016: Winners have been announced. Easter bonnets and baby birds, new flowers, foods and fashions: Now that it's spring, we're celebrating " all this juice and all this joy" - and, as always, looking forward to the return of National Poetry Month.

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It can be hard to know which poems will spur your middle and high schoolers into deep, meaningful discussion and which will leave them yawning. So we asked experienced teachers to share their favorite poems that always get a reaction, even from teens. Here's what they had to say about the best poems for middle school and high school students.

Note: Every classroom is different, so please be sure to review these poems for middle school and high school students before sharing to ensure they align with your learning environment.

Poems for Middle School and High School

Discuss symbolism with this short poem by Frost.

Discuss the literal and figurative meanings in this poem.

3. The Rat Ode by Elizabeth Acevedo

Listen to the author herself as she performs her poetry.

This poem follows the pain and suffering Joe experienced at Shubenacadie Residential School in Nova Scotia.

This poem for President Joe Biden's inauguration had the nation talking about it for days to come.

Recount the dangers of misconception with this poem.

Frost doesn't hold back with this poem, an ideal one for discussion and debate.

Ea documented this to raise awareness about the alarming rates of deforestation and the reckless destruction of our environment.

An oldie but goodie!

The late artist created a clear connection between the rhythm and deeper meaning of poetry and rap.

For your fans of science fiction.

A reaction to the experience of being Black in America in the late 19th century.

Poe is an expert at rhyme scheme-and this poem is clear evidence of that.

14. Deer Hit by Jon Loomis

Students won't soon forget this poem, both for the story and the sensory details.

Read this poem to discuss the meaning beyond the literal words on the page.

An example of just what one line can do.

Lerman engages with popular culture and an irreverent tone.

Any student who has ever felt annoyed or had to put up with daily frustrations will relate to this poem.

A politically charged poem that still rings true today, Hughes' poetry, but particularly Mother to Son, is timeless.

20. Beethoven by Shane Koyczan

This poem is a biography in verse that connects Beethoven's story to the universal.

21. Oranges by Gary Soto

Soto's poem about trying to impress a girl shows what small moments reveal about ourselves, and how those moments embed themselves in our memories.

This poem leaves lots of space for inference, which leads to great discussion.

Teach this poem to show how O'Hara uses references or for the humor.

24. Pass On by Michael Lee

Lee's poem creates snapshots of memory, creating lines and ideas for every student to grab and hold on to.

25. Snow by David Berman

Captures a narrative in miniature with a creative structure.

An uplifting political call to action that students should read right when they're starting to define the mark they can have on the world.

Sheds light on the writing process, with a sense of humor and a tongue-in-cheek challenge.

This poem is deceptive in its simplicity and leaves a lot to talk about. Be sure to discuss that internal rhyme!

A solid work for teaching poetry elements (repetition, rhyme scheme).

30. Daddy by Sylvia Plath

Plath rarely minces words and this is no exception-this poem is stuffed full of deeper meaning.

Dickinson is so good at creating mood, this time about reflection.

32. Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe

A ghost story wrapped up in a poem. Another Poe classic.

The rest of the poem is as humorous as the title, and it's fun to dissect and analyze how Neruda writes about everyday objects, like the tuna on ice.

Use this poem to teach ways to approach points of view.

Nash's comical poem pokes fun at the use of similes and metaphors.

"There are strange things done in the midnight sun ..."

When a highwayman meets the inn owner's daughter, they fall in love immediately ... as a rival eavesdrops.

"When Americans say a man takes liberties, they mean he's gone too far."

39. Mirror by Sylvia Plath

This poem speaks from a mirror's perspective, sharing truths as a woman looks at her own reflection.

The poet clearly captures the elegance and beauty of this enchanting woman.

This short poem speaks volumes.

42. Richard Cory by Edwin Arlington Robinson

A surprise ending reminds us that not everything is always as it seems.

This poem encourages readers to make the most of each day.

44. Tattoo by Ted Kooser

What stories can an old man's tattoo tell us?

The author reminds us that regardless of our circumstances, the nature of death remains unchanged.

What are your favorite poems for middle school and high school? Share in the comments below!

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45 Must-Share Poems for Middle School and High School

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Poems for middle school and high school students can be tricky to nail. You want to inspire creativity, not yawns.

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Poetry 180: A Poem a Day for American High Schools, a Project from Poet Laureate Billy Collins (The Poetry and Literature Center at the Library of Congress)

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Poetry can and should be an important part of our daily lives. Poems can inspire and make us think about what it means to be a member of the human race. By just spending a few minutes reading a poem each day, new worlds can be revealed.

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In response to the fear- and hate-mongering alive in our country today, I have joined Julie Landsman?a writer, teacher, and activist based in Minneapolis?to create the I Am From Project. Through our website ( iamfromproject.com) and Facebook page, we?re collecting art from around the country prompted by that theme. You can listen to our interview on the National Writing Project radio here: https://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/4673.

We want to gather the diversity of our voices, and we plan to archive the results online and to present them, in some form, in D.C. We?d love to have your voice among them!

The Kentucky Arts Council has wrapped up my Where I'm From?project with a total of 731 poems from eighty-three counties. My thanks to everyone at the Council, especially Tamara Coffey, who put all those poems online. You can visit this website to find the map where you can click on any county and read offerings from poets of all ages.

"Where I'm From" grew out of my response to a poem from Stories I Ain't Told Nobody Yet (Orchard Books, 1989; Theater Communications Group, 1991) by my friend, Tennessee writer Jo Carson. All of the People Pieces, as Jo calls them, are based on things folks actually said, and number 22 begins, "I want to know when you get to be from a place. " Jo's speaker, one of those people "that doesn't have roots like trees, " tells us "I am from Interstate 40" and "I am from the work my father did. "

In the summer of 1993, I decided to see what would happen if I made my own where-I'm-from lists, which I did, in a black and white speckled composition book. I edited them into a poem - not my usual way of working - but even when that was done I kept on making the lists. The process was too rich and too much fun to give up after only one poem. Realizing this, I decided to try it as an exercise with other writers, and it immediately took off. The list form is simple and familiar, and the question of where you are from reaches deep.

Since then, the poem as a writing prompt has traveled in amazing ways. People have used it at their family reunions, teachers have used it with kids all over the United States, in Ecuador and China; they have taken it to girls in juvenile detention, to men in prison for life, and to refugees in a camp in the Sudan. Its life beyond my notebook is a testimony to the power of poetry, of roots, and of teachers. My thanks to all of you who have taken it to heart and handed it on. It's a thrill to read the poems you send me, to have a window into that many young souls.

I hope you won't stop there, though. Besides being a poem in its own right, "Where I'm From" can be a map for a lot of other writing journeys. Here are some things I've thought of:

Where to Go with "Where I'm From"

While you can revise (edit, extend, rearrange) your "Where I'm From" list into a poem, you can also see it as a corridor of doors opening onto further knowledge and other kinds of writing. The key is to let yourself explore these rooms. Don't rush to decide what kind of writing you're going to do or to revise or finish a piece. Let your goal be the writing itself. Learn to let it lead you. This will help you lead students, both in their own writing and in their response as readers. Look for these elements in your WIF poem and see where else they might take you:

a place could open into a piece of descriptive writing or a scene from memory.

your parents' work could open into a memory of going with them, helping, being in the way. Could be a remembered dialogue between your parents about work. Could be a poem made from a litany of tools they used.

an important event could open into freewriting all the memories of that experience, then writing it as a scene, with description and dialogue. It's also possible to let the description become setting and directions and let the dialogue turn into a play.

food could open into a scene at the table, a character sketch of the person who prepared the food, a litany of different experiences with it, a process essay of how to make it.

music could take you to a scene where the music is playing; could provide you the chance to interleave the words of the song and words you might have said (or a narrative of what you were thinking and feeling at the time the song was first important to you ("Where I'm Singing From").

something someone said to you could open into a scene or a poem which captures that moment; could be what you wanted to say back but never did.

a significant object could open into a sensory exploration of the object-what it felt, sounded, smelled, looked, and tasted like; then where it came from, what happened to it, a memory of your connection with it. Is there a secret or a longing connected with this object? A message? If you could go back to yourself when this object was important to you, what would you ask, tell, or give yourself?

Remember, you are the expert on you. No one else sees the world as you do; no one else has your material to draw on. You don't have to know where to begin. Just start. Let it flow. Trust the work to find its own form.

Where Others Have Gone with "Where I'm From"

Watch a visual poem based on "Where I'm From" by George Ella Lyon, created by Julia Daniel for Tamalpais High School's Academy of Integrated Humanities and New Media (AIM), fall 2010:

A Young Artist's Own "Where I'm From" in Words and Image:
In Winter of 2008, Sage Hennequin Kuhens was enrolled in University of South Carolina Upstate's "Write Here, Write Now: Sharing Slices of Life Through the Magic of Digital Storytelling," a series of writing and publishing workshops sponsored by the Spartanburg Community Writing Center. At eight years old, Sage was the youngest among her group of about 50 or so students, and was determined to be as independent as she could be. Her delightful instructor, Tasha Thomas, encouraged her independence.

I'm from big blue herons to small river otters,
I'm from big Metasequioas to tall stalks of bamboo,
I'm from cousins that were unknown to the closest of friends,
I'm from my mom and dad to my lab-beagle dog, albino rats, and Madagascar hissing cockroaches,
I'm from roaring water falls to silent flowing streams,
I'm from terrifying Zombie walks and Scarowinds to a gentle princess-loving godsister and godbrother
I'm from pepperoni pizza to microwaved meatballs,
I'm from my inspiration station drawing and writing to a homemade book,
I'm from my old dog Chani to red-shouldered hawks,
I'm from Jack the magic clown to my weird parents,
I'm from a tiny baby to an educated sister showing baby MinMin what school's like,
I'm from bold looking deer to relaxing foxes,
I'm from making a fire in the county to ridin' in a cotton combine,
I'm from a fan of Alexa Vega and Miley Cyrus to a spy lovin' tween (me),
I'm from playing with cockroaches with a friend to Joe and I together,
I'm from my heritages to Mom's mystery heritages,
I have an opinion that none can change...life is great!

-Sage Hennequin Kuhens 1-29-08

The Hale Pono Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii posted ?Where I?m From? by Dixie Castillo on their blog. Read it here.

Here?s a poem based on ?Where I?m From? written by an eighth grade student as part of a study of The Killer Angels. The lesson plan is here.

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official site of george ella lyon writer and teacher

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new words: poems from the appalachian poetry project

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Where I'm From, a poem by George Ella Lyon, writer and teacher

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Where I'm From, a poem by George Ella Lyon, writer and teacher

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In the last few years I have spent much of my time writing books on poetry. Sometimes, while sitting alone in front of my computer, I have wondered whether I was wasting my time. After all, the world is in trouble. It has always been in trouble. Surely there must be something more useful, more pressing, to give my time to than reflecting on poetry?

But no; I wrote more books in my Ten Poems series, wondering all the while whether they and I were doing little more than making ourselves progressively irrelevant.

On my good days, I knew better, which is why I kept writing. I knew that great poetry has the power to start a fire in a person's life. It can alter the way we see ourselves. It can change the way we see the world. You may never have read a poem in your life, and yet you can pick up a volume of Mary Oliver say, or Neruda, or of Rumi, open it to any page, and suddenly find yourself blown into a world full of awe, dread, wonder, marvel, deep sorrow, and joy.

Poetry at its best calls forth our deep being. It dares us to break free from the safe strategies of the cautious mind; it calls to us, like the wild geese, as Mary Oliver would say, from an open sky. It is a magical art, and always has been -- a making of language spells designed to open our eyes, open our doors and welcome us into a bigger world, one of possibilities we may never have dared to dream of.

This is why poetry can be dangerous as well as necessary. Because we may never be the same again after reading a poem that happens to speak to our own life directly. I know that when I meet my own life in a great poem, I feel opened, clarified, confirmed somehow in what I sensed was true but had no words for. Anything that can do this is surely necessary for the fullness of a human life.

Poetry reaches with its sounds and rhythms down below the realm of the conscious mind to awaken and nourish the imagination. In his poem, "Of Asphodel, That Greeny Flower," WC Williams says:

It is difficult
To get the news from poems
Yet men die miserably every day
For lack
Of what is found there.

What is found there, in the realm of poetry, is what is so often passed over in daily life: the miraculous, the unexpected, the undreamt of. Poems are necessary because they honor the unknown, both in us and in the world. They come from an undiscovered country; they are shaped into form by the power of language, and set free to fly with wings of images and metaphor. Imagine a world in which everything is already known. It would be a dead world, no questions, no wonder, no other possibility. That's what my own world can feel like sometimes when my imagination has gone into retreat. I have discovered that poetry is the phoenix I can fly on to return to that forgotten land.

And yet for all its magic, poetry uses the common currency of our daily speech. It uses words that are known to all of us, but in a sequence and order that surprises us out of our normal speech rhythms and linear thought processes. Its effect is to illuminate our lives and breathe new life, new seeing, new tasting into the world we thought we knew. Poetry bids us eat the apple whole.

To eat the apple of the world whole, we have to learn to pay attention; not only to the inner promptings of the imagination, but to the physical world around us. Poetry is a way of rescuing the world from oblivion by the practice of attention. It is our attention that honors and gives value to living things, that gives them their proper name and particularity; that retrieves them from the obscurity of the general. Poems that galvanize my attention shake me awake. They pass on their attentiveness, their prayerfulness, to me, the reader. And especially when I read them aloud, and shape the sounds on my lips and the rhythms on my breath. This is why poetry can make us more fully human, and more fully engaged in this world. The poet Jane Hirshfield said it this way:

"Whether from reading the New England Transcendentalists or Eskimo poetry, I feel that everything I know about being human has been deepened by the poems I've read."

There's a headstone in a Long Island graveyard -- the one where Jackson Pollock is buried -- that I think encapsulates the value and necessity of poetry in a world of sorrows. It says,

"Artists and poets are the raw nerve ends of humanity. By themselves they can do little to save humanity. Without them there would be little worth saving."

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In the last few years I have spent much of my time writing books on poetry. Sometimes, while sitting alone in front of my computer, I have wondered whether I was wasting my time. After all, the world is in trouble. It has always been in trouble.

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A Photographer Asked Convicts To Write To Their Younger Selves And The Results Were Gut-Wrenching

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Trent Bell, an architectural photographer, was inspired after a friend got into trouble and ended up sentenced to 36 years in prison. Scroll down to see a video of how he made the series.

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When I first began writing, I was unsure of myself. My sentences were filled with meaningless words and fillers. What I didn't realize is that by using them I was sabotaging myself and my writing.

Weak words can sneak into our writing anywhere, anytime-and when they do, they destroy the power of our work.

I've rounded up five weak words to avoid and some helpful tips for what you can use instead.

1. Really

Example: "The swimmer really performed admirably."

Why it's a problem: The word "really" is a crutch. It is used to convey emphasis but it fails spectacularly in this. Really doesn't tell us anything important and is inadequate as a description. It's an example of the writing the way we speak, but it just doesn't translate on paper or screen.

There's also the issue of considering what the word "real" means. Real is a fact-it is not imagined or supposed. It is genuine. When you take this into consideration you'll find that using really as an intensifier often conveys more emotion than we intended. If you are going to use this word, make sure to do so sparingly as to not lessen its impact.

Thankfully, this problem is easily remedied. "The swimmer really performed admirably," can be changed into: "The swimmer performed admirably."

Nothing is lost by cutting "really" from the sentence, but simplicity and function is gained. As Mark Twain said, "Use the right word, not its second cousin."

2. Things/stuff

Example: "The article said a lot of things and stuff."

Why it's a problem: While the writer may have a perfectly clear understanding of what "things" and "stuff" they are referring to, the reader does not. What things and stuff? Where things and stuff? How things and stuff? Which things and stuff? See where I'm going with this? There is too much left unsaid.

The author Kurt Vonnegut often gave this piece of advice: "pity the reader." He didn't mean this in a disparaging way. What he meant was that we shouldn't make the reader do more work than necessary.

When the words "things" or "stuff" are used, an additional burden is placed on the reader to figure out what the writer is talking about. These words are simply too vague. The writer uses them to save time but it ends up hurting both the writer and the reader in the long run.

Let's fix the example from above: "The article said a lot of things and stuff."

Instead, we can spell out what the article says: " The article discussed the principles of interactive design."

I've clearly picked an extreme example to illustrate this one point: specificity rules.

3. I believe/I feel/I think

Example: "I believe the author has a great point here..."

I had this professor in college who wasn't afraid of telling you just how crappy your writing was. One day he pulled me aside and said, "Andrea, you don't need to say 'I believe.' We already know it's what you believe, you're the one writing it."

Why it's a problem: "I believe," "I feel," and "I think" do not inspire confidence in the reader-they do the exact opposite. Their use causes the reader to question the author's authenticity and honesty. These words make the writer sound unsure of themselves and the topic discussed. It also forces the writer to overuse pronouns and that's bad news. Here's why:

Computer programmer James Pennebaker analyzed over 400,000 texts in his mission to see what our word choice reveals about us. When Pennebaker analyzed military transcripts, his team could tell individuals relative ranks based entirely on patterns of speech. What does this tell us? Our choice and use of pronouns reveals how we view ourselves and how we view our relationships with others. In short, it reveals our personality to the reader. This is fine in cases of autobiography, but most of the time it only serves to weaken your work.

The use of words like, "I think" or "I believe" changes the focus of the sentence. Instead of the focus being on the subject, it is on the author. It's like a big blinking neon light saying, "Hi, this is me the author talking, look at me sitting here talking about my opinions! Isn't this great?" It's not great. You take the reader out of the piece completely which is generally something a writer wishes to avoid, especially if you are trying to persuade the reader.

Case in point: "I believe the researcher has a great point here."

Instead try: "The researcher has a great point here."

This causes the power dynamics to shift. The sentence goes from sounding wishy-washy to sounding confident. It also places the focus back where it belongs. Bonus points to everyone.

4. Was/is/are/am

These are forms of "to be." What we are talking about here is the difference between active and passive voice.

Active voice: "Sally mailed the letter."

Here the subject (Sally) is performing the action. It is clear what action has transpired.

Passive voice: "The letter was mailed by Sally."

In this sentence, the subject has changed (letter) and is the thing being acted upon. The sentence structure is unnecessarily complex.

Why it's a problem: Passive voice is most often used in scientific writing, and that's usually where it belongs. It tends to be less engaging and requires the writer to use more words per sentence. Passive voice forces the reader to do more work to get to the same conclusion. Active voice allows for short, punctuated sentences that get to the point.

**Generic Disclaimer: Passive voice does have its place, and not every form of "to be" represents passive voice.

5. Very

"Substitute 'damn' every time you're inclined to write 'very'; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be." - Mark Twain

My sentiments exactly.

Example: "Scientists are very interested in finding out more about the duck-billed platypus."

Why it's a problem: The word "very" does not communicate enough information. It's been called one of the most useless words in the English language. It's one of those penny words that writers throw in to magnify another word. The only problem is, it doesn't do that.

How does one avoid using the word "very?" Start off with a more descriptive adjective from the get-go. Instead of saying, "very good" say "wonderful." Remember, your reader's time is precious. It pays to be as concise as possible.

Another solution is to cut the word "very" out of the sentence completely.

Again, nothing is lost by doing this: "Scientists are interested in finding out more about the duck-billed platypus."

There is a seemingly infinite supply of wonderful words available to writers and let's be honest, the word "very" isn't one of them.

In summary:

The act of writing-from emails to articles and everything in between-involves taking the reader on a journey. Each word should move the reader closer to the conclusion of that journey. If it doesn't, get rid of it. I promise your writing will be better off for it.
Crew publishes regular articles on creativity, productivity, and the future of work. Enter your email here to get their weekly newsletter. You can also follow Crew on Twitter and Facebook.

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Five weak words you should avoid-and what to use instead

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When I first began writing, I was unsure of myself. My sentences were filled with meaningless words and fillers. What I didn't realize is that by using them I was sabotaging myself and my writing. Weak words can sneak into our writing anywhere, anytime-and when they do, they destroy the power of our work.

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Now that you have some thoughts about who you are, try to communicate that in a single sentence. DON'T count words yet! Write a whole bunch of these single sentences--they are short, it doesn't take long. Write on a google doc or in your journal.

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*some are not appropriate* please do not read any that may upset you.

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SMITH Magazine is an online publication that debuted the Six-Word Memoirs Project in 2006, and now has over 1 million submissions from people everywhere. Since the project was a massive success, SMITH now produces annual Twitter-based competitions that challenge followers and celebrities alike to answer prompts or share their stories, in just six words. Below are 30 of the best answers they've collected.

1.

"I'm so tired, I'm awake again."

-Chelsea Handler

2.

"Couldn't cope so I wrote songs."

-Aimee Mann

3.

"Secret to life: marry an Italian."

-Nora Ephron

4.

"Well, I thought it was funny."

-Stephen Colbert

5.

"Liars, hysterectomy didn't improve sex life!"

-Joan Rivers

6.

"After Harvard, had baby with crackhead."

-Robin Templeton

7.

"The psychic said I'd be richer."

-Elizabeth Bernstein

8.

"Painful nerd kid, happy nerd adult."

-Linda Williamson

9.

"Revenge is living well without you."

-Joyce Carol Oates

10.

"Almost a victim of my family."

-Chuck Sangster

11.

"Not quite what I was planning."

-Summer Grimes

12.

"The miserable childhood leads to royalties."

-Frank McCourt

13.

"Healed with steel, then got real."

-Dr. Oz

14.

"Me see world! Me write stories!"

-Elizabeth Gilbert

15.

"German-Jews. Dyslexia. Acting. Family. Writing. Complete."

-Henry Winkler

16.

"Everyone who loved me is dead."

-Ellen Fanning

17.

"Found true love, married someone else."

-Bjorn Stromberg

18.

"It was worth it, I think."

-Annette Laitinen

19.

"Fearlessness is the mother of reinvention."

-Arianna Huffington

20.

"Nobody cared, then they did. Why?"

-Chuck Klosterman

21.

"Eight thousand orgasms. Only one baby."

-Neal Pollack

22.

"I write because I can't sleep."

-Ben Mezrich

23.

"Canada freezing. Gotham beckons. Hello, Si!"

-Graydon Carter

24.

"Brought it to a boil, often."

-Mario Batali

25.

"Doubted parents, teachers, bosses, politicians...myself."

-Ted Rall

26.

"So would you believe me anyway?"

-James Frey

27.

"Born with big nose. Pursued comedy."

-Andy Borowitz

28.

"Being nice. Having fun. Getting better."

-Andy Richter

29.

"Disarm them by seeming sorta nice."

-Naomi Klein

30.

"Skinny. Cancer. Skinnier. Cured. Famous. Fat."

-Evan Handler

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30 Famous People (And Some Regulars) Tell Their Entire Life Story In Exactly Six Words

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SMITH Magazine is an online publication that debuted the Six-Word Memoirs Project in 2006, and now has over 1 million submissions from people everywhere. Since the project was a massive success, SMITH now produces annual Twitter-based competitions that challenge followers and celebrities alike to answer prompts or share their stories, in just six words.

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In six seconds, you'll hate me.

But in six months, you'll be a better writer.

From this point forward - at least for the next half year - you may not use "thought" verbs. These include: Thinks, Knows, Understands, Realizes, Believes, Wants, Remembers, Imagines, Desires, and a hundred others you love to use.

The list should also include: Loves and Hates.

And it should include: Is and Has, but we'll get to those, later.

Until some time around Christmas, you can't write: Kenny wondered if Monica didn't like him going out at night..."

Thinking is abstract. Knowing and believing are intangible. Your story will always be stronger if you just show the physical actions and details of your characters and allow your reader to do the thinking and knowing. And loving and hating.

Instead, you'll have to Un-pack that to something like: "The mornings after Kenny had stayed out, beyond the last bus, until he'd had to bum a ride or pay for a cab and got home to find Monica faking sleep, faking because she never slept that quiet, those mornings, she'd only put her own cup of coffee in the microwave. Never his."

Instead of characters knowing anything, you must now present the details that allow the reader to know them. Instead of a character wanting something, you must now describe the thing so that the reader wants it.

Instead of saying: "Adam knew Gwen liked him."

You'll have to say: "Between classes, Gwen was always leaned on his locker when he'd go to open it. She'd roll her eyes and shove off with one foot, leaving a black-heel mark on the painted metal, but she also left the smell of her perfume. The combination lock would still be warm from her ass. And the next break, Gwen would be leaned there, again."

In short, no more short-cuts. Only specific sensory detail: action, smell, taste, sound, and feeling.

Typically, writers use these "thought" verbs at the beginning of a paragraph (In this form, you can call them "Thesis Statements" and I'll rail against those, later) In a way, they state the intention of the paragraph. And what follows, illustrates them.

For example:

"Brenda knew she'd never make the deadline. Traffic was backed up from the bridge, past the first eight or nine exits. Her cell phone battery was dead. At home, the dogs would need to go out, or there would be a mess to clean up. Plus, she'd promised to water the plants for her neighbor..."

Do you see how the opening "thesis statement" steals the thunder of what follows? Don't do it.

If nothing else, cut the opening sentence and place it after all the others. Better yet, transplant it and change it to: Brenda would never make the deadline.

Thinking is abstract. Knowing and believing are intangible. Your story will always be stronger if you just show the physical actions and details of your characters and allow your reader to do the thinking and knowing. And loving and hating.

Don't tell your reader: "Lisa hated Tom."

Instead, make your case like a lawyer in court, detail by detail. Present each piece of evidence. For example:

"During role call, in the breath after the teacher said Tom's name, in that moment before he could answer, right then, Lisa would whisper-shout: 'Butt Wipe," just as Tom was saying, 'Here'."

One of the most-common mistakes that beginning writers make is leaving their characters alone. Writing, you may be alone. Reading, your audience may be alone. But your character should spend very, very little time alone. Because a solitary character starts thinking or worrying or wondering.

For example: Waiting for the bus, Mark started to worry about how long the trip would take.."

A better break-down might be: "The schedule said the bus would come by at noon, but Mark's watch said it was already 11:57. You could see all the way down the road, as far as the Mall, and not see a bus. No doubt, the driver was parked at the turn-around, the far end of the line, taking a nap. The driver was kicked back, asleep, and Mark was going to be late. Or worse, the driver was drinking, and he'd pull up drunk and charge Mark seventy-five cents for death in a fiery traffic accident..."

A character alone must lapse into fantasy or memory, but even then you can't use "thought" verbs or any of their abstract relatives.

Oh, and you can just forget about using the verbs forget and remember.

No more transitions such as: "Wanda remember how Nelson used to brush her hair."

Instead: "Back in their sophomore year, Nelson used to brush her hair with smooth, long strokes of his hand."

Again, Un-pack. Don't take short-cuts.

Better yet, get your character with another character, fast. Get them together and get the action started. Let their actions and words show their thoughts. You -- stay out of their heads.

And while you're avoiding "thought" verbs, be very wary about using the bland verbs "is" and "have."

One of the most-common mistakes that beginning writers make is leaving their characters alone.

For example:

"Ann's eyes are blue."

"Ann has blue eyes."

Versus:

"Ann coughed and waved one hand past her face, clearing the cigarette smoke from her eyes, blue eyes, before she smiled..."

Instead of bland "is" and "has" statements, try burying your details of what a character has or is, in actions or gestures. At its most basic, this is showing your story instead of telling it.

And forever after, once you've learned to Un-pack your characters, you'll hate the lazy writer who settles for: "Jim sat beside the telephone, wondering why Amanda didn't call."

Please. For now, hate me all you want, but don't use "thought" verbs. After Christmas, go crazy, but I'd bet money you won't.

For this month's homework

...pick through your writing and circle every "thought" verb. Then, find some way to eliminate it. Kill it by Un-packing it.

Then, pick through some published fiction and do the same thing. Be ruthless.

"Marty imagined fish, jumping in the moonlight..."

"Nancy recalled the way the wine tasted..."

"Larry knew he was a dead man..."

Find them. After that, find a way to re-write them. Make them stronger.

Thanks for last month's questions. If you have more, submit them, and I'll get to them in mid-June.

If You're Thirsting For More Writing Lessons From Chuck
We Have 35 More Of Them Right Here!

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In six seconds, you'll hate me. But in six months, you'll be a better writer. From this point forward - at least for the next half year - you may not use "thought" verbs. These include: Thinks, Knows, Understands, Realizes, Believes, Wants, Remembers, Imagines, Desires, and a hundred others you love to use.

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Choose carefully; some are not appropriate for young readers.

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They'd tried to forget it, tried to leave it in Raleigh, but it made the trip, hiding amongst the other boxes still sealed from the move. He hesitates, opening it like an old creased photograph. Water fills him, ice cold and rushing. The doll inside never enjoyed; packed carefully, intimately and with good intentions. Caressing its cheek, he regains himself. He finds the card inside, hands it to his waiting wife and watches her face. He stands. They embrace, heads bowed. Its tiny eyes closed, cherubic. She kisses the card before returning it. He uses blue tape like new stitches.
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They'd tried to forget it, tried to leave it in Raleigh, but it made the trip, hiding amongst the other boxes still sealed from the move. He hesitates, opening it like an old creased photograph. Water fills him, ice cold and rushing. The doll inside never enjoyed; packed carefully, intimately and with good intentions.

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Can't think of what to what to write about? 

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Can't think of what to what to write about? 

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Here are SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY prompts!

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Every school day since 2009 we've asked students a question based on an article in The New York Times.

Now, seven years later, and in honor of the Oct. 20 National Day on Writing, we've collected 650 of them that invite narrative and personal writing and listed them by category below. Consider it an update of a previous post, and a companion to the list of 301 argumentative writing prompts we published in 2015.

Here is a PDF of all 650 prompts, and we also have a related lesson plan, From 'Lives' to 'Modern Love': Writing Personal Essays With Help From The New York Times.

Below, a list that touches on everything from sports to travel, education, gender roles, video games, fashion, family, pop culture, social media and more. Like all our Student Opinion questions, each links to a related Times article and includes a series of follow-up questions. All questions published since May 2015 are still open to comment by any student 13 or older.

So dive into this admittedly overwhelming list and pick the questions that most inspire you to tell an interesting story, describe a memorable event, observe the details in your world, imagine a possibility, or reflect on who you are and what you believe.

_________
Overcoming Adversity _________ Your Personality

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650 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing

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Every school day since 2009 we've asked students a question based on an article in The New York Times. Now, seven years later, and in honor of the Oct. 20 National Day on Writing, we've collected 650 of them that invite narrative and personal writing and listed them by category below.

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A time / place that taught me a lot

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1st time you did / learned something

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something you'll always remember

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Write about someone who is important to you

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according to Wiki

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Narrative forms have been subject to classification by literary theorists, in particular during the 1950s, a period which has been described metaphorically as the Linnaean period in the study of narrative.

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The craziest thing that's ever happened to me is. . .

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I appreciate ______ because _______

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My favorite memory is. . .

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The coolest thing that's ever happened to me is. . .

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Bring in a family (or other) photo and write about it.

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Story writing!