Unjournaling: Daily Writing Exercises that Are NOT Personal, NOT Introspective, NOT Boring!

by Dawn DiPrince, Cheryl Miller Thurston
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Editorial Reviews

The more than 200 impersonal but engaging writing prompts in this exercise book help students practice their writing skills without asking them to share personal thoughts they would rather keep to themselves. Quirky, challenging, and humorous, the ideas encourage lighthearted creativity with such topics as writing about a girl named Dot without using any letters with dots (such as i or j), describing a person named Chris by the reactions of others as he walks into a room, or creating three completely different sentences with the word crumpled. Sample responses are included for all the exercises, making this an ideal classroom resource.

Customer Reviews

Some great journal ideas, 2008-11-18
by Vickie R. Hoey
I'm using this book for middle schoolers. It's great for them, and I would recommend it for high-schoolers as well. These quick writes encourage higher-level thinking.
FUN way to journal!, 2008-10-20
by M. Hartley
I am using this book with my homeschooled kids. This book is fun for middle or high schoolers who need to practice journaling but don't want to write about sappy or mushy subjects! My kids highly recommend this book for any students, whether they happen to already enjoy writing, or not!
Calling All Writers!, 2008-10-19
by Victoria Hanley (Colorado)
Even the most gifted and skilled writer can use a little more practice, and sometimes it's really satisfying to have someone else jumpstart the process of exploring a fresh thought or direction on the writing journey. What I like about Unjournaling is its structure: 200 writing prompts, each of which is designed to tease out a particular writing skill while having fun. This book is like having a sassy friend beside you, a friend who pushes you to get going and write more.
Great ideas, 2008-09-08
by 7th Grade Writing Teacher (Sammamish, WA United States)
As a veteran writing teacher, I was wary of the 'not personal, not introspective, not boring" claim, as I take the instruction of writing very seriously. However, I found the prompts very entertaining and an excellent way to coax even the most reluctant writer into sharing their thoughts. My 7th grade classes enthusiastically write for several minutes for these prompts, and any writing is a move in the correct direction, in my opinion. "Unjournaling" adds some spice into my writing instruction.
Great Middle School Language Arts Resource, 2008-08-17
by Peggy A. Helm (Louisville, Kentucky)
I teach writing to middle school students and find this resource wonderful for reluctant writers...try you'll love it!