Last year I started an online writing group. It’s been lots of fun to think of ways to encourage others to write more. I posted the first batch of email lessons here. Every 10 or so lessons, I’ll include here on the blog. This is batch @2.
I hope you enjoy these writing suggestions!
Stonewood Writing Group
Week 15
8 January 2026
I hope you have each enjoyed a magical and peaceful holiday. We are taking down the tree this week (it’s crispy now) and putting our Nativities and ornaments into their little boxes and resting places until next year. I don’t want my memories and experiences to be put away where they’ll be forgotten. It’s easy to do. Before any more time passes, think about what you still need to write and capture for your family before those sweet moments disappear forever. It might be a conversation you had, or a memory of your childhood that came to mind as you experienced Christmas this year. It might be about a gift you gave or received that was especially meaningful. It might be a new recipe that you tried and will make again because it was so good.
This last week, I’ve also been taking an inventory of my year and capturing the high points in my 2025 journal. At the end of every year, I try to make a short summary of what happened in the year that includes things of interest to me and our family, like trips taken, church callings, projects I’m working on, quilts finished, books read, that sort of thing. It doesn’t have to be long or detailed, just a mention before the next year gets started. It’s also interesting to list big changes in the church and in the world that affect you. There’s still time if you haven’t done this yet!
I also have a T0-Do List that floats at the end of my journal document throughout the year. I keep a copy at the end of the old year, then copy and paste the same list to the end of the new year’s entries. It’s always in front of my face to help me keep on track.
These are just a few ideas of things you can do in your journal at the end of the year. I actually got this “year end” idea from Wilford Woodruff years ago when I was reading his journals. He kept a daily journal for half a century. At the end of each year, he wrote a summary of what he had accomplished that year.
Here’s an AI overview about his “year end reports.”
Wilford Woodruff’s “end of year reports” refer to his detailed journal entries, especially his practice of creating annual summaries using coded symbols in his diaries to recount significant events, spiritual insights, and prophetic observations for personal reflection, as documented by the Wilford Woodruff Papers project. These reports highlight key Church developments, national events (like the Civil War), personal faith, and the fulfillment of prophecies, making his extensive records (journals, letters, sermons, etc.) accessible online for historical and spiritual study.
I thought it would be interesting to share what he wrote at the end of 1861, the year the Civil War began.
Wilford Woodruff’s Journal Entry
December 31, 1861 ~ Tuesday
31st I spent the day in the office looking over my Journal
This is the last day of 1861 which has past and gone
and borne its report to heaven of the deeds of all Nations
and men. This year has brought to pass much of the
fulfillment of the predictions of the Ancient and Modern
Prophets of God. See this Journal Jan 1st 1861 I there
declaired as a Prophetic Historian that this year would
be the most distressing year America Ever sayw since they
were an independant Nation time has proven it so
Five states viz Missisippi, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, & Florida
seceded from from the Union in January the first month
of the year Texas seceded in Febuary. then followed North
Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Virginia, and A part of
Missouri have all seceded during 1861. This has brought
on a terrible war upon the Nation both North & South have
rushed to armes untill the North alone has over six hundred
thousand men under arms and the South near the same
number of men. this war has cost the Northern States some
Five Hundred Millions of Dollars during the past year and many
thousands of lives and this is ownly the Begining of trouble
the close of 1862 will leave America with a debt upon
her shoulders of One Billion dollars a debt as large as the
debt of England. The state of Missouri whare the Saints
have received there persecutions is now the great Battlefield
of the west. it is now man against man & neighbor against Neighbor
they who have spoiled the Saints are now being spoiled
Independance, & Jackson County Missouri, is nearly destroyed
is is the case with many parts of the State. The Lord has
taken peace from the Earth and all Nations are still prepar-
ing for war. The Lord has pointed out the fate of this Nation
in the Book of Mormon and Doctrins & Covenants
He has said that when they became ripened in iniquity
they should be cut off, that day has come there cup
of iniquity is full, the whole Nation Rulers and people
are filled with corruption befor God And the presi-
dent & Senate of the United States are sending men
to Utah to rule over this people as a Govornor & Judges
who are so corrupt that they are a Hiss & bye word and
a stink in the Norstrills of all people in the streets. John
W. Dawson was sent By President Lincoln to Utah as
there Governor He arived in Great Salt Lake City on the
7 of Dec. Delivered his miessage on the 10th to the Utah
Legislature and immediately commenced a scene of
debauchery and insulted women untill the widow of
Thomas Williams drove him out of her house with a fire
shovel because ^of^ his vulgar abuse to her, and He has left
this city for the East this day in the mail stage a disgraced
debauched Libertine, he left because He could not hold
up his head in the streets and look the people in the face
because ohif his crimes. These are the kingd of rulers the
Gentiles send to rule over Israel and Israel Begins to
Feel that it is time to rise up and appoint her own
Governors, Judges & Rulers & trust in God for the EResult.
The American Nation as a United States Governm[en]t is doomed
To destruction and No power can save it. They have forfeited
all right and title to redemption or salvation at the Hand of
the Lord or his Saints it is decreed that the measure which they
have meeted out unto the Saints shall be meetied unto them and
they are hastening unto there work of desolation, war, Bloodshed,
& destruction and wo, wo, is ther doom. The spirit of Prophecy
would cry O, Lord, Hasten thy work, let the wicked slay the wicked
untill the whole land is clensed from the corruption, sin,
abominations, and wickedness which now reigns upon the face
of the whole Earth. May thy Judgments continue to be poured
out upon this land of North America untill the Blood of Prophets
& Saints is avenged before the Lord and thy words fulfilled
upon the Land of Joseph. Take away the sceptre rule and
Government from the wicked & corrupt and give it into the
Hands of the Just even thy saints, that they may rule in
righteousness before thee. Give thy oppressed people O Lord
the privilege of appointing there own Governor, Judges, and
Rulers from this time forth that thy Kingdom may be Esstab-
lished upon the Earth, and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
A Synopsis of my Labors in 1861. I Travelled with President Young & Company Through the Southern Country 904 Miles I attended public Meetings 90 Meetings I Preached 25 discourses 25 Discourses I Attended two General Conferences 2 Conferences I Attended 45 Prayer Circles 45 Prayer Circles I spent 45 days in the Endowm[en]t House 45 Endowment House I spent 22 days in Legislative Council 22 Legislative C. I Officiated in Ordaining 24 High Council I Ordained 11Eleven High Priest 11 High Priest I Ordained 5 Seventies 5 Seventies I Ordained 2 Elders 2 Elders I sealed at the Endowment H. 358 Couple I Married One Couple 1 Couple I Confirmed six persons 6 Confirmed I Blessed Nine Missionaries 9 Missionaries I wrote 24 Letters 24 Letters W I Received 7 Letters 7 Letters R I Dedicated 2 school Houses 2 School Houses D I Paid my tithing amounting to $300 dollars
W W
Now you can find his journals with their year end reports in the Wilford Woodruff Papers website.
I’ll bet not one of you is complaining because he misspelled some words or didn’t have perfect punctuation. Rather, we are grateful for every word he recorded, capturing what was happening in his day. Your descendants will feel the same about your words, I promise!
This week I’ll hope you’ll look back over 2025 and make sure you’ve included the most important things in your journals and personal writings. If you don’t have time to do that all at once, make a list of things to chip away at as you have time. If you don’t have time to do that, at least make a list of things you don’t want to forget. Then start the new year, keeping in mind that your journal is a final resting place for all kinds of things–letters, emails, headlines, conversations, problems, insights, goals, plans and your daily activities. Have fun with it!
One more thing I want to share this week–just after sending my last email a couple of weeks ago, I read an interesting article about how to be emotionally resilient. You can read the whole article here. I will share her 4th and 5th points. They apply to our writing.
I’ve studied happiness for 15 years: If you do these 9 things every day, you’re more ‘emotionally resilient’ than most
By Jessica Weiss, CNBC
Published Sat, Dec 20 20259:30 AM EST
It’s important to build resilience, but how do we actually do it? I’ve spent 15 years researching happiness, and I’ve interviewed thousands of people about what makes it possible for them to thrive. I’ve learned that resilience isn’t something you’re born with. It’s not even about bouncing back, a concept that often does more harm than good. Real resilience is about building specific habits that train your brain to weather difficulty without breaking.
4. Creating a ‘done’ list instead of a to-do list
Most of us focus on what’s left undone. It’s a perpetual sense of failure. I want you to flip
this. Every day, write down what you actually accomplished, even the small stuff. Over time, your brain stops noticing gaps and starts noticing progress. That shift is where resilience lives.
5. Noticing and savoring one good moment every day
When you deliberately pay attention to positive moments, you rewire neural pathways for happiness. Pick one moment a day worth savoring. A good conversation. A small win. Really good coffee. Spend 30 seconds actually noticing it. This practice counteracts your brain’s obsession with what’s wrong and builds psychological resilience, one moment at a time.
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This year I’m going to try harder to savor one moment each day and mention what it was in my journal. That’s something we can all take 30 seconds to do and take a minute to record. It doesn’t have to be elaborate–it can be very simple. I am looking forward to trying this and hope it might be a good idea for all of us.
We’ve had a few more writers join us this year. We welcome you and hope you enjoy being a part of this Stonewood Writing Group. If you haven’t yet, please revisit the blog post sent last week with all of the emails sent out so far. Take note of things you haven’t gotten to yet that you’d like to write about. It’s going to be a very good year! Thanks for joining in!
Ann Lewis
Stonewood Writing Group
Week 16
15 January 2026
Hello Friends!
There are times (sometimes every day when you sit down to write) when you might wonder about your ordinary life and if your words matter. Up close and in the moment, those words may feel insignificant or unimportant. Daily routines may feel unexceptional or unworthy of recording.
For me, a good remedy for those kinds of feelings is to pick up the journal of someone who lived long before I did. Old journals are fascinating to me. At the time, many of those entries probably felt routine and unimportant, but now they are treasures!
This week I’d like to share a blog post I wrote a few years ago about Martha Cragun Cox.
Meeting Martha Cragun Cox, a woman after my own heart.
Posted on September 27, 2020 by Ann Laemmlen Lewis
I have been reading a wonderful book called Women’s Voices: An Untold History of the Latter-day Saints 1830-1900 by Kenneth W. Godfrey, Audrey Godfrey and Jill Mulvay Derr. It is filled with journal entries and first-person accounts of women who lived fascinating and difficult lives. This week I read Martha Cragun Cox’s words. She is a woman after my own heart.
Here are a few parts (with my own highlights) of a long and beautifully detailed overview of Martha’s life and memories which was written by Lavina Fielding Anderson. You can find this complete review here:
Martha Cragun Cox
A “Salt of the Earth” Lady
by Lavina Fielding Anderson
Martha James Cragun Cox was born into a Salt Lake family on 3 March 1852, married into a polygamous St. George family on 3 December 1869, had eight children, buried three, and died 30 November 1932. To support her family she taught school all over the southern end of the Mormon corridor in the small towns of Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico. She went to Mexico in time to be expelled by the Revolution. She loved history, and her narrative gift found expression in Church periodicals. She spent her last years in temple work in St. George, Manti, and Salt Lake City.
Why is she important? Because she left a handwritten autobiographical record just over three hundred pages long, written in 1928. It is because of this autobiography that she is more than a name on the family group records of her hundreds of Latter-day Saint descendants. She claims neither unusual beauty, power, intellect, wealth, nor influence, though she seems to have been above average in her hunger for knowledge, her energy, and her loyalty. But her autobiography, by its very existence, transcends the limitations of her time and place to show her struggling towards a sense of self, struggling to make sense of the world, and struggling to make sense of her life. In her autobiography, she performs the labor which is the distinctive work of that genre; and by so doing, she has stocked the toolshelf and provided cheerful companionship for scholars of first-generation Utah, of second-generation Mormonism, and of future generations. It is a record, quite simply, of a strong, uncomplicated woman, a lady who was the salt of the earth. Like salt, she both seasoned and preserved what she touched. And like salt, her influence was subtle, not compelling or dominating.
Her autobiography sets one goal for itself in the first two sentences: “There are few lives so uneventful that a true record of them would not be of some worth, in which there are no happenings that can serve as guide or warning to those that follow. It is to be hoped that in the pages that follow there will be some things found that may be taken as good lessons to those who read.” [1] Because she has perceived shape and direction in her own life, she is a reliable guide. . . .
One senses in her pages both the pleasure in recollection that is one of the joys of reminiscence and also an urgency to record, to make an island of permanence in an ocean of evanescence. Thus it is also a vivid and little-mined scrapbook of small-town life along the Mormon southern corridor—dances, courting, Indian relations, diet, and doctrinal understanding are all there. . . .
—-————-
I feel the same urgency to record my own simple but true record that might someday be of worth or a guide to someone after I am long gone from here. Every day I fill pages in my journal. I doubt my family now will ever read what I write, but someday, in some distant future, I think my words will be of value to someone, including the children and grandchildren of my own kids. They will wonder what it was like for me here and now, in this day and age, when all of our world seems to be falling apart around us.
There may be some who will wonder why and how I believe what I believe and how I feel permanence in the tempest around me. My words will stand as a testament that I find peace in Christ and in His teachings. I am grateful every day for Him and for His gifts to me as I continue writing my fingers to the bone.
—————-
Sometimes it may also help to go back to your old journals and read something YOU wrote long ago. This week our son, Adam, has been in town for some interviews. He wanted to go to BYU to see his old stomping grounds. We had a fun walk around campus, looking at all the changes. Then we went to the new BYU Creamery, which has recently moved into a brand-new building behind the old one on 9th Avenue. The old Creamery building used to be Carson’s Market when I was a student. One of the most exciting days of my life happened in Carson’s Market on 27 May 1980. This week I found my old BYU journal and read the details of what happened on that day. I’m so glad it was recorded. I’ve typed that old hand-written entry into my journal this week to tell the story from today’s perspective. It’s good (and important) to look back and see how things have unfolded in our lives over time.
Maybe this would be a good week for you to go to FamilySearch and find a grandparent or great-grandparent, or other ancestor and l see if they left any words behind that might encourage you to leave YOUR words behind.
Only 8 minutes of writing a day will change you. It may also change those who come after you. Happy writing!!
Ann
Stonewood Writing Group
Week 17
22 January 2026
Hello Friends!
These weeks roll by as if we are turning pages in our books. I hope you’re finding time to put lots of words on those pages!
Have you ever lost a loved one or a family member, then realized that you would never hear their voice again? Their silence is profoundly final. You would give anything for just one more hour with that person. You think of the questions you never asked that they never answered. You wonder what they thought about things, or what was most important to them. You might wonder about the personal relationship you had with them and how they felt about YOU.
I’ve watched families who lost a parent scramble to find journals in the days leading up to a funeral. Words bring people back. Words keep people alive. Words become the essence of a person now gone. We want to share that person’s words with others. We want a piece of their essence that we can continue to hold close. Journals become the most treasured gift a person leaves behind.
There is an interesting tradition in sub-Sahara Africa. To these Africans, there are 3 states of being: Alive, Dead and the Living Dead. The Living Dead are those who have passed on but who still have someone on earth who remembers them and talks about them. The words we leave behind keep us alive.
This week, with her permission, I’d like to share something from one of our writing group members named Shelley. She has a writing tradition you might want to consider in your own families. She writes a personal letter to each of her children and to each of their spouses every year on their birthdays (she keeps copies of these letters in her journal too).
Shelley recently shared one of these letters with me and said I could share it with you as an example of how she does this. I love this idea and seeing how simply she approaches this gave me motivation to try doing this in my family.
Here is a letter she wrote to a son-in-law. [I’ve changed the names.]
Shelley to [Michael],
My computer stopped working just before your birthday, and I didn’t write you a birthday note. It is my goal to write a note each year because when my friend Kimberley had cancer, she told me the story of her own mother dying. Kimberley was sure her mom had written everyone a note to be read after she was gone. Kimberley tore her parents’ house apart looking for those notes and never found them. Kimberley was determined to make sure she wrote notes to her kids before she passed, but when the time came, she was so sick that she couldn’t focus. Because of this experience, I decided to write birthday notes every year, because who knows what will happen in life. I may be translated any day and not have time to write anything!
I am so glad you are part of our family. Here are some things I love about you.
1. Humor – You have that rare gift of instant humor. You can play off the moment and blurt out the right funny quip. I love to laugh so thanks for keeping me giggling.
2. Accommodating – I love how you are good with [my daughter], inviting us to fun family digs like going to Moab or to the winter cabin last year. You are always welcoming and happy to be around us. We adore being around your cute family and you. It is more than a party when we travel with you anywhere.
3. Great Dad – It’s fun to watch you with your kids, and it’s easy to see how much they adore you. [Sam] is like a magnet when you are around. [Will] is a mini you in many ways. He has your salesperson skills. He can make a good case for anything he wants, and he does it with confidence. I see the same trait in you as you navigate various jobs and positions at work. I always want to be with a salesperson whose confidence walks in the room with them. You make an impression before you even speak.
4. Generous – I am grateful for the Bluetooth speaker you gave me. I use it all the time. I often see you being generous with others, and [my brother] has gone over several times how kind it was of you to offer him your snowblower. You are natural at thinking of others’ needs. I know you have done the same thing for everyone in the family.
5. Best husband possible for [my daughter]– I know how much [she] loves you. You are patient, kind, and understanding. Married life is never perfect, but it all works out when you have a workable, loving partner like yourself. I admire the way you strive to be open and available for [her]. You are a great couple!
6. I love your hard situation skills – Some people turn into cowards when a hard situation comes along. You always rise to the occasion and find a solution. You are a great problem solver. You see a solution, and you don’t hesitate to move forward. This is a rare skill.
Love you Shelley
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Thanks, Shelley, for sharing how you do this.
In week 14, we talked about human orbits and the people placed precisely in our paths for particular reasons. Our family members are the closest in orbit to each of us. This year, think about how you might honor those people with your words. Maybe you can do something like Shelley does on their birthdays.
Next week we’ll talk about other ways we can write about the people we love–those around us now (the Alive), and those who have passed on (the Living Dead). The words we write are so important for each. For now, start making a list of the important people in your life, in your orbit.
Enjoy your week and please, keep writing!
Ann
Stonewood Writing Group
Week 18
29 January 2026
Hello Everyone!
This week we are going to talk more about our Orbit People, and how we might honor them in our writing. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. A few years ago, I created a folder in my computer where I’ve saved photos of important people in my life who I’d like to write about (it’s nice to see their faces). Did you know you can do a google search for a person, then click on “images” and maybe you’ll find a photo of them?
I also have a written list of these friends and family members. I don’t want to die with that list in only list format. I still need to add memories and impressions about many of these people. And for some who have passed on, I need to add those memories to their Memory page in FamilySearch.
I may have mentioned that several years ago I had a project of reading Nauvoo era journals–I spent hours in the BYU archives and in the Church Archives in Salt Lake reading any first-person account that I could get my hands on. My purpose in doing that was to search for any mention of MY ancestor, Theodore Turley, who lived in Nauvoo at that time. It was enlightening to read what these early Church members wrote (or did not write). I found myself willing these journal writers to mention my people (which most did not).
Every now and again, I’d hit gold and find my ancestors mentioned by someone else. Below is one example. Theodore’s son, Jonathan, was born in Nauvoo on 13 September 1842. The family Bible entry records his death: “Died at Mount Rigia [Mount Rigia is crossed out] on our journey to the rockey mountins. May 12th 1846 Garden Grove”
On 13 May 1846, Eliza R. Snow mentions Jonathan Turley’s burial in her journal on p. 133:
Wed 13th. I saw the funeral train following to its wilderness grave a little child of br. [Theodore] Turley. It was a lonely sight–my feelings truly sympathize with those who are call’d to leave their dear relatives by the way.
As I read 100s of journals, I found myself loving most the accounts where many other people were mentioned. I felt the networking of these people with their loved ones and neighbors, and I was grateful to know the connections. I also loved reading about these early church members through another’s eyes.
We are all a part of each other’s orbits.
A few weeks ago, I happened to read the article below. At the end of this article, the author shares ideas of how to create your Orbit People lists. I found it helpful, and hope you will too.
The Stranger Who Changed My Day at the Grocery Store
Meridian Magazine
by Becky Douglas · January 11, 2026
Waiting to check out at Sprouts grocery store, I was a bit chagrined that the checkout lines were so long. I had dropped in the store, despite a busy schedule, just to pick up a couple of items. They only had two check-out clerks working, the holiday was almost upon us, and the lines were longer than I had anticipated. I was obviously going to be late for my upcoming zoom call. I was peeved.
Finally reaching the checkout table, I started loading my few groceries onto the conveyor belt. I was surprised when the man behind me asked me how I planned to cook the unusual cut of meat I was buying. I turned to look back at him. He was smiling broadly. A bit perturbed at the intrusion, I quickly explained how I hoped to cook the cut. Clearly impressed, he said, “Oh that sounds delicious!” He then asked me about the unusual squash I had picked up. His smile and enthusiasm were contagious. We began talking and laughing. My mood brightened considerably.
As my turn to be checked out arrived, and he was able to start putting his groceries on the belt, the checkout person noticed him. Ignoring me completely, she came alive greeting him cheerily and profusely. He responded back to her with equal enthusiasm, greeting her by name. Within seconds the other checkout clerk noticed him and called over a warm welcome to him. He also greeted her by name. He complimented her holiday earrings. She glowed.
As I exited the store, I thought about how one friendly person had brightened three “strangers” that day. Only, I was clearly the only stranger. This guy had already created friendships with the checkout clerks — the same checkout clerks, that I’m sure I must have seen multiple times, since I shop at that store pretty regularly.
Back in my car I mused about the opportunities for friendship that I had been missing by my careless assuming that strangers are simply that: strangers. He had discovered that strangers are only an opportunity for another friendship. I thought about my non-member friends who often greet the server at the local coffee shop where they stop in to get their morning coffee. They talk as if the guy is a personal confidant, who they look forward to seeing every morning before heading off to work, or after they’ve dropped off their kids at school. I had to wonder, have I been missing opportunities for friendship?
And what if I have? What does it matter? I have just finished reading a captivating New York Times bestseller by Arthur C. Brooks, From Strength to Strength. It explores what he calls “the second half of life.” As we age and head towards retirement, many people become less productive, less engaged, and more isolated, while others seem to blossom in surprising ways. Brooks examines what makes the difference.
Interestingly, research shows that the biggest difference in how people respond to changes as they age depends mostly on their number of good friends. The more people they are connected to and the stronger their circle of friends, the more meaningful and fuller their lives grow as they get older.
The old advertising AT&T ditty flitted into my mind, Reach out, reach out and touch someone. I had just watched someone who was doing exactly that and had witnessed the difference it made.
That day I had recently returned from a trip to India — incidentally, my 71st trip! Over the years, it’s become increasingly difficult for me to get my circadian rhythm back in sync after the 10.5-hour time zone change. It now takes me nearly a month to regain my normal sleeping schedule. So I have lots of early morning hours tossing and turning. Or on the nights when I can motivate myself to get out of the bed, I read or write email correspondence. That night I had insomnia as usual.
Snuggling into my worn-out easy chair in the wee hours of the morning, a little bleary-eyed, I started to think of the many friends that had enriched my life; each in their own unique way. As I thought of each one, a warm feeling flitted into my soul. My mind began to reach back to my high school friends, college friends, and all my kids’ friends (who had also become my friends — along with their parents). With ten kids, the list went on and on.
There were several people I could remember with fondness but could not place their names. That scared me. I didn’t want to lose those memories. I decided to get out my laptop and create an Excel document, simply listing friends, along with a quick synopsis of their influence in my life.
This little exercise continued night after night. The number of names on my list is now staggering. Reading over my list has a magical effect on me. I inevitably feel overwhelmed with gratitude for each person that has impacted my life. Those feelings of gratitude inexorably lift my spirits. God has brought so many wonderful people into my life! I can’t help but think that every name on my list is a direct blessing from Him. Looking at my list is a visual reminder of God’s hand in my life. He has been caring for me so generously!
One of the things this little exercise has taught me is that not only have these people enriched my lives, but I can think of ways that I may have blessed their lives as well. If you want to be equally amazed at God’s influence in your life, you might think about your own friends.
If you’re interested, here are some of the ways I started realizing friends had come into my life; each one bringing their own unique gifts. You would have other categories to add to this list.
Start with family. Both John and I come from large families and both families have remained close, so there are lots of cousins, aunts and uncles, nieces, nephews, in-laws, and so on.
If you have kids, recognize that they are your greatest connectors. When we get older, we no longer have that pipeline so we ought to take advantage of those relationships while we can. All their friends have parents who become our friends as we interact getting our kids together.
I think of kids that were on my kids’ ball teams, dance groups and wrestling teams, and their parents. I’ve spent a lot of time waiting during practices, ball games, and karate and dance classes. It’s a great time to reach out to other parents who are also waiting. With ten children, you can imagine how that number multiplied!
Go back in time. List teachers in both school and church who have impacted you.
That automatically brings up people that YOU have taught: in YW, in Primary, seminary, institute, nursery, etc. I’ve taught 10 years of early morning seminary and spoken for years at BYU Education Week. I have loved every student, even the class clowns and the class disruptors. I have prayed for them and tried to creatively work with each one. I’ll bet you’ve done the same. And all those students had parents you naturally become close to.
How about old school and neighborhood friends? These were wonderful relationships at the time. Putting them on the list is sure to bring back great memories.
Did you serve a mission? Think of all the people you taught and loved, your leaders, your companions, the areas you served in, and the people you became close to. In my case, John and I were blessed to serve two missions. In our mission together, we oversaw nearly 500 missionaries throughout the three years. Each one was precious, especially the challenging ones! We still hear regularly from many of them. It’s been so fun to follow them through marriages, having children, jobs, church callings, and the other great life milestones. In fact, one of our sister missionaries married one of our sons!
Being in the Church gives you so many other opportunities to reach out. You have had wonderful teachers and ministering brothers and sisters. Or if you’re old, like me, you’ve spent years both being and having Visiting Teachers and Home Teachers. You’ve likely spent a year or two with scouting, either Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts. What about Girls’ Camp or Scout camp? (Fun fact: one of our sons married a girl I met at Girls’ Camp) In my past 73 years I have lived in 16 wards: I can look back on a slew of friends in each ward.
You’ve had Church leaders in your wards and stakes. You’ve probably served in the different organizations of the Church: Young Women, Young Men, Primary, Sunday School, Relief Society, Elders Quorum and Seminary. You’ve possibly served at both ward and stake levels. As you serve with others, you become closely connected with them. In each of these callings/activities you’ve likely been introduced to many people who have become dear friends. In my case, in 55 years of service, I’ve been able to have a lot of callings in the Church and rub shoulders with a lot of incredible people!
Think of all the people who have taught your own kids at both Church and school.
Don’t forget business associates and their spouses. For example, I’ve played violin in two professional symphonies, two chamber orchestras, two opera companies, and two ballet companies. So many delightful colleagues!
Remember social groups, book clubs, PTAs, neighborhood organizations, dinner groups, volunteer work, exercise groups. For example, John and I have a biking group that goes on a trip together every year.
Do you have to travel for your work? Both John and I have to travel extensively. We laugh at the many friends I have made on plane trips, while he never speaks to the person next to him. I have met many people that have become supporters for Rising Star Outreach while sitting next to them on a plane. Even Uber and Lyft drivers have become friends.
We each have individual interests, so we each have unique outreaches. Your life will obviously look different from mine. In my life, my work at Rising Star Outreach with the leprosy-affected people of India has enabled me to work with hundreds of students and patients, hundreds of supporters and volunteers, as well as staff and Board members in both India and the United States. Also, I’ve written to dozens of prisoners at the Utah State Prison who have been supporters of our work. Totally unexpected! Yet they have impacted my life, and hopefully, I have impacted theirs as well.
Before this little late-night exercise, I had never realized how many people had danced into my life, leaving beauty and interest.
In each of these groups, I’ve had the choice to either reach out and make connections and friends, or just to nod and say hello. In many cases I was wise enough to reach out. I’m afraid that in too many other cases, I missed great opportunities to expand and enrich my life.
Yesterday, a friend shared that during Covid, a member in one of her former relief society presidencies (years earlier), called her and said she’d decided to not just sit isolated, but to reach out to past friends. In this case, the friendship has rekindled over the phone, and they are now closer than they were when they worked together in the Relief Society.
As I look back on each name on my list, I am filled with memories of the warmth of that friendship. What a great feeling! My New Year’s resolution is to reach back out to many of the people on my list and rekindle friendships. It doesn’t take much to reach out and touch someone.
Go for it! Your lives will also be enriched and touched.
———————-
If we each were to write a few lines about 3 people each week, in a year’s time, we’d have more than 150 people memories recorded! I’ll bet we could do this in just minutes! Will you join me?
Remember what Elder Neal A. Maxwell said about human orbits:
“The same God that placed that star in a precise orbit millennia before it appeared over Bethlehem in celebration of the birth of the Babe has given at least equal attention to placement of each of us in precise human orbits so that we may, if we will, illuminate the landscape of our individual lives, so that our light may not only lead others but warm them as well.”
I am going to start today with my first 3 people. I’ll keep this list in a separate document called “My Orbit People” that can be added to my journal. I really hope you’ll join me in this writing experience!
Ann
Stonewood Writing Group
Week 19
5 February 2026
Hello Writing Friends!
This week I’ve decided to share with you one of my favorite Nauvoo Era journal discoveries. You can just sit back and enjoy these short entries and feel grateful that Sarah Stoddard recorded these few pages as things unfolded in her life with her son in Nauvoo.
Here is the blog post I wrote about this discovery:
Journal of Sarah Stoddard (1805-1846)
Posted on December 20, 2016 by Ann Laemmlen Lewis
I’ve spent 100s of hours searching for my family members in the journals and diaries of others who lived in the same places at the same times. I’ve discovered some real treasures and met some amazing men and women who wrote things down. Among the Nauvoo era journals I’ve read, I found this gem. I love Sarah Stoddard and the few words she recorded. They are a testimony to me of faith in Jesus Christ and His servants.
My Theodore Turley family lived next door to the Prophet Joseph and his family. I’m sure they knew Sarah too.
Sarah (Woodward) Stoddard diary in family possession
A diary written by Sarah Stoddard about some of the experiences of her son Charles Stoddard while he served as a houseboy for Joseph and Emma Smith when they lived in Nauvoo, Illinois
Dear Diary,
Charles stopped in for a few minutes today. Said Sister Emma was worried about the prophet being arrested so frequently. This is the umpteenth time in the past few months. Of course they never can hold him for any length of time since he isn’t guilty of any of the charges brought against him. We hear rumors of more violent mob action and the rumors seem more persistent. Perhaps that is why Sister Emma is worried.
October 1843
Charles is surely privileged to have the opportunity of being so closely associated with the prophet and sister Emma. He admires and loves them both. The prophet is such a kindly man though Charles says he has seen his anger rise. All he has to contend with, is it any wonder? Wrathful outsiders as well as weak and selfish people right among our own ranks. Being a prophet of the Lord, I guess, makes him able to deal with all those whom he comes in contact in a just and noble way. There are many among us who would gladly give our lives that the prophet might be spared the humiliations he has to undergo at the hands of the so-called “law.” Seems like people either love the prophet or hate him. Suppose that is because he is such a great man – yes, for he is our prophet.
December 1843
Charles had a dreadful experience last night. Porter Rockwell escaped from jail. He was taken there on mistaken identity of the prophet. When the sheriff finally discovered the mistake, he kept Porter in jail to teach him a lesson, so he said. Many months he was unjustly held. They gave him very meager fare, mostly just bread and water. He was terribly thin and weakened; his hair was long and matted with filth and his body swarming with lice. Not once did they give him anything with which to clean himself, but left him to stench in his own dirt. Charles said the prophet cried when he saw Brother Rockwell and he hugged him in spite of his condition like he was a beloved child. Charles and Brother Richards helped to clean Brother Rockwell after they had burned the rags he had one time called clothes. They had a terrible time with his hair; it was so snarled and filthy. They had decided the best thing to do was to shave his head but the prophet intervened and then he promised Brother Rockwell that as long as he did not cut his hair our enemies would have no power over him. Porter Rockwell is an uncouth man, even vile of tongue but the prophet discerns men for what they are inside and though Charles says he reprimands Brother Rockwell at times for his bad language he still loves and respects him and trusts him as much as he does anyone, even the apostles.
January 1844
Charles is young to be given so much responsibility (just turned 14), but his experiences have made him old for his years. I hate to see Charles put in such a precarious position but if this is where the prophet thinks he can be of greatest service then it must be so. I have never doubted but what the prophet knows what is best for us all. May my faith ever be as strong as it is now though we have very little of worldly goods having moved from New Jersey to Ohio to Nauvoo in so short a time. Still our physical needs are provided. We feel rich in the spirit and our faith in God and in His church grows with each passing day. But back to Charles. Mr. William Law is known to be wanting a houseboy, so the prophet has told our son to take the position and to keep his eyes and ears open. The prophet feels Mr. Law bodes only evil to him and to the Church, him being so resentful to the prophet and having been excommunicated.
February 1844
Charles doesn’t like his work at the Laws. He says the riffraff of Nauvoo drink and carouse all night and lay plans for what unpleasant things they can do to the Mormons in general and the prophet in particular. The boy looks tired, up most of the night so he can keep the prophet posted on Mr. Law’s plans and then working by day. He’s growing so fast right now, too, and should be getting his rest.
April 1844
Charles had another faith promoting experience. Early this morning, even while the darkness still hemmed out the light of day, Mr. Law, after he had been drinking and planning with his associates through the night, got Charles out of bed to clean and oil his gun for he said he was going to shoot the prophet, only William Law called him “old Joe Smith.” Poor Charles was frightened beyond description but Mr. Law stood over him and prodded him with his foot when Charles hesitated through fright and anxiety. Finally when Mr. Law was satisfied with the way the gun was working, he put one bullet in. He boasted that he could kill the prophet with one shot and sent Charles to bring the prophet.
He ran as fast as he could and delivered the message but begged the prophet not to go to Mr. Law’s as Mr. Law was drunk and Charles was afraid he would carry though on his threat to shoot the prophet in cold blood. In spite of Charles’ protestations the prophet rose from bed and dressed.
It was breaking dawn by this time. As they walked the few blocks from the mansion house to the Law residence the prophet reassured Charles that no harm would come to him that day. Charles was frightened and he said it kept racing through his mind “I am the one that cleaned the gun that is going to be used to kill the prophet” until he was sick with fear. The prophet in a final attempt to calm my dear son uttered the fateful words, “Mr. Law may some day kill me, Charles, but it won’t be today’
As they approached their destination Mr. Law came staggering out of the house and his only greeting was angry boasts of what he intended to do. The prophet said kindly and unafraid, “You sent for me, Mr. Law?” to which Mr. Law replied with oaths that he had and that he was now going to do Nauvoo, Illinois, and indeed the whole world a great favor by disposing of the prophet with one shot.
Calmly the prophet unbuttoned his shirt and bared his chest, then said, “I’m ready now, Mr. Law.” Charles said at this point he nearly fainted. Fear strangled him until he was speechless and paralyzed, unable to move a muscle.
>Mr. Law paced a few steps, turned, aimed, and pressed the trigger. There was complete silence, then the air rang with profanity and Mr. Law turned on Charles, accusing him of fixing the gun so it would not go off and threatening to kill even Charles, my innocent, frightened, but faithful son. The prophet, to divert Mr. Law’s blame of Charles suggested that a can be placed on the fence post for Mr. Law to take a practice shot. Relieved, Charles ran for a can and laid it on its side on the post. Mr Law paced back, took aim and fired. His ‘one shot’ streaked through the exact center of the bottom of that can. Mr. Law is well-known for his marksmanship even when drunk. Even Mr. Law was quiet as if stunned.
The prophet buttoned up his shirt, gave Charles a meaningful look and then said, “If you are finished with me now, Mr. Law, I have other things needing to be done. Good morning.”
————————–
That was her last entry in the diary. The prophet was martyred in June, 1844. The next entry is headed Montrose, Iowa, 1847, and was written by Charles’ sister who was younger.
More than three years have passed since Mother made her last entry in this diary. I’m sure she never realized what a bulwark of strength it would be to her children when she jotted down her thoughts. Oft times during the past few years I’ve had doubts, sometimes serious doubts. Then I’d read from Mother’s diary and I could feel strength and faith and hope creep back into my being. Mother didn’t make any entries in her diary for months before the evacuation of Nauvoo. I suppose there was no time nor peace of mind enough to sit down quietly with your thoughts and record them. She was so worried about Charles all that time. Then she gave birth to Michael, making a total of six of us children. Mother told us many times that all during those last hectic months when the prophet was taken prisoner and after his escape here to Montrose, his return and voluntary recapture, the martyrdom and the consequent unrest and confusion, that the one time of complete peace and the upsurging of faith and hope was when the prophet’s mantle fell over Brigham Young and it appeared to the thousands assembled that Joseph the prophet stood once more before them. In spite of all the hardships and sacrifices she, father and the other thousands had to undergo during the evacuation of Nauvoo and the perilous crossing of the Mississippi, never did her faith waiver. She knew what she thought was right and where the road of faith would lead her as well as the peril and hardships that lay in wait along that road.
After the baby died and while she and Father laid at death’s door of pneumonia brought on by hunger and exposure, they extracted a promise from Charles and I that we would take the three younger children west where Zion was to be built under the guidance of God and the leadership of our president, Brigham Young. I was resentful of that promise after the sting of losing both my parents had eased away. How was I, a girl of 15 and Charles only a few years older with nothing but a few personal things we could carry across the river that terrible and ghastly night be expected to carry out such a promise.
But Charles, as young as he was, had faith enough for both of us for those few months. Finally with the Lord’s help we got these two rooms, such as they are, to live in and Charles secured a job on a river boat that plied up and down the great Mississippi. I tended the children being father and mother to them and I’ve managed to help a few others, too, as they paused here to get ready for the western trek. As payment I have picked up some bolts of cloth and various other supplies and now after two years we have enough accumulated to get equipped with the bare necessities and we are ready at last to start west. We’ve seen so many thousands depart for that long-sought land of freedom and now we are ready, we five Stoddard children, to keep the promise to our parents. So now I close my mother’s diary here at Montrose, Iowa, where she was laid to rest beside my Father and baby Michael, adding my testimony to hers. I know this is God’s church and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the Lord, as is Brigham Young, with whom we now set ourselves out to join in the West.
————————
I hope you felt the power of her simple testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and of the Prophet Joseph. She didn’t leave many words, but what she left speaks volumes!
There’s one important idea for your writing that I’d like to mention about this. Notice how at the end, Sarah’s daughter picked up Sarah’s journal entries and, 3 years later, added an update and something very important: her “layered testimony.”
One of my favorite BYU professors, Steve Harper, taught me about this principle–the layering of testimonies. You see it all over in the scriptures. You hear it in most General Conference talks. It’s the idea that you repeat a testimony, idea, or thought, that was given by someone else and add your testimony to theirs. This coupling of words multiplies the strength of these words. It’s powerful.
I try to layer my testimony with others’ testimonies at every opportunity. It may be with something an ancestor said or did, or a quote by someone that sinks into my heart, or with a scripture that speaks to my soul. It might be with an article or even a piece of political news that I agree with. It might even be with my own words, written long ago, but meaningful again, now, in my life. Share what was said, and share what those words mean to you now and why.
I think this is a very powerful way of sharing what you believe as you honor what others have said or written or done. A “layered testimony” picks up more power than it would if it stood alone. Use this layering idea as you write and your own testimony or voice will be multiplied.
Have a great week!
Remember, just 8 minutes a day can rock your world!
Ann
Stonewood Writing Group
Week 20
12 February 2026
Hello, my writing friends!
Today we’ll do a quick and simple exercise. We will capture the moment. Simply answer the following questions with as many details as you have time for:
RIGHT NOW
What are you wearing?
What are you listening to?
What did you last eat?
Who did you last speak with?
What time did you wake up?
What did you do in the last 2 hours?
What book are you reading?
Is there anything exciting happening in your life this week?
Journal writing doesn’t need to be complicated or comprehensive. It can be as simple as a list of what’s happening in your life Right Now. As you make simple entries, they will add up and before you know it, a comprehensive story will emerge. Trust me. It will happen. If you have not yet started writing regularly, just start with the Right Now and do that for the next week. See what happens and where it leads you. Trust the process. Every sentence you record is like a piece of the puzzle of your life. Don’t let the desire to record a comprehensive story overwhelm you. Just start with pieces of the Right Now. Don’t over think it. Go!
Ann
Stonewood Writing Group
Week 21
19 February 2026
I hope you have enjoyed writing about what was happening RIGHT NOW in your life during this last week. I really enjoyed hearing from several of you who did it! This is a simple and fun writing exercise! Keep doing it. Come up with your own short list of questions, or answer the questions from last week again and again.
Here’s a reminder of what they were:
RIGHT NOW
What are you wearing?
What are you listening to?
What did you last eat?
Who did you last speak with?
What time did you wake up?
What did you do in the last 2 hours?
What book are you reading?
Is there anything exciting happening in your life this week?
Remember, it’s the day-to-day details that will be most interesting to your descendants 100 years from now. I wish I had even one day’s answers to these simple questions from each of my beloved ancestors!
Last fall, a member of our writing group wrote to me, concerned that maybe no one would ever read her journals after she was gone. She asked me if I really believe it’s important to keep personal records like our journals. I thought about that for a few weeks and then responded to her email with the list below of why I write in my journal. These reasons aren’t in a particular order and the list is not comprehensive, but it’s my start at why I believe this is important.
Stop reading this email now. Before you read my reasons, think about your own. In your own words, record why you feel it’s important to keep a journal. Write your own reasons down. I hope you will share your reasons with me and others in our group.
After you have written your reasons, you can read on.
WHY I KEEP A JOURNAL 14 November 2025
1. Simply because I can’t not write. I feel compelled to write every day.
2. The scriptures stress the importance of keeping and preserving our words for future generations. The prophets have asked us to keep journals. Alma 37 says we should “be the means” for those future generations. How can we help them if they don’t know us? They will know us through our words.
30 January 2013 Blog Post:
Last week in one of my Family History classes I mentioned the feeling I have that it is when I make an effort to know my ancestors and make a connection with them by understanding who they are and how they lived, that they are given or granted permission or access to me. I often sense the presence or influence of loved ones who have gone before. In most cases, I never knew them here, but have learned to love them since. Some I feel especially close to and I feel them particularly near. Perhaps these few are my guardian or ministering angels. Perhaps because I love and care for them, they return love and care for me. I believe in these ministering angels. Elder Holland speaks of the “heavenly help of angels dispatched to bless us in time of need.”(Ensign, Nov. 2008.)
Today it occurred to me that the reverse might also be true. If they are granted permission to be near us because we know them, then might not it follow that if we “leave ourselves behind” in as many ways as we can (words, thoughts, records, journals, photos, etc.) so that our posterity might know us and love us, we will have greater access to them?
One more reason to write my fingers to the bone.
3. Do I worry that no one will ever read my words? Yes. Maybe even my own kids, but I do believe what I write will be of interest to future generations. In addition to my personal journal, I need to prepare my small plates or most important words for my children so they can find and read about the things that are most important to me. I doubt they will wade through all the rest. But I will keep writing no matter what.
4. In an Isaiah class taught by Victor Ludlow at BYU when I was a young student, he one day said: Your children or grandchildren may grow up during the Millennium when Satan is bound and there is no sin. They will know Jesus Christ because they will see Him. But they will still need to learn what it means to walk by faith. Your journals may be how they learn what that means. Describe what it’s like to live not having a perfect knowledge of Jesus Christ. Describe the troubles and tribulations of your lives. Describe what it is like to walk by faith. Describe the calamities and wars and destruction around you. Describe sickness and health issues. Describe our reality living in today’s world, knowing what we know and believing what we believe. Your words will be their best teacher.
5. Keeping a journal keeps my head clear of trying to hang on to memories and important things. Write once, remember forever. It’s necessary for my mental well-being. It’s important to remember. Journaling keeps me calm. I always feel better after something is recorded.
6. Writing reveals to me the miracles in my life and the ways God has directed my paths. I usually don’t realize when important things are happening at the time, but when I look back, I see how my paths have been guided. Time reveals miracles. I don’t always remember what I haven’t recorded. I can’t learn from experiences I don’t remember.
7. Journals and records give you the opportunity of learning from experiences over time. With every passing day, our perspective changes as we look back on things. We continue to learn from experiences we had years ago, but only if we remember them. Something about writing experiences down seals them into our memories. It’s not like I go back and read and re-read all of my past experiences, but it seems that I remember best the ones I’ve recorded. Other memories seem to slip away from me.
Enduring to the End = Learning from Experiences over Time
8. I like the feeling of Standing as a Witness. I document what’s happening around me from my point of view. I may not always get it right, but I record what I see and hear and experience. Someday my voice might be important.
9. It’s important to keep track of and record vital information (births, marriages, deaths) and events of importance in the lives of my family members. A journal written at the time of can be a first person primary source for those events. Describing those events is a bonus.
10. I have faith that what is recorded on earth is recorded in heaven and if my records are lost, they will be found. Sometimes I play this game where I tell myself that the only memories of earth life that I will have in heaven are those I recorded while here. I don’t really believe that’s true, but I pretend like it might be. It is certainly true here on earth. To me, what’s not recorded is lost, obliterated, annihilated, or utterly wasted. (See the scriptures describing Elijah’s promises about turning the hearts of the children to the fathers and the hearts of the fathers to the children.) Without our words, how will these generations know each other and love each other??
11. We are told in the scriptures that during the Millennium, all things will be revealed and records that are lost will be found (D&C 101:32-34). I hope this will include journals and computer files. I pray all the time that my records will be kept safe and preserved for a good purpose. I have a gut feeling that if we value it here and take the time to record, somehow our records will be preserved. (We need to take care of these records and back up our files.)
My father’s Patriarchal Blessing says that during the Millennium, heavenly messengers will come down and place records in his hands that aren’t to be found on the face of the earth. In Gospel Principles (ch. 45 The Millennium) it says about temple work: “There is too much work to finish before the Millennium begins, so it will be completed during that time. Resurrected beings will help us correct the mistakes we have made in doing research concerning our dead ancestors. They will also help us find the information we need to complete our records (See Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:167, 251-52).
This tells me records are important. My journal is my personal life record. I believe it will be preserved, or found if it is lost, if it is needed. If all things will be restored, that will include our words and personal records.
12. I feel the same way about recording my days as I do about approaching Heavenly Father in my evening prayers. I feel accountable to Him for how I’ve spent my time. I don’t want to waste the time I’ve been given and so every day I hope there are things worthy of recording. I account for my time in my journal.
13. My journal preserves family memories and the fun times we have together.
14. My journal is a place where I can pour out my heart when it is heavy or broken. It is a gentle listener. It helps me understand who I am and how I am. Writing is healing.
15. I’ve had a really interesting life. I honestly think some of what I record has value to historians. Especially mission experiences and unique experiences I’ve had (like my many years living in Africa).
——————
I know it takes time and energy to write things down. To me, it’s worth it. The reasons above are why I keep writing, every single day. I know I am better because I write.
Find your own reasons. Let those reasons speak to you. If you haven’t started yet, start with just 8 minutes a day. Feel what changes in your life. Feel the connections you are making for future generations who will learn from what you record. I promise you, every word is worth it.
Your friend,
Ann
Stonewood Writing Group
Week 22
26 February 2026
Hello Friends!
A few years ago, I read an interview with Malcolm Gladwell in The Guardian. In this short article, Gladwell answered 19 interesting questions. They were so interesting, I decided to answer them myself, so in my journal, I deleted his answers and wrote my own in. This is a fun exercise. Try answering these questions yourself. Keep it quick, short, and simple. Write what first comes to mind. You may want to say more about some of these topics later in more detail, but for now, move quickly.
You might want to ask these questions of your spouse or other family members. They will create some fun conversations.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
What is your most treasured possession?
What would your superpower be?
What makes you unhappy?
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
What is your favorite smell?
Who would play you in the film of your life?
Which book changed your life?
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
What is the worst job you’ve ever done?
If you could go back in time, where would you go?
How do you relax?
What has been your closest brush with the law?
What song would you like played at your funeral?
How would you like to be remembered?
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
If you’re interested in reading the article with Gladwell’s answers, you can find it here.
I love using questions and writing prompts when I want to do some creative writing or step out of my box a bit. I don’t always know what will come out of my fingers and it’s fun to see. A good question or prompt can lead you record things you might not otherwise write about. Try it and see what happens!
I hope you have a delightful week.
Please let me know if there are topics you’d like particular help with.
Do your best to keep up with your 8 minutes of writing each day!
Ann
Stonewood Writing Group
Week 23
6 March 2026
Hello my Writing Friends!
I hope you found time to answer the questions in last week’s email. These kinds of questions are good writing prompts. A prompt is a short idea, question, or cue designed to spark writing. A prompt gives you a starting point where you can begin to explore a memory or story. It’s a nudge that helps get some words moving. A prompt invites a response or unlocks a memory. I love using prompts to help me record memories or things going on in my life right now.
Here are some examples of different kinds of prompts:
One word: Embarrassment, Bargain, Anticipation, Barefoot
A phrase: The day everything changed or I didn’t expect that to happen.
A question: When did you first feel brave? or What do you see around you right now?
A situation: Write about a time when you were completely lost. Write about a time you felt included. Write about something you borrowed and never returned.
A sensory cue: Describe the smell of your grandmother’s kitchen. What was the view from your childhood window? What song takes you back to a specific moment in your life? Describe a food you hated as a child but love now. Describe taking a loved one’s hand.
I often create my own prompts, just so I can write about them! If you need help finding good prompts, there are many good books full of prompts, or you can use tools like google or ChatGPT or Pinterest to find or create lists of prompts. Keep a list of words or ideas you’d like to write about someday. Then when you have a moment, pick one and respond to it.
Below is a fun way to use prompts with your grandkids or family members. This brilliant idea came to me when my grandkids were begging me to tell them stories:
If you think your life is dull or uninteresting, maybe you just haven’t yet found the right prompts to respond to in your journal or personal history. We will talk more about this in coming weeks.
Happy writing!
Your friend, Ann
Stonewood Writing Group
Week 24
13 March 2026
Hi, My Friends!
Let’s talk more about prompts today. I hope you tried responding to a or two prompt this week. I like prompt writing because it takes me outside of my daily journal entries to other topics that I probably wouldn’t otherwise mention or write about.
Today I want to show you a few books that have great prompt suggestions. You can also just look online for ideas (search for “writing prompts about. . .” or use ChatGPT). There are Facebook groups with writing prompts and so many ideas on Pinterest.
A great book for working on your Personal History is “To My Children’s Children” by Bob Greene. This little book has excellent prompts (not the normal boring ones) that will move you through your life story in an interesting way. I chip away at these when I have time.
Natalie Goldberg is a Creative Writing Teacher who has written several books about the craft. A few years ago, I committed myself to writing about every assignment or prompt given in her book, “Old Friend From Far Away.” By the end of that journey, I had almost 200 pages of words about my personal life. I loved that journey and I’m happy to have so many words and experiences recorded.
There are other books like “52 Lists of Happiness” that have one prompt a week that asks you to simply make a list. Here are two examples from this book: “List the things that you are really good at” or “List the times when you felt like you made a difference in someone else’s life.” A couple of my friends and I committed to doing this list project a couple of years ago. I’m so glad we did.
Another book we committed to do last year as a project was “The Book of Alchemy, A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life” by Suleika Jaouad. This book has 100 writing prompts. Each chapter begins with a short essay written by a different writer, artist or thinker who inspire good writing. Some are better than others, but if you don’t like one, you can change it and do you own thing. We each came away with 100 personal essays worth keeping. You can read about it here.
If you like the idea of making lists, “List Your Self” books let you write as little or as much as you like. They are fun.
If you have kids or grandkids, there are so many books with journal prompts or pictures for kids. I really like the Q&A books for different age groups.
I’ve been seeing a lot of ads on my FB feed lately for family games with cards that have prompts or questions. Some of them look pretty fun. I finally decided to buy some and try them out (after I noticed the company called “Tales” is based in Provo).
I’m attaching images of these resources so you can take a look. Remember there are oodles of good resources online that are free.
Next week I’ll explain about another fun writing project you can do yourself or with friends and family.
I hope you liked the storytelling idea from last week and tried it with your kids or grandkids or spouse. Pay attention to which stories they ask you to repeat. These are the ones that will become part of your family tradition.
Have fun with the process. Don’t let it overwhelm you. This is all nothing but fun!!
Ann
