Tag: Writing Prompts 2026

Prompt: Write about what your craft asks of your character.

All right, the prompt for today, July 30th, 2026, is: Write about what your craft asks of your character. This is a good one. I like this one.

Woodworking has taught me a lot—not necessarily about woodworking itself. Of course, I have learned more about wood, tools, how to use them, and the different types. I think it’s such a rich hobby with so many facets.

Almost everybody I’ve told or talked to about woodworking seems to make some sort of connection with working with wood. That was a lot of W’s.

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Prompt: Write about the example you hope to set.

All right, the prompt for today is, Write about the example you hope to set. Oh, wait—the date. It’s July 29th, 2026.

This is an interesting one. I used to think that I wanted some sort of posterity. I wanted to leave something behind, essentially, that people would later find or remember me by, or something of value that contributed something to society.

And I guess, you know, being a teacher, hopefully my students walk away with something that helps them in their lives. And, you know, I don’t expect many students to remember me, that’s for sure. I don’t remember most of my teachers. I certainly don’t remember all of them. But I do think that there are some teachers who leave a lasting impression on you. And maybe, for some students, I will be one of those teachers. Maybe I’ll be a teacher like that for them. But I don’t expect it, and frankly, I don’t want it.

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Prompt: Write about choosing your community.

The prompt for today, July 28th, 2026, is: Write about choosing your community.

I guess this is an interesting one because I think, ever since I was a kid, I’ve wanted to belong to a group, and that was very difficult for me.

Not least because I probably just didn’t accept that I was accepted. That’s most likely what it was. Maybe I wasn’t accepted, and I felt it acutely. But I wasn’t comfortable enough with myself to not care, or comfortable enough with myself to hang out with the people by whom I was accepted. I wanted to be with the “cool kids.”

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Prompt: Write about the line between perseverance and stubbornness.

All right, the prompt for today, July 27th, 2026, is: Write about the line between perseverance and stubbornness.

I think, for me, one of the big things I’m working on is letting go of things when it comes to dealing with other people.

What’s happening—actually, I haven’t been driving much lately—but when I do drive now, I have to remind myself that somebody is going to piss me off. I just have to let it be. Whether somebody cuts me off or does something else, every time you leave the house and cross an intersection, somebody is going to piss you off. It happens all the time. It’s really about that restraint, that decision not to say or do anything that could make the situation worse.

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Prompt: Write about a habit that is changing you.

Alright, the prompt for today, July 26th, 2026, is: Write about a habit that is changing you.

I think it’s this one: this audio journal, this daily recording.

I used to enjoy blogging and writing things out, but when I hurt my wrist that became too difficult. That’s when I started this audio journal, and I think I actually prefer this format.

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Prompt: Write about the difference between winning and succeeding.

The prompt for today, July 25, 2026, is: Write about the difference between winning and succeeding.

I guess, on the face of it, winning is in competition with somebody else, while succeeding is in competition with yourself. I think that’s probably the simplest breakdown I can offer.

Even if you win a game, unless your goal was to win that game, I don’t know that it’s really a success. Well, I suppose winning is a success if winning was your objective. Maybe that’s what it comes down to. Success is something we define for ourselves, whereas winning is defined by rules that come from outside of us.

In school, we talk a lot about success criteria.

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Prompt: Write about the community you hope to build.

The prompt for today is: Write about a community you hope to build.

Let me start with this: I don’t know how much I actually want community.

I want it to be within reach, but I don’t want it to be persistent. That’s probably unrealistic. Community is one of those things you belong to whether you’re actively participating, passively observing, or somewhere in between. Your relationship with it is always there.

So, ideally—fantastically, really—it would be nice to keep it at arm’s length. To step into it when I want to and step away when I need to.

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Prompt: Write about a small choice that mattered.

The prompt for today is: Write about a small choice that mattered.

In our neighbourhood, a lot of people have cats. Not very many people have dogs.

The other day, I was sitting outside early in the morning after having gone for a walk with Emi when one of the neighbours brought her dog over to our area. We have a cluster of row houses, and she let her dog relieve itself on one of my neighbour’s lawns.

So I said something.

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Prompt: Write about a time you were misunderstood.

Today’s prompt is: Write about a time you were misunderstood.

There have been a lot of times when I was misunderstood. But, honestly, it’s probably because I wasn’t articulating myself very well.

In the description for today’s prompt, the last sentence reads:

Perhaps being understood begins with understanding ourselves.

I think that really gets to the heart of it.

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Prompt: Write about a conversation that changed you.

All right, the prompt for today, July 21st, 2026, is: Write about a conversation that changed you.

A few years back, I was talking to my sister while I was going through a pretty hard time. It was after a breakup, and I was telling her about how, when my dad had been visiting, I had been treating him really poorly.

She said something that’s always stayed with me. She said, “Because he was safe.”

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Prompt: Write about a responsibility you carry.

Okay, the prompt for today, July 20th, 2026, is: Write about a responsibility you carry.

I wonder if our responsibilities are a result of our choices.

One of my biggest responsibilities right now is our daughter. And in order to support her, I have a responsibility to my wife. Then, in order to support both of them, I have a responsibility to go to work. At work, I have responsibilities to the children I teach. So, in a way, one responsibility leads to another.

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Prompt: Write about someone who helped shape your character.

All right, the prompt for today, July 19th, 2026, is: Write about someone who helped shape your character.

I think it would have to be Hannah, my wife, and my sister.

I think my sister would come first, simply because she was in my life before Hannah. But I think the reason they’ve both helped shape my character is that, from the beginning of knowing me, they’ve accepted me fully for who I am. All the foibles, all the weird idiosyncrasies—everything. They’ve accepted me, and I think that’s important because it gives me a safe space to explore more of who I am. Being able to do that, I think, helps uncover my character.

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