• Journal jar questions prompt personal writing.journal and fountain pen image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com
  
  If you've ever considered writing a memoir about your life, you know the idea can seem like a real challenge. Even keeping a regular journal is not an easy task. However, using a journal jar provides a relatively painless way to encourage yourself or people you care about to muse about life and write their musing down. A journal jar feels doable because it asks you to write about specific, defined topics. To create a journal jar, write questions on strips of paper, one question to each strip, the place them in the "journal jar"---an actual jar or any kind of container that will hold the question strips. Some people enjoy taking the time to decorate the journal jar container to make it more special. Virtually any question about life experiences, hopes, dreams, loves, fears and more can prove effective for stimulating writing.
  
  

Questions About Your Childhood

• Childhood provides a great source of memories; our childhoods helped us begin to become the people we have become today. Think about what details about childhood you would enjoy writing about. Perhaps you lived in a number of different places growing up; you might ask a question such as "What was the favorite place you lived while growing up, and why?" Other ideas include describing your favorite toy, your favorite place to go in their house, a particularly special Christmas or other holiday, or the pets you had during your childhood.
  
  

Memorable Experiences And People

• Ask questions that cause you to describe particular experiences you have had: your most memorable childhood vacation, the bravest thing you ever did as a child, what scared you as a child, your favorite or least favorite subject in school, your favorite song or musical group in high school, your favorite teacher, some important adults in your childhood who were not relatives---people such as scout leaders, Sunday school teachers or coaches.
  
  

Who You Are Today

• Questions about who you are today have a tendency to lean toward the philosophical side and can lead to self-examination. These questions might include the following. What are your goals and dreams? What people are you closest to today? How did our relationship grow? What kind of books do you like to read? What kind of movies do you most enjoy? If you could go anywhere in the world for a vacation, where would you go? What is your idea of a perfect friend?