Since a number of my students say they have trouble "thinking of what to write about," I devised this game of chance.

  1. Have each student bring in a simple journal prompt to share with the class.
  2. As you listen, divide their ideas into content and form on the board. (You will probably get more ideas about content.) You need at least six of each to start, so here are some ideas if you need to supplement:
    • Content: what's in my pocket, something from nature, things I hate about my roommate, someone who has disappointed me, personal goals, the strangest thing about the place I grew up…
    • Form: message in a bottle, letter, song lyrics, freewriting, list, TV script…
  3. Have each student write down (and number 1-6) six items from each category that sound appealing.
  4. They can roll a die to find out what to write about, and roll it again to find out the form. (I tell them I cheat at solitaire and it is okay to cheat at the journal prompt dice game if they don't like what they get.) This gives them 36 different possibilities from only 12 ideas.

If you want to make it more interesting, include a third category, Tone (hostile, reflective, preachy, warm, etc.) This way they can get 216 possibilities from only 18 ideas.