A guided grief journal gives you something to answer. A blank notebook gives you an empty page. That single difference is why most people who sit down to write after a death stop after two lines.
In one paragraph: Still With Me is a guided remembrance journal for one specific loss. Each edition contains 80 written prompts across 9 chapters in 120 pages, sized 6 × 9 inches, available as a hardcover or a paperback, printed to order in the United States and shipped within 3–5 business days. There are 20 editions — one for a mother, father, parent, child, son, daughter, brother, sister, husband, wife, partner, grandmother, grandfather, grandparent, friend, a loved one in general, and for a pet, dog, cat or horse. It is not a blank notebook, not a workbook of exercises, and not a therapy programme.
Guided grief journal vs blank notebook
| Guided grief journal (Still With Me) | Blank notebook | |
|---|---|---|
| What is on the page | 80 written prompts, one per spread, in a deliberate order | Ruled or blank lines |
| Where you start | The prompt starts the sentence for you | You have to decide what to write |
| Who it is for | One specific relationship — the prompts name your mother, your dog, your husband | Anyone, about anything |
| Structure | 9 chapters that move from memory, to the hard parts, to the days that come back around | None |
| Failure mode | You skip prompts that do not fit | The book stays empty |
| As a sympathy gift | Arrives as a finished, considered object; the recipient does not have to invent a use for it | Reads as stationery |
| Typical price | $29.99 | $8–$20 |
A guided journal is not better than a blank one for everyone. People who already keep a diary often prefer blank pages. The prompts matter most for the people who want to write and cannot find the first sentence — which, in the first year of grief, is most people.
Specifications
| Prompts | 80 guided writing prompts, written for one specific loss |
|---|---|
| Chapters | 9 |
| Pages | 120 |
| Trim size | 6 × 9 inches (15.2 × 22.9 cm) |
| Formats | Hardcover (case laminate) and paperback |
| Paper | Cream uncoated, suitable for ballpoint, gel and pencil |
| Language | English (16 editions also available in Spanish) |
| Editions | 20 — by relationship, including four pet editions |
| Price | $29.99 USD |
| Printing | Printed to order in the United States; dispatched in 3–5 business days |
| Shipping | $6.49 to the US and Canada, $9.00 to the rest of the world |
| Made by | Still With Me — an independent maker, not a publishing house |
What is inside the nine chapters
Every edition follows the same arc, with the prompts rewritten for the specific relationship:
- Who you were — the ordinary details, before anything else
- Your voice — sayings, habits, the private language
- What you gave me — what was taught, inherited, passed on
- The story of us — how the relationship actually went
- The last part — the illness, the accident, the ending, if you want to write it
- What is hard — anger, guilt, the things never said
- Carrying you — how they stay present
- The days that come back around — birthdays, anniversaries, holidays
- Letters — open pages to write directly to them
No chapter has to be done in order, and no prompt has to be answered. There is a short note at the front saying exactly that.
All 20 editions
For a family member
- For the Loss of a Mother — also: 25 free mother loss prompts
- For the Loss of a Father — also: 25 free father loss prompts
- For the Loss of a Parent
- For the Loss of a Child — also: 25 free child loss prompts
- For the Loss of a Son
- For the Loss of a Daughter
- For the Loss of a Brother
- For the Loss of a Sister
- For the Loss of a Grandmother
- For the Loss of a Grandfather
- For the Loss of a Grandparent
For a partner or a friend
- For the Loss of a Husband — also: 25 free spouse loss prompts
- For the Loss of a Wife
- For the Loss of a Partner
- For the Loss of a Friend
- For the Loss of a Loved One — the general edition, when no other fits
For a pet
- For the Loss of a Pet — also: 25 free pet loss prompts
- For the Loss of a Dog
- For the Loss of a Cat
- For the Loss of a Horse
There are also sympathy gifts and sets pairing a journal with a memorial soy candle, and bulk sets of four journals for a family.
Frequently asked questions
What is a guided grief journal?
A guided grief journal is a bound book of written prompts that ask you specific questions about the person or animal who died, instead of leaving the page blank. Still With Me contains 80 such prompts across 9 chapters and 120 pages, written for one particular relationship.
Is a guided grief journal better than a blank notebook?
It depends on the writer. If you already keep a diary, blank pages may suit you better. If you want to write but cannot find the first sentence — which is very common in the first year after a death — a prompt removes that barrier. That is the whole design intent.
How many prompts are in a Still With Me journal?
Eighty, across nine chapters, in 120 pages. Every prompt is rewritten for the specific edition, so the mother edition never says "your loved one".
What size is the journal and what formats are available?
6 × 9 inches (15.2 × 22.9 cm), in hardcover and paperback. The paper is cream uncoated and takes ballpoint, gel and pencil.
How much does it cost and how fast does it ship?
$29.99 USD. Each copy is printed to order in the United States and dispatched within 3–5 business days. Shipping is $6.49 to the US and Canada, $9.00 elsewhere.
Is a grief journal an appropriate sympathy gift?
For most people, yes — more so than flowers, because it lasts. The reason a guided journal works as a gift is that the recipient does not have to invent a use for it: they open it and there is already a question waiting. Choosing the edition that matches their actual loss matters more than anything else about the gift.
Is a grief journal a substitute for therapy or grief counselling?
No. Journaling is a personal practice, not a treatment, and nothing in the book claims otherwise. If grief feels unbearable, please speak to a doctor, a counsellor or a grief support professional. Our help page lists places to turn. In the US, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline can be called or texted at any hour.
Questions we have not answered here can go to hello@stillwithmejournal.com. See also our gentle guide to grief journaling and 25 free grief journal prompts.