The beauty of creative writing prompts lies in their constraints. They focus the vast, overwhelming potential of infinite ideas on something manageable and exciting. Prompts invite you to think differently, sparking fresh perspectives and unexpected stories.
Whether you’re a seasoned writer or someone staring at a blank page, these prompts are designed to ignite your imagination and help you tell your story—or even create fictional worlds with fictional people. Let’s explore some prompts!
1. Writing the Strange
The world is full of bizarre headlines that beg to be transformed into stories. Here are some strange headlines to inspire you:
- Cryptocurrency entrepreneur who bought banana art for $6.2 million eats it
- A family of rodents from Argentina appear in a caravan outside Dubai
- Florida woman tries to bring 4-foot emotional support snake on plane
Take one of these—or find your own—and imagine the backstory. Who are the characters? What led to this absurd situation? Let the weirdness guide you.
2. Who Are You?
Write a timeline of your life. Include big milestones like births, marriages, and career changes, but also jot down smaller moments: the first time you saw your own blood or the day you named your first pet. Then, pick one of those “unimportant” moments and tell its story. These quiet, overlooked memories often hold deep emotional truth.
3. Brainstorm Your Way to Your Next Story
Set a timer for ten minutes. Challenge yourself to write down 25 one-sentence story ideas. Don’t overthink; just let the ideas flow. Whether it’s “A dog learns to read and changes the world” or “A woman discovers her grandmother’s secret diary,” you’ll end up with a treasure trove of inspiration to explore.
4. Put the Crab in Your Hermit Crab
Try writing a “hermit crab essay,” a piece that adopts an unconventional form. For example, your essay could be a shopping list, a thank-you note, a medical chart, or even a business letter. How does the format shape the story?
Example forms to explore:
- Recipe
- Directions
- Obituary
- Menu
- Instructions
Choose one and see where it takes you.
5. Find a Photo and Tell the Story
Scroll through your photo reel, browse the news, or visit a site like Unsplash. Pick a photo that sparks something in you. Who are the people in the image? What’s happening just outside the frame? Build a story that brings the image to life.
6. People Watching for Stories
Take a notebook to a busy place—a park, a coffee shop, or a train station. Observe the people around you. Notice their gestures, their outfits, their expressions. Choose one person and create a backstory for them, or weave a tale connecting multiple lives. Real life is full of story seeds waiting to grow.
7. Change Your Point of View
Most stories are told in the first or third person, but writing in the second person can be transformative. Imagine walking down a street you’ve never seen before. “You feel drawn to this unfamiliar place. Something about it is familiar, though you’ve never been here before.” Write from this perspective and see how it changes your story.
8. Who Will You Be When You’re Gone?
Emily Phillips once wrote her own obituary, leaving behind a poignant, humorous reflection on life and death. Write your obituary as if you’ve already lived the life you dream of. What legacy do you want to leave? How do you want to be remembered? This can be both an exercise in self-discovery and a powerful storytelling tool.
9. Forgiveness Is Its Own Place
Write a letter to someone you owe an apology. Explore the emotions tied to the situation: guilt, anger, frustration, or the desire for reconciliation. Will you take responsibility, or will you make excuses? This prompt pushes you to confront deep feelings while honing your narrative skills.
10. Share Your Deepest, Darkest Secret
Writing is a powerful tool for self-discovery. What’s a secret you’ve never told anyone? Write it down—not to share but for yourself. Explore why it feels so heavy, and see if telling the story makes the burden lighter. You might be surprised by what you learn.
Final Thoughts
Prompts like these aren’t just exercises; they’re invitations to explore, imagine, and create. Every year, in my Inspired Writer Community, I offer generative writing workshops to help writers uncover new ideas and stories. These ten prompts are a taste of how a little structure can unleash endless creativity. So grab your notebook, pick a prompt, and start writing—your next story is waiting!
