37+ Creative Writing Prompts
& Writing Ideas 

Creative Writing Prompts: Write a story from the perspective of this snail. Or, write a story from the perspective of the person holding this snail...

If you're an English teacher, finding or creating creative writing prompts can be challenging, especially after a long, busy, stressful day. And usually, you need them quick--not to mention you also need them nearly every day. 

So, I've come up with 9 writing ideas (with a total of 37 prompts) to use in classrooms. Plus, additional links for more prompts that are seasonal or subject specific (just scroll down a bit for the list.) You can also sign up for the newsletter, which includes new and creative writing prompts.

And as always, all of these creative writing prompts can be adapted to fit your students' grade level or age.  

Writing Ideas With Creative Writing Prompts... 

#1 Pictures: Ask students to write a story about what's happening in a picture. 

The snail photo above with writing prompts in the caption is an example of this. 

You can find pictures anywhere. Of course, you can also use ones you've taken (pending they are appropriate for academia). Or, you can find pictures in magazines, books, or other sources. 

The best pictures to use are those that are funny, unusual, or interesting--the ones that catch your attention. Because if they've caught your attention, they will probably captures students' as well. 

One place to find interesting pictures is the book called The Mysteries of Harris Burdick (by Chris Van Allsburg). It contains 14 black and white bizarre pencil drawings. They are weird. Clean, but weird. And thought provoking. I used the book's pictures quite a bit when I taught middle school, but I've used them with high school students too. (The pictures are also good for adult writing workshops. And, may inspire you to come up with other creative writing prompts or even full lessons.)

Once you find a picture, cut it out, scan it, or take a picture of it. You can project the image onto a classroom screen via an Elmo or computer (uploaded from an email, USB/flash drive). (Personally, I like this method, rather than killing trees with photocopies or wasting plastic creating a transparency for use on an overhead projector. But, if that's all you have access to... then you have to do what you have to do.)

TIP: If you must use photo copies, just make enough for a class set. Use the set throughout the day with each class. (Warning: students may write on your copies. You may want to make and keep a few extra copies aside to replace the ones that become marred.)

Once you have the picture and distributed the copies (or projected the image on a screen): ask students to write about the main person or object in the picture. It's more creative if they choose someone or an object in the background. 

Updated Note: you could also ask students to bring in a picture that's interesting to them. Tell them to bring a school appropriate picture they like or find interesting to use for a class activity. But, don't tell them what it's for... Then the next day the prompt is to write about something in that picture.

Here are some example pictures with writing prompts:

Picture 1 Writing prompt option 1: Look at the picture. What do you see? What is happening or has happened? Write about that.  Writing prompt option 2: Look at the picture. Then answer the following questions: why is half a car hauled behind a whole car? How did that happen? Why?

Picture 2 Writing prompt option 1: These birds are having a meeting of some kind. Why are they excluding the bird on the left closest to the woman waving? Or are they? Write about the bird meeting and that smaller bird. Writing prompt option 2: Look closely at the bottom right corner of this picture. What does that little bird think about all those big white birds? Write a story from his or her perspective.

#2 The Controversial News Story

This writing prompt is great for persuasive essays. (If teaching high school students, it is also good practice for the SAT test.)

Select a news story that is causing some conflict in your community or nationally. Ask students to pick a side. (And no, tell them, they CANNOT choose UNdecided. Make them choose--even if it means their essay is fiction, because they don't particularly believe what they write.)

Warning: This is an update since our American election (2016). It seems there may be some issues too touchy for the classroom. Use your judgment carefully... you want to choose a controversial, hot topic but not one that will cause several parent phone calls or make students hate each other... The last election had that effect on some people--and their children in the classroom. 

Here's a creative writing prompt news story example :

Controversial News Story

Writing prompt option 1: Do you believe people should be fined for not having health insurance? Choose either yes or no (but NOT both). Support your answer by providing at least three reasons to explain why. 

Writing prompt option 2: Who gets the money collected when people have to pay a fine--or who should? Do you believe people benefit in some way from those monies? Support your answer with three examples. 

#3 Everyday Item Imagination Story

Bring an item to class.  Ask students to pretend they are the item and write about an adventure they take as that item. 

TIP: Bring a different item for each class you teach, i.e. 6- 50 minute classes, bring 6 different items. Why? Because once word gets out, students may copy each other. 

Warning: This is a fun activity, but some students in middle and high school may turn the activity into something inappropriate. So, warn the class to be "school appropriate" with their stories... 

Here are some example items:

• a cookie
• a q-tip
• a pair of scissors
• a candle
• a rock
• a drum stick
• sewing thread
• a paint brush
• a greeting card
• a fork
• a toothbrush
• a dog toy

Below is a sample writing prompt.

Everyday Items Creative Writing Prompt 1 Writing prompt option 1: Imagine you are a pair of thick woolly socks. Write about what you love most about your life as a pair of socks. Writing prompt option 2: You are a pair of woolly socks, and you've lived a great life. But, today you noticed a hole near the heal of your left sock. What will you do, so you aren't replaced?

Everyday Items Creative Writing Prompt 2 Writing prompt option 1: Imagine you are a cookie just removed from your home (the cookie package). What will you do to return to your family (i.e. the other cookies in the package) instead of becoming a human snack? Writing prompt option 2: Think about how a cookie is made in a factory. Write about the cookie's journey from the cookie's perspective.

Everyday Items Creative Writing Prompt 3 You are a pair of scissors working in a florist's shop. Write about your day and how you help the florist make people smile with each neatly trimmed, gorgeous floral design.

#4 Prompts Related to Class Reading

Think about the novel or story students will read or are reading in class. Ask students to write a new ending from the point of view of a NON-leading character. 

Or, ask them to write a personal essay pretending to be a non-leading character.

Here are a few examples:

1. If you’re reading The Great Gatsby, ask students to write a different ending from the point where George Wilson walks down the street to find Gatsby--as if they are George Wilson.
2. If you’re reading To Kill A Mocking Bird, ask students to write a personal essay as if they are Boo Radley.
3. If you’re reading Bridge to Terabithia, ask the students to imagine they are Jesse and write a letter to Leslie about how her death affected him. (Or, write a letter to Jesse as Leslie from the other side...)

#5 The Ultimate World Travel Experience

Here are a couple of creative writing prompts related to world travel. You can write these on the board or project them on a screen:

1. Imagine someone close to you gives you an airline ticket and all the money you need to travel the world. BUT, you can only go in one direction and only stop in five places. Which direction would you head (north, south, east, or west), where would you stop, and what would you do there? 
2. Write about your first time flying on an airplane. Write about what you expected versus what you experienced.
3. Write about your first road trip alone. Where did you go and why? Did all go as planned, or did some unexpected things happen? Write about your trip--the good, the bad, and the thing you remember most.
4. Dogs often travel with their families. Write about a time your dog traveled with you--but write from the perspective of your dog. What did he or she enjoy most? 
5. Birds can fly, which means they don't need an airline ticket to travel to their favorite destination. If you were a bird, where would you fly to and why?

#6 Writing Prompts About Family

For young children especially, creative writing prompts about family are perfect for the classroom. Here are some family specific prompts to get them thinking and writing.

1. If money were no object, what is the one thing you'd give your mom, dad, or other family member and why?
2. What do you love most about your family?
3. Think of your favorite sibling. Why is he or she your favorite, and do you believe he or she will always be your favorite?
4. For only children: if you could choose one of your friends to be your brother or sister, who would choose and why?
5. Write about how your parents met. If you don't know, create a story to explain how you think they met.
6. Write about a time when you had fun with your grandparents. What did you do and what made it so much fun?
7. Think of a relative that has a unique way of doing something, i.e. cutting bread, telling stories, or tying shoes. Write about that uniqueness and why its so different from what you are used to. 

#7 The Family Pet

Nearly everyone either has or knows a pet of some kind. Here are some creative writing prompts specifically about pets.

1. Write an essay about life from the perspective of your pet. It could be your dog, cat, bird, fish, hamster, pig, or even an imaginary pet. How does that animal view your family's every day life.
2. Unfortunately, pets do not usually live as long as humans. How do you think your pet wants to be remembered? Write about that.
3. What does your pet like to play? Is it chase? Fetch? Find it? Write about a time when you played the game with your pet. What makes the game so special.
4. Like humans, each animal has a unique personality. Write about your pet's distinctive personality. What makes him or her special? What unique things does only he or she do?
5. How does your pet (or someone else's) show you he or she wants to eat, play, sleep, or use the restroom? Write about what pets do to communicate with humans.

#8 Technology Related Creative Writing Prompts

Because technology (thankfully) is part of our life, here are some writing prompts specifically for technology.

1. Do you prefer to talk on the phone or text? If you could only do one OR the other, which would it be? Write an essay sharing which one you would choose and why that one is better than the other.
2. Is a desktop computer better than a laptop (or vice versa)? Write an essay explaining which one you prefer and why.
3. When you buy a computer, how long should it last? How long have they lasted for you? Write about how long you expect a computer to last.
4. When is a cell phone considered outdated? Two years, four years, or when it is bigger (or smaller) than those you see others using? Write about the traits that make a cell phone outdated.
5. Do you think the computer mouse will someday become obsolete? Write about that. 

#9 ... The Mystery Bag Writing Prompt

This is one of my favorite creative writing prompts. It's great for Fridays, before holidays, or during the last few weeks of school, because it's different and students don't expect it. (So, it holds their attention when you're competing for it with summer or a holiday break!)

Here's what you do... 

Bring a paper bag to class with an object that fits inside. 

Shake the bag. Allow the students to see only the outside of the paper bag. Ask them what they think it is. 

After they make a few guesses, ask them to think about what the object is but silently to themselves. 

Then say something like the following: 

"You may know what the object is. Now, write a (narrative essay, journal, or whatever it is you want them to write) about a time when you encountered the object. It could be about someone you know who used it or a time when you saw it. But, keep your writing to yourself."

The fun part about the mystery bag writing prompt is reading the essays. So, when students finish ask for a few volunteers to share their story aloud.

AFTER everyone has shared, remove the object from the bag so students can see it. 

Sometimes students guess correctly, other times they are way off. But, it's a fun way to bring a good laugh and a sense of community to your classroom. 

Note: if you have more than one class, make sure you have a different item in the bag for each class. As word gets out, students will think they "know" what's inside. That way you can surprise them. 

For more writing prompts... 

As a former teacher, I understand how difficult it is to plan creative lessons after a long day. You just want to get them done and go home. 

I'll continue to add more creative writing prompts here. But, I've also provided some links below for others I've created for you.  :-)