Creative Writing Prompts
1. Go outside. Write a free-verse poem about the first thing you see
that inspires you.
2. Pick one item or thing and explain how it describes/reflects who
you are as a person.
3. Write a metaphor poem by using personification—explain how
an inanimate object appears animal or human-like.
4. The word “nearly” has a lot of power. "We're nearly there." "I'm
nearly done." "It's nearly finished." There is so much power - or lack
of power - in being almost somewhere. The power comes in that
moment of whether or not movement and action will continue to
happen. Sometimes nearly is nearly a permanent position. What do
you think of nearly?
5. If you had to go a day without using technology, what would that
be like? Write a short story about someone who does this.
6. Imagine you are a fly on the wall of your house. What would the fly’s opinions of your family be?
Write a story from the fly’s perspective.
7. Write a review of the last video game you played or movie you saw.
8. Pick your favorite song and rewrite the lyrics.
9. Imagine you are a going on a hike through a tropical rain forest. What do you experience on your
hike?
10. What would life be like if you could walk on the ceiling and fly? Describe whether this would be a
positive change or not.
11. What is the best quality someone can have? Write a story about someone who has that quality.
12. Describe the thing that angers you most. Now describe the thing you do that most annoys or angers
others.
13. Write a poem or short story about what it feels like to walk on warm sand or dive into cool water on
a hot day.
14. Imagine you are an ice cream man. Describe a day at this job. What kind of music would you play?
What kind of cold treats would you sell?
15. Pick your favorite story and tell it backward.
16. If you were to tell the story of your life in 5 sentences, what would you say?
17. Create a story using only 5 words and 5 pictures.
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18. You have stumbled across a wand and an instructional manual. You can do pretty much anything
with this magical device but it’s probably best to keep it a secret for the time being. Describe your first
day with this new found tool.
19. You are taking your dog for a walk and he starts talking to you. In fact, all the animals in the world
have just become extremely conscious and have begun talking to their masters. Describe how this
changes things? What is life like with talking dogs?
20. Create your own fantasy world using one of the following elements: magic, a self-replenishing bag of
gold, a leprechaun.
21. Who has it easier in life boys or girls? Girls, imagine what life would be like from a boy’s perspective.
Boys, imagine what life would be like from a girl’s perspective.
Writing to Explain or Inform Expository Prompts
1. Suppose a new teacher has come to your school. In a multi-paragraph letter, explain to this teacher
what is important to know about teaching students at your school.
2. Imagine that you had the chance to meet anyone in the world. Write a multiple-paragraph paper to
your teacher explaining the reasons why you would like to meet this person.
3. Write a multi-paragraph letter to a person from 100 years ago explaining what it is like to be someone
your age in 2011.
4. Compose a letter to a friend explaining why you enjoyed a book you have read OR a movie OR a live
performance you have seen.
5. What makes a good teacher? Write an essay that will inform adults what makes a good teacher and
why.
6. Write a letter to a new student that explains what he or she needs to know to be successful
socially/academically in the seventh grade.
7. Think of an adult from you current school or another school you have attended that you will
remember for a long time. In an essay, explain to you teacher what will make this person hard to forget
and why.
8. Today you can change places with anyone you would like to be. This person can be real or imaginary,
from the past or present. Write a letter to a teacher that explains why you would like to change places
with this person.
9. Over the years, humans have benefited from inventions (as simple as a zipper and as complex as a
computer or space ship). Write an essay for your teacher in which you name an invention that has had
an important impact on how people live, work, or play. Explain why it is an important invention.
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10. What makes a person truly successful? Write an essay that will explain to other students what you
think success in life really means.
11. Think of a place that is special to you. Write a letter to a friend to explain why that place is special to
you.
12. You are interested in learning about life in other countries, so you exchange ideas with two friends in
other countries. Because you want to find out about education in their countries, write a letter to these
friends (you pen pals or e-pals) to explain to them what school is like in the United States.
13. Write an essay to you parents to explain what your favorite music is and why it is your favorite.
14. What sport is enjoyable to you? Write an essay explaining what you like about this sport to
encourage other students to get active so that they have healthier lifestyles.
15. Write an essay to other students explaining what you think are the advantages and/or disadvantages
of being an only child, middle child, oldest child, or youngest child.
16. Imagine that your class is putting together a time capsule that will not be opened by anyone for 100
years or longer. This time capsule will tell people in the future what life on Earth was like in the 21st
century. Each student in the class can choose one thing to go inside. Explain to other students in your
class what you will choose and why.
17. Think of the most valuable thing you own that was not bought in a store. In an essay explain to a
friend why it is important to you.
18. Explain how music can affect one’s mood. As the person in charge of providing the background
music for a (shopping mall, law firm, doctor’s office, sports stadium, fast food restaurant, fine dining
establishment), write a letter to your employer to explain what type of music you will use and why.
19. What pet would you really like to have? Think about reasons you would like to have this pet. Write
an essay explaining which pet you would like to have most and at least three reasons why you would
choose it.
20. If you could change one thing to make the world a better place what would it be? Choose one thing
to change and explain to your parents several reasons why it is the most important thing to change in
order to make the world a better place.
21. People learn things in school and in life. What is the most important thing you have ever learned?
Write a letter to someone younger than you (a little brother or sister, a cousin, a friend) to explain to
him/her what that important thing is and why it is important.
22. Many people listen to music as they travel, work, and play. Think about the ways music affects you.
Now explain to your teacher how music affects your life.
23. Many families move from one place to another. In an essay, explain the effect moving from place to
place has on teenagers. Your essay will be published in a teen magazine.
24. Every country has heroes and heroines; they are leaders whose examples we can follow in our quest
to live lives of excellence. Think about someone you have learned about in American history who
showed this kind of leadership. Explain to your teacher why this person is a hero/heroine.
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Narrative Writing Prompts
1. What is your idea of a perfect day? Write a narrative essay describing what would make this day
“perfect”.
2. Describe the most terrifying moment of your life thus far.
3. Paint a picture (using descriptive language) of your favorite place in the whole world.
4. Describe what “freedom” means to you.
5. Describe what makes your favorite food so spectacular.
6. What is your favorite time of year? Describe what makes that season so special.
7. What if you could become invisible? Express what would happen.
8. Tell about what happened the time you lost something important.
9. Describe a fight you had with someone you care for. Now retell the story from that person’s
perspective.
10. Illustrate what makes your favorite book so incredible.
11. Think about an event in your life that seemed bad but turned out to be good. Maybe you got injured
and while you were waiting for your broken leg to heal, you learned how to use a computer. What
makes the event change from bad to good may be something that you learned as a result, something
that you did differently as a result, or something that happened that wouldn't have occurred otherwise.
Tell the story of the event that you experienced and help your readers understand how an event that
seemed negative turned out to have valuable consequences.
12. Describe a personal ritual that you have. Think about the personal steps you always go through
when you prepare for that event or thing. For example, when you study, do you sit at a desk? Do you sit
at a table or on the floor? Do you spread out your materials? Do you drink the same soda? There are
numerous things we do for which we create our own personal ritual. Choose one event—studying for a
test, writing a paper, dressing and warming up for a game, having a family meal, etc. Narrate the events
that take place when you go through this ritual so that your readers understand the steps and why you
take them.
13. Choose a time when you did something that took a lot of nerve—a time when you didn’t follow the
crowd but followed your beliefs. Perhaps some of your friends were doing something that made you
uncomfortable. Maybe you took a stance on something you believe in. Think about the details and write
a story about what happened. Express why you took a stand.
14. Choose a vivid memory from your life. You might think of the first time you rode in an airplane, the
first A you earned, an award you won, a special holiday, etc. Narrate the events related to the memory
that you have chosen so your readers will understand why the event is memorable.
15. Describe your first memory of the beach.
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16. Write about a memory you have with a sibling or friend. What about that memory makes it stand
out?
17. Think about what GHS is like at lunchtime. Pick one particular place and picture it in your mind. This
place could be large or small. Describe clearly to a friend what the place is like at lunchtime so your
friend can imagine what it’s like to be there. Focus on what you see, hear, smell and taste.
18. Choose a particular time when you felt strong emotion. What was that emotion and how did you
know that’s how you were feeling? Describe what it feels like when you experience that emotion—how
does it make you act, think, feel?
19. Describe yourself as a stranger would see you.
20. “Helping others keeps your own problems in perspective.” Portray a time when you helped someone
else and you realized that you have a pretty good life.
21. Depict your most interesting conflict with Mother Nature.
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