writing prompts personal

🎉 Our next novel writing master class starts in – ! Claim your spot →

WEEKLY WRITING PROMPTS

Join (probably?) the world's largest writing contest. Flex those creative muscles with weekly writing prompts.

Showing 2139 prompts

Your teacher tasks you with writing a story based on an eavesdropped conversation. when the story is published, your subject isn’t happy..

LIVE – Funny

A character overhears something at a black-tie event that puts the night in jeopardy.

LIVE – Mystery

Write a story in which someone can only hear one side of a conversation and must piece together the meaning of what they’ve heard.

LIVE – Dialogue

Write a story about a child overhearing something they don’t understand.

LIVE – Kids

Write a story in which someone is afraid of being overheard.

Introducing Prompted , a new magazine written by you!

🏆 Featuring 12 prize-winning stories from our community. Download it now for FREE .

Write a story about a character driving and getting lost.

Write a story about a tennis match between two rivals., write a story that begins with someone dancing in a bar., write a story around someone (literally) bumping into someone else., write a story about a character running late for a job interview., subscribe to our prompts newsletter.

Never miss a prompt! Get curated writing inspiration delivered to your inbox each week.

Write a story titled 'Persuasion'.

Write a story titled 'the wind in the willows'., write a story titled 'desperate remedies'., write a story titled 'paradise lost'., write a story titled 'a tale of two cities'., write a narrative about a group of scientists exploring the deepest parts of the ocean., imagine a world where exploration is forbidden, and write a story about a character who defies this rule to satisfy their innate curiosity., center your story around a character’s personal exploration, whether it's trying a new hobby, visiting an unfamiliar place, or learning something completely new., set your story on a spaceship exploring the far reaches of space when something goes wrong., write a story in the form of diary entries, written by an explorer as they make their way through what they thought was an untouched location., win $250 in our short story competition 🏆.

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Contest #250 LIVE

Enter our weekly contest.

This week's theme: All Ears

Prize money

Contest entries, closes at 23:59 - may 17, 2024 est, recent contests ✍️.

#249 – Action Stations with Tom Bromley

#248 – From the Top

#247 – The Great Unknown

#246 – All Fun and Games

Recent winners 🏆

Honey Homecroft – read

Madeline McCourt – read

Sarah Coury – read

Olivier Breuleux – read

Leaderboard 🥇

#1 Zilla Babbitt

32368 points

#2 Deidra Whitt Lovegren

28727 points

#3 Abigail Airuedomwinya

22421 points

#4 Graham Kinross

14520 points

#5 Scout Tahoe

13198 points

#6 Chris Campbell

11321 points

#7 Thom With An H

10614 points

#8 Rayhan Hidayat

10213 points

#9 Michał Przywara

9923 points

#10 Deborah Mercer

9610 points

Bring your short stories to life

Fuse character, story, and conflict with tools in the Reedsy Book Editor. 100% free.

Creative Writing Prompts

When the idea to start a weekly newsletter with writing inspiration first came to us, we decided that we wanted to do more than provide people with topics to write about. We wanted to try and help authors form a regular writing habit and also give them a place to proudly display their work. So we started the weekly Creative Writing Prompts newsletter. Since then, Prompts has grown to a community of more than 450,000 authors, complete with its own literary magazine, Prompted .

Here's how our contest works: every Friday, we send out a newsletter containing five creative writing prompts. Each week, the story ideas center around a different theme. Authors then have one week — until the following Friday — to submit a short story based on one of our prompts. A winner is picked each week to win $250 and is highlighted on our Reedsy Prompts page.

Interested in participating in our short story contest? Sign up here for more information! Or you can check out our full Terms of Use and our FAQ page .

Why we love creative writing prompts

If you've ever sat in front of a computer or notebook and felt the urge to start creating worlds, characters, and storylines — all the while finding yourself unable to do so — then you've met the author's age-old foe: writer's block. There's nothing more frustrating than finding the time but not the words to be creative. Enter our directory! If you're ready to kick writer's block to the curb and finally get started on your short story or novel, these unique story ideas might just be your ticket.

This list of 1800+ creative writing prompts has been created by the Reedsy team to help you develop a rock-solid writing routine. As all aspiring authors know, this is the #1 challenge — and solution! — for reaching your literary goals. Feel free to filter through different genres, which include...

Dramatic — If you want to make people laugh and cry within the same story, this might be your genre.

Funny — Whether satire or slapstick, this is an opportunity to write with your funny bone.

Romance — One of the most popular commercial genres out there. Check out these story ideas out if you love writing about love.

Fantasy — The beauty of this genre is that the possibilities are as endless as your imagination.

Dystopian – Explore the shadowy side of human nature and contemporary technology in dark speculative fiction.

Mystery — From whodunnits to cozy mysteries, it's time to bring out your inner detective.

Thriller and Suspense — There's nothing like a page-turner that elicits a gasp of surprise at the end.

High School — Encourage teens to let their imaginations run free.

Want to submit your own story ideas to help inspire fellow writers? Send them to us here.

After you find the perfect story idea

Finding inspiration is just one piece of the puzzle. Next, you need to refine your craft skills — and then display them to the world. We've worked hard to create resources that help you do just that! Check them out:

How to Write a Short Story That Gets Published — a free, ten-day course by Laura Mae Isaacman, a full-time editor who runs a book editing company in Brooklyn.
Best Literary Magazines of 2023 — a directory of 100+ reputable magazines that accept unsolicited submissions.
Writing Contests in 2023 — the finest contests of 2021 for fiction and non-fiction authors of short stories, poetry, essays, and more.

Beyond creative writing prompts: how to build a writing routine

While writing prompts are a great tactic to spark your creative sessions, a writer generally needs a couple more tools in their toolbelt when it comes to developing a rock-solid writing routine . To that end, here are a few more additional tips for incorporating your craft into your everyday life.

NNWT. Or, as book coach Kevin Johns calls it , “Non-Negotiable Writing Time.” This time should be scheduled into your routine, whether that’s once a day or once a week. Treat it as a serious commitment, and don’t schedule anything else during your NNWT unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Set word count goals. And make them realistic! Don’t start out with lofty goals you’re unlikely to achieve. Give some thought to how many words you think you can write a week, and start there. If you find you’re hitting your weekly or daily goals easily, keep upping the stakes as your craft time becomes more ingrained in your routine.
Talk to friends and family about the project you’re working on. Doing so means that those close to you are likely to check in about the status of your piece — which in turn keeps you more accountable.

Arm yourself against writer’s block. Writer’s block will inevitably come, no matter how much story ideas initially inspire you. So it’s best to be prepared with tips and tricks you can use to keep yourself on track before the block hits. You can find 20 solid tips here — including how to establish a relationship with your inner critic and apps that can help you defeat procrastination or lack of motivation.

NEW VIDEO COURSE 🎉

How to Write a Novel

Join Tom Bromley for a writing master class and finish your first draft in 3 months . Learn more →

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢

Oops, you need an account for that!

Or enter your email:

Work With Janine

105 Writing Prompts for Self-Reflection and Self-Discovery

Writing prompts to help you explore your depression gently

Writing can be the perfect tool for self-reflection.

Reflective writing is personal in nature – it’s all about you, your thoughts and your ideas.

There is no right or wrong way to write.

However, when you throw writer’s block into the mix – something that hits me often – it can hamper any efforts to get things out of your head, process and reflect on them, and take the next steps (whatever they may be).

Writing Tips – Getting Started

Writing is more than having an idea. It’s also about the process.

Here are a few ideas to help with the writing process:

Stream of consciousness

One method to help you start writing is streams of consciousness:

Stream of consciousness writing is a method of writing that captures the myriad of thoughts and feelings that pass through the mind. This method’s purpose is to allow these thoughts to pass through without any inhibitors. It’s quite literally capturing the “stream” of your consciousness. studiobinder

With stream-of-consciousness writing, you write freely without thinking or stopping, letting the thoughts, ideas and words flow.

Don’t worry about grammar, structure, editing, format or even sense.

Free yourself to just write.

Ditch perfection.

Whenever you sit down to write, there’s no need to write war and peace (unless that is your goal).

Start small.

Choose an idea from the above list of writing prompts, let your thoughts flow, and your hand move over the paper or laptop, and write whatever flows from your mind!

Write what you want, how you want, without a care in the world about spelling or grammar.

That can always come later through the editing process.

Invest in things that make the writing process enjoyable

Buy some lovely pens in different colours that sit well in your hand and move over the paper nicely. Nice pens will make the writing process so much more enjoyable.

Invest in an inspiring journal or notebook filled with quality paper to write on. I don’t think you can ever have too many notebooks!

Splash out on a laptop that feels good under your fingers. personally, I love writing on my Macbook as the keys feel soft and smooth under my fingers, making the process so much more seamless.

Investigate writing software. I tend to stick to Word these days but have dabbled in various writing programs, including Scrivener , the go-to app for writers, Ommwriter for distraction-free writing, and Hemingway App to hone my writing style.

Here is a list of 105 writing prompts for self-reflection and self-discovery

I hope this extensive list provides you with ideas and inspiration to help you explore and reflect on your thoughts via writing, blogging, journaling, or some other creative form.

Self-development

What is your life motto, or what words do you live by?
List the top life hacks you swear by?
What is/are your greatest strength/s?
Do you have a routine, or are you a person who hates routine?
What does success mean to you?
How have you grown this year? And what have you learned?
We are all unique individuals. What makes you uniquely you?
How do you define success? What do you consider your greatest personal success?
What are your hobbies, and why do you do them? If you don’t have a hobby, what would hobby you like to take up?
What are your top self-care tips? Stuck for ideas? Here are 64 .
How are you feeling right now? Physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially?
Is anything causing you stress at the moment? Explore what you can do to decrease it.
How do you maintain balance in your life? Are there any changes you need to make in your life?
When you are feeling down, what picks you up?
How do you look after your mental health ?
Are you addicted to social media? Assess yourself honestly and explore how it impacts your life and what changes you can make.
How do you look after your physical health?
Do a digital detox for a weekend, and then write about how it went. The positives, the challenges, and any changes you would like to make in future.
Head out to a cafe or somewhere public, sit, and people-watch. Write about what or who you see. Let your imagination run free. Write about the history of the people you see, what is happening, what they are thinking, and what their future will be.
Where is your favourite place in the world? It could be a country, town, place, room in your house or something else!
Write about the place you grew up. How has it shaped you?
Go for a walk with your phone/camera and take some photos. Afterwards, sit down and reflect on one of the photos you took.
My dream vacation is …
Pretend you are a tourist in your hometown. Head out for a road trip with your camera, take some pics, and write about it.
What is your earliest childhood memory?
Choose three photos of yourself across your lifetime and write about how you feel looking at them. On reflection, what were you doing in the photo, and what were you like at the time?
What is the best gift you have ever given or received?
Reminisce about your wedding day.
Write about the first time you saw/held your newborn. How/what did you feel?
My favourite childhood memory is …
What memory do you cherish the most?
If you could relive one experience in your life, what would it be?
What has been the most defining moment in your life?
Reminisce about your first love. P.S. It could be a person, a pet, a car, or something else.
What is the best compliment you’ve ever received?

Relationships

What do you love most about your partner? Write it all down.
How has a member of your immediate family helped shape your life?
Who inspires you?
Write a letter to your child.
Who do you look up to, and what do you admire most about them?
Do you have a pet? Write about them!
Write a love letter to someone – it could even be to yourself.
What are the traits you look for in a friend? Why are they important to you?
Write about five things you are grateful for this week . In addition, you can write a monthly, quarterly and yearly gratitude list!
What is something that has impacted positively on your life?
List five things you love about your home .
What brings you joy?
Name three things you couldn’t live without.
What friends are you most grateful for? List what makes each friend so special.
Write a list of 99 things you love. I love this prompt. Here’s an example .
My favourite way to spend the day is …
What is the best advice someone has ever given you? Furthermore, what impact did this have on your life?
I feel amazing when …
What are four little things that make you happy, i.e. coffee in the morning, hugs, puppies, and a good book?
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
What makes you laugh out loud?
List ten things that make you smile
What was the funniest thing you saw or heard this week?
If you could invent something, what would it be? Personally, I’d go with a teleportation device
Dad jokes, rude jokes, riddles and puns. What are your favourites?
What is the best concert you have ever been to?
If you had a theme song, what would it be? If it doesn’t exist yet, write your theme song!
What is the cringe-iest song you just love?

Self-reflection

How was your day today?
What is one thing no one knows about you?
Are you a spiritual person? Describe your beliefs and how they affect and define how you live your life.
What advice would you give your 20-something self?
If you were stranded on a desert island, what is the one thing and the one person you would want to have with you and why?
Write a letter to your teenage self.
Write about a cause close to your heart and why it is so important to you
What does it mean to live an authentic life ?
When do you feel happiest in your skin?
Write about something you have never told anyone about before.
What does growing older mean to you?
Sit down and do a life audit. Work through every section of your life and assess what is working well, what isn’t, and any changes you could make
What is your favourite season, and why?
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? How has it shaped your life?
What scares you?
How does it feel to be the age you currently are?
What is your favourite way to spend the weekend?
List all of the things you enjoy doing on your time off, so you have a go-to list of ideas for when you have time off!
Write the words you need to hear right now.
What makes you feel sexy?

Career, Goals & Dreams

What is on your bucket list?
List the things you need/want to achieve in the next week.
What is something you would love to learn how to do?
Write about your top three goals. What are they, how will you feel when you achieve them, and what will your life look like?
What do you consider your greatest professional success?
Describe your dream life.
What excites you about the future?
Write a life admin list, and then try ticking those items off your list!
Are you a city, a country or a beach person?
What do you want to be remembered for?
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
If you won the lotto tomorrow, what would you do? Where would you go?
What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
Try your hand at writing a poem or a song. Use one of these prompts to guide you.
Interview an older person and write their story.
If you could write anything, what would it be? Fiction, non-fiction, biography, fantasy, YA novel, comic book, manga novel, a song, or something else?
Of all the books you have read this year, which has been your favourite, and why?
Write the opening chapter of your autobiography.
Do you prefer to read fiction or non-fiction? Why?
Write about a book, movie or song that has greatly impacted you.
Develop a list of writing prompts just like this one !
If you could meet a character, who would it be and why? What would you do when you met them?

I hope you enjoy the reflection prompts and that they help you in your journey of self-discovery. Happy reflecting!

More writing prompts

82 writing prompts to inspire your next blog post

23 Insightful Journal Writing Prompts Perfect for Self-Reflection

Get my’s monthly newsletter in your inbox

The Joys of Writing and Reflecting + 4 Writing Prompts

What I learned from my first 12 months in business

When did you realise you wanted to be a writer.

BRYN DONOVAN

tell your stories, love your life

Writing Inspiration
Semi-Charmed Life
Reading & Research
Works In Progress.

Things to Write About Yourself: 100 Writing Prompts for Self-Discovery

Things to Write About Yourself: Writing Prompts for Self-Discovery | image of a pen lying on an open journal

Writing is a great tool for personal growth, but it can be challenging to think of things to write about yourself. That’s why I put together this list of creative writing prompts for adults or teens. These may be used as memoir writing prompts if you’re interested in telling the story of your life, or the could be idea starters for blog posts or journal prompts for self discovery.

[AdSense-B]

You may not be able to relate to all of them, but I tried to make them pretty general! These creative writing exercises can also help you develop the characters in your short story, novel, or screenplay — just imagine your character answering them instead of you.

If you like these prompts for writing about yourself, you might want to pin or bookmark them for future reference. Take a look!

THINGS TO WRITE ABOUT YOURSELF | 100 writing prompts for self discovery | bryndonovan.com | open journal, cup of cafe au lait

Describe one of your earliest childhood memories.
Write about what you see as one of your best qualities.
Do you have the same religious beliefs that you had as a child? If so, why? If not, how and why did they change?
Write about the benefits of being an only child—or the advantages of having siblings.
Write about how a person can tell if they’re really in love. If you don’t know, write about how you don’t know.
Are you shy about your body, such as when you change clothes in a locker room? Or are you comfortable with it? Why?
Write about one of the most admirable classmates or coworkers you’ve ever had.
Write about one of the worst classmates or coworkers you’ve ever had.
Tell your story about the time you succeeded at something because you just. Didn’t. Give. Up.
Write about how you’re a typical resident of your city or town… or about how you’re different from most people there.
Write about how you fit the stereotype of people from your country… or about how you don’t fit it at all.
Describe your favorite toy or game when you were five years old.
Write about one of your most useful talents.
What superstitions do you believe in or follow? Do you do certain things to avoid bad luck, or make wishes in certain ways?
Write about a death in your family.
Write about a birth in your family.
Tell your story about your first best friend as a child. How did you meet them? How did you play together?
Describe a physical feature of yours that you really like.
Is your home usually neat, or usually messy? Why is that? Do you think it matters? Why or why not?
Describe a part of your job or everyday work that you love.
Describe a part of your job or everyday work that you loathe.
Tell your story about how you won something, like a contest, a game, or a raffle.
Do you think your hometown is a good place to live? Why or why not?
Do you fit your astrological sign? Why or why not?
Write about when you think it’s morally acceptable to lie. If your answer is “never,” write about why you think that.
Write about a trait you inherited or picked up from a parent.
Write about a way in which you are very different from a parent.
Discuss one of the most important qualities you think people should look for in a romantic partner.
Discuss a quality that you think is overrated when choosing a romantic partner.
Write about a kind of exercise or physical activity you enjoy.
Describe the contents of a desk drawer or junk drawer in your home, and write about the thoughts or memories that the objects in there inspire.
Write about what you wish people knew about your job, profession, or calling in life.
Write about a habit or addiction that you’ve been struggling with for years.
Discuss something you love about the people in your country.
Discuss something you wish you could change about the people in your country.
What was something you misunderstood as a child? It could be the definition of a word, or something about adult life.
Describe the benefits of being an introvert or an extrovert (whichever one you are.)
Describe the challenges of being an introvert or an extrovert (whichever one you are.)
Tell your story about the time you spoke up for something you believed in. How did it feel? Were there any consequences?
If you don’t have children – do you or did you want them? Why or why not?
If you have children – what is one thing that surprised you about being a parent?
Tell your story about when a friend (or a group of them) made your day.
Tell your story about when a friend (or a group of them) broke your heart.
Describe an experience at a doctor’s office, dentist’s office, or hospital.
Describe your dream home in detail.
Tell your story about how a teacher, coach, or boss supported or inspired you.
Tell your story about how a teacher, coach, or boss was so awful, they didn’t deserve to have their job.
Write about something you did in the past year that made you proud.
Do you live in the city you grew up in? Why or why not?
Tell your story about a trip or a visit you enjoyed when you were little.
Discuss whether you think people should share their religious beliefs openly, or whether they should keep it private.
Discuss why you do or don’t consider pets to be family members.
Describe what you think would be a perfect romantic date.
Write about a type or style of clothing that you feel uncomfortable wearing, or that you simply dislike.
Describe your personal style in clothing and whether it’s changed over the years.
Write about the worst house or apartment you’ve ever lived in.
Tell your story about a time when, rightly or wrongly, you got in trouble at school or at work.
Do you always vote in elections? Why or why not?
Do you think people make snap judgments about you based on your appearance? Are they accurate or not?
What’s something that people don’t learn about your personality unless they get to know you very well?
Write about something that terrified you as a child.
Write about a particular phobia or fear you have now. If you’re not scared of anything, write about that!
Write about something you believe that isn’t a particularly popular belief.
What’s something you wanted badly as a child? Did you get it? If so, was it everything you hoped? If not, did it matter?
When you’re feeling sad or down, what are ways that you make yourself feel better?
What is something that makes you almost irrationally angry?
Write about an object you own that has religious, spiritual, or symbolic significance to you.
Do you consider yourself hopeful or cynical about romance? Why?
Write a note apologizing to a part of your body for insulting it in the past.
Write a note thanking a part of your body for doing such a good job.
Tell your story about when you had a delightful guest in your home.
Tell your story about when you had an unwelcome visitor in your home.
Describe the time you were a guest in an unusual home.
What was the strangest course or class you ever took?
Write about a time when you tried your best – and it didn’t pan out. How did you get over it?
Write about a small thing you accomplished this week.
Write about the ways that your hometown has changed over the years.
Write about a way your country is changing for the better.
Describe someone who bullied you as a child. Why do you think they did it?
Do you believe that things happen for a reason, or do they just happen randomly? Why do you think this?
Do you believe that you have a lot of control over your destiny or future? Why or why not?
Write down a funny story that your family likes to tell again and again.
Tell your story about a time you got injured or you were in an accident.
Write about some of the things you do at home when you’re completely alone.
Tell your story about how you learned a new skill.
Describe the way you get to school or to work every day.
Propose a frivolous or ridiculous law that you would like to implement, and explain your reasoning.
Write about something you did (or didn’t do) that you’re proud of from a moral or religious standpoint.
Tell your story about having a great time at a party.
Tell your story about a party you wish you had never attended or hosted.
Tell a story that has to do with your hair, or the lack of it.
Write about a feud or rift in your family.

THINGS TO WRITE ABOUT YOURSELF | 100 writing prompts for self discovery | open journal, white flowers, cup of coffee

[spacer height=”20px”]

If you want to do more self-discovery and you could use a fresh start right about now, check out my journal, The Book Of Dreams Come True ! It’s a journal about goals and manifestation, and I’m really excited to share it with you. I’m even making a sample available—here’s the free PDF download of that.[spacer height=”20px”]

THE BOOK OF DREAMS COME TRUE: A JOURNAL OF SELF-DISCOVERY, GOALS, AND MANIFESTATION | #best gratitude journal #manifestation journal #best gratitude journal #daily gratitude prompts #gratitude journal #barnes and noble Egratitude journal prompts #gratitude list #gratitude writing prompts #thanking the universe

[spacer height=”20px”]Do you have more ideas of things to write about yourself, or advice on how to do it? Let us know in the comments! Thanks so much for reading, and happy writing!

Discover more from BRYN DONOVAN

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

87 Self-Reflective Prompts To Help You Write About Yourself

Having trouble deciding what to write about yourself ?

Whether you’re writing for your journal, your memoir, or a class assignment, you have plenty of topics about yourself to choose from.

You’re more interesting than you might think.

So are the people you live with, work with, and meet — if only for a moment.

Once you look through the prompts listed below, the real challenge will be choosing which one to write about first.

What Is a Unique Way to Write about Yourself?

The point of writing about yourself is to grow in self-knowledge and understanding of where you are and where you want to be.

With that in mind, it makes sense to write about what you’ve learned so far and how you learned it.

It also helps to explore what you’re good at as well as what areas need work.

Consider the following categories of self-knowledge:

Mistakes you’ve learned from
Changes to your beliefs and the catalysts behind them
Painful experiences and what you’ve learned from them
Favorite things and why you love them
Things that make you angry or that motivate you to fight for change

Things to Write about Yourself: 87 Writing Prompts

Enjoy these all about me writing prompts . Start with one that leads your mind to a specific, vivid memory. Then free-write to your heart’s content.

1. Describe something you’re good at.

2. What do you want to be when you grow up and why?

3. How do you want people to remember you?

4. What personal beliefs of yours have changed over the years?

5. What would you like to invent and why?

6. If you won $1 million, what would you do with it?

7. If you had all the money you needed to create a nonprofit organization, what would its mission be?

8. What would you change about school or your country’s education system if you could?

9. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go first and why?

10. Where do you want to live, and what kind of lifestyle would you like to afford easily?

11. What’s the biggest mistake you’ve ever learned from?

12. Would you rather get paid well for a job you can tolerate or paid little for work you love?

13. What is your favorite food and why? Do you make it yourself, or do you prefer paying others to do so?

14. What superstitions do you believe in or have you believed in, and why?

15. Do you believe in luck (good or bad)? If so, do you think a higher power is pulling strings on your behalf — or working against you? How much control do you have over your life?

16. Describe your first job, what you learned from it, and whether (and why) you’d recommend it to anyone?

17. What do you love about yourself? And who in your life sees that in you? Who doesn’t?

18. Describe your best friend and how you met. What keeps your friendship going?

19. Write about an animal with whom you’ve felt a close kinship and describe the relationship between you.

20. If you could design your own home, what would be its most important features?

21. What’s your favorite outfit (including footwear and accessories) and why?

22. What’s your biggest dream for the future, and what are you doing to get closer to it?

23. What makes you angry? When was the last time something made you so mad you took action to change it?

24. What’s your favorite holiday and why? What do you do to celebrate it?

25. If you have a romantic partner, what do you love most about them and your relationship? What would you change if you could?

26. What do you most want to accomplish in your life and why?

27. Have you ever gotten something you wanted, only to realize it wasn’t what you really wanted after all?

28. Do you want to be more like one of your parents or grandparents? Why or why not?

29. Describe one of your earliest childhood memories.

30. Write about the benefits and challenges of having siblings — or of being an only child.

31. How much of your body are you comfortable with people seeing? Has that changed?

32. What do you find gross that other people don’t — or vice-versa?

33. Are you interested in marriage, or would you prefer a romantic partnership without marriage? What are your reasons?

34. If you could design your own end, what manner of death would you choose and why?

35. How do you want your body dealt with after you die? Do you want your remains buried or scattered, and why?

36. Describe a favorite game from your young childhood (aged 0 to 10).

37. Write about something you succeeded at because you did NOT GIVE UP.

38. Write about a favorite elementary school classmate and what you liked about them.

39. Write about an interesting high school classmate and what you liked about them.

40. Write about the best coworker you’ve ever had and why you loved working with them.

41. Write about the best job you’ve ever had and what you loved about it.

42. How would you build the perfect sandwich (with or without bread)?

43. Write about a death in your family and how it impacted you.

44. Write about a birth in your family and how it affected you.

45. Write about a marriage or divorce in your family and how it impacted you.

46. Write about your intimate social circle, how it was formed, and how it influences you.

47. Write about your chosen family — the people in your life who have become family to you — and how they have become so important.

13 Thought-Provoking Personal Narrative Prompts

by Suzanne Davis | Sep 12, 2019 | Writing Essays and Papers | 2 comments

To be a person is to have a story to tell. –Isak Dinesen

What stories are within you? A personal narrative is a story from your life. So, it is simple to write. Maybe. If you come up with an experience you’re dying to share–it is easy to get started. But, it isn’t always easy to think of an idea for a personal narrative. So, I put together a list of 13 personal narrative prompts to help you find a compelling story you long to write about.

The idea of longing to write it is important because personal narratives need to show readers what your experience was like. Desire to write inspires you to put more effort into your narrative’s description, character development, and plot. Sounds a lot like writing a fictional story doesn’t it? Both are narratives, they need to engage your readers and show them something unique.

Personal narrative writing shows settings, people, actions, and feelings. When you write a personal narrative, you describe a story so that your reader sees, feels, and understands what you experienced. When you write a personal narrative, you describe a story so that your reader sees, feels and understands what you experienced. Click To Tweet

You show (don’t tell) readers a personal story . Check out the post “How to Master Writing a Compelling Personal Narrative Essay” https://www.academicwritingsuccess.com/writing-a-personal-narrative/ to see how to use the show don’t tell approach in writing personal narratives.

Finding an engaging personal narrative prompt will help you discover a memorable essay. Let’s find the right topic for you.

13 Personal Narrative Prompts

One of the best ways to show a personal story is to select a small episode or anecdote from your life and dig deep into it. These 13 personal narrative prompts help you find a great essay topic.

#1 Favorite School Memory

Write a story about your favorite school memory. Who was there? Where was it? How did it happen? How does it end? Focus on one single event. For example, if you played the violin in school you could tell a story about playing the violin in a concert. Or if you played on a soccer team, you could tell the story of your tryout.

# 2 Worst School Memory

This is the opposite of #1. Select a memory that is focused on a terrible situation. What triggered that situation and what happened? What was the result? For example, this could be a situation where you were bullied. Describe what happened, and how it ended for you. Did anyone defend you, or help you? Or did the bullying continue?

#3 Frightening Story

Write a story about a scary or frightening moment in your life. What happened? How was it scary? Are you still frightened? Fear is a strong emotion and it motivates people to keep reading and find out what followed. Some examples of frightening moments are being trapped in a cave, lost in the woods or inside an old house with strange noises, or a traumatic event. A frightening experience could also be any personal event where you didn’t feel safe and were afraid something terrible was going to happen.

# 4 “Just Between Friends”

Write a story about something that happened between you and a friend. Is it something important you experienced together? Did your friend do something to help you? Did that person hurt you? Or did you do something to help your friend? Did you hurt a friend? Some ideas for this topic are an activity or event you both participated in, something you both started, a great act of kindness, a sacrifice one of you made to help the other. It could also be something where you betrayed your friend, or your friend betrayed you.

#5 Family Story

This is similar to the topic of friendship except in this case it’s something that happened within your family. What occurred, who was there, and what did you do? Is there an important funny, sad, or happy event in your family? Did you do something important or special with your family? Some examples of this topic are the birth of someone in your family, the death of a loved one, or something fun you did with your parents, siblings or grandparents, etc.

Write a story of the best, strangest, or worst thing that happened to you on a vacation or trip to another place. Focus on one event or experience. One mistake writers make with this essay idea is they describe an entire travel experience, and that isn’t interesting to your readers. Some ideas for this writing prompt are getting lost in a city, being pickpocketed on a trip, or visiting a historical site.

#7 First Love

First loves are powerful and vivid stories. Consider a story about how you met that person or a significant memory between you. This could be something wonderful, funny, or even terrible, If the relationship is over how did it end? Were you heartbroken? These stories, or a story about any important relationship, leave an imprint on us.

#8 Success Story

Write a story about something you accomplished. Describe what you did to achieve success, and how you reached your goal. Were there obstacles you had to overcome? This is a tricky essay topic because sometimes people focus on the feelings of success or the final achievement rather than the story of how they succeeded. Some ideas for this topic are to write about winning an event, earning an honor, confronting a personal challenge, or getting over a phobia.

#9 Personal Failure

Write about how you failed to do or failed to achieve something. Describe what you tried to do, how you failed, and what you gained/learned from it. Everyone fails at something. Your readers understand the feeling of failure. Some people connect with these personal narratives more than stories of success because they empathize with you. People learn a lot through failure, so when you write this type of story, hint or convey what you learned from failing.

#10 Accident

Write a story about an accident you caused or an accident that happened to you. This could be negative as in a car accident or maybe it’s an accident of good fortune. Describe how the accident occurred, who was involved, and how it ended. Was it a bicycle accident? How did it happen? Did someone get hurt?

#11 Unresolved Experience

Personal Narrative Prompt--The Unresolved Experience

Describe something that happened to you, but where there’s no resolution. What was the experience and how did it occur? What don’t you understand or know about the experience? Then, instead of having a resolution to the story, convey how you feel about not knowing what happened.

#12 An International or National Event or Incident

Write a personal story describing how you acted, witnessed, or responded to a significant national or international event or incident. Did you play in the Olympics, or join a protest? Did you survive a natural disaster? What was your role in this circumstance? What did you do? For example, if you were in a hurricane describe what happened, who you were with, and how you survived.

#13 Change the World Experience

One of the best experiences I had in my life was creating and organizing a family literacy program for public schools. There are several stories within that experience I could write. If you were a volunteer for an organization or participated in a service project, think about what happened. Was there a moment that changed everything? What occurred? Did any of those stories change you, your community, or another person? These stories can be very moving because they have impacted you, what you believe, and how you see or view others.

Choose a Personal Narrative Prompt and Write

The most important factor to consider in a personal narrative is yourself. Choose an idea for a personal narrative that intrigues you. If your narrative bores you, it’ll bore readers. You want to write a descriptive personal story with vivid characters, actions, and emotions.

Also, select a story you want to share with others. You’re revealing not just what happened to you, but also a piece of yourself. Is your personal story something you want people to know?

It’s your story . You decide what to write and who reads it. Then write it well.

What is your favorite personal narrative topic? Please share it below!

Great prompts, Suzanne! I especially liked #10 the unresolved experience. Very thought provoking. These prompts would also be great for personal journaling.

Terri, thank you. You’re right. These writing prompts would work well with personal journaling. I’m glad you liked #10. It’s one of my favorites!

[…] So which descriptive essay prompt inspires you? And if you want more creative writing prompts, check out my blog post, “13 Thought-Provoking Personal Narrative Prompts” https://www.academicwritingsuccess.com/13-thought-provoking-personal-narrative-prompts/ . […]

Tutorpreneur Hero Award

http://becomeanonlinetutor.com/tutorpreneur-hero/

SSL Certificate Seal

Session expired

Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page.

Privacy Overview

Skip to main content
Skip to primary sidebar
Skip to footer

Authentically Del

Self-Care, Mental Wellness, & Self-Improvement

in Goals , Journaling , Self-Care , Self-Improvement · April 8, 2022

100 Deep Journal Prompts for Personal Growth

This post may contain affiliate links meaning that, I may make commission if you purchase through my links. Learn More .

Want to start journaling for personal growth and self-improvement? These guided journal prompts for growth can be your guide to success.

Journaling is an incredibly powerful tool. Whether you are pursuing self-improvement, personal growth, self-love, or simply looking for a safe outlet for your emotions, journaling is a great option.

For a long time, my journal was strictly there to house my deep, dark emotions that I didn’t say out loud. It wasn’t exactly a positive place.

Additionally, I was extremely inconsistent. Some weeks I’d journal daily, other weeks not at all.

It wasn’t until I sought out specific journal prompts that I was able to stick to a journaling routine.

Sometimes journal prompts are the small little push you need to get writing. It’s natural to not know what to write about and a simple prompt can help propel you forward.

Journaling for Personal Growth

Your journal can become more than just a diary for your negative thoughts on a hard day. Although that can be a great way to express tough emotions, journaling can also be a tool for personal growth.

Depending on the topic of your journal entry, journaling has the power to shift your mindset, improve your life, and promote growth.

Personally, I find that journaling in the morning helps me start my day off on a happier note. Additionally, journaling before bed can help me feel calmer and more relaxed as I wind down from the day.

Either way, journaling is a positive force in my life – and it can be in yours too!

I’ve noticed great progress in my personal growth journey by strategically and intentionally utilizing my journal.

Because of this, I wanted to create a post all about some of my favorite journal prompts for growth and self-development.

These personal growth journal prompts cover all the main areas of self-improvement: self-reflection, self-love, goal-setting, and more !

These are some of my favorite prompts to write on and I hope they can inspire you as well!

Let’s dive into these self-improvement and personal growth writing prompts!

100 Personal Growth Journal Prompts

I like to think of personal growth as being divided into 3 main categories: past, present, and future. We must reflect on the past, check in on the present, and set goals for the future . Here are some journal prompts for all 3 phases!

Self-Reflection Journal Prompts for Growth

When did you feel the happiest in your life? Why?
In the past, what coping skills and strategies have you used? Were they healthy or unhealthy?
What is one thing you’ve learned this past year? How did you learn it?
What is one thing you’ve learned this past month? How is it helpful?
Make a list of life lessons you would tell yourself 5 years ago.
What goals have you accomplished that you are particularly proud of?
What is something tough you’ve overcome? Write about that experience.
If you could change your past, would you? Why or why not?
If you would change your past, what parts would you change? Why?
What was your favorite hobby as a child? Do you still enjoy it?
Write a letter to your child self.
What goals did you have for the last year? Do you still want the same things?
Write about some of your favorite memories. Who’s there? What are you doing? Why are they special?
When was the last time you showed yourself deep self-care?
What did you want your life to look like as a kid? Do you still have the same dreams?

Get More Journaling Pages in This Printable Self-Care Bundle:

What was your dream job growing up? Is it still something you’d enjoy?
What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made? What’d you learn?
What past experiences are you most thankful for? Why?
What was important to you 5 years ago that no longer is? How come? What’s changed?
Write a letter to your past self.
What’s the bravest thing you’ve done? What’d you get out of it?
Where is your favorite place you’ve been? Why?
What people make you feel the most comfortable? Why?
What life skills/ soft skills have you built (ie. self-care, communication skills, time management)? How do those serve you?
Write about a time you stepped out of your comfort zone. What did it bring you?

Present Moment Journal Prompts for Growth

How do you feel at this moment? Explain.
Overall, do you see yourself as a happy person? Why or why not?
What are 3 ways you can care for yourself this week?
What everyday habits make you feel the best? List at least 10.
What are your current goals for personal growth?
What are your current career goals? How are you working towards them?
What are your current life goals? How are you working towards them?
What are your daily non-negotiables ? Do they align with your goals?
What are your top priorities in life right now? Why are they important?
Do you often feel excited or motivated for your days? Why or why not?
How do you “fill your cup”?
What drives you? What do you feel passionate about?
If you could describe this phase of life in one word, what would it be? Why?
Do you have healthy daily habits ? What are they?
What healthy daily habits could you incorporate into your day?
What’s your proudest moment from this past month?
How can you celebrate yourself more?
Do you feel loved by yourself?
Do you feel loved by the people around you?
Who inspires you right now? Why?
Do you feel supported in your life? Who is your support system?
What relationships fulfill you? Why? What characteristics of those relationships feel fulfilling?
What relationships drain you? Why? What characteristics of those relationships feel unhealthy?
Where do you need to practice setting boundaries in your current life?
How can you add joy to your everyday life? (See this list of everyday simple pleasures for ideas!)
Do you practice self-care often? Why or why not?
What gets in the way of your happiness?
Which aspects of your life feel good right now? Why?
Which aspects of your life do you wish you could change? Why?
Write out your current daily routine. What parts do you enjoy? What parts do you not enjoy?
Do you feel happy? Reflect.
Do you have anything distracting you currently? Why?
What is your favorite part of life right now?
Are there worries that keep you up at night? What are they?
Describe yourself using 5 words. Explain why.

Goal-Setting Journal Prompts for Growth

Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years?
Look at the 7 areas of life . What goals do you have for each area?
Create a bucket list for your next milestone birthday. (ie. 20, 25, 30, 35…)
What self-improvement goals do you have for yourself?
If you could change one thing about your life what would it be? Why?
How do you think you could change the thing mentioned above?
What career goals do you have?
What do you wish for your life 10 years from now?
Describe your “dream life” in detail.
Write out an ideal day in your life.
Set 101 goals for the next 1001 days .
How can you change today that will get you closer to your dream life?
What do you think would make your life happier? Why?
What goals do you have for your relationships?
Set 3 main goals for the next year. Explain why these matter to you.
Break down your 3 main goals into 3 smaller goals each. (ie. “Improve my mental health” could be broken into “less social media”, “drink more water”, “go to therapy”.)
What does your ideal home look like? Where is it? Who’s in it with you?
Make a manifestation list for attracting your dream life.
What are 5 bad habits that hold you back ?
What are 5 good habits you want to build?
If you continued life as you are right now, where will you be in 5 years? Are you happy with that?
If not happy with the above result, what changes can you make today to get you closer to where you want to be?
Write down positive affirmations that inspire you. How can you incorporate these into your life moving forward?
What dreams do you want to pursue in the next year? Pick 3 specific ones.
Write out an ideal morning routine . How can you shift your current routine to look more like this?
Write out an ideal night routine . Do you need relaxation? Productivity? A mix?
Write a letter to your future self.
What makes you feel hopeful and optimistic for the future?
What worries or doubts do you have about the future?
Do you admire any qualities in others that you’d like to adopt yourself? How can you do so?
What do you want to be remembered for when you are gone? Why?
Make a list of your core values. How can you live more in alignment with them?
How can you push yourself in the next year? What makes you feel out of your comfort zone?
What growth do you want to see in the next year?
How can you improve your physical health?
How can you improve your mental health?
What keeps you going when you lack motivation?
Write about your “why”s behind your goals. Why do you want the things you are working towards?
Brain dump all the goals you have for yourself. No commitment – just get them on paper.
Categorize all the goals above into the different areas of life . Order them. Prioritize them. Think about them. Then, get started working on them!

There are 100 journal prompts for growth.

Self-improvement, personal growth, and self-discovery journeys are not always easy. It takes lots of hard work, dedication, perseverance, and motivation to grow as a person.

To be honest, I tend to believe that our work of growing is never done.

It is my goal to be ever-evolving and bettering myself throughout my life. These journal prompts have been life-changing for me. They help hold me accountable and direct my focus to the root of what matters to me.

I have noticed the most growth in my own self-improvement journey when I commit to the habits that better me – journaling being a huge one.

I hope that these personal growth journal prompts inspire you as much as they do me. Good luck on your journey towards growth and self-betterment! Rooting for you!

Hi! I’m Delaney (but you can call me Del)! Welcome to Authentically Del where we discuss all things self-care, productivity, self-improvement, mindset, and more. I'm here to offer authentic tips and advice in hopes that I can help make your life a bit brighter! More About Me...

Reader Interactions

February 28, 2024 at 12:40 pm

Oh my gosh, these are SO good, especially the present moment prompts! The world is so loud, with so many different things vying for our attention, that we can learn SO much about ourselves by posing even simple questions.

Trending This Week in the Shop…

Just me popping in to tell you that you are doing great. While productivity is fun, self-care and a healthy mindset are most important. Take good care of yourself. Rest if needed. You are enough always – regardless of productivity levels.

Your Authentic Guide to Self-Care, Productivity, & Self-Improvement

Want to Work With Me? Click Here!

Looking for something specific? Search for it here!

100+ Narrative Writing Prompts: Beyond Writer’s Block

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on August 22, 2023

Categories Writing

You’re staring at a blank page, aren’t you? Don’t worry. We’ve all been there.

Narrative writing prompts can be your lifeline, sparking creativity when you need it most. In this article, we’ll explore different types of prompts and how to use them effectively.

So let’s dive in – because the world is waiting for your story!

Key Takeaways

Narrative writing prompts are like cryptic maps, guiding imagination towards uncharted territories of creativity.
Prompt analysis is crucial; every word and phrase should be dissected carefully.
Crafting a seamless narrative flow is important, with a clear introduction, plot development, and conclusion.
Narrative writing prompts encourage experimentation with styles and perspectives, fueling the artistry of storytelling.

100 Narrative Writing Prompts

Here are 100 narrative writing prompts organized by theme:

Write about your earliest childhood memory.
Describe a memorable event or celebration with your family or friends.
Narrate a funny experience you had as a child.
Tell the story of a major accomplishment or success in your life.
Share about an experience that impacted or changed your life.

Relationships

Write about a meaningful experience you had with a close friend or family member.
Describe a time you and your friends did something mischievous.
Tell about a difficult experience that brought you closer to a loved one.
Share about a time you disappointed or hurt someone close to you.
Narrate the events of a memorable date or romantic moment.
Describe your favorite place in nature and what makes it so special.
Write about a memorable trip or vacation.
Narrate what you did during your last visit to an amusement park or theme park.
Share about a place from your childhood that was very significant to you.
Tell about getting lost in an unfamiliar place.
Write about a time you tried something new that didn’t go as planned. What did you learn?
Describe a moment when you overcame a fear or conquered a challenge.
Narrate a difficult experience that taught you an important lesson.
Share about a time you failed at something and how you responded.
Tell about a major obstacle you faced and how you overcame it.

Imagination

Make up a story about finding a magic lamp with a genie inside who grants you three wishes.
Imagine you woke up one morning with a superpower. What would it be and how would you use it?
Suppose you could travel back in time. What time period would you visit and why?
Describe a day in the life of your pet in great detail.
Narrate an adventure you have in an imaginary world.

Accomplishments

Tell the story of how you learned a new skill.
Describe your experience participating in a sports team or club.
Narrate the events leading up to winning an award or honor.
Share about a time one of your talents was recognized.
Write about a major goal you worked hard to accomplish.
Imagine you woke up to find your home was built atop a magical portal to another world. What happens next?
Narrate an adventure you have in the wild west.
Tell the story of being stuck on a deserted island alone. How do you survive?
Describe an unexpected detour on a road trip that led to adventure.
Share about a time you got lost in a new city.
Describe the experience of a “first” in your life – first day of school, first dance, first date, etc.
Tell about a memorable experience from your teenage years.
Share about a time as a child when you pushed against rules or boundaries.
Narrate the events of the first time you were left home alone.
Write about a right of passage in your family history.
Describe a moment when you felt brave in the face of fear.
Tell about a time you stood up for someone else.
Share a story of how you advocated for yourself.
Narrate an experience that required perseverance or grit to get through.
Write about a hardship that made you stronger.
Tell the story of a mysterious or unexplained event you experienced.
Describe a time you uncovered a family secret or mystery.
Narrate about getting lost in a new city and piecing together how to get home.
Share about a moment when you solved a puzzle or mystery.
Write about finding something buried in your backyard. What was it?
Describe an experience where you made an incorrect assumption about someone.
Tell about a time someone gave you valuable life advice.
Share a story about a difficult choice you had to make.
Narrate an experience that taught you to think independently.
Write about a moment you realized you were wrong about something.
Describe your favorite season and what you love about it.
Tell about getting caught in a storm while doing an outdoor activity.
Share a story about an encounter with wildlife on a hike or trip.
Narrate your experiences camping overnight in the wilderness.
Write about a time you felt connected to nature.
Describe an act of kindness or generosity you did for someone.
Tell about a time someone helped you when you really needed it.
Share a story about volunteering or contributing to a cause important to you.
Narrate a moment when you stood up for or defended someone.
Write about a person who had an influence on you because of their good character.

Possessions

Describe your most valued childhood possession.
Tell the story of how you got your first car.
Share about a time you lost an item that was very special to you.
Narrate your experience buying your first home.
Write about an item you inherited that has sentimental value.

Entertainment

Describe the plot of a book or movie that had an impact on you.
Tell about a concert or live show you attended.
Share the story of the first time you rode a rollercoaster.
Narrate your experience meeting someone famous.
Write about a vacation to an amusement park.
Describe the experience of trying an exotic new food for the first time.
Tell the story of a memorable family meal from your childhood.
Share about a time you tried to cook something ambitious.
Narrate the events of eating at a famous restaurant or visiting a food market in another country.
Write about attempting to bake a complicated recipe.
Describe your experience playing a sport you were new to.
Tell about a time you won a sports match or game.
Share the events leading up to a bad sports injury.
Narrate your feelings playing in a championship game.
Write about teaching someone else a sport for the first time.
Describe your experience getting lost in an unfamiliar place.
Tell about a meaningful trip you took by yourself.
Share the story of a family vacation from your childhood.
Narrate your feelings upon arriving in a new country for the first time.
Write about a trip that did not go as expected.
Describe your first day at a new school.
Tell about a teacher who had an impact on you.
Share a story about a challenging course or class you took.
Narrate the events of a school field trip gone wrong.
Write about your high school graduation day.
Describe a difficult period or circumstance in your life.
Tell about a time you failed at an important task.
Share the story of a hardship that brought your family together.
Narrate a moment when you stood up to bullying or criticism.
Write about dealing with the loss of a loved one.

Understanding Narrative Writing Prompts

N, Vintage Book With A Quill Pen, An Hourglass, And A Glowing Light Bulb, All Placed On An Old Wooden Table, Surrounded By A Soft, Dimly Lit Atmosphere

You’ve got to understand narrative writing prompts thoroughly before you can craft a compelling story. Imagine them as cryptic maps, guiding your imagination towards uncharted territories of creativity.

The key here is prompt analysis; it’s your compass. You need to decode the prompt, dissecting every word and phrase carefully. Don’t just skim through it; delve deeper.

When you finally comprehend its essence, you’re ready for the next step: creating a seamless narrative flow.

Picture your tale as a river, starting from the source (the introduction), meandering through landscapes (plot development) and finally reaching the sea (conclusion). Every twist and turn should feel natural yet surprising, adding depth and intrigue that keeps your readers hooked till the end.

Now go ahead! Unleash your storytelling prowess!

The Importance of Narrative Writing Prompts

L-Bound Notebook Filled With Various Storytelling Icons, Like A Feather Quill, Inkwell, Parchment, Typewriter, And Vintage Books, With A Glowing Light Bulb Hovering Above The Open Page

They’re crucial tools for sparking your imagination and enhancing your storytelling abilities. Narrative writing prompts serve as a guiding light, illuminating the path towards creative brilliance.

You see, these prompts impact you more than you might realize. They coax out narratives from hidden corners of your mind, pushing boundaries and exploring new territories of thought.

Imagine holding an artist’s palette filled with words instead of colors. Storytelling techniques become your brushstrokes, shaping raw ideas into compelling narratives. The prompt stands as your canvas waiting to be adorned by tales spun from creativity’s loom.

It encourages experimentation with narrative styles and perspectives – it fuels the artistry in writing stories that resonate deeply with readers.

Different Types of Narrative Writing Prompts

Ge Of Various Settings: A Haunted House, A Futuristic City, Medieval Castle, A Dense Forest, And A Spaceship To Represent Different Types Of Narrative Writing Prompts

Let’s delve into the various kinds of story starters that can ignite your creative spark. Narrative writing prompts are diverse and tailored to stimulate creativity while ensuring prompt relevance. They cater to different narrative styles, each providing a unique approach to storytelling.

Situation-based Prompts : These offer scenarios or situations, nudging you towards conflict resolution.
Dialogue Starters: You’re given an interesting conversation starter.
Quotation Based: A quote is provided for interpretation and story development.
Imaginary Prompts : Pushing boundaries, these prompts require imaginative solutions.
‘What If’ Scenarios: You’re encouraged to explore alternative realities.
Picture-Based: Images serve as the foundation for your narrative.

How to Utilize Narrative Writing Prompts Effectively

Book With Illustrated Thought Bubbles Containing A Pen, A Light Bulb, And A Narrative Arc, Surrounded By Miniature People Interacting With These Elements

Mastering the art of using these creative triggers effectively can significantly improve your storytelling skills. It’s all about prompt interpretation and flexibility.

You see, each narrative writing prompt is a world teeming with possibilities; it’s up to you to explore them.

First, don’t just skim the surface of the prompt. Dive into its depths, examining every word and phrase for hidden meanings or potential plot twists. That’s what we call ‘Prompt Interpretation’.

Next comes ‘Prompt Flexibility’. Don’t be confined by the initial image that pops into your mind upon reading the prompt. Let your imagination run wild, twisting and turning the scenario until you’ve moulded it into something uniquely yours.

Creative Ideas for Narrative Writing Prompts

N, Vintage Diary With A Quill Pen, Surrounded By A Vivid Nebula Of Swirling Colors, Representing Different Imaginative Elements Like A Castle, A Spaceship, A Detective'S Hat And A Magical Lamp

Exploring fresh and innovative ideas for storytelling triggers can really open up a new world of creativity in your work. Diving into genre exploration, you’re not just confined to what you know; you’re pushing boundaries, experimenting with different elements from various genres.

Genre Exploration:
Mystery : How about crafting a protagonist with an uncanny ability to solve puzzles?
Fantasy : Ever thought of creating a world where dreams become reality?

In character development, there’s no limit to the layers you can add to make them more relatable and captivating.

Character Development:
Backstories : Have you considered giving your characters intricate pasts that shape their decisions?
Traits : What if your character has an unusual but intriguing habit?

Dare to be inventive and engaging; it’ll give your narrative writing prompts an exciting twist.

Tips for Creating Your Own Narrative Writing Prompts

L Array Of Diverse Individuals, Deep In Thought, Surrounded By Thought Bubbles Filled With Symbols Like A Quill, A Light Bulb, An Open Book, A Brain, And A Storyboard

Dive headfirst into the world of narrative creation, where your personal experiences form the core and your creative thinking sketches the outline.

You’re about to unlock a profound understanding of narrative structure, using it as your compass to navigate through the intricate tapestry of storytelling.

Understanding Narrative Structure

Understanding narrative structure is crucial to creating captivating writing prompts. It’s a dance of narrative pacing techniques and character development strategies, choreographed to captivate your readers.

To master this dance:

Understand narrative pacing techniques.
Use cliffhangers: They’re not just for soap operas! A well-placed cliffhanger can add suspense and keep readers hooked.
Vary sentence lengths: Short sentences speed up the pace, while longer ones slow it down.
Implement character development strategies.
Show, don’t tell: Instead of telling us your character is brave, show us with their actions.
Develop compelling backstories: These give depth to your characters and make them more relatable.

Incorporating Personal Experiences

Incorporating personal experiences into your storytelling can often add authenticity and depth to your characters. It’s like infusing a part of yourself into the narrative, making it more tangible and relatable for your readers. The emotional impact hits home, painting vivid pictures that they can connect with on a deeper level.

Your own journey of personal growth also becomes their journey. They feel your triumphs, your struggles, every high and low you’ve encountered along the way. You’re not just creating characters; you’re offering them pieces from your own life story that breathe life into these figures.

Promoting Creative Thinking

Fostering your creative thinking isn’t just about brainstorming ideas; it’s also about embracing different perspectives to enrich your storytelling. Exploring imaginative techniques and enhancing cognitive flexibility are key components of this process.

Here are some ways you can promote creative thinking:

Experiment with different narrative styles
Try writing in first, second, or third person
Use a nonlinear timeline
Enhance cognitive flexibility by exploring new concepts
Read books from various genres
Challenge yourself with complex puzzles

By broadening your horizons and stepping outside of your comfort zone, you’re not only developing as a writer but also as an individual.

Examples of Inspiring Narrative Writing Prompts

Ze A Bright Spotlight Illuminating A Quill Pen, An Open Vintage Hardback Book, And Scattered Crumpled Papers, Against A Dramatic, Stormy Sky Backdrop

Let’s delve into some examples of inspiring narrative writing prompts that can ignite your creativity and fuel your passion for storytelling.

Imagine you’re an astronaut, but not just any astronaut – the first to land on a newly discovered planet. Explore this through different narrative perspectives; how does the world look from your eyes? From the perspective of Earth’s spectators?

Or consider this: you’ve stumbled upon a secret door in your home leading to a parallel universe. Dive deep into character development as you toggle between two realities. How do these experiences shape and change you?

Ever thought about waking up one day with everyone else vanished? Sketch out the loneliness, fear, joy, and freedom that come with solitude.

Let these prompts guide your pen towards uncharted territories where stories bloom.

So, you’ve explored the world of narrative writing prompts! Remember, they’re not just tools to spark creativity but a way to deepen your writing skills.

Whether it’s personal narratives or fictional tales, these prompts can transform your storytelling. Don’t be afraid to experiment and craft your own.

Now, go on and weave those captivating stories waiting to burst from within you!

150+ Deep Writing Prompts About Life to REALLY Reflect

This post contains affiliate links and I may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you sign up or purchase products or services mentioned. Read the full disclosure here.

Last Updated on August 17, 2023

Life can feel like a crazy roller coaster of ups and downs and endless twists and turns! From hitting huge life milestones, to self reflecting on who you truly are, to finding your purpose in life…there’s so much to process.

Everyone has a story, and so do you! But how often do you truly zoom out and assess your life as a bigger picture? If you haven’t done much exploring with the depths of your life, these deep writing prompts about life are your invitation to do so!

From untangling your thoughts and feelings, to discovering your outlook on life, to finding ways to live life more mindfully…these deep journal prompts have it ALL!

And these are not just your everyday, average journal prompts! These are meant to dive DEEP into the inner-workings of your mind. If you want to walk away with a deeper sense of self-awareness and clarity when it comes to finding yourself, you’re in the right place.

Table of Contents

150+ Deep Writing Prompts About Life

Don’t forget about these deep writing prompts about life! Pin ’em to come back later!

What Are Some Deep Writing Topics?

Ready to learn about yourself on a truly deep level? These deep journal prompts for adults cover thought-provoking topics like challenging your inner critic, mindfulness, your outlook on life, self-reflection, love…pretty much every deep writing prompt about your life!

Deep Journal Prompts For Adults

What can contribute to your sense of feeling empowered?
Have you ever experienced a strong flow state (where you’re completely absorbed in an activity you’re doing)? What set-up needs to be in place to get you there?
Reflect on the hardest thing you’ve had to forgive someone for. How difficult was this, and how did it impact your relationship?
Think about your relationship with time and time-management skills. Do you often feel rushed or late to things? Do you take on more tasks than you should? Explain.
Has your confidence increased or decreased with time/age? How so?
Do you have a special book, movie, song, etc. that has made a meaningful impact on you? Describe this.
Where are you at with spirituality? Is this something you think about often, or hardly ever? Describe your journey with it. ( these journal prompts for spiritual growth can help you better-connect to your spirituality!)
Have you ever dealt with a significant loss in your life? How did you make it through?
Reflect on a personal strength that you take for granted or overlook. How can you validate this strength and use it to overcome challenges?
How satisfied are you with your social life? What challenges have you had with growing and maintaining an active social life in adulthood?
Is there a recurring pattern in your life that you wish you could break? What makes you fall into this pattern time and time again?
What steps can you take to break unhelpful patterns or behaviors in your life?
Reflect on your relationship with productivity and “hustle culture.” Do you find society’s obsession with productivity to be harmful? How do you balance this yourself?
Think back to a difficult conversation you had. How did you handle it, and what did you think afterward?
Do you avoid confrontation or struggle to initiate it? Why or why not?

Thought-Provoking Topics To Write About

Introversion vs. extroversion – where do you stand on the spectrum?
Being a leader vs. a follower – in which position do you feel most comfortable?
Working for yourself vs. working for a boss – which do you thrive better with and why?
Your personal mental health struggles and the journey you’ve been on with them
Your opinions on marriage and weddings
Having children vs. not having children – where do you stand and why?
How your self care habits have evolved from the first time you learned about self care compared to now.
Something you never expected would be part of your personality and/or interests, but you’ve fallen in love with.
A traumatic experience you’ve endured and how you’ve processed it (try these trauma healing journal prompts for support on this!)
Your first job vs. your current job and how far you’ve come
Fixed mindset vs. growth mindset – which do you have? Can you think of people in your life that are perfect examples of each?
Independent vs. dependent – do you consider yourself more of an independent or dependent person?
Your red flags or deal breakers in a relationship
Something significant you’ve changed your mind about over time, when you didn’t think you would.
Your relationship with exercise and how it impacts your sense of capability.
Your relationship with food and body image. (These body image affirmations are here to help you with this!)
Your attachment style and how you believe it came to be
Your pain tolerance and what you believe has influenced it (often from childhood!)
Settling down young vs. taking it slow – which do you desire and why?
Traveling the world vs. staying in one place – is travel something you care about?
Nature vs. nurture – how much of our personalities do you believe stem from nature (inborn traits) or nurture (environment you’re raised in)?

Deep Writing Prompts About Yourself

Reflect on the accomplishments and personal growth you’re most proud of. How has this shaped your opinion of your self-competency?
Think of a time where you prioritized perfection over progress. How could you have approached the situation from a more practical, caring mindset? (if this is a struggle, these affirmations for perfectionists are perfect for you!)
Have you ever made a mistake that ultimately led to something happening for the better? What did you learn about this and the concept of imperfections?
Write a letter to your future self, highlighting all the things you’re currently feeling lost or confused about. How do you envision your future self gaining clarity on these?
Reflect on the past year and how you’ve grown as a person. What insights have you gained about yourself, and how are you better able to manage life?
What is a newer insecurity or fear that hasn’t popped up until this season of your life? Why did it come up and what makes it so troubling?
Reflect on a time where you felt truly alive, as if you were exactly where you were supposed to be in that moment. What were you doing, and how can you use this to further understand your values?
Do you find yourself being more conventional or unconventional about your life path and where you see yourself going?
Do you feel the pressure to conform to society, or do you feel confident moving with your own flow?
What hobbies have you done over the course of your life? Do any of them differ from what you enjoy now?
How have hobbies contributed to your sense of self and well-being? (if you haven’t picked up a hobby in a while, you’ll love these fun hobby ideas for women in their 20s !)
Do you hold any regrets? What lessons can you learn from the regret and how can it shape your life moving forward?
Elaborate on your 3 biggest strengths and 3 biggest weaknesses.
How have those strengths and weaknesses impacted your relationships, professional life, and personal life?
Is there anything you have a hard time forgiving yourself for? What holds you back?
How would you describe your sense of passion right now? Are you feeling passionate about any goal or activity in your life? If not, why not?
Describe your idea of the “perfect day” from morning to night. How do the activities you choose add value to your life?
Is there anything that’s weighing heavily on your mind right now? Release it in your journal.
Describe someone in your life who you deeply admire. What makes them so inspirational to you? How can you pick up some of their qualities?
What is something about your past self that you’re not exactly proud of? How can you work toward accepting this part of yourself, while acknowledging your growth?
When you’re overwhelmed, what do you do to cope with it?
Are you happy with the way you cope and respond to stress? If not, what goals would you like to set in this area?

Improve your coping skills and create a self care plan that works for YOU with this journal!

Life too hectic for self care? Not with The Busy Woman’s Self Care Journal !

Made by a busy woman, for busy women, the goal of this journal is simple: to make an effective self care plan that works for your unique needs. No matter how crazy life gets!

Get step-by-step guidance to create your personalized self care plan by…

Journal Prompts for Your Inner Critic

What was your most recent experience with your inner critic causing you to doubt yourself?
Describe the voice of your inner critic. What tone of voice does it speak in, and how does it feel?
What are the most common things your inner critic tells you?
Describe any experiences that come to mind from childhood that may have developed your inner critic.
How has society or your culture influenced your inner critic?
Describe a period in your life where you felt the most self-doubt. Why did this happen, and what helped you recover?
Name a few limiting beliefs your inner critic has manipulated you to believe about yourself and your abilities. (Then, use these journal prompts for limiting beliefs to work through them!)
Name the top three qualities you compare yourself to others about. How does this impact your self-worth?
Of those three qualities, reframe the inner-criticisms regarding them into something more rational or positive.
Reflect on a time where you felt inadequate recently. How did your inner critic affect your emotions and behaviors during this time?
1-Day Challenge: keep a journal or digital note on your phone for a day, taking note of every negative thought you experience. At the end of the day, what did you observe?
Of all the negative thoughts you had that day, choose one to challenge. What evidence do you have that contradicts your inner critic?
How does your inner critic impact the way you view and think of your inner child? (start the healing process for your inner child with these journal prompts .)
How can you distinguish constructive criticism vs. toxic criticism from your inner critic?
We all tend to hold ourselves to a higher standard than we do our friends, family, and loved ones. Why do you think this is true for you?
Think back to a big, stressful decision you had to make. What did your inner critic tell you along the way during your decision process?
Have you ever “given in” to your inner critic, resulting in making a choice you were unhappy with? Explain.
How do you think your decision-making habits would be without the influence of your inner critic? Do you think it would be easier to arrive at decisions? Why?
Pinpoint one positive affirmation you can use that directly counters something your inner critic always tells you. How much do you believe in this affirmation? If you don’t believe in it, what can help you get there?
Visualize your inner critic as a real human being sitting next to you. What conversation would you have to address its concerns and work toward healthier self-talk?
Write a letter to yourself as if it came from a best friend offering you words of encouragement. What would you tell yourself?
After this letter, reflect on why you struggle to speak in this kind, compassionate way toward yourself.
How has your inner critic evolved over time? Has it gotten more or less critical, and in what areas of your life?
Take 5 minutes to self-reflect and observe your thoughts about yourself without judgment. How can you continue to view yourself more neutrally, without the need for self-judgment?

Journal Prompts for Your Outlook on Life

What is your overall, general perspective on life right now?
What do you really believe gives life meaning and fulfillment?
What do you think about the concept of finding your purpose? Where are you at with finding your purpose? (if you’re stuck, these journal prompts will help you find your purpose!)
Who is someone you know who has a refreshingly positive outlook on life? What do you think enables them to see life in this way?
Have you ever faced periods of depression that dampened your outlook on life? What contributed to this?
How has your outlook on life changed overtime?
What do you think is our true purpose, as humans, in life?
Write a letter to your future self. Express the questions you hope to get answers to and about the person you wish to become.
Have you ever been in a debate or had strong feelings on a topic that shifted dramatically later on? Discuss.
How do you react to change and uncertainty? Do you feel a level of emotional instability when faced with change, or are you able to adapt easily?
Write about the hardest life change you’ve ever had to go through. What made it so difficult?
How do you think self care has contributed to your mindset and outlook on life?
How have your long-term goals and aspirations shifted as you’ve grown up?
Which goal of yours are you dying to achieve as soon as possible? Do you feel rushed to complete it for one reason or another? Explore that.
How did your experiences in school shape your outlook on life?
How did your experiences in the workforce shape your outlook on life?
What do you think about work-life balance, or the concept of having to work in general?
At what point in your life did you have the darkest outlook on life? What about the most positive?
What childhood experiences impacted your outlook on life or affected your behavior as an adult?

Journal Prompts for Mindfulness

What is your biggest obstacle when it comes to living in the present?
What do you struggle with more: dwelling on the past or worrying about the future?
Has there ever been a moment where you can recall feeling fully present and immersed in the moment? What was it like?
Think about a daily activity you tend to do on auto-pilot. How could you approach this activity more mindfully, and how would that add to the experience?
Think about the last time you were in nature. What do you remember observing and how did you feel as you were in nature?
Take a moment to close your eyes and take five slow, deep breaths. How does this small act affect your mental and physical state?
Think about the sensory experience of your favorite food. What flavors, smells, textures, and feelings do you notice with each bite?
Brain dump a list of all the things that come to your mind in this moment that you are grateful for.
How did you feel when you moved into your current home for the first time? How did the experience differ compared to now, where you are used to your home?
Do you struggle with active listening? (Being fully present when in a conversation with someone) Or do you focus more on forming your response than listening?
Do a body scan, where you slowly focus attention on different parts of your body, starting from your head and making your way down to your toes. What sensations do you notice?
How can mindfulness be applied to your daily morning or night routine? Do you think it could make these routines more meaningful?
Do you have a go-to mantra or positive affirmation that helps you center or ground yourself? How does this impact your headspace? (you’ll love these affirmations for mindfulness !)
Think of the last time you went for a walk. What sights, sounds, and experiences did you notice on the walk?
Do you struggle with your focus or your mind wandering when you don’t want it to? How can you practice more acceptance and gently bring yourself back to the moment, rather than judging yourself?
What can you do to be more mindful and intentional with the current month or season?

Journal Prompts For Self Reflection

What do you think about the concept of “happiness” vs. “being content”? Do you value one over the other?
What was your most recent setback? How did you cope with it, and what did you learn from it?
Have you ever stepped outside of your comfort zone and it turned out to be worth it? What happened?
What has been your experience so far when it comes to setting and sticking to goals?
What is something you seem to have greater difficulty coping with than others?
What is something that doesn’t seem to bother you as much as others?
Have you ever felt “different” or “outcast” at any point in your life? How so?
Write a letter to your teenage self. Give them reassurance about what you know now to ease their insecurities or fears. (You can also work on healing your inner teenager if your teen years were rough!)
What personality trait do you feel has hindered your personal growth?
What personality trait do you feel has helped your personal growth?
How do you react when you make mistakes? Where does your reaction stem from?
Who, in your life, has made an especially significant impact? In what ways?
How do you handle anxiety when you’re faced with a trigger?
Think about a habit or behavior that you’d like to change. How can you take steps to work on this? What has held you back so far?
Have you been giving as much time to self care as you’d like lately? (this 7-day self care challenge is perfect for working self care back into your routine!)
Do you notice any changes in your mood, energy, and mental health when you haven’t stayed on top of self care?
Is there a tough decision you’re struggling with right now? What holds you back from making the decision?
Has there ever been a time where you felt self-doubt or imposter syndrome, and it got better with time? What changed?
Consider your strongest values and core beliefs. Do your current habits, choices, and behaviors align with those?
Write about all the realizations you’ve made in the last few years that have furthered your understanding of yourself.

Deep Writing Prompts About Love

Think of a time where you felt truly loved and cherished. What was the context of this, and how did it shape your feelings about love?
How have your platonic relationships influenced your outlook on love?
How have your romantic relationships influenced your outlook on love?
How have your familial relationships influenced your outlook on love?
How has your self-love influenced your outlook on love? ( these self-love journal prompts will help you dive deeper!)
Do you believe unconditional love is really possible?
What makes it hard for you to be vulnerable in relationships?
Is there anything you tend to hold back or hide about yourself in relationships? Why?
How do you think your self-love plays a role in the success of your relationships with others?
What do you think about the phrase, “you have to love yourself before you can love someone else.”?
How has your perspective on love changed over time?
What has been your biggest learning lesson when it comes to love?
Reflect on a time where you lost someone you loved (a break-up, ending a friendship, losing a parent). What challenges did this experience bring to your opinion on love and attachment? ( these break-up journal prompts will soothe you when you need it most.)
Did the societal norms surrounding love and relationships influence you to do things that weren’t in alignment with your true self?
What was the most challenging relationship you’ve ever had (could be romantic, platonic, etc.) and what made it so difficult?
Do you believe in soulmates or the concept of finding “the one”? Why or why not?
What are your expectations in a relationship when it comes to open and honest communication?
Have you ever had to sacrifice something for someone you loved? Do you believe it was the right choice?
Have you ever been in or considered a long-distance relationship? If so, what did you learn? If not, what do you think about them?
Has a relationship ever affected your feelings of self-worth? What was that like?

RELATED: 70 Journal Prompts for All Your Relationships

How Do You Write Deep About Yourself?

You may have journaled before, but if you want to really explore with these deep writing prompts about life, you’ll want to tap into your introspective skills. These steps can help you navigate your journal prompts in a more meaningful, effective way:

Get in the zone – first of all, you want to create a peaceful environment for yourself where you feel comfortable, calm, and free of distractions. Whether it’s your bed, a cozy corner, or your closet–whatever works! Choose a time of day where you won’t feel rushed, too.
Write unfiltered – as you respond to each writing prompt, just follow your stream of consciousness. Don’t think too hard about flow or sentence structure. Just go wherever your mind insists on taking you!
Immerse yourself in memories – reflect on memories that may have shaped you or impacted your childhood development. Don’t just provide surface-level details. Think back to the emotions, reactions, and thoughts you had during the experience.
Evaluate your beliefs and core values – these are so important! Your beliefs and core values make up who you are and only become more solidified with time. What morals guide your decisions? How did you arrive at your values and beliefs? How do they influence the way you navigate your life?
Be vulnerable – your journal is your safe space. No one has to read it! This is your space to express yourself completely and authentically. The more vulnerable you are, the better the learning process as you journal.
Assess your personal growth – take note of how far you’ve come in different areas of your life, whether that be your professional life, emotion regulation, relationships, or anything you’ve struggled with.
Future dreams and aspirations – think about your dreams, goals, and anything you’d like to work toward. Envision your future self by asking, “what would my ideal life look like?”
Share your insights – write about the epiphanies or life-changing realizations you’ve had about yourself or the world around you. What pieces of information have you picked up that have shaped your perspective?

Benefits of Journaling

Journaling can impact your life and your mental health in more ways than one! Whether you use deep writing prompts for life like these, or even just reflecting on your day-to-day thoughts and emotions, you unlock invaluable self-awareness.

This self-awareness has been known to support psychological well-being, so it sounds pretty worth it, right?

You might find amazing benefits like…

Improved mental health
Increased self-confidence
Cultivation of gratitude
Better communication skills and ability to articulate your thoughts
Reduced stress
An outlet to release anxious feelings and worries
Greater emotional intelligence

Best Journals to Buy

I mean who doesn’t love getting a cute new journal when embarking on a new self-discovery era, am I right?! A fresh new journal can help you begin your journaling habit with a clean slate. Here are my favorite recommendations!

1. Erin Condren Notebooks

These are heavy-duty and built to last! I have loved Erin Condren products ever since I was in high school, so we go waaaayyy back, and I can say they are just fabulous! This journal even lets you customize your name on the front–how perfect!

2. Rifle Paper Co. Embroidered Journal

Wow, it doesn’t get any more beautiful than this! This embroidered journal from Rifle Paper Co. makes for the perfect keepsake journal with 400 pages (you’ll basically never run out at that point!). If this is an era of your life you truly want to treasure and look back on, this journal is a great match.

3. Threshold “Never Stop Growing” Journal from Target

You can’t go wrong with a classic, simple (yet super cute!) journal. The cover on this is so wholesome, and the quote of “Never Stop Growing” is the encouragement you need to continue on your journey of personal growth. You’ll find this beauty at Target !

4. 3-Pack Spiral Notebooks from Amazon

Want to compartmentalize your journaling practice? A 3-pack of journals is the way to go! You could dedicate one journal to self-reflection, one journal to goal setting, and one journal to therapy session notes. Or whatever categories make sense for your life!

I hope these deep writing prompts about life got you digging deeper, reflecting harder, and ultimately learning more about yourself and where you’re at in life. You’ll be so glad you documented all of this!

And the awesome part is: you only have room to grow from here.

Psst…make self care quick and easy by downloading my (free!) printable daily self care check in! Grab it to start adding a little self reflection into your morning + night routines.

You will receive your daily self care check in shortly.

More Journal Prompts You’ll Love

110+ Juicy, Fascinating Journal Prompts to Get to Know Yourself

80 Motivating Self Improvement Journal Prompts

80 Journal Prompts for Women to Embrace Your True Self

70+ Easy and Fun Journal Prompts for Beginners

LIKE THESE DEEP WRITING PROMPTS ABOUT LIFE? PIN THEM FOR LATER!

Founder & Content Strategist

Hey there! I'm Alexa, and I'm a self-care enthusiast and mental health advocate. At Ambitiously Alexa, I'm here to support women like you who are on a mission to achieve allll the things they're passionate about and make time for self care. I make this balance possible through journal prompts, positive affirmations, and self care ideas you'll love! Here's more about me, including my B.A in Psychology...

43 May Affirmations for a Month of Abundance and Joy

Last Updated on September 10, 2023 With May coming along, I hope things are getting lively, blooming, warm, and vibrant where you live! We’re really starting to get into those…

60 Feminine Energy Affirmations for Proud Girl Power

Last Updated on September 8, 2023 Wish you could feel more confident when it comes to your femininity? Has self-love been a struggle? Do you just want to figure out…

65 Affirmations for Female Entrepreneurs

Last Updated on December 13, 2022 Every entrepreneur, no matter how successful, knows that self doubt and fear comes with the territory. Creating a successful business is no easy feat,…

23 Self Love Valentine’s Day Ideas to Treat Yourself

This post contains affiliate links and I may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you sign up or purchase products or services mentioned. Read the…

47 Heartfelt Valentine’s Day Journal Prompts

Last Updated on February 6, 2024 With so many Valentine’s Day journal prompts out there for kids (via Google search, anyway!), I’m filling that gap once again with these Valentine’s…

Self Care for Introverts: 16 Ways to Recharge Your Social Battery

Copy short link

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Welcome to the Purdue Online Writing Lab

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction.

The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue Writing Lab serves the Purdue, West Lafayette, campus and coordinates with local literacy initiatives. The Purdue OWL offers global support through online reference materials and services.

A Message From the Assistant Director of Content Development

The Purdue OWL® is committed to supporting students, instructors, and writers by offering a wide range of resources that are developed and revised with them in mind. To do this, the OWL team is always exploring possibilties for a better design, allowing accessibility and user experience to guide our process. As the OWL undergoes some changes, we welcome your feedback and suggestions by email at any time.

Please don't hesitate to contact us via our contact page if you have any questions or comments.

All the best,

Social Media

Facebook twitter.

Kiel Krei Skriban Prompton (kun Ekzemploj)

Redakcia Teamo de Smodin
Eldonita: Eble 9, 2024

Ĉu vi rigardas malplenan paĝon, sentante vin perdita por inspiro? Feliĉe, ekzistas lertaj manieroj venki la verkistan blokon uzante efikajn, bone detalaj skribaj instigoj, precipe por AI-generatoroj kiel Smodin, Chat GPT aŭ Google Gemini.

Krei skribajn instigojn postulas paciencon kaj praktikon, sed post kiam vi regas ilin, via enhavokreado pliboniĝos dekoble.

De fari iom de via propra esplorado ĝis difini vian celgrupon kaj disvolvi personojn, krei rakontojn, poemojn, esplorajn artikolojn aŭ historiajn eseojn fariĝas facila!

Ni rigardu pli detale kiel krei skriban promptilon kaj kial uzi la AI-Reskribilon de Smodin estas la plej bona solvo por humanigi enhavon generitan de AI.

Kio Estas Skriba Prompto?

Skriba prompto estas ilo por ekfunkciigi vian imagon kaj ekfunkciigi kreivon. Ĉi tio povas esti io ajn de ununura vorto, bildo aŭ pensiga demando. Promptoj funkcias kiel lanĉplatformo por via krea skribo, helpante vin venki la blokadon de verkisto, plibonigi viajn skribkapablojn kaj generi freŝajn ideojn.

Dum skribaj instigoj estas oftaj en edukaj agordoj kiel lernejoj kaj universitatoj, krei efikajn instigojn por AI-generatoroj kiel Chat GPT fariĝis ĉiam pli populara, precipe ekde sia lanĉo fine de 2022.

Kiam vi uzas AI-skribajn ilojn kiel Chat GPT aŭ Google Gemini, bona prompto funkcias kiel instrukcio, kiu gvidas kaj "preparas" la AI-verkiston en la direkto, kiun vi volas iri kun via skribo. Kiel menciite, ĉi tio povas esti en formo de demando, deklaro aŭ eĉ ununura ŝlosilvorto.

Ekzemple, se vi estas okupata de blogaĵo pri la plej bonaj strandoj en Florido, vi povus uzi skriban instigon kiel ĉi tio: "Skribu liston de la kvin plej pitoreskaj strandoj en Florido, Usono, elstarigante unikajn trajtojn kaj altirojn. ”

Ĉi tiu prompto donas al Chat GPT specifajn detalojn kaj klaran direkton, kio finfine kondukas al pli fokusitaj, rilataj rezultoj.

La lertaĵo estas ju pli specifaj estas viaj instigoj, des pli bona estos via rezulto.

Tipoj de Skribaj Promptoj

Estas multaj diversaj specoj de skribaj instigoj: iuj rakontaj kaj iuj priskribaj. Ni rigardu pli detale:

Rakontaj Promptoj

Ĉi tiuj instigoj estas dizajnitaj por rakontado. Ili ofte inkluzivas scenaron, karakteron priskribon aŭ komencan linion. Indikaj vortoj kaj frazoj ofte inkluzivas "rakontu al mi pri", "kial" kaj "skribi rakonton pri [X]".

ekzemple : Skribu rakonton pri roboto, kiu malkovras, ke ĝi havas homajn emociojn.

Priskribaj Promptoj

Ĉi tiuj instigoj kutime tuŝas apartan personon, lokon aŭ aferon. Ili ĝenerale inkluzivas sensajn detalojn kiel vidaĵoj, sonoj kaj sentoj.

ekzemple : Priskribu la senton de paŝi en fantomdomon en la mezo de la nokto en Konektikuto.

Informaj/Ekspoziciaj Promptoj

Ĉi tiuj instigoj celas informi kaj klarigi. Ili estas ĝenerale pli fakto-bazitaj, kun cititaj indicoj por subteni asertojn. Pensu laŭ la linioj de "kiel al gvidiloj" aŭ "kaŭzo kaj efiko" situacioj.

ekzemple : Skribu pri la Kerna ĝisdatigo de marto 2024 de Google, kiu celas redukti nehelpan enhavon almenaŭ je 40% [ 1 ].

Konvinkaj Promptoj

Ĉi tiuj instigoj instigas agadon aŭ konvinkas legantojn pri via perspektivo, kiel vi farus en produktaj recenzoj. Indikaj vortoj ofte inkluzivas "kiel", "kial", "konvinki" aŭ "persvadi".

ekzemple : Skribu persvadan argumenton pri kial lernejoj havu pli longajn paŭzotempojn.

Kiel Krei Skriban Prompton: Paŝo Post Paŝo

Vi povas krei skribajn instigojn provizante AI-verkistojn kun kontekstaj detaloj, disvolvante rolulon kaj uzante la AI-Reskriptilon de Smodin.

Skribaj instigoj celas igi verkistojn pensi ekster la skatolo per enkonduko kaj fokuso sur certa temo. Edukistoj ofte uzas instigojn por igi studentojn skribi kreive, ĉu ili pritraktas historiajn eseojn aŭ anglan novelon. La celo de skribi instilojn estas generi ideojn, plibonigi skribkapablojn kaj ekfunkciigi kreivan skribon.

Bona prompto devus inkluzivi ĉi tiujn du komponentojn:

situacio – enkondukas la ĝeneralan temon, pri kiu vi devas skribi kaj celas veki intereson ĉe la verkisto, ekzemple verki pecon sur la plaĝoj de Florido.
direkto – priskribas kiel la skribita peco devas esti efektivigita. Ekzemple, mallonge klarigu, kion la leganto povas atendi, vidi kaj fari ĉe la plej bonaj strandaj lokoj de Florido. Ĝi instigas la verkiston esplori la temon kaj proponi iliajn unikajn vidpunktojn - kaj eble eĉ doni la ŝancon aspergi iliajn personajn spertojn.

Faru Iom da Esplorado

Antaŭ ol vi komencas skribi invitojn, estas bone komenci per iom da esplorado.

Ĝi plilarĝigas viajn horizontojn pri kio temas la temo.
Plej multaj AI-skribaj iloj havas limigitan scion (ChatGPT iras ĝis 2021!).
Helpas vin produkti pli bonajn instigojn.

Ni diru, ke vi devas skribi blogaĵon pri la Kerna Ĝisdatigo de marto 2024 de Google. Nun, vidante, ke ĉi tio estas la plej nova ĝisdatigo de Google, la plej multaj AI-verkistoj ne havos la ĝustan scion pri la temo. Ĉi tie via esplorado fariĝas valorega!

Post kiam vi havas pli bonan ideon pri la temo, vi povas prepari invitojn por Babilejo GPT. Ankaŭ estas bona ideo provizi koncernajn artikolojn, datumajn arojn aŭ esplorajn artikolojn en la AI-skribilon por doni al ĝi pli da kunteksto pri la temo.

Promptaj Ideoj inkluzivas:

Prompto 1: Saluton Babilejo GPT, bonvolu revizii ĉi tiun dokumenton [enmetu respektivan ligilon] kaj donu al mi kuglolistresumon pri tio, kion ĝi implicas.
Prompto 2: El ĉi tiu resumo ĉu vi povas doni al mi liston de teknika ĵargono kaj klarigi kion ili signifas en laikaj terminoj?
Prompto 3: El ĉi tiu alkroĉita dokumento, kiel, laŭ via opinio, la lasta ĝisdatigo de Guglo influos estontan ciferecan enhavon?
Prompto 4: Kio estus la plej bona strategio por SEO-verkistoj preni se ili ne volas esti punitaj de Guglo?

Kiel vi povas vidi, ĉi tiuj informaj instigoj (kaj kontekstaj detaloj) helpas vin kun via eduka bloga afiŝo celita informi kaj eduki vian leganton. Zorge krei instigojn por kongrui kun via intenco kaj provizi specifajn detalojn al la AI-verkisto donos al vi pli bonajn rezultojn ol se vi nur petus ĝin rakonti al vi pri la Kerna Ĝisdatigo de Marto 2023 de Google.

Estu Specifaj

Kiel menciite, ju pli specifa la prompto, des pli bona estos la rezulto.

AI-skribaj modeloj prosperas laŭ klaraj instrukcioj, do en ĉi tiu kazo, des pli, des pli bone!

Klara direkto donas al Chat GPT klaran vojmapon pri la temo, ĉar neklaraj instigoj ofte lasas AI vagadi, necerta pri kia angulo preni.

Ĉi tio ankaŭ inkluzivas diri al AI vian:

Laŭcela spektantaro : Kiu estas via celita publiko? Provizu detalojn pri ĉi tiu demografia, kiel aĝo, interesoj, nivelo de scio (komencanto kontraŭ spertulo) kaj dolorpunktoj. Ekzemplo: Mi devas verki [komencan nivelon] gvidilon pri [sunpaneloj] por [unuafojaj domposedantoj].
Formata Stilo : Verki en specifa formato (eseo vs medicina raporta stilo). Ekzemplo: Skribu pri [sunpaneloj] en formato de [blogo-afiŝo].
Tono de Voĉo: Uzi specifan tonon de voĉo (TOV), kiel ekzemple formala, hazarda aŭ humura. Ekzemplo: Klarigu, kion signifas [fotovoltaa energio], uzante [informan] voĉon.
Agordu Parametrojn: Por skribi ene de certa vortnombro - ĉu vi volas mallongan, akran rakonton aŭ longan, streĉitan klarigon?. Ekzemplo: Klarigu [kiel funkcias sunpaneloj] per [100] vortoj.

Resumo: Konsiloj por Specifaj Skribaj Promptoj

Difinu la formaton (blogo-eniro/afiŝo, kiel gvidilo, medicina raporto, poemo, ktp).
Difinu vian celgrupon (komencantoj, spertuloj, ktp) kaj TOV (formala, hazarda, ktp).
Enmetu vian ĉefan ŝlosilvorton, kiun AI devas uzi ĉie (sunpaneloj, plej bonaj strandoj en Florido, la Kerna Ĝisdatigo de Google de marto 2024, ktp).
Agordu parametrojn kiel vortkalkullimojn.

Evoluigu Personan

Simile al ĉi-supra, vi povas iĝi eĉ pli specifa kiam vi diras al AI alfronti apartan personon. Babilejo GPT povas esti majstra rakontanto sed bezonas la taŭgan gvidadon por krei allogan enhavon.

Kaj tie eniras la koncepto de persono.

Roluloj estas esence detala priskribo de la vidpunkto de aparta verkisto, el kiu vi volas ke AI skribu. Ĉi tio disponigas skizon por AI por konstrui sur.

Ekzemple, vi devas skribi pri liko-detekto sed ne havas la plej nebulan indicon pri kio temas aŭ kiel liko-detekto specialistoj konversacias. Vi povus instigi AI alpreni la rolulon de profesia tubisto aŭ specialisto pri detekto de likoj kaj skribi el ilia perspektivo. Simpla.

Mi volas, ke vi imagu, ke vi estas specialisto pri liko-detekto kun pli ol 20-jara sperto pri detektado, trovado kaj riparado de loĝfluoj. Bonvolu klarigi kiajn procedurojn vi sekvus por detekti likojn, kiaj ekipaĵoj estas uzataj kaj kiaj estas la ĉefaj kaŭzoj de tiaj likoj.
Bonvolu klarigi kiel maratonisto preparus por vetkuro en la stilo de Lynn Jennings.

Kreado de konvinkaj, detalaj karakteroj aŭ roluloj iras preter baza instigo. Bone difinita persono aldonas profundon kaj dimension ne nur al viaj instigoj sed ankaŭ al la AI-generita teksto!

Aliaj personoj inkluzivas:

45-jaraĝa katema virino loĝas en Kansaso kun pasio por la historio de la Dua Mondmilito.
Kaprica poeto kun zingibra hararo kaj rondaj okulvitroj, kiu estas fascinata de la arto de flugi.
Dufoje eksedziĝinta amerika abstrakta artisto vivanta de la tero en Alasko.

Rafinu Promptojn

Foje, Babilejo GPT povus malproksimiĝi kaj krei elpensitajn respondojn.

Ĉi tio estas tute normala.

Tamen ne timu repreni ĝin - kaj konservu Babilejon GPT survoje! Ĉi tio ankaŭ transcendas al redaktado de via komenca prompto por klarigi tion, kion vi serĉas.

Se aŭ kiam AI-verkistoj ne donas al vi la deziratan respondon, vi povas instigi ilin per:

Kiu evidenteco subtenas vian respondon?
Ĉu vi povas reklarigi tion pli detale?
Kiel ĉi tiu respondo ligiĝas al [ĉefa ŝlosilvorto]?

Ĝi estas iom da kato kaj muso, por esti honesta. Sed kun praktiko kaj pacienco, vi povas formi kaj muldi Chat GPT en (preskaŭ) ĉion, kion vi volas!

Humanigu Vian Enhavon

Ĝuste. do la esploro, instigado kaj prizorgado estis farita.

Post kiam Babilejo GPT generis la respondojn, kiujn vi volas, sekvante la indikojn, kiujn vi donis al ĝi, estas tempo trairi la verkitan verkon de AI per fajn-denta kombilo. Ĉi tio inkluzivas:

Agordante la skribon por kongrui kun la celita TOV.
Forigu ĵargonon kaj anstataŭigu ĝin per pli simplaj klarigoj (se aplikeble).
Aspergu personajn anekdotojn por aldoni unikan tuŝon.
Fakte-kontrolu viajn respondojn. Legu tion denove.
Detruu murojn de teksto kun kuglolistoj kaj blanka spaco.
Certigu, ke ĝi havas sufiĉe da detaloj por efike kovri la temon.
Reiru kaj reredaktu invitojn (se necese).
Certigu, ke la formato konservas logikan fluon.

Humanigi enhavon generitan de AI malhelpos ĝin esti markita sur AI-detektiloj, kiel Copyleaks aŭ GPTZero . Ĉi tiuj detektaj iloj estas precipe uzataj en edukaj agordoj por kontroli plagiaton.

Plej bona konsilo: Provu La AI-Reverkisto de Smodin por humanigi vian enhavon en neniu tempo!

Se vi ankoraŭ estas iom blokita, ni metis liston de instigoj rilataj al specifaj industrioj por vi - ĝuu!

Plej bonaj Skribaj Promptaj Ideoj

Jen kelkaj skribaj promptaj ekzemploj, kiujn multaj verkistoj en malsamaj industrioj povas uzi:

Kreu 150-karakteran maksimuman metapriskribon pri [temo].
Donu al mi 5 subtitolojn por blogaĵo de [X].
Donu al mi 20 ŝlosilvortojn por [X].
Kreu skizon por [temo] ene de 1,500-vorta kalkullimo.
Kreu liston de alt-aŭtoritataj retejoj en [industrio].
Generu [X] jutubajn videoideojn por [firmao] pri [temo].
Kreu referencoprogramon por instigi ekzistantajn klientojn plusendi nian [produkton aŭ servon] al siaj retoj.
Kreu allogan sloganon por [marka retejo] uzante ne pli ol 10 vortojn.
Kreu kontrolon por fari merkatan esploron antaŭ lanĉi novan produkton aŭ servon.
Kreu paŝon post paŝo lernilon por [enmeti materialon] celita al [cela publiko].
Donu al mi 10 merkatajn ideojn pri kiel vendi [produkton] al [cela publiko].
Kreu sekvan retpoŝton al ĉefo, kiu montris intereson pri [produkto/servo].
Disvolvu sekvencon de retvokaj retpoŝtoj por nutri partnerecojn.
Skribu LinkedIn-ŝablonon en [nombro da vortoj] por kontakti [cela publiko] en [industrio].
Krei libron pri venda strategio por [produkto] en [lando] por la [industrio].
Kreu 10-linian televendan kampanjon celantan [celan publikon] por generi kondukojn por nia [niĉo] kompanio.

Majstri la arton de skribaj instigoj ebligas vin pritrakti ajnan skribtaskon kun konfido.

Imagu senpene generi allogajn blogajn afiŝojn, krei allogajn rakontojn aŭ eĉ produkti esplorajn artikolojn helpe de AI-iloj. Alprenu vian krean skribludon per kelkaj el ĉi tiuj oportunaj konsiletoj!

Sekvante la konsiletojn en ĉi tiu gvidilo, vi estos survoje por malŝlosi ĉi tiun potencialon kaj fariĝi pli produktiva kaj diverstalenta verkisto.

Sed memoru, antaŭ ol vi komencas skribi, faru iom da esploro pri la temo por profiti la plej grandan parton de viaj instigaj kapabloj.

Humanigu vian enhavon kaj preteriru AI-detektajn ilojn per La AI-Reverkisto de Smodin ilo hodiaŭ!

8 Ways to Create AI-Proof Writing Prompts

C reating 100 percent AI-proof writing prompts can often be impossible but that doesn’t mean there aren’t strategies that can limit the efficacy of AI work. These techniques can also help ensure more of the writing submitted in your classroom is human-generated.

I started seeing a big uptick in AI-generated work submitted in my classes over the last year and that has continued. As a result, I’ve gotten much better at recognizing AI work , but I’ve also gotten better at creating writing prompts that are less AI-friendly.

Essentially, I like to use the public health Swiss cheese analogy when thinking about AI prevention: All these strategies on their own have holes but when you layer the cheese together, you create a barrier that’s hard to get through.

The eight strategies here may not prevent students from submitting AI work, but I find these can incentivize human writing and make sure that any work submitted via AI will not really meet the requirements of the assignment.

1. Writing AI-Proof Prompts: Put Your Prompt Into Popular AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, and Bard

Putting your writing prompt into an AI tools will give you an immediate idea of how most AI tools will handle your prompt. If the various AI chatbots do a good, or at least adequate, job immediately, it might be wise to tweak the prompt.

One of my classes asks students to write about a prized possession. When you put this prompt into an AI chatbot, it frequently returns an essay about a family member's finely crafted watch. Obviously, I now watch out for any essays about watches.

2. Forbid Cliché Use

Probably the quickest and easiest way to cut back on some AI use is to come down hard on cliché use in writing assignments. AI tools are essentially cliché machines, so banning these can prevent a lot of AI use.

Equally as important, this practice will help your students become better writers. As any good writer knows, clichés should be avoided like the plague.

3. Incorporate Recent Events

The free version of ChatGPT only has access to events up to 2022. While there are plugins to allow it to search the internet and other internet-capable AI tools, some students won’t get further than ChatGPT.

More importantly, in my experience, all AI tools struggle to incorporate recent events as effectively as historic ones. So connecting class material and assignments to events such as a recent State of Union speech or the Academy Awards will make any AI writing use less effective.

4. Require Quotes

AI tools can incorporate direct quotations but most are not very good at doing so. The quotes used tend to be very short and not as well-placed within essays.

Asking an AI tool for recent quotes also can be particularly problematic for today’s robot writers. For instance, I asked Microsoft's Copilot to summarize the recent Academy Awards using quotes, and specifically asked it to quote from Oppenheimer's director Christopher Nolan’s acceptance speech. It quoted something Nolan had previously said instead. Copilot also quoted from Wes Anderson’s acceptance speech, an obvious error since Anderson wasn’t at the awards .

5. Make Assignments Personal

Having students reflect on material in their own lives can be a good way to prevent AI writing. In-person teachers can get to know their students well enough to know when these types of personal details are fabricated.

I teach online but still find it easier to tell when a more personalized prompt was written by AI. For example, one student submitted a paper about how much she loved skateboarding that was so non-specific it screamed AI written. Another submitted a post about a pair of sneakers that was also clearly written by a "sole-less" AI (I could tell because of the clichés and other reasons).

6. Make Primary or Scholarly Sources Mandatory

Requiring sources that are not easily accessible on the internet can stop AI writing in its tracks. I like to have students find historic newspapers for certain assignments. The AI tools I am familiar with can’t incorporate these.

For instance, I asked Copilot to compare coverage of the first Academy Awards in the media to the most recent awards show and to include quotes from historic newspaper coverage. The comparison was not well done and there were no quotes from historical newspaper coverage.

AI tools also struggle to incorporate journal articles. Encouraging your students to include these types of sources ensures the work they produce is deeper than something that can be revealed by a quick Google search, which not only makes it harder for AI to write but also can raise the overall quality.

7. Require Interviews, Field Trips, Etc.

Building on primary and scholarly sources, you can have your students conduct interviews or go on field trips to historic sites, museums, etc.

AI is still, thankfully, incapable of engaging in these types of behavior. This requires too much work for every assignment but it is the most effective way to truly ensure your work is human- not computer-written.

If you’re still worried about AI use, you can even go a step further by asking your students to include photos of them with their interview subjects or from the field trips. Yes, AI art generators are getting better as well, but remember the Swiss cheese analogy? Every layer of prevention can help.

8. Have Students Write During Class

As I said to start, none of the methods discussed are foolproof. Many ways around these safeguards already exist and there will be more ways to bypass these in the future. So if you’re really, really worried about AI use you may want to choose what I call the “nuclear option.” If you teach in person you can require students to write essays in person.

This approach definitely works for preventing AI and is okay for short pieces, but for longer pieces, it has a lot of downsides. I would have trouble writing a long piece in this setting and imagine many students will as well. Additionally, this requirement could create an accusatory class atmosphere that is more focused on preventing AI use than actually teaching. It’s also not practical for online teaching.

That all being said, given how common AI writing has become in education, I understand why some teachers will turn to this method. Hopefully, suggestions 1-7 will work but if AI-generated papers are still out of hand in your classroom, this is a blunt-force method that can work temporarily.

Good luck and may your assignments be free of AI writing!

7 Ways To Detect AI Writing Without Technology
Best Free AI Detection Sites
My Student Was Submitting AI Papers. Here's What I Did

Share full article

Supported by

Picture Prompts

125 Picture Prompts for Creative and Narrative Writing

What story can these images tell?

Paper sits in a typewriter. The words “It was a dark story night” have already been typed.

By The Learning Network

For eight years, we at The Learning Network have been publishing short, accessible, image-driven prompts that invite students to do a variety of kinds of writing via our Picture Prompts column.

Each week, at least one of those prompts asks students: Use your imagination to write the opening of a short story or poem inspired by this image — or, tell us about a memory from your own life that it makes you think of.

Now we’re rounding up years of these storytelling prompts all in one place. Below you’ll find 125 photos, illustrations and GIFs from across The New York Times that you can use for both creative and personal writing. We have organized them by genre, but many overlap and intersect, so know that you can use them in any way you like.

Choose an image, write a story, and then follow the link in the caption to the original prompt to post your response or read what other students had to say. Many are still open for comment for teenagers 13 and up. And each links to a free Times article too.

We can’t wait to read the tales you spin! Don’t forget that you can respond to all of our Picture Prompts, as they publish, here .

Images by Category

Everyday life, mystery & suspense, relationships, science fiction, travel & adventure, unusual & unexpected, cat in a chair, happy puppy, resourceful raccoon, cows and cellos, people and penguins, opossum among shoes, on the subway, sunset by the water, endless conversation, falling into a hole, lounging around, sneaker collection, the concert, meadow in starlight.

Related Picture Prompt | Related Article

Public Selfies

Night circus, tarot cards, castle on a hill, security line, batman on a couch, reaching through the wall, beware of zombies, haunted house, familial frights, witches on the water, blindfolded, phone booth in the wilderness, shadow in the sky, a letter in the mail, hidden doorway.

Point of No Return

Darkened library, under the table, playing dominoes, looking back, a wave goodbye, out at dusk, conversation, walking away, alone and together, a new friend, heated conversation, up in a tree, hole in the ceiling, under the desk, at their computers, marching band, band practice, in the hallway, in the lunchroom, the red planet, tech gadgets, trapped inside, astronaut and spider, computer screen, special key, tethered in space, on the court, in the waves, city skateboarding.

Fishing in a Stream

Over the falls.

Under the Sea

Sledding in the mountains, cracked mirror, wilderness wayfaring, car and cactus, walking through town, tropical confinement, travel travails, roller coasters, atop the hill, climbing a ladder, under the ice, other selves.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Picture Prompts here.

IMAGES

Personal Narrative Writing Prompts 4Th Grade
Personal Narrative Writing Prompts 4th Grade
Free Writing Prompt Printable
35 Essay Prompts for High Schoolers • JournalBuddies.com
10 Personal Writing Prompts Students Will Actually Enjoy
92 Journal Prompts That Will Inspire Writing (2021)

VIDEO

15 Personal Journaling Ideas for Kids
WRITING PROMPTS: where to start. 📝 #writingprompts #writingcommunity #journaling #journal #writing
The Power of Journalling in Your Daily Life
What NOBODY Tells You About Journaling (Personal GROWTH!)
Top 11 Exciting Personal Narrative Writing Prompts
Musemind- Ultimate AI experience at your fingers!

COMMENTS

650 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing
Here is a PDF of all 650 prompts, and we also have a related lesson plan, From 'Lives' to 'Modern Love': Writing Personal Essays With Help From The New York Times.. Below, a list that ...
PDF 500 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing
500 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing 186.Do you spend too much time on smart phones playing 'stupid games'? 187.When do you choose making a phone call over sending a text? 188.Do you know how to code? Would you like to learn? 189.Whom would you share your passwords with? 190.What are your favorite video games?
1800+ Creative Writing Prompts To Inspire You Right Now
Here's how our contest works: every Friday, we send out a newsletter containing five creative writing prompts. Each week, the story ideas center around a different theme. Authors then have one week — until the following Friday — to submit a short story based on one of our prompts. A winner is picked each week to win $250 and is highlighted ...
64 Journaling Prompts for Self-Discovery
Ready, Set, Journal! 64 Journaling Prompts for Self-Discovery. How to start. The journal prompts. Getting unstuck. Takeaway. Your journal creates an opportunity to reconnect with yourself and ...
105 Writing Prompts for Self-Reflection and Self-Discovery
Stream of consciousness writing is a method of writing that captures the myriad of thoughts and feelings that pass through the mind. This method's purpose is to allow these thoughts to pass through without any inhibitors. It's quite literally capturing the "stream" of your consciousness. With stream-of-consciousness writing, you write ...
Writing Prompts: 52 Places to Find Them When You Need Inspiration
25. Creative Nonfiction Prompts. The 50 prompts on this list are pulled from Melissa Donovan's book, "1200 Creative Writing Prompts.". The list is made up of strings of questions that ask writers to recall various types of memories, or to engage with emotional or intellectual responses to music, art, and media. 26.
Daily Inspiration: 365 Writing Prompts for Personal Narratives
Here are 365 writing prompts to inspire personal narratives: Write about a vivid childhood memory. Describe your first day of school. Write about a time you got lost. Describe a family tradition or holiday celebration. Write about an embarrassing moment. Describe a time you overcame a fear.
Things to Write About Yourself: 100 Writing Prompts for Self-Discovery
Write a note apologizing to a part of your body for insulting it in the past. Write a note thanking a part of your body for doing such a good job. Tell your story about when you had a delightful guest in your home. Tell your story about when you had an unwelcome visitor in your home.
125 Awesomely Clever Narrative Writing Prompts
125 Awesomely Clever Narrative Writing Prompts. November 30, 2023 by Barrie Davenport. From the time you learn how to talk, you have stories to tell. Faced with a classroom writing assignment, though, you can feel the fog rolling in, hiding all your best personal narrative ideas. To clear that fog, sometimes, all you need are some simple ...
87 Prompts To Write About Yourself
58. Write about what you wish more people knew about your chosen job/career. 59. Write about an external struggle that's been wearing on you lately. 60. Write about an internal struggle that's been distracting you and wearing you down. 61. Describe something you love — or don't love — about the people in your country.
13 Thought-Provoking Personal Narrative Prompts
So, I put together a list of 13 personal narrative prompts to help you find a compelling story you long to write about. The idea of longing to write it is important because personal narratives need to show readers what your experience was like. Desire to write inspires you to put more effort into your narrative's description, character ...
Inner Explorations: Top Personal Writing Prompts to ...
Personal writing prompts serve as catalysts for self-discovery and reflection. They unlock hidden parts of oneself and allow thoughts and feelings to pour onto the paper. Personal writing prompts stimulate creativity and help overcome writer's block. They lead to self-understanding, transformation, and a deeper understanding of one's persona.
400+ Writing Prompts: Endless Inspiration for Your Writing
Faith-based writing prompts. Faith writing is a very personal journey for people. Whether you've been a lifelong believer or have recently stumbled into something that has changed your life, others have been there. And they'll want to read about it. Here are 25 writing prompts about faith: Write about your faith and how you discovered its ...
PDF 445 Writing Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing
445 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing. Overcoming Adversity. 1. How Mentally Tough Are You? 2. What Is the Bravest Thing You've Ever Done? 3. When Have You Made the Best of a Difficult Situation?
101 Narrative Writing Prompts to Break Free from Writer's Block
Narrative Writing Prompts. 1. A high schooler discovers a diary revealing their best friend's darkest secret. 2. A single parent finds their child's hidden letters addressed to an estranged parent. 3. A grieving widow unearths a series of love letters from their late spouse's secret lover. 4.
30 Personal Essay Prompts
Personal Essay Prompts 1-10. 1. ABC Segments. Write the alphabet on a sheet of paper. Pick one letter. Make a list of all the things you can think of that start with that letter - ideas, concepts, emotions, objects. Choose one word from that list and write a paragraph. Repeat. Three times works well.
100 Deep Journal Prompts for Personal Growth
Let's dive into these self-improvement and personal growth writing prompts! 100 Personal Growth Journal Prompts . I like to think of personal growth as being divided into 3 main categories: past, present, and future. We must reflect on the past, check in on the present, and set goals for the future. Here are some journal prompts for all 3 phases!
Over 170 Prompts to Inspire Writing and Discussion
Want more writing prompts? You can find even more Student Opinion questions in our 300 Questions and Images to Inspire Argument Writing , 550 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing and 130 New ...
100+ Narrative Writing Prompts: Beyond Writer's Block
Key Takeaways. Narrative writing prompts are like cryptic maps, guiding imagination towards uncharted territories of creativity. Prompt analysis is crucial; every word and phrase should be dissected carefully. Crafting a seamless narrative flow is important, with a clear introduction, plot development, and conclusion.
150+ Deep Writing Prompts About Life to REALLY Reflect
Write unfiltered - as you respond to each writing prompt, just follow your stream of consciousness. Don't think too hard about flow or sentence structure. Just go wherever your mind insists on taking you! Immerse yourself in memories - reflect on memories that may have shaped you or impacted your childhood development.
Welcome to the Purdue Online Writing Lab
Mission. The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue Writing Lab serves the Purdue, West Lafayette, campus and coordinates with local literacy initiatives.
How to Create a Writing Prompt (with Examples)
Recap: Tips for Specific Writing Prompts. Define the format (blog entry/post, how-to guide, medical report, poem, etc). Define your target audience (beginners, experts, etc) and TOV (formal, casual, etc). Include your primary keyword that AI must use throughout (solar panels, best beaches in Florida, Google's March 2024 Core Update, etc).
How the Process of Memoir Writing Broke a Barrier for Me to Write
Memoir was born as a natural progression for my writing to reach a new place with more meaning. I immersed myself in learning the craft of memoir, starting with a simple definition: a nonfiction narrative written from the author's perspective about a single, important part of their life. Intellectual understanding of the parts that made ...
8 Ways to Create AI-Proof Writing Prompts
5. Make Assignments Personal. Having students reflect on material in their own lives can be a good way to prevent AI writing. In-person teachers can get to know their students well enough to know ...
125 Picture Prompts for Creative and Narrative Writing
Below you'll find 125 photos, illustrations and GIFs from across The New York Times that you can use for both creative and personal writing. We have organized them by genre, but many overlap and ...

WEEKLY WRITING PROMPTS

Showing 2139 prompts

A character overhears something at a black-tie event that puts the night in jeopardy.

Write a story in which someone can only hear one side of a conversation and must piece together the meaning of what they’ve heard.

Write a story about a child overhearing something they don’t understand.

Write a story in which someone is afraid of being overheard.

Introducing Prompted , a new magazine written by you!

Write a story about a character driving and getting lost.

Write a story titled 'Persuasion'.

Contest #250 LIVE

Prize money

Recent winners 🏆

Leaderboard 🥇

Bring your short stories to life

Creative Writing Prompts

Why we love creative writing prompts

After you find the perfect story idea

Beyond creative writing prompts: how to build a writing routine

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

105 Writing Prompts for Self-Reflection and Self-Discovery

Writing can be the perfect tool for self-reflection.

Writing Tips – Getting Started

Stream of consciousness

Ditch perfection.

Invest in things that make the writing process enjoyable

Here is a list of 105 writing prompts for self-reflection and self-discovery

Self-development

Relationships

Self-reflection

Career, Goals & Dreams

More writing prompts

Further Reading...

The Joys of Writing and Reflecting + 4 Writing Prompts

What I learned from my first 12 months in business

tell your stories, love your life

Related Posts

Share this:

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Discover more from BRYN DONOVAN

87 Self-Reflective Prompts To Help You Write About Yourself

What Is a Unique Way to Write about Yourself?

Things to Write about Yourself: 87 Writing Prompts

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

13 Thought-Provoking Personal Narrative Prompts

To be a person is to have a story to tell. –Isak Dinesen

13 Personal Narrative Prompts

#1 Favorite School Memory

# 2 Worst School Memory

#3 Frightening Story

# 4 “Just Between Friends”

#5 Family Story

#7 First Love

#8 Success Story

#9 Personal Failure

#10 Accident

#11 Unresolved Experience

#12 An International or National Event or Incident

#13 Change the World Experience

Choose a Personal Narrative Prompt and Write

Tutorpreneur Hero Award

SSL Certificate Seal

Privacy Overview

Authentically Del

100 Deep Journal Prompts for Personal Growth

Journaling for Personal Growth

100 Personal Growth Journal Prompts

Self-Reflection Journal Prompts for Growth

Present Moment Journal Prompts for Growth

Goal-Setting Journal Prompts for Growth

There are 100 journal prompts for growth.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Trending This Week in the Shop…

Want to Work With Me? Click Here!

100+ Narrative Writing Prompts: Beyond Writer’s Block

Key Takeaways

100 Narrative Writing Prompts

Relationships

Imagination

Accomplishments