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Creative Writing Prompts Library
Hundreds of unique and engaging writing prompts for writers, teachers, and students.
Are you looking for writing inspiration? Need an idea or a prompt or two to get you going? Well, "X" marks the spot because you've just unearthed a treasure-trove of inspiring, unique, and creative prompts to use for yourself, in writing workshops, or if you're a teacher, with your students!
Yes, in this collection Creativity Portal has created and collaborated with writing experts and teachers to bring you hundreds of writing prompts, story starters, photo prompts, writer's exercises, printable activities, and generated ideas to spark your imagination. Browse all options below.
Printable Prompt Activities
Take Ten for Writers Exercises
Get creative with these exercises from Bonnie Neubauer's Take Ten for Writers! Each of these exercises comes with 10 different variables, so every exercise can be done 10 unique times with 10 very different results!
Write-Brain Writing Exercises
Never face a blank page again with these thought-provoking, fun, and playful writing exercises from Bonnie Neubauer's The Write-Brain Workbook!
Write Your Own Cookie Fortunes! (or Mis-Fortunes)
Use the limited lines, characters, and spaces in the small fortune cookie message format as a writing prompt to create a one-sentence adventure, a 3-word story or best one-liner ever! Great for writing cookie fortunes or opposite mis-fortunes!
Brickstorming! Write Your Legacy Brick
What would you write on your legacy brick in 3 lines with 14 characters each? Here's your chance to craft your own witty legacy!
Write the Story Prompts
This activity will stretch your creative imagination, especially since there are no right or wrong answers, only your own interpretation (think inkblots).
Prompt Generators
365 Pictures Daily Photo Prompt
An intentional focus on one new image/prompt pair per day to inspire your creativity, in whatever form that may be. Worldwide creative collaboration of imagery, photos, art, and writing.
Imagination Prompt Generator
Creativity Portal's Imagination Prompt Generator will inspire you by outputting one of many randomly generated writing prompts at the press of a button.
Themed Photo Prompts (Travel, Essay, Teaching with Prompts)
Southwest Series Photo Prompts
A "dry heat" series of travel photos and writing prompts that will ultimately include the following Arizona desert destinations: Tombstone, Bisbee, and the Chiricahua National Monument.
Travel Adventure Prompts by Kristi Tencarre
A picturesque writing prompt adventure series inspired by photography enthusiast Kristi Tencarre travels around the world.
Photo Prompts by Carolina Pichardo
Carolina's work has allowed her to travel to places like China, Germany, Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. Take in the wonders of the world in this wonderful thought-provoking series.
Using Photos and Poems to Inspire Writing with Hank Kellner
Educator Hank Kellner demonstrates how writing teachers can take advantage of students' increasing fascination with photo sharing on social media and poetic expression through lyrical song to help them develop their own creative interest and motivation for writing for classroom assigmnents.
Photographic Essays with Cynthia Staples
Take in a visual feast and an adventurous exploration of light, shadow, and color in Cynthia's collection of eye-appealing photographic essays and photography prompts.
Seasonal and Holiday Prompts
Spring Writing Prompts
Add a springy step to your writing! Words and picture prompts to inspire your springtime writing needs when everything is fresh and new.
Summer Writing Prompts
Hot and vibrant words and pictures to shine some sun fun on your summertime writing adventures when it's just too sticky to go outside.
Autumn Writing Prompts
Cool, crisp, colorful words and pictures to inspire your fall time writing adventures. Colorful leaves, vibrant trees, pumpkins, and reflections on the dying off of nature.
Thanksgiving Day Writing Prompts
Words and writing prompts to inspire thankful thoughts and gratitude for this Thanksgiving holiday.
Winter Writing Prompts
Freezing scenes and Christmas festivities, these words and pictures will inspire your winter and holiday time writing when it's nice to snuggle up in front of a cozy fireplace to write.
New Year Creative Writing Prompts
The beginning of a new year means it's time to weave new dreams and new hopes for your creative life.
Write Now Inspiration
What were the founding families thinking making their place of residence here? Imagine you could live here for a day or a week while the city was thriving. Now imagine living here in the present, in its deserted ghost-town-tourist-attraction state. What would your life be like? How would you react to the lack of amenities to which you are accustomed? What can we learn from simplicity? —Kristi Tencarre
More Writing Prompts
Using Photos to Inspire Writing
Imagination Prompt Generator
365 Photos
Chatzi's Prompts
Fortune Cookie Fortunes
Travel Adventure
Magic Crayon Journal
Take 10 for Writers
Write-Brain Workbook
Old West Prompts: Birdcage Theatre