Prompt Archive: Prompts Divided by Categories



Prompt Archive: Prompts Divided by Categories

NOTE: An asterisk indicates that a prompt is also located in the number categories that follow in parentheses.

1. Personal Statements/“I” Statement Starting Points

o Write about Sunday afternoon* (8)

o Write about a time someone said no* (4)

o Once, when no one was looking…* (2)

o Write about a time you found out about something you weren’t supposed to know

o “The first time I…”

o Write about a dream/ a recurring dream.* (3)

How would you change the ending?

If it did not end, how would you like it to end?

o “I never told you…”* (2)

o What are you waiting for?* (3)

o Write about a time you won/lost BIG.

o “Every morning…”* (2)

o “I still don’t know…”

o Write about a year ago

o Write about a time you wanted to leave, but couldn’t

o If I could do it over again…

o _____ is the color I remember.

o Pick ten people you know and write a one-sentence description of them.

o Write a 500 word biography of your life*(11)

o Write your obituary. List all of your life’s accomplishments. You can write it as if you died today or fifty or more years in the future.*(11)

o Write a 300 word description of your bedroom.*(8)

o Write a fictional interview with yourself, an acquaintance, a famous figure or a fictional character. Do it in the style of an appropriate (or inappropriate) magazine or publication such as Time, People, Rolling Stone, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen or Maxim.* (11)

o Try to identify your earliest childhood memory. Write down everything you can remember about it. Rewrite it as a scene. You may choose to do this from your current perspective or from the perspective you had at that age.

o Remember an old argument you had with another person. Write about the argument from the point of view of the other person. Remember that the idea is to see the argument from their perspective, no your own. This is an exercise in voice, not in proving yourself right or wrong.

o If I could become invisible…

o The strangest dream I ever had.

o The scariest thing that ever happened to me.

o Did you know that...

o I get scared when...

o I wish that I could...

o I am happy when...

o I am sad when...

o The things that get me upset.

o Most embarrassing moment.

o The most interesting place that I have ever visited.

o The happiest moment of my life.

o accomplishments.

o Why I like animals.

o favorite movie.

o favorite television show.

o fondest school memory.

o The person that I admire.

o The most interesting person that I have ever met.

o The biggest mess that I ever got myself into.

o fondest childhood memory.

o This is my hobby.

o biggest goal in life.

o What I would do if I were rich.

o parents

o religion*(8)

o First flight.

o If I had three wishes…

o I very much dislike….,because…

o What I think about gambling.* (8)

o My best friend

o My favorite type of music is…, because…

o Reasons why people argue.*(8)

o Friendship is…*(3,8)

o My home.

o My favorite sport.

o The saddest moment of my life.

o These are some things that I can do very well.

o Qualities that I look for in a friend.

o The greatest summer ever.

o The proudest moment of my life

o Things that really bother me.

o Things I like doing.

o Why are so many people selfish and greedy?*(3,8)

o Write a letter poem: Write a letter in the form of a poem, so that you are writing to a “you.” This “you” might be a stranger, a fictional character, someone who is dead, someone who is close to you…Who do you want to talk to? What do you want to talk to them about? Be detailed and specific…make it personal.*(3,4,11)

o Write an ode to your favorite food: Write about your favorite food and BE SPECIFIC. Write about texture, taste, smells, times you might eat that food, color, memories the food brings up, or anything else that you think of. *(8)

o Reflect on an intense physical experience: Make a list of at least 10 intense physical experiences that you have had. It could be anything from waiting tables at a busy restaurant to climbing a mountain to having a child. Choose one that is especially vivid and interesting. Take a few minutes to reflect on that moment. What was the setting? What images do you remember? How did you feel? Saw? Heard? Thought? *(3)

o Write about something you wish you could change: Think of anything that you wish was different and would like to change. This does not have to be personal. Write details about what it is and what you don’t like about it, and be specific and creative about the way you would change it. *(8)

o “To You” poem…write a letter. It doesn’t necessarily have to be in the form of a letter, but it should be directed at a “you.” Think about who you want “you” to be…a fictional character, a lover, someone who has passed away, a family member. Before you start, brainstorm for a few minutes and make a list of all the possible people who could be “you.”

o “Firsts”…choose a first time that you did something and freewrite for 5 minutes. *(8)

o What's a daily activity you must do that's not one of your favorite activities? Be specific. Once you have it, write a piece called 'Ten things that are worse than (whatever activity you thought of).' *(8)

o Write about a time when someone said no.

o Think of the one place that is the most special to you. Imagine you are a painter, painting that place so that others will see what it looks like too. Using words as paint create a picture on your piece of paper.*(4)

o Describe the most interesting conversation you had today.

o Share Clifton’s “Homage to My Hips” and have the women think about a part of their body that they would like to celebrate – maybe a part of their body they don’t usually think about, like their knees or their feet, or a part of their body that they don’t usually celebrate, like their stomachs or their thighs, or their favorite feature, like their skin or eyes.*(6)

o Identity: Think about one of your favorite things. It might be a book, a game, a piece of clothing, a knick knack or a picture. What does it say about you? Would it help someone new understand you? How? *(3)

o Consider the idea of being famous. Try writing a paragraph about a famous person who you admire. Now what about you? The writer, Naomi Shihab Nye writes: “The river is famous to the fish,” “The tear is famous, briefly, to the cheek,” “The boot is famous to the earth,” and “The bent photograph is famous to the one who carries it/and not at all famous to the one who is pictured.” Who do you want to be famous for? Try writing about it.*(8)

o If I were a color, I’d be:

o If I were an animal, I’d be:

o If I were a song, I’d be:

o If I were a musical instrument, I’d be:

o If I were a car, I’d be:

o If I were a piece of furniture, I’d be:

o If I were a sound, I’d be:

o If I were a food, I’d be:

o If I were a piece of clothing, I’d be:

o Begin with “I don’t remember” (for example: “I don’t remember when was the last time/ I seen real daylight/ or the last time I went to sleep after midnight”.)*(2)

o Mask poems. Talk about the masks people wear and then write about a mask (or masks) you wear—describe it/them. *(8)

o Describe the grossest thing you ever did or witnessed. Try to use details that will make your readers feel the same way you did.

o

2. Poetic/Literary Starting Points

o Once, when no one was looking…*(1)

o “I never told you…”*(1)

o “Every morning…”* (1)

o I will tell you a story that is only half true.

o Begin with “I don’t remember” (for example: “I don’t remember when was the last time/ I seen real daylight/ or the last time I went to sleep after midnight”.)*(1)

o Write a poem or story entitled “Survival” or “Home.”

o Begin with “in this world.”

o Finish this sentence: She’s the type of person who always…

o What would your feet say if they could talk? What would your hands say?*(3)

3. Question Prompts

o What are you waiting for?*(1)

o Write about a dream/ a recurring dream* (1)

How would you change the ending?

If it did not end, how would you like it to end?

o Why do nations wage wars?*(8)

o What is friendship?*(1,8)

o How can troubled kids be helped?*(8)

o Why are so many people selfish and greedy?*(1,8)

o How can the problem of hunger be solved?*(8)

o Write a letter poem: Write a letter in the form of a poem, so that you are writing to a “you.” This “you” might be a stranger, a fictional character, someone who is dead, someone who is close to you…Who do you want to talk to? What do you want to talk to them about? Be detailed and specific…make it personal.*(1,4,11)

o Reflect on an intense physical experience: Make a list of at least 10 intense physical experiences that you have had. It could be anything from waiting tables at a busy restaurant to climbing a mountain to having a child. Choose one that is especially vivid and interesting. Take a few minutes to reflect on that moment. What was the setting? What images do you remember? How did you feel? Saw? Heard? Thought? *(1)

o Write about silence: How can it be dangerous? Can it ever protect you? What is “silence” to you?*(8)

o Identity: Think about one of your favorite things. It might be a book, a game, a piece of clothing, a knick knack or a picture. What does it say about you? Would it help someone new understand you? How? *(1)

o Windows: Imagine a window somewhere (at home, at work, in the car, etc.). Look through it. What do you see? Try to write down exactly what you are looking at. Get descriptive by using the five senses to make your writing as visual as possible. How does the scene look, smell, feel, sound, and taste (though the last one might not apply!)?*(4,5)

o Time: Try thinking about the concept of time. Why is it that sometimes time seems to go so quickly and other times it seems to drag on forever? Write about a memory (real or imagined) when time seemed to fly by or go slowly. Put in as many details as you can so readers can see what you see. *(4)

o You’ve just won a free plane ticket. Where would you go? Write about it in as much detail as you can. *(4)

o You’ve just won a free plan ticket—but it is only one way. Where would you go? Write about it!*(4)

o Is it important to have categories like “boy,” “girl,” “man,” and “woman”? What does it mean to be “treated” like a girl or boy?*(6)

o Imagine you were the opposite gender. What would that be like? How would you be different? How could you be the same? How would the world see you?*(4,6)

o What would your feet say if they could talk? What would your hands say?*(2)

o

4. Situational Prompts/“Imagine if…” Starting Points

o Write about a time someone said no* (1)

o You’re standing in a doorway…

o It was a rainy day.

o It was a snowy day.

o You are standing on one side of a closed door.

o Record five minutes of a talk radio show. Write down the dialogue and add narrative descriptions of the speakers and actions as if you were writing a scene.

o Write a letter poem: Write a letter in the form of a poem, so that you are writing to a “you.” This “you” might be a stranger, a fictional character, someone who is dead, someone who is close to you…Who do you want to talk to? What do you want to talk to them about? Be detailed and specific…make it personal.*(3,1,11)

o Think of the one place that is the most special to you. Imagine you are a painter, painting that place so that others will see what it looks like too. Using words as paint create a picture on your piece of paper.*(1)

o Think about someone you know who is at least ten years older or younger than you. Write about an experience, made up or real from their point of view. Think about the sorts of observations that person might make and what thoughts or feelings they might have in that situation.

o Imagine that you could make your own rules for being a woman. What would they be? What lessons about being a woman do you wish you’d been taught? Write down your new rules for being a woman (freewrite, poem, list).*(6)

o Windows: Imagine a window somewhere (at home, at work, in the car, etc.). Look through it. What do you see? Try to write down exactly what you are looking at. Get descriptive by using the five senses to make your writing as visual as possible. How does the scene look, smell, feel, sound, and taste (though the last one might not apply!)?*(3,5)

o Time: Try thinking about the concept of time. Why is it that sometimes time seems to go so quickly and other times it seems to drag on forever? Write about a memory (real or imagined) when time seemed to fly by or go slowly. Put in as many details as you can so readers can see what you see. *(3)

o Respond to the phrase: Listen Up! Write this on the top of your page. Now imagine someone you wish would just sit down and listen to you without interrupting. Listen Up! What comes next? Try to write for 10 minutes about something you have to say.*(6)

o You’ve just won a free plane ticket. Where would you go? Write about it in as much detail as you can. *(3)

o You’ve just won a free plan ticket—but it is only one way. Where would you go? Write about it!*(3)

o Imagine you were the opposite gender. What would that be like? How would you be different? How could you be the same? How would the world see you?*(3,6)

o

o

5. Image Prompts

o Color writing…choose a color, use it as a title, then freewrite any feelings, images, or thoughts that come to you when you think about that color. *(8)

o Write about a picture. What does the picture remind you of? How would you describe this picture to someone? What’s happening in the picture? What strikes you about it? Does this picture tell a story? What happened right before this picture was taken, and what will happen right after? Who are the people in the picture?

o Windows: Imagine a window somewhere (at home, at work, in the car, etc.). Look through it. What do you see? Try to write down exactly what you are looking at. Get descriptive by using the five senses to make your writing as visual as possible. How does the scene look, smell, feel, sound, and taste (though the last one might not apply!)?*(4,3)

o

6. Prompts for/about Women

o Share Clifton’s “Homage to My Hips” and have the women think about a part of their body that they would like to celebrate – maybe a part of their body they don’t usually think about, like their knees or their feet, or a part of their body that they don’t usually celebrate, like their stomachs or their thighs, or their favorite feature, like their skin or eyes.*(1)

o Imagine that you could make your own rules for being a woman. What would they be? What lessons about being a woman do you wish you’d been taught? Write down your new rules for being a woman (freewrite, poem, list).*(4)

o Respond to the phrase: Listen Up! Write this on the top of your page. Now imagine someone you wish would just sit down and listen to you without interrupting. Listen Up! What comes next? Try to write for 10 minutes about something you have to say.*(4)

o Is it important to have categories like “boy,” “girl,” “man,” and “woman”? What does it mean to be “treated” like a girl or boy?*(3)

o Imagine you were the opposite gender. What would that be like? How would you be different? How could you be the same? How would the world see you?*(4,3)

o

7. “Use these words/characters/elements” Prompts

o Pick up a newspaper or supermarket tabloid. Scan the articles until you find one that interests you and use it as the basis for a scene or story.

o Take a passage from a book, a favorite or a least favorite, and rewrite the passage in a different style such as noir, gothic romance, pulp fiction or horror story. *(11)

o Pick an author, one you like though not necessarily your favorite, and make a list of what you like about the way they write. Do this from memory first, without rereading their work. After you’ve made your list, reread some of their work and see if you missed anything or if your answers change. Analyze what elements of their writing style you can add to your own, and what elements you should not or cannot add. Remember that your writing style is your own, and that you should only try to think of ways to add to your own style. Never try to mimic someone else for more than an exercise or two.

o Take a piece of your writing that you have written in first person and rewrite it in third person, or vice-versa. You can also try this exercise changing tense, narrators, or other stylistic elements. Don’t do this with an entire book. Stick to shorter works. Once you commit to a style for a book, never look back or you will spend all of your time rewriting instead of writing.

o Sit in a restaurant or a crowded area and write down the snippets of conversation you hear. Listen to the people around you — how they talk and what words they use. Once you have done this, you can practice finishing their conversations. Write your version of what comes next in the conversation. Match their style.*(8)

o Brainstorm a list of silly or “nonsense” words as a group and write them on the white board. Read the “Jabberwocky” poem aloud a few times. Write a poem using 5 of the silly or “nonsense” words from the board.*(9,10)

o Pick 6 words that you enjoy in terms of sound, meaning, or visual appeal.  Try to write a 10 line poem using ONLY these words.  If you need to, you can add other words such as: the, an, a. Don't worry about the poem making sense, rather, try to focus on using the words in combination with one another to create interesting or beautiful strings of words/language.  Use the words in ways you have never used them before. *(10)

o Pick two unique nouns.

Ex: jellyfish, storyteller

Valentine, running shoe

A promise , giraffe

Now, fit these nouns into the following sentence/metaphor. Now spend some time explaining how the metaphor/sentence makes sense/operates. Can you relate it to personal experience? Is there any logic behind the connection? Add adjectives if you would like! Create a story or statement based around the connection between the two words.

The ____________was strangely like ______________ 

or

The ____________ was strangely similar to the _____________... *(10)

o

8. Writing about Ideas, Abstractions, or Things

o Write about Sunday afternoon* (1)

o Write about shadows

o Write about fireworks

o Write about an island

o Write a 300 word description of your bedroom.*(1)

o Keep a diary of a fictional character.*(11)

o Write a 200-word description of a place. You can use any and all sensory descriptions but sight: you can describe what it feels like, sounds like, smells like and even tastes like. Try to write the description in such a way that people will not miss the visual details.

o Sit in a restaurant or a crowded area and write down the snippets of conversation you hear. Listen to the people around you — how they talk and what words they use. Once you have done this, you can practice finishing their conversations. Write your version of what comes next in the conversation. Match their style.*(7)

o The meaning of “freedom”.

o Why do nations wage wars?*(3)

o There will only be peace on earth when…

o religion* (1)

o What I think about gambling.*(1)

o Reasons why people argue.* (1)

o What is friendship?* (1,3)

o How can troubled kids be helped?*(3)

o Why are so many people selfish and greedy? *(1,3)

o How can the problems of hunger be solved?* (3)

o Write an ode to your favorite food: Write about your favorite food and BE SPECIFIC. Write about texture, taste, smells, times you might eat that food, color, memories the food brings up, or anything else that you think of. *(1)

o Write about something you wish you could change: Think of anything that you wish was different and would like to change. This does not have to be personal. Write details about what it is and what you don’t like about it, and be specific and creative about the way you would change it. *(1)

o Color writing…choose a color, use it as a title, then freewrite any feelings, images, or thoughts that come to you when you think about that color. *(5)

o Write a favorite word down. Pass it to your right. Keep the word you got, then write down another word and pass it to your left. Once you have two words, write a description using those two words. Could be in poetry form or prose…if we read a passage, we could have them choose a word from the passage to use. *(9,10)

o “Firsts”…choose a first time that you did something and freewrite for 5 minutes. *(1)

o What's a daily activity you must do that's not one of your favorite activities? Be specific. Once you have it, write a piece called 'Ten things that are worse than (whatever activity you thought of).' *(1)

o Write about the perfect day. What does it smell, sound, look, feel like? Give as many details as you can.

o Write about a place you've never been (can be anywhere from Paris to Mars).

o Write about silence: How can it be dangerous? Can it ever protect you? What is “silence” to you?*(3)

o Consider the idea of being famous. Try writing a paragraph about a famous person who you admire. Now what about you? The writer, Naomi Shihab Nye writes: “The river is famous to the fish,” “The tear is famous, briefly, to the cheek,” “The boot is famous to the earth,” and “The bent photograph is famous to the one who carries it/and not at all famous to the one who is pictured.” Who do you want to be famous for? Try writing about it.*(1)

o Mask poems. Talk about the masks people wear and then write about a mask (or masks) you wear—describe it/them. *(1)

o Write a dialogue between two people.*(11)

o Write about a time you felt safe.

o Write about the best meal you ever had.

o

9. Activity/Active Learning Prompts

o Write a favorite word down. Pass it to your right. Keep the word you got, then write down another word and pass it to your left. Once you have two words, write a description using those two words. Could be in poetry form or prose…if we read a passage, we could have them choose a word from the passage to use. *(8,10)

o Brainstorm a list of silly or “nonsense” words as a group and write them on the white board. Read the “Jabberwocky” poem aloud a few times. Write a poem using 5 of the silly or “nonsense” words from the board.*(7,10)

o Write a favorite word down. Pass it to your right. Keep the word you got, then write down another word and pass it to your left. Once you have two words, write a description using those two words. It could be in poetry form or prose.*(10,11)

o

10. Language/Word Play Prompts

o Write a favorite word down. Pass it to your right. Keep the word you got, then write down another word and pass it to your left. Once you have two words, write a description using those two words. Could be in poetry form or prose…if we read a passage, we could have them choose a word from the passage to use. *(8,10)

o Brainstorm a list of silly or “nonsense” words as a group and write them on the white board. Read the “Jabberwocky” poem aloud a few times. Write a poem using 5 of the silly or “nonsense” words from the board.*(9,8)

o Pick 6 words that you enjoy in terms of sound, meaning, or visual appeal.  Try to write a 10 line poem using ONLY these words.  If you need to, you can add other words such as: the, an, a. Don't worry about the poem making sense, rather, try to focus on using the words in combination with one another to create interesting or beautiful strings of words/language.  Use the words in ways you have never used them before. *(7)

o Pick two unique nouns.

Ex: jellyfish, storyteller

Valentine, running shoe

A promise , giraffe

Now, fit these nouns into the following sentence/metaphor. Now spend some time explaining how the metaphor/sentence makes sense/operates. Can you relate it to personal experience? Is there any logic behind the connection? Add adjectives if you would like! Create a story or statement based around the connection between the two words.

The ____________was strangely like ______________ 

or

The ____________ was strangely similar to the _____________... *(7)

o Write a favorite word down. Pass it to your right. Keep the word you got, then write down another word and pass it to your left. Once you have two words, write a description using those two words. It could be in poetry form or prose.*(9,11)

o

o

11. Specific Poetic/Prose Form Prompts

o Write a 500 word biography of your life.*(1)

o Write your obituary. List all of your life’s accomplishments. You can write it as if you died today or fifty or more years in the future.*(1)

o Write a fictional interview with yourself, an acquaintance, a famous figure or a fictional character. Do it in the style of an appropriate (or inappropriate) magazine or publication such as Time, People, Rolling Stone, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen or Maxim.* (1)

o Keep a diary of a fictional character.*(11)

o Take a passage from a book, a favorite or a least favorite, and rewrite the passage in a different style such as noir, gothic romance, pulp fiction or horror story. *(7)

o Write a letter poem: Write a letter in the form of a poem, so that you are writing to a “you.” This “you” might be a stranger, a fictional character, someone who is dead, someone who is close to you…Who do you want to talk to? What do you want to talk to them about? Be detailed and specific…make it personal.*(3,4,1)

o Write a haiku about a place you have traveled or would like to travel

o Write a favorite word down. Pass it to your right. Keep the word you got, then write down another word and pass it to your left. Once you have two words, write a description using those two words. It could be in poetry form or prose.*(10,9)

o Write a dialogue between two people.*(8)

o

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download