Prompts
Do you want to submit but are struggling to find inspiration to create? Use one of these prompts and send us what you create!
It’s Thanksgiving and Grandma’s finally ready to start carving the turkey. But when she puts it on the table, everyone’s mortified to discover that it’s not a turkey at all. What is it? Will you eat the “turkey” for Grandma’s sake?
A coffee shop visit has gone much differently than you expected. Perhaps you had an encounter with someone very mysterious.
A mysterious box appears on your doorstep in the dead of night! What does it look like? What’s inside? Did you see who delivered it?
You woke up late at night when you suddenly saw movement out of the corner of your eye. What was it? Why did you randomly wake up? What were you thinking when you tried peering into the darkness? Write a story or draw an image of the scene.
You go to your favorite bookstore and feel yourself being drawn to a particular shelf. On it rests a book that you know you need to read. What is the book about? What does its cover look like? What about this book would draw you to it?
The moon has changed colors right before your eyes! Find a way to explain it. Fantasy? Horror Science? What can you come up with?
Go outside and write or draw what you see! Create something abstract reflecting the beauty of flowers! Draw that bee you see stealing nectar from a flower!
Spend the day staring up at the sky and into the clouds. What kind of shapes are the clouds making? What story are the clouds telling us?
Everybody has a signature drawing or writing style. Try to draw or write something 2-3 different ways. Experimenting never hurts!
We all have something that brings us joy. Show what brings you happiness.
You received a box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day! What are your favorite or least favorite flavors and types inside?
What do you consider your best memory? Why do you consider it so?
Create something based on what the winter sun might be thinking. Does it see children making snow angels? Does it like having a few months off, or is it eager to warm up the world again?
Depict the story of a snowflake. Does it gently swoop down from the sky? Or does it get caught on a car window and travel far, far away? You decide!
It’s every student’s favorite: a snow day! What do you do to spend this unexpected day off?
Give your favorite color a story. Create something about what that color represents, what emotions that color brings forth, etc.
We all have someone who has inspired us. Who has inspired you?
We are always jamming to our favorite songs. Using your favorite son as inspiration, create something.
You were playing around with some potions, trying to discover something new. However, something went wrong. Tell us what happened!
You look in the mirror and something seems different about you. Turns out, your mirror leads to an alternate world and this your alternate self. Describe what this alternate world is like from your own.
You are alone. There is no one else in sight. You have the freedom to do anything but no one to enjoy it with, show what the experience might be like.
Time travel is possible, and you are given the chance to go to any place across time. Show us your journeys to another place and time.
There’s a mystery afoot, and you’ve been asked to solve it. What is the mystery your town is facing and how it is solved.
You’re given the chance to visit another planet, any planet of your choice. Describe your surroundings, your findings, your discoveries and so on.
Have you ever missed out on the chance to say goodbye to someone? Create something about what you would tell that person if you could see them one last time.
Aliens are real. What are they like? What is humanity’s first encounter with them?
Do you have a dream vacation spot? Create a story about traveling there!
Take the ocean by the hook. An adventure on the open seas, what is it like? A pirate adventure or something very different? Let the ocean currents guide your imagination.
Being a student today means something different than being a student fifty years ago. Create something about all the hardships, expectations, accomplishments and so on that you face as a student.
Imagine you are stuck alone on an island for 48 hours. What would you eat? Where would you sleep? Would you want to stay on the island or hurry home? Tell us your island story.
You wake up as your favorite celebrity. Describe your day.
Look outside. If you’re already outside, look around you. Use your five senses to write about your surroundings in detail.
Why do you write? You are here looking at this prompt for a reason. Write about your motivation to write. What is the spark that drives you?
We all have dreams—whether they are fun, weird, or scary. Do you remember your most recent dream? Why not write it down or turn it into a story?
Take a walk. It helps you relax and clear your head. What do you find on this walk? You may always find something new, something simple, or even magical.