101 Writing Prompts and Ideas: Fiction & Non-Fiction.

By Christin Sander

I love to write and have found an appreciation for the benefits that come from challenging myself to engage in different writing styles.Writing is cathartic in many ways, from personal journals, to just having a place to allow your mind to explore.The best writers are well-rounded and always open to exploring new ideas and writing techniques.

I believe all writers thrive when they challenge themselves to do something different.For those of us who primarily write non-fiction or informational articles, we should challenge ourselves to write more creatively, developing characters and plots etc.It helps us to develop creative thinking and makes our writing more meaningful because we learn to use powerful descriptions and ideas in our more informational writing.Informational writing is better for us when our readers “connect” with it and it engages them by invoking feeling.When is the last time an encyclopedia really got your blood pumping? ;) When readers value what we write they come back for more. Creative writing gives that edge to standard, informational writing.

On the other hand, those who primarily do creative writing can truly benefit by trying writing that is more structured like “how-to” articles are.Structured writing allows creative ideas to flow more cohesively.Structure is an important component to all writing and can help creative writers develop story lines that flow nicely, are easy to follow, and understand.I know I quickly get frustrated with stories that “jump around” or are carelessly worded and arranged.I appreciate the effort it takes for a writer to really make their prose flow well.

Both writing styles work to enhance each other and we should avoid being only “one type of writer”.Empower yourself to be the strongest writer possible by engaging in writing that makes you uncomfortable on a regular basis.This opens your mind to new possibilities and enhances your writing skills in the process.

Here I would like to share 101 random writing prompts or ideas.Some are creative and others are for non-fiction work. The idea is to pick one that seems challenging and just start writing.Free writing is a great way to get your ideas out on paper.Go back to it later and develop the good parts into other works. Who knows? Maybe there will be some good hub ideas born here ;). You may also find that you learn some things about yourself in the process and that’s always wonderful too! I really believe that writing has the power to change our lives.You can learn more about my personal writing philosophy at www.DailyPowerWords.net

1) If I were a superhero my special power would be……

2) If I were an animal I would choose to be a ……., because………..

3) Describe a random inanimate object near to you right now – without saying what it is.Paint a word picture that makes people understand what you are writing about.

4) Pick an inanimate object and tell a story through its eyes as though it were a living being.

5) What 3 words best describe you and why

6) If you could interview one person, alive or dead, who would it be and what 3 questions would you ask them? What do you think their answers would be?

7) What have you always wanted to try that you have never done?

8) Name the top five best vacation spots according to your experience and “sell” people on the idea.

9) Who do you think you are?

10) How to win at ___________. (pick a game you are good at)

11) The best free activities to enjoy in your area

12) You are a talk show host – how do you run your show and what is it about?

13) The best way to deal with a difficult relative

14) Is honesty always the best policy? Why or why not?

15) A day in the life of your cat/dog through his/her eyes.

16) What is the best season of the year and why?

17) How do you save money on groceries?

18) What is your favorite color and how does it make you feel?

19) Coffee or Tea?

20) How do you handle a cold?

21) Describe yourself as your favorite mythical creature (unicorn, fairy, dragon etc.)

22) Today is your last day on Earth – what do you do with it?

23) What is your extended definition of maturity?

24) Create an extended definition for the first word that pops into your head.

25) What do you hate about writing?

26) This morning I sat up quickly and looked out the window and there it was, a ……….

27) Suddenly it moved, startling her and she………..

28) What does it mean to be a Man/Woman? (Define both if you really want a challenge ;) )

29) The craziest thing I ever believed was…..

30) Top 10 ways to spend a lazy day

31) Top 10 favorite (movies/songs/whatever) and why

32) The best thing that ever happened to me was….

33) The most wonderful thing about today so far is ……..

34) Persuade – Is texting a good thing? Why or why not

35) Persuade – any subject you are passionate about that is not religion or politics – think outside the box

36) Persuade – why do you deserve a raise?

37) The best way to prepare oatmeal

38) Tips for making awesome cookies or whatever dessert comes to mind

39) Is all soda bad for you – why or why not? (use sources to back your claim)

40) What is the best way to eat healthy?

41) Combine the follow 3 things into a work of writing: a coffee cup, fear of snakes, and a sunny day

42) Your character suspects his/her spouse is lying to them or worse, cheating. When they investigate they discover a big surprise and it’s …

43) You walk out of your front door and discover there are no people around – everything is quiet and eerily not right… what happened?

44) Your character thinks the boss is about to fire him so he ….

45) Pick one of your greatest strengths and develop a character of the opposite gender who also has that strength

46) Develop the scene of a great ghost story

47) Picture an ideal land/place in your mind and then describe it in vivid detail.

48) Hey, what’s that up there in the sky?

49) Holy cow! I can’t believe they did that! (What did they do?)

50) Pick your favorite meal and describe in detail how you prepare it

51) Would a monkey make a good pet?

52) What would life be like if you were only one foot tall?

53) What would life be like if you were 10 feet tall?

54) What foreign country would you most like to visit and why?

55) If there was a planet of alien life forms what do you suppose they would be like?

56) How do you take a great picture?

57) If you could do anything you wanted to right now, with no limitations, what would it be?

58) You’re driving down the road when suddenly….

59) It was a lovely day to go for a walk so she took a different route and what she discovered was…

60) Describe what it’s like to sit by the ocean

61) What are the benefits of spending time alone? Do you do it often enough or too much?

62) Which of your relatives do you like the least and why?

63) What is your greatest accomplishment?

64) What do you want to be remembered for?

65) Write your own eulogy (tough one!)

66) What historic figure do you admire the most?

67) Which historic person do you feel you are most like and why?

68) The biggest lie I ever told was….

69) How do you write a great short story?

70) What steps do you take as a writer to really polish your writing

71) What are your best writing tips

72) Pick a hobby and describe how to do it in 10 simple steps

73) Who is the most interesting person you have met?

74) The most unusual thing happened to me today ….

75) She opened up the door and ……

76) When I was a child my favorite thing to do was …

77) How do you grow a _______ plant? (Pick one – whatever you like to grow an herb, veggie, flower etc.)

78) How to be a great (whatever your career or hobby is here)

79) 5 simple ways to make more money

80) 5 simple ways to add more joy to your life

81) Why credit is good/bad

82) Develop a plan to build something and share it

83) Complicate something simple ;) the opposite of what we normally do.Take something simple and really break it down in very basic parts. – getting out of bed, starting the day, eating breakfast or anything else you can think of

84) Describe a unique ritual or habit you have and how it came to be

85) Do you love yourself the same way you love others? Why or why not?

86) Choose a random photograph from your collection.Look at it for a few minutes and then write about how it made you feel and the thoughts that came up

87) “Silence is golden” – why?

88) What were you like 10 years ago? What will you be like 10 years from now?

89) What do you want to do right now?

90) What are you afraid of? Create a character with the same fear or phobia and describe them in detail.

91) Create a single character based on a composite of your mother and father.

92) Describe the perfect place for a pair of soul mates to meet.

93) Describe the scent of freshly brewed coffee or bread baking

94) Describe various colors to a person who has always been blind to help them conceptualize them.

95) You find yourself alone in a spooky old house so you ….

96) You look in the mirror and your face is missing – instead you see ….

97) Your top ten cooking tips

98) How do you ride a bike?

99) What is the best national park in your area and why?

100) Describe your favorite local restaurant and convince someone why they should go there.

101) What is the best piece you have ever written and what makes it so?