Creative Writing Prompts for Beginners

Happy November, dear readers!

Have you ever wanted to get into creative writing but had absolutely no idea where to start? Maybe you haven’t written a story since your middle school English class. Or, I’m sure there’s plenty of people in the world who have always wanted to write but never quite knew what to put on the page. Either way, getting started can be the hardest part!

Sometimes we get so caught up in everyday life that we forget to exercise our imagination. We spend our days thinking practically, answering emails, checking off to do lists, and generally being responsible adults (how unfortunate). But creativity is something you can practice, and you don’t need to be an experienced writer to start.

So I’ve put together a collection of beginner friendly creative writing prompts designed to get you thinking, imagining, and playing around with ideas again. No experience necessary and definitely no expectations. There is absolutely no pressure to write the next great American novel here. Just pick a prompt and see where your imagination takes you! And remember to remind yourself that it’s ok if you don’t feel like you wrote something very “good”. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it should just exist. The fast pace of our modern world has made it seem that the results are all we should aim for and those results should be immaculate. But in writing, creating is the joy. The work itself is the fun. Embrace sucking and being a beginner and this can apply to more than just writing.

Alright, I’ll get off my little soap box now. Onto the prompts!

1. Everyday imagination

These are especially good for people who haven’t exercised their creative muscles in a while.

1. Describe your perfect day if you had absolutely no responsibilities.
2. Imagine you find a mysterious envelope in your mailbox. What does it say?
3. Write about a place you’ve never visited but have always wanted to see.
4. Describe your childhood bedroom as though you’re introducing it in a novel.
5. Invent a small shop you’d love to visit. What does it sell? Who owns it?
6. If your pet could talk for one day, what would they tell you?
7. Write about an ordinary object on your desk as though it has a fascinating history.
8. Imagine you wake up tomorrow with a completely different daily routine or job as a different person. What does your life look like?

2. Let your imagination run wild

1. What if you discovered a tiny door in the wall of your house?
2. Imagine that every person receives a letter on their 25th birthday predicting one event in their future.
3. You discover that your hometown has a secret that everyone knows about except you.
4. What if you could visit one fictional world for an afternoon?
5. Imagine a world where people can bottle and sell their dreams.
6. You find a map tucked inside an old library book. Where does it lead?
7. What if the moon disappeared for one night?
8. Imagine that mythical creatures are real but have learned to live among humans.

3. Create a character

1. Invent a person who has a very unusual hobby. What is it, and how did they get started?
2. Describe someone who always carries a mysterious object in their pocket.
3. Create a character who is terrible at keeping secrets.
4. Imagine someone who has lived in the same little town their entire life but has never left their house.
5. Invent a character who receives an unexpected inheritance. What did they inherit?
6. Describe a person based entirely on the contents of their bedroom.
7. Create two characters who are complete opposites but become unlikely friends.

4. Practice storytelling

These give beginners a little more direction without requiring a complicated plot.

1. Write a story that begins with: “I knew something was wrong when the birds stopped singing.”
2. Someone accidentally sends a very personal letter to the wrong address. What happens next?
3. Two strangers are stuck waiting together somewhere. What brings them there?
4. A character returns to a place they haven’t visited in ten years. What has changed?
5. Write about a person who makes a seemingly insignificant decision that changes their entire day.
6. Someone knocks on your character’s door at midnight. They weren’t expecting company.
7. Write a story in which the main character gets exactly what they wished for, but not in the way they expected.

5. Little creative writing exercises

These are less about writing a complete story and more about getting comfortable putting imaginative thoughts on paper.

1. Describe a rainy afternoon without using the words rain, wet, or clouds.
2. Write a conversation between two objects sitting on your kitchen counter.
3. Describe a fictional place using all five senses.
4. Write a short story in exactly 100 words.
5. Invent a holiday that doesn’t exist. What do people celebrate?
6. Describe a memory. Any memory. Now alter it ever so slightly.
7. Write a paragraph about a color as though it were a person.
8. Make up the first and last sentence of a story. You can figure out what happens in between later!

I’m sure you’ve done wonderful work! And wonderful doesn’t mean perfect and that’s alright, friends! Keep writing and see where it takes you! Take comfort in knowing you’ve made yourself just a little more imaginative today. 🙂

See ya in the next post!