writing prompt round up

Writing Prompt Round-Up: 9 Of The Best Writing Prompt Resources To Inspire You

A good writing prompt is great for expanding your writing skills. If you don’t know what to write, a writing prompt that catches your attention and fires up your imagination can get you typing again when you’ve been staring at a blank page for too long.

I did think about providing a list of prompts for you, but it turns out there are many people out there doing this far better than I ever could. Instead, here’s a round-up of the best I could find, all in one handy place.

Take your pick, get writing, and enjoy!

This post contains an affiliate link, which means if you click and purchase, I receive a tiny referral fee at no cost to you. This helps to support my writing until I make the Sunday Times bestseller list. Thank you x

1) 5,000 Writing Prompts

With the free resources on the web listed below, there is no need to buy a book, but there is one exception and it’s this. If writing prompts are really your thing, you can’t go far wrong with this incredible collection. I dare you not to find inspiration in this book by Bryn Donovan.

There is something in here for everyone and still some leftover. They are organised by genre, as well as taking inspiration from characters, classic literature, and many other things. It also includes a large collection of blogging and autobiographical prompts. This absolute master list means you will never run out of inspiration.

2. The Longest List Of Writing Prompts – Reedsy Prompts

If you can’t find something here, then maybe you just don’t want to write anything. These are part of a weekly writing contest (but you can just use them at home if you don’t want to enter), and all the writing prompts are listed so you can go back through pages of them, and read the story submissions for each. Just about the biggest collection of writing prompts out there.

3. Detailed Writing Prompts By Genre – Self Publishing School

I really like this collection. Each one is quite detailed and they are all listed by genre, from horror and sci-fi to romance and dystopia. Not only that but there is also a long list (again by category) of non-fiction writing prompts. This is a great list to choose from, all on one page, and it’s a resource that would be pretty damn hard to exhaust.

4. 101 “What If…” Writing Prompt List – Screencraft

A great collection that all start with “What if…”.

With suggestions as outlandish as What if the creator had been in a coma? to What if hackers erased everyone’s debt? this is a very good collection that encourages unique and original writing. Each one is novel-worthy in the questions it raises. A great way to think outside the realms of normality and write about a world different to the one we know.

5. 41 (Non-Fiction) Writing Prompts For High School Students – Journal Buddies

These writing prompts are aimed at high school students, but I loved this list.

Ideas such as If I ever have children of my own, I will never… and What things make you feel angry? Why? are great titles to get the words pouring out onto the page.

These kinds of questions are great to use with all ages, including adults. They raise awareness of issues, make you think about the kind of person you are, and give you the freedom to write from the heart rather than from the imagination.

6. 50 Creative Writing Prompts – Book Fox

Some really original writing prompts in this list. I particularly like the use of your environment to find something to write about, e.g. Pick a small item from your desk drawer and write about a character who carries it around as a talisman.

The best one is the last one. It’s worth visiting the site just to see if it resonates with you 😉

7. A Detailed Writing Prompt Each Week – Poets & Writers

A lovely collection of detailed writing prompts that are updated weekly. These alternate between fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction, so there is lots of variety too. Each prompt is inspired by a quote, headline or news report and gives you brief background information before asking you to write something linked to it.

These are literary writing prompts that push you to write more eloquently than you might otherwise do.

8. 500 Creative Writing Prompts – Written Word Media

A great collection of writing prompts, some taken from other parts of the web. They are all collated in one place and listed by genre. There are some great ideas here that could be turned into successful short stories. This list also contains children and young adult ideas so it covers a very wide range of creative writing.

I particularly liked “After years on the job search, you’ve finally gotten your dream job – but it changes you for the worst.” So often we wish for things to make us happy when happiness is right inside us all the time (now I’m getting philosophical).

9. A Creative Writing Prompt Each Week – Writer’s Digest

A new writing prompt every week, and you can post your response in the comments if you want to.

The links on this list in BLUE do not work (I tried to find a contact form to let them know, but alas none seems to exist). However, if you click on the grey title or the prompt text itself it takes you to the page of that week’s prompt.

I like the prompts they provide, they are very varied and wide enough in scope for you to get writing and not feel constrained.

What Next?

There are thousands of ideas in the resources listed above. A good writing prompt should fire up your imagination and even help you write something you would never have approached before. They are great for those days when you don’t know what to do but still want to do something (a daily writing habit is so important).

A good prompt can trigger a short story or even an idea for a novel that you never would have thought of otherwise.

I hope you find this list useful and let me know what you use for inspiration in the comments!

writing prompt round up

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