Seasonal Writing & Blogging Photo Prompts

Winter Writing Prompts

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By Chris Dunmire

Cold, snowy winter weather! Looking for some inspiration or the "write" kind of prompting for the winter and Christmas season? Never fear, look right here! These cool writing prompts and photos will help facilitate your creative stories, blog entries, and holiday reflections for the winter season and melt any icy writing blocks you've been chipping away at. Grab your writing shovel and dig in!

Writing Prompt 1:

Winter Photo Inspiration:
What does this picture inspire in you? Write about it.

Writing Prompt 2:

Write about one of the five senses (related to your winter experience):

• The smells of winter

• The sights of winter

• The sounds of winter

• The touch of winter

• The tastes of winter

Writing Prompt 3:

What is your favorite winter or Christmas memory?

Writing Prompt 4:

Write a funny rhyming poem about winter, snow, or Christmas.

Writing Prompt 5:

What do you think or feel when you walk through freshly fallen snow? What kind of metaphors do these thoughts bring forth in you?

Writing Prompt 6:

What are three things that you enjoy most about the winter season? What three things do you dislike?

Writing Prompt 7:

How does the cold winter weather and shorter days affect your mood or outlook on life? What if winter lasted year-round?

Writing Prompt 8:

Holiday Photo Inspiration:
What do the details of the holiday season bring to your mind and heart? Express yourself. What would you write if nobody else would ever see it?

Writing Prompt 9:

Why are you are grateful for the winter season? List 10 (or more) specific things you are grateful for.

Writing Prompt 10:

What do you think or feel when you look at snowy winter scenes? If you could describe a scene from your imagination (past, present, or future), what would it look like?

Writing Prompt 11:

What do you think the symbolism of winter is in relation to the human life span? Does winter mean "old age" or could it be a metaphor for other kinds of cycles? Can it refer to a 'dying off' and readying for a new beginning in other spheres of our lives? Which ones?

Writing Prompt 12:

Why do you look forward to the winter season? If you don't enjoy the winter season, why don't you?

Writing Prompt 13:

Winter Photo Inspiration:
Sunrise with icicles overhanging a window view. How does it make you feel to be inside when it's warm and cozy? What do you think it's like living in a cold climate like Antarctica?

Writing Prompt 14:

Go with the flow: Choose a prompting word from the following list and write about whatever comes to mind for 10 minutes without stopping. Alternatively, choose one or more groups of words and create a short story using all of the words in each group at least once.

Prompting Words Groups/List:

Group 1: Winter, snow, holidays, family, eating, blizzard, snowstorm, snowman, holiday season, ham, sled, love, gathering together, winter arts and crafts, sweaters, icicles, traveling, cooking.

Group 2: Winter berries, candles, ice crystals, time off, snow flakes, seasonal, winter, snow, holidays, Christmas, family, eating, religion, Santa Claus, reindeer, Rudolph, blizzard, snowstorm.

Group 3: Gifts, presents, 'Tis the Season, giving, receiving, snowman, holiday season, ham, turkey, sled, love, gathering together, toys, pine tree, trimming, star, ornaments, winter arts and crafts.

Group 4: Sweaters, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Christmas music, wreath, centerpieces, batteries not included, everything closed, icicles, traveling, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, elves, coal, cooking, bah humbug, Scrooge.

Group 5: After Xmas Sales, Night Before Christmas, cookies and milk, Yule logs, mistletoe, winter berries, candles, gift wrap, greeting card, returning or exchanging gifts, holy day, Jesus, Bethlehem, baby in a manger.

Group 6: Ice crystals, three wise men, Silent Night, holiday cheer, time off, selfish, greed, gimmee, Dr. Seuss's Grinch Who Stole Christmas, snowman poop, fruitcake, Christmas cards.

Group 7: Christmas shopping, crowded stores, last minute shopping, re-gifting, more happiness in giving than receiving, New Years Eve, taking down decorations, cleaning up.

Writing Prompt 15:

Winter Photo Inspiration:
How does the ending of the winter season make you feel? Are you happy to see Spring begin? Do you regret the snow melting and the fun of winter washing away?