Creative Writing Prompts Library

Are you looking for writing inspiration? Need an idea or a prompt or two to get you going? Well, "X" marks the spot because you've just unearthed a treasure-trove of inspiring, unique, and creative prompts to use for yourself, in writing workshops, or if you're a teacher, with your students!

Yes, in this collection Creativity Portal has created and collaborated with writing experts and teachers to bring you hundreds of writing prompts, story starters, photo prompts, writer's exercises, printable activities, and generated ideas to spark your imagination. Browse all options below.

Printable Prompt Activities

Take Ten for Writers Exercises

Get creative with these exercises from Bonnie Neubauer's Take Ten for Writers! Each of these exercises comes with 10 different variables, so every exercise can be done 10 unique times with 10 very different results!

Write-Brain Writing Exercises

Never face a blank page again with these thought-provoking, fun, and playful writing exercises from Bonnie Neubauer's The Write-Brain Workbook!

Write Your Own Cookie Fortunes! (or Mis-Fortunes)

Use the limited lines, characters, and spaces in the small fortune cookie message format as a writing prompt to create a one-sentence adventure, a 3-word story or best one-liner ever! Great for writing cookie fortunes or opposite mis-fortunes!

Brickstorming! Write Your Legacy Brick

What would you write on your legacy brick in 3 lines with 14 characters each? Here's your chance to craft your own witty legacy!

Write the Story Prompts

This activity will stretch your creative imagination, especially since there are no right or wrong answers, only your own interpretation (think inkblots).

Prompt Generators

365 Pictures Daily Photo Prompt

An intentional focus on one new image/prompt pair per day to inspire your creativity, in whatever form that may be. Worldwide creative collaboration of imagery, photos, art, and writing.

Imagination Prompt Generator

Creativity Portal's Imagination Prompt Generator will inspire you by outputting one of many randomly generated writing prompts at the press of a button.

Themed Photo Prompts (Travel, Essay, Teaching with Prompts)

Southwest Series Photo Prompts

A "dry heat" series of travel photos and writing prompts that will ultimately include the following Arizona desert destinations: Tombstone, Bisbee, and the Chiricahua National Monument.

Travel Adventure Prompts by Kristi Tencarre

A picturesque writing prompt adventure series inspired by photography enthusiast Kristi Tencarre travels around the world.

Photo Prompts by Carolina Pichardo

Carolina's work has allowed her to travel to places like China, Germany, Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. Take in the wonders of the world in this wonderful thought-provoking series.

Using Photos and Poems to Inspire Writing with Hank Kellner

Educator Hank Kellner demonstrates how writing teachers can take advantage of students' increasing fascination with photo sharing on social media and poetic expression through lyrical song to help them develop their own creative interest and motivation for writing for classroom assigmnents.

Photographic Essays with Cynthia Staples

Take in a visual feast and an adventurous exploration of light, shadow, and color in Cynthia's collection of eye-appealing photographic essays and photography prompts.

Seasonal and Holiday Prompts

Spring Writing Prompts

Add a springy step to your writing! Words and picture prompts to inspire your springtime writing needs when everything is fresh and new.

Summer Writing Prompts

Hot and vibrant words and pictures to shine some sun fun on your summertime writing adventures when it's just too sticky to go outside.

Autumn Writing Prompts

Cool, crisp, colorful words and pictures to inspire your fall time writing adventures. Colorful leaves, vibrant trees, pumpkins, and reflections on the dying off of nature.

Thanksgiving Day Writing Prompts

Words and writing prompts to inspire thankful thoughts and gratitude for this Thanksgiving holiday.

Winter Writing Prompts

Freezing scenes and Christmas festivities, these words and pictures will inspire your winter and holiday time writing when it's nice to snuggle up in front of a cozy fireplace to write.

New Year Creative Writing Prompts

The beginning of a new year means it's time to weave new dreams and new hopes for your creative life.

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Travel Adventure Prompts: France

Traboules: These old hidden passage ways, called traboules in French, abound in old Lyons. They were used by the Resistance during WW2. They are covered passageways between buildings, originally constructed to help the silk weavers keep the material dry as they transported it from the river to various shops in town hundreds of years previous. This particular traboule has been converted into the lobby of hotel.

Imagine that you are one of the French Resistance Fighters from days gone by. What do you feel as you re-enter this town and see the passage ways that were a refuge from danger and which provided a means to outsmart the enemy, now harboring tourists? Are you visiting as an older version of your self or are you a ghost? Go even further back and imagine that you are a silk weaver. Finish this story starter: It is a cold and rainy day. You are safe and dry within the traboules, carrying your precious silk to … —Kristi Tencarre

More Writing Prompts

Using Photos to Inspire Writing
Imagination Prompt Generator
365 Photos
Chatzi's Prompts
Fortune Cookie Fortunes
Travel Adventure
Magic Crayon Journal
Take 10 for Writers
Write-Brain Workbook
Old West Prompts: Birdcage Theatre