Do-It-Yourself Writing Prompts

Use any of the phrases or prompts listed below to get you started writing. Free write for 2 or 3 minutes at least to see where you are going with it. You are welcome to continue, pick a sentence or phrase out of your free writing to write about, or to pick a new prompt.

You may start with a prompt and then shoot off into some new idea. That is great! You may find you want to add something to the prompt or delete something. That is great, too! The point is to get caught up in writing and whisked away from the rest of your life for a few minutes. If you get a whole idea written down – fabulous. If you get notes for a story or poem – fantastic. If you
forget what you were worrying about – best of all.

If you would like to set up a time to work with a writing mentor after you’ve written to a few prompts, click here to make the arrangements. It’s free.

A banner day would be for me to be…

At night, these are the things that keep me awake…

What I need to sleep at night are…

If I am Truthful…

The best advice I ever gave or recived…

My superpower is…

When I finish my shift…

Things that I can and cannot control…

I am old and I am new…

I wish I knew…

Things I’d like to understand…

Things I’d like to change…

A good day/ A bad day was when…

If I were a bird…

Courage is…

If my life was a carnival ride…

The nicest thing anyone has ever done for me…

What do you love most about yourself?

20 things you are grateful for…

A famous person you would like to meet…

The feeling of getting lost in a book…

How to know if you’re in love…

A place you’ve never been before…

A place you know like the palm of your hand…

The trees are telling me…

The first signs of your favorite season…

If I could let go of all my fear, I would…

Longer Prompts

 

  • Write about a trip from the perspective of a motorcycle, boat, or airplane.

 

  • Write a poem with a word you don’t recognize/know and need to look up. Build the poem
    around that newly acquired word’s definition. If you need a word, you can use: Bombast

  • Write about a traumatic experience in your life and what you learned from it. Write about how this traumatic experience made you feel, both emotionally and physically. Describe some of the major stressors in your life right now, and if they’ve changed since the traumatic event. Explore how your traumatic experience has impacted your relationships with others. Explore positive ways to apply what you’ve learned from your trauma to help other people.*  

*Taken from https://www.avalonmalibu.com/blog/these-writing-therapyexercises-could-help-if-you-have-ptsd/

Help Us Help You…

We here at Poetry Heals would love your feedback. Simply click on this link https://phonlineresources.questionpro.com/ to complete a short survey on your experience using our online writing resources. Thank you again for your time and feedback.