creative writing topic summer

Summer Writing Prompts: 100 Ideas to Write All Summer Long

by Sue Weems | 0 comments

Summer is the perfect time and season to practice writing and let it feel more like play than work. Today, I've collected a list of summer writing prompts: enough to write one per day of the season! 

A few summers ago, I led summer writing camps for kids called Write Camp. It was a blast helping kids of all ages get their fantastical ideas down on paper. My sister signed up my nephew, even though he was a reluctant third grade writer at the time. She wasn't sure he'd even participate.

I assured her that the no-pressure, fun environment would help him imagine writing in a new way, and that he would finish the summer with a story or two and a new understanding of writing.

I'm happy to report I was right! He and his fellow write campers all finished stories and left feeling more confident in their writing skills. 

Sometimes we spend so much time trying to get students to write correctly that we drain all the fun out of it. We forget that the first step to becoming a strong writer is to actually write. Try these summer writing prompts to help you (or a young writer in your life!) have some writing fun.

Summer journal prompts

If you keep a journal like me, try one of these prompts for some quick summer journaling. 

1. Describe the perfect summer day from beginning to end. What activities would you engage in and why?

2. Write about a memorable vacation or summer road trip. What made it special and why do you still remember it?

3. Share your favorite summer recipe. Include the ingredients and step-by-step instructions. How does it remind you of summer?

4. Write about a summer adventure you would like to experience. It could be something daring or out of your comfort zone. Why does it intrigue you?

5. Describe a summer tradition or ritual that you and your family or friends have. What makes it meaningful and how does it enhance your summer experience?

6. Write about a time when you felt completely relaxed during the summer.

7. Share your favorite summer read or book recommendation.

8. Write about a summer hobby or activity that brings you joy. How did you discover this hobby, and how does it make your summer more fulfilling?

9. Describe a summer sunset or sunrise that left a lasting impression on you. What were the colors like, and how did the scene make you feel?

10. Write about a summer project or goal you have set for yourself. How do you plan to accomplish it, and what impact do you hope it will have on your summer?

11. Share a list of your favorite summer songs or a summer playlist. Why do these songs resonate with you, and how do they enhance your summer vibe?

12. Write about a summer friendship that has played a significant role in your life. How did you meet, and what makes this friendship special?

Summer story starters

Use one of these sentence starters to get your own story off and running!

13. The sun-drenched beach was bustling with laughter and the sound of crashing waves until…

14. In the sleepy seaside town, 

15. As the ice cream truck jingled its way down the neighborhood streets, a group of friends suddenly noticed…

16. The sweltering heat seemed unbearable until…

17. Deep in the forest, a group of campers stumbled upon a hidden waterfall, sparking…

18. In a small coastal village, a young girl discovered a message in a bottle, and…

19. The couple stood in the field of sunflowers when they noticed…

20. At the annual summer fair, a shy teenager accepts a dare to visit a fortune teller who…

21. The fireflies danced in the warm night air, illuminating the path leading to…

22. On a remote island, a group of siblings stumbled upon an old map that led them to…

23. As the summer storm unleashed its fury, a group of teenagers sought refuge in an abandoned mansion, only to discover…

Summer travel prompts

24. Imagine you're on a tropical island paradise. Describe the crystal-clear waters, palm trees swaying in the breeze, and the sensation of warm sand between your toes.

25. Create a travel itinerary for a road trip along the scenic coastal highway, complete with stops at charming seaside towns and breathtaking viewpoints.

26. You've just arrived in a bustling city known for its vibrant street markets and cultural landmarks. Write about your first impressions and the unique experiences you encounter.

27. Picture yourself hiking through a majestic national park, surrounded by towering mountains, cascading waterfalls, and abundant wildlife. Describe the awe-inspiring beauty of nature.

28. You've decided to embark on a backpacking adventure across Europe. Write about the different cities you visit, the diverse cultures you experience, and the unforgettable people you meet along the way.

29. Imagine exploring a historical city filled with ancient ruins and architectural wonders. Describe the rich history and cultural significance of the landmarks you encounter.

30. You're on a gastronomic journey, discovering the flavors and culinary delights of a foreign country. Write about the mouthwatering dishes, local specialties, and the joy of indulging in new tastes.

31. Picture yourself lounging on a luxurious cruise ship, sailing through turquoise waters and visiting exotic islands. Describe it!

32. You've decided to embark on a backpacking trip through a dense rainforest. Write about the vibrant biodiversity, the sounds of exotic creatures, and the sense of adventure as you navigate through the wilderness.

33. Imagine staying at a cozy mountain lodge, surrounded by mountain peaks and alpine meadows in full summer bloom.

34. You've chosen to visit a remote village tucked away in the countryside. Write about it!

35. Picture yourself on a safari in the African savannah, surrounded by majestic wildlife. Describe all you see.

Summer setting prompts

While some of these overlap with other prompts, use these to practice sensory details and setting. 

36. Describe the feeling of sinking your toes into warm, soft sand on a sunny beach during the peak of summer.

37. Paint a vivid picture of a vibrant summer sunset, capturing the hues of orange, pink, and purple that streak across the sky.

38. Describe the refreshing sensation of jumping into a crystal-clear pool or lake on a scorching summer day, highlighting the coolness against your skin.

39. Depict the sights, sounds, and scents of a bustling farmers' market in the summertime, with rows of colorful fruits and vegetables, the chatter of vendors, and the aroma of freshly baked goods.

40. Portray the atmosphere of a lively summer festival, showcasing the lively music, energetic crowds, and a kaleidoscope of vibrant decorations and food stalls.

41. Describe the lush greenery and delicate blossoms of a summer garden, emphasizing the fragrance of blooming flowers and the buzzing of bees among the petals.

42. Paint a picture of a tranquil summer morning in the countryside, capturing the mist rising from the fields, the chirping of birds, and the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze.

43. Depict the scene of a family picnic in a park.

44. Describe the exhilaration of a thrilling roller coaster ride at a busy theme park, conveying the anticipation, adrenaline rush, and exhilarating twists and turns.

45. Portray the charm of a quaint seaside town, highlighting the pastel-colored houses, the aroma of freshly caught seafood, and the sound of seagulls soaring overhead.

Childhood summer prompts

46. Recall a favorite childhood summer memory and describe it in vivid detail, from the sights and sounds to the emotions you felt.

47. Write about your most treasured summer toy or activity from your childhood. What made it special, and why did you enjoy it so much?

48. Describe a fun summer activity you did with your friends (or family) when you were younger. What did you do, and how did it strengthen your bond?

49. Write about the excitement and anticipation you felt as summer vacation approached each year. What were some of the activities you looked forward to the most?

50. Recall a summer camp experience from your childhood. Describe the camp setting, the activities you participated in, and the friendships you formed.

51. Write about a summer tradition that was unique to your family when you were a child. What made it special, and how did it create lasting memories?

52. Describe a magical summer night from your childhood. Were there fireflies lighting up the sky or a mesmerizing display of stars? How did it make you feel?

53. Recall a day of summer when you discovered something new and exciting, whether it was a hidden spot in your neighborhood or a fascinating creature in nature. Describe the moment of discovery.

54. Write about a summer project or hobby you pursued as a child. How did it ignite your creativity?

55. Describe a favorite summer treat from your childhood, whether it was a refreshing ice cream flavor or a homemade dessert. 

56. Recall a summer book or story that captivated your imagination as a child. Describe the characters, the setting, and the emotions it evoked.

57. Write about a summer family vacation you took as a child. Describe the experience.

Summer poetry prompts

Maybe you want to try your hand at poetry this summer! Remember that poetry thrives on precise word choices that convey concrete images and emotion. Practice playing with specificity! 

58. Write an acrostic poem capturing the essence of summer, one word or phrase per letter S-U-M-M-M-E-R.

59. Craft a poem that explores the energy of a beach on a hot summer day.

60. Write a poem inspired by the scent of freshly cut grass and the feeling of bare feet on the lawn.

61. Reflect on the beauty of a blooming flower in the summer heat.

62. Create a poem that embodies the freedom and exhilaration of riding a bicycle through winding country roads.

63. Write a poem that paints a vivid picture of a summer storm.

64. Craft a poem that explores the enchantment of a starlit sky on a clear summer night, evoking a sense of wonder and awe.

65. Reflect on the simple pleasure of enjoying a juicy slice of watermelon or peach on a hot summer day.

66. Write a poem inspired by the sound of children's laughter echoing through a park.

67. Capture the serenity and tranquility of a lazy afternoon spent swinging in a hammock, embracing the leisurely pace of summer.

68. Create a sonnet about your favorite flavor of ice pop.

69. Reflect on the feel of running through a sprinkler or a summer rain.

70. Write a poem inspired by the rhythm and energy of a summer music festival.

71. Craft a poem that explores the nostalgia of chasing fireflies in the twilight.

72. Reflect on the passage of time and the bittersweet feeling of summer's end.

73. Write a poem inspired by the sand on a beach towel.

74. Build a haiku about something that reminds you of summer in nature. (For haiku help, go here .)

75. Write a poem about missing out on a treasured summer tradition and what you had to do instead. 

Summer adventure story ideas

76. Two best friends embark on a sailing adventure, exploring remote islands, encountering marine wildlife, and discovering the true meaning of friendship.

77. In a sleepy beach town, a young artist finds inspiration in the local community and stages an unforgettable summer art exhibition.

78. During a summer internship at a renowned museum, a curious teenager stumbles upon a secret society dedicated to preserving the city's forgotten history, and becomes entangled in a dangerous adventure to protect its secrets from falling into the wrong hands.

79. A group of adventurous kids forms a secret club and embarks on a mission to solve a series of mysterious events plaguing their neighborhood during summer break.

80. A teenager moves to a new town at the end of the school year, and gets a summer job, but they had no idea what they were in for.

81. A retired rock-climber and expedition leader ventures into the wilderness on a solo expedition, testing their survival skills, and hoping to prove their fitness. 

82. A mischievous pair of siblings embark on a mission to solve a local legend, leading them to uncover a hidden treasure and restore the town's forgotten history.

83. Two best friends stumble upon a time-traveling device during a summer camping trip, taking them on an extraordinary journey through different historical eras.

84. A young street performer with extraordinary talents finds herself caught up in a whirlwind adventure when she catches the attention of a mysterious talent scout, leading her on a journey through the city's vibrant arts scene and unexpected encounters.

85. A group of neighbors form a detective club and set out to solve a series of mysterious disappearances in their city during the sweltering summer days, uncovering a hidden criminal network.

Fun summer lists

For this final set of summer writing prompts, I challenge you to make a quick list on each prompt and see what ideas emerge. 

86. Make a list of the top ten best (or worst!) things about visiting a water park.

87. Outline the most essential qualities needed for a summer camp counselor. (Consider how this might be different if kids made the list? HA!)

88. List the ten most fun outdoor games to play during summer.

89. What are the best treats to have during hot summer months? Ice cream? Ice pops? Mojitos? (for those of age, of course!)

90. Essential wardrobe staples for summer. (Again, this would be interesting to compile for different types and ages of people!)

91. Make a list of the top ten best or worst places to visit in the summer.

92. Best movies to watch during the summer. 

93. A deserted island packing list.

94. Best or worst things to ride/ eat/ play at an amusement park or state fair. 

95. Favorite summer swimming holes.

96. List your top ten songs about summer. (Put on a few for inspiration!)

97. Favorite summer snack foods for road trips. 

98. Summer holidays ranked. (Challenge level: look up the summer holidays in a different country!)

99. List the ten essential components of a dream summer break.

100. Ten must-see hikes or waterfalls or parks in your area—perfect for a summer outing!

Summer writing prompts: now you try! 

Give these summer-themed writing prompts a try and see if you don't find yourself enjoying these warm summer days even more!

Which prompt above brings back summer memories for you? Share in the comments . 

Choose one of the prompts above and set your timer for 15 minutes . Write as quickly as you can, playing with the ideas and language. Don't overthink it. 

When finished, share your practice in the Pro Practice Workshop here . And take a look at few other writers' work too, leaving an encouraging word. Not a member? We'd love to have you along this summer! Check it out here . 

Sue Weems is a writer, teacher, and traveler with an advanced degree in (mostly fictional) revenge. When she’s not rationalizing her love for parentheses (and dramatic asides), she follows a sailor around the globe with their four children, two dogs, and an impossibly tall stack of books to read. You can read more of her writing tips on her website .

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Submit Comment

Join over 450,000 readers who are saying YES to practice. You’ll also get a free copy of our eBook 14 Prompts :

Popular Resources

Book Writing Tips & Guides Creativity & Inspiration Tips Writing Prompts Grammar & Vocab Resources Best Book Writing Software ProWritingAid Review Writing Teacher Resources Publisher Rocket Review Scrivener Review Gifts for Writers

Books By Our Writers

You've got it! Just us where to send your guide.

Enter your email to get our free 10-step guide to becoming a writer.

You've got it! Just us where to send your book.

Enter your first name and email to get our free book, 14 Prompts.

Want to Get Published?

Enter your email to get our free interactive checklist to writing and publishing a book.

BRYN DONOVAN

tell your stories, love your life

• Writing Inspiration
• Semi-Charmed Life
• Reading & Research

50 Summer Writing Prompts!

Hey friends! It’s almost June, and I know a lot of writers (and a lot of students, parents, and teachers) are looking forward to summer. In my mind, the season inspires a lot of good creative writing topics, so here are 50 summer writing prompts!

If you’d like creative writing ideas with more magic and fantasy, you might also want to check out my post on 50 Fantasy Writing Prompts and Fantasy Plot Ideas . And whether you’re looking for June journal prompts or starting a new story, I hope one of these creative writing ideas inspires you. Be sure to pin it on Pinterest for future reference!

1. Write a scene that includes fireflies.

2. Write a scene that includes mosquitos, hornets, or wasps.

3. Someone is driving with the car windows down, singing at the top of their lungs to their favorite song. Who are they? Where are they going — or what are they getting away from? Why do they like this song so much?

4. Write about someone at a state fair. Why are they there? What are the sights, sounds, and smells?

5. Come up with a conversation that takes place around a campfire.

6. Write about a teenager at their summer job. It could be a normal one, or something unusual.

7. Write a scene that includes a waterfall.

8. Describe lightning striking something — or someone — along with what happens next.

9. Someone is packing their bag for a summer vacation. Where are they going? What are they bringing along?

10. Write about something going very wrong on a vacation.

11. Incorporate the chirping of crickets or the buzz of cicadas into a piece of writing.

12. Set a scene at an ice cream parlor, a frozen custard stand, or near an ice cream truck.

13. Write about an outdoor event getting interrupted by a downpour.

14. Write about a bike ride to an unusual place.

15. Describe a baseball game that takes an unexpected turn.

16. Write about something you used to do for fun as a kid during the summertime.

17. Write about a parent whose out-of-school kids are driving them bananas.

18. Two characters are picking berries. What’s their relationship to each other? Are they having fun, or no?

19. Write from the point of view of someone who hates summer.

20. Describe one of your favorite summer experiences, such as cooking steaks on a grill or getting a pedicure.

21. Write a scene that takes place at a swimming pool.

22. Come up with a scene that includes a sand castle.

23. Imagine a kid at summer camp, and describe what they do there.

24. Someone is fishing… and pulls something out of the lake or ocean that is definitely not a fish.

25. Somebody on a beach finds a message in a bottle, washed up on the shore. What does it say?

26. Come up with a scene that features fireworks in some way.

27. Describe a happy scene at a farmer’s market.

28. Describe a fight — silly, or serious — that takes place on a cruise ship.

29. Write from the point of view of someone who is sailing alone.

30. Picture yourself in a rose garden. Who does it belong to? Why are you there, and what happens?

31. Write from the point of view of a character in one of your favorite blockbuster movies.

32. A camper is in their tent  — alone, or with someone else. What wakes them up in the middle of the night?

33. Write a scene in which the characters are hot and sweaty.

34. Write about a place that characters go just to cool down.

35. Describe the perfect summer meal, beverage, or dessert.

36. Write from the point of view of a moth telling himself not to go near that flame.

37. Write a scene where somebody runs through the sprinklers — intentionally or not.

38. Imagine being at a big outdoor music festival, and write about what you do and the people you meet.

39. Write about a character who’s wearing sunglasses… and never takes them off.

40. Write about something embarrassing happening to someone who’s wearing a swimsuit.

41. Write about a father and a son meeting for the first time in years on Father’s Day.

42. Write about a character who has strong feelings about Independence Day (the 4th of July.)

43. Write about a road trip you took once.

44. Describe a stay at a funky old motel.

45. Write about characters sleeping out under the stars.

46. Make up an eccentric relative that you might meet at a family reunion.

47. Write from the point of view of a dog at the dog park.

48. Imagine going to a flea market or garage sale, and finding something that thrills you… for cheap!

49. Write about a character making a wish by blowing on a dandelion puff.

50. Somebody is reading on the beach… but it’s not the typical beach read. What’s the book about? Why is this person interested?

I hope you enjoyed the summer writing prompts! I’d love to hear your comments—and if you’re an elementary, middle school, or high school teacher, I’d love to hear about your other needs, too. (Of course, these creative writing topics work just as well for adults. Don’t get me wrong!)

If you don’t want to miss future creative writing ideas, follow the blog if you aren’t already — you can subscribe below. And if you want to share something you wrote, go for it — that would be so much fun to see. Happy writing!

Related Posts

Share this:

9 thoughts on “ 50 summer writing prompts ”.

I love summer back in the midwest, because of the fireflies (although in southern Indiana they are called “lightning bugs.”)

I used to catch them and put them in a jar with holes poked in the lids to keep by my bed overnight. They inevitably would crawl out somehow, and I’d wake up to find flashing bugs crawling around on my walls and ceiling.

Mean kids would pull the them in half and draw glowing pictures or words on the front of their shirts. This always upset me and caused me a great deal of stress and outrage.

I also remember how at the hay farms, the fields would have an unearthly, flickering glow at night from all the fireflies hiding in the tall hay before it was harvested.

Fireflies and the loud buzz of cicadas = summer nights for me. 🙂

I was trying to catch some last night! Just for a picture. It’s not as easy as I remembered 😀

Someone told me that when she was a kid, they used to dig out the glowy bits and smear them around… I was horrified!

I love the fireflies. 🙂

These are great! I think I will use them with my students this year also.

Your first few suggestions brought back a family memory of when my daughter Katie was a new driver as we were on a family trip.

Her stress level when she felt pressured driving 55 mph through road construction on the freeway with the yard-high orange barrels on her left and a semi-truck moving on her right became amplified when a wasp flew in her window and landed on the front of her shirt. Katie’s loud and continuous screaming while she tried to flick off the wasp and keep control of the car prompted her older sister in the back seat to use an empty pop bottle to bonk Katie on the back of the head several times in an attempt to quiet Katie down.

That action required Katie to then alternate between trying to blindly brush off the wasp and grab the bottle as it attacked her head. The rest of us couldn’t stop laughing at her misfortune. There was nothing we could do during that 2-minute portion of the drive, except when I asked the bottle bopping to end.

Katie pulled over to the side if the road when the construction area ended, and immediately exited the car to shake herself off with more screams plus scoldng her sister for threatening our safely with her annoying action.

That was one of our most memorable family events.

Kathy — oh my gosh. I remember how nervous I would get anyway as a new driver… The poor thing! But that is so funny!

Thank you very much for this blue. This is a very inspiring piece. I have written a long conversation between mosquitoes and a bed bus. If you would like it I would mail it to you. I would try on several prompts. Thank you once again.

Hi Sayed, thanks for reading, and for the kind words! I’m so glad you like the post. My email is [email protected] — I’d love to see what you did!

What fun topics for summer inspired writing prompts! I hope I can share on here soon. I stumbled across your blog as I was searching for ideas on describing facial expressions.

Hi Miss Kim, welcome to the blog! So glad you like it 🙂

Great prompts, thank you!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Discover more from BRYN DONOVAN

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

Improve your writing in one of the largest and most successful writing groups online

Join our writing community!

100 Summer Writing Prompts

by Holly Riddle

Itching for summer to arrive? Dreaming of warmer days? Or, maybe, you find yourself already in the heat of summer and you’ve got some extra time on your hands. Maybe you’re lounging by the swimming pool or you’re bored at your job. Maybe you’re trying to brush up on your creative writing skills before school starts.

If you’re trying to get some writing done this summer, but you’re not sure what you want to write about, you’ve come to the right place. Below, you’ll find a whopping 100 summer writing prompts to kickstart your creativity ranging from journaling prompts to poetry prompts, creative writing prompts to fiction and short story prompts. Whatever your preferred style, you’ll find something to inspire.

Summer journal prompts

1. What are your goals for this summer? Write them down and, more specifically, write down why those are your goals. What do you hope they give you? What inspired them? See where your words take you.

2. What is your all-time favorite summer memory from summers past? Write it down in as much detail as possible.

3. How do you imagine the beginning of your summer and the end of your summer will differ? Write it down and then look back later to see how right or wrong you were.

4. How does your life change during the summer? Do you live in a new location, change jobs, have more fun with friends, or just get outside more? How do these changes impact you on an emotional or mental level?

5. What is your favorite thing about summer? How could you take that fun thing you love and extend it forward to last the whole year? Brainstorm and write it down.

Summer poetry prompts

6. Explore a new-to-you form of poetry this summer. Find a poem in that style and then try writing your own version on the same topic.

7. Love setting writing goals or writing challenges for yourself? Challenge yourself to write one poem each day or week, with the poem reflecting something that happened that day or week.

8. How can you best bottle the feeling of summer in a poem? See what happens when you limit yourself to fewer words.

9. Personify summer as person in a poem.

10. Grab a piece of summer-related ephemera (think newspaper clippings, event flyers, etcetera) and make erasure poetry, blacking out text on the page to create a whole new work of art.

Summer holiday and event prompts

11. Memorial Day kicks off the summer season for many. Think about the meaning of Memorial Day and who you might remember. Write about them in a poem, short story, or essay.

12. Write a story that takes place at a July 4 event. Think a fireworks show, parade, beach festival, or baseball game.

13. Labor Day is the unofficial end of the summer season. What else in your life is ending at this time of year? Write about it.

14. Many families use the summer season to plan family reunions. Write about a family reunion that goes terribly, terribly wrong.

15. Now’s also the time for fairs and festivals. Write a short story that takes place at one of these events and make the setting crucial to the story, so that the plot couldn’t take place anywhere else.

Summer writing prompts about summer jobs

16. Even if you don’t have one right now, you likely had summer jobs at one point. Write a story set at your job, or a creative essay about an experience you had there.

17. One popular seasonal job? Working at a camp. Write a story set at a summer camp, but make it the coolest ever. Think a camp for royalty, for spies in training, or for cryptids.

18. Write a short story about someone who works at an ice cream parlor and why they either love or hate their job.

19. Write a short story about someone who wants a seasonal job, but can’t get one. What dramatic lengths will they go to in order to snag that interview or prove themselves worthy?

20. Write about what happens to summer workers in the winter. Where do the carnival workers go? What about the lifeguards?

Favorite summer memory prompts

21. Take your favorite seasonal memory and turn it into a short story, but make the main character absolutely hate everything you loved about that memory.

22. Remember your favorite place, favorite song, or favorite road trip from summers past? Write about it.

23. Write about your favorite seasonal memory but set it in the distant past. How would that memory have differed/looked if you’d lived in the 1800s or 1700s?

24. Take your memory and flip it on its head. Take the same cast of characters and events and make them the worst you could possibly imagine.

25. Imagine a favorite memory of the future. Pretend you’re writing as a 90-year-old. What might be your favorite memory then?

Summer destination prompts

26. Set a story at the ocean, sea, or a lake. Add in a sea monster if you want to get really creative.

27. Set a story at a campground filled with the most obnoxious tourists you’ve ever seen.

28. Write a story about someone trying desperately to get to a summer destination. Do they really need a vacation or are they fleeing something?

29. Write a story about a destination that no one would want to visit for summer vacation.

30. Imagine what your favorite summer destination might look like after the apocalypse and write about it.

School’s out writing prompts

31. Write a story from the point of view of a parent whose kids are out for the summer. Do they love it or hate it?

32. Write a story about a teacher who switches jobs during summer vacation—and they can never let any of their kids, parents or coworkers know what their summer job is.

33. Write a story about summer vacation from the point of view of a child’s bedroom. How is that space impacted?

34. Write about how you often felt as a child on the last day of the school year.

35. Write a letter to your children or future children about your favorite days with them over summer break.

Summer five senses writing prompts

36. Write a poem or personal essay about your favorite taste of summer.

37. Write a poem or personal essay about your favorite smell of summer.

38. Write a poem or personal essay about your favorite feeling or texture of summer.

39. Write a poem or personal essay about your favorite sight of summer.

40. Write a poem or personal essay about your favorite sound of summer.

Summer wildlife prompts

41. Write a scene about your least-favorite summer bug and what you might do if it invaded your house.

42. Write a story about what might happen to the summer wildlife and nature if summer never came.

43. Write a short story from the point of view of a bug that knows summer’s almost run its course. How do they spend their time?

44. Write a story about an animal with a summer job (think horses at a summer camp or petting zoo animals at the fair).

45. Write a poem about the sounds of summer wildlife that you might hear (ie, crickets chirping, deer munching grass in the morning, gulls at the ocean, etc.)

Summer plant life prompts

46. Write an ode to your favorite summer flower.

47. Write a story about mowing the grass, but from the point of view of the grass.

48. Write a story about gardening and make the normally low stakes of growing household produce incredibly high for your main character.

49. Write a scene about what the summer plant life would look like if humans weren’t around.

50. Write a personal essay about your own experiences with gardening. Are they good, bad, disastrous?

Summer hobbies writing prompts

51. Write a story about riding your bike and finding something life-changing along the way.

52. Write a story about swimming and finding something unusual in the water.

53. Write a story about a character who goes for a hike and gets lost.

54. Write a story about a parent who wants to get their children involved in their favorite hobbies over summer break. How successful are they?

55. Write a poem that tells your reader how to perform your favorite summer hobby.

Summer sports writing prompts

56. Describe a date that takes place at a baseball game, but neither of the people on the date like baseball.

57. Write a short story from the point of view of a character who’s decided to streak across the field at a baseball game.

58. Write a poem about a summer sport that you know nothing about. Try to describe it using your limited knowledge.

59. Write a story about a sailing team that gets blown off course.

60. Write a story about a fall or winter professional sports team that wants to play in the summer. What challenges do they come up against and are they successful?

Summer weather prompts

61. Write a poem about the summertime heat. How does it make you feel?

62. Write a personal essay about how the summer weather has changed since you were a child.

63. Write a scene or story that takes place in a house where the air conditioning just kicked the bucket on the hottest day of the year.

64. Write a short story that takes place in the middle of a hurricane—but the hurricane isn’t the most dangerous thing that your characters face.

65. Write a story about two tornado chasers that hate each other.

Summer foods writing prompts

66. Write a poem about the best summer meal that you ever ate.

67. Write a personal essay about how you might go about cooking a summer meal for your family and the significance of the foods you choose, the setting, etc.

68. Write a short story about a picnic that goes wrong.

69. Describe the ideal ice cream cone.

70. Write a story set in the future, about post-apocalyptic humans scavenging for food to create the perfect summer feast.

Wedding season writing prompts

71. Write a story from the point of view of a wedding officiant or planner working during the height of wedding season.

72. Compose a poem about the worst wedding you’ve ever been to.

73. Write a story about a wedding where none of the guests show up.

74. Describe a wedding from the point of view of the flower girl or the ring bearer.

75. Write a story about a wedding where the maid of honor loves the groom and the best man loves the bride, and the two team up together to ruin the wedding.

Summer wear writing prompts

76. Compose a poem about your favorite or least favorite summer outfit.

77. Write a short essay about your feelings surrounding summer wear. Do you feel confident in your swimsuit? Why or why not? Do you hate your legs in shorts? Do you love ditching your winter coat for the season?

78. Write a story about someone who accidentally glues their sunglasses onto their face.

79. Design a character who can’t feel temperature, so they’re not restricted to a normal seasonal wardrobe.

80. Write a story about someone who’s shopping for a swimsuit and falls in love in the process.

Summer nights prompts

81. Think about how your life changes with the lengthening days. Write a short essay about what you do with your extra daylight and how it does (or doesn’t) impact your life.

82. Write about the best summer night you’ve ever had.

83. Compose a poem that captures the feeling of a summer night right after the sun has set.

84. Write a story about a character who works nights during the summer. How do they view summer differently than the average person?

85. Write a story from the point of view of a character trying to sleep on an extremely hot night. Why are they frustrated beyond just being sweaty?

Dog days of summer writing prompts

86. Write a story from the point of view of a dog at a picnic or barbecue.

87. Write a story about a dog walker who loses a prized pooch in the park during their first day on the job.

88. Compose a poem about spending a summer day with your favorite dog.

89. Compose a poem or short story from the point of view of a dog cowering during Independence Day fireworks.

90. Think about how you might spend your summer days differently if you were a dog. Write about it.

Summer reading prompts

91. Did you ever participate in your library’s summer reading program as a kid? Write about the experience.

92. What’s the best beach book you’ve ever read? Journal about what made it stand out.

93. Think about your favorite book or movie. How might the plot be different if it was set in the dead of summer? Write some fan fiction showing how that might play out.

94. Write a story about someone reading a library book on the beach or a cruise ship and finds a secret message inside. What does it say?

95. Your character dropped their spouse’s prized original edition of their favorite book in the pool. What do they do now?

End of summer writing prompts

96. Reflect on how your summer went. Journal about what you wish you would have done differently, as well as your summertime successes.

97. Write a story about a character reflecting back on the best summer ever and their dread at the impending fall months.

98. Write from the point of view of a tree that’s starting to change as summer ends.

99. Compose a poem about the bittersweet end of summer.

100. Look ahead to the fall. What are your writing goals for the fall and winter? How will you use what you learned from the summer to achieve those goals? Journal about it.

Get into your writing groove this summer with one of these 100 summer writing prompts

Summer is the perfect time to get in some extra writing, so hopefully some of the above summer writing prompts have sparked your imagination.

Once you have some pieces ready to take on the world, why not send them out for publication ? We have a guide just for that!

Get feedback on your writing today!

Scribophile is a community of hundreds of thousands of writers from all over the world. Meet beta readers, get feedback on your writing, and become a better writer!

Join now for free

Related articles

What Is Anachronism? 4 Types of Anachronism, with Examples from Literature

What You Need to Know as a Writer About Narrative Tenses

Novel Versus Book: What’s the Difference?

What Is Irony? Definition & 5 Types of Irony in Literature

What Is Magical Realism? How to Bridge the Ordinary and the Extraordinary

Cliché vs. Trope in Writing: How They Differ, with Examples

Wonder Forest

Home » Create » Creative Writing » Writing Prompts » 100 Creative Summer Writing Prompts

100 Creative Summer Writing Prompts

Summer is the perfect time to let your creativity flow and explore new writing ideas. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, trying out new prompts can be a fun and inspiring way to jumpstart your career in writing or just to curate a personal collection of stories and memories.

With the warm weather and longer days, there’s no better time to sit outside with a notebook or laptop and let your imagination run wild. So, let’s take a look at some creative summer writing prompts that will help you flex your writing muscles and get your creativity flowing!

1. Describe your perfect summer day.

2. Write a story about a summer romance that didn’t work out.

3. What are your favorite summer activities? Describe them in detail.

4. Write a poem about the feeling of sand between your toes.

5. Describe a severe summer thunderstorm from the perspective of someone watching it from a porch.

6. Write about a summer job you had that taught you an important life lesson.

7. Describe the taste of your favorite summer treat.

8. Write a story about a family vacation gone wrong.

9. Create a character who hates summer and explain why.

10. Write a letter to your future self about your summer goals.

11. Describe a summer day spent exploring a new city.

12. Write about a time you got lost on a summer adventure.

13. Create a character who loves summer and explain why.

14. Write a story about a summer spent volunteering as a punishment.

15. Describe the sound of waves crashing on the beach.

16. Write a poem about the feeling of the sun on your skin.

17. Write about a summer camp experience that changed your life.

18. Create a character who spends their summer traveling to a new place.

19. Write a story about a summer day spent at an abandoned theme park.

20. Describe the smell and sounds of a summer barbecue.

21. Write a letter to your past self about your favorite summer memories.

22. Create a character from the city who spends their summer working on a farm.

23. Write about a summer day spent hiking in the mountains and coming across a cottage.

24. Describe the feeling of jumping into a cold swimming pool on a hot summer day.

25. Write a story about a summer day spent at a music festival.

26. Create a character who spends their summer working at a beach resort.

27. Write about a summer day spent exploring a new, off-the-beaten-path hiking trail.

28. Describe a summer night spent stargazing.

29. Write a poem about the feeling of freedom that comes with summer as a kid.

30. Write a story about a summer day spent at a water park where family drama ensues.

31. Describe the taste of cold lemonade on a hot summer day.

32. Write about a summer day spent kayaking or canoeing into a secret cave.

33. Create a character who spends their summer working on a cruise ship.

34. Write a letter about your favorite summer memories to your future self.

35. Describe a summer day spent lounging in a hammock.

36. Write a story about a summer day spent at a lake after a loss.

37. Create a character who spends their summer working as a lifeguard.

38. Write about a summer day spent learning a new skill.

39. Describe the feeling of sand slipping through your fingers using metaphors or similes.

40. Write a poem about the sound of a summer rainstorm.

41. Write about a summer evening spent sneaking into a museum.

42. Create a character volunteering at an animal shelter during their summer.

43. Create a character who spends their day at an amusement park.

44. Describe the feeling of the wind in your hair on a summer day.

45. Write about a summer day spent on a boat with strangers.

46. Create a character who spends their summer working as a park ranger during a season of forest fires.

47. Write a letter to your past self about your summer aspirations.

48. Describe the taste of a fresh summer salad.

49. Write a story about a summer day spent at a baseball game.

50. Create a character who spends their summer working on a ranch with a new romantic interest.

51. Write about a summer day spent exploring a new city by bike.

52. Describe a summer day spent lounging in a pool that you snuck into.

53. Write a poem about the colors of a summer sunset.

54. Write a story about a summer day spent at a county fair.

55. Create a character who works at an outdoor concert venue during the summer.

56. Write about a summer day spent exploring a secret beach.

57. Describe the feeling of jumping off a diving board into a pool.

58. Write a letter to your future self about your summer dreams.

59. Write a story about a summer day spent at a zoo.

60. Create a character who spends their summer at a summer camp.

61. Write about a summer day spent exploring a new state park and getting lost.

62. Describe the taste of a summer cocktail (or mocktail).

63. Write a poem about the feeling of sandcastle building.

64. Write about a summer day spent at a hot air balloon festival.

65. Create a character who spends their summer working as a tour guide.

66. Write about a summer day spent exploring a new theme park that no one seems to know about.

67. Describe the feeling of a summer breeze on your face.

68. Write a story about a summer day spent at a carnival.

69. Create a character who spends their summer working as a beach lifeguard.

70. Write about a summer day spent exploring a new hiking trail.

71. Describe the taste of a juicy summer peach.

72. Write a poem about the feeling of the sun on your face.

73. Write about a summer day spent at a rodeo.

74. Create a character who spends their summer working at a summer festival.

75. Write about a summer day spent exploring a new national park.

76. Describe the feeling of floating on a raft down a lazy river.

77. Write a story about a summer day spent at a water ski show you’ve been dragged along to attend.

78. Create a character who spends their summer working as a landscaper and makes a shocking discovery.

79. Write about a summer day spent exploring a wildlife reserve where a new species has been discovered.

80. Describe in detail, how to make a fresh fruit smoothie.

81. Write a poem about the feeling of a summer breeze through your hair.

82. Write about a summer day spent at a county fair where you enter into a competition.

83. Create a character who spends their summer working as a summer school teacher.

84. Write about a summer day spent exploring a new state fair on a first date.

85. Describe the feeling of running through a summer sprinkler through a child’s eyes.

86. Write a story about a summer day spent at an outdoor concert where you win a backstage access pass.

87. Create a character who spends their summer working as a summer camp counselor with troubled teens.

88. Write about a summer day spent exploring a botanical garden with your grandmother or grandfather.

89. Describe the taste of a summer watermelon.

90. Write a poem about the feeling of a summer thunderstorm.

91. Write about a summer day spent at a street festival with a boyfriend or girlfriend you intend to break up with.

92. Create a character who works as a pool cleaner during the summer for a wealthy family.

93. Write about a summer day spent exploring a new greenhouse.

94. Describe the sound of a summer breeze rustling through the trees.

95. Write a story about a summer day spent at a farmer’s market where you’re a seller.

96. Create a character who spends their summer working as a tour bus driver for a group of elderly folks.

97. Write about a summer day spent exploring a mystical butterfly garden.

98. Describe the taste of a garden tomato.

99. Write a poem about the sights and sounds of a summer picnic.

100. Write about a summer day spent at a flea market where you find something shocking.

Last Updated on February 27, 2024

By Kayla Peart

Kayla Peart is a storyteller and poet wandering through life and wondering about it. She shares her findings through stories and poetry on Moonflwr, her newsletter.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .

I agree to these terms (required).

Kindlepreneur

Book Marketing for Self-Publishing Authors

Home / Book Writing / Summer Writing Prompts: 35+ Ideas to Get You Started

Summer Writing Prompts: 35+ Ideas to Get You Started

One of the worst things about being an adult is you can't take summers off from work (unless you're a teacher, I suppose). The last day of school before summer vacation was always brimming with possibilities. The seemingly endless days of summer stretched out before you like a sparkling river under a tire swing.

But even for adults, there's plenty of fun to be had in summer. And it's some of that magic we're tapping into with the summer writing prompts below. 

• How to make the most of the writing prompts.
• A list of writing prompts to choose from.
• Tips for vetting your story idea.

Table of contents

• Choose a Writing Skill to Strengthen
• Form a Writing Habit
• Disassemble Writer's Block
• Summer Writing Prompts
• Will Your Story Sell?

Tips for Using the Writing Prompts Below

Writing prompts have a great many uses. But like any tool, it helps to know how to use them for whatever it is you want to accomplish. The quick tips below are by no means mandatory, but they may be able to help you get the most out of these summer writing prompts. 

In On Writing by Stephen King, the Master of Horror talks about how the various aspects of writing are like tools in the writer's toolbox. Some you will naturally be proficient with, while others will require a bit more practice before you can master them. This is where writing prompts can be incredibly helpful. Choose one or more “tools” from the list below and then focus on it (or them) with a writing prompt.  

• Character Development – There's an art to crafting round characters and satisfying character arcs. By focusing on these aspects, you can strengthen these skills. 
• Action – Action scenes can be hard to write without confusing the reader. That's why practice makes perfect. 
• Point of View – There are nuances to understand when it comes to POV, so choosing one you're not necessarily comfortable with can help improve your use of POV. 
• Dialogue – Compelling dialogue is one of the hardest things to pull off. But if you work at it, you'll get better. 
• Show, Don't Tell – Showing how a character is feeling through their actions, mannerisms, dialogue, and the use of subtext can be hard to master, but it's certainly not impossible. 

It can be hard to write every day on a large project like a novel or a nonfiction book. But if there's one thing professional writers have in common, it's that they write every day—or at least regularly. Unfortunately, creating a writing habit is easier said than done. But by using writing prompts to get you excited to sit down at the computer every day, you can ingrain the habit in a matter of weeks. 

This is also a good way of getting warmed up to tackle your work in progress. By writing a few hundred words (or even just a paragraph) on a writing prompt, you can get the words flowing before moving on to your current work in progress. 

Formatting Has Never Been Easier

Write and format professional books with ease.  Never before has creating formatted books been easier.

If the words just don't want to come, a writing prompt could be the ticket through writer's block . By starting on a story that you're not as invested in, you can unleash your creativity and get back on track. 

The key here is to really let yourself get creative with the prompt. You may even want to go so far as to write in a completely different genre than your work in progress. If you're writing a romance, try instead doing a horror short story. If you're writing a gritty thriller, try a goofy mystery. Or forget all about genre and just go with stream-of-consciousness writing!

Boost your creative writing skills with these summer story prompts. 

1. Write about a whirlwind romance that only takes place over the summer months. 

2. Write a story in which a group of teenagers working at an amusement park must solve the murder of a mysterious Jane Doe that wound up dead in the food court. 

3. Write about a character who experiences a summer that's both the best and worst of their life. 

4. The world is about to end, and humanity collectively agrees to take the last summer off. What happens during the last months before the apocalypse?

5. Start your story with a child going missing from a summer camp. 

6. Set your story at a summer camp for adults. 

7. Write about a small group of students dreading summer break. Why do they fear it? What happens in their town during summer that is so frightful?

8. Explore the origins of a strange summer tradition one family practices every year. 

9. Think of your favorite summer memory and write a story in which a character experiences that for the first time. 

10. Write about a group of kids who have summer activities planned but they keep getting interrupted before they can enjoy them. 

11. Write about a character whose favorite thing about summer is the heat. 

12. It's the first day of summer vacation and a group of friends decides to run away from home to live in the woods. Explore this from the point of view of both the kids and their parents. 

13. Write about a crime that happens on July 4th during the fireworks display. The town's only detective—brand new to the area—has to solve the case. 

14. Write about a second-grade teacher who decides to hitchhike to Woodstock in the summer of 1969. 

15. Write a thriller story about a family on summer vacation when they're held hostage by two desperate criminals. 

16. Write a horror story about a hot summer day that just keeps getting hotter and hotter. How would people survive? What could they do to escape the heat?

17. Start your story with a young writer for the school newspaper witnessing a crime committed by the principal on the last day of the school year. 

18. See if you can convey the magic of summer fun with a story about kids without a care in the world trying to make the most out of their summer in small-town America. 

19. Begin your story with a character getting an anonymous note that says, “Contact me when summer starts.”

20. Write a story that takes place exclusively on the three major summer holidays: Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. 

21. Start your story with a water balloon fight that soon gets out of control. 

22. Write about a character who sets out to do 100 random acts of kindness during her summer. 

23. Pick a summer activity you love and write about characters doing that activity when they're interrupted by something completely unexpected. 

24. Write an acrostic poem about the joys of summer. These types of poems are great for creative thinking and expanding your vocabulary.  

25. Tell the story of a character's summer vacation through a series of their blog posts. This type of epistolary story is great for character development!

26. Set your story on a beach near a bonfire. A fight breaks out, and one of the fighters is your protagonist!

27. Write about two groups of kids with rival lemonade stands trying to outdo each other. 

28. Your protagonist gets a summer job at a local resort. But he soon finds out that something shady is going on at the resort, and he may have seen too much. 

29. A small town's summer festival goes awry when nearly all the attendees are drugged. When the dust settles, someone's dead. But who's to blame?

30. A group of once-tight-knit friends gets together after many years apart. The idea is to reconnect over the summer, but one member of the group has an ulterior motive. And it's not a nice one.

31. A group of strangers boards a small boat for a trip to a secluded island resort. But a summer storm lands these vacationing strangers on a deserted island. They must learn to work together—or pay the ultimate price.  

32. Your protagonist is a camp counselor at a summer camp that has been closed since some awful murders happened there. It soon becomes clear that something strange is happening again. . .

33. Write about three competitive friends who participate in a summer scavenger hunt that sends them all over New England. 

34. Write about a family staying at a cabin when the high temperatures and low moisture cause a forest fire. They must escape, but that's easier said than done. 

35. When a young girl is upended and moved across the country during the summer, she befriends an old woman who has been shunned by the town. What does she learn about herself and the world by starting this friendship?

I hope these writing prompts are to your liking! Whether you use one of the creative writing prompts as a story starter or a creative writing activity, the important thing is getting the words down. 

That said, I encourage you to use them however you like. While not every writer wants to sell their work, there are plenty who do. And if you're one of them, then it's a good idea to see if there's a niche audience for your story. This is easily done with Publisher Rocket . 

This tool can compress what would otherwise take hours of research on Amazon into just minutes, helping you identify ideal markets for your book. Once you find a niche market, it can help you position your book for success when you do publish. With Publisher Rocket, you get insights directly from Amazon on:

• Keywords – Metadata to position your book on Amazon.
• Competition – Allowing you to see what's selling and how stiff the competition is.
• Categories – So you know where people who are looking for books like yours go to find them.
• Amazon Ads – Helps you quickly configure a list of profitable keywords for running ads for your novel, novella, or short story collection.

Best of all, it’s easy to use and comes with quick little videos to get you started. Check out Publisher Rocket here .

Dave Chesson

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

Related Posts

Top 8 best scrivener alternatives for writers (+ the only one that matters), scrivener vs. ulysses: which writing tool should you buy, scrivener coupons and discount codes (updated for 2024), sell more books on amazon, amazon kindle rankings e-book.

Learn how to rank your Kindle book #1 on Amazon with our collection of time-tested tips and tricks.

Join the community

Join 111,585 other authors who receive weekly emails from us to help them make more money selling books.

11 Summer Writing Prompts for the Creative Soul

by Suzanne Davis | Jun 12, 2019 | Writing Prompts | 1 comment

“Summer’s lease hath all too short a date.”  -William Shakespeare, Sonnet 18

Summer always seems too short to me (especially in New York). We have 3 months to enjoy vegetable and flower gardens. Two months to enjoy swimming in pools, and Adirondack lakes. So, I feel the best way to capture the experience of summer is in my writer’s notebook. And when I can’t figure out what to freewrite, I draw from a list of summer writing prompts.

Why should you write in the summer?

There are really 2 important reasons why you should write in the summer. 

The first is because it helps you recognize the importance of what is around you and not take nature for granted.  We may or may not always have it. 

When I first wrote that sentence it was 2019, and while I thought summer might change in ten, twenty, or twenty-five years, I did not anticipate it changing in 2020.   That year,  my state had shut down and some of the activities I suggested below wouldn’t be possible.  Now, I know summer is fleeting, more than even Shakespeare knew.   

You must experience summer and put it into words so that you can recollect it later–when it is no longer what it is today. 

The second reason you should write this summer is it will make you a better writer.   Writing is hard work, and you only get better the more you do it. One of the best ways to build your writing muscles is by writing all year. The simplest way to do that is by keeping a writer’s notebook.  If you want to know more about a writer’s notebook read my blog post, “10 Terrific Writer’s Notebook Ideas” https://www.academicwritingsuccess.com/10-terrific-writers-notebook-ideas/.

So, how do you get ideas for what to write about? There are all types of writing prompts you can use at any time. I have blogged about many of them.  But, there are writing topics I love to do in summer. These are 11 fun and creative writing prompts that are perfect for this season.  Try them and see which ones inspire you.

11 Excellent Summer Writing Prompts

#1 Write about your favorite place to go in the summer.

Where do you like to spend your time? I suggest writing at that place unless of course, you’re at an amusement park riding rollercoasters. Writing in that location will help you describe the experience of seeing and being in that place.

#2 Write about your summer job.

Describe what it is, any other people involved, what you like/dislike about it. If you don’t have a summer job, use some other kind of work or chore you do during the summer (gardening, babysitting,  pet sitting,  cleaning, etc.).  Chose something that you have to do.  Write about what the experience is like, and/or your feelings about it.

Try to describe what one day of work was like. 

#3 Write a dialogue scene that takes place in the summer.

This prompt is a fun creative writing activity.  Imagine some people in a particular place and what they are doing.  Then write about a conversation they are having.  This scene might inspire you to write a story.

#4 Imagine a summer scene and describe it .

Close your eyes and create in your mind a scene with summer as the setting. Maybe it is a scene at the ocean,  or in a city on a humid day when steam is rising off the pavement. Whatever it is,  add as much sensory detail as you can to the vision.  Focus on the scene. Then open your eyes and write about it.

#5 Go to a public place and write.

 Visit a park, farmer’s m arket, or some other outdoor spot.  Freewrite whatever comes to your mind.  This is a great writing prompt especially if you are a “people watcher.”  What do you notice happening?  Does it trigger any kind of story in your head?

#6 Write at a café or teahouse .

Order something to eat and/or drink. Watch people, listen to their conversations, and write down what you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel there. I like doing this activity because it inspires me to do a lot of creative writing.  It helps me write better descriptions of scenes in short stories and novels.  It also helps me writing interesting dialogue.  Subtle people-watching (spying) others can inspire all kinds of fiction or poetry.  

#7 Describe a summer activity you dislike as if it is something you love to do.

This writing prompt is challenging, but you’ll find writing about something negative in a positive light is a way to see the good in those things you dread. You can also do this is in reverse. Write about something you enjoy doing as if it is something you hate doing. 

When you’re down look at it and ask yourself, was it hard, fun? Did anything surprise you in your writing? 

#8 Create a summer reading journal.

Read a book and express your thoughts about it.  As you read, reflect on what you feel or think about the book.  Do you like it? Is reading it an emotional experience?  Are you bored?  How do you feel about the writer?  If there is something that frustrates you or upsets you, dive into that part of the book.  Record those things in a reading journal

After you finish reading it, write a letter or email to a friend about why they should or shouldn’t read it.  You could vary this activity and turn it into a blog post.

#9 Write about the same place at different times of the day.

Take   a photo of a place in the morning.  Then take a photo of that same place in the afternoon.  Finally, take a photo of that place in the evening or night.  For each photo describe what you see and what you experienced.

#10 Take a hike and write about it.

Go on a hike, and take a lot of photos. I suggest not going alone.  Be safe and aware of your surroundings.  When you finish walking or climbing, recollect what it was like.  Look at the photos you took.  Then write about your hike. 

 Bonus :  Share that piece with others and ask them what images they saw in their mind.  Compare their thoughts with the photos you took.    What was different or similar?  

#11 Write about water.

It could be something you do in the water like swimming, fishing, kayaking, boating, etc.  You could focus on a particular body of water, pond, lake, river, ocean, or even pool.  You could write about drinking water on a hot day. 

How does the water feel on your skin or how does it taste? What is it like to dive into it compared to wading into the water?  Describe the water in as much detail as you can. This a wonderful topic for anyone who writes poetry.

Be Creative with Summer Writing Prompts 

Grab a writing notebook and see if these summer writing topics inspire you.  William Shakespeare was right about summer being too short, but through writing, you can extend the season.  And when it ends you can open up your journal and go back to those summer days you wrote about.

Shakespeare memorialized experiences through his sonnets and plays. You can do the same in your writer’s notebook.

If you like these summer writing prompts, please share them online and with anyone else you know who is interested in writing. or Pin this post to Pinterest. 

I love this idea! I did something similar with a summer reading bingo board. Summer is a great time for a change of routine and more writing!

Tutorpreneur Hero Award

http://becomeanonlinetutor.com/tutorpreneur-hero/

SSL Certificate Seal

Session expired

Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page.

Privacy Overview

74 Summer Writing Prompts for Students to Keep Them Engaged and Creative

By: Author Valerie Forgeard

Posted on Published: September 7, 2022  - Last updated: July 31, 2023

Categories Creativity , Inspiration , Writing

Summer vacation is a time for students to relax and enjoy themselves. However, it can also be a time for students to get creative and engage in writing activities. Here are 74 summer writing prompts to help students stay engaged and entertained during the summer months!

• What makes you feel like summer is finally here?
• What words can you use to describe summer?
• What does summer smell like?
• What happens at the beginning, middle, and end of summer?
• How did your school year end?
• Write down what you’re looking forward to this summer.
• What goals have you set for yourself this summer? (e.g., make a new friend, travel more often).
• Who’ll you spend the summer with?
• What’s the best part of summer?
• How would you describe a perfect summer day?
• Do you like to be outside in the summer or prefer to stay inside? And why?
• How do you feel about picnics in the summer? Do you have a favorite food or place to have a picnic?
• What’re three summer activities you want to do this summer?
• What summer activity is at the top of your agenda for your next summer vacation?
• What’s the worst thing that can happen during the summer?
• What did you do on your last vacation?
• What’s your favorite food to eat in the summer?
• Your favorite summer color?
• Your favorite summer clothing?
• Your favorite summer drink?
• Your favorite ice cream?
• Your favorite summer song?
• Your favorite summer story?
• Your favorite writing activity?
• Your favorite summer activity (beach, pool, etc.)?
• What’s your favorite summer movie and why?
• What kind of books do you like to read at the beach and why?
• What’s the most important thing about being home in the summer?
• What animal would be your spirit animal for the summer? (For example, a dolphin because it’s playful and friendly).
• You and your family are on vacation! What’re you doing there? (picture or story)
• What was it like the first time you went on vacation with your family?
• Write down the last time you went camping with your family or friends and describe what happened that day.
• What’s your favorite memory of summer camp?
• What crazy and ridiculous things can happen at summer camp?
• What’s the most amazing thing you’ve ever seen in nature?
• Write about a song that reminds you of summer vacation.
• What’s your favorite summer memory?
• Describe the first time you went to the beach or swimming pool as a child and tell us about that experience (don’t forget to mention what happened before and after).
• Have you ever been to a waterfall? If so, how did it make you feel?
• What’s your least favorite summer memory?
• What would you like to do again?
• What does July 4th mean to you?
• What do you think is the best part of summer?
• What do you think is the worst part of summer?
• What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you this summer?
• What do we all have in common when it comes to our summers?
• What did you do this summer that you’re proud of?
• What’s your favorite thing to do outside this summer?
• If summer were a person, what kind of personality would it have?
• What did you not get done this summer that you wish you’d have had time to do?
• Where have you been this summer that you’ve never been before?
• What’s the best way to spend a hot summer day?
• What would be your dream vacation spot? And why?
• What’s the best way to cool off when it’s hot?
• What do you like to eat when it’s hot outside?
• What would it be and why if you could only take one thing with you on vacation this summer?
• How is daylight saving time different from wintertime (other than temperature)? Should there be more differences between the seasons, or are these differences enough?
• What do you want to be when you grow up?
• Write down what you’d do if it never rained again
• Write about what you’d do if the sun never came up again.
• Write an epic poem about everything you’ve planned for your summer vacation (and all the fun things that might happen along the way).
• Write an acrostic poem
• How do you imagine Christmas in the summertime?
• Write a short story or a scene at the beach where someone is trying not to get caught up in their worries while hanging out with friends or family-however hard that might be!
• Write about a time when you tried something new this summer, and changed your life.
• Describe what made this summer different from all other summers (in your opinion).
• If you could choose how long your summer vacation would be, what time would you choose and why?
• How will the upcoming school year be different than the last?
• Do you’ve homework to do before you go back to school?
• If you could choose one teacher for the upcoming school year, who’d it be?
• What’re you looking forward to when you go back to school?
• What’re you most afraid of when you go back to school?
• Write down 10 goals for the upcoming school year.
• Write down how you plan to accomplish these goals.

Summer Is a Good Time to Practice Writing

Here are some ideas for making the most of your summer writing prompts:

First, you can use them to encourage creativity in your students. Summer is when kids aren’t in school and not learning as much as they normally do.

You can help them take advantage of this downtime by giving them summer writing prompts that they mightn’t find in their textbooks – for example, writing about their favorite place in the world or describing a dream they had last night. This writing prompt allows them to create something new rather than just regurgitating information from earlier in the year.

Second, you can use summer writing opportunities to practice basic skills like spelling and grammar. Writing isn’t just about writing well, it’s about knowing how to spell and use words correctly, so other people understand what you’re trying to say!

Summer is a great time to practice these skills because students have no pressure at home (and can afford to make mistakes). A great way to do this is to give students homework assignments where they’ve to write emails or letters home about what’s been going on in their lives lately – summer vacation gives them plenty of time to think about it.

Improve Your Creative Writing Skills During Summer Vacation!

If you’re a student or a parent of a student, you know all too well how important writing help is during the summer.

Summer is often when students have a lot more free time, but it’s also when teachers aren’t around to provide helpful feedback and guidance. This can make it much harder for students to get the support they need to do well in writing, a skill that will be useful throughout their lives.

There are many ways you can use summer writing help:

• You can talk to your teacher about getting extra practice during the summer months. Many teachers offer “distance learning” programs where they create materials that students can use on their own time at home (sometimes even before school starts again). This way, they can continue to work on the subject matter and get additional practice on certain skills that may have been difficult for them during the year.
• You can request one-on-one tutoring with someone who’s experienced working with students like you! A tutor can help you understand what’s going wrong and give tips on improving your writing skills, so that next year doesn’t look like this year!

A Great Time to Journal

These creative writing prompts are also a great way for students to start journal writing.

When you first start writing a journal, it can be quite intimidating. There are so many different options; if you don’t know where to start, it can feel like it’s just not working for you.

But journal writing doesn’t have to be complicated! Summer may be the best time to try it – especially if you want your kids to get into the habit of putting their thoughts and feelings down on paper. Here are some tips on how to make journal writing more fun:

Start With Small Topics

Don’t take on the big topics right away, but write about something simple, like your favorite color or an animal that lives in your yard. This way, students can explore their feelings about these topics without feeling overwhelmed by the task.

Use Prompts That Evoke Emotions Rather Than Memories

For example, instead of asking them what they did last summer (which would likely lead them down a path full of memories of previous summers), ask them what they’d like to do this summer! This allows them to think

Related Blog Posts

Healing Journal Prompts: 54 Creative Writing Ideas to Help You Heal

70 Opinion Writing Prompts for Engaging, Thought-Provoking Classroom Discussion

🎉 Our next novel writing master class starts in – ! Claim your spot →

WEEKLY WRITING PROMPTS

Join (probably?) the world's largest writing contest. Flex those creative muscles with weekly writing prompts.

Showing 2114 prompts

Heavenly bodies, set your story in a world where astrology and the movements of celestial bodies deeply impact the lives of inhabitants..

LIVE – Fantasy

People have gathered to witness a once-in-a-lifetime natural phenomenon, but what happens next is not what they expected.

LIVE – Mystery

Imagine an origin myth that somebody might use to explain an eclipse, or some other celestial event.

Write a story in which a character navigates using the stars..

LIVE – Adventure

Set your story during a total eclipse — either natural, or man-made.

LIVE – Fiction

Introducing Prompted , a new magazine written by you!

🏆 Featuring 12 prize-winning stories from our community. Download it now for FREE .

Begin or end your story with a character taking a selfie.

LIVE – Fluff

Write about a character who sees a photo they shouldn’t have seen.

LIVE – Dramatic

Write a story about a character who risks their life to take a photo.

Start your story with a character staring at a picture they don’t remember taking., center your story around a photo that goes viral..

LIVE – Funny

Subscribe to our prompts newsletter

Never miss a prompt! Get curated writing inspiration delivered to your inbox each week.

Write a story where time functions differently to our world.

Write a story about a character who wakes up in space., write a story from the point of view of a non-human character., write a story with a strong sense of place. how is the setting of your world the same as, but different to, our own, write a story imagining 'what if' one historic invention had never happened. how would our world be different now, start or end your story with a character who gets trapped inside a museum overnight., write about two characters who meet and/or fall in love in a museum., write about an art thief who is struggling to commit the perfect heist., write about someone who accidentally destroys a museum’s most valuable artifact., write about a gallery whose paintings come alive at night., win $250 in our short story competition 🏆.

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Contest #245 LIVE

Enter our weekly contest.

This week's theme: Heavenly Bodies

Prize money

Contest entries, closes at 23:59 - apr 12, 2024 est, recent contests ✍️.

#244 – Oh Snap!

#243 – Re-Imagining Our World Through Speculative Fiction with Alice McIlroy

#242 – Fine Art

#241 – Et Tu, Brute?

Recent winners 🏆

Thomas I – read

Niamh O'Dea – read

Liz Grosul – read

Jonathan Page – read

Leaderboard 🥇

#1 Zilla Babbitt

32350 points

#2 Deidra Whitt Lovegren

28679 points

#3 Abigail Airuedomwinya

22413 points

#4 Graham Kinross

14374 points

#5 Scout Tahoe

13195 points

#6 Chris Campbell

11011 points

#7 Thom With An H

10598 points

#8 Rayhan Hidayat

10210 points

#9 Michał Przywara

9870 points

#10 Deborah Mercer

9605 points

Bring your short stories to life

Fuse character, story, and conflict with tools in the Reedsy Book Editor. 100% free.

Creative Writing Prompts

When the idea to start a weekly newsletter with writing inspiration first came to us, we decided that we wanted to do more than provide people with topics to write about. We wanted to try and help authors form a regular writing habit and also give them a place to proudly display their work. So we started the weekly Creative Writing Prompts newsletter. Since then, Prompts has grown to a community of more than 450,000 authors, complete with its own literary magazine, Prompted .  

Here's how our contest works: every Friday, we send out a newsletter containing five creative writing prompts. Each week, the story ideas center around a different theme. Authors then have one week — until the following Friday — to submit a short story based on one of our prompts. A winner is picked each week to win $250 and is highlighted on our Reedsy Prompts page.

Interested in participating in our short story contest? Sign up here for more information! Or you can check out our full Terms of Use and our FAQ page .

Why we love creative writing prompts

If you've ever sat in front of a computer or notebook and felt the urge to start creating worlds, characters, and storylines — all the while finding yourself unable to do so — then you've met the author's age-old foe: writer's block. There's nothing more frustrating than finding the time but not the words to be creative. Enter our directory! If you're ready to kick writer's block to the curb and finally get started on your short story or novel, these unique story ideas might just be your ticket.

This list of 1800+ creative writing prompts has been created by the Reedsy team to help you develop a rock-solid writing routine. As all aspiring authors know, this is the #1 challenge — and solution! — for reaching your literary goals. Feel free to filter through different genres, which include...

Dramatic — If you want to make people laugh and cry within the same story, this might be your genre.

Funny — Whether satire or slapstick, this is an opportunity to write with your funny bone.

Romance — One of the most popular commercial genres out there. Check out these story ideas out if you love writing about love.

Fantasy — The beauty of this genre is that the possibilities are as endless as your imagination.

Dystopian – Explore the shadowy side of human nature and contemporary technology in dark speculative fiction.

Mystery — From whodunnits to cozy mysteries, it's time to bring out your inner detective.

Thriller and Suspense — There's nothing like a page-turner that elicits a gasp of surprise at the end.

High School — Encourage teens to let their imaginations run free.

Want to submit your own story ideas to help inspire fellow writers? Send them to us here.

After you find the perfect story idea

Finding inspiration is just one piece of the puzzle. Next, you need to refine your craft skills — and then display them to the world. We've worked hard to create resources that help you do just that! Check them out:

• How to Write a Short Story That Gets Published — a free, ten-day course by Laura Mae Isaacman, a full-time editor who runs a book editing company in Brooklyn.
• Best Literary Magazines of 2023 — a directory of 100+ reputable magazines that accept unsolicited submissions.
• Writing Contests in 2023 — the finest contests of 2021 for fiction and non-fiction authors of short stories, poetry, essays, and more.

Beyond creative writing prompts: how to build a writing routine

While writing prompts are a great tactic to spark your creative sessions, a writer generally needs a couple more tools in their toolbelt when it comes to developing a rock-solid writing routine . To that end, here are a few more additional tips for incorporating your craft into your everyday life.

• NNWT. Or, as book coach Kevin Johns calls it , “Non-Negotiable Writing Time.” This time should be scheduled into your routine, whether that’s once a day or once a week. Treat it as a serious commitment, and don’t schedule anything else during your NNWT unless it’s absolutely necessary.
• Set word count goals. And make them realistic! Don’t start out with lofty goals you’re unlikely to achieve. Give some thought to how many words you think you can write a week, and start there. If you find you’re hitting your weekly or daily goals easily, keep upping the stakes as your craft time becomes more ingrained in your routine.
• Talk to friends and family about the project you’re working on. Doing so means that those close to you are likely to check in about the status of your piece — which in turn keeps you more accountable.

Arm yourself against writer’s block. Writer’s block will inevitably come, no matter how much story ideas initially inspire you. So it’s best to be prepared with tips and tricks you can use to keep yourself on track before the block hits. You can find 20 solid tips here — including how to establish a relationship with your inner critic and apps that can help you defeat procrastination or lack of motivation.

NEW VIDEO COURSE 🎉

How to Write a Novel

Join Tom Bromley for a writing master class and finish your first draft in 3 months . Learn more →

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢

Oops, you need an account for that!

Log in with your social account:

Or enter your email:

ThinkWritten

365 Creative Writing Prompts

Here are 365 Creative Writing Prompts to help inspire you to write every single day! Use them for journaling, story starters, poetry, and more!

We may receive a commission when you make a purchase from one of our links for products and services we recommend. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for support!

Sharing is caring!

If you want to become a better writer, the best thing you can do is practice writing every single day. Writing prompts are useful because we know sometimes it can be hard to think of what to write about!

To help you brainstorm, we put together this list of 365 creative writing prompts to give you something to write about daily.

Want to Download these prompts?  I am super excited to announce due to popular demand we now have an ad-free printable version of this list of writing prompts available for just $5. The  printable version  includes a PDF as a list AND print-ready prompt cards. {And all the design source files you could ever need to customize any way you would like!}

Here are 365 Creative Writing Prompts to Inspire:

Whether you write short stories, poems, or like to keep a journal – these will stretch your imagination and give you some ideas for topics to write about!

1. Outside the Window : What’s the weather outside your window doing right now? If that’s not inspiring, what’s the weather like somewhere you wish you could be?

2. The Unrequited love poem: How do you feel when you love someone who does not love you back?

3. The Vessel: Write about a ship or other vehicle that can take you somewhere different from where you are now.

4. Dancing: Who’s dancing and why are they tapping those toes?

5. Food: What’s for breakfast? Dinner? Lunch? Or maybe you could write a poem about that time you met a friend at a cafe.

6. Eye Contact: Write about two people seeing each other for the first time.

7. The Rocket-ship: Write about a rocket-ship on its way to the moon or a distant galaxy far, far, away.

8. Dream-catcher : Write something inspired by a recent dream you had.

9. Animals: Choose an animal. Write about it!

10. Friendship: Write about being friends with someone.

11. Dragon : Envision a dragon. Do you battle him? Or is the dragon friendly? Use descriptive language.

12. Greeting : Write a story or poem that starts with the word “hello” or another greeting.

13. The Letter: Write a poem or story using words from a famous letter or inspired by a letter someone sent you.

14. The Found Poem : Read a book and circle some words on a page. Use those words to craft a poem. Alternatively, you can cut out words and phrases from magazines.

15. Eavesdropper : Create a poem, short story, or journal entry about a conversation you’ve overheard.

16. Addict: Everyone’s addicted to something in some shape or form. What are things you can’t go without?

17. Dictionary Definition : Open up a dictionary to a random word. Define what that word means to you.

18. Cleaning: Hey, even writers and creative artists have to do housework sometimes. Write about doing laundry, dishes, and other cleaning activities.

19. Great Minds: Write  about someone you admire and you thought to have had a beautiful mind.

20. Missed Connections: If you go to Craigslist, there is a “Missed Connections” section where you can find some interesting storylines to inspire your writing.

21. Foreclosure : Write a poem or short story about someone who has lost or is about to lose their home.

22. Smoke, Fog, and Haze: Write about not being able to see ahead of you.

23. Sugar: Write something so sweet, it makes your teeth hurt.

24. Numbers:  Write a poem or journal entry about numbers that have special meaning to you.

25. Dread: Write about doing something you don’t want to do.

26. Fear: What scares you a little? What do you feel when scared? How do you react?

27. Closed Doors: What’s behind the door? Why is it closed?

28. Shadow: Imagine you are someone’s shadow for a day.

29. Good Vibes: What makes you smile? What makes you happy?

30. Shopping:  Write about your shopping wishlist and how you like to spend money.

31. The Professor: Write about a teacher that has influenced you.

32. Rewrite : Take any poem or short story you enjoy. Rewrite it in your own words.

33. Jewelry: Write about a piece of jewelry. Who does it belong to?

34. Sounds : Sit outside for about an hour. Write down the sounds you hear.

35. War and Peace: Write about a recent conflict that you dealt with in your life.

36. Frame It: Write a poem or some phrases that would make for good wall art in your home.

37. Puzzle: Write about putting together the pieces of puzzles.

38. Fire-starters: Write about building a fire.

39. Coffee & Tea: Surely you drink one or the other or know someone who does- write about it!

40. Car Keys: Write about someone getting their driver’s license for the first time.

41. What You Don’t Know: Write about a secret you’ve kept from someone else or how you feel when you know someone is keeping a secret from you.

42. Warehouse : Write about being inside an old abandoned warehouse.

43. The Sound of Silence: Write about staying quiet when you feel like shouting.

44. Insult: Write about being insulted. How do you feel? Why do you think the other person insulted you?

45. Mirror, Mirror: What if you mirror started talking to you? What might the mirror say?

46. Dirty: Write a poem about getting covered in mud.

47. Light Switch : Write about coming out of the dark and seeing the light.

48. The Stars : Take inspiration from a night sky. Or, write about a time when “the stars aligned” in your horoscope.

49. Joke Poem : What did the wall say to the other wall? Meet you at the corner! Write something inspired by a favorite joke.

50. Just Say No : Write about the power you felt when you told someone no.

51: Sunrise/Sunset : The sun comes up, the sun goes down. It goes round and round. Write something inspiring about the sunrise or sunset.

52. Memory Lane : What does Memory Lane look like? How do you get there?

53. Tear-Jerker : Watch a movie that makes you cry. Write about that scene in the movie.

54. Dear Diary: Write a poem or short story about a diary entry you’ve read or imagined.

55. Holding Hands : The first time you held someone’s hand.

56. Photograph : Write a story or journal entry influenced by a photograph you see online or in a magazine.

57. Alarm Clock: Write about waking up.

58. Darkness: Write a poem or journal entry inspired by what you can’t see.

59. Refreshed: Write a poem about a time you really felt refreshed and renewed. Maybe it was a dip into a pool on a hot summer day, a drink of lemonade, or other situation that helped you relax and start again.

60. Handle With Care : Write about a very fragile or delicate object.

61. Drama: Write about a time when you got stuck in between two parties fighting with each other.

62. Slip Up: Write about making mistakes.

63. Spice: Write about flavors and tastes or a favorite spice of yours.

64. Sing a New Song: Take a popular song off the radio and rewrite it as a poem in your own words.

65. Telephone: Write about a phone call you recently received.

66. Name: Write a poem or short story using your name in some way or form.

67. Dollhouse: Write a poem or short story from the viewpoint of someone living in a doll house.

68. Random Wikipedia Article : Go to Wikipedia and click on Random Article . Write about whatever the page you get.

69. Silly Sports: Write about an extreme or silly sport. If none inspire you, make up the rules for your own game.

70. Recipe : Write about a recipe for something abstract, such as a feeling.

71. Famous Artwork: Choose a famous painting and write about it.

72. Where That Place Used to Be : Think of a place you went to when you were younger but it now no longer there or is something else. Capture your feelings about this in your writing.

73. Last Person You Talked to: Write a quick little poem or story about the last person you spoke with.

74. Caught Red-Handed: Write about being caught doing something embarrassing.

75. Interview: Write a list of questions you have for someone you would like to interview, real or fictional.

76. Missing You: Write about someone you miss dearly.

77. Geography: Pick a state or country you’ve never visited. Write about why you would or would not like to visit that place.

78. Random Song: Turn on the radio, use the shuffle feature on your music collection or your favorite streaming music service. Write something inspired by the first song you hear.

79. Hero: Write a tribute to someone you regard as a hero.

80. Ode to Strangers: Go people watching and write an ode to a stranger you see on the street.

81. Advertisement: Advertisements are everywhere, aren’t they? Write using the slogan or line from an ad.

82. Book Inspired: Think of your favorite book. Now write a poem that sums up the entire story in 10 lines.

83. Magic : Imagine you have a touch of magic, and can make impossible things happen. What would you do?

84. Fanciest Pen: Get out your favorite pen, pencils, or even colored markers and write using them!

85. A Day in the Life: Write about your daily habits and routine.

86. Your Muse: Write about your muse – what do they look like? What does your muse do to inspire you?

87. Convenience Store : Write about an experience you’ve had at a gas station or convenience store.

88. Natural Wonders of the World: Choose one of the natural wonders of the world. Write about it.

89. Status Update: Write a poem using the words from your latest status update or a friend’s status update. If you don’t use sites like Facebook or Twitter, you can often search online for some funny ones to use as inspiration.

90. Green Thumb: Write about growing something.

91. Family Heirloom: Write about an object that’s been passed through the generations in your family.

92. Bug Catcher: Write about insects.

93. Potion: Write about a magic potion. What is it made of? What does it do? What is the antidote?

94. Swinging & Sliding: Write something inspired by a playground or treehouse.

95. Adjectives: Make a list of the first 5 adjectives that pop into your head. Use these 5 words in your story, poem, or journal entry.

96. Fairy Tales: Rewrite a fairy tale. Give it a new ending or make it modern or write as a poem.

97. Whispers: Write about someone who has to whisper a secret to someone else.

98. Smile: Write a poem about the things that make you smile.

99. Seasonal: Write about your favorite season.

100.  Normal: What does normal mean to you? Is it good or bad to be normal?

101. Recycle : Take something you’ve written in the past and rewrite it into a completely different piece.

102. Wardrobe: Write about a fashion model or what’s currently in your closet or drawers.

103. Secret Message : Write something with a secret message hidden in between the words. For example, you could make an acrostic poem using the last letters of the word or use secret code words in the poem.

104. Vacation: Write about a vacation you took.

105. Heat: Write about being overheated and sweltering.

106. Spellbinding: Write a magic spell.

107. Collection : Write about collecting something, such as salt shakers, sea shells, or stamps.

108. Taking Chances: Everyone takes a risk at some point in their life. Write about a time when you took a chance and what the result was.

109. Carnival: Write a poem or story or journal entry inspired by a carnival or street fair.

110. Country Mouse: Write about someone who grew up in the country visiting the city for the first time.

111: Questions: Write about questions you have for the universe. Optional: include an answer key.

112. Rushing: Write about moving quickly and doing things fast.

113. Staircase : Use a photo of a staircase or the stairs in your home or a building you love to inspire you.

114. Neighbors: Make up a story or poem about your next door neighbor.

115. Black and Blue: Write about a time you’ve been physically hurt.

116. All Saints: Choose a saint and create a poem about his or her life.

117. Beach Inspired: What’s not to write about the beach?

118. Shoes: What kind of shoes do you wear? Where do they lead your feet?

119. The Ex: Write a poem to someone who is estranged from you.

120. My Point of View: Write in the first person point of view.

121. Stray Animal: Think of the life of a stray cat or dog and write about that.

122. Stop and Stare : Create a poem or story about something you could watch forever.

123. Your Bed: Describe where you sleep each night.

124. Fireworks : Do they inspire you or do you not like the noise and commotion? Write about it.

125. Frozen: Write about a moment in your life you wish you could freeze and preserve.

126. Alone : Do you like to be alone or do you like having company?

127. Know-it-all: Write about something you are very knowledgeable about, for example a favorite hobby or passion of yours.

128. The Promise: Write about a promise you’ve made to someone. Did you keep that promise?

129. Commotion: Write about being overstimulated by a lot of chaos.

130. Read the News Today : Construct a poem or story using a news headline for your first line.

131. Macro: Write a description of an object close-up.

132. Transportation : Write about taking your favorite (or least-favorite) form of transportation.

133. Gadgets: If you could invent a gadget, what would it do? Are there any gadgets that make your life easier?

134: Bring on the Cheese: Write a tacky love poem that is so cheesy, it belongs on top of a pizza.

135. Ladders: Write a story or poem that uses ladders as a symbol.

136. Bizarre Holiday : There is a bizarre holiday for any date! Look up a holiday for today’s date and create a poem in greeting card fashion or write a short story about the holiday to celebrate.

137. Blog-o-sphere : Visit your favorite blog or your feedreader and craft a story, journal entry, or poem based on the latest blog post you read.

138. Mailbox: Create a poem, short story, or journal entry based on a recent item of mail you’ve received.

139. Sharing : Write about sharing something with someone else.

140. Cactus: Write from the viewpoint of a cactus. What’s it like to live in the desert or have a prickly personality?

141. It’s a Sign : Have you seen any interesting road signs lately?

142. Furniture: Write about a piece of furniture in your home.

143. Failure: Write about a time you failed at something. Did you try again or give up completely?

144. Mystical Creatures: Angels or other mystical creatures – use them as inspiration.

145. Flying: Write about having wings and what you would do.

146. Clear and Transparent: Write a poem about being able to see-through something.

147. Break the Silence : Record yourself speaking, then write down what you spoke and revise into a short story or poem.

148. Beat: Listen to music with a strong rhythm or listen to drum loops. Write something that goes along with the beat you feel and hear.

149. Color Palette: Search online for color palettes and be inspired to write by one you resonate with.

150. Magazine: Randomly flip to a page in a magazine and write using the first few words you see as an opening line.

151. The Grass is Greener : Write about switching the place with someone or going to where it seems the “grass is greener”.

152. Mind & Body: Write something that would motivate others to workout and exercise.

153. Shaping Up : Write something that makes a shape on the page…ie: a circle, a heart, a square, etc.

154. Twenty-One: Write about your 21st birthday.

155. Aromatherapy: Write about scents you just absolutely love.

156. Swish, Buzz, Pop : Create a poem that uses Onomatopoeia .

157. What Time is It? Write about the time of day it is right now. What are people doing? What do you usually do at this time each day?

158. Party Animal: Have you ever gone to a party you didn’t want to leave? Or do you hate parties? Write about it!

159: Miss Manners : Use the words “please” and “thank you” in your writing.

160. Cliche: Choose a common cliche, then write something that says the same thing but without using the catch phrase.

161. Eco-friendly : Write about going green or an environmental concern you have.

162. Missing You: Write about someone you miss.

163. Set it Free: Think of a time when you had to let someone or something go to be free…did they come back?

164: Left Out : Write about a time when you’ve felt left out or you’ve noticed someone else feeling as if they didn’t belong.

165. Suitcase: Write about packing for a trip or unpacking from when you arrive home.

166. Fantasy : Write about fairies, gnomes, elves, or other mythical creatures.

167. Give and Receive : Write about giving and receiving.

168. Baker’s Dozen: Imagine the scents and sights of a bakery and write.

169. Treehouse: Write about your own secret treehouse hideaway.

170.  Risk: Write about taking a gamble on something.

171. Acrostic : Choose a word and write an acrostic poem where every line starts with a letter from the word.

172. Crossword Puzzle: Open up the newspaper or find a crossword puzzle online and choose one of the clues to use as inspiration for your writing.

173. Silver Lining : Write about the good that happens in a bad situation.

174. Gloves: Write about a pair of gloves – what kind of gloves are they? Who wears them and why?

175. All that Glitters: Write about a shiny object.

176. Jealousy: Write with a theme of envy and jealousy.

Want to Download these prompts?  I am super excited to announce due to popular demand we now have an ad-free printable version of this list of writing prompts available for just $5. The  printable version  includes a PDF as a list AND print-ready prompt cards. {And all the design source files you could ever need to customize any way you would like!}

177. How Does Your Garden Grow? Write about a flower that grows in an unusual place.

178. Jury Duty : Write a short story or poem that takes place in a courtroom.

179. Gifts: Write about a gift you have given or received.

180. Running: Write about running away from someone or something.

181. Discovery: Think of something you’ve recently discovered and use it as inspiration.

182. Complain:  Write about your complaints about something.

183. Gratitude: Write a poem or journal entry that is all about things you are thankful for.

184. Chemistry: Choose an element and write a poem or story that uses that word in one of the lines.

185. Applause: Write about giving someone a standing ovation.

186. Old Endings Into New Beginnings:  Take an old poem, story, or journal entry of yours and use the last line and make it the first line of your writing today.

187. Longing: Write  about something you very much want to do.

188. I Am: Write a motivational poem or journal entry about positive traits that make you who you are.

189. Rainbow : What is at the end of a rainbow? Or, take a cue from Kermit the Frog, and ask yourself, why are there so many songs about rainbows?

190. Museum: Take some time to visit a nearby museum with your journal. Write about one of the pieces that speaks to you.

191. Cartoon: Think of your favorite cartoon or comic. Write a poem or story that takes place in that setting.

192. Copycat: Borrow a line from a famous public domain poem to craft your own.

193. From the Roof-tops:  Imagine you could stand on a rooftop and broadcast a message to everyone below – what would you say?

194. Time Travel: If there was a time period you could visit for a day, where would you go? Write about traveling back in time to that day.

195. Changing Places: Imagine living the day as someone else.

196. Neighborhood: Write about your favorite place in your neighborhood to visit and hang out at.

197. Pirates: Write about a pirate ship.

198. Interview : Write based on a recent interview you’ve read or seen on TV or heard on the radio.

199.  Hiding Spaces : Write about places you like to hide things at. What was a favorite hiding spot for you as a child playing hide-and-seek?

200. Extreme Makeover: Imagine how life might be different if you could change your hair color or clothing into something completely opposite from your current style.

201. Empathy: Write about your feelings of empathy or compassion for another person.

202. Opposites: Write a poem or story that ties in together two opposites.

203. Boredom: Write about being bored or make a list of different ways to entertain yourself.

204. Strength : Think of a time when you’ve been physically or emotionally strong and use that as inspiration.

205. Hunger: Write from the perspective of someone with no money to buy food.

206. Greed: Write about someone who always wants more – whether it be money, power, etc. etc.

207. Volcano: Write about an eruption of a volcano.

208. Video Inspiration : Go to Vimeo.com or YouTube.com and watch one of the videos featured on the homepage. Write something based on what you watch.

209. Sneeze: Write about things that make you sneeze.

210. Footsteps on the Moon:  Write about the possibility of life in outer-space.

211: Star-crossed: Write a short modern version of the story of Romeo and Juliet or think of real-life examples of lovers who are not allowed to be together to use as inspiration for your writing.

212. Font-tastic: Choose a unique font and type out a poem, story or journal entry using that font.

213. Schedule: Take a look at your calendar and use the schedule for inspiration in writing.

214. Grandparents: Write about a moment in your grandparent’s life.

215. Collage: Go through a magazine and cut out words that grab your attention. Use these words to construct a poem or as a story starter or inspiration for your journal.

216. Oh so Lonely: Write a poem about what you do when you are alone – do you feel lonely or do you enjoy your own company?

217. Waterfall: Think of a waterfall you’ve seen in person or spend some time browsing photos of waterfalls online. Write about the movement, flow, and energy.

218. First Kiss: Write about your first kiss.

219. So Ironic: Write about an ironic situation you’ve been in throughout your life.

220. Limerick: Write a limerick today.

221. Grocery Shopping: Write about an experience at the grocery store.

222. Fashion : Go through a fashion magazine or browse fashion websites online and write about a style you love.

223. So Close: Write about coming close to reaching a goal.

224. Drinks on Me: Write a poem or short story that takes place at a bar.

225. Online Friends: Write an ode to someone online you’ve met and become friends with.

226. Admiration: Is there someone you admire? Write about those feelings.

227. Trash Day: Write from the perspective of a garbage collector.

228. Mailbox: Open your mailbox and write something inspired by one of the pieces of mail you received.

229. Fresh & Clean: Write about how you feel after you take a shower.

230. Energized: Write about how you feel when you’re either at a high or low energy level for the day.

231. Rhyme & No Reason: Make up a silly rhyming poem using made up words.

232. Tech Support: Use computers or a conversation with tech support you’ve had as inspiration.

233. Hotel: Write from the perspective of someone who works at a hotel or staying at a hotel.

234. Underwater: Write about sea creatures and under water life. What’s under the surface of the ocean? What adventures might be waiting?

235. Breathing: Take a few minutes to do some deep breathing relaxation techniques. Once your mind is clear, just write the first few things that you think of.

236. Liar, Liar: Make up a poem or story of complete lies about yourself or someone else.

237. Obituaries: Look at the recent obituaries online or in the newspaper and imagine the life of someone and write about that person.

238. Pocket: Rummage through your pockets and write about what you keep or find in your pockets.

239. Cinquain: Write a cinquain poem, which consists of 5 lines that do not rhyme.

240. Alphabetical: Write a poem that has every letter of the alphabet in it.

241.  Comedy Club: Write something inspired by a comedian.

242. Cheater: Write about someone who is unfaithful.

243. Sestina: Give a try to writing a sestina poem.

244. Fight: Write about witnessing two people get in an argument with each other.

245. Social Network : Visit your favorite Social Networking website (ie: Facebook, Pinterest, Google, Twitter, etc.) and write a about a post you see there.

246. Peaceful: Write about something peaceful and serene.

247. In the Clouds: Go cloud watching for the day and write about what you imagine in the clouds.

248. At the Park: Take some time to sit on a park bench and write about the sights, scenes, and senses and emotions you experience.

249. Sonnet: Write a sonnet today.

250. Should, Would, And Could: Write a poem or story using the words should, would, and could.

251. How to: Write directions on how to do something.

252. Alliteration: Use alliteration in your poem or in a sentence in a story.

253. Poker Face: Write about playing a card game.

254. Timer: Set a timer for 5 minutes and just write. Don’t worry about it making sense or being perfect.

255. Dance: Write about a dancer or a time you remember dancing.

256. Write for a Cause: Write a poem or essay that raises awareness for a cause you support.

257. Magic : Write about a magician or magic trick.

258. Out of the Box: Imagine finding a box. Write about opening it and what’s inside.

259. Under the Influence: What is something has impacted you positively in your life?

260. Forgotten Toy : Write from the perspective a forgotten or lost toy.

261. Rocks and Gems: Write about a rock or gemstone meaning.

262. Remote Control: Imagine you can fast forward and rewind your life with a remote control.

263. Symbolism: Think of objects, animals, etc. that have symbolic meaning to you. Write about it.

264. Light at the End of the Tunnel: Write about a time when you saw hope when it seemed like a hopeless situation.

265. Smoke and Fire : “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” Use this saying as inspiration to write!

266. Railroad: Write about a train and its cargo or passengers.

267. Clipboard: Write about words you imagine on an office clipboard.

268. Shipwrecked: Write about being stranded somewhere – an island, a bus stop, etc.

269. Quotable: Use a popular quote from a speaker and use it as inspiration for your writing.

270. Mind   Map it Out: Create a mind map of words, phrases, and ideas that pop into your head or spend some time browsing the many mind maps online. Write a poem, story, or journal entry inspired by the mind map.

271. Patterns : Write about repeating patterns that occur in life.

272. Scrapbook : Write about finding a scrapbook and the memories it contains.

273. Cure: Write about finding a cure for an illness.

274. Email Subject Lines: Read your email today and look for subject lines that may be good starters for writing inspiration.

275. Wishful Thinking: Write about a wish you have.

276. Doodle : Spend some time today doodling for about 5-10 minutes. Write about the thoughts you had while doodling or create something inspired by your finished doodle.

277. Chalkboard: Imagine you are in a classroom. What does it say on the chalkboard?

278. Sticky: Imagine a situation that’s very sticky, maybe even covered in maple syrup, tape or glue. Write about it!

279. Flashlight : Imagine going somewhere very dark with only a flashlight to guide you.

280. A Far Away Place : Envision yourself traveling to a fictional place, what do you experience in your imaginary journey?

281. On the Farm : Write about being in a country or rural setting.

282. Promise to Yourself: Write about a promise you want to make to yourself and keep.

283. Brick Wall : Write a poem that is about a brick wall – whether literal or figurative.

284. Making a Choice: Write about a time when you had to make a difficult choice.

285.  Repeat: Write about a time when you’ve had to repeat yourself or a time when it felt like no one was listening.

286. Outcast : Write about someone who is not accepted by their peers. (for example, the Ugly Ducking)

287. Scary Monsters: Write about a scary (or not-so-scary) monster in your closet or under the bed.

288. Sacrifice: Write about something you’ve sacrificed doing to do something else or help another person.

289. Imperfection: Create a poem that highlights the beauty in being flawed.

290. Birthday Poem: Write a poem inspired by birthdays.

291. Title First : Make a list of potential poem or story titles and choose one to write from.

292. Job Interview : Write about going on a job interview.

293. Get Well : Write a poem that will help someone who is sick feel better quick!

294. Lost in the Crowd: Write about feeling lost in the crowd.

295. Apple a Day: Write about a health topic that interests you.

296. Cravings: Write about craving something.

297. Phobia: Research some common phobias, choose one, and write about it.

298. In the Moment: Write about living in the present moment.

299. Concrete : Write about walking down a sidewalk and what you see and experience.

300. Battle: Write about an epic battle, whether real, fictional or figurative.

301. This Old House : Write about an old house that is abandoned or being renovated.

302. Clutter: Is there a cluttered spot in your home? Go through some of that clutter today and write about what you find or the process of organizing.

303. Go Fly a Kite: Write about flying a kite.

304. On the TV: Flip to a random TV channel and write about the first thing that comes on – even if it is an infomercial!

305. Fruit: Write an ode to your favorite fruit.

306. Long Distance Love: Write about a couple that is separated by distance.

307. Glasses: Write about a pair of eyeglasses or someone wearing glasses.

308. Robotic : Write about a robot.

309. Cute as a Button: Write about something you think is just adorable.

310. Movie Conversation: Use a memorable conversation from a favorite movie to inspire your writing.

311. Easy-Peasy : Write  about doing something effortlessly.

312. Idiom: Choose from a list of idioms one that speaks to you and create a poem around that saying or phrase. (Ie: It is raining cats and dogs)

313. Playground: Whether it is the swings or the sandbox or the sliding boards, write about your memories of being on a playground.

314. Romance: Write about romantic things partners can do for each other.

315. Rock Star: Imagine you are a famous rock star. Write about the experience.

316. Come to Life: Imagine ordinary objects have come to life. Write about what they do and say.

317. Airplane: Write about meeting someone on an airplane and a conversation you might have.

318. Health & Beauty: Take some time to peruse your medicine cabinet or the health and beauty aisles at a local store. Write a poem, short story, or journal entry inspired by a product label.

319. Determination: Write about not giving up.

320. Instrumental Inspiration: Listen to some instrumental music and write a poem that matches the mood, beat, and style of the music.

321. Wait Your Turn: Write about having to wait in line.

322. Personality Type : Do you know your personality type? (There are many free quizzes online) – write about what type of personality traits you have.

323. Decade: Choose a favorite decade and write about it. (IE: 1980’s or 1950’s for example)

324. I Believe: Write your personal credo of things you believe in.

325. Lost and Found: Write about a lost object.

326. Say it: Write a poem or story that uses dialogue between two people.

327. The Unsent Letter: Write about a letter that never made it to its recipient.

328. The Windows of the Soul: Write a poem about the story that is told through someone’s eyes.

329. Trial and Error: Write about something you learned the hard way.

330. Escape : Write about where you like to go to escape from it all.

331. What’s Cooking: Write something inspired a favorite food or recipe.

332. Records : Go through your file box and pull out old receipts or records…write something inspired by what you find!

333. Banking: Write about visiting the bank.

334. Sweet Talk: Write about trying to convince someone of something.

335. Serendipity: Write about something that happened by chance in a positive way.

336. Distractions: Write about how it feels when you can’t focus.

337. Corporation: Write about big business.

338. Word of the Day: Go to a dictionary website that has a word of the day and use it in a poem, story or journal entry you write.

339. Pick Me Up:  What do you do when you need a pick me up?

340. Unfinished: Write about a project you started but never completed.

341. Forgiveness: Write about a time when someone forgave you or you forgave someone.

342. Weakness: Write about your greatest weakness.

343. Starting: Write about starting a project.

344. Mechanical: Think of gears, moving parts, machines.

345. Random Act of Kindness : Write about a random act of kindness you’ve done for someone or someone has done for you, no matter how small or insignificant it may have seemed.

346. Underground: Imagine living in a home underground and use that as inspiration for writing.

347. Classic Rock: Pick a classic rock love ballad and rewrite it into a story or poem with a similar theme.

348. Night Owl : Write about staying up late at night.

349. Magnetic : Write about attraction to something or someone.

350. Teamwork: Write about working with a team towards a common goal.

351. Roller-coaster : Write about the ups and downs in life.

352. Motivational Poster: Look at some motivational posters online and write a poem or journal entry inspired by your favorite one.

353. Games: Write about the games people play – figuratively or literally.

354. Turning Point: Write about a point in life where things turned for the better or worse.

355. Spellbound: Write about a witch’s spell.

356. Anniversary: Write about the anniversary of a special date.

357. Gamble:  Be inspired by a casino or lottery ticket.

358. Picnic: Write about going on a picnic.

359. Garage: Write about some random item you might find in a garage.

360. Review: Review your week, month, or year in a journal entry or poem format.

361. Detective: Write about a detective searching for clues or solving a mystery.

362. Camera: Take your camera for a walk and write based on one of the photographs you take.

363. Visiting : Write about visiting a family member or friend.

364. Trust: Write about putting trust in someone.

365. Congratulations : Did you write a poem, short story, or journal entry every day for a whole year? Write about what you’ve learned and celebrate your achievement!

We hope you enjoy these creative writing prompts! And of course, if you write anything using these prompts, we’d love to know about it! Tell us how you’ll use these everyday creative writing prompts in the comments section below!

And of course, if you’d like the printable ad-free version of these prompts to reference again and again or to use in your classroom, you can find them at our Etsy shop !

Chelle Stein wrote her first embarrassingly bad novel at the age of 14 and hasn't stopped writing since. As the founder of ThinkWritten, she enjoys encouraging writers and creatives of all types.

Similar Posts

300 Fun Writing Prompts for Kids: Story Starters, Journal Prompts & Ideas

101 Poetry Prompts & Ideas for Writing Poems

7 Creative Writing Exercises For Writers

108 Romance Writing Prompts & Love Story Ideas

42 Fantasy Writing Prompts & Plot Ideas

191 comments.

I have been on a reading binge since being on vacation from school. By rereading Little House, Anne of Green Gables, and Little Women among others, one wonders about writing a book. I stumbled across this while looking up unit supplements for my kiddos, and thought, hey, write a page a day and see what happens! Thank you for this collection of prompts! I’ve linked back to this page several times so others can try their hand at writing. Thank you again!

The Flicker, The Teeth, and A Warehouse in the Dark (the warehouse prompt)

I am in a large abandoned warehouse with a flickering light The only light in the whole room. It flickered leaving me in temporal darkness It flickered again and as it was dark I swore I saw something glowing It looked like glowing teeth The lights return and I see nothing Flickers on Flickers off I see the teeth closer Flickers on I see nothing Flickers off The teeth so close Flickers on An empty warehouse Flickers off The glowing teeth are inchings away bright red blood drips from their tips Flickers on Panic rises in my chest but nothing is there Turns off The mouth of bloody teeth is before my eyes I wait for the light to flicker back on I wait in complete darkness I wait And wait And wait The teeth open wide I try to scream by the darkness swallows it A hear the crunch of my bones I see my blood pore down my chest But I wait in darkness for the pain I wait And wait And wait The mouth of teeth devours my lower half I wait for pain and death I wait And wait And wait The light flickers on I see no monster Only my morphed body And blood And blood And blood And so much blood The light flickers off The monster eats my arm Flickers on I wait for pain Flickers off I watch as the creature eats my limbs Flickers on I wait for death Flickers off Slowly the teeth eat my head All I see is dark I wait for it to flicker on Where is the warehouse light? Where is the only light in the room? Where is the flicker? Where am I? Where are the bloody teeth? I wait for the light to come back And wait And wait And wait And wait And wait And wait And wait in eternal darkness

WOW. Thank you!

This is such a helpful tool! I’ve learned a lot about my self through picking a random prompt and writing the first thing that comes to mind. I’d love to see a follow up list of possible! Definitely a recomended sight!

I agree. Very helpful.

I am new at the blogging game. You have provided some wonderful ideas for blog posts. Great ideas just to get used to writing every day. Thanks

This list is really impressive and useful for those of us who are looking for good topics to blog about. Thanks!

Thank you! That somes in handy

Very nice list. Thanks for compiling and posting it. It’s not only good for bloggers, but poets, as well.

yess im using it for my new years resolution, which is to write a poem daily!

Wow, thanks so much for all these wonderful prompts! They are lots of fun and very helpful. I love how you’ve provided 365 of them–A prompt for every day of the year! 🙂

Not if it’s a leap year…

Haha. Yea. This is great though all the same.. ;-;

Lol actually there’s 364 days in a year and 365 in a leap year so……yeah

are you fucking stupid

There are actually 366 days in a leap year so… yeah

I use this for my homeschooling-I love it! Thank you so much!! This is a wonderful list. So creative! 🙂 🙂

Thanks! I’m preparing for writing every day next year and this will come in really handy. It’s just 364 writing prompts though. 164 is missing. 😉

MiMschi is wrong 164 is there i looked

I think they meant that as a joke, 164 is called left out…

Good it is useful

no its not you nonce

You Don’t Love Me, Damn You

things left unsaid

and then some

anger strangles the baby

in its crib,

flowers wilt,

rivers dry up

harsh words clatter upon the day,

echo unfortunately

till silence smothers

in its embrace

you wish you could take it back

what’s done is done

never to be undone

though things move on

part of you remains

locked in the middle of protesting

one last thing,

mouth open,

no words emerging

why must you be misunderstood?

why must everything you say

no way of straightening things out

gestures halted mid-air

an accusatory finger

shoulders locked

in sardonic shrug

dishes smash on the floor

spray of fragments

frozen mid-air

slam the door

it doesn’t open

but in spite of yourself

you turn and look

one last time…..

(Greg Cameron, Poem, Surrey, B.C., Canada)

Love these. Thank you!

This is really amazingly deep. I love it so much. You have so much talent!!

Thanks SOOO much for the prompts but I have another suggestion!

A Recipe for disaster- write a recipe for a disastrous camping trip…

that one sounds awesome.

Haha. Reminds me of the old twin’s show.. what was it.. where the two girls switch places when they meet at camp?

Pretty sure I know what you’re talking about. The Parent Trap, right? Never seen the whole movie, but it seems funny.

and also #309, everyone should have thought of a hamster “write” away XD!

May I have permission to use this list at my next Ozarks Chapter of the American Christian Writers meeting. Thank you for consideration.

Hi Leah, please send some more info here: https://thinkwritten.com/contact

i am using it for my homeschooling and i love it

i am using it for my homeschooling

where is prompt 165?

sorry I meant 164, my mistake.

well kay, there is a 164 AND 165. So your head is clearly ????????????

What I like most about these is how you can combine them and get really weird ideas. For example, empathy from the rooftops: what if you shouted something positive in public every day – or if everyone did so? It might be fun to try, and then write a diary about it. Online time travel: if people could live virtually in incredibly well=constructed versions of different time periods, what would the effects be on today’s society? Could it change our language or customs?

It would be cool if we could have goggles that showed places during a certain time period. Like Seattle 1989. And you could buy special plugins, like specific people you want to hang out with, famous or non.

That one about online time travel is crazy brilliant!!! And highly thought-provoking.

It is amazing what creative writing could do to you. Daily prompts have proven to be very inspiring and overtime writers develop their own style of writing depending on how passionate they are about it. I would love to write about all 3, online, space, and time travel. cheers! and Don’t stop writing!

I belong to a writing club. We seem to have a lot of prompts to use. I love stories having to do with rain. Would you join me. I am jim

Wow! Inspiration right here.

May I use this list for a speech at my Ozarks Chapter of the American Christian Writers?

Love the inspiration

THANK YOU. THAT IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS THANK YOU.

What about a leap year? You’re missing one topic.

Wonderful! I love writing and these prompts are very helpful. Thank you very much! ♥

It’s been really useful in getting me to write again! Thank you very much!

I really love the list of writing ideas you have compiled here. I will be using it and others to get myself back into writing every single day if I can be away with it. Also, I have noticed a few problems with this list. One is a repeat topic. Those are numbers 76 and 162. And you skipped a number. And have only 364 days of writing. Still through! All these ideas are absolutely amazing and awesome ideas! I commend you for putting it all together in an easy to read format too. Thank you so very much.

I think we have the list all fixed now, but thanks for catching a couple of early mistakes!

Thank you for helping me edit Lora! I don’t always have a second pair of eyes + appreciated this to fix + update the post! I always say my readers are my best editors. 🙂

these days get brighter, mine gets darker, why does it has to be me , why not life.

Mirror, Mirror: What if you mirror started talking to you?

u r awesome man

Wonderful compilation of ideas! I will send your blog along to my many Creative Writing students. I’m enjoying reading your posts.

wow!! great tips! but how long did it take you to write that? its a lot of words!! lol great stuff though..

This is so cool! I love these prompts and will definitely recommend some to my teacher!!

The promise “I made a promise with my best friend, I said i’d never break, Our personalities really did blend, But then I lied awake, The people disappearing, Her gaze was always leering. I never thought she was serious, I always took it as a joke, But it really made me curious, When she was digging around that oak, My best friend is a serial killer, And i knew the truth, My life turned into a thriller, And eating at me took away my youth, I couldn’t take it any long living with this weight, To the police I went to tell my tale, Looking at me with eyes of hate, she smiled and said, without her I would fail. Now i sit in the prison cell, Waiting for my call My friend across the room smiling, my eyes begin to swell, My neck snapping on the, from my sides my hands fall

Although my writing style is dark, that’s the way I enjoy writing, and thank you for this list, even though I didn’t do one per day, scrolling through I was able to see keywords that formed ideas in my mind

I love this <3 It's amazing :))

These are really nice I absolutely love them.

This is very helpful and I’ve been finding a way to help improve my creative writing!!! Thank you very much!

You are such a life developer, who can virtually transform a life busy with unnecessary activities humans are posted to through internet. And who can restore the appetite of people to purchase pen and paper which have considered the last commodity in the market at the expense of that great vampire ‘social media’ that left both old and young paralyzed. Thanks to the proponent of this great idea.

These are great. The Closed door one gives me a great idea for a new story! Thank you so much!

man what the fuck is this shit! i was looking for short story writing prompts and I get stuck with shit like “write about the weather outside”. Damn this shit is disappointing.

Hi John, the weather might seem boring, but there are a lot of ways you can springboard from that – maybe you write a story about a character who despises the sunshine or melts if they get rained on or they live in a underground tunnel and the house gets flooded…You can also use it as an exercise in developing more descriptive writing that shows, not tells for the scenes in your story. Writing about the weather seems “easy and boring” but seriously challenge yourself to write about it in a way that makes it interesting – it is not so easy to avoid the cliches as you might think!

I LOVE IT SO MUCH i do not know why but my kids, they will just like come on this website every time it is time to have a little bit of video games! XD

The weather outside that day was dark.

It was a perfectly reasonable sort of darkness. The kind of darkness you might get if you wake up an hour before sunrise. But it was late in the morning.

He had to make sure of that. He checked his alarm clock, his microwave oven clock, and his cell phone.

The sun was supposed to be out. But the moonlit sky was starlit and clear.

And as he looked outside again, he saw that people were out, going about their business, as if none of this really mattered at all.

What was he missing here?

(There. Now you have a short story writing prompt..)

You know what “John” i think this website is great so fuck you.

yeah you tell him john

It depends on how you view it. That one topic for instance has given me a beautiful story telling. I am currently about to round up with it and trust me the feedback has been amazing.

That is great! I’m glad it helped inspire you!

Dude kids go on here so stop swearing “John”

Maybe you need to work on improving the quality of your writing. Your use of expletives is totally uncalled for. I see nothing wrong with “writing about the weather outside”. In fact, this is a great topic and can lead to awesome discussions.

Very useful indeed. Thank u

i think this is a good prompted

I think it’s awesome, I looked for inspiration, I found inspiration, thank you

well! i fall in love with all these ideas! i loved this page! thanks for sharing these amazing ideas!

Great stuff mat Keep up the good work

I LOVE THIS SO MUCH IT IS VERY HELPFUL BUT FOR A SUGGESTION YOU COULD DO DIARY STUFF MAYBE

When I read your comment, I thought you said “DAIRY,” not “DIARY.”

So… why not both? Write something based on a dairy farmer’s diary. Or… a dairy COW’S diary. Tell their stories, their private dreams. Or hidden shame…

That’s the way to think + use this list 🙂

Great idea!

Awesome list! Thank you!

Thanks so much! I’ve always been told I’m a great writer and should publish. I haven’t done a lot of leisure writing because I’m afraid I might realize I’m NOT a good writer. My therapist wants me to write more and these prompts are perfect!

This is fun i will keep doing this no matter what every year. I can’t stop writing either. Thanks for making this, it is very fun.

This helps so much! love these ideas

Can this website give me a write on the following topic. –

Imagine that the scientists could replace the human brains with computers or invent the computers with human feelings. What do you think would happen?Would the world become a better place to live in???

I’ve been looking for prompts to work through my creative art/collage journal for 2017…and love the ones you offer here….LOVE THEM! I like that they are more than just one word and give me something to think about before I start creating each day as a warm up to what is ahead.

I hope don’t mind, but I shared them on both Instagram and my FaceBook page in hopes to get my artist/creative friends to follow along with me in creating each day. I would like to include a link to your page in a near future blog post about my creative journal.

Thank you for posting and sharing you prompts…I’m excited to get started!

I’m on number 43 and I’ve already discovered a whole bunch about myself! These prompts are amazing and I can’t wait for the next 322 of them. I’ve recommended this to several of my friends. Totally worth several notebooks chock full of prompts and a years worth of writing 🙂

Very inspiring….

Hello! Is it alright if I add some of these to a little book I’m making for my Grandmother? She hasn’t opened a computer in her life but I know these prompts would do her a world of good. I believe in the importance of asking permission to use the creative property of another person 🙂 Cheers!

Hi Maxx, of course you may share with your grandmother – the only thing we would worry about is if you were to publish them for monetary gain. Enjoy! 🙂

This is really helpful. I’m glad I saw it first. ♥

OMG!! I’ve never been in this website before!!

Thank u so much this was so helpful. Idk how u came up with all thoughts prompts. It was very helpful. Thank u again.

For the first time in a long time it finally felt like I knew was going to happen next. I was gazing into her eyes and she was gazing back. I remember it like it was just yesterday, when she was still the one for me but never forgave me. I miss the sweet sound of her laughter and now all i hear are friends. I have tried to go back and apologize to her just to see if the answer will change but even I know that it will never change because I will never be enough for her. But if she ever decides that she wants me back she can have me because a life without love is one not worth living.

gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood

can u give me one using the prompt “normal”

Thanks for this!!!!! Will definitely help me in learning to tap into my creative writing genius 🙂

Thanks, this helped me a lot!

u have a typo!!!! 364

Thanks for pointing out, got it fixed 🙂 Sometimes my brain goes faster than the computer. 🙂

I wrote this, tell me what you think; prompt #4-dancing You see her tapping her toes, always listening to music. Although she doesn’t like the music, what she doesn’t know yet is it will be stuck in her head for the next year. She’s as graceful as a butterfly yet as strong as a fighter. Many only see a pretty face yet those close enough to the fire know the passion burning deep inside of her. At home she’s quiet, always in her room yet making loud noises through the floorboards. Her parents know what she’s up to but her little brothers don’t quite understand yet. All they know is that when she goes up there she’s listening to music and soon she will play it for the whole neighborhood to hear. They don’t know that she’s practicing, practicing for the most important day of the year. The one she’s been waiting for since she’s been a little girl. Tapping her toes at the table only stops when her parents beg her to rest. Even in her dreams she on stage, dancing like a swan. Yet deep down she’s scared of the failure that she will feel if this one day goes a bit to south. Tapping her toes to the beat of her music gives her a bit of pip in her pep when she walks down the halls. No one quite understands the stress she’s going through. Through her smile she’s worries, scared that one misstep might end it all for her. But she won’t let anyone see that she’s nervous. She’s used to getting bruises, she falls on the ground but always gets back up. Because she’s a dancer, the show must go on.

Brilliant. Loved it.

Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m working on a site in Danish about writing and I would love to translate these awesome prompts into Danish and use it on the site. Would that be OK? I’ll credit with links of course!

Hi Camilla, you cannot copy + post these on your site, but feel free to link to the article – our site is compatible with Google translate 🙂

Hi Camilla, this list cannot be republished, even if translated into another language. However, if you would like to link to our website that would be great, your readers are able to translate it into any language if they use a web browser such as Google Chrome.

My goal is to write all of these prompts before 2018

This is amazing! I am writing for fun and this is a list of amazing prompts!

Ha, Ha . I see what you did , #164 was missing and now it say write about being left out .

Thanks a ton !!!

This link has been really helpful for my blog, loved the ideas.

Thanks for not publishing my email address

You are welcome! We never publish email addresses. If you’d like to learn more about how we collect and use information you may provide us with on this website, you can read more on our privacy policy page. Hope that helps! https://thinkwritten.com/privacy/

I have another suggestion, What about “The Secret Journey to the Unknown”. I reckon it’s awesome!

I was wondering if you could please send new ideas to me, much appreciated thanks.

I love all of these so much and i try to write referring to these at least once everyday thank you so much for these!

Trust, It is a beautiful thing. You give it to others, For them to protect. They can keep it forever, Or they can destroy it.

Wow what a treasure! Am glad I have found the right place to begging my writing journey.Thanks guys

Super awesome! Thanks so much for this collection of writing prompts!!

Today is the last day of the year 2017. I’m proud to say that I was able to complete this challenge. Thank you for the inspiring prompts! 🙂

That is awesome! We might just have to think of some new ones!!

how about one with sports like the NBA

I thought my life was over when I couldn’t access this for a couple weeks. These prompts are excellent. I write two page short stories on one every day. I hope you guys never take down this site but I’m printing these for insurance because it truly was devastating. I’m very emotionally attached to this list. Thank you so much for sharing.

Yes, we did have a small glitch in our hosting services for a few days! Fortunately, it was only temporary and unexpected! {Though I’m sure it did feel like 2 weeks!} Good to hear you are using the prompts!

Very nice article. Very useful one for improving writing skills

Thank you Sid! Glad it is useful for you!

Oh my god.. This is something a different, thought provoking and a yardstick to those who cultivated passion on writing, like me, beginners. Wishes for this website. I really wanted to try this 365 days of writing. Thanks in tons.

Glad you find it helpful! I hope it keeps you inspired to keep growing as a writer!

i love writing too! i am writing a book and this website inspired me too!

i have been writing lots of things and am getting A + on writing

thxs for your time with the web

i am making a epic book. it is because of this website. you really help. i will share a link of my book once i am done with it to your awesome cool really helpful website! thank you for your time

That is great to hear Christopher! Would love to see some of your work when you are ready to share! 🙂

WOOOOOOOOW BEST SITE!

I’m going to write few marvelous essays based on ideas in your impressive list. Thanks!

Just to tell some people that 165 or 164 is not missing because some people probably can’t see but just to let u know that 164 is a prompt called “Left Out”

Dang. The second idea about writing about what it feels like to love someone who doesn’t love you back, I wrote something like that BEFORE I found this website.

You can always try writing it again, maybe from the other person’s perspective this time? That is the beauty of the open-ended writing prompts – you can always interpret them in a way to push and challenge you as a writer!

Thank you for these prompts! I enjoyed looking through them and writing them! They gave me great ideas and inspired me so much.

This is my favorite website to find inspiration to write. I had run out of ideas and i had a huge writers block but this made it all go away. Here’s something i wrote:

He is a mess She is beautiful He has tears streaming down his face She glides across the room as if it were her kingdom And she’s The reigning queen He’s curled up in a ball In the corner of the room He looks at me I wonder what he thinks I can’t take my eyes off her The way she subtly smiles when she realizes Someone is looking She seems to be happy all the time But I can see through the smile It’s my first time noticing It’s not complete That was the first time I wanted to say hi But I thought Why would he look at me? The nerd with all the answers in her head All the books in her hands And Her sleeves full of hearts She looked at me From the corner of her eye She saw me looking The boy with the tear stains She saw me His tears were no longer streaming He had finally stood up Tall and handsome As he is Eyes Bluer than the blue jay that sat outside my bedroom window She had opened a book and started reading She hadn’t changed pages for a while Safe to assume She was distracted She looked up and Without knowing I was in front of her “Hi” Her brown eyes Stared in to my soul Erased the memory of why the tears Were streaming in the first place “Hi”

I love it Cynthia, thank you for sharing and glad that it inspired you to keep writing! 🙂

Thank you for so many amazing ideas! I love the sound of mirror, mirror!

Glad you found it inspiring Ar!

read the whole thing and didn’t find anything I’d enjoy writing 🙁

What kinds of things do you like to write? We have a whole collection of additional writing prompts lists here. Sometimes challenging yourself to write something you don’t like all in its own can be a good exercise for writing. Hope that helps!

These are ingenious!

I love these prompts! They’re inspiring! I’ve chosen to challenge myself by using one of these prompts every day of this 2019 year. I posted my writings for the first prompt on my Tumblr and Facebook pages with the prompt and a link back to this article- I hope that’s alright. If not, I can take it down, or I would love to discuss a way I could continue to do this. I hope more people can see and use these prompts because I have already found joy in using the first one.

Hi Elizabeth! Glad you are enjoying the prompts! You can definitely post what you write with these prompts as long as you do not copy the entire list or claim them as your own. Linking back to our website or this post will help others find the prompts so they too can use them for writing! If you have any questions feel free to contact us anytime using our contact form. Thanks!

Amazing original prompts Thank you so much!

Good list, but you’re not supposed to mistake it’s for its. Not on a website for writers, of all places!

I appreciate your comment, especially because after triple checking the article AND having a few grammar-police personality type friends do the same we could not find any typos. All of the instances of its and it’s are the correct usage.

However, one thing we did remember is that it is very easy for the person reading to accidentally misunderstand and not interpret it the way as the writer intended.

To clarify when we should use it’s vs. its:

We use it’s when we intend the meaning as the contraction. This is a shortened way of writing it is . We use its without an apostrophe when we use it as a possessive noun. Any instances you may note here are correct for their intended meaning.

Some examples:

Prompt #141 It’s a Sign : In this case we intend it to be interpreted as IT IS a Sign , where the usage is a contraction.

Prompt #7 The Rocket Ship : In this case we intend it to be interpreted as the possessive form.

I hope that helps clear up any possible confusion for you!

Thank you soooo much! That helped me a lot!

You’re welcome Keira! Glad you enjoyed our list of writing ideas!

It is so rich in bright and thought-provoking ideas. Thank you so much. Get inspired to have more, please

Thanks for this. I love to write things like this. Some of these though, weren’t as interesting as I wanted it to be, not saying that they aren’t interesting. I like the help you’ve added in, such as being led into a dark room with only a flashlight to help so it gets us started. Great job!

Thanks Maya, I’m glad you like the prompts. Sometimes the prompts that seem boring are the best ones to help you practice your skills as a writer to make them interesting topics. Some of the best writers can make the most mundane topics fun!

Nice….I don’t think I’ll ever lack something to write on … I so appreciate your ideas ..,they are great

Thank you, glad you enjoyed them!

Thank you for providing these writing prompts! They are great!

Thank You so much, these are amazing to start of with to get the creative juices flowing

Thank you very much

Sweet! Thank you so much! I plan to use some of these for some creative writing on CourageousChristianFather.com

I’m glad they inspired you Steve! I always love seeing what everyone writes with these prompts – I really enjoyed your post about the cookie ad jingle! 🙂

Thanks so much for this list. I needed something to kickstart my writing. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I just wrote #1. WooHoo!!

Thank you for your list. This is great!

I write feature articles for our church library’s monthly newsletter. Perusing this list has helped me come up with a couple dozen ideas to consider for future issues! Thanks much for putting this together – it is being used beyond the scope of what you intended, I think!

That’s wonderful Debbie! There are so many ways to apply these prompts to any sort of project – thank you for sharing how you are using them!

Thanks for your prompts, an idea I have for a prompt is write a story based on your favorite story for example I’m writing a fantasy book based on the game dungeons and dragons…

i guss its ok

cgv hbvkd vjvhsvhivhcickbcjh

Just needed to ask: I’d like to think these prompts are for free writing with no pauses? But, does one edit and polish the piece after that? I keep reading about writing every day…like brain dumping. But, there is never a mention of what one does with the piece after that??

This article has been written with sheer intelligence. Such 365 creative writing prompts has been written here. This article is worth marking as Good. I like how you have researched and presented these exact points so clearly.

Thank you for this list! You’ve inspired me to take up the challenge, though I haven’t written anything in years!

I have even created a blog to post my ideas, and keep myself accountable. I hope this is okay, I will credit, and provide a link back to this page on each post. https://thefishhavegotitright.blogspot.com/

I love it Ariadne, I’ll definitely come check out your site! Keep at it!

This is really Helpful thanks I love it😊

I never knew how much I had to write about. This should definitely keep me busy! Thank you so much for the list.

Hi! I saw a note saying this had been updated for 2020. I was curious if there are plans to update it for 2021. If so, when would the 2021-updated list become available?

Hi Gabrielle, I am not sure when we will next update this list, but feel free to check out some of our other writing prompts lists if you’ve exhausted this one! Writing Prompts for Kids {which is for grown-ups too!} and Poetry Writing Prompts are two great ones to check out. Hope that helps!

Loved this a lot! I would like to ask permission for using these prompts for my poetry and stories page on Instagram. Kindly let me know if I can use these and let my followers write on them too.

Hi, Piyusha, I’m just a user of the site like you, so I’m not “official”. But if you hit CTRL + F in your browser, that should open the “Find” dialog. Search on “Camilla”, and that will take you to a post and response concerning your request. Have a great and productive writing day. K. B. Tidwell

very informative thank you

I have always had problems finding something to write about. My problem is solved🥰 Thank you

I love this

Oh great. Good for everyone who enjoys picking the pen and writing something readable

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This piece is about 13 printed pages long. It is copyright © Dmitry Kuzmin, Peter Golub and Jacket magazine 2008. The Internet address of this page is http://jacketmagazine.com/35/iv-kukzmin-ivb-golub.shtml

JACKET INTERVIEW

Dmitry Kuzmin in conversation with Peter Golub

Moscow, Summer 2007 Dmitry Kuzmin is an editor, critic, and poet. He is currently the editor of Argo-Risk Press, the poetry journal Vozdukh , and the creator of LitKarta (an online map of literary Russia). He lives in Moscow. Peter Golub is a Moscow born poet and translator. His translations can be found in Circumference , St. Petersburg Review , Cimarron Review , and other journals. A bilingual edition of his poems, My Imagined Funeral , was published in 2007. He teaches at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he is finishing his MFA in poetry. You can read his translations of two Russian Poets, Eugenia Ritz and Andrei Sen-Senkov, in this issue of Jacket.

Inventing Babylon

A note by Peter Golub: Kuzmin and I met in Moscow, summer 2006, in the Turgenev Library during a panel discussion on hierarchies in contemporary Russian poetry. As I would come to learn this meeting was standard Kuzmin. He had personally selected the panelists (who were at times diametrically opposed to one another), reserved the space, and publicized the event online (which is how I discovered the event). During the discussion Kuzmin served as moderator. This was my first impression of Kuzmin and I was, well, a little surprised. The scintillating and confident man was dressed in all black, had long black hair which he wore down, and stood in shoes with two inch soles. He struck me as a post-industrial rock band leader, not the most prolific curator of Russian poetry in the early 21st century.       It was only my second week in Moscow, after a three year absence. The air was warm, and wet with summer rain; I stood outside under the overhang waiting for my friend Danilla Davydov to come out and introduce me to the gathering crowd of smokers. That night I was introduced to Kuzmin, and the following day I was invited to meet him in person.       He walked and I followed. We stopped off at the Writer’s Union to make some payments, took several haiku anthologies and delivered them to a writer, made other rounds to places I can’t remember, finally sitting down at a café where I posed the question, which would eventually fuel my work in translation: “What is going on in contemporary Russian poetry? What is new?”       Since that day Kuzmin and I have spent countless hours talking about poetry on the 13th floor of his spacious Moscow apartment, where he conducts much of his work. The following interview was conducted about a year after my first encounter with Kuzmin.       I typed out a series of questions, and gave them to him during one of our conversations. He looked over the questions, and a few weeks later I received his answers.

 — Peter Golub

paragraph 1

Peter Golub: How would you describe your job; which of your literary projects do you think have the most value?

Dmitry Kuzmin: It’s always interesting what a person says when they are asked the direct question: “Who are you?” That is: “Who do you think you are?” In the beginning I identified myself as a poet, but on the eve of the 1990s it seemed clear that the occupation of young poet was unremunerative, and even hopeless. At that time publication and public appearance was allotted to writers who had been underground for thirty to forty years — there was a lot of catching up to do, and people just didn’t have the time for us debutantes. This created the need, among the young literary generation, for an independent form of existence, and someone had to build this existence, and move it forward into real life. Thus, the union of young writers “Vavilon” was born, and I began to identify myself not so much as a poet, critic, philologist, or translator (although I continued my work in these areas), but as an organizer of the literary process in its entirety. [Note: “Vavilon” means Babylon .] That is, I wasn’t just trying to be the guy who published books and organized readings. I was striving to consciously transform literature as a whole via these activities.

With time the word “ literaturträger ” made it into our lexicon. This word is analogous to the more common “ culturträger ” which is taken from the German. Here, we get a telling shade of meaning, because the German word “träger ” literally means “carrier”. This implies that if no one carries culture (literature) then it will remain in the same place, unmoved. And this is of course as it should be.

Thus, I think that the most valuable of my projects remains the first (i.e. the consolidation of the young generation which emerged in the 1990s). The project has manifested itself not only in ten almanacs, about three dozen books in the series “Biblioteka Molodoi Literatury”, over a decade of readings and festivals, etc. but in the very formation of a generational approach; we now have a cultural milieu of poets (born between 1968 and 1978) who from the very beginning of their careers participated in one creative dialogue, which has had many voices. However, I am only a tangential author of this project; the main author is the epoch: a unique socio-cultural situation in which Russian literature found itself at the time of perestroika. Perestroika created the demand for a figure who could organize the young generation. I just got lucky — I was at the right place at the right time.

As for the rest... much of what I do, or did, is significant in one way or another, even if it strikes many people in Russia as odd. For instance, in 1999–2002 I helped put together Triton , the first Russian publication dedicated to haiku, which included many Russian and translated works. In the context of national Russian poetry this project is rather marginal, but in an international perspective the project is pretty interesting, because haiku is the only real contemporary living poetic form; it’s not by accident that the successor of Triton , the current almanac Haikumena , is published under the patronage of the Russian Institute of Cultural Research. And then there is the site http://www.vavilon.ru/ , which ten years ago was pretty much scoffed at as superfluous toy. Now, it’s understood that without a substantial internet presence, uncommercial Russian literature would be relegated to a cold dark place: there is simply no other way (considering the literary cabals and cliques, and the monopolization of the Russian book market) that literature in Russia can reach most readers.

Many of your projects (e.g. book series, anthologies) focus on the idea of generations . Can you say a little about this organizational approach? What are the main generations in contemporary Russian poetry? What are some good examples of poets who fall into these generations?

DK: I should begin by saying that I received the idea of literary generations when I was still in college. A friend had asked me to proofread her dissertation. Her work concerned the Spanish poet Luis Cernuda Bidon. The text was full of references to different Spanish literary generations (the generation of 1898, the generation of 1927, etc). The main idea of this concept is that major cultural paradigm shifts (e.g. the final fall of the colonial Spanish empire as the result of the Spanish-American war of 1898) radically change the socio-cultural context, and new authors, who step into the literary field at that moment, are faced with new demands from a new epoch. When I first came across the concept it immediately reminded me of our situation at the end of the 1980s when the quintessential state of soviet society was instability. In the past, the young intellectual, the young artist, was surrounded by a limited set of schema which he or she could follow, or against which he or she could rebel. However, at the end of perestroika the young individual — the author just beginning his or her creative life — was confronted with a multitude of paths, or rather, a vaguely construed almost chaotic space in which one had to independently, from scratch, find some orientation, create a line of action, and all this without the assurance that things weren’t going to look completely different the next day.

Literature was particularly affected by perestroika: during the first years following the lifting of state censorship nearly every day brought a new text (or rather, old texts which were previously banned); many of these texts caused us to radically reconsider our understanding of literature and culture. The result was a sudden dispersion of style and world view among young authors who entered literature simultaneously, and who seemed to share the same cultural environment. Biographical similarities often caused very disparate authors to band together. This is why aesthetic tolerance is manifest in the Vavilon generation, and not as much in authors from previous generations, whose aesthetics formed in more homogenous climates. Hence, the miscommunication between the younger and older authors, who, apart from some rare exceptions, didn’t support members of the young generation; most of the Vavilon authors don’t fit easily into the preconceived categories used by the older generations. It could be said that the Vavilon generation is more isolated from the previous generations than the previous generations are from one another.

The above shows that the metaphor of Vavilon is quite fitting: a multitude of artistic languages from which it is impossible to eliminate the cardinal, dominant language. Although, there are of course important names in the Vavilon generation: Stanislav Lvovsky, Andrey Plyakov, Nikolai Zvyagintsev, Mariya Stepanova, Sergei Kruglov, Andrei Sen-Senkov, Linor Goralik, Danila Davydov… have today become notable figures of contemporary Russian letters. For instance, Stepanova has received a number of important awards including the Andrei Bely Prize; this year Lvovsky was named the official Russian manager of the Joseph Brodsky Fellowship Fund.

The upshot of positioning ourselves as the young generation of Russian literature is that we must be on the lookout for the proceeding generation: do today’s young authors fit into our generational context, or are they starting to form their own? Simply put: when will the generation after ours appear? Here we are at the beginning of the 21st century; personal and artistic development has been greatly altered by the entry of new information technologies into everyday life. We aren’t just speaking of a shift in world view, or behavioral norms (as Stanislav Lvovsky said in one of is poems dedicated to the current shift in consciousness: “before people said — I had a feeling and so I came/ today they say — I got your SMS”), we are speaking about a new form of socialization. Internet sites, which allow free and instant publication, create unique communicative spaces, and it is in these spaces that all the debutants of the new millennium initially found their voice.

If we assume that important poetic works are products of the interface between fertile literary tradition and a call of the times, the unique sociological and psychological qualities of the epoch, then we see that before the young poet plugged themselves (even if merely by imitation) into the tradition. Today, many talented young poets from the get-go begin working with the plaster of contemporariness, taking as their foundation contemporary speech models, commercial texts, tabloids, film, and so forth. The plugging into tradition, enrichment of our collective cultural baggage, comes later. Thanks to this, it paradoxically turns out that some of Russian poetry’s “discoveries” of the last few decades (concrete poetry’s openness toward self-generating speech, post-conceptualism’s pursuit of sincere and authentic expression in spite of everything, the objectivist desire for clear expression of the surrounding world in all its originality and detail, interest in gender issue, etc.), these are already attained by the younger generation, and now they work in parallel with older authors. Maybe, with respect to authors who are around twenty-five, it is still too early to start naming major and minor authors, but as of today in the capacity of leaders the newest generation has produced a number of notable authors: Mariane Geide, Dina Gatina, Mikhail Kotov, Ksenya Marennikova, Tatyana Moseeva...

As of 2007 you’ve published some 300 books. How do you choose a book for publication? What do you look for in good poetry?

DK: What our classic Baratynsky used to call “faces with unique expression”. An author is the person who has an author’s “I”, i.e. the person who writes like no one else could. There is a schism in contemporary Russian poetry: there are those who first look for the search, the break into some sort of new meaning, new awareness — and this transcendental break cannot but be personally articulated — and there are those for whom art isn’t a search, similar to science for instance, but a form of production akin to handicraft, and the task of the poet is to manufacture texts with a particular look, which meets preconceived expectations and criteria.

If we were to name the sides, describe the general distribution of strength, then on the side of the “search for new meaning” are the descendants of previously censored literature, the children and grandchildren of samizdat, and on the side of “poetry as handicraft” are the successors of official soviet literary tradition who to this day control the majority of Russia’s literary periodicals.

That’s about it — I don’t really have any other special criteria... except for maybe a little “positive discrimination”. For authors of the youngest generation I have a separate series called “Generation”; about fifteen books have been printed in this series. For the New Literary Observer I put together a program dedicated to Russian poets abroad. Thus far the project has produced around twenty books plus the gigantic anthology Ulysses Released  — 244 authors from twenty-six countries.

If you had more resources would you publish more?

DK: The kind I publish now? No. More of those aren’t needed. Currently I publish about thirty books a year (not to mention the poetry quarterly Vozdukh ). These are small modest publications, but they aren’t chapbooks — they are complete, full-fledged collections. It should be noted that among publishers working exclusively with poetry this is the largest number of publications. Thing is, the situation is a bit dire: the almost complete absence of distribution, the catastrophic state of reviews and Russian literary criticism in general, a limited (compared with other large literatures) amount of literary prizes, the lack of systematized and orienting material (like say the anthology Best American Poetry ), all this has culminated in conditions where a larger number of books would simply be left obscure — they would go undigested.

It’s a different story if we talk about the absence of entire classes of publications, primarily ones that are more labor intensive and more expensive to publish. For instance, consider those very anthologies, or projects which attempt to show the Russian reader (and the Russian author!) what’s going within the international poetry scene. Or even what about publications that popularize poetry. From large collections with detailed introductions explaining why a particular author is wonderful and how one ought to read him to thematic collections like Cats in Contemporary Poetry or Subway Poems . These are collections that are able to grab the interest of a reader alien to contemporary poetry... I guess if I were to publish more it would be something from the list above, that is if I had the time and resources.

How does the Russian literary scene interact with the larger international literary scene? Have the efforts of poets like Lvovsky and publishers like Ugly Duckling Presse paid off? Do you think there is much of a channel between international and Russian poetry? What do you think about projects such as the Summer Literary Seminars in St. Petersburg?

DK: Well, lightly put, there isn’t much interaction. This the result, the inheritance, of Soviet cultural autarchy, when it wasn’t necessary for an author to know foreign languages, when translations were published in a special journal called Foreign Literature which, with its very existence, underlined the idea that what is written in Russian is one thing, and what is written in any other language is the other... As a result Russian literati are simply not that interested in what goes on with the rest of the writers and readers around the world. These things can’t be overturned with one fell swoop, it takes time and work. Although, this work should be carried out not so much on the level of publications and festivals, but on the academic level, on the level of professional literary and philological education.

Today, we have big problems with education in our country. One of the biggest problems is that Russian universities aren’t universities in the full sense of the word: the fundamental principle of the university was extremely minimized (during the Soviet era of course) — the opportunity to choose one’s courses and professors was taken away from the student. In most cases, starting around the 1920s, the student was stripped of the right to choose, except for maybe the right to choose a dissertation topic and adviser (but even this wasn’t so in many cases). This meant that concurrence between different professors, in Russian higher education, was reduced to zero.

It shouldn’t be surprising that education, especially in the humanities, remains in a deep state of stagnation. What is there to talk about when the chair of the Literary Theory Department at Moscow State University is to this day professor Esalnek, whose dissertation was titled something like “Party Character in Soviet literature”! It’s obvious that a student isn’t going to learning anything about contemporary literary theory from such a professor. A similar situation existed with the neighboring faculty at the Sociology Department, which caused a student revolt in the beginning of 2007.

Another problem is the absence of the creative writing course, or some sort of analogue. To this day the only university that teaches creative writing is the Gorky Literary Institute, which has long since become a citadel of ultra conservative, nationalistic, literati. I myself am rather incredulous when it comes to the teaching of creative writing, because it’s too easy to turn into a kind of arts and crafts lesson. However, this doesn’t mean that this kind of education shouldn’t exist at all. Meanwhile, the experience of the Gorky Literary Institute has been so negative that many people in Russia now reject the usefulness a systematic approach to creative writing all together.

To get back to your question, SLS does have the potential of becoming a positive counter-example for the Russian literary community, but for now no one is really talking about it. I am reminded of the time when Robert Creeley came to SLS and the organizer of the seminars, Mikhail Iossel, told me with faintly concealed vexation: “Robert Creeley is reading in St. Petersburg and not one critic has moved an ear!” To share this vexation, even the classics of today’s foreign literature are almost completely unknown. For these authors to become known, even if just among the poets, there needs to be set of special programs. Here is an example of a characteristic trend: when Mikhail Iossel began his seminars for Russians — not for Americans — and chose authors to lead them, he didn’t invite Russian authors tuned into the international dialogue, but authors who are oriented almost exclusively toward Russian literature. This means that Iossel thinks that writers who are building international bridges aren’t influential enough in Russia, and that they aren’t enticing enough for the young writers who attend these seminars. Is this so? I’d beg to differ. It seems to me that Dragomoshchenko, Skidan, Lvovsky, Sen-Senkov, Skandiaka, Kiril Medvedev, and others, are for many young Russia authors important and quite enticing. This is so, even when young writers have no idea with whom their older colleagues are engaged in international dialogue.

There are definitely many opportunities and perspectives in this direction, but there is a lot of work still ahead: there needs to be a lot more translation, publication, exchange of poets, etc.

You once asked the rhetorical question: “Is the Russian language the main indicator of a new Russian literature?” This begs the question: “What is new Russian poetry?” Does it make sense to speak of a post-modern Russian aesthetic?

DK: That question was posed in the introduction to the aforementioned Ulysses Released , and it wasn’t asked rhetorically at all, and this should be most clear to an American. Why are English, Irish, American, Australian poetries written, relatively speaking, in the same language, but considered to be different traditions?

When there were almost no Russian writers (or readers) living abroad, the question wasn’t raised. But today countries like Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, and Israel have a high percentage of Russians, and the state of Russian literature in those countries leads us to consider these kind of questions seriously. In the introduction to Ulysses Released Mikhail Gendelev from Israel and Marina Kunovska from Belarus clearly stated: “we are not Russian poets, we just happen to be writing in Russian”.

If we, however, consider poetry, and not particular authors’ declarations, then in Israel it is easy to see a common collection of themes among many writers who are historically, culturally, and geographically connected; they share a similar appellation and relationship with the idiomatic lexicon of Israelis. If we consider other qualities it is hard to find a coherent center among them. If, for instance, some of Gendelev’s texts build to create a peculiar fragmented repatriate epic about the irreconcilable collision of people and culture, then Alexander Barash’s texts attach themselves to an Israel which he takes to be part of a collective Mediterranean civilization, and he sees the present military and political situation as a manifestation of an eternal schema. Although, all of these authors are so stylistically different that we can’t even refer to them as a regional literary school.

At the end of the 1980s a Fergana school of poets writing in Russian made themselves known. The members of the school are ethnically Uzbekistan, but found themselves in a Russian linguistic environment, and used Russian to address the relationship between central Asian mentality and western European poetry. Although, the worsening of the socio-political situation in Uzbekistan negatively reflected itself on the Fergana school: many of its members left the country, and their aesthetic unity noticeably faltered. However, the leader of the school, Shamshad Abdullaev, remains in Fergana, and continues to be a notable figure on the horizon of Russian poetry.

No less notable is the Riga school (also formed at the end of the 1980s), which has at its head Andrei Levkin: fiction writer, and editor of the first independent Soviet journal, Spring . And although the majority of the first generation Riga writers left literature, the second wave of Russian poets in Latvia (for instance Sergei Timofeev and the “text-group” Orbita) are actively working; in fact of all the former Soviet republics Latvia carries one of the most vibrant dialogues with Russia: Russian and Latvian poets are constantly translating each others’ work, organizing poetry festivals, etc. The Riga school is very westernized, and not only in terms of prosody (although in Riga, as in Fergana, vers libre is still seen as a sign of orienting toward the west). Timofeev’s poems, and those of other Orbita writers, reflect a particular western world view, which is an intricate balance between contemplation, and absolute enthusiasm; it is a state of enchantment and irony toward consumer culture, and capitalism as a whole.

In general I think that no matter how distinct the poets of Israel, Uzbekistan, Latvia, etc., it is impossible to sever them off from Russian poetry, because there are simply too many cross references between them and poets in Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Urals...

You align your own aesthetic with American Objectivist poets. For instance, you’ve translated Charles Reznikoff. American poets often cite painters (like Jackson Pollock) or musicians (like John Cage) as influences. Who, or what, has influenced contemporary Russian poets?

DK: There is a section Vozdukh where I pose a few thematic questions to a number of poets. I do this in part to compensate for the lack of criticism I already talked about. Just recently I put forth the question about influence. And yes, poets name their interlocutors as being painters (mostly, classics of the Russian “second avant-garde”, painters such as: Erik Bulatov, Oleg Vasiliev, Ilya Kabakov, Francisco Infante), and musicians (also with postmodernist inclinations, composers such as: Vladimir Martynov, and Vyacheslav Gaivoronski), to a lesser extent people named film directors... But these are the influences for older poets, who’ve more or less had the same influences for twenty, if not thirty years.

The younger generation has different influences. There is a wide range of musical influences. For instance, Russian rock, where lyrics play a larger role than they do in American rock, has influenced some poets. I could give names, but I doubt they would say anything to an American. There is also verbatim theatre and other new dramatic devices. Also, many authors of the two youngest generations build their texts by montaging different voices, not identifying with any particular one. On the other hand some writers compose dramatic, even commercial-like, monologues. The influence of the theatre is usually never overtly present, it just kind of seeps out here and there... It’s just that poetry and other forms of art have parallel courses. And then there is of course video art, which suggests that a complete, meaningful work of artistic expression can be built from small, seemingly unrelated, fragments. This is definitely an important idea for many contemporary artists.

What do you think is the role of poetry in contemporary culture?

DK: I think it is not unlike the role of science. What the world’s best poets or scientists are doing today is understood by a small circle of people, who are usually poets or scientists themselves. However, the shape of the future depends primarily on them.

I think poetry will do fine; there is a constant search for new language and experimentation with new ways of generating meaning.

All in all for someone the future has already begun. In the small circle of poetry readers there are many individuals who work with words: other artists, journalists, teachers, copywriters… And all of them, consciously or unconsciously, translate the insights of their favorite poets into their own language.

Of course there are authors who don’t want to wait, but want to sway minds today. These participate in slams, print topical poems in newspapers...And this also has a right to exist. Only it’s a bit silly when these people consider themselves progressive, while their work isn’t any different from that of someone who writes a rhyme on the occasion of their aunt’s 50th birthday, or the remarks we sometimes find on the inside of Hallmark cards. All of these satisfy the particular desires of different consumers; they all exist to meet specific expectations. The kind of poetry I aim to work with, in one way or another, goes against the expectations of the consumer.

At the same time I’m not saying that poetry is an ivory tower where the entrance is barred to all mortals. Anyone who wants to peek into the future has the opportunity. Knowing the new takes a great deal of effort — it is rewarding though difficult work.

Dmitry Kuzmin

Dmitry Kuzmin is an editor, critic, and poet. He is currently the editor of Argo-Risk Press, the poetry journal Vozdukh , and the creator of LitKarta (an online map of literary Russia). He lives in Moscow.

Peter Golub

Peter Golub is a Moscow-born poet and translator. His translations can be found in Circumference , St. Petersburg Review , Cimarron Review , and other journals. A bilingual edition of his poems, My Imagined Funeral , was published in 2007. He teaches at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he is finishing his MFA in poetry.