Writing Prompts | Writing Forward

Ten Personal Journal Prompts

Most writers keep a journal of some kind to jot down ideas, scenes, thoughts, and questions. Journals can be used in many different ways. However, one of the most traditional uses for a journal is to write about one’s own life. Often, this type of journal is called a diary. It’s not always easy coming…Read More

“What-if?” Journal Prompts

What if you won the lottery? What if you woke up in someone else’s body? What if you could fly? What if you could open your imagination to a whole new world of writing ideas? Today’s journal prompts encourage you to wonder. Some of them are based on reality. Others ask you to step outside…Read More

Poetry Prompts for Language Lovers

Poets have a unique relationship with language. For a poet, language is more than a tool for communication; it’s a set of paints and paintbrushes that can be used to create scenes and images that resonate with readers. A poet must then foster a loving relationship with language, learning its secrets, understanding its idiosyncrasies, and…Read More

Top Secret Fiction Writing Prompts

“Ssh, don’t tell anyone. Put it in the vault!” Most of us have had those very words whispered into our ears. In fact, most of us have probably whispered those words into someone else’s ear. They say everyone has a secret. I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know that secrets sure pique…Read More

Creative Writing Prompts Inspired by Technology

All of today’s prompts come from my book 1200 Creative Writing Prompts. Enjoy! Technology has become so ingrained in modern, civilized culture that sometimes we don’t even notice it. When was the last time you marveled at a train, a toaster, or a television? Most of us aren’t even fazed by the marvel of mobile…Read More

Fiction Writing Prompts for the Young Adult (YA) Genre

This post contains affiliate links that earn commissions for this website from qualifying purchases. Young adult literature is one of the most exciting genres in fiction. Young people are bright, bold, and open-minded. More importantly, they’re going to shape the future. What they read matters. Classic young adult books like To Kill a Mockingbird, The…Read More

Thought-Provoking Creative Writing Prompts

Today’s post includes prompts from my book, 1200 Creative Writing Prompts. Enjoy! Writing is a tool we can use to express ourselves or share our ideas. But it can also be used to help us think. Writing forces us to articulate our thoughts and ideas, which in turn forces us to scrutinize our thinking. Tackling…Read More

Philosophy-Inspired Writing Prompts

Writing provides a way to express one’s thoughts, feelings, or ideas. It’s a communication tool. But writing can also be a tool for self-discovery and critical thinking. Many authors have stated that they write stories so they can find out what happens to the characters they’ve created. Essayists explain that writing helps them organize their…Read More

All-Natural Poetry Prompts

Throughout the centuries, poets have composed meditations on seasons, landscapes, and constellations. Vegetation and animals have been the subjects of countless poems, and even when poetry is not centered around nature, it often makes references to it. In poetry, nature can function as a backdrop, or it can hold center stage. Why are so many poets…Read More

Family-Inspired Poetry Prompts

Writers are always looking for new ideas. Sometimes we look so far and wide for inspiration that we’re oblivious to what’s right in front of us. They say, “You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family.” In life, we are presented with many choices, but family is not one of them. It’s…Read More