Creative Writing Prompts

Creative writing prompts often don’t have a place in today’s classroom. Rarely will we ever see creative writing in our standards or curriculum. However, it doesn’t have to be completely eliminated or replaced. I’ve found ways to incorporate creative writing prompts into the classroom, and students LOVE it!

Why Use Creative Writing

Creative writing can help students improve their vocabulary, develop their imaginative capacity for creative expression, and help develop their voice. It’s also a great tool in promoting divergent thinking. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to get reluctant writers to actually write. Another added bonus to creative writing, is that it allows you to have a deeper insight into your students’ way of thinking.

I do not teach a specific creative writing unit. There is a lot of debate on whether or not we should, and I frequently (probably unjustly) feel frustrated by that debate. I think many “experts” point their fingers at the teacher, without remembering that teachers are doing what they are required to do. Teachers don’t write the standards and don’t determine what to teach. Sometimes squeezing it in is the best we can do. See this post to learn more about my writing instruction.

When to Teach Creative Writing

Since I don’t teach a unit using creative writing prompts, I have to get creative. Some ways you can include creative writing are during morning work, literacy centers, or as an early finisher activity. I love using monthly creative writing prompt booklets for this. It lets students work at their own place, and the completed booklets are priceless to students’ parents.

I’ve created creative writing prompt booklets for for ten months out of the year! Did I mention they’re free?! There is a color and black and white cover page and 16 writing prompts in each book. Creative Writing Prompts Booklets here.

Creative Writing Prompts

In the booklets, I applied the questioning strategies I learned in my gifted endorsement classes to the free creative writing prompts. They incorporate a considerable amount of divergent thinking and questions that require students to think about ordinary things in extraordinary ways.

August Creative Writing Prompts

• Imagine that you are a fish who lives in a fish bowl at a carnival. Describe a normal night from your point of view.
• What would you do if a sheep actually jumped over your bed when you tried to sleep?
• How could you convince your principal to place a bounce house on the playground?
• How could you convince your principal to place a bounce house on the playground?
• How could you improve a flashlight?
• What questions can you ask a fire fighter?
• If you were an elephant, what would you think about zoos?
• The following is a REAL newspaper headline. Finish the newspaper article. Most Earthquake Damage is Caused by Shaking.
• What zoo animal is most like you? Why?
• Create a new use for a rain gauge.
• National Watermelon Day is in August. How could you celebrate this day?
• How would you design the best roller coaster ever?
• Describe the perfect photograph.
• What scents do you think of when you think about summer?

May Creative Writing Prompts

Here are the creative writing prompts from the May booklet.

• What would you do with a pet robot?
• How could you improve balloons?
• How might you use a carton of milk?
• What could you do at recess if you didn’t have any playground equipment?
• Design the perfect Ferris wheel.
• What questions could you ask about starfish?
• What type of car is most like you? Why?
• Imagine that you and your family are on vacation and you stop for the night at a hotel. Then all of a sudden you hear a strange noise coming from the closet. What do you do?
• Imagine that you fell asleep floating on a river and you woke up and had no idea where you were. What would you do?
• Pumping gas is not fun and many germs are spread at a gas pump. How could you improve gas stations?
• What would happen if you got to star in your own movie?
• If you were a pirate, what would you put in your pirate’s chest?
• Create a new flavor of ice cream. Why would it be delicious?

I hope you enjoy these little goodies!