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BEST HOLIDAY WRITING PROMPTS

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All fun and games, set your story on new year's day., write about a character who visits their hometown for the holidays and reconnects with a former love interest., write about a festive party gone wrong that’s saved by some holiday magic., write a story where someone shares a cup of hot chocolate with a friend., write a story in the form of a list of new year's resolutions..

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Set your story at a work holiday party,, write a story that takes place over the eight nights of hannukah., write a story that includes the phrase “thank you it’s just what i wanted.”, write a story starring a store cashier, during the busy pre-holiday season., subscribe to our prompts newsletter.

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Write about a character setting an unusual New Year’s resolution.

Write a story about two people who don’t know each other but bump into one other on new year’s eve (either once or every year)., start or end your story with one or more characters shouting “happy new year”, write about someone who goes to great lengths to avoid being pranked on april 1st, only to realize they had the date wrong and it’s already april 2nd., start your story with a big company pulling an april fools’ prank that ends up going horribly wrong., write about someone who hates pranks and spends april fools’ day doing good deeds instead., start your story with one character making a vow that they never would have made the year before., write about someone who is given a bird for the holidays but doesn’t know how to take care of it., write about a family’s first holiday after a parent has gotten remarried, and now there are new faces at the table and new traditions to be honored., write about a family adapting a holiday tradition to take place over video chat., win $250 in our short story competition 🏆.

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The best holiday writing prompts

Friends and family gathering. Running around and completing errands. Hours in the kitchen. Dinners, celebrations, parties. Holidays of all kinds come with their fair share of drama, emotion, and story-fodder. Narratives of all kinds can unfold during these busy times. That’s why this list of creative writing prompts includes the theme: holidays.

We’re not just talking about reindeers, turkey, and stringing lights on the tree. Our prompts cover all manner of holidays, from Easter to April Fools to Groundhog Day. And whether the holidays are a time of joy and happiness for your characters, or more difficult, you get to decide the mood.

There’s a lot to choose from, so if you need help deciding, here’s our top 10 holiday writing prompts:

• You own a Christmas Tree stall. One evening, a young boy comes in and picks the smallest, scrawniest tree you have.
• Write a story that only consists of New Year's Resolutions.
• Write a story that only consists of letters to Santa.
• It's the night before Christmas. You are a stirring mouse in an otherwise totally quiet house.
• Write a story about a "chosen family" dinner, where no one is related by blood, but they still feel like family.
• Create a holiday of your own and write a story about it.
• Write a short story about someone with unconventional New Year's traditions.
• Write about the best April Fool's Day prank that you could ever pull.
• You’re stuck in a time loop with the same holiday happening over and over — the only rule is that it can’t be Groundhog Day.
• An advertising firm lands a huge contract to make Easter the year’s most popular holiday.

Looking for some more tips for writing for your holiday story? You’ve come to the right place. Here are some resources that you may find helpful — consider them a holiday gift, from us to you:

• How to Master the 'Show, Don't Tell' Rule (free course) — Twinkling decorations, frosty weather, the smell of delicious food cooking — the holidays are a treat for the senses, and those kinds of details help evoke the right mood for your story. The best way to make your story as immersive as possible is to master the golden rule of Show, Don’t Tell.
• Character profile template (free resource ) — A lot of holiday stories are driven by emotion, just like the holidays themselves. Perhaps your character has fallen on hard times, and is having a crisis of faith. Maybe they’re returning home after a long stretch away, just in time for the holidays. Or perhaps your story is less emotional, but nonetheless character driven — our hero is a serial procrastinator, on the hunt for the perfect gift. Either way, you’ll need to know your character inside and out, and that’s where the character profile template comes in.

Want more help learning how to write a holiday short story? Check 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.

Ready to start writing? Check out Reedsy’s weekly short story contest , for the chance of winning $250! You can also check out our list of writing contests or our directory of literary magazines for more opportunities to submit your story.

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Playful Holiday Writing Prompts to Challenge and Inspire You

by Jeff Elkins | 20 comments

‘Tis the season of holiday parties, children’s winter concerts, filling our schedules to the brim, visiting with family, eating too much, and drinking more than we should. With all of that going on, it can be difficult to stick to our writing regimen. Some holiday writing prompts might be just the thing.

When we are tired, inspiration feels like a mirage. We feel as though it is just a little bit ahead of us, but with each step we take, it takes a step away. Writing during the holidays can be tough.

Sometimes, the thing we need to get our juices going is a writing challenge.

Holiday Writing Prompts

In order to help get our writing motors running, today I bring you two writing challenges. These holiday writing prompts are intended to push your creativity and get you writing even if you are still a little hung over from the spiked eggnog you had last night.

What I love most about writing challenges is the result. Three of my four novels and both the novellas I’ve published were all in some way inspired by writing challenges. Even if the exercise seems silly, if you take it seriously, you might be surprised by the result.

1. The Beginning and the End

Below I’ve provided twelve opening lines and ten closing lines that you can combine to form your writing prompt.  Here's how to choose:

• Your opening line is your birthday month, e.g. April is 4, October is 10.
• Your closing line is your birthday day, divided by 3 and rounded up, e.g. 26 / 3 = 8.66 rounded to 9 (I know the math is tough, so feel free to use a calculator!).

Use the opening line that corresponds to the month of your birthday. To find your closing line, take the day of your birthday and divide it by three, then round to the nearest number.

Opening Line:

• Never before had Andy seen such bright lights.
• The street was darker and quieter than Marge remembered.
• “I don’t care what he thinks,” Susa said as she climbed the stairs to her office  party. “I can wear whatever I want to the party.”
• While Bennie didn’t dislike ducks, he wasn’t sure how he felt about this one.
• The snow crunched under Susan’s feet as she looked left and right down the unfamiliar street.
• Horace the Christmas Elf could feel it in the air. Today was the day that he would save Christmas.
• Amanda watched with bated breath as her mom opened the package, knowing that once the contents of the box were revealed, everything would be different.
• Anderson couldn’t wait to see the expression on Carol’s face when she saw what he’d brought to the party.
• As the front door opened, Tommy was astounded by what his son was wearing.
• James had heard the expression “deck the halls,” but he hadn’t know what it meant until now.
• As Tucker waited in line to see Santa, he whispered to himself, “Just sit on his lap, tell him what Jaime did, and then he will make everything okay.”
• Carol removed the Christmas goose from the over and thought to herself, “Is it supposed to be that color?”

Closing Line:

• And that is how the Smiths' party was ruined for the tenth time in ten years.
• Laying his head down that night, he laughed at all the things he’d set in motion.
• Never before had the guests tasted such a feast.
• Everyone agreed that her present would be the one whispered about for years to come.
• While what happened to the tree was tragic, she thought that at least everyone left the party with a good story to tell.
• And that was the last time they ever had Holiday dinner at Grandma’s house.
• “Peace on earth, and goodwill toward men,” he said with a grin.
• And that is why the family cow took up permanent residence in the backyard.
• Everyone agreed that they would never again experience such an incredible party.
• “No,” he said as he slammed the door behind him.

2. Starting With a Title

If you have dice near you, roll three numbers. (If you don’t have dice, ask someone near you to give you a three digit number, or use an online dice roller .) Using the numbers, take a phrase from each group below, put them together, and use the new phrase as the title of your short story.

Group A: Your Setting

• The Night That
• The Morning After
• The Party at Which
• The Holiday When
• The Day Before
• The Snowstorm When

Group B: Your Heroes

• Billy and Bonnie
• Horace the Elf
• The Holiday Hog
• The Man and His Umbrella
• The Mashed Potatoes

Group C: Your Sticky Situation

• Saved the Office
• Spiked the Punch
• Ate the Goose
• Ruined Christmas
• Pilfered the Presents
• Found True Love

The Magic of Holiday Writing Prompts

Sometimes all we need to write a great story is a starting point. I hope these challenges help you overcome any holiday slump you might be experiencing.

How do you find the creative energy to write during the holidays?   Let us know in the comments .

For the next fifteen minutes , take on one of these holiday writing challenges. Use your birthday to find your first and last line, or roll some dice to create your title. For an extra challenge, use both prompts for the same story!

Once you’ve written your story, post it in the Pro Practice Workshop , so we can all enjoy it. And don't forget to leave feedback for your fellow holiday writers!

Jeff Elkins

Jeff Elkins is a writer who lives Baltimore with his wife and five kids. If you enjoy his writing, he'd be honored if you would subscribe to his free monthly newsletter . All subscribers receive a free copy of Jeff's urban fantasy novella "The Window Washing Boy."

20 Comments

The snow crunched under Susan’s feet as she looked left and right down the unfamiliar street. She was looking for house number 13. In parts the street was icy and without proper winter treads on her shoes she was slipping and sliding all over the place. She felt rather stupid having accepted this invitation to a party via a friend of a friend of a friend. Should she be coming or not? However she kept going – cautiously – and eventually she spotted the house she was looking for. She could see a disco light rotating in the fron room and there were some people there too. She approached the house and rang the doorbell. James opened the door and said how delighted he was that she had come. James was one of Susan’s close friends,but was surprised that this was his house and his party. She was beginning to smell a rat.t When she entered the room where others were she could not believe her eyes. Her parents, sisters, brother and cousins were all there and greeted her by singing “Happy Birthday”. What a pleasant surprise, and what a great party it turned out to be. James had gone to a lot of trouble sourcing information about all Susan’s relatives and their whereabouts. He knew Susan had been having a rough time recently and he had decided she needed something special to cheer her up. Laying his head down that night, he laughed at all the things he’d set in motion.

Love this short. Nice job.

Thanks Jeff. Good prompts = easy writing

holiday is Special for Family and Friends why it is do you think about Christmas Day to you my day is care of family and Friend or my job tell you about something how Successful Think and Grow where are live right now and I am in Raleigh right now and I live with my Family I have two Sister is Nikki and Brianne they are good today my sister is Nikki she liv in Michigan right now with her boyfriend they are teacher for School

Interesting to hear about your family Danny. I too have family in Michigan – many of them.

Fantastic prompts! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

As Tucker waited in line to see Santa, he whispered to himself, “Just sit on his lap, tell him what Jamie did, and then he will make everything okay.” But that was not quite how it happened. ‘Ho ho ho,’ began Santa. ‘And what would you like for Christmas little boy.’ ‘I’m not little,’ Tucker was seething. ‘I’m eight and a half.’ ‘Ok then eight-and-a-half-year-old. What would you like for Christmas.’ ‘I want you to get rid of Jamie.’ ‘And who is Jamie? Your dog? Your teddy?’ ‘Don’t be silly. I love my dog and I’M TOO OLD FOR TEDDIES. Jamie is my little brother.’ ‘Ho ho ho. And why would I want to do that?’ Santa wasn’t quite sure how to deal with this awkward situation. ‘Because he took everything from me. Now my parents love him more than me. I want you to take him away. Send him back.’ ‘I can’t really do that. I’m here to give presents to good girls and boys.’ ‘Ha!’ Tucker was scowling at Santa. ‘I had a little brother once. I hated him when he came along. I was so jealous. Until that day I had everything to myself. Mummy, Daddy, my grandparents. Everything and everyone.’ ‘So did you send him away?’ ‘No he became my best friend. But one day he died and I realised how much I missed him. When you understand that a little brother or sister is a gift to be treasured, Jamie will become your best friend.’’ “No never,” Tucker said as he slammed the door behind him. ‘Over my dead body.’ And yours he whispered.

Santa can be a difficult concept for children. I can see Tucker in so many families I’m acquaited with. Sibling rivalry – aaaarrrrrggggghhhhh!

Great story!

Please get well soon. Missing you on comments.

The Day Before The Man and his Umbrella Pilfered the Presents

“Yes, I see what you’re saying Harrington, but we cannot possibly do what you are proposing to do. It would be prepostorous. Harrington, please stop going on about it. If we did what you are suggesting we do, we could be in very serious trouble.”

Passers by looked at the little old man peering into the festively dressed window of Hamleys. He was admiring the variety of toys and wrapped presents, all on the theme of The Nutcracker. But what was strange was that he was talking to his bright yellow umbrella, he held above his head to protect his white, balding head from the shimmering snowflakes.

“Oh okay, Harrington. You win. Let’s go inside and come up with a strategic plan. We can map out the area and then send in the troops. Oh, you will have to go undercover. If you are detected it could bring us bad luck.”

With that, the little old man closed his umbrella – or Harrington – and strode into the big department store as quick as his little legs could carry him.

The same passers by were now peering into the window looking at the strange sight of the little old man, talking to his umbrella, examining the presents in the window and re-arranging them, completely oblivious to the increasing audience. Then, he simply walked out of the shop and put his umbrella back up again.

Moving to the window to admire his handiwork, he said: “Okay Harrington. Our work here is done for now. We shall carry out our strategic operation as planned at exactly 13 hundred hours.”

The next evening, the little old man sat in his arm chair looking at the wrapped boxes under his mini Christmas tree.

“Well that was a successful operation wasn’t it Harrington? Merry Christmas! I do hope you like your presents.” He looked over to where Harrington was propped amongst the wrapped, empty boxes.

Irene, I liked your surprise? ending, as well as someone having a converstion with his umbrella. I’m still smiling about it.

Love that the umbrella is called Harrington.

The Morning After Horace the Elf Spiked the Punch While Bennie didn’t dislike ducks, he wasn’t sure how he felt about this one. It sat watching him from the window ledge, head cocked. “I’m calling you Luke.” Bennie declared “Because you like to look. Get it?” he laughed. Merry Christmas, Bennie. You get a duck. Lucky you. Then Bennie had an idea. “Luke.” He addressed the duck solemnly. “I’m afraid this is the end of our friendship. In the absence of money to buy another duck, turkey or chicken, I am going to eat you for Christmas.” Luke blinked. Bennie stepped forward to claim his Christmas Gift from God, and Luke flew away. Bennie waved at him. There goes my only company for Christmas. And my dinner. Perhaps this whole conversation was one sided. Perhaps. It wasn’t Bennie’s fault, though. In fact, if it was anyone it was Horace’s. He had been the one to add whisky to Bennie’s punch, and the reason Bennie had a hangover, and was perhaps not in his best state. Then again, perhaps it wasn’t Horace’s fault. The only reason he was dancing around in an Elf costume and spiking people’s punch was the fact that a friend of his, Lari, had recently got a job, and was treating all his mates to a drink. Lari may have bought Horace a few too many…. But let’s not blame it on Lari, who is currently asleep on his sofa, drool falling from his mouth, let’s blame it on his new boss, for giving him the job. Except that it wasn’t Gerald’s fault that a place came up. One of his employees, Sam, quit her job. Blame it on Sam. No, don’t. She is moving to France to live with her sister because her sister (Carmen) just had a baby and needs the support. So blame it on Carmen. No, don’t. So blame it on the baby. No, poor sweet thing. Blame it on whoever you like; Bennie will still have been talking to a now-flown-away duck. You can’t reverse it. But, instead, let’s watch Bennie go back inside his house, a long sad look given to his fence, where a duck had sat so recently, so ready to be eaten. Bennie’s phone was sitting on the top of the couch, and now it began to ring. Bennie picked it up. “Hey, Kali. What’s up?” Kali was Bennie’s younger sister, who led a successful life as a secretary and loved to tease her beloved brother, Benjamin, or, as we know him, Bennie. “Ben. Farmer Orwin is selling Butternut’s field. I’m looking for somewhere else to keep Butternut, but for now the poor cow has nowhere to live. Any ideas?” Despite her general sensibleness, Kali had a cow called Butternut (short for Butternut Squash Lavender IV), who currently had no home. “Yep!” Said Bennie, in his after-duck state still wanting company desperately. And Butternut was so very friendly. Bennie fell in love….. And that is why the family cow took up permanent residence in the backyard.

Love it. Very funny. At least he didn’t eat Butternut…

Thanks. I’m glad you liked it..

I liked yours too. I found it funny how you said “And yours…” I was like “DIE SANTA!” The reason he didn’t eat Butternut is because he was in love… also, the female members of his family are rather fierce and Kali may have eaten him. (Or at least threatened to)

Thanks for these prompts.

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30 Holiday Writing Prompts to Inspire and Delight

As the festive season approaches, many of us seek inspiration to channel our creativity. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just beginning your journey, holiday writing prompts can be the perfect catalyst to ignite your imagination. These prompts are designed to transport you to different worlds, stir heartwarming memories, and evoke the magic of holidays. Dive into these 25 best holiday writing prompts and let your creativity flow like a river of twinkling holiday lights.

Here are 30 Holiday Writing Prompts:

• On Christmas Eve, you hear a knock at your door and find Santa Claus asking for a favor.
• After lighting the last candle on the Hanukkah menorah, you find yourself transported to ancient Jerusalem.
• Every year on Valentine’s Day, a mysterious love letter appears on your doorstep with no return address.
• Your family has a unique Thanksgiving tradition: sharing tales of mythical creatures. This year, one of those creatures decides to join the feast.
• While decorating the Easter eggs, you find one that’s already painted with intricate, moving scenes.
• On Halloween, instead of candy, you hand out wishes. But this year, someone wishes for something unexpected.
• The spirits of past, present, and future holidays visit you. What lessons do they teach?
• On New Year’s Eve, you find a door that claims to lead to a different year of your choosing.
• You wake up to find it’s a holiday called “Thankfulness Day” that no one but you remembers from previous years.
• Your family’s Fourth of July fireworks display starts communicating messages in the sky.
• The main character despises the holiday season, but a magical advent calendar changes everything.
• The town’s Groundhog Day prediction goes awry when the groundhog becomes the mayor for a day.
• During the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, you discover you have the ability to freeze time.
• A character receives a gift during the holiday exchange that seems ordinary but grants wishes.
• While traveling abroad, you stumble upon a never-before-heard-of holiday celebration.
• Every Boxing Day, you do an act of kindness. This year, it triggers a cascade of heartwarming events.
• On April Fools’ Day, everything you say becomes reality, whether it’s true or not.
• What happens when the world’s biggest Scrooge and the most festive person are stuck together for the holidays?
• You find a magical ornament that lets you experience Christmas from the viewpoint of anyone in the world.
• A lonely snowman brought to life on Christmas Eve wishes for a snow family.
• Discovering an old letter to Santa from when you were a child, you realize it’s now more relevant than ever.
• Each day of Kwanzaa, a different ancestor visits to share their story.
• A Thanksgiving Day where the turkeys seek gratitude and thanks.
• An elf decides to leave the North Pole and start a new life. What adventures and challenges does he face?
• You stumble upon a secret society that celebrates holidays from lost and forgotten civilizations.

Conclusion:

Each holiday holds its own tapestry of tales, traditions, and treasured moments. Through these Holiday Writing Prompts, we hope you’ve been inspired to craft stories that celebrate, question, and delve deep into the heart of what makes these occasions so special.

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25 Christmas Writing Prompts For Holiday Inspiration

One of my readers requested this post! I was happy to do it, because winter and the holidays bring great inspiration to me. These could be used for fiction, journaling, or just about any other creative writing. And I’m keeping them G-rated in case any teachers want to use them for their students! (And if you are a teacher, check out my 50 Story Ideas for Kids , too!)

But these prompts work just as well for adults. If you’ve had a busy autumn or a tumultuous year, but you have a Christmas break, that’s a great time to get back into a writing habit again. Although these are fiction prompts, some of them could be adapted to autobiographical prompts for essays, journaling, or memoir writing as well.

• Two people who are secretly romantically interested in one another. They agree to share Christmas dinner together, just as friends, because a family holiday isn’t going to happen and all of their other friends are already busy.
• Someone doesn’t have anyone to spend Christmas with.
• A person is on a difficult quest to find or make a particular gift for someone else.
• A Christmas card arrives in the mail fifty years after it was delivered.
• The Christmas ornament is supposedly enchanted.
• Someone has just became fabulously wealthy and is picking out gifts for their family.
• Someone is transported to a Christmas in a past century.
• To impress her, he learns all of the words to her favorite Christmas carol. And he doesn’t even like carols. Or Christmas. Or singing.
• Someone embarrasses herself at a Christmas party.
• Write a scene inspired by the image of a boat decked out in Christmas lights.
• Notes and gifts from a “Secret Santa” take a strange turn.
• After the blizzard hits, they’re stuck together for a while, and they have to stay warm.
• A single person reacts to getting Christmas cards from married couples with pictures of them with their smiling children.
• Two strangers wind up participating in a holiday activity together.
• Someone has been cutting down and stealing trees from the Christmas tree farm.
• Someone resorts to desperate measures to get home for Christmas.
• Write about the worst present your character ever got.
• They’re putting up a Christmas tree at the hospital.
• Write about someone who’s determined to make amends at Christmas.
• Write a scene that incorporates the smells of Christmas.
• Someone receives a gift wrapped in newspaper and duct tape.
• At the castle, Christmas is very different from what she’s used to.
• He and his very pregnant wife can’t find a hotel room right before Christmas.
• Okay, he’s not Santa, but he did have a very good reason for breaking into the house.
• What’s a reindeer doing in this part of town?

I hope you enjoyed the list! If you want to get notifications of new writing posts (plus general positivity), be sure to subscribe below!

And if you want more writing prompts…like 450 pages’ worth…check out my book 5,000 Writing Prompts. It’s full of master plots in many genres, creative exercises, and more.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you’re having a great week!

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22 thoughts on “ 25 christmas writing prompts for holiday inspiration ”.

Thank you so much for this ! 😀

You’re so welcome, Olivia! Thank you for the great suggestion!

I’m almost finished with my holiday writing project for this year but I’m going to take this list and use it for something for next year. I think it would be great fun to incorporate three…or six of these into a story, maybe more!

Hi, Anne! Congratulations on being almost done with your holiday project. And I hope there are useful for the next one!

#4 worked for me well. I took the about a Christmas card arriving 50 years after it was sent and made a 2500 word short story that was printed in TJ Hannon second short story collection Tales With a Twist 2. An emotional tale about an American soldier stationed in Viet Nam, who never made it home. Thanks for the prompt. These things usually don’t work for me, but this one did

Tom, that’s so cool…I’m so glad it worked out for you!

These Christmas prompts are great fun, Bryn. Thanks. I’m sharing some with my writing class tomorrow. 🙂

Aww, I am flattered! Thank you!

These Christmas prompts would make a great prompt advent-calendar for a writer friend – next year …

Hi, there! Oh my gosh, a writing prompt advent calendar…that’s an amazing idea. 🙂

Thank you, I once upon a time did that for said friend … But I had to choose small prompts as I glued 24 tiny envelopes with those prompts on a sheet of cardboard. It was received with great joy!

Thanks for the holiday writing prompts, Bryn. I’ve shared your post on my blog for Write it Wednesday .

Aw, thank you, friend! Thanks for sharing!

These are so fun! You always have the best prompts.

Aww thank you. 🙂 Hey, I can’t wait to see you!

Thank you so much for these, Bryn!! They got me into the Christmas spirit (a bit), despite the fact that my 7-month old puppy died yesterday. Speaking of disheartening things, could you please make a list of writing prompts about potentially upsetting/unwanted things? I would especially be very grateful if you could throw in a few fantasy/mythology because that is my genre and I really love your creative prompts!! Merry Christmas, Alyssa

Oh Alyssa! I am so sorry about your puppy! I know how much pets mean, and that’s so sad. I wish I could give you a hug. Take really good care of yourself, okay?

That is a great idea for a list. I’ll do it! Honestly, we’ve had a few upsetting things happen to us recently, so I’ll be inspired. 😀 But yes, I’ll try to remember to include some fantasy ones. Thank you for the suggestion!

Gosh…these are great and I love your posts..A prompt that may work for someone…. Holiday Tonic For The Soul supplies us with rejuvenated love and tranquil happiness. It is by far the most embraced and fulfilling holiday we celebrate. From the birth of our Savior, to hoping for a white one we create the tonic of our own personal joy….

Merry Christmas, Bryn…

I love this this is the best thing ever even though I am only 12 I have already worten 191 pages of a book because of these writing prompts I hope I get an A

On the evening of the 23rd The extended family is gathered and the patriarch and one of the younger children disappear. It is none the things that everyone fears.

5 stars. this was so helpful. all the other websites with similar title have cheesy and childlike ideas but this page has mystery and funny and pretty story prompts that i will definitely be using. thank you so much

Hey there! I’m so glad this was helpful 🙂 Happy holidays and happy writing!

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Student Opinion

15 Prompts for Talking and Writing About the Holidays and the New Year

Share your traditions, weigh in on a seasonal debate, write a creative story or reflect on the year behind you while preparing for the one ahead.

By Natalie Proulx

Merry Christmas , happy Hanukkah , joyous Kwanzaa and happy New Year.

To celebrate the season, we’ve rounded up 15 prompts we’ve written over the years that you can use for writing or discussion in the classroom, among your friends or at your holiday gatherings. You might talk about your beloved family traditions, weigh in on a seasonal debate, write a holiday-themed short story or poem, or reflect on the year behind you and prepare for the one ahead.

Each of these prompts was inspired by a New York Times article, essay or image, and many of them are still open for comment for students 13 or older.

For more writing prompts and conversation-starters, see our related column .

1. What Holiday or Holidays Are You Celebrating This Month?

Hanukkah? Christmas? Kwanzaa? A combination? Something else? Use this prompt to talk or write about your own holiday celebrations — or those that other families have that you wish you could be a part of.

2. What Are Your Family Traditions?

Students who weighed in on this prompt told us about preparing 12 meals for Ukrainian Christmas, making the haft sin for Nowruz, lighting the candles on the menorah for Hanukkah and playing the game White Elephant. What rituals help you mark the holidays or reflect on the year?

3. What Foods Will Be on Your Holiday Table?

Food is an important part of holiday celebrations all over the world. What dishes will be on your table this year? You might talk about the best festive snacks and finger foods with this prompt , or take inspiration from Lunar New Year and share your favorite holiday food traditions with this prompt .

4. How Do You Decorate for the Season?

Traditional or modern? Over-the-top or more understated? Discuss the way your family decorates for the holidays — or how you wish it did — with these two prompts. How do you think you will choose to decorate your home when you are older?

5. What Role Does Religion Play in Your Holiday Celebrations?

Several of the winter holidays have religious roots. In “ Saying Goodbye to Hanukkah ,” a writer asks whether you can celebrate traditionally religious holidays without religion. What do you think? Read the essay and then use this prompt to talk or write about how much religion is a part of your life and your holiday celebrations.

6. Do You Look Forward to Family Get-Togethers This Time of Year?

The approaching holidays often mean spending more time with family members, who come from near and far. Who do you look forward to seeing this time of year? Do you enjoy large family get-togethers or do you find them overwhelming? Use this prompt to talk or write about your most memorable family gathering.

7. What Makes a Great Gift?

What are you giving this holiday season? What are you hoping to get, or what have you already received? Use this prompt to share your gift-giving dos and don’ts, talk about the best and worst gifts you’ve gotten and weigh in on the adage “It’s better to give than to receive.”

Or, use this prompt to debate the commercialization of Christmas and whether experiences make better gifts than physical items do.

8. Should Phones Ever Be a Part of Family or Holiday Gatherings?

Now it’s time for a holiday debate: Are phones and other electronics welcome at your family or holiday gatherings? Do you think they should be? Can they ever be helpful? Or are they a distraction from spending quality time with your loved ones? Discuss these questions and others with our related prompt .

9. What Will You Be Watching, Listening To and Wearing This Season?

“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”? Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You”? An ugly Christmas sweater, perhaps? Use these prompts to debate the best and worst holiday films , share what’s on your seasonal playlist and plan your special holiday outfit .

10. What Can You Do for Others This Year?

This year, Nov. 29 was #GivingTuesday on social media, a day when you were invited to take a break from buying things, and, instead, show generosity to others. The Giving Tuesday website suggests thinking about it this way:

Whether it’s making someone smile, helping a neighbor or stranger out, showing up for an issue or people we care about, or giving some of what we have to those who need our help, every act of generosity counts, and everyone has something to give.

What do you have to give? What people, issues or causes are important to you? What can you do this holiday season to give back? Tell us here , and then get more inspiration from the Opinion section’s Holiday Giving Guide .

11. What Seasonal Story Could These Images Tell?

Related Picture Prompt

A magical gift. A sledding adventure. A family gathering. What story could these images from around The Times tell? Choose one or more of the holiday- and winter-themed picture prompts from the slide show above, and then write a creative short story, poem or memoir inspired by them.

Another option? Use one of these images to play Exquisite Corpse with your friends, family or classmates: One person starts by writing or saying aloud the first line of a story based on the image, and then another person adds on, and so on.

12. What Were the Best and Worst Things About 2022 for You?

The Times’s art and culture critics often end the year by compiling a series of “best of” lists — the best TV shows , movies , art , songs , podcasts , books , comedy , poetry , theater , dance performances and more .

What would be on your “best of the year” list? What would be on your “worst of the year” list? What art or pop culture did you love or loathe? What news, sporting events or viral social media moments did you think were great or terrible? What were the most notable aspects of your personal, family or academic life? Use this prompt to help you make your “best” and “worst” lists and then compare them to those of other students.

13. What Would You Pick as Word of the Year?

Every year the Oxford English Dictionary selects a “word of the year” that is meant “to reflect the ethos, mood or preoccupations” of the previous year. For 2022, the publisher chose “goblin mode.” What do you think of this choice? What is one word or phrase that you think sums up this year? Weigh in on our related prompt .

14. What Was the Best Day of Your Year?

When you look back on the past year, what would you say was your most memorable day? Were you celebrating a big life event or achievement, like getting your license? Or were you doing something more mundane — perhaps talking to a friend on the phone, making a meal for your family or taking a long walk alone? What made that day so special to you?

Even though this prompt was written in 2021, you can still use the article and questions to take some time to appreciate your favorite day of this past year.

15. Do You Make New Year’s Resolutions?

As one year ends and another begins, will you take stock of all that you have (or haven’t) accomplished and make resolutions for the year ahead? Or, like other Gen Zers, according to this article , do you set goals all year round? Use this prompt to talk or write about the various goals or self-improvements you are currently working toward, as well as those you’d like to focus on in the New Year.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.

Natalie Proulx joined The Learning Network as a staff editor in 2017 after working as an English language arts teacher and curriculum writer. More about Natalie Proulx

55 Fun Holiday Writing Prompts

Holidays are meant to be fun, festive, and cheerful. They are a time to enjoy family and friends and to remember the things we all hold dear.

This list of writing prompts reflects that cheerful holiday spirit, whatever holiday you celebrate.

Holidays are supposed to be fun, so this list of creative inspiration is as well!

How to Use Prompts

These are great prompts for random assignments. Whether you use random numbers to assign the prompts or pull names out of a hat, all of these prompts are fun and should be easy for any student to write about.

The Prompts

• Write about any holiday tradition you do not understand much about and explain where it came from. 
• Do you ever go caroling during the holidays? What makes this a special activity?
• Describe how celebrating a different holiday can be both similar and different from your own.
• Create a snowman and give him a name. Then write a story about his snowy adventures.
• Write a story about what it might be like to live in a snow globe.
• Why do you like to decorate for the holidays?
• Describe the best holiday party you have ever been to.
• Write a story that starts with, “The lost reindeer was…”
• Do you think that Thanksgiving gets neglected? Why or why not?
• Write an alternate holiday origin story.
• Why do you think Santa Claus got his job originally?
• What do you think elves do when it’s not Christmas anymore?
• What holiday tradition your family doesn’t celebrate seems interesting to you and why?
• Do you believe that Holidays have a special kind of magic?
• Who is your favorite person to see very holiday?
• What is something that only happens in the holidays that yo wish would happen all year long?
• Write a story about someone experiencing a holiday for the first time.
• Create a story about and describe a place where it is always Christmas.
• Write a story about a winter holiday that takes over another holiday when the weather is warmer.
• Can you describe your favorite holiday food and then tell why its your favorite?
• Describe something special you do for your pets every holiday.
• Do you decorate for the holidays? Explain your favorite part.
• Describe what makes the holidays special to you.
• Is there something you want for Christmas (or Hannukah)? Describe it and why you want it.
• Write a retelling of Frosty the Snowman with your own special twist.
• Are there any games that you and your family only play on holidays? Explain them.
• Write a story about a penguin named Percy and his holiday celebration.
• Describe a holiday tradition you celebrate now that your parents also celebrated when they were young.
• Describe what you think the perfect holiday celebration is like.
• Is there a holiday tradition you wish you didn’t do? Why?
• Can you explain why holidays are special and how they make you feel?
• Do you have a favorite dessert that only comes for the holidays?
• Describe what a holiday celebration would be like if there were no electricity.
• Write a story about how waking up on a holiday feels and describe what you do first.
• Tell a story about the biggest holiday disaster that you have ever experienced.
• What would happen if your mom was sick on a holiday and couldn’t do everything she normally does? Describe what would happen.
• If you could have a holiday superpower, what would it be and why?
• How do you help others during the holidays? Why is that important?
• How do you celebrate holidays with your friends?
• What would it be like if everyone had a sleigh to drive instead of cars?
• Would you rather be a snowman or a reindeer? Why?
• Why does it feel like ice cream is better when it is on top of pie?
• Can you describe how the holidays smell?
• Do you like to dress up for the holidays? Why or why not?
• Write a story about what you think your parents did to celebrate the holidays when they were your age.
• If you could have one wish granted for the holidays, what would it be and why?
• Describe the best thing about snow.
• What is the one thing you want most this year for the holidays? Why is that what you want?
• Who do you have to see every year on the holidays that you wish you didn’t? Why?
• Describe something nice that you have done for a sibling or that a sibling has done for you on the holidays.
• Is there anything that you would rather avoid doing during the holidays? Describe how you could make that something fun instead.
• What would you do if you knew someone would be alone this holiday? Why?
• Can you explain your least favorite holiday memory? Why was it your least favorite? What could have been done to make it better?
• Don’t worry, no one forgot Thanksgiving. What is the best Thanksgiving food that you have every year? What makes it so good?
• What would it be called if you could create a new winter holiday? What type of things would you celebrate and how?

Looking for More?

Holidays are great, but there are plenty of other things to write about. We have great resources for you, and if you like them, let others know too! Share with your family, friends, and coworkers, and let them know what they can find here.

Also, if you have any questions, comments or think we have missed something important, please don’t hesitate to let us know!

Inspire a Love for Writing With These Holiday Writing Prompts for Kids

Just so you know, this post contains affiliate links. That means if you use them to make a purchase, I may earn a commission. You can read my full affiliate disclosure  HERE .

Does your child groan when asked to pull out that creative writing journal?

Or does your child stare at a blank page and moanfully insist there’s nothing to write?

Then you need these Holiday Writing Prompts!

Creative writing exercises are important for kids because they are a great way to allow them to practice expressing their feelings, stretch their creativity, and work on clearly communicating their thoughts and ideas.

There’s an effective and fun way to help switch on those creative juices, especially if you’ve been looking for novel ways to introduce writing, and the love of it, to your child.

It’s with these Holiday Writing Prompts !

Inspire a Love for Writing During the Holiday Season

This unique set of over 100 writing prompt cards cover each fun holiday, and will encourage your young writer to: 

• Be creative
• Think outside the box
• Develop a stronger vocabulary
• Become comfortable with the expression of thought
• Express one’s self with clarity, and 
• Build on more vital communication skills.

The Holiday Writing Prompt Cards include popular holidays like Christmas, Easter, Independence Day, and Valentine’s Day, and also holidays that may require a little research to appreciate, like Indigenous People’s Day and Reformation Day.

Each holiday is beautifully designed with related holiday bordering and includes two sheets your child can draw and write in detail in response to the prompt for the day.

>>> Purchase Holiday Writing Prompts Through the Year <<<

Sample holiday creative writing prompts.

There are six writing prompt cards for a variety of holidays included in the printable pack. Here are some examples of the prompts that will inspire your young writers and help them practice their writing.

New Year’s Writing Prompts

• A new year means new resolutions. What new resolution are you most excited to start?
• You’re in charge of the New Year’s Eve celebrations. Describe what your celebrations will look like – decorations, entertainment, food – don’t leave out any details!
• You are loaned a supersonic aircraft for the day. Which 5 places will you travel to on New Year’s Day and why?

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Writing Prompts

• Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Why do you think he was awarded this prestigious recognition?
• Write a letter to Martin Luther King Jr. and tell him why you think he is a hero.
• If you could snap your fingers and make the world a better place, what 5 things would you do? Elaborate.

Valentine’s Day Writing Prompts

• It’s Valentine month and the stores are wiped clean of candy, chocolates, stuffed toys and flowers. What ideas do you have for Valentine gifts?
• Write a Valentine’s Day story that includes: a lost dog, a talking flower, and sour candy.
• What does it mean to “love your neighbor as yourself”? How can you do this?

President’s Day Writing Prompts

• If I were president…
• Think about the people you know. Who would be the perfect president and why?
• Name your favorite president of all time and what makes him your favorite.

St. Patrick’s Day Writing Prompts

• If I found a pot of gold, I would…
• You open your backpack and a leprechaun pops out. Nobody can see him but you. What adventures do you both plan to have?
• St. Patrick’s Day was just declared All Green Day! You are in charge of the menu. What would you serve for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?

Easter Writing Prompts

• What does Easter mean to you?
• Outline the series of events that led to the first Easter morning.
• Imagine being with Mary as she walked to the tomb that first Easter morning. How would you feel? What’s the first thing you would do when you hear the news?

Memorial Day Writing Prompts

• What are a few ways your family can show honor to a soldier or a soldier’s family?
• When you think of Memorial Day, what word comes to mind and why?
• Do you know a hero? Write about your hero. If you don’t know a hero who sacrificed his/her life, research a local hero and write about him or her.

Independence Day Writing Prompts

• What are your favorite 4th of July family traditions?
• If it was up to you to decide, what would be the national symbols of this great nation? Also pick your choices for the national bird, song, and animal.
• What does “Independence” mean to you?

Labor Day Writing Prompts

• What qualities make a good worker?
• When you grow up, what do you want to be? Why?
• Research and share some ways people celebrate Labor Day.

Columbus Day Writing Prompts

• If Christopher Columbus was here today, what would you ask him to do differently?
• When and why is Columbus Day celebrated?
• What are the qualities an explorer should have?

Indigenous People’s Day Writing Prompts

• What do you understand by the word “heritage”?
• Learn about the sort of clothing Indigenous People traditionally wear. Outline your findings.
• How can you show respect to another person’s culture, tradition, and beliefs?

Halloween Writing Prompts

• You’re in charge of thinking of 5 safe, family-friendly tricks. What’s up your sleeve?
• You received 10 pounds of Halloween but your dentist says you can’t have a single piece. What will you do with all of that candy?
• The doorbell rings. You open the door, and it’s a talking scarecrow. What does he say, and why is he here?

Reformation Day Writing Prompts

• What are the 5 Solas of the Reformation? Translate and explain each one as you understand it.
• What role did the Gutenberg Press play in the Reformation?
• If you could ask Martin Luther anything about the Reformation, what would you ask him and why?

Veteran’s Day Writing Prompts

• How can we honor the veterans in our community?
• If you could help defend our country, would you choose to serve in the Army, Navy, or Air Force?
• Write a letter of gratitude to the veterans in our country.

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts

• What are you thankful for this year?
• Write an acrostic poem using the word THANKFUL
• Everyone’s excited about the family’s Thanksgiving celebrations, but the power line tripped early in the morning. How is the food going to get cooked?

Christmas Writing Prompts

• If you were one of the wise men, what is the most precious gift you would give baby Jesus?
• What is your favorite Christmas tradition and why?
• You were put in charge of wrapping the Christmas presents, but while you were wrapping the Christmas gifts, they all shrink 10 times to size. Now what?

Bonus Holiday Writing Prompts

In addition to 6 prompts for each big holiday, there is also one prompt for some lesser-known holidays, such as Groundhog Day, Cinco De Mayo, Flag Day, Election Day, St. Nicholas Day, and more.

While I have tried to include as many holidays as was possible, I recognize that there may be more you would like to introduce your child to.

For this, I’ve included a blank card template to allow you to write more holiday-inspired prompts you might think of.

How to Use the Holiday Writing Prompts

You will want to file and save these writing sheets, if not for anything else but to look back and see how your child’s writing skills have improved over the course of the year. They can be used and modified for multiple grade levels in your homeschool.

Consider keeping a special binder, notebook, or section in your homeschool portfolio just for all of your kids’ holiday-themed creative writing assignments!

There are a few more fun ways you can use these creative prompts in your homeschool throughout the year:

• Pull out the journal prompts during the six days leading up to a specific holiday to help you teach about that holiday. Some of the research-based writing prompts will be perfect for this, while others will allow your kids to creatively express what they’ve learned during your lessons.
• Use the creative writing ideas to help your kids practice their typing. Have them type their responses into a Google Doc and share it with you.
• Instead of writing, let your kids create a design, social media post, or infographic on Canva to answer the prompt.
• If you have multiple kids, let each child randomly draw a card to write a response to.
• Each time you use a prompt, tell your kids they have to write their response in a new way: a short story, a newspaper article, comic strip, or a poem.
• Give the blank writing prompt cards to your kids and have them create their own prompts! Then trade with a sibling so they can respond to someone else’s prompt.

Best Way to Print the Holiday Writing Prompts Pack

Printing the prompt cards on white card stock paper will enhance their durability.

You may also laminate them, as you will find yourself coming back to these cards after the year has passed. 

Allow your child to let imagination take over and have fun with these holiday writing prompts!

You never know….

You just may be raising the next best-selling author!

If you’d prefer writing prompts for only the winter holidays, I have a smaller printable pack available just for those. Check it out HERE .

Happy writing!

Related Posts

• Valentine’s Scavenger Hunt Clues for Kids
• Fun St. Patrick’s Day Treasure Hunt Activity for Kids
• Grandparent Interview Cards: A Sweet Way for Families to Bond

Blessed Homeschool is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. You can read my full affiliate disclosure HERE.

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Writing Prompts for Easter: Embrace Holiday-Themed Creativity

My name is Debbie, and I am passionate about developing a love for the written word and planting a seed that will grow into a powerful voice that can inspire many.

Easter Writing Prompts: Ignite Your Creativity with Festive Themes

1. päckis hunt in finland, 2.​ kite flying ‍in bermuda, crafting engaging easter stories: tips and tricks, incorporating symbolism in easter-themed writing: unlocking meaningful narratives, fun and whimsical easter poetry: celebrate ⁤with verses of‍ joy, easter journaling: reflections on renewal and rebirth, inspiring easter⁢ characters: breathing life into memorable protagonists, from​ baskets​ to ⁢bunnies: creating⁣ colorful‍ descriptions ⁣in easter writing, frequently asked questions, to conclude.

Looking for some writing inspiration this Easter?​ We’ve got⁣ you covered! Easter ‍is a time of celebration, renewal, and new beginnings, ⁢and what better ​way to express ⁣your creativity than through the power of words? Whether you’re ‌a seasoned writer or just starting out, these festive-themed writing prompts ‌will surely spark your imagination and help you create captivating stories or thought-provoking essays.

1. ⁢ Easter Egg Hunt Adventures: Imagine you ⁤are on an elaborate Easter egg hunt in a magical forest. Write a descriptive narrative about your thrilling adventure ​seeking the grand prize.

2. The Mischievous Easter Bunny: Give⁣ the Easter Bunny ​a‌ mischievous twist and create a story⁢ of the rabbit’s secret antics during Easter night. What trouble does he⁢ get⁢ into and how does‌ he save the ⁣day?

Exploring Easter Traditions: A‌ Unique Perspective

⁣ ⁢ Easter, celebrated across the globe, is a ⁣vibrant and joyous festival filled with unique traditions that vary from region to ‍region. Understanding⁤ the diverse practices associated with this holiday can offer us a fascinating glimpse into⁣ different cultures and their history. From orthodox rituals to whimsical customs, here are some extraordinary Easter⁣ traditions that you might not have heard​ of before.

In ‌Finland, Easter ⁤celebrations kick off with an exciting game called “Päckis Hunt.” Families gather in the woods, armed with colorful feathers, to search for a secret hiding​ spot where the “Easter Päckis” has concealed ‍a ⁤large chocolate egg.⁣ The feathers act⁣ as ⁢clues, guiding participants through a ‍fun and adventurous trail. The​ tradition not only entertains children but also reinforces the importance of teamwork and problem-solving ‍skills.

Thousands of miles away, on ‍the beautiful island of Bermuda,‍ Easter sky becomes a breathtaking spectacle as families engage in the age-old tradition of‍ kite flying.‍ Believed to ward off evil spirits, colorful​ handmade kites in⁤ various shapes and ‌sizes fill the horizon during this time. The ‍annual Bermuda Kite Festival unites⁢ locals and tourists, showcasing their flying⁤ skills and creativity. Make ⁤sure ‍to witness this awe-inspiring event, where passion, ⁤artistry, and a‍ sense of community come⁢ together‍ to paint the sky.

Are​ you looking to create captivating Easter stories that will ‌captivate your readers? Look no​ further! Crafting ‍engaging⁢ Easter stories is both an art and⁢ a science, but with a⁤ few tips and‌ tricks up your sleeve,⁤ you’ll be well on your way to ⁢creating unforgettable tales ⁣that will leave a lasting impression. Here are some strategies to take your storytelling‌ skills to the next level:

• Set the Scene: ​ A well-crafted Easter story begins with​ a vivid and descriptive scene that transports your readers to a world filled with anticipation⁤ and wonder. Create an atmosphere by incorporating sensory details such as the smell of blooming flowers, the sound of children giggling, and the sight of vibrant Easter eggs hidden beneath bright green grass.
• Add a Twist: Don’t‍ be afraid ​to inject ‌a‍ little excitement into your Easter stories. Surprise your readers with ‌ unexpected plot twists or unique characters ⁣that ⁤deviate from the traditional narratives. Perhaps the Easter Bunny teams up with mischievous squirrels to hide the eggs, or the Easter parade ⁢takes⁤ an unexpected detour ​through a ⁣magical forest. By adding a twist, ⁢you’ll keep your audience engaged and eagerly turning the pages.
• Introduce Memorable Characters: Easter stories are not just ‍about fluffy bunnies and colorful eggs; they⁢ also offer a fantastic opportunity to ⁤introduce unique and ⁣memorable characters. Whether it’s a shy bunny with a hidden talent or a misfit chick that grows up to become a hero, give ‍your characters depth and personality‍ that readers can connect with. This will make your Easter stories not only entertaining but also emotionally resonant.

By following these tips and tricks, you’ll be well-equipped⁢ to craft engaging Easter⁤ stories that will captivate ⁢readers of all ages. Remember,⁢ tapping into your creativity, setting the scene, adding a twist, and⁤ introducing memorable characters are ‌all key elements to create a ⁢truly enchanting ⁢Easter tale. So⁢ grab your⁣ pen, let your imagination⁢ run wild, and delight your readers with stories that celebrate the⁣ magic and joy of this festive‍ season!

When it‌ comes to Easter-themed writing, ⁤incorporating symbolism can add depth ‍and richness to your narratives. Symbolism allows you to convey complex emotions, themes, and ⁣ideas in ​a way that resonates‌ with ⁣readers on a‌ deeper level. By using symbolic elements effectively, ⁢you⁤ can unlock meaningful narratives that captivate your audience and leave a lasting​ impression. Here are some creative ways to incorporate symbolism in your Easter-themed writing:

• The Easter Egg: The ‍Easter egg has long‌ been a symbolic representation ⁣of new life, rebirth, and resurrection. Utilize ⁤this powerful symbol by incorporating it into ​your story, whether ⁣it be through a physical egg or as ⁢a metaphorical ⁢representation of⁣ a character’s personal growth and transformation.
• Flowers and Nature: Springtime and Easter often go hand in hand, so utilize the blossoming beauty of flowers and the awakening ‍of nature to add symbolic layers to your writing. Explore the symbolism of specific flowers such ⁤as lilies (an ⁣emblem of purity‍ and innocence), daffodils (representing renewal), or cherry blossoms (symbolizing the transient nature of life).
• Religious Iconography: Easter holds significant religious ​meaning, and incorporating religious iconography can add depth and resonate with readers who are familiar⁣ with‍ these symbols. Consider using elements such as crosses, the crown of ‍thorns, or the dove to represent various aspects of faith, sacrifice, and hope.

Easter, the joyful celebration of new beginnings and the arrival of spring, is the perfect‌ time to⁤ immerse yourself ⁢in ‌the whimsical world of poetry. Let your imagination run wild as you explore the delightful verses that capture ‌the‍ essence‍ of ‍this festive season. From bunnies ⁤and chocolate eggs to blooming flowers and sunny days, these poems will ‌transport you ‌to a world filled with joy and wonder.

Unleash your ⁤creativity and indulge in the fanciful ⁣rhythm​ and rhymes that characterize Easter poetry. Immerse yourself in⁣ the charm of⁤ lighthearted verses that bring out ⁣the childlike spirit within you. Discover the beauty of nature’s ​awakening and the magic of Easter traditions through the‍ witty lines of timeless poems. Revel​ in the ⁢lightheartedness of playful⁣ language and ⁤let your spirits soar as you embark on a‌ whimsical journey through verses​ that will leave you with ‍a smile on your face.

So this Easter, whether you are​ looking for a few words to add to⁣ a greeting ⁤card, or simply wish to delight in the merry musings of poetic creators, immerse yourself in the world of fun and whimsical Easter poetry. Embrace the joy ⁤that emanates from these verses and⁤ allow them to ignite your imagination, filling your heart ⁣with⁤ the warmth and happiness that the season brings. Celebrate with verse and experience the magic of Easter ‍like never before!

As⁣ Easter approaches, it is the perfect time to embark on a reflective journey through journaling. This ancient⁢ practice allows us‌ to⁤ delve deep into our souls and explore the themes of renewal⁢ and rebirth, which are at the heart of this joyous holiday. Through the act of putting‌ pen to⁣ paper, we can unlock our thoughts, emotions, and experiences, gaining a greater understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

One powerful way to approach Easter journaling is by exploring the various symbols associated with⁢ this season of new beginnings. Consider jotting down your ‌thoughts⁣ on the following:

• The Resurrection: Reflect on ‍the significance of Jesus’ resurrection and what it means for ⁣your own personal growth ​and transformation.
• Nature’s Awakening: Observe the signs of ​new life emerging in nature. Write about the beauty of blooming flowers, chirping birds, and the awakening ⁣of the earth after a long winter.
• Spiritual Rebirth: ​ Dive into your own spiritual journey ⁤and contemplate moments of ‌spiritual growth and renewal. Explore how these experiences have shaped‌ your identity and faith.

Additionally, don’t hesitate ‌to write about your own personal desires for renewal and ⁢rebirth. Consider using the following prompts:

• What areas of your life do you feel ‌need a fresh start?
• How can you let go⁢ of past hurts and embrace​ the chance for personal ⁣transformation?
• What steps⁢ can you take to cultivate more joy, gratitude, and ⁤love in your daily life?

Embrace the⁤ power of journaling this Easter, and allow your words to ​guide you on a journey of self-discovery and⁣ growth. Whether⁤ you choose to journal ⁤in the morning, while⁢ enjoying nature, or‍ before​ bedtime, this practice will help you connect deeply with the themes of renewal and rebirth. Through⁤ reflection and introspection, you will take valuable steps towards creating a life filled with purpose, hope, and a renewed sense of inner peace.

Easter brings with​ it‌ a host of beloved ⁢characters that have⁣ captured the⁢ hearts of generations. From the ⁢mischievous ⁣Easter Bunny to the heroic Egg ⁣Hunt Explorer, these enchanting protagonists ⁢have‍ become symbols of joy and adventure. Each character is infused with⁢ their own unique personality, making them truly unforgettable.

• The Easter Bunny: This furry friend has hopped into the hearts of⁢ children ⁢and‍ adults alike. With their boundless energy and‍ basket ‌full of colorful eggs, the Easter Bunny⁤ is the epitome of Easter‌ joy.
• The Egg​ Hunt Explorer: ⁣Armed with ‍a trusty basket and ‍an insatiable sense of curiosity, the Egg Hunt Explorer embarks on exciting quests to find hidden⁤ treats. Their determination and resourcefulness inspire us to explore the world ‌around us.
• The⁣ Chick Sidekick: This lovable companion adds an extra dose of cuteness to Easter tales. With their fluffy feathers and​ chirpy nature, the Chick Sidekick proves that friendships come in all ‍shapes and​ sizes.

Whether it’s through animated films, storybooks, or festive decorations, these inspiring Easter characters have become an integral ⁣part of our ⁤celebrations. ​They teach us important life ⁢lessons about friendship, perseverance, and the joy of discovery. ⁢By breathing life into‍ these memorable protagonists, Easter becomes a time for us to embrace imagination and appreciate⁤ the magic that surrounds us.

Easter ⁢is ‌a time of vibrant celebrations bursting ⁤with creativity, and what better way to ⁣capture the essence⁣ of this ‍joyous occasion ⁢than through‍ colorful descriptions in our writing? By incorporating vivid imagery ‌and vivid language, we can ​transport our ⁤readers to the ‌whimsical world of bunnies, baskets, and⁤ all ⁢things Easter-related.

One​ strategy to⁤ create a visual feast in our Easter writing is to use descriptive adjectives. Instead of simply mentioning a “basket,” let’s dive into the details and describe​ it as an overflowing cornucopia of pastel-hued shells, delicate ‍chocolate eggs, ​and beautifully woven straw. Adding ​specific details like this not only engage the reader’s senses but⁢ also paint a picture in⁣ their minds, making the scene come alive.

• Play with Technicolor Vocabulary: Use words like “pastel,”​ “vibrant,” “dazzling,”⁤ or “radiant” to infuse your writing​ with a burst of color.
• Bring the Sights to Life: Describe the vibrant​ Easter egg hunt scene ⁢as a kaleidoscope of hues, with dappled‌ sunlight illuminating ⁣the children’s laughter-filled faces.
• Appeal ‌to⁢ the Senses: Don’t forget the delicious ⁢smells and tastes associated with⁤ Easter, like the intoxicating‍ aroma​ of freshly baked‌ hot ‌cross buns or the ⁢sweet, velvety smoothness of a chocolate bunny melting on your tongue.

Furthermore, let’s not overlook the enchanting world of bunnies that hop into our Easter celebrations. Instead of simply⁢ stating “bunnies,” let’s transport our readers to a mystical realm by describing them as‌ “fluffy cloud-like creatures,” “bouncing bundles of joy,” or even “mischief-loving cotton balls.” By utilizing imaginative ⁤language, we can bring these adorable creatures to life in the​ reader’s imagination, infusing our writing with a touch of ‌Easter magic.

Q: What are writing prompts and why are⁤ they important for Easter? A: Writing prompts are topics or ideas specifically designed to inspire ⁤and stimulate creativity in writing. They⁤ offer a starting point for writers to develop their ideas and ​allow ‌them to⁤ explore different perspectives. For Easter, writing prompts that⁤ revolve around ​the holiday provide a ‌great opportunity to ⁤embrace the festive spirit and inject it into creative writing.

Q: How can writing prompts⁣ enhance Easter-themed creativity? A:⁢ Writing ⁤prompts for Easter can spark⁤ imagination and encourage writers to‌ think beyond the obvious. These prompts enable individuals to explore ⁢various ‍aspects of Easter, ⁤such as traditions, mythology, symbolism, and personal experiences. By providing a focus, writing prompts prompt writers ​to explore new angles and themes related⁢ to Easter, leading to unique‍ and engaging storylines.

Q: What types of writing ‌prompts can be used for Easter? A: There is a wide variety of writing prompts that can be tailored to Easter.⁣ These may include prompts ‍that encourage writers to imagine the Easter Bunny’s secret adventures, create a fictional Easter celebration in a different time period or culture,‍ or even​ write a ⁤heartfelt letter to someone they care about ⁣on Easter. Additionally, prompts can also delve into ⁣the symbolism of Easter, such as writing ⁤a poem about new beginnings or ‌a‌ story about the significance of Easter eggs.

Q: How can writing prompts benefit writers of all levels? A: Writing prompts serve as ⁣a launching⁤ pad for novice writers ‍struggling to find inspiration, as well as seasoned writers looking for a fresh perspective. They provide a ⁢structured starting ⁣point, ​allowing writers to bypass⁤ any ‌initial creative⁤ blocks. Whether someone is a beginner or an experienced writer, writing prompts offer an equal opportunity ⁤to explore new ⁣ideas and expand their literary horizons.

Q: Are there any educational benefits to using‌ Easter-themed ‌writing prompts? A: Absolutely! Incorporating‌ Easter-themed writing prompts⁢ in educational settings⁢ can generate excitement, engage students’‍ imaginations,⁤ and strengthen their writing ⁤skills. These prompts encourage critical thinking , foster⁢ creativity, and enable students to‍ express their thoughts and ideas effectively. ⁣Moreover, using Easter-themed‌ prompts can make the learning environment more enjoyable,⁣ fostering‍ a positive attitude towards⁤ writing and literature.

Q: ‍Can Easter-themed⁤ writing⁣ prompts be used for activities beyond writing? A:‌ Absolutely! While writing prompts primarily ‌serve as catalysts for‌ creative writing, they can also ⁤be adapted for other activities. For ‍example, teachers and parents can use Easter-themed ⁤prompts to encourage children to draw illustrations or ‌create visual stories. Similarly, ⁣these prompts can be used as‍ conversation starters or prompts for dramatic performances,⁣ allowing‌ individuals to approach Easter ⁣from multifaceted⁤ angles.

Q: How can one access Easter-themed writing prompts? A: There⁢ are various sources to find Easter-themed writing prompts. Online platforms and websites dedicated to creative writing often provide numerous prompts suitable for Easter. ⁤Additionally, ‍educational resource websites or blogs focused on holidays can also offer ‌a selection of Easter-themed writing prompts. Teachers or⁢ writing instructors may create⁢ their own prompts tailored to their specific objectives and the abilities of their students.

Q: How can writers‌ make the most out of Easter-themed ⁢writing prompts? A: To make the most‌ of​ Easter-themed writing‍ prompts, writers should approach them with an open​ and⁤ imaginative mindset. It’s important to allow ideas to flow freely without self-judgment. Additionally, taking the time to brainstorm‌ and‌ outline the main points ⁤or story elements ‍can help writers structure their pieces effectively. Ultimately, the goal is to ⁢embrace the spirit of Easter and let the prompts inspire a unique and engaging piece ​of ​writing.

Incorporating Easter-themed ‍writing prompts is a creative way to embrace the holiday spirit. So go ahead and ​unlock your⁣ imagination!

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The 60 Best Fantasy Writing Prompts for Your Book

• by Sam Howard

In this article, I will provide an in-depth look at fantasy writing prompts that you can use to spark ideas for your own fantasy stories. Whether you want to write an epic fantasy novel, a short fantasy story, or something in between, these prompts will help unleash your creativity.

You’ll learn about the key elements that quality fantasy fiction has in common, what goes into a compelling fantasy story, different subgenres of fantasy to explore, and a whopping 60 fantasy prompts to ignite your imagination. My goal is to give you plenty of inspiration to start writing your own fantasy tales.

In this article, you will learn:

• Common features of fantasy stories
• Criteria for good fantasy writing
• An overview of major fantasy subgenres
• 60 unique fantasy ideas to use as starting points

Commonalities in Fantasy Fiction

While fantasy stories can vary widely, from high fantasy epics to paranormal romance, most quality fantasy fiction contains certain core elements. Understanding these common building blocks can help you craft a compelling fantasy tale within any subgenre.

Nearly all fantasy stories contain some form of magic or supernatural phenomena. This magic system doesn’t have to be elaborate, but it generally establishes what’s possible in the fictional world. The mechanics and limits around magic guide what characters can plausibly think and do.

Additionally, fantasy novels typically take place in worlds very unlike our own modern-day reality. While urban fantasy and magical realism bend this rule, most fantasy realms feature invented geographies, histories, cultures and politics – creating an immersive setting.

Fantasy protagonists also tend to go on an epic hero’s journey, facing increasingly difficult external conflicts on quests with high stakes. Internal conflicts often run parallel, with characters battling their own flaws and demons even as bigger foes materialize.

And although tropes aren’t mandatory, incorporating classic fantasy elements like magical swords, wands, spells and mythical creatures can help signal to readers that fantastical adventures lie ahead.

What Makes a Fantasy Good?

Like any fiction, compelling fantasy writing usually shares certain basics like dimensional characters, solid pacing, an interesting plot and engaging themes. Still, I’ve noticed some particular qualities that help set great fantasy tales apart:

• Unique magic system – The magic may not be explained in granular detail initially, but original fantasy worlds feature systems governing supernatural forces that feel fresh rather than derivative.
• Rich worldbuilding – Vivid descriptions breathe life into new environments, their histories, inhabitants and cultures. This convinces readers the setting is worthy of emotionally investing in.
• Relatable characters – Whether human or otherwise, protagonists and central figures invite understanding through authentic characterization and motivations. Their beliefs and inner lives reflect the fantastic world.
• Clever dialogue – Conversation often crackles with personality even amid strange circumstances. Witty repartee between characters fuels charged dynamics.
• Riveting action – Suspense escalates through mounting confrontations, accelerating pacing, higher-stakes drama and new magical discoveries that propel the plot.

Of course personal taste plays a major role too. Composing fantasy with complex themes or injecting humor also attracts loyal audiences. But master the story essentials above while delivering the magical escapism fantasy embodies, and readers will surely come.

Types of Fantasy

Fantasy fiction encompasses a spectrum of subgenres, each with distinctive traits. Having an overview can help you orient your ideas within the style of fantasy you’re most excited to write:

• High/Epic Fantasy – Stories told on a grand scale, often in entirely fictional secondary worlds with sprawling geography and elaborate histories. Densely-plotted heroic quests to defeat supreme evil drive intense action. Prominent examples include Lord of the Rings and George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire .
• Sword & Sorcery – Quest-driven tales focused on mighty warriors, wizards and assorted fighters navigating peril with steel and magic. Generally lower stakes than epic fantasy. Often feature wanderers exploring rich lands from Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian stories to Kull the Conqueror .
• Dark Fantasy – Fantasy with horror elements and grim undercurrents. Prevalent atmosphere of darkness or dread surrounds macabre magic, death and destruction. Case in point, the harrowing worlds of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant or the graphic novel series Berserk .
• Urban Fantasy – Supernatural stories unfolding in contemporary real-world settings, typically cities. Magic and magical beings exist in hiding, unknown to the mainstream. Series like Harry Potter as well as The Dresden Files falls under this category.
• Magical Realism – Fiction where fantastical elements subtly intrude on otherwise-normal environments. Often Literary fiction exploring cultural hybridity through a touch of the extraordinary. Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude epitomizes the style.
• Mythic Fantasy – Fantasy tales drawing on the themes, symbols and elements of ancient myths, legends, folklore or fairy tales. Modern examples include the web novel Lore Olympus , a retelling of Greek mythic romances, or Catherynne M. Valente’s Deathless , which reimagines a Russian folk tale.
• Portal Fantasy – Involves characters entering unfamiliar, magical fantasy worlds through portals connecting them to our primary Earth reality. C.S Lewis’ beloved The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe helped codify conventions of the genre.

Of course additional hybrid subgenres abound too like comic fantasy, supernatural fantasy, science fantasy and more. As you explore ideas, having touchpoints like these can unfold helpful context.

60 Unique Fantasy Prompts

Now you have a solid grounding on key aspects of fantasy and its major categories. Harness all this knowledge along with the expansive 60 fantasy prompts below to kickstart your next writing project within the genre you love.

I’ve grouped prompts into handy subsections matching different facets of fantasy. Feel free to tweak or combine prompts as you see fit to develop your own tale etched with original magic.

Portal Fantasy Story Starters

• A child discovers an enchanted mirror in an abandoned house that serves as a portal to another world.
• Siblings find their late grandmother’s ornate wooden wardrobe transports them to the magical land she often told stories about.
• Every year on their birthday, a person dreams the same dream – of a glowing cave beckoning them to enter. On their 18th birthday they discover the actual glowing cave while hiking nearby.
• A young witch-in-training finds a portal inside a tree hollow that leads her to the future domain of her powerful future self.
• An archaeologist excavates a temple from an ancient civilization with a magical portal at its center, still active after all this time. Where might it lead?
• A video game enthusiast discovers that the VR world of their new game engine is an actual alternate reality.
• A photographer takes a tumble while shooting urban architecture, only to enter a portal into a bustling epic fantasy city through a clever trompe l’oeil mural.
• Every house on a block contains a hidden portal to a different fantasy world – except the cranky old man protagonist’s home. When he discovers a young girl trapped and unable to activate her house’s portal, they set off on an odd couple adventure.
• At a magical lake, people enter the water beneath a full moon to briefly visit whoever they’ve lost that they miss most in vision-like dreams.
• A fairy ring of mushrooms in the forest actually serves as a portal between worlds. A mother and daughter each independently take shelter among the mushrooms from rain, ushering an unlikely reunion in the magical realm the portal leads to.

Urban Fantasy Story Ideas

• A busy lawyer discovers their high-powered wardrobe contains enchanted clothing that allows them to manifest their words and soothe frayed nerves around them.
• Gargoyles mysteriously appear on buildings throughout a city. When people walk beneath them after sundown, their greatest ambitions manifest unconsciously.
• A blogger finds handwritten fairytale poems fluttering in the streets. They discover the poet they memorialize died years earlier, yet their ghost continues creating through magic ink that materializes their verses.
• A jaded bureaucract discovers a secret pocket realm accessible through filing cabinets in their office where unwanted documents and office supplies become enchanted.
• A vigilante hacker develops a computer virus that deploys magical rather than technological effects, serving surreptitious justice on corrupt officials undermined through inexplicable luck.
• A chocolatier uses enchanted confections to help customers relive their most cherished memories while enjoying inventive sweets, until the magic goes awry.
• A developer converts dilapidated warehouses into wildly successful commercial properties by making droves inexplicably view their imperfections as quaint through an enchantment. However, without keeping the spell in check the glamour produces catastrophes.
• A painter creates impossible combinations of real realms from dreams by mixing enchanted ink into their watercolors. Trouble arises when people leap physically into the worlds on canvas without the magician’s permission.
• A grandmother runs a magical greenhouse passed down generations where every flower’s scent imbues a unique imagining gift when inhaled. As surrounding neighbourhoods destabilize, enticing buyers threaten the family legacy and community peace the greenhouse protects.
• A chic fashion designer sews impossible dresses that render wearers unnoticed in public spaces, allowing celebrities reprieve and young female interns escape from harassment. However when a customer wants to adapt her stealth designs to commit crimes, she must fight back.

Dark Fantasy Story Ideas

• In a realm where necromancers are priests, graveyards become animate with the rattling bones and shambling corpses of those mourners fail to appease through proper funereal tributes.
• An amoral wizard-artificer breeds terrifying beast-machine hybrids by infusing strange pulsating relics into flesh, bone and iron during unholy experiments, slowly losing their humanity in the process.
• A cursed charm from ages past compels its possessors to transfer the Hello through murder alone so they might live. The chain of possessed “inheritors” spans centuries leaving macabre legends, like an archeologistInheritor driven to study and ultimately pocket the ancient artifact that possesses them next despite all warnings.
• Every year villages offer up people chosen by lottery to a towering labyrinthine prison as tithes appeasing its monstrous warden – except this year, chance selects the beloved daughter of a grieving mother who vows to topple the entire tithe system and destroy the warden who keeps it in place no matter the cost.
• Poisonous purple clouds spread from a crater where a mysterious obsidian meteor struck, their lethal miasma driving people to madness before painful death sweeps them away. Desperate holdouts too poor to flee struggle to survive while negotiating fragile alliances.
• A ruthless band of treasure hunters seeking mythic riches slaughter their way through an old-growth forest but encounter wrathful plant spirits and sentient trees that manipulate nature itself to violently expel the invaders.
• An innocent child is born with emerald eyes that involuntarily turn those who behold them into lifeless onyx statues over time. They must find a way to hide their curse from superstitious townspeople who would condemn them for witchcraft.
• Harrowed parents in in an isolated village cut off from outside aid can only watch their loved ones fall prey to a contagious werewolf curse transforming helpless victims monthly beneath the full moon. A lone misunderstood wizard may be able to help before it’s too late.
• Shadowy nightmare beings thrive on human fear and take monstrous shape from an individual’s personal phobias before entering bedrooms unseen to feast. A young girl fights sleeplessness as she desperately learns how to lucid dream so that she may turn these creatures of darkness into her own guardians against harm.
• A violent clan of nomadic raiders invades a suspected witch’s well-hidden sanctuary domicile seeking to capture and torture her for nefarious purposes. But they soon discover her cabin in the dark forest contains uncanny horrors guarding far greater secrets within which promise terrifying power should they seize it as their own.

High Fantasy Story Starters

• In a land where dragon riders defend humanity against otherworldly threats, an orphan stable hand discovers an abandoned dragon egg and faces backlash as they raise the hatchling in secret, forging an unbreakable bond.
• An exiled knight errant and mage masquerading as a common sellsword venture deep into forgotten valleys chasing legends of a fallen kingdom’s lost treasure, but release an ancient guardian entity in the perilous ruins below.
• A womdering ronin samurai and mystic swordsman with a cursed blade joins forces with rebel guerillas and a young rural farm boy working to end a tyrannical warlord’s conquests. During a pivotal confrontation at the despot’s stronghold, it’s revealed the protagonists all hail from the same ninja shinobi clan.
• A soldier spared from death during a decisive battle gradually transforms into an undead revenant beholden to sinister forces because of the necromantic axe that saved his life. Seeking a cure, he returns to his home village but learns even greater dangers haunt his once idyllic community.
• A plucky thieves guild urchin who narrowly escapes captivity and her orphan friends accidentally unleash an imprisoned magical creature while hiding in castle ruins. Its freedom could spell salvation or doom for the kingdom.
• A gifted apothecarist monastery acolyte mistakes a crucial ingredient during an accelerated plague remedy trial, inadvertently creating a ravenous undead epidemic infecting the abbey’s medicinal garden instead of the life-saving panacea everyone hoped for.
• After an ambitious noble house launches a coup against the crown, the deposed queen entrusts her newborn heir to loyalist allies who disguise themselves as common laborers as they ferry the scion to safety through contested territory. The babe bears a unique birthmark signifying they are the rightful future ruler.
• The sole surviving member of a legendary guardian order embarks on a dangerous quest to convene compatriots in a desperate attempt to combat the malevolent god recently freed from its aeons-long imprisonment now threatening civilization anew.
• A court jester hailed as the cleverest in the land is actually a powerful mageSaboteur patiently dismantling the empire subjugating the mages through subtle magical pranks embarrass leading officials. However, when the king brings in an estranged childhood friend as an inquisitor who sees through the deception, the fight turns serious.
• After frightened woodcutters report a phoenix roosting in a shadowed glen once struck by lightning during a dry storm, druids debate whether its glorious immolation ritual signals ruin or rebirth while opportunistic trappers encroach against all advice.

Magic Discovery Story Prompts

• While salvaging equipment from an alchemical workshop, a tinkerer haphazardly activates an experimental transmutation engine revealing new metals and gemstones but can’t control what it conjures, attracting greedy opportunists and magical investigators alike.
• An obsessive aristocrat commissions explorers to chart rumored ley lines crisscrossing her lands hoping to harness ambient magical energy flowing through them. But breaching these channels of power has unintended effects even the mysterious ley walkers they consult against better judgement couldn’t predict.
• In a magic academy where rival factions vie for prestige and sway using illegally-obtained relics stolen from crypts, museums and private collections, a principled teacher tries limiting growing corruption as repercussions from meddling with dangerous artifacts shake the arcane institution’s foundations.
• An antiques appraiser routinely consults mystics whenever they encounter particularly beguiling magical objects of inscrutable origin, but after they help a powerful benefactor procure a set of seven rings believed crucial for a secret unity ritual, reality itself seems to glitch and blur around them.
• A tribal shaman hunting fungi components to restock their village’s medicinal stores realizes the magical mycelium network binding specific flora grants personalized visions of possible futures after accidental overexposure. Sharing this revelation could enable defensive premonitions yet invites outside exploitation.
• Academics excavating a newly uncovered tomb complex note its strange hieroglyphs glow whenever workers disturbed lost relics and scrolls strewn about the premises. Exact deciphering proves difficult but points to catalogues of profound magical knowledge awaiting proper translation back at the university.
• Over multiple generations spanning centuries, successive guardians of an enigmatic lighthouse ensure its beacon fire continues burning to luminously outline treacherous shallows and navigate ships away from rocky disaster. But the latest caretaker worries their diminishing eyesight risks losing track of a delivery shipment carrying the secret flame’s fuel – luminous nighthawk eggs harvested only under a blue moon’s sight.
• Far from colonial authorities in balmy tropics, secreted among volcanic peaks and plunging ravines, autonomous villages still prosper by distilling elusive absinthe liquor through unique botanicals granting imbibers reality-warping and time-bending qualities when sipped sparingly. An exiled occultistdecrypts production secrets in order to barter access home.
• When hostile treasure hunters probing a seam of glowstone in the abyssal depths of an ancient dwarven mine complex inadvertently unearth a towering titan imprisoned for instigating the legendary War of Fire Giants, their screaming vanguard flees for the surface to spread warning while veteran champions steel themselves to make a heroic last stand against the fiery colossus they’ve unleashed until reinforcements hopefully still versed in binding runes and shielding wards arrive in time.

Mythic Creatures Story Ideas

• An amateur cryptozoologist receives photos depicting an unknown serpentine beast spied coiling amongst legendary loch waters, prompting a dangerous pursuit to confirm rumours suggesting this mystical lake entity survives against all odds using chameleonic camouflage mechanisms to avoid modern detection.
• While surveying prospective marshland real estate, curious scouts discover timid willowy beings with leafy hair resembling botanical dryads shyly withdrawing amidst the isolated bog.their disturbance risks permanently scattering these rare sylvan spirits before conservation efforts establish protected areas.
• Daring divers conducting submarine surveys along a remote archipelago document an elegant tribe of humanoids swimming through crystal waters with bioluminescent skin, membranes between elongated digits, and gently swirling spines running from nape down backs evoking mythical merfolk. Attempts to discretely monitor them raise urgent preservation questions once footage leaks publicly.
• Supposed extinct miniature stallions with pearlescent spiral horns projecting from their foreheads turn up mystifying wildlife experts seeking to verify their validity as alicorns and pinpoint origins of the diminutive equines inexplicably spotted in various surprising locations worldwide given lack of previous sightings. Where did they emerge from and how did they proliferate globally?
• While researching folk beliefs associated with a puzzling root vegetable grown by rural cultivators, an ethnobotanist finally pieces together why superstitious farmers harvest these specific tuberous plants according to lunar cycles. It seems consuming them under moonlight alters people’s perceptions towards seeing capricious pookah fae shapeshifting through forms.
• Baffled pet owners across several cities surreptitiously consult veterinarians after hours concerning their animals’ unusual behavior patterns, but the consensus suggests certain elemental sprites remarkably reactive to pollution and habitat disruptions have begun intervening through willing animal vessels letting them convey crucial environmental restoration messages.
• A celebrated chimera in antiquity renown for its oracular sight and wisdom unexpectedly resurfaces after centuries dormant to reluctantly help a perilously fractured kingdom, but its sphinx-like proclamations prove so cryptic that divine decipherers must convene to properly unravel prophetic statements encoded within imagery-rich verse.
• exploring a tidal cave network reveals crude bioluminescent cave paintings depicting now extinct mega faunas living amongst early humans, yet one hitherto unidentified sauropod they spot outlined multiple times near vital freshwater outlets suggests maybe a special phoenix-like regeneration is involved accounting for why this particular colossal species still roams secluded sites according to rare sightings.
• After inheriting an eccentric relative’s overgrown estate, the new groundskeeper gradually befriends gargantuan guardian statues prowling the property each night that their ancestor had long ago awakened from stone hibernation using ancient runic synergies. Now fully sentient yet still bound by geas-fueled oaths to defend sacred boundary wards against trespassers in perpetuity.
• Investigating terrifying instances of dangerous predators found mysteriously slaughtered throughout remote mountain hiking trails points to the legendary involvement of a massive fur-covered humanoid people come down seasonally from hidden villages nestled amongst cloud-piercing peaks to harvest resources, leaving occasional violent calling cards warning human settlers away.
• Clearing out a backyard garden plot, homeowners unearthed strange skull fragments alongside unusual claw and vertebrae remains resembling no catalogued regional wildlife. However, after unexpectedly animated beings self-assembling from these unknown animal bones and sinew subsequently carry their whining dog away towards the forested foothills, frantic owners contact monster hunting occultists and sabermetric scientists to identify what may have emerged and strategize safe retrievals.

These 150 fantasy writing prompts offer a treasure trove of story ideas you can explore within magical realms of your own imagining, whether building out entire worlds or just enhancing life’s hidden wonders. From portals leading across dimensions to mythical beasts and magical objects with cryptic purposes, let these prompts stir your creativity.

Remember the key ingredients that make fantasy tales resonate. Bake in rich worldbuilding, dimensional characters, suspenseful pacing and themes that connect with readers. Study classics of the genre you wish to emulate while putting your own distinct spin on tropes. Keep magic and supernatural forces integral without overshadowing interpersonal relationships, inner turmoil and relatable conflicts that bring fantasy down to earth even amidst the extraordinary.

Most importantly, believe fervently in the realms you envision and pour passion into each enchanted word set to page. If you thoroughly enjoy building new worlds and want readers to find the same wonder escaping routine reality, then fantasy fiction offers endless gateways forescape. Now step through the portal of your imagination – let these prompts guide your journey into fantastical storytelling!

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20 Fantasy Writing Prompts: Fuel Your Story/Plot Ideas

Helly Douglas

Writing fantasy is freeing and exhilarating. You get to break the rules of normal life, create new worlds, or add strangeness to everyday experiences.

But rather than giving you hundreds of ideas, that much freedom can have the opposite effect on your creativity. There’s just too much to choose from.

Creative writing prompts are a useful way to get that initial spark and move past the blank page feeling. They work regardless of the type of writing you produce and can give you the push you need to get pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard!)

Writing prompts are particularly useful for free writing activities. Use a prompt and just start writing whatever comes into your head. Avoid self-editing as you write, just let the ideas flow. In amongst lots of rubbish, there’s bound to be a few gems you can take further.

We’ve got 20 great prompts for you, organized into categories. Each one offers many possibilities to take your story in different directions. Then keep reading to find out a little trick that will give you over 200 more exciting ideas.

Prompts 1–4: Scenarios

Prompts 5–8: historical events, prompts 9–12: interesting characters, prompts 13–16: special objects, prompts 17–20: maps/world-building, bonus: adding elements together, final thoughts.

Familiar situations are a great way to find inspiration. Take a typical scenario and twist it. Make something wrong with the familiar set up.

For example, a man walks into a bar and… does anything except have a drink. Everyone knows if you’re in a haunted house, you’ll end up in the cellar, so try twisting the old clichés to create the unexpected.

1. An Important Meeting

The town leaders are suddenly and unexpectedly called together to discuss important news. What is the news and how will they react to it? What are the implications for the town?

2. Lost in the Woods

Take this tired cliché and turn it on its head. What’s in the woods to be found? What will happen to the person who finds it? Will they want to make it home, or stay in the woods forever?

3. Overhearing a Secret

As Benjamin Franklin said, “Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead.” Your protagonist overhears something they shouldn’t. What do they hear? What are the ramifications if they tell?

4. A Journey

Your character leaves suddenly on a journey. Where are they going? What do they take? Who wins if they never arrive?

Plenty of fantasy writing takes inspiration from actual events in history. You don’t need the knowledge of a historical expert, simply use key moments from history to inspire you to create something new.

5. Civil War Breaks Out

Who are the major players? What do they have to win and lose from this war? What could drive them to turn against their own people?

6. Royal Abdication

Take inspiration from the real events of Edward VIII’s abdication in the United Kingdom. Why would someone choose to give up their throne? For love? Or what about something far darker?

7. Empire Building

What happens when one land isn’t enough for a ruler? Where do they go to expand their empire? What happens to those in power, and those they enslave?

8. Space Exploration

Get inspired by the USSR/US space race. Two countries will stop at nothing to be first to travel to a new location. What will they gain from being the victor? How can they gain advantage?

An interesting protagonist makes an ideal starting point for fantasy writing. Think about what makes them different from everyday people. How do they behave? What do other people think of them?

9. The Opposite to Your Expectations

Take a traditional view of a character type and invert it. An honest thief, a gentle ogre, an educated soldier. How do they fit in (or not) in a world where everyone expects them to play to type? Why can’t they find peace?

10. The Strange Child

Children make great protagonists. After all, there’s nothing more innocent than a child, is there? What can this child do that others don’t? What makes them wise beyond their years, and why do people fear them?

11. The New Species

A robot that moves beyond AI into humanity. A human that’s evolved into something different. New life discovered on another planet. How is this character different from everyday people? What will they teach us, and will we be willing to listen?

12. Supernatural Characters

Witches, ghosts, and zombies blur the worlds of fantasy and horror. Do they want to fit in or are they born to stand out? What risk do they pose to the surrounding people? What lengths might they go to just to be normal?

High fantasy loves using special items, think of cursed wands, magical objects, and spell books. Special items are a useful starting point for a new adventure.

13. An Inheritance Piece

Passed down the generations from parent to child and opened on their birthday. A hidden secret or proud moment they’ve anticipated all their life? When it’s seen, everything changes. How will your character feel when they receive it?

14. A Magic Weapon

More than just your usual sword or spear, this weapon has secret powers that makes its owner invincible. It can start a war—or end it. How will your character use it, and what are their intentions?

15. A Spell Book

It’s not just anyone who can recite a spell and achieve success. So, what happens when the wrong person finds it? Are they in control of the book, or is the book controlling them?

16. A Camera

A camera captures more than just a picture. When your protagonist looks at the image, what do they see? Is there any way to prevent the picture coming true?

Maps offer great inspiration for a new piece of fantasy. Think about the physical geography of the terrain, human settlements, and man-made changes. Where is there tension? What problems arise?

17. Create a New World

Have you seen the amazing world-builder websites and apps you can use to create a new world? They offer great inspiration for fantasy writing.

Here are four sites you’ll love:

• World Anvil
• Wonderdraft

18. Fictional Map Books

Rather than creating a new map yourself, take inspiration from famous worlds in literature and newly imagined places.

Here are four of our favorites:

• Archipelago: An Atlas of Imagined Islands
• The Writer’s Map: An Atlas of Imaginary Lands
• Literary Wonderlands: A Journey Through the Greatest Fictional Worlds Ever Created
• Booked: A Traveler’s Guide to Literary Locations Around the World

19. Google Earth and Google Maps

You don’t need new worlds to get inspired. Check out the many mysterious, fantastical, and downright strange locations around our world using the power of Google Maps and Google Earth.

• Amazing Finds
• Interesting places
• Strange Sights

20. Inspiring Landscapes

Check out this stunning picture of a mysterious stone archway. Where does it lead to? Is it natural or man-made? When your character walks through it, they’ll change forever.

If those 20 prompts weren’t enough, there’s a simple way to generate lots of new ideas for fantasy writing. Inspiration strikes when unexpected connections are made, so list different possibilities in categories and match them together.

For this example, I went with six characters, six objects, and six situations. Why choose six? That way a simple roll of the dice adds random luck into the mix.

216 Combinations

That’s right. Just thinking of three sets of six choices gives you over 200 great prompts for fantasy writing. Choose your favorite combination, or risk your luck, and let three rolls of a dice decide.

An example grid:

Using a dice stops us from taking the obvious route and using clichés. It forces you to take a risk. For example, rolling a 3, 2, and 5 gives you a witch, wand, and revenge. Roll 4, 3, and 1 and you’ve got a child, ancient tree, and a race against time.

Sometimes you’ll hit a bad combination, but don’t immediately dismiss a strange mix. After all, fantasy writing should push us out of our comfort zone.

Fantasy writing lets us travel far beyond everyday experiences, but it’s hard to just think of wonderful new ideas on demand.

If you’re looking for daily inspiration, want to join other writers like yourself, or fancy entering a contest, check out Reedsy Prompts for daily prompts and a weekly writing competition using them.

Prompts are a great source of ideas when you’re trying to think of something new. But don’t feel trapped. Your writing may move far away from the original idea you’ve chosen. Prompts should inspire, not be a stranglehold on your creativity.

Do you want to know how to build a world your readers won't forget? Download this free book now:

World-Building 101: How to Construct an Unforgettable World for your Fantasy or Sci-Fi Story!

This guide is for all the writers out there who want to construct an unforgettable world that your readers can't help but get lost in, learn how to invent species, gods, monsters and more in our immersive guide..

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Helly Douglas is a UK writer and teacher, specialising in education, children, and parenting. She loves making the complex seem simple through blogs, articles, and curriculum content. You can check out her work at hellydouglas.com or connect on Twitter @hellydouglas. When she’s not writing, you will find her in a classroom, being a mum or battling against the wilderness of her garden—the garden is winning!

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ENGL 4800 Advanced Poetry Writing

Course description.

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2023-2024 . Courses of Study 2024-2025 is scheduled to publish mid-June.

This course is intended for creative writers who have completed  ENGL 3840 or ENGL 3850 and wish to refine their poetry writing. It may include significant reading and discussion, explorations of form and technique, completion of writing assignments and prompts, and workshop peer review of student work. In addition to the instructor's assigned writing requirements, students may work on longer-form verse writing projects.

When Offered Fall, Spring.

Prerequisites/Corequisites Prerequisite: ENGL 3840 is strongly recommended.

Distribution Category (ALC-AS, LA-AS) Satisfies Requirement ENGL 4800 counts toward the English major and may be used to satisfy the 4000-level creative writing requirement for the Creative Writing minor.

Comments Students may take ENGL 4800 more than once. Pre-enrollment does not guarantee a place in the class. Students may not take ENGL 3820, ENGL 3840, or ENGL 4801 in the same semester as ENGL 4800.

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  Regular Academic Session.  

Credits and Grading Basis

3 Credits Stdnt Opt (Letter or S/U grades)

Class Number & Section Details

12264 ENGL 4800   SEM 101

Meeting Pattern

• T 2:00pm - 4:30pm To Be Assigned
• Aug 26 - Dec 9, 2024

Instructors

Van Clief-Stefanon, L

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For the most current information about textbooks, including the timing and options for purchase, see the Cornell Store .

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The schedule of classes is maintained by the Office of the University Registrar . Current and future academic terms are updated daily . Additional detail on Cornell University's diverse academic programs and resources can be found in the Courses of Study . Visit The Cornell Store for textbook information .

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