365 Writing Prompts for Creative Writing Inspiration

Get inspired! Start writing!

Practice writing sessions - how to use these prompts

Daily writing practice helps you hone your writing skills. It doesn't take long. Write for five, ten, fifteen minutes - whatever feels right to you.

Daily practice writing prompts are for quick inspiration. You can write flash fiction, prose, poetry, or non-fiction - whatever you're drawn to. Switch around and try different things if you like; your practice writing is for your eyes only!

Of course, if you're inspired to write something that turns out so well you want to have it published, that's fine too.

Don't be distressed if your writing isn't perfect, or if it seems pointless. That's just part of daily writing practice. Try something new the next day, keep writing, and have fun.

February writing prompts for creative writing inspiration

1. find the solution

2. it is red

3. something you heard your friend say

4. trained to do it

5. an issue you care about

6. country field

7. take it away

8. it's gigantic

9. very subtle

10. dreaming again

11. that's the plan

12. a great man

13. do not tell

14. a gray coat

15. revenge

16. digging for treasure

17. dancing

18. play a game

19. apple tree

20. good medicine

21. impossible

22. intense clarity

23. a bird cage

24. say it again

25. can't be sure

26. ribbons

27. human spirit

28. renaissance woman

29. extra spice

January writing prompts for creative writing inspiration

1. suitably warm

2. candy apple red

3. I didn't go there

4. why didn't it happen to me?

5. shreds of doubt

6. can't be

7. where will it be found?

8. three reasons

9. chance

10. essence of __________

11. black horse

12. heartstrings

13. another day

14. the color yellow

15. eyes that can't see

16. renovate

17. chocolate

18. wild child

19. driving north

20. China

21. it's time to __________

22. don't laugh

23. rosemary

24. something new

25. pyramid

26. __________ at night

27. many pages

28. floating

29. wood

30. something witnessed

31. on a hill

This Is the Moleskine Notebook I Use

April writing prompts for creative writing inspiration

1. new beginnings

2. so cold

3. punk rocker

4. first love

5. swing set

6. haunted

7. odd jobs

8. cooking

9. a promise

10. culture shock

11. don't waste your time

12. game console

13. a stack of boxes

14. __________ changed everything

15. temptations

16. suburban sprawl

17. a portrait

18. science

19. it is elegant

20. a house in the country

21. a law student

22. sick in bed

23. garden spirit

24. privacy

25. cantankerous old __________

26. jewelry

27. more than expected

28. at the top

29. child of mine

30. rabid dog

March writing prompts for creative writing inspiration

1. candle

2. in a catalog

3. tie-dye

4. neighbors

5. cold day

6. favorite

7. tea cup

8. royalty

9. rumormongers

10. a gourmet chef

11. rigid beliefs

12. absolute discord

13. it occurred to me...

14. childless

15. goodness

16. direct opposites

17. rooster

18. essence

19. a collection

20. rapid breakdown

21. silence

22. take a chance

23. stubborn old mule

24. eyes of blue

25. picking oneself up

26. an artist

27. listen to the song

28. simple thoughts

29. rebellion

30. candy apple red

31. chatter

My Favorite Pens For Art and Creative Writing

June writing prompts for creative writing inspiration

1. missed opportunity

2. a challenge

3. phone rings

4. twelve babies

5. curious animal

6. blogging

7. in a garden

8. gratitude

9. stopped in the road

10. swimming

11. dropped off

12. it surrounds you

13. make a list

14. a mountain

15. in a shambles

16. explore

17. flat tire

18. desk lamp

19. total silence

20. an ID bracelet

21. jumped the fence

22. a joyous moment

23. recovery from __________

24. a working relationship

25. show no fear

26. under control

27. it was pink

28. empty calendar

29. dowsing

30. two hens

May writing prompts for creative writing inspiration

1. sanity

2. walk in the park

3. money

4. child's play

5. small town

6. authority figure

7. I saw it in the sky

8. busy people

9. waterfall

10. under the tree

11. new furniture

12. a cat walks past

13. expenses

14. I never expected __________

15. aroma

16. an obstacle

17. red lines

18. hopelessly romantic

19. cinnamon

20. over the hill

21. something breaks

22. green

23. unexpected entry

24. bearing fruit

25. ridiculous statement

26. it's all a sham

27. sugar coated

28. wonder woman

29. baseball

30. far from home

31. a joke

August writing prompts for creative writing inspiration

1. rake

2. new coat

3. short __________

4. walk a mile

5. ignite

6. kindness

7. genius

8. country road

9. jagged edge

10. out of date

11. policeman

12. delete

13. flying overhead

14. on a mission

15. miniature __________

16. it never worked before

17. a bottle of __________

18. zero gravity

19. an accessory

20. slumlord

21. what you're longing for

22. a harp

23. too much water

24. a dreadful __________

25. the confrontation

26. rocks

27. on a sailing ship

28. pure __________

29. wild parrot

30. energy

31. damaged

July writing prompts for creative writing inspiration

1. a flaw

2. sterilized

3. pretending

4. crystal ball

5. trickle down

6. open __________

7. law breaker

8. the cost of ___________

9. who took it?

10. the patent office

11. cooperation

12. far back in time

13. a label you hate

14. a new spatula

15. hidden from your eyes

16. with a shovel

17. birthright

18. lawnmower 

19. follow the __________

20. underground

21. turnip soup

22. bouncing

23. nervousness

24. showers

25. graduation

26. worst case

27. electricity

28. folk singer

29. high class

30. random laughter

31. bowl of ___________

Favorite Roller-Ball Writing Pens

October writing prompts for creative writing inspiration

1. a dark and stormy night

2. in the shade

3. drained

4. plastic wrap

5. the hunt for __________

6. community

7. packing up his gear

8. pizza delivery

9. a new car

10. mining

11. apple pie

12. scissors

13. humiliation

14. she's better than that

15. sifting through sand

16. I wish I'd never seen __________

17. across the river

18. mashed potatoes

19. the solution to all problems

20. painting

21. phone book

22. out to dinner

23. fountain

24. peace

25. ready for anything

26. that's the key

27. it's futile

28. your slogan

29. a pile of papers

30. generosity

31. a crystal cup

September writing prompts for creative writing inspiration

1. chocolate

2. say it with __________

3. what he found out

4. punch line

5. raven

6. trust

7. an emergency

8. turtle

9. in my room

10. __________ was here

11. advanced

12. a beautiful choice

13. racing

14. nevermore

15. chalice

16. soap bubbles

17. later in the year

18. place of birth

19. your policy

20. an apprentice

21. within the lines

22. staff

23. five thousand dollars

24. for the time being

25. a musician's life

26. contacts

27. for the planet

28. bewildering experience

29. future

30. a screeching halt

December writing prompts for creative writing inspiration

1. prancing ponies

2. a yellow cloth

3. time to __________

4. no remorse

5. file folder

6. moving away

7. a cave

8. taking chances

9. ice cream

10. on an island

11. no organization

12. food

13. compassion

14. lost again

15. he walked by

16. in the shed

17. envelope

18. an open magazine

19. stacks

20. a small notebook

21. timer

22. don't go there

23. aquarium

24. surprises

25. community

26. aftermath

27. raindrops

28. to be free

29. strange children

30. what you see

31. being bold

November writing prompts for creative writing inspiration

1. a goblet of wine

2. growing love

3. dogs

4. servitude

5. quick exit

6. ethnic food

7. adventure

8. a red blanket

9. bright lights

10. the color yellow

11. migration

12. steam

13. intense flavor

14. doubt

15. been there before

16. a castle

17. whispering

18. small animals

19. flip a coin

20. loss of memory

21. a great discovery

22. moody person

23. clouds

24. in the mirror

25. watermelon

26. starry night

27. boiling water

28. Africa

29. the phone is ringing

30. street people

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Your comments are welcome!

F R A N C H E S C A on April 07, 2020:

This is very helpful. Thanks for this wonderful article! Keep writing! :)

Umesh Chandra Bhatt from Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, India on March 20, 2020:

Very interesting and useful.

Barb Johnson from Alaska's Kenai Peninsula on August 26, 2015:

Hi Linda! Thanks for the writer's block- saving prompts! I bookmarked them fast! Better to have a writer's block solution ready and on hand and not need it than to be left twiddling my fingers wasting time not getting any writing done. Appreciate it immensely.

shina james on February 04, 2015:

This was so informative. Sometimes my brain is completely fried and I can't think of anything to save my life. :)

Ruby Jean Richert from Southern Illinois on January 02, 2015:

This is amazing! Thank you for sharing...

Jacqui from New Zealand on October 26, 2014:

I've had to save this one to my bookmarks as there is too many I want to use!. Thanks for this!

Linda Jo Martin (author) from Post Falls, Idaho, USA on September 09, 2014:

I hope you'll enjoy using the prompts. They help focus my imagination.

Laddi Singh from (Punjab) India on September 09, 2014:

Wonderful overview of the list of writing prompts. And thanks for reminding me about writing challenge, which is very very important for getting rhythms.

Linda Jo Martin (author) from Post Falls, Idaho, USA on August 31, 2014:

I have more ideas than I'll ever be able to write about.... but I love a good writer's prompt to stretch my imagination. Usually I write flash fiction with these prompts. I find that to be so much fun... aiming for 500 words or less.

Bill Holland from Olympia, WA on August 28, 2014:

That's quite a list you compiled. I'm one of the lucky ones; I don't believe I've ever had writer's block. As soon as I figure out how to stretch my days to include a few more hours, I'll be all set. :)

Leni Sands from UK on August 07, 2013:

Excellent, well worth bookmarking for future reference. A truly useful and interesting compilation of prompts - all in one place, thanks!

TJ (phunkblog) on May 15, 2013:

Hi, thanks for the great list of prompts. I can't say i'm writing daily but i'm slowly working my way through & sharing them on my blog :)

Hadley-Liz Grant on January 02, 2013:

A fantastic idea! I'll be trying this on my Wattpad account. (HadleyRocks)

Alicia on December 04, 2012:

This is great! I am definitely going to use these in my daily writing.

LaZeric Freeman from Hammond on October 04, 2012:

Fascinating.

Stacie on January 06, 2012:

I really like these writing prompts. I tend not to use them but I'm glad I did. I started in December and when I finished the month, I felt like writing original stuff again. Ideas just sparked. Thanks for such wonderful lists.

kuroneko52 from Astoria, OR on November 04, 2011:

To be honest, I've come across a lot of lists for writing prompts on the internet and in books. However, this is definitely one of the more well-compiled prompts for every day of the year. Kudos! Most of these prompts certainly seem more inspiring than others I've seen.

Laura Brown from Barrie, Ontario, Canada on November 01, 2011:

The graphic which was meant to load before your content is missing. I thought this was a dud page and almost didn't scroll down.

Ilse M. on April 21, 2011:

Thank you so much for posting this! I'm definitely going to do a writing 365 with these prompts!

Linda Jo Martin (author) from Post Falls, Idaho, USA on November 18, 2010:

You're very welcome, Anaya! I'm starting to get regular traffic to this hub. I love writing to prompts and it appears a lot of other people do too!

Anaya M. Baker from North Carolina on November 08, 2010:

Great stuff here! I will likely be coming back to this one many times...thank you for putting this together!

Linda Jo Martin (author) from Post Falls, Idaho, USA on November 07, 2010:

Thanks Kim! I love writing to prompts... this is how I get most of my flash fiction.

kimmanleyort on November 02, 2010:

This is a really cool idea for a hub. Very useful for writers.