interesting essay prompts

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

At ISTE? Join us at booth 1359!

60+ College Essay Prompts From Actual 2023-2024 Applications

Ideas to inspire every college applicant.

Writing a college application essay can be a stressful task for a lot of students. The more practice they get in advance, the better! This roundup of college essay prompts gives applicants a chance to explore their thinking, polish their writing, and prepare to make the best possible impression on selection committees. Every one of these questions is taken from real college applications for the 2023-2024 season, so they’re meaningful and applicable to today’s high school seniors.

Common App 2023-2024 College Essay Prompts

2023-2024 coalition for college essay prompts, life experiences college essay prompts, personal college essay prompts, academics college essay prompts, creative college essay prompts.

Hundreds of colleges and universities use the Common App process . For many schools, this includes responding to one of several college essay topics, which can change each year. Here are the essay prompts for the current application cycle (check with your chosen school/s to see if an essay is required).

• Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
• The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

• Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
• Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
• Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

• Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
• Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

More than 150 colleges and universities use the Coalition for College process . Here are their essay prompts for 2023-2024.

• Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

• What interests or excites you? How does it shape who you are now or who you might become in the future?
• Describe a time when you had a positive impact on others. What were the challenges? What were the rewards?
• Has there been a time when an idea or belief of yours was questioned? How did you respond? What did you learn?
• What success have you achieved or obstacle have you faced? What advice would you give a sibling or friend going through a similar experience?

• Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.

Answer these questions by sharing specific examples from your own experience.

• Who is your favorite conversation partner? What do you discuss with that person?
• Discuss a time when reflection or introspection led to clarity or understanding of an issue that is important to you.
• Share an example of how you have used your own critical-thinking skills on a specific subject, project, idea, or interest.

• Describe a time when you were challenged by a perspective that differed from your own. How did you respond?
• What are the best words of advice you have received? Who shared them, and how have you applied them in your own life?
• Elaborate on an activity or experience you have had that made an impact on a community that is important to you.
• Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you.
• Who do you agree with on the big, important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with? What are you agreeing or disagreeing about?
• Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.
• When was the last time you questioned something you had thought to be true?
• Discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.
• Reflect on a time when you or someone you observed had to make a choice about whether to act with integrity and honesty.
• Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.

• Describe a time you did not meet expectations and what impact the experience had on you.

These essay topics give schools a better sense of who you are, what you value, and the kind of student citizen you might be.

• What drives you to create, and what do you hope to make or have you made?
• Which book, character, song, monologue, or piece of work (fiction or nonfiction) seems made for you? Why?
• What would you want your future college roommate to know about you?
• How has your own background influenced the types of problems you want to solve, the people you want to work with, and the impact you hope your work can have?

• Describe any meaningful travel experiences you’ve had.
• What would you want to be different in your own country or community to further principles of equality, equity, or social justice?
• What strength or quality do you have that most people might not see or recognize?
• If you could live your life fighting for one cause, what would it be and why?
• What gives meaning to your life?
• If you wrote a letter to yourself to be opened in 20 years, what would it say?
• If you had the power to change the course of history in your community or the world, what would you do and why?

• Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.
• What is the greatest compliment you have ever been given? Why was it meaningful to you?
• Explain how a text you’ve read—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or literature of any kind—has helped you to understand the world’s complexity.

Topics like these show your academic interests and demonstrate your commitment to learning and discovery.

• What does it mean to you to be educated?
• What is your motivation for pursuing higher education?
• Describe your reasons for wanting to attend the specific school you’re applying to. Who or what factored into your decision?
• Academic inquiry starts with bold questions. What are some of the bold questions you have pondered that get you excited, and why do they interest you?

• What has been your best academic experience in the last two years, and what made it so good?
• If you decide to take a “gap year” between high school and college, what would you do during that time?
• Many schools place a high value on diverse student populations. How can you contribute to and support a diverse and inclusive student population at your chosen school?
• Imagine you were just awarded a research grant for a project of your choice. What are you researching and why?
• What do you love about the subject(s) you selected as potential major(s)? If undecided, share more about one of your academic passions.

• Describe a time when you’ve felt empowered or represented by an educator.
• Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

Use these college essay topics to show off your creativity and innovative thinking.

• You are tasked with creating a new category for the Nobel Prize. Explain what it would be, why you chose your specific category, and the criteria necessary to achieve this accomplishment.

• Pick one person—a historical figure, fictitious character, or modern individual—to converse with for an hour, and explain your choice.
• If you could witness a historic event (past, present, or future) firsthand, what would it be and why?
• If you could have a theme song, what would it be and why?
• Discuss a book that you would call a “great book.” What makes the book great in your view?
• If you could give any historical figure any piece of technology, who and what would it be, and why do you think they’d work so well together?
• If I could travel anywhere, I would go to …
• My favorite thing about last Tuesday was …
• Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge.
• If you had 10 minutes and the attention of a million people, what would your TED Talk be about?
• What are your three favorite words in the English language? Explain what they mean to you.
• Imagine that you could have one superpower. What would it be and how would you use it? What would be your kryptonite?

• Which Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor (real or imagined) best describes you?
• If you could create a college course that all students would take, what would it be about and why?
• What website is the internet missing?

How do you help your students prepare their college application essays? Come share your ideas and ask for advice in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out  the ultimate guide to college scholarships.

You Might Also Like

101 Interesting Persuasive Essay Topics for Kids and Teens

Use your words to sway the reader. Continue Reading

Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. 5335 Gate Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32256

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

WEEKLY WRITING PROMPTS

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

Showing 2169 prompts

Going for gold, write a story about two sporting rivals having to work together..

LIVE – Funny

Write about a moment of defeat.

LIVE – Angst

Write a story about an underdog, or somebody making a comeback.

LIVE – Character

Write about someone who has trained all their life for one moment.

Set your story in the stands at a major sporting event..

LIVE – Fiction

Introducing Prompted , a new magazine written by you!

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

Write a story about someone finding acceptance.

Start your story with a character in despair., center your story around a character bargaining for something that's important to them., write a story about anger., write a story about a someone who's in denial., subscribe to our prompts newsletter.

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

Write a story in the format of a gossip column.

Write a story where an important conversation takes place during a dance., write a story about two characters who start as mortal enemies but learn to embrace their differences., write a story where a rumor starts to spread. your protagonist is either the topic or the source., set your story at a regency-themed fair., write about a character who has the ability to pause the passage of time., write a story that contains the line, "i wish we could stay here forever.", start your story with a character canceling their plans., set your story over the course of a few minutes; no flashbacks, no flashforwards., write a story about a highly-strung character learning to slow down, or someone pursuing a quieter way of life., win $250 in our short story competition 🏆.

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

Contest #256 LIVE

Enter our weekly contest.

This week's theme: Going for Gold

Prize money

Contest entries, closes at 23:59 - jun 28, 2024 est, recent contests ✍️.

#255 – The Five Stages

#254 – The Talk of the Ton

#253 – Slow Down

#252 – Obsession

Recent winners 🏆

Phoebe Barr – read

Maria Adamkiewicz – read

Danielle LeBlanc – read

Adam Perschbacher – read

Leaderboard 🥇

#1 Zilla Babbitt

32385 points

#2 Deidra Whitt Lovegren

28749 points

#3 Abigail Airuedomwinya

22425 points

#4 Graham Kinross

14554 points

#5 Scout Tahoe

13199 points

#6 Chris Campbell

11463 points

#7 Thom With An H

10688 points

#8 Rayhan Hidayat

10216 points

#9 Michał Przywara

9950 points

#10 Deborah Mercer

9610 points

We made a writing app for you

Yes, you! Write. Format. Export for ebook and print. 100% free, always.

Creative Writing Prompts

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

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

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

Why we love creative writing prompts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

After you find the perfect story idea

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

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

Beyond creative writing prompts: how to build a writing routine

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

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

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

NEW VIDEO COURSE 🎉

How to Write a Novel

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

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢

Oops, you need an account for that!

Log in with your social account:

Or enter your email:

Academic Editing and Proofreading

• Tips to Self-Edit Your Dissertation
• Guide to Essay Editing: Methods, Tips, & Examples
• Journal Article Proofreading: Process, Cost, & Checklist
• The A–Z of Dissertation Editing: Standard Rates & Involved Steps
• Research Paper Editing | Guide to a Perfect Research Paper
• Dissertation Proofreading | Definition & Standard Rates
• Thesis Proofreading | Definition, Importance & Standard Pricing
• Research Paper Proofreading | Definition, Significance & Standard Rates
• Essay Proofreading | Options, Cost & Checklist
• Top 10 Paper Editing Services of 2024 (Costs & Features)
• Top 10 Essay Checkers in 2024 (Free & Paid)
• Top 10 AI Proofreaders to Perfect Your Writing in 2024
• Top 10 English Correctors to Perfect Your Text in 2024
• Top 10 Essay Editing Services of 2024
• 10 Advanced AI Text Editors to Transform Writing in 2024

Academic Research

• Research Paper Outline: Templates & Examples
• How to Write a Research Paper: A Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Write a Lab Report: Examples from Academic Editors
• Research Methodology Guide: Writing Tips, Types, & Examples
• The 10 Best Essential Resources for Academic Research
• 100+ Useful ChatGPT Prompts for Thesis Writing in 2024
• Best ChatGPT Prompts for Academic Writing (100+ Prompts!)
• Sampling Methods Guide: Types, Strategies, and Examples
• Independent vs. Dependent Variables | Meaning & Examples

Academic Writing & Publishing

• Difference Between Paper Editing and Peer Review
• What are the different types of peer review?
• How to deal with rejection from a journal?
• Editing and Proofreading Academic Papers: A Short Guide
• How to Carry Out Secondary Research
• The Results Section of a Dissertation
• Checklist: Is my Article Ready for Submitting to Journals?
• Types of Research Articles to Boost Your Research Profile
• 8 Types of Peer Review Processes You Should Know
• The Ethics of Academic Research
• How does LaTeX based proofreading work?
• How to Improve Your Scientific Writing: A Short Guide
• Chicago Title, Cover Page & Body | Paper Format Guidelines
• How to Write a Thesis Statement: Examples & Tips
• Chicago Style Citation: Quick Guide & Examples
• The A-Z Of Publishing Your Article in A Journal
• What is Journal Article Editing? 3 Reasons You Need It
• 5 Powerful Personal Statement Examples (Template Included)
• Complete Guide to MLA Format (9th Edition)
• How to Cite a Book in APA Style | Format & Examples
• How to Start a Research Paper | Step-by-step Guide
• APA Citations Made Easy with Our Concise Guide for 2024
• A Step-by-Step Guide to APA Formatting Style (7th Edition)
• Top 10 Online Dissertation Editing Services of 2024
• Academic Writing in 2024: 5 Key Dos & Don’ts + Examples
• What Are the Standard Book Sizes for Publishing Your Book?
• MLA Works Cited Page: Quick Tips & Examples
• 2024’s Top 10 Thesis Statement Generators (Free Included!)
• Top 10 Title Page Generators for Students in 2024
• What Is an Open Access Journal? 10 Myths Busted!
• Primary vs. Secondary Sources: Definition, Types & Examples
• How To Write a College Admissions Essay That Stands Out
• How to Write a Dissertation & Thesis Conclusion (+ Examples)
• APA Journal Citation: 7 Types, In-Text Rules, & Examples
• What Is Predatory Publishing and How to Avoid It!
• What Is Plagiarism? Meaning, Types & Examples
• How to Write a Strong Dissertation & Thesis Introduction
• How to Cite a Book in MLA Format (9th Edition)
• How to Cite a Website in MLA Format | 9th Edition Rules
• 10 Best AI Conclusion Generators (Features & Pricing)
• Additional Resources
• Plagiarism: How to avoid it in your thesis?
• Final Submission Checklist | Dissertation & Thesis
• 7 Useful MS Word Formatting Tips for Dissertation Writing
• How to Write a MEAL Paragraph: Writing Plan Explained in Detail
• Em Dash vs. En Dash vs. Hyphen: When to Use Which
• The 10 Best Citation Generators in 2024 | Free & Paid Plans!
• 2024’s Top 10 Self-Help Books for Better Living
• Citation and Referencing
• Citing References: APA, MLA, and Chicago
• How to Cite Sources in the MLA Format
• MLA Citation Examples: Cite Essays, Websites, Movies & More
• Citations and References: What Are They and Why They Matter
• APA Headings & Subheadings | Formatting Guidelines & Examples
• Formatting an APA Reference Page | Template & Examples
• Research Paper Format: APA, MLA, & Chicago Style
• How to Create an MLA Title Page | Format, Steps, & Examples
• How to Create an MLA Header | Format Guidelines & Examples
• MLA Annotated Bibliography | Guidelines and Examples
• APA Website Citation (7th Edition) Guide | Format & Examples
• APA Citation Examples: The Bible, TED Talk, PPT & More
• APA Header Format: 5 Steps & Running Head Examples
• APA Title Page Format Simplified | Examples + Free Template
• How to Write an Abstract in MLA Format: Tips & Examples
• 10 Best Free Plagiarism Checkers of 2024 [100% Free Tools]
• 5 Reasons to Cite Your Sources Properly | Avoid Plagiarism!
• Dissertation Writing Guide
• Writing a Dissertation Proposal
• The Acknowledgments Section of a Dissertation
• The Table of Contents Page of a Dissertation
• The Introduction Chapter of a Dissertation
• The Literature Review of a Dissertation
• The Only Dissertation Toolkit You’ll Ever Need!
• 5 Thesis Writing Tips for Master Procrastinators
• How to Write a Dissertation | 5 Tips from Academic Editors
• The Title Page of a Dissertation
• The 5 Things to Look for in a Dissertation Editing Service
• Top 10 Dissertation Editing & Proofreading Services
• Why is it important to add references to your thesis?
• Thesis Editing | Definition, Scope & Standard Rates
• Expert Formatting Tips on MS Word for Dissertations
• A 7-Step Guide on How to Choose a Dissertation Topic
• 350 Best Dissertation Topic Ideas for All Streams in 2024
• A Guide on How to Write an Abstract for a Research Paper
• Dissertation Defense: What to Expect and How to Prepare
• Essay Writing Guide
• Essential Research Tips for Essay Writing
• What Is a Mind Map? Free Mind Map Templates & Examples
• How to Write an Essay Outline: 5 Examples & Free Template
• How to Write an Essay Header: MLA and APA Essay Headers
• What Is an Essay? Structure, Parts, and Types
• How to Write an Essay in 8 Simple Steps (Examples Included)
• 8 Types of Essays | Quick Summary with Examples
• Expository Essays | Step-by-Step Manual with Examples
• Narrative Essay | Step-by-Step Guide with Examples
• How to Write an Argumentative Essay (Examples Included)
• Guide to a Perfect Descriptive Essay [Examples & Outline Included]
• How to Start an Essay: 4 Introduction Paragraph Examples
• How to Write a Conclusion for an Essay (Examples Included!)
• How to Write an Impactful Personal Statement (Examples Included)
• Literary Analysis Essay: 5 Steps to a Perfect Assignment
• Compare and Contrast Essay | Quick Guide with Examples
• Top 10 Essay Writing Tools in 2024 | Plan, Write, Get Feedback
• Top AI Essay Writers in 2024: 10 Must-Haves

100 Best College Essay Topics & How to Pick the Perfect One!

• College Essay Format: Tips, Examples, and Free Template
• Structure of an Essay: 5 Tips to Write an Outstanding Essay

Still have questions? Leave a comment

Add Comment

Checklist: Dissertation Proposal

Enter your email id to get the downloadable right in your inbox!

Examples: Edited Papers

Need editing and proofreading services.

• Tags: Academic , Essay , Writing Tips

Crafting a college essay can be a pivotal moment in your academic journey. It’s an opportunity to showcase your voice, share your experiences, and stand out from the crowd. 

Picking from a vast array of college essay topics can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve compiled an exhaustive list of 100 college essay topics. These topics are categorized to boost your creativity and help you find the perfect theme that resonates with your story. 

Get an A+ with our expert essay editing services! Learn more

We’ve also given helpful tips on how to choose and write the perfect essay for college. So let’s start by understanding how to pick the perfect college essay topic:

How to pick the perfect college essay topic

Selecting good college essay topics is more than just finding a subject that sounds impressive. It’s about finding a genuine fit for your personality and experiences. Here’s how to identify the best college essay topics for your unique narrative:

Reflect on your passions: What excites you? What are you eager to explore further?

Consider your experiences: Which life events have shaped who you are?

Identify your growth: How have challenges and obstacles contributed to your personal development?

Think about relevance: Will this topic be engaging for the admissions committee?

Be authentic: Choose a topic that allows your genuine self to shine through.

With these considerations in mind, let’s dive into a curated list of essay topics for college students, designed to spark inspiration and provoke thought.

100 Best college essay topics

We’ve created a list of the unique college essay topics that stand out to help you ace your essay!

Argumentative college essay topics

Here is a list of top argumentative essay topics for college:

1. The role of government in regulating internet content.

2. Should higher education be a right or a privilege?

3. The ethical implications of gene editing in humans.

4. Are standardized tests an accurate measure of student intelligence?

5. The impact of social media on youth and society.

6. Should college athletes be paid for playing sports?

7. The viability of a four-day workweek.

8. Is a gap year beneficial before starting college?

9. The influence of advertising on consumer behavior.

10. Privacy vs. security: How much surveillance is too much?

Persuasive essay topics for college

Here is a list of top persuasive essay topics for college:

1. The importance of arts education in schools.

2. Why volunteering should be part of the college curriculum.

3. The benefits of bilingual education.

4. The necessity of making public transport free.

5. Why we must invest in renewable energy sources.

6. The case for banning single-use plastics.

7. Should voting be mandatory?

8. The importance of preserving historical monuments.

9. Why we need stricter regulations on animal testing.

10. The need for more progressive tax systems.

Compare and contrast essay topics for college students

Here is a list of top compare-and-contrast essay topics for college:

1. Living on campus vs. commuting: Which is better for college students?

2. Online classes vs. traditional classes: A comparison of effectiveness.

3. The pros and cons of private vs. public universities.

4. Western vs. Eastern philosophies of education.

5. Fast food vs. home-cooked meals: Implications on health.

6. Traditional vs. alternative medicine: A comparative study.

7. The leadership styles of two prominent figures in history.

8. Book adaptations: When the book or the movie is better?

9. Comparing two different approaches to environmental conservation.

10. The impact of different parenting styles on child development.

Cause and effect essay topics for college students

Here is a list of top cause-and-effect essay topics for college:

1. The effects of social networking sites on communication.

2. How does consumerism affect the global economy?

3. The impact of college debt on future life choices of students.

4. The effects of global warming on polar ice caps.

5. The causes and effects of insomnia during exam periods.

6. How does stress affect health and well-being?

7. The influence of diet on cognitive functions.

8. The effects of music on mood and productivity.

9. The impact of technology on the job market.

10. Causes and effects of cultural appropriation.

Creative college essay topics

Here is a list of top creative essay topics for college:

1. Imagine a day in the life of your favorite book character.

2. If you could invent something, what would it be and why?

3. The adventures of living in a parallel universe.

4. Writing a eulogy for a historical villain.

5. A world without smartphones: Chaos or calm?

6. If you could converse with an artist from the past, who would it be?

7. The experience of time travel to your most and least favorite historical periods.

8. What if you were the president for a week?

9. If animals could form their own society, how would it look?

10. A letter to a future generation about life in the 21st century.

College essay topics about life goals

Here is a list of top life goals essay topics for college:

1. How your career goals have evolved over time.

2. The influence of a family business on your professional aspirations.

3. The importance of role models in shaping your future ambitions.

4. A major life goal and the steps you’re taking to achieve it.

5. How overcoming a significant challenge has refocused your life goals.

6. The impact of travel on your personal and professional objectives.

7. The importance of lifelong learning in your career path.

8. The role of mentorship in achieving success.

9. How do you plan to give back to your community in your future career?

10. The pursuit of happiness: Defining and achieving your life’s goals.

Informative essay topics for college

Here is a list of top informative essay topics for college:

1. The history and impact of the feminist movement.

2. The process of neural network development in artificial intelligence.

3. Exploring the causes of economic recessions.

4. The role of genetics in determining personality.

5. The significance of the Green Revolution in agriculture.

6. The evolution of space exploration technology.

7. The impact of colonialism on modern-day global relations.

8. The fundamentals of quantum computing.

9. Understanding the human impact on ocean life.

10. The rise of virtual reality and its potential applications.

Research essay topics for college

Here is a list of top research essay topics for college:

1. Analyzing the efficacy of the current educational model in fostering innovation.

2. The role of social media influencers in shaping youth culture.

3. The effects of urbanization on biodiversity.

4. The relationship between mental health and modern work culture.

5. The impact of cryptocurrencies on global finance.

6. The evolution of gender roles over the past century.

7. The influence of climate change policies on international relations.

8. The effects of diet trends on public health.

9. The future of genetic engineering in medicine.

10. The role of artificial intelligence in shaping the future of employment.

Narrative essay topics for college students

Here is a list of top narrative essay topics for college:

1. The moment you overcame a profound fear.

2. An encounter that changed your perspective on life.

3. The experience of losing something or someone important.

4. A moment of failure that turned into a lesson of success.

5. Your first day at college and how it met your expectations.

6. A journey that was more than just travel.

7. A significant memory that defines your childhood.

8. The challenge of adapting to a new culture.

9. An act of kindness that left a lasting impact on you.

10. A situation where you had to stand up for what you believed in.

Personal essay topics for college students

Here is a list of top personal essay topics for college:

1. How has a book or movie influenced your understanding of the world?

2. The role of a particular extracurricular activity in shaping who you are.

3. A personal philosophy or mantra that guides your life.

4. The journey of self-discovery during your teenage years.

5. Overcoming a personal struggle to achieve a goal.

6. A cultural tradition that holds significant meaning for you.

7. The impact of a mentor or teacher on your life.

8. A pivotal moment of realization about your identity.

9. How do you cope with stress and maintain mental well-being?

10. The importance of a work-life balance in your personal vision.

Now that we have a list of 100 college essay topics that cover many types of essays and writing styles, let’s delve into how to write an essay , perfect for college!

How to write the perfect college essay

Writing an essay for college admission is not just about showcasing your knowledge; it’s about telling a story that reflects your identity, aspirations, and the value you can bring to a college community. Whether you’re starting an essay or aiming to conclude an essay , here are steps to ensure your essay stands out:

Understanding the prompt

Before you begin writing, understand the academic writing prompt thoroughly. Make sure you know what the question is asking and how you can address it in a unique way that showcases your strengths and experiences.

Choosing your topic wisely

Select a topic that resonates with you and allows you to share something personal and significant. Know which common college essay topics to avoid, and instead, choose unique college essay topics that allow your personality and voice to shine through.

Crafting a compelling introduction

Your introduction should hook the reader and set the tone for the rest of the essay. Start with an anecdote, a surprising fact, or a thought-provoking question to draw the reader in.

Developing a clear structure

Organize and format your college essay with a clear essay structure , including an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each paragraph should support the main thesis outline of your essay with evidence and personal reflections.

Showcasing your voice

Your essay should sound like you. Use your own voice and avoid overly formal language. The goal is to make the reader feel as though they are getting to know the real you.

Being honest and reflective

Be honest in your writing and reflect on your experiences. Admissions officers can tell when a student is being genuine versus when they’re saying what they think the college wants to hear.

Proofreading and revising

After you’ve written your essay, take the time to do essay proofreading and edit your essay if necessary. Look for grammatical errors , check for flow, and make sure your essay is clear and concise. It can be helpful to have someone else read your essay to provide feedback. You can also use tools like essay checkers to make your work easier.

Avoiding taboo topics

There are certain college essay topics to avoid, such as those that are overly controversial, inappropriate, or cliché. Choose a topic that is meaningful but also appropriate for a diverse audience.

Some examples of essay topics to avoid include:

1. Grandiose tales of heroism that seem exaggerated or implausible.

2. The story of your achievements without reflection on the journey or challenges.

3. Controversial topics that do not contribute to a positive discourse or understanding.

4. Overly polarizing political or religious topics that may not resonate with the reader.

5. Cliched volunteer experiences that don’t reveal anything unique about you.

Ending with impact

Your conclusion should wrap up your essay without simply summarizing what you’ve already said. End with a reflection on how the topic has shaped you or how you’ve grown from the experience.

Your college essay is more than an assignment; it’s a canvas for your experiences and dreams. Choose a topic that resonates with you, and let your passion shine through your words. And while AI essay writers can provide assistance with the initial stages of drafting, the real magic comes from your personal touch and insights. 

To ensure your essay truly stands out, consider the expert editing and proofreading services offered by PaperTrue. Our team can sharpen your narrative, correct any linguistic errors, and enhance your essay’s clarity, allowing your unique voice to captivate the admissions committee. Happy writing!

Keep on reading for more useful tips:

• Guide to a Perfect Descriptive Essay [Examples & Outline Included]
• What Is an Adverb? Definition, Types, Differences & Examples

Frequently Asked Questions

What are good college essay topics, what college essay topics to avoid, ‘how to’ essay topics for college students..

Found this article helpful?

Leave a Comment: Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Your vs. You’re: When to Use Your and You’re

Your organization needs a technical editor: here’s why, your guide to the best ebook readers in 2024, writing for the web: 7 expert tips for web content writing.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Get carefully curated resources about writing, editing, and publishing in the comfort of your inbox.

How to Copyright Your Book?

If you’ve thought about copyrighting your book, you’re on the right path.

© 2024 All rights reserved

• Terms of service
• Privacy policy
• Self Publishing Guide
• Pre-Publishing Steps
• Fiction Writing Tips
• Traditional Publishing
• Academic Writing and Publishing
• Partner with us
• Annual report
• Website content
• Marketing material
• Job Applicant
• Cover letter
• Resource Center
• Case studies

CollegeVine's essay prompt database

Find your college’s application essay prompts for 2023-24

Latest essay prompts for the top 100 schools.

At CollegeVine, our goal is to make the college application process a little less stressful, so we’ve compiled the latest essay prompts for the top 100 schools in one easy, searchable database.

Also, every year we create free guides on “ How to Write X School’s Essays ” for the top 100 schools. In these guides, we give you tips and tricks on how to approach each prompt. As such, our prompt database also contains a link to each school's Essay Breakdown.

Manage your college essays in one place for free.

• Environment
• Information Science
• Social Issues
• Argumentative
• Cause and Effect
• Classification
• Compare and Contrast
• Descriptive
• Exemplification
• Informative
• Controversial
• Exploratory
• What Is an Essay
• Length of an Essay
• Generate Ideas
• Types of Essays
• Structuring an Essay
• Outline For Essay
• Essay Introduction
• Thesis Statement
• Body of an Essay
• Writing a Conclusion
• Essay Writing Tips
• Drafting an Essay
• Revision Process
• Fix a Broken Essay
• Format of an Essay
• Essay Examples
• Essay Checklist
• Essay Writing Service
• Pay for Research Paper
• Write My Research Paper
• Write My Essay
• Custom Essay Writing Service
• Admission Essay Writing Service
• Pay for Essay
• Academic Ghostwriting
• Write My Book Report
• Case Study Writing Service
• Dissertation Writing Service
• Coursework Writing Service
• Lab Report Writing Service
• Do My Assignment
• Buy College Papers
• Capstone Project Writing Service
• Buy Research Paper
• Custom Essays for Sale

Can’t find a perfect paper?

• Essay Topics

100 Creative Essay Topics

An amazing number of writers look for the best creative writing prompts on a daily basis. These could be college students who were asked to write a fictional or narrative essay, published authors looking for their next big idea, or young people who want to explore something inspiring in their future work. Creativity is everything, and the success of any venture depends on the topic you’ve chosen. In 2020, many popular prompts have lost their novelty.

Usual stories about the journey that turned into disaster when you got lost and your things were all stolen, a secretary falling in love with her boss, a ghost-hunting adventure — this is no longer as interesting topic as it was ten years ago. Now, people look for newer and fresher ideas, but the logical question occurs: where to find them? Regardless of why you need creative prompts, we’re prepared to share some of them!

In Search of Creative Essay Topic: Best Tips

Let’s imagine that you’re writing a creative story or an essay. All you need is to trigger your inspiration, but what if today, your fantasy decided to take a break? No worries: there are some tips that could be useful if you’re stuck with picking topics:

• Brainstorm with your friends or family.  Thinking by yourself could be great, but if it doesn’t work, use someone else’s input. Meet up with friends or classmates and bounce topic ideas back and forth between each other. Maybe one of them will offer stunning creative writing ideas you could use.
• Play a game.  Close your eyes. Walk somewhere carefully, turn around a couple of times, then open your eyes and look around. Choose the first thing or person and create topic or essay idea around it. Beginners could face some difficulties at first, but the main thing is practice! After several awkward stories, your skill level will increase.
• Look through online lists.  There are many cool topics you could find online. People have developed lists specifically to satisfy writers’ needs, so check some of them out in our list just below.

100 Unique Creative Essay Prompts

We prepared 100 different topic examples for your future essay. Read through them all or sort them by category — maybe you’ll find something truly inspiring.

Extended Creative Essay Topics on Social Issues

Small tragedies are everywhere, wherever we look. A woman who smiles tiredly could be barely holding back her tears. A running girl is trying to make it home in time to protect her brother from their drunk uncle. Here are some similar ideas.

• Addiction : Daughter took her mother to live with her, but it turned out that the woman has serious psychological issues. She’s addicted to alcohol and she keeps bringing rubbish from streets into her room. The story of love and pain ensue.
• Euthanasia : Person is dying slowly and they ask their nurse for euthanasia. The laws forbid it, though, and the nurse is getting more and more torn about letting the patient suffer or following the law.
• World Chaos : Due to the deadly virus that spread all over the planet, no medicine is available. Character struggles with accepting the idea of this new world and its cruel rules.
• Bullying : The bullied girl gets fed up with the world around her, so she takes actions to ensure that nothing and no one can ever hurt her again.
• Kindness : The lonely woman has more money than she could ever spend. She decides that doing kind things is the only validation she can find, so she starts trying to make all people she meets happy.
• Gossip : Two young men dream about taking part in a reality show, but when it happens, they understand how many ugly lies are beneath it.
• Stalking : Man is being stalked by a woman, but no one takes him seriously… until it is too late.
• Indifference : A bird is lying in a puddle, dying, as people pass by with no care. Then, a girl notices it, and she takes it home to nurse it back to health.
• Discrimination : Young girl thinks she is aromantic and asexual, but her family and friends are all convinced that she just hasn’t found the right person yet.
• Harassment : Old but enthusiastic employee starts a new job, and he doesn’t understand why his boss hates him & tries to humiliate him at every turn… until he suddenly remembers about their shared past.

Creative Fantasy Essay Ideas

Some of the best creative writing assignments fall into fantasy category.

• World Peace : Something happened that resulted in peace all over the world. People are happy, animals are healthy, and there is no anger or hatred left. But something is not right, and slowly, unexpected problems begin to emerge.
• Prophesies : A woman named Julia desperately wants to become the president. She learns of the prophecy claiming that her country will be saved by the woman, but the problem is, the prophecy woman’s name is Hannah. Determined to make herself fit, Julia officially changes her name.
• Reincarnation : Two people in love keep being reborn. One of them remembers everything, but another one remains ignorant.
• Soulmates : People dream about their soulmates even before they meet them. Character A meets Character B, but while A is happy, B prefers to ignore him.
• World End : Terrible monsters are crawling all over the planet. The man not interested in survival survives, but when he is saddled with an orphaned child, his life suddenly gains new meaning.
• Time of Death : People know how soon they’ll die from the moment of their birth. Some of them accept it; others fight it.
• Secrets Exposed : Woman can tell people’s secrets just by looking at them. Sometimes it’s a blessing; other times, it is a curse.
• Divine Punishment:  Psychopath loses one of his senses every time he acts on his dark impulses.
• Forever and Ever : Character lives forever. At first, it was exciting, but now it is weighing heavily on them.
• Predictions : Whatever prediction this person makes, it comes true. Can they resist such terrible power?

Fiction Topics

How about creative writing topics in the genre of monster hunting or dark romance? Many writers find it fascinating because of the challenge involved. Here are some good prompts.

• Serial Killer : After hunting numerous victims down, a killer is stopped short by a red-haired girl he sees. He begins to stalk her, and in this process, he falls in love.
• Beloved Pet : Imagine you’re a pet living in the family who loves and coddles you. How does that feel?
• Unhealthy Relationship : Two narcissists hurt each other, and yet they can’t live without each other.
• Complex Relationship : Character A destroyed the life of Character B’s parents. Years later, they fall in love.
• Age Difference : Being in love with someone older hurts.
• Social Difference : He is rich, she is not. He’s ready to ignore the difference, but she isn’t.
• Taboo : An orphaned boy is adopted by new doting guardian, yet the feelings he develops for them are far from appropriate.
• Abduction : Two girls are abducted during New Year. They don’t know why they were taken, but gradually, they realize that they have a chance to start the whole new life.
• Unexpected Bonding : Two students are stuck in detention for fighting each other. But feelings start growing before they know it.
• Beauty : She was the definition of beauty, yet the more she loved, the more her beauty was destroyed.
• Toys : Child is sure her toys are dancing at night.
• In a Movie : Boy falls into the universe of his favorite movie.
• Rocks : You’re the rock that existed for centuries. What do you see?
• Speaking with animals:  The day you started understanding your pet.
• Love Hurts:  It causes physical pain.

Creative Journal Prompts for Essays

Basing your ideas on notes in journals is both creative and realistic.

• Character lost in the forest is trying to survive by writing.
• A journal is found on an empty island.
• From first love to disillusionment.
• Watching seasons change.
• Saving up for an expensive purchase.
• An imagined year of life day by day.
• Message to your future self.
• Description of nightmares.
• Every message sent to you on Facebook.
• Observing your love interest.
• Describing every hobby you ever had.
• Finding yourself in the past & writing about it.
• 5 awkward speeches.
• Watching your child grow.
• List what you’d buy if you had a million dollars.

Creative Humor Essays Topics

If you have great humor, take a look at these fun creative writing prompts.

• Write a tragedy made of random sentences from your online messages.
• Meeting your real muse: awkwardness ensues.
• Hiding your golden finger from everyone to avoid turning them into gold.
• Love letter for the first person you see.
• Meeting TV character.
• Interview that goes very wrong.
• The most shameful moment from your life.
• Stealing a painting & finding out it’s a copy.
• Being accidentally turned into a Barbie.
• Write short story where every word starts with the same letter.

Creative Essays Topics About Death

Death is painful, but it gives birth to many ideas for creative writing. Your essay will be engaging with these topics:

• Losing the loved one never gets easier.
• Keeping ashes of the deceased beloved close.
• Characters realize they are doomed to die every day.
• Character is preparing to commit suicide and is saying goodbye to family.
• A bloodthirsty creatures entices people to kill themselves.
• Speech on the grandfather’s funeral.
• Living in an empty apartment where happy voices of a family can still be heard.
• Every loss feels like dying: family, friends, pets.
• Character embraces death and cries happy tears upon being reunited with people they loved.
• Character gets tired of living and tries to die & discovers they are immortal.

Health and Medicine

Healthcare could be a category with lots of creative writing prompts for adults. Nail your essay with one of this topics.

• OCD woman tries to make sense of her life.
• Man with amnesia starts each day as a new life.
• A ghost haunts the hospital for a decade and observes what they see.
• Each time this girl recovers from panic attack, she feels like she was reborn.
• Create unique disease for your character & describe their life.
• Narrator reflects whether it’s better to live with pain or not live at all.
• A surgeon describes her surgeries & acknowledges she needs nothing else.
• A paranoid patient is convinced he’s dying and refuses to listen to doctors.
• The blind person seeing colors for the first time.
• Person fears being kidnapped & looks for poison just in case.

Suffer from writer’s block?

Your unique essay is just a few clicks away!

Creative Essays Ideas About Dreams

Our dreams are a mix of reality and fantasy. These writing prompts for creative writing reflect it.

• Mother dreams of reuniting with her missing child. Years later, her dreams is realized.
• What you dreamed about yesterday will come true tomorrow.
• Contacting people through dreams.
• As soon as you have a dream, you know the opposite will happen in reality.
• A killer learned how to kill people via dreams.
• A person’s biggest dream is about realizing what their dream is.
• Having dreams costs money. Who will agree to have them?
• Only people who share dreams are allowed to get married.
• Life is fair: happy people only have nightmares while unhappy people have happy dreams.
• Cure against dreams: who would take it?

Creative Education Topics

A million creative writing essays topics could be based on education.

• Story of how time in college was the happiest in one’s life.
• A bully falling in love with their victim and trying to earn their forgiveness.
• What character sacrificed in order to afford tuition.
• After all she has been through, she finally got into the university of her dreams… and she hates it.
• A heartbreaking choice between working & studying.
• A teacher saying to a successful student: “I haven’t graduated with honors, so you won’t either.”
• School and I: it was hatred from the first sight.
• The time I fell asleep during my lesson.
• Having a crush on your teacher & coming to realize why it’s wrong.
• You are the director at made-up university: how would it look like?

Have Fun Writing With Creative College Essay Topics

If you’re having a bad day and cannot summon even a spark of creativity, we’re here to help you! Use an idea we offered above — just give it a good title. If you like it, then it is all that matters — you’ve already crossed half of the way toward absolute success. In case having a prompt is not enough and you still feel no inspiration, you could always leave it to us. 

We have amazing specialists whose creativity knows no boundaries: they could write a short fictional story, craft a quirky essay, or develop some personalized creative prompts for you. Share your request with us, supply us with all details, and we’ll make sure to fulfill every one of them. There is nothing wrong with asking for help, and we are always happy to provide it.

Can’t come up with a topic for you paper? We’ve prepared a collection of essay topics for you

Want to write a winning essay but lack experience? Browse our free essay samples

Related Topics

Related essays to creative essays.

Words: 1258

Words: 1313

Words: 1145

Words: 2009

Words: 1020

Words: 2145

Got to the bottom and still stuck with essay ideas?

Essay Papers Writing Online

Unlock your creativity with these inspiring college essay writing prompts.

As a college student, you may find yourself facing the daunting task of writing essays for your classes. While some essay prompts may seem dull and uninspiring, there are plenty of creative writing prompts that can spark your imagination and help you produce engaging and unique essays.

From personal experiences to imaginative scenarios, these creative college essay writing prompts will encourage you to think outside the box and showcase your storytelling skills. Whether you’re writing an admissions essay or a class assignment, these prompts will challenge you to explore new ideas and perspectives.

So, if you’re looking for a fresh approach to your college essays, take a look at these 15 creative writing prompts that will inspire you to craft compelling and memorable essays that stand out from the crowd.

Spark Your Imagination with College Essay Writing

Writing college essays can be a challenging but rewarding experience. As you start brainstorming ideas for your essay, it’s important to let your imagination run wild. Try to think outside the box and come up with unique angles and perspectives that will make your essay stand out.

One way to spark your imagination is to think about your personal experiences and how they have shaped you as a person. Consider writing about a moment that changed your life or a challenge you overcame. These personal stories can make your essay more compelling and give the admissions committee a glimpse into who you are as an individual.

Another way to get creative with your essay is to experiment with different writing styles and formats. You could try writing in the form of a letter, a diary entry, or even a poem. Mixing things up can help you find your voice and make your essay more interesting to read.

Ultimately, the key to sparking your imagination with college essay writing is to be open-minded and willing to take risks. Don’t be afraid to explore new ideas and push the boundaries of traditional essay writing. By letting your imagination run wild, you can create an essay that truly reflects who you are and what you have to offer.

Unleash Your Creativity with These Inspiring Prompts

Ready to take your college essay writing to the next level? These inspiring prompts will help you unleash your creativity and showcase your unique voice in your writing:

• Imagine you have the ability to travel to any place, real or fictional. Where would you go and why?
• If you could have a conversation with any historical figure, who would it be and what would you talk about?
• Write a story where you are the protagonist in a world where all your wildest dreams come true.
• Reflect on a personal experience that shaped your perspective or worldview.
• Describe a challenge you faced and how you overcame it, showcasing your resilience.

These prompts are designed to ignite your imagination and help you craft a compelling college essay that stands out. Get creative, be authentic, and let your voice shine through!

Explore Unique Topics to Stand Out in Your Admission Essay

When it comes to writing your college admission essay, choosing a unique and engaging topic can make all the difference. Admissions officers read through countless essays, so standing out with a fresh and creative topic is crucial.

Consider exploring topics that showcase your personality, experiences, and aspirations in a unique and compelling way. Instead of rehashing common themes like your volunteer work or a sports achievement, think outside the box and delve into topics that truly reflect who you are.

• Share a meaningful encounter you had with a stranger that changed your perspective.
• Discuss a book, movie, or piece of art that greatly influenced your worldview.
• Reflect on a personal failure or setback and how it ultimately shaped your character.
• Describe a unique hobby or passion that sets you apart from your peers.
• Explore a cultural tradition or heritage that has shaped your values and beliefs.

By choosing a unique and compelling topic for your admission essay, you can capture the attention of admissions officers and leave a lasting impression. Use this opportunity to showcase your creativity, thoughtfulness, and uniqueness to stand out in a sea of applicants.

Get Inspired by 15 Innovative College Essay Writing Ideas

College application essays are a great opportunity for students to showcase their creativity, personality, and unique perspectives. Here are 15 creative prompts to help you get started on your college essay:

• Write about a time when you faced a challenge and how you overcame it.
• Describe a person who has had a significant influence on your life and why.
• Imagine you could have dinner with any historical figure–who would it be and why?
• Discuss a book, movie, or artwork that has had a profound impact on you.
• Share a personal story that illustrates your passion for a particular hobby or interest.
• Reflect on a moment when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea.
• Discuss a problem in your community and propose a creative solution.
• Describe an experience that changed your perspective on life.
• Write about a time when you had to make a difficult decision and how it shaped you.
• Discuss a quote that resonates with you and explain its significance.
• Share a piece of advice that has stuck with you and influenced your actions.
• Imagine yourself ten years in the future–what do you hope to have accomplished?
• Reflect on a moment of failure or setback and how you grew from the experience.
• Describe a place that holds special meaning for you and why.
• Write about a topic that you are passionate about and why it matters to you.

These prompts are designed to inspire your imagination and help you craft a compelling and unique college essay that showcases your personality and accomplishments. Use them as a starting point to brainstorm ideas and stories that will captivate admissions officers and set you apart from other applicants.

Ignite Your Passion for Writing with Creative Essay Topics

Writing essays can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be boring! With the right topic, you can unleash your creativity and passion for writing. Creative essay topics not only challenge your critical thinking skills but also allow you to express your unique perspective in an engaging way.

Whether you’re exploring a personal experience, analyzing a thought-provoking question, or delving into a fictional world, creative essay topics offer endless possibilities for exploration. By choosing topics that resonate with you, you can truly ignite your passion for writing and produce compelling essays that captivate your audience.

So, don’t be afraid to think outside the box and embrace unconventional ideas. Let your creativity flourish and discover the joy of writing with these creative essay topics!

Related Post

How to master the art of writing expository essays and captivate your audience, convenient and reliable source to purchase college essays online, step-by-step guide to crafting a powerful literary analysis essay, unlock success with a comprehensive business research paper example guide, unlock your writing potential with writers college – transform your passion into profession, “unlocking the secrets of academic success – navigating the world of research papers in college”, master the art of sociological expression – elevate your writing skills in sociology.

Essay Writing Guide

Essay Topics

Last updated on: Dec 19, 2023

Essay Topics: 100+ Best Essay Topics for your Guidance

By: Nova A.

13 min read

Reviewed By: Rylee W.

Published on: Jan 29, 2019

Let’s face it, essay writing can be tedious and boring. Spending hours to write a good essay is difficult, and brainstorming essay topic ideas can be even more confusing.

This is what makes writing essays difficult and time-consuming. Luckily, you can learn  essay writing  with practice and by following some good examples. But before that, you should know how to choose a good and engaging topic for your essay.

To help you get started, we have categorized a list of a number of different types of essay topic lists.

On this Page

Argumentative Essay Topics

An argumentative essay investigates a topic in great detail, forms an argument over it, and defends it using supporting data.

Below are some good argumentative essay topic ideas to help you draft winning essays.

• School students should be allowed to curate their high school curriculum.
• The role of physical education in the school system.
• Should the death sentence be implemented globally?
• It should be illegal to use certain types of animals for experiments and other research purposes.
• Should the government do more to improve accessibility for people with physical disabilities?
• Do people learn the art of becoming a politician, or are they born with it?
• Social media platform owners should monitor and block comments containing hateful language.
• Does technology play a role in making people feel more isolated?
• Will there ever be a time when there will be no further technological advancements?
• It should be illegal to produce and sell tobacco.
• Girls should be motivated to take part in sports.
• Rape victims should abort their unborn children.
• Fathers should get equal paternity leave.
• Do teenagers get into trouble because they are bored?
• Individuals who have failed at parenting should be punished.
• Vaping is less harmful than smoking cigarettes.
• Covid-19 vaccination has more cons than pros.
• Social media is the real cause of teenage depression.
• Is the American education system perfect for society?
• Recycling should be made compulsory.

Choosing a strong topic is key to writing a great essay. Have a look at our blog to select good  argumentative essay topics  to impress the audience.

Persuasive Essay Topics

A persuasive essay is similar to an argumentative paper. However, in it, the writer wants to convince the readers of their point of view. Simple essay topics would make better essays as they help the students stay focused.

Below is a list of some good persuasive essay topics for you:

• Energy drinks should be banned in schools and colleges.
• Gambling should be banned in the United States.
• Should abortions be banned worldwide?
• Hunting is an immoral act.
• Is it okay to use animals in a circus?
• Harmful dogs should be euthanized.
• Cell phones should not be allowed in schools.
• Teachers should pass a professional exam, just like students.
• Schools should reduce the workload on students.
• Sex education should be mandatory in high schools.
• Vlogging isn’t an actual profession.
• Is LinkedIn helpful for finding a job?
• Social media has played a big role in increasing business opportunities.
• Is Java becoming obsolete?
• Should employers go through the candidate’s social media profiles?
• Animal testing should be banned.
• Violent video games should be banned.
• Parents with mental disabilities should not be allowed to adopt children.
• Alcohol consumption should be legalized in Muslim countries.
• Every person should get Covid-19 vaccination.

For your help, we have gathered a wide range of  persuasive essay topics . Give it a read.

Descriptive Essay Topics

A descriptive essay describes a specific thing by using sensory data. It is done to engage the reader’s five senses (taste, touch, smell, hearing, sight).

The following is a list of descriptive essay topic ideas for the students.

• The person who is responsible for making a difference in my life.
• Describe a smartphone and its benefits to someone from the ‘60s.
• The most interesting piece of art I have ever seen.
• Describe the experience of falling in love.
• What does a place that only exists in your imagination look like?
• Describe meeting a famous person.
• Describe yourself and your personality to a stranger.
• What will life be like in 2050?
• An experience that changed my life forever.
• Your idea of the perfect day.
• My first trip abroad.
• The most significant event in American History.
• A popular book series that disappointed you.
• A look into my daily life.
• A day in the life of an ER doctor.
• A trip to the museum.
• The most interesting movie I watched during my summer vacation.
• My favorite childhood memory.
• An incident that changed my life.
• An incident that restored my faith in humanity.

Here are some more  descriptive essay topics  to help you find a good idea for your essay.

Discover Captivating Topics in a Click!

Narrative Essay Topics

In a narrative essay, your goal is to share a personal experience by telling a story. This creative form of writing depends on how strong and exciting the theme is. The article topics for students given here are carefully curated and would help the students do good in their essays.

Some examples and topics of narrative topic ideas are presented below.

• The experience that taught me how looks could be deceiving.
• A week without internet and technology.
• The impact your first love had on your life.
• How much did your teachers contribute to making you the person you are today?
• An experience that made you realize your parents were or weren’t always right.
• A moment when someone you didn’t like surprised you with kindness.
• The influence technology has had on your hobbies and life.
• An achievement outside of academic life?
• Which school lesson had the biggest influence on your life?
• A day when you fought procrastination.
• The time you faced rejection.
• The time when you stood against your parents.
• An experience that left you helpless.
• The time you prayed to be an only child.
• An act of kindness you can never forget.
• Death of a loved one.
• Your biggest pet peeve.
• Your definition of a perfect weekend.
• The things you regret most in life.
• Your first experience of an air trip.

Choosing interesting  narrative essay topics  is essential to make the content compelling for the readers.

Research Essay Topics

While writing a research essay, the most crucial step is choosing a topic for your essay. Select a topic that is broad enough to compose an entire research essay on it.

Below are some of the best topics for your research essay.

• Effects of violent cartoons on children.
• Should universities provide accommodations to disabled students?
• Events and experiences I agree are causing the increase in terrorism.
• How do technology and gadgets affect the studies of children?
• Do children who attend preschool do better in school?
• Universities are becoming business-driven.
• Does college debt affect the future lives of students?
• Why has the divorce rate changed in the past decade?
• Schools should allow the use of smartphones in school.
• Effective ways to decrease depression among our youth.
• Analyze the relationship between the United States of America and North Korea.
• Why did the UK decide to leave the EU?
• Is it true that students learn better in a same-sex school?
• How does giving kids different gadgets affect their studies?
• Compare the immigration policies of two different countries.
• Events that lead to World War I.
• Pros and cons of studying abroad.
• How has Covid-19 influenced the education system of the world?
• Individual acts that lead to Global Warming.
• Effectiveness of the policies made to control Covid-19.

Looking for more? We have an extensive range of  research essay topics  to make the audience fall in love with your work.

Expository Essay Topics

While writing an expository essay, you have to explain and clarify your topic clearly to the readers.

Below is a list of expository essay topics:

• Why do teenagers commit suicide?
• What is the impact of music on our youth?
• What are the consequences of skipping school?
• Why do teenagers use drugs?
• How can pets make you happy and improve your life?
• Consequences of having alcoholic drinks within a school campus.
• How does drug use affect relationships?
• Is global warming a cause of skin cancer?
• Is sodium bad for your health?
• What is the line between being overweight and being obese?
• Why do you want to pursue your desired career?
• Explain how advancements in science improve the quality of life for humans.
• What are some unconventional ways of relieving stress?
• If you could swap your lives with someone, who would it be and why?
• What are some major stress factors in a teenager’s life?
• Why is getting a degree important for job life?
• Pros and cons of getting financial aid.
• How emotional support animals help in treating mental conditions.
• How does prostitution influence society?
• The environmental causes of smoking.

5StarEssays.com has gathered an additional and extensive list of  expository essay topics .

Tough Essay Due? Hire Tough Writers!

Compare and Contrast Essay Topics

In a compare and contrast essay, you evaluate and analyze the similarities and differences between the two subjects. Your reader must be able to form an opinion after weighing the pros and cons you have set forth.

Below are some topics for you to choose for your compare and contrast paper:

• Extroverts and introverts.
• Generation Y Vs. Generation Z.
• Traditional Helicopters Vs. Lifesize Drones.
• Unemployed students Vs. students with a part-time job.
• SAT and TOEFL.
• Persuasive and argumentative essays - How are they similar?
• How were the causes of World War I different from the causes of World War II?
• Education vs. professional career: what is more difficult?
• Real-life or spending your time daydreaming.
• Consequences of earthquake and tsunami: what’s worse?
• Being popular in high school or alone?
• Part-time work or studying for a higher degree?
• Getting married at an old age or a young age?
• Fashion today Vs. twenty years ago.
• Donald Trump Vs. Hillary Clinton.
• Democracy Vs. Dictatorship
• Vietnam War Vs. War on Terror.
• Benefits of drinking tea Vs. coffee.
• Greek and Roman methodologies - Similarities and differences.
• Traditional Vs. distant learning.

Get more interesting  compare and contrast essay topics  at 5StarEssays.com to impress your instructors.

Cause and Effect Essay Topics

The cause and effect essay explains why something happens and what happens as a result of those happenings. A cause and effect essay is a type of expository essay.

Here are a few topics for your cause and effect essay:

• What are the causes of eating disorders?
• Effects of climate change and global warming.
• The effects of the Feminism movement.
• What are the causes of increasing depression among teenagers?
• What are the causes of suicidal thoughts?
• Is keeping a pet effective in calming your mind?
• How does divorce affects children?
• Why are men afraid of commitment?
• Effects of social media on youth.
• Has social media affected relationships among families?
• Discuss the effects of homeschooling on children.
• Causes of heart diseases.
• Causes of sibling rivalry.
• Cramming doesn't help improve test scores.
• Cause and effect of depression in the workplace.
• How do abusive parents influence the mental stability of a child?
• Causes and effects of bullying.
• Causes of obesity in teenagers.
• Effects of taking a balanced diet on health?
• Causes and effects of insomnia.

To get more ideas, visit our  cause and effect essay topics  that are remarkable and well-suited for a great essay.

Controversial Argumentative Essay Topics

Argumentative essay topics are quite popular assignments in universities. If you are a student searching for a captivating argumentative essay topic, here is a list of ideas you can consider.

• Third world war should be prevented by the Russian and US governments.
• Political policies and practices affecting students.
• Is gun control effective in reducing crime?
• Same-sex marriage and constitutional law.
• Is society over-regulated?
• Are leaders born or made?
• No one should be above the law.
• Monarchy: pros and cons.
• Rules on Political Activities by Federal Employees.
• The most corrupt countries in the world.
• Mercy killing should be legalized in all countries of the world.
• Death penalties should be abolished.
• Third-world countries should be provided with education plans by the developed countries.
• Muslims should not be labeled as terrorists.
• Illegal immigrants should be given equal rights.
• Abortions should be legalized.
• Live-in relationships should be encouraged.
• Professional athletes should be allowed to consume steroids.
• Should physical punishments be given to children?
• Smoking in public should be an offensive crime.

Funny Argumentative Essay Topics

Are you looking for some funny argumentative essay topics for your essay? If so, choose a topic from the following list.

• Why do people like watching funny videos?
• What your cat is really thinking.
• Why spam emails should be your favorite type of email.
• Why wearing braces is fun.
• School dropouts are the best in our society.
• Why I don't like country music.
• Types of dates.
• A better way to get things done.
• What organic food really is.
• Things guys do that girls hate.
• How to annoy your friend.
• Why do women pretend that they enjoy sports?
• Things preventing you from completing your homework in time.
• Funny things we see in wedding ceremonies.
• Why are spam emails more interesting?
• Why does Starbucks coffee taste better?
• Why are backbenchers smarter than other students?
• Clowns are scarier than funny.
• Should we be maintaining social distancing even after Covid-19?
• Why is watching movies better than reading books?

Informative Essay Topics for Students

Essay writing requires depth. However, you don’t have to choose a complex topic in middle school, high school, or college.

Here is a list of interesting essay topics for middle school, high school, and college students.

Essay Topics for College Students

• Virtual classes cannot replace the traditional class system.
• Advantages and disadvantages of online classes.
• Is there a need to reform the college education system?
• Assault weapons should not be legal.
• People with a history of mental illness should not be allowed to purchase firearms.
• The taxation system needs to be changed around the globe.
• Kids should not be the target audience in advertising.
• The number of calories should be mentioned with every meal.
• Feminists have effectively improved the workforce for women.
• Is the death penalty effective?
• How to identify fake news?
• How to maintain a healthy life?
• How to treat PTSD naturally?
• Should people be judged on their appearance?
• How is technology influencing the work performance of people?
• Private Vs. public schools
• How to choose majors in high school?
• Impact of legalizing drugs on society.
• Significance of learning social values.
• How to prevent bullying on campus?

Essay Topics for High School

• The choice to join the armed forces should be an individual decision.
• Listening to music can increase work efficiency.
• Being honest has more cons than pros.
• People who have been in an accident value life more than others.
• Embarrassing moments help boost your confidence.
• Kindness is the most valuable personal trait.
• Spontaneity can improve your life.
• Can hobbies help improve the richness of one’s life?
• Dressing properly in the office improves work efficiency
• Being organized can help in school as well as the office.
• Impact of homosexuality on society.
• What is feminism?
• How to overcome fears and phobias?
• Significance of having leadership skills in job life?
• Causes and treatments for bipolar disorder.
• Side effects of consuming antidepressants.
• How important is mental health in succeeding professionally?
• How do teaching methods influence learning abilities?
• Should specially-abled people be allowed to work in offices?
• Discrimination and racism in the US.

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

Essay Topics for Middle School

• Every child should have chores at home.
• There should not be any summer classes.
• Should students continue studying during summer vacation?
• Parents should pay attention to the amount of time their children spend watching television.
• Favorite family summer vacation.
• Sports should be mandatory in every school.
• Processed foods should not be part of private and public school lunch.
• Do students still use newspapers for research?
• Every individual should spend a year doing community service.
• The weekend should be 3 days long.

Still need help choosing an essay topic? 5StarEssays is a professional  essay writing service  that helps you get a high quality essay. We have a team of essay writers who are professionals and can do your essay . 

We also have an AI-powered paper writer  for you to help you generate an essay in seconds to use as a reference!

As a Digital Content Strategist, Nova Allison has eight years of experience in writing both technical and scientific content. With a focus on developing online content plans that engage audiences, Nova strives to write pieces that are not only informative but captivating as well.

Was This Blog Helpful?

Keep reading.

• How to Write an Essay - A Complete Guide with Examples

• The Art of Effective Writing: Thesis Statements Examples and Tips

• Writing a 500 Word Essay - Easy Guide

• What is a Topic Sentence - An Easy Guide with Writing Steps & Examples

• A Complete Essay Outline - Guidelines and Format

• 220 Best Transition Words for Essays

• Essay Format: Detailed Writing Tips & Examples

• How to Write a Conclusion - Examples & Tips

• How to Title an Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide for Effective Titles

• How to Write a Perfect 1000 Word Essay

• How To Make An Essay Longer - Easy Guide For Beginners

• Learn How to Start an Essay Effectively with Easy Guidelines

• Types of Sentences With Examples

• Hook Examples: How to Start Your Essay Effectively

• Essay Writing Tips - Essential Do’s and Don’ts to Craft Better Essays

• How To Write A Thesis Statement - A Step by Step Guide

• Art Topics - 200+ Brilliant Ideas to Begin With

• Writing Conventions and Tips for College Students

People Also Read

• how to write a press release
• writing an analytical essay
• speech writing
• citation styles
• how to write an editorial

Burdened With Assignments?

Advertisement

• Homework Services: Essay Topics Generator

© 2024 - All rights reserved

JournalBuddies.com

Journal Buddies Jill | January 24, 2023 November 3, 2022 | List of Prompts

31 Brilliant Creative Essay Prompts

Creative Writing Essay Prompts and a few Bonus Quick Tips — If you are helping your students explore how to write a creatively themed essay, you may want to try these creative writing prompts. Creative essay prompts are a great way to get students excited about writing . Discover more now…

Creative essay prompts give writers a chance to express themselves, well…creatively. 😀 Plus, it’s a wonderfully fun way to write a completely new and unique essay.

Now, let me tell you, I am here to invigorate your perspective and fuel your creativity with 31 fabulous creative essay prompts for various genres to get you writing today. So get to it and take a look now and enjoy.

3 Quick Tips for Writing Your Own Creative Prompts

Why use creative essay prompts.

First, let’s explore a bit about why a writer would want to use a creative easy prompts.

Let’s say…

You’re fresh out of ideas and want to write a book, but you have no idea where to start.

I get it. One of the most challenging steps in becoming a successful writer is knowing where to start. Struggling to get your creative juices flowing can be a daunting task for writers of any age or skill level. Indeed, many student writers encounter writer’s block and personal writing doubts at some point in their academic careers.

That’s why…

Whether you’re looking for inspiration for a short, creative essay, your next Amazon bestselling novel, or a short story just for fun, there is an easy way to get started. Yep…simply explore my fabulous list of creative essay prompts. (Psst…note the emphasis on creativity in this particular list of essay writing ideas!)

Take a look now and then read on to learn more about writing your very own creative essay prompts.

31 Creative Essay Prompts to Write About

Oh yeah! I hope you enjoy this list of creative essay prompts and ideas. Hopefully, these creative essay prompts will spur your creativity and spark your imagination, and, above all, may these ideas help you write a wonderfully awesome creative essay.

• Write a creative essay about the plot from a movie you saw just before sleeping is coming to life.
• A stranger gives you an ominous-looking journal. You open it to investigate and discover…
• A group of teenagers band together to fight an extraterrestrial threat.
• You stumble upon a strange house on your morning run. Upon entering, you get a text message, “Meet me outside”.
• You hear news of your next-door neighbor vanishing without a trace.
• Your social media information has been hacked and that put your loved ones in danger.
• You see a hooded figure at work staring at you from across the street. What do they want?
• The stakes are raised when you find your best friends have ulterior motives.
• Oddly, your parents tell you that they have no idea who you are!
• After receiving a mysterious box on your doorstep, you open it and find a note that says, “Caution: May Bite.”
• Write an essay on your plans to get to the bottom of an unsolved murder mystery from 20 years ago.
• Your favorite place in the city has shut down; it’s up to you to raise funds to help it reopen.
• You realize there is a different face staring at you from the mirror.
• One morning, you wake up to find out that you have been chosen to go to any planet of your choice.
• Write an essay on a horror story about a high schooler not making the state basketball team.

• You find a way to look into the future through the internet.
• Write an original poem about your spiritual journey.
• You find yourself hiding in the closet with burglars ravaging your home. Your only defense is a stack of pencils.
• You find your hard-to-kick habit is doing more damage than you thought.
• You retrace your steps to find a treasure map your younger self left behind.
• Two high school students write a novel, only to be transported into the world they created.
• Write an essay about waking up to find all prisons have been closed and the prisoners released.
• An introvert finds they’ve been talking to their childhood imaginary friend more and more.
• You go back in time with a notebook of inventions you want to take credit for when suddenly The Butterfly Effect kicks in.
• Write a creative essay about a science fiction tale set in a world where you can communicate with your pet.
• You can use a time machine to either save yourself or your best friend; which do you choose?
• A genie grants you three wishes, but with each comes consequences.
• In the year 2122, global warming has left the Earth inhabitable. It’s up to you and your robot sidekick to fix things and make them right.

Now, while there are many creative essay prompts listed in the blog post, sometimes that one perfect prompt isn’t there for some writers.

If that’s the case for you, read on to discover three simple creative essay prompt writing tips.

Creating Your Own Unique Creative Essay Prompts

As I stated previously, sometimes there is not that one perfect prompt for a writer in our list — or other lists — of creative essay prompts and writing ideas.

In this case, you may find that using one of our great creative essay prompts as a starting point can make it easier for you to think up your own unique essay topic idea list.

For this reason, I suggest you use the three simple steps to create your very own prompt outlined below.

1.  Brainstorm a list  of potential topics. This can be anything from personal experiences to current events.

2. Once you have a list of potential topics,  narrow it down  by choosing the prompt that best fits your topic.

3. If you’re still having trouble finding the perfect prompt, take a look at essay samples for inspiration.

This simple process can help you find the one amazing writing idea that works best for you. Ok, that’s all for today.

Until next time, happy writing…

More Essay Writing Resources

• 35 Essay Topics for High School
• 33 Argumentative Essay Topics for Middle School
• 46 Essay Prompts for Elementary Kids
• 35 Essay Topics for Kids
• 27 Spectacular Space Writing Prompts
• Printable essay writing worksheets

If you enjoyed these Creative Essay Prompts please share them on social media via Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and/or Pinterest. I appreciate it!

Sincerely, Jill journalbuddies.com creator and curator

Tap to See Prompts 162 Creative Writing Topics and Ideas (Updated!) Power Up Your Pen: 157 Writing Prompt a Day Ideas 27 Amazing Picture Writing Prompts for Kids ------------Start of Om Added --------- @media (min-width: 320px) and (max-width: 767px) { .inside-right-sidebar { display: none !important; } } Search Now Offering You 18,000+ Prompts!

Tap to See Prompts 162 Creative Writing Topics and Ideas (Updated!) Power Up Your Pen: 157 Writing Prompt a Day Ideas 27 Amazing Picture Writing Prompts for Kids Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7-8 Grade 9-12 All Ages ------------End of Om Added --------- Tags Creative Essay , Creative Essay Writing , Creative Essay Writing Prompts , Creative Essay Writing Topics , essay , Essay Ideas , Essay Prompts , Essay Tips , Essay Topics , essay writing , Essay Writing Ideas , Essay Writing Prompts , Essay Writing Tips , High School , Tips for Essays , writing essays div#postbottom { margin-top: 12px; } Search Now Offering You 18,000+ Prompts!

ThinkWritten

365 Creative Writing Prompts

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

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

Sharing is caring!

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

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

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

Here are 365 Creative Writing Prompts to Inspire:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. Friendship: Write about being friends with someone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

57. Alarm Clock: Write about waking up.

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

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

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

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

62. Slip Up: Write about making mistakes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

90. Green Thumb: Write about growing something.

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

92. Bug Catcher: Write about insects.

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

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

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

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

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

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

99. Seasonal: Write about your favorite season.

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

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

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

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

104. Vacation: Write about a vacation you took.

105. Heat: Write about being overheated and sweltering.

106. Spellbinding: Write a magic spell.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

162. Missing You: Write about someone you miss.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

182. Complain:  Write about your complaints about something.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

197. Pirates: Write about a pirate ship.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

218. First Kiss: Write about your first kiss.

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

220. Limerick: Write a limerick today.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

242. Cheater: Write about someone who is unfaithful.

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

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

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

246. Peaceful: Write about something peaceful and serene.

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

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

249. Sonnet: Write a sonnet today.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

271. Patterns : Write about repeating patterns that occur in life.

272. Scrapbook : Write about finding a scrapbook and the memories it contains.

273. Cure: Write about finding a cure for an illness.

274. Email Subject Lines: Read your email today and look for subject lines that may be good starters for writing inspiration.

275. Wishful Thinking: Write about a wish you have.

276. Doodle : Spend some time today doodling for about 5-10 minutes. Write about the thoughts you had while doodling or create something inspired by your finished doodle.

277. Chalkboard: Imagine you are in a classroom. What does it say on the chalkboard?

278. Sticky: Imagine a situation that’s very sticky, maybe even covered in maple syrup, tape or glue. Write about it!

279. Flashlight : Imagine going somewhere very dark with only a flashlight to guide you.

280. A Far Away Place : Envision yourself traveling to a fictional place, what do you experience in your imaginary journey?

281. On the Farm : Write about being in a country or rural setting.

282. Promise to Yourself: Write about a promise you want to make to yourself and keep.

283. Brick Wall : Write a poem that is about a brick wall – whether literal or figurative.

284. Making a Choice: Write about a time when you had to make a difficult choice.

285.  Repeat: Write about a time when you’ve had to repeat yourself or a time when it felt like no one was listening.

286. Outcast : Write about someone who is not accepted by their peers. (for example, the Ugly Ducking)

287. Scary Monsters: Write about a scary (or not-so-scary) monster in your closet or under the bed.

288. Sacrifice: Write about something you’ve sacrificed doing to do something else or help another person.

289. Imperfection: Create a poem that highlights the beauty in being flawed.

290. Birthday Poem: Write a poem inspired by birthdays.

291. Title First : Make a list of potential poem or story titles and choose one to write from.

292. Job Interview : Write about going on a job interview.

293. Get Well : Write a poem that will help someone who is sick feel better quick!

294. Lost in the Crowd: Write about feeling lost in the crowd.

295. Apple a Day: Write about a health topic that interests you.

296. Cravings: Write about craving something.

297. Phobia: Research some common phobias, choose one, and write about it.

298. In the Moment: Write about living in the present moment.

299. Concrete : Write about walking down a sidewalk and what you see and experience.

300. Battle: Write about an epic battle, whether real, fictional or figurative.

301. This Old House : Write about an old house that is abandoned or being renovated.

302. Clutter: Is there a cluttered spot in your home? Go through some of that clutter today and write about what you find or the process of organizing.

303. Go Fly a Kite: Write about flying a kite.

304. On the TV: Flip to a random TV channel and write about the first thing that comes on – even if it is an infomercial!

305. Fruit: Write an ode to your favorite fruit.

306. Long Distance Love: Write about a couple that is separated by distance.

307. Glasses: Write about a pair of eyeglasses or someone wearing glasses.

308. Robotic : Write about a robot.

309. Cute as a Button: Write about something you think is just adorable.

310. Movie Conversation: Use a memorable conversation from a favorite movie to inspire your writing.

311. Easy-Peasy : Write  about doing something effortlessly.

312. Idiom: Choose from a list of idioms one that speaks to you and create a poem around that saying or phrase. (Ie: It is raining cats and dogs)

313. Playground: Whether it is the swings or the sandbox or the sliding boards, write about your memories of being on a playground.

314. Romance: Write about romantic things partners can do for each other.

315. Rock Star: Imagine you are a famous rock star. Write about the experience.

316. Come to Life: Imagine ordinary objects have come to life. Write about what they do and say.

317. Airplane: Write about meeting someone on an airplane and a conversation you might have.

318. Health & Beauty: Take some time to peruse your medicine cabinet or the health and beauty aisles at a local store. Write a poem, short story, or journal entry inspired by a product label.

319. Determination: Write about not giving up.

320. Instrumental Inspiration: Listen to some instrumental music and write a poem that matches the mood, beat, and style of the music.

321. Wait Your Turn: Write about having to wait in line.

322. Personality Type : Do you know your personality type? (There are many free quizzes online) – write about what type of personality traits you have.

323. Decade: Choose a favorite decade and write about it. (IE: 1980’s or 1950’s for example)

324. I Believe: Write your personal credo of things you believe in.

325. Lost and Found: Write about a lost object.

326. Say it: Write a poem or story that uses dialogue between two people.

327. The Unsent Letter: Write about a letter that never made it to its recipient.

328. The Windows of the Soul: Write a poem about the story that is told through someone’s eyes.

329. Trial and Error: Write about something you learned the hard way.

330. Escape : Write about where you like to go to escape from it all.

331. What’s Cooking: Write something inspired a favorite food or recipe.

332. Records : Go through your file box and pull out old receipts or records…write something inspired by what you find!

333. Banking: Write about visiting the bank.

334. Sweet Talk: Write about trying to convince someone of something.

335. Serendipity: Write about something that happened by chance in a positive way.

336. Distractions: Write about how it feels when you can’t focus.

337. Corporation: Write about big business.

338. Word of the Day: Go to a dictionary website that has a word of the day and use it in a poem, story or journal entry you write.

339. Pick Me Up:  What do you do when you need a pick me up?

340. Unfinished: Write about a project you started but never completed.

341. Forgiveness: Write about a time when someone forgave you or you forgave someone.

342. Weakness: Write about your greatest weakness.

343. Starting: Write about starting a project.

344. Mechanical: Think of gears, moving parts, machines.

345. Random Act of Kindness : Write about a random act of kindness you’ve done for someone or someone has done for you, no matter how small or insignificant it may have seemed.

346. Underground: Imagine living in a home underground and use that as inspiration for writing.

347. Classic Rock: Pick a classic rock love ballad and rewrite it into a story or poem with a similar theme.

348. Night Owl : Write about staying up late at night.

349. Magnetic : Write about attraction to something or someone.

350. Teamwork: Write about working with a team towards a common goal.

351. Roller-coaster : Write about the ups and downs in life.

352. Motivational Poster: Look at some motivational posters online and write a poem or journal entry inspired by your favorite one.

353. Games: Write about the games people play – figuratively or literally.

354. Turning Point: Write about a point in life where things turned for the better or worse.

355. Spellbound: Write about a witch’s spell.

356. Anniversary: Write about the anniversary of a special date.

357. Gamble:  Be inspired by a casino or lottery ticket.

358. Picnic: Write about going on a picnic.

359. Garage: Write about some random item you might find in a garage.

360. Review: Review your week, month, or year in a journal entry or poem format.

361. Detective: Write about a detective searching for clues or solving a mystery.

362. Camera: Take your camera for a walk and write based on one of the photographs you take.

363. Visiting : Write about visiting a family member or friend.

364. Trust: Write about putting trust in someone.

365. Congratulations : Did you write a poem, short story, or journal entry every day for a whole year? Write about what you’ve learned and celebrate your achievement!

We hope you enjoy these creative writing prompts! And of course, if you write anything using these prompts, we’d love to know about it! Tell us how you’ll use these everyday creative writing prompts in the comments section below!

And of course, if you’d like the printable ad-free version of these prompts to reference again and again or to use in your classroom, you can find them at our Etsy shop !

Chelle Stein wrote her first embarrassingly bad novel at the age of 14 and hasn't stopped writing since. As the founder of ThinkWritten, she enjoys encouraging writers and creatives of all types.

Similar Posts

108 Romance Writing Prompts & Love Story Ideas

42 Fantasy Writing Prompts & Plot Ideas

101 Poetry Prompts & Ideas for Writing Poems

7 Creative Writing Exercises For Writers

300 Fun Writing Prompts for Kids: Story Starters, Journal Prompts & Ideas

193 comments.

I have been on a reading binge since being on vacation from school. By rereading Little House, Anne of Green Gables, and Little Women among others, one wonders about writing a book. I stumbled across this while looking up unit supplements for my kiddos, and thought, hey, write a page a day and see what happens! Thank you for this collection of prompts! I’ve linked back to this page several times so others can try their hand at writing. Thank you again!

The Flicker, The Teeth, and A Warehouse in the Dark (the warehouse prompt)

I am in a large abandoned warehouse with a flickering light The only light in the whole room. It flickered leaving me in temporal darkness It flickered again and as it was dark I swore I saw something glowing It looked like glowing teeth The lights return and I see nothing Flickers on Flickers off I see the teeth closer Flickers on I see nothing Flickers off The teeth so close Flickers on An empty warehouse Flickers off The glowing teeth are inchings away bright red blood drips from their tips Flickers on Panic rises in my chest but nothing is there Turns off The mouth of bloody teeth is before my eyes I wait for the light to flicker back on I wait in complete darkness I wait And wait And wait The teeth open wide I try to scream by the darkness swallows it A hear the crunch of my bones I see my blood pore down my chest But I wait in darkness for the pain I wait And wait And wait The mouth of teeth devours my lower half I wait for pain and death I wait And wait And wait The light flickers on I see no monster Only my morphed body And blood And blood And blood And so much blood The light flickers off The monster eats my arm Flickers on I wait for pain Flickers off I watch as the creature eats my limbs Flickers on I wait for death Flickers off Slowly the teeth eat my head All I see is dark I wait for it to flicker on Where is the warehouse light? Where is the only light in the room? Where is the flicker? Where am I? Where are the bloody teeth? I wait for the light to come back And wait And wait And wait And wait And wait And wait And wait in eternal darkness

WOW. Thank you!

This is such a helpful tool! I’ve learned a lot about my self through picking a random prompt and writing the first thing that comes to mind. I’d love to see a follow up list of possible! Definitely a recomended sight!

I agree. Very helpful.

I am new at the blogging game. You have provided some wonderful ideas for blog posts. Great ideas just to get used to writing every day. Thanks

This list is really impressive and useful for those of us who are looking for good topics to blog about. Thanks!

Thank you! That somes in handy

Very nice list. Thanks for compiling and posting it. It’s not only good for bloggers, but poets, as well.

yess im using it for my new years resolution, which is to write a poem daily!

Wow, thanks so much for all these wonderful prompts! They are lots of fun and very helpful. I love how you’ve provided 365 of them–A prompt for every day of the year! 🙂

Not if it’s a leap year…

Haha. Yea. This is great though all the same.. ;-;

Lol actually there’s 364 days in a year and 365 in a leap year so……yeah

are you fucking stupid

There are actually 366 days in a leap year so… yeah

I use this for my homeschooling-I love it! Thank you so much!! This is a wonderful list. So creative! 🙂 🙂

Thanks! I’m preparing for writing every day next year and this will come in really handy. It’s just 364 writing prompts though. 164 is missing. 😉

MiMschi is wrong 164 is there i looked

I think they meant that as a joke, 164 is called left out…

Good it is useful

no its not you nonce

You Don’t Love Me, Damn You

things left unsaid

and then some

anger strangles the baby

in its crib,

flowers wilt,

rivers dry up

harsh words clatter upon the day,

echo unfortunately

till silence smothers

in its embrace

you wish you could take it back

what’s done is done

never to be undone

though things move on

part of you remains

locked in the middle of protesting

one last thing,

mouth open,

no words emerging

why must you be misunderstood?

why must everything you say

no way of straightening things out

gestures halted mid-air

an accusatory finger

shoulders locked

in sardonic shrug

dishes smash on the floor

spray of fragments

frozen mid-air

slam the door

it doesn’t open

but in spite of yourself

you turn and look

one last time…..

(Greg Cameron, Poem, Surrey, B.C., Canada)

Love these. Thank you!

This is really amazingly deep. I love it so much. You have so much talent!!

Thanks SOOO much for the prompts but I have another suggestion!

A Recipe for disaster- write a recipe for a disastrous camping trip…

that one sounds awesome.

Haha. Reminds me of the old twin’s show.. what was it.. where the two girls switch places when they meet at camp?

Pretty sure I know what you’re talking about. The Parent Trap, right? Never seen the whole movie, but it seems funny.

and also #309, everyone should have thought of a hamster “write” away XD!

May I have permission to use this list at my next Ozarks Chapter of the American Christian Writers meeting. Thank you for consideration.

Hi Leah, please send some more info here: https://thinkwritten.com/contact

i am using it for my homeschooling and i love it

i am using it for my homeschooling

where is prompt 165?

sorry I meant 164, my mistake.

well kay, there is a 164 AND 165. So your head is clearly ????????????

What I like most about these is how you can combine them and get really weird ideas. For example, empathy from the rooftops: what if you shouted something positive in public every day – or if everyone did so? It might be fun to try, and then write a diary about it. Online time travel: if people could live virtually in incredibly well=constructed versions of different time periods, what would the effects be on today’s society? Could it change our language or customs?

It would be cool if we could have goggles that showed places during a certain time period. Like Seattle 1989. And you could buy special plugins, like specific people you want to hang out with, famous or non.

That one about online time travel is crazy brilliant!!! And highly thought-provoking.

It is amazing what creative writing could do to you. Daily prompts have proven to be very inspiring and overtime writers develop their own style of writing depending on how passionate they are about it. I would love to write about all 3, online, space, and time travel. cheers! and Don’t stop writing!

I belong to a writing club. We seem to have a lot of prompts to use. I love stories having to do with rain. Would you join me. I am jim

Wow! Inspiration right here.

May I use this list for a speech at my Ozarks Chapter of the American Christian Writers?

Love the inspiration

THANK YOU. THAT IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS THANK YOU.

What about a leap year? You’re missing one topic.

Wonderful! I love writing and these prompts are very helpful. Thank you very much! ♥

It’s been really useful in getting me to write again! Thank you very much!

I really love the list of writing ideas you have compiled here. I will be using it and others to get myself back into writing every single day if I can be away with it. Also, I have noticed a few problems with this list. One is a repeat topic. Those are numbers 76 and 162. And you skipped a number. And have only 364 days of writing. Still through! All these ideas are absolutely amazing and awesome ideas! I commend you for putting it all together in an easy to read format too. Thank you so very much.

I think we have the list all fixed now, but thanks for catching a couple of early mistakes!

Thank you for helping me edit Lora! I don’t always have a second pair of eyes + appreciated this to fix + update the post! I always say my readers are my best editors. 🙂

these days get brighter, mine gets darker, why does it has to be me , why not life.

Mirror, Mirror: What if you mirror started talking to you?

u r awesome man

Wonderful compilation of ideas! I will send your blog along to my many Creative Writing students. I’m enjoying reading your posts.

wow!! great tips! but how long did it take you to write that? its a lot of words!! lol great stuff though..

This is so cool! I love these prompts and will definitely recommend some to my teacher!!

The promise “I made a promise with my best friend, I said i’d never break, Our personalities really did blend, But then I lied awake, The people disappearing, Her gaze was always leering. I never thought she was serious, I always took it as a joke, But it really made me curious, When she was digging around that oak, My best friend is a serial killer, And i knew the truth, My life turned into a thriller, And eating at me took away my youth, I couldn’t take it any long living with this weight, To the police I went to tell my tale, Looking at me with eyes of hate, she smiled and said, without her I would fail. Now i sit in the prison cell, Waiting for my call My friend across the room smiling, my eyes begin to swell, My neck snapping on the, from my sides my hands fall

Although my writing style is dark, that’s the way I enjoy writing, and thank you for this list, even though I didn’t do one per day, scrolling through I was able to see keywords that formed ideas in my mind

I love this <3 It's amazing :))

These are really nice I absolutely love them.

This is very helpful and I’ve been finding a way to help improve my creative writing!!! Thank you very much!

You are such a life developer, who can virtually transform a life busy with unnecessary activities humans are posted to through internet. And who can restore the appetite of people to purchase pen and paper which have considered the last commodity in the market at the expense of that great vampire ‘social media’ that left both old and young paralyzed. Thanks to the proponent of this great idea.

These are great. The Closed door one gives me a great idea for a new story! Thank you so much!

man what the fuck is this shit! i was looking for short story writing prompts and I get stuck with shit like “write about the weather outside”. Damn this shit is disappointing.

Hi John, the weather might seem boring, but there are a lot of ways you can springboard from that – maybe you write a story about a character who despises the sunshine or melts if they get rained on or they live in a underground tunnel and the house gets flooded…You can also use it as an exercise in developing more descriptive writing that shows, not tells for the scenes in your story. Writing about the weather seems “easy and boring” but seriously challenge yourself to write about it in a way that makes it interesting – it is not so easy to avoid the cliches as you might think!

I LOVE IT SO MUCH i do not know why but my kids, they will just like come on this website every time it is time to have a little bit of video games! XD

The weather outside that day was dark.

It was a perfectly reasonable sort of darkness. The kind of darkness you might get if you wake up an hour before sunrise. But it was late in the morning.

He had to make sure of that. He checked his alarm clock, his microwave oven clock, and his cell phone.

The sun was supposed to be out. But the moonlit sky was starlit and clear.

And as he looked outside again, he saw that people were out, going about their business, as if none of this really mattered at all.

What was he missing here?

(There. Now you have a short story writing prompt..)

You know what “John” i think this website is great so fuck you.

yeah you tell him john

It depends on how you view it. That one topic for instance has given me a beautiful story telling. I am currently about to round up with it and trust me the feedback has been amazing.

That is great! I’m glad it helped inspire you!

Dude kids go on here so stop swearing “John”

Maybe you need to work on improving the quality of your writing. Your use of expletives is totally uncalled for. I see nothing wrong with “writing about the weather outside”. In fact, this is a great topic and can lead to awesome discussions.

Very useful indeed. Thank u

i think this is a good prompted

I think it’s awesome, I looked for inspiration, I found inspiration, thank you

well! i fall in love with all these ideas! i loved this page! thanks for sharing these amazing ideas!

Great stuff mat Keep up the good work

I LOVE THIS SO MUCH IT IS VERY HELPFUL BUT FOR A SUGGESTION YOU COULD DO DIARY STUFF MAYBE

When I read your comment, I thought you said “DAIRY,” not “DIARY.”

So… why not both? Write something based on a dairy farmer’s diary. Or… a dairy COW’S diary. Tell their stories, their private dreams. Or hidden shame…

That’s the way to think + use this list 🙂

Great idea!

Awesome list! Thank you!

Thanks so much! I’ve always been told I’m a great writer and should publish. I haven’t done a lot of leisure writing because I’m afraid I might realize I’m NOT a good writer. My therapist wants me to write more and these prompts are perfect!

This is fun i will keep doing this no matter what every year. I can’t stop writing either. Thanks for making this, it is very fun.

This helps so much! love these ideas

Can this website give me a write on the following topic. –

Imagine that the scientists could replace the human brains with computers or invent the computers with human feelings. What do you think would happen?Would the world become a better place to live in???

I’ve been looking for prompts to work through my creative art/collage journal for 2017…and love the ones you offer here….LOVE THEM! I like that they are more than just one word and give me something to think about before I start creating each day as a warm up to what is ahead.

I hope don’t mind, but I shared them on both Instagram and my FaceBook page in hopes to get my artist/creative friends to follow along with me in creating each day. I would like to include a link to your page in a near future blog post about my creative journal.

Thank you for posting and sharing you prompts…I’m excited to get started!

I’m on number 43 and I’ve already discovered a whole bunch about myself! These prompts are amazing and I can’t wait for the next 322 of them. I’ve recommended this to several of my friends. Totally worth several notebooks chock full of prompts and a years worth of writing 🙂

Very inspiring….

Hello! Is it alright if I add some of these to a little book I’m making for my Grandmother? She hasn’t opened a computer in her life but I know these prompts would do her a world of good. I believe in the importance of asking permission to use the creative property of another person 🙂 Cheers!

Hi Maxx, of course you may share with your grandmother – the only thing we would worry about is if you were to publish them for monetary gain. Enjoy! 🙂

This is really helpful. I’m glad I saw it first. ♥

OMG!! I’ve never been in this website before!!

Thank u so much this was so helpful. Idk how u came up with all thoughts prompts. It was very helpful. Thank u again.

For the first time in a long time it finally felt like I knew was going to happen next. I was gazing into her eyes and she was gazing back. I remember it like it was just yesterday, when she was still the one for me but never forgave me. I miss the sweet sound of her laughter and now all i hear are friends. I have tried to go back and apologize to her just to see if the answer will change but even I know that it will never change because I will never be enough for her. But if she ever decides that she wants me back she can have me because a life without love is one not worth living.

gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood

can u give me one using the prompt “normal”

Thanks for this!!!!! Will definitely help me in learning to tap into my creative writing genius 🙂

Thanks, this helped me a lot!

u have a typo!!!! 364

Thanks for pointing out, got it fixed 🙂 Sometimes my brain goes faster than the computer. 🙂

I wrote this, tell me what you think; prompt #4-dancing You see her tapping her toes, always listening to music. Although she doesn’t like the music, what she doesn’t know yet is it will be stuck in her head for the next year. She’s as graceful as a butterfly yet as strong as a fighter. Many only see a pretty face yet those close enough to the fire know the passion burning deep inside of her. At home she’s quiet, always in her room yet making loud noises through the floorboards. Her parents know what she’s up to but her little brothers don’t quite understand yet. All they know is that when she goes up there she’s listening to music and soon she will play it for the whole neighborhood to hear. They don’t know that she’s practicing, practicing for the most important day of the year. The one she’s been waiting for since she’s been a little girl. Tapping her toes at the table only stops when her parents beg her to rest. Even in her dreams she on stage, dancing like a swan. Yet deep down she’s scared of the failure that she will feel if this one day goes a bit to south. Tapping her toes to the beat of her music gives her a bit of pip in her pep when she walks down the halls. No one quite understands the stress she’s going through. Through her smile she’s worries, scared that one misstep might end it all for her. But she won’t let anyone see that she’s nervous. She’s used to getting bruises, she falls on the ground but always gets back up. Because she’s a dancer, the show must go on.

Brilliant. Loved it.

Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m working on a site in Danish about writing and I would love to translate these awesome prompts into Danish and use it on the site. Would that be OK? I’ll credit with links of course!

Hi Camilla, you cannot copy + post these on your site, but feel free to link to the article – our site is compatible with Google translate 🙂

Hi Camilla, this list cannot be republished, even if translated into another language. However, if you would like to link to our website that would be great, your readers are able to translate it into any language if they use a web browser such as Google Chrome.

My goal is to write all of these prompts before 2018

This is amazing! I am writing for fun and this is a list of amazing prompts!

Ha, Ha . I see what you did , #164 was missing and now it say write about being left out .

Thanks a ton !!!

This link has been really helpful for my blog, loved the ideas.

Thanks for not publishing my email address

You are welcome! We never publish email addresses. If you’d like to learn more about how we collect and use information you may provide us with on this website, you can read more on our privacy policy page. Hope that helps! https://thinkwritten.com/privacy/

I have another suggestion, What about “The Secret Journey to the Unknown”. I reckon it’s awesome!

I was wondering if you could please send new ideas to me, much appreciated thanks.

I love all of these so much and i try to write referring to these at least once everyday thank you so much for these!

Trust, It is a beautiful thing. You give it to others, For them to protect. They can keep it forever, Or they can destroy it.

Wow what a treasure! Am glad I have found the right place to begging my writing journey.Thanks guys

Super awesome! Thanks so much for this collection of writing prompts!!

Today is the last day of the year 2017. I’m proud to say that I was able to complete this challenge. Thank you for the inspiring prompts! 🙂

That is awesome! We might just have to think of some new ones!!

how about one with sports like the NBA

I thought my life was over when I couldn’t access this for a couple weeks. These prompts are excellent. I write two page short stories on one every day. I hope you guys never take down this site but I’m printing these for insurance because it truly was devastating. I’m very emotionally attached to this list. Thank you so much for sharing.

Yes, we did have a small glitch in our hosting services for a few days! Fortunately, it was only temporary and unexpected! {Though I’m sure it did feel like 2 weeks!} Good to hear you are using the prompts!

Very nice article. Very useful one for improving writing skills

Thank you Sid! Glad it is useful for you!

Oh my god.. This is something a different, thought provoking and a yardstick to those who cultivated passion on writing, like me, beginners. Wishes for this website. I really wanted to try this 365 days of writing. Thanks in tons.

Glad you find it helpful! I hope it keeps you inspired to keep growing as a writer!

i love writing too! i am writing a book and this website inspired me too!

i have been writing lots of things and am getting A + on writing

thxs for your time with the web

i am making a epic book. it is because of this website. you really help. i will share a link of my book once i am done with it to your awesome cool really helpful website! thank you for your time

That is great to hear Christopher! Would love to see some of your work when you are ready to share! 🙂

WOOOOOOOOW BEST SITE!

I’m going to write few marvelous essays based on ideas in your impressive list. Thanks!

Just to tell some people that 165 or 164 is not missing because some people probably can’t see but just to let u know that 164 is a prompt called “Left Out”

Dang. The second idea about writing about what it feels like to love someone who doesn’t love you back, I wrote something like that BEFORE I found this website.

You can always try writing it again, maybe from the other person’s perspective this time? That is the beauty of the open-ended writing prompts – you can always interpret them in a way to push and challenge you as a writer!

Thank you for these prompts! I enjoyed looking through them and writing them! They gave me great ideas and inspired me so much.

This is my favorite website to find inspiration to write. I had run out of ideas and i had a huge writers block but this made it all go away. Here’s something i wrote:

He is a mess She is beautiful He has tears streaming down his face She glides across the room as if it were her kingdom And she’s The reigning queen He’s curled up in a ball In the corner of the room He looks at me I wonder what he thinks I can’t take my eyes off her The way she subtly smiles when she realizes Someone is looking She seems to be happy all the time But I can see through the smile It’s my first time noticing It’s not complete That was the first time I wanted to say hi But I thought Why would he look at me? The nerd with all the answers in her head All the books in her hands And Her sleeves full of hearts She looked at me From the corner of her eye She saw me looking The boy with the tear stains She saw me His tears were no longer streaming He had finally stood up Tall and handsome As he is Eyes Bluer than the blue jay that sat outside my bedroom window She had opened a book and started reading She hadn’t changed pages for a while Safe to assume She was distracted She looked up and Without knowing I was in front of her “Hi” Her brown eyes Stared in to my soul Erased the memory of why the tears Were streaming in the first place “Hi”

I love it Cynthia, thank you for sharing and glad that it inspired you to keep writing! 🙂

Thank you for so many amazing ideas! I love the sound of mirror, mirror!

Glad you found it inspiring Ar!

read the whole thing and didn’t find anything I’d enjoy writing 🙁

What kinds of things do you like to write? We have a whole collection of additional writing prompts lists here. Sometimes challenging yourself to write something you don’t like all in its own can be a good exercise for writing. Hope that helps!

These are ingenious!

I love these prompts! They’re inspiring! I’ve chosen to challenge myself by using one of these prompts every day of this 2019 year. I posted my writings for the first prompt on my Tumblr and Facebook pages with the prompt and a link back to this article- I hope that’s alright. If not, I can take it down, or I would love to discuss a way I could continue to do this. I hope more people can see and use these prompts because I have already found joy in using the first one.

Hi Elizabeth! Glad you are enjoying the prompts! You can definitely post what you write with these prompts as long as you do not copy the entire list or claim them as your own. Linking back to our website or this post will help others find the prompts so they too can use them for writing! If you have any questions feel free to contact us anytime using our contact form. Thanks!

Amazing original prompts Thank you so much!

Good list, but you’re not supposed to mistake it’s for its. Not on a website for writers, of all places!

I appreciate your comment, especially because after triple checking the article AND having a few grammar-police personality type friends do the same we could not find any typos. All of the instances of its and it’s are the correct usage.

However, one thing we did remember is that it is very easy for the person reading to accidentally misunderstand and not interpret it the way as the writer intended.

To clarify when we should use it’s vs. its:

We use it’s when we intend the meaning as the contraction. This is a shortened way of writing it is . We use its without an apostrophe when we use it as a possessive noun. Any instances you may note here are correct for their intended meaning.

Some examples:

Prompt #141 It’s a Sign : In this case we intend it to be interpreted as IT IS a Sign , where the usage is a contraction.

Prompt #7 The Rocket Ship : In this case we intend it to be interpreted as the possessive form.

I hope that helps clear up any possible confusion for you!

Thank you soooo much! That helped me a lot!

You’re welcome Keira! Glad you enjoyed our list of writing ideas!

It is so rich in bright and thought-provoking ideas. Thank you so much. Get inspired to have more, please

Thanks for this. I love to write things like this. Some of these though, weren’t as interesting as I wanted it to be, not saying that they aren’t interesting. I like the help you’ve added in, such as being led into a dark room with only a flashlight to help so it gets us started. Great job!

Thanks Maya, I’m glad you like the prompts. Sometimes the prompts that seem boring are the best ones to help you practice your skills as a writer to make them interesting topics. Some of the best writers can make the most mundane topics fun!

Nice….I don’t think I’ll ever lack something to write on … I so appreciate your ideas ..,they are great

Thank you, glad you enjoyed them!

Thank you for providing these writing prompts! They are great!

Thank You so much, these are amazing to start of with to get the creative juices flowing

Thank you very much

Sweet! Thank you so much! I plan to use some of these for some creative writing on CourageousChristianFather.com

I’m glad they inspired you Steve! I always love seeing what everyone writes with these prompts – I really enjoyed your post about the cookie ad jingle! 🙂

Thanks so much for this list. I needed something to kickstart my writing. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I just wrote #1. WooHoo!!

Thank you for your list. This is great!

I write feature articles for our church library’s monthly newsletter. Perusing this list has helped me come up with a couple dozen ideas to consider for future issues! Thanks much for putting this together – it is being used beyond the scope of what you intended, I think!

That’s wonderful Debbie! There are so many ways to apply these prompts to any sort of project – thank you for sharing how you are using them!

Thanks for your prompts, an idea I have for a prompt is write a story based on your favorite story for example I’m writing a fantasy book based on the game dungeons and dragons…

i guss its ok

cgv hbvkd vjvhsvhivhcickbcjh

Just needed to ask: I’d like to think these prompts are for free writing with no pauses? But, does one edit and polish the piece after that? I keep reading about writing every day…like brain dumping. But, there is never a mention of what one does with the piece after that??

This article has been written with sheer intelligence. Such 365 creative writing prompts has been written here. This article is worth marking as Good. I like how you have researched and presented these exact points so clearly.

Thank you for this list! You’ve inspired me to take up the challenge, though I haven’t written anything in years!

I have even created a blog to post my ideas, and keep myself accountable. I hope this is okay, I will credit, and provide a link back to this page on each post. https://thefishhavegotitright.blogspot.com/

I love it Ariadne, I’ll definitely come check out your site! Keep at it!

This is really Helpful thanks I love it😊

I never knew how much I had to write about. This should definitely keep me busy! Thank you so much for the list.

Hi! I saw a note saying this had been updated for 2020. I was curious if there are plans to update it for 2021. If so, when would the 2021-updated list become available?

Hi Gabrielle, I am not sure when we will next update this list, but feel free to check out some of our other writing prompts lists if you’ve exhausted this one! Writing Prompts for Kids {which is for grown-ups too!} and Poetry Writing Prompts are two great ones to check out. Hope that helps!

Loved this a lot! I would like to ask permission for using these prompts for my poetry and stories page on Instagram. Kindly let me know if I can use these and let my followers write on them too.

Hi, Piyusha, I’m just a user of the site like you, so I’m not “official”. But if you hit CTRL + F in your browser, that should open the “Find” dialog. Search on “Camilla”, and that will take you to a post and response concerning your request. Have a great and productive writing day. K. B. Tidwell

very informative thank you

I have always had problems finding something to write about. My problem is solved🥰 Thank you

I love this

Oh great. Good for everyone who enjoys picking the pen and writing something readable

Love these prompts. I am going to write a story about a group of people creating and building a city where homeless people can live, where everyone has access to as much money as they need because money is in endless supply. Where no one has too little or too much of anything.

I decided to write a poem about prompt 41, I have been writing poetry for 2 years now and haven’t had much inspiration so I appreciate these prompts!

“WHAT THEY DON’T KNOW”

They don’t know. They don’t know the dread I feel, The pain I feel, The crippling anxiety And the depression that I feel.

For I have worn this mask, Sealed to my face with wax, To make sure no one knows That I am suffering, Every Single Day.

Telling someone these feelings I feel, Well that would surely Be a relief, But if something goes wrong, If they send my thoughts Throughout everyone I know, And anyone I could know.

Well, if that happens, I’ll have to travel abroad. To a distant land, Start over.

And hope and make sure, No one finds out what Might be under this mask Sealed with wax. And that they won’t know how I feel.

Because I’d rather deal with being a Trainwreck, A teenage disaster, And keeping everything about me a secret, Then having everyone Look at me as if I’m not human For having problems just like them.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Have a language expert improve your writing

Check your paper for plagiarism in 10 minutes, generate your apa citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• College essay
• Choosing Your College Essay Topic | Ideas & Examples

Choosing Your College Essay Topic | Ideas & Examples

Published on October 25, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on July 3, 2023.

A strong essay topic sets you up to write a unique, memorable college application essay . Your topic should be personal, original, and specific. Take time to brainstorm the right topic for you.

Table of contents

What makes a good topic, brainstorming questions to get started, discover the best topic for you, how to make a common topic compelling, frequently asked questions about college application essays, other interesting articles.

Here are some guidelines for a good essay topic:

• It’s focused on you and your experience
• It shares something different from the rest of your application
• It’s specific and original (not many students could write a similar essay)
• It affords the opportunity to share your positive stories and qualities

In most cases, avoid topics that

• Reflect poorly on your character and behavior
• Deal with a challenge or traumatic experience without a lesson learned or positive outlook

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Spend time reflecting on and writing out answers to the following questions. After doing this exercise, you should be able to identify a few strong topics for your college essay.

Writing about yourself can be difficult. If you’re struggling to identify your topic, try these two strategies.

Start with your qualities

After identifying your positive qualities or values, brainstorm stories that demonstrate these qualities.

Start with a story

If you already have some memorable stories in mind that you’d like to write about, think about which qualities and values you can demonstrate with those stories.

Talk it through

To make sure you choose the right topic, ask for advice from trusted friends or family members who know you well. They can help you brainstorm ideas and remember stories, and they can give you feedback on your potential essay topics.

You can also work with a guidance counselor, teacher, or other mentor to discuss which ideas are most promising. If you plan ahead , you can even workshop multiple draft essays to see which topic works best.

If you do choose a common topic, ensure you have the following to craft a unique essay:

• Surprising or unexpected story arcs
• Interesting insight or connections
• An advanced writing style

Here are a few examples of how to craft strong essays from cliché topics.

Here’s a checklist you can use to confirm that your college essay topic is right for you.

College essay topic checklist

My topic is focused on me, not on someone else.

My topic shares something different from the rest of my application.

My topic is specific and original (not many students could write a similar essay).

My topic reflects positively on my character and behavior.

If I chose to write about a traumatic or challenging experience, my essay will focus on how I overcame it or gained insight.

If I chose a common topic, my essay will have a surprising story arc, interesting insight, and/or an advanced writing style.

Good topic!

It looks like your topic is a good choice. It's specific, it avoids clichés, and it reflects positively on you.

There are no foolproof college essay topics —whatever your topic, the key is to write about it effectively. However, a good topic

• Is meaningful, specific, and personal to you
• Focuses on you and your experiences
• Reveals something beyond your test scores, grades, and extracurriculars
• Is creative and original

Yes—admissions officers don’t expect everyone to have a totally unique college essay topic . But you must differentiate your essay from others by having a surprising story arc, an interesting insight, and/or an advanced writing style .

To decide on a good college essay topic , spend time thoughtfully answering brainstorming questions. If you still have trouble identifying topics, try the following two strategies:

• Identify your qualities → Brainstorm stories that demonstrate these qualities
• Identify memorable stories → Connect your qualities to these stories

You can also ask family, friends, or mentors to help you brainstorm topics, give feedback on your potential essay topics, or recall key stories that showcase your qualities.

Most topics are acceptable for college essays if you can use them to demonstrate personal growth or a lesson learned. However, there are a few difficult topics for college essays that should be avoided. Avoid topics that are:

• Overly personal (e.g. graphic details of illness or injury, romantic or sexual relationships)
• Not personal enough (e.g. broad solutions to world problems, inspiring people or things)
• Too negative (e.g. an in-depth look at your flaws, put-downs of others, criticizing the need for a college essay)
• Too boring (e.g. a resume of your academic achievements and extracurriculars)
• Inappropriate for a college essay (e.g. illegal activities, offensive humor, false accounts of yourself, bragging about privilege)

Here’s a brief list of college essay topics that may be considered cliché:

• Extracurriculars, especially sports
• Role models
• Dealing with a personal tragedy or death in the family
• Struggling with new life situations (immigrant stories, moving homes, parents’ divorce)
• Becoming a better person after community service, traveling, or summer camp
• Overcoming a difficult class
• Using a common object as an extended metaphor

It’s easier to write a standout essay with a unique topic. However, it’s possible to make a common topic compelling with interesting story arcs, uncommon connections, and an advanced writing style.

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Academic writing

• Writing process
• Transition words
• Passive voice
• Paraphrasing

 Communication

• How to end an email
• Ms, mrs, miss
• How to start an email
• I hope this email finds you well
• Hope you are doing well

 Parts of speech

• Personal pronouns
• Conjunctions

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Courault, K. (2023, July 03). Choosing Your College Essay Topic | Ideas & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/college-essay/essay-topic/

Is this article helpful?

Kirsten Courault

Other students also liked, college essay format & structure | example outlines, what do colleges look for in an essay | examples & tips, how to make your college essay stand out | tips & examples, "i thought ai proofreading was useless but..".

I've been using Scribbr for years now and I know it's a service that won't disappoint. It does a good job spotting mistakes”

Are you seeking one-on-one college counseling and/or essay support? Limited spots are now available. Click here to learn more.

25 Inspiring College Essay Topic Ideas

June 24, 2024

If you’ve ever wondered what other people write about in their college application essays, you’re not alone. Just as reading a range of novels can expose you to unique takes on similar themes, seeing others’ college essay topic ideas can open you up to new possibilities, spark creativity, and enhance your brainstorming process. Since we read hundreds of essays per year, we wanted to round up a collection of past topics from actual students to inspire your essay-writing endeavors. Moreover, we’ve paired those topics with targeted brainstorming questions that will set you off on your own path to success. Ready? Let’s dive in.

How do I find the right college essay topic ideas?

Like a well-hidden geocache , the right college essay topic ideas can only be uncovered with some effort. In general, the right college essay topic:

• is interesting and/or exciting to you
• demonstrates a quality, value, or perspective that can’t be found elsewhere on your application

While deciding, focus on asking yourself the right types of questions. For example, let’s say you’re down to two topics: a moral/ethical dilemma you recently faced, or the nonprofit you started last year. In this scenario, most students may assume they *should* write about the nonprofit–after all, it’s the more “impressive” of the two, right?

However, let’s divorce ourselves from “should.” Instead, ask yourself: if I write this essay, what will admissions officers learn about me that they can’t learn about elsewhere? Through starting this nonprofit, what have I learned about myself? Can I show my reader what I value, or how I handle problems? Or will I basically be re-hashing what is already in my activities list or honors section ?

Alternatively, the ethical/moral dilemma you recently faced completely threw you for a loop. It made you rethink a closely held belief and forced you to confront how you handle challenging situations.

Ask yourself: what will admissions officers learn about me that they can’t learn about elsewhere? What have I learned about myself? Can I handle this subject tactfully—without complaining, blaming others, or coming to a conclusion that feels forced/too neat? Can I be vulnerable?

Be honest with yourself, and a clear winner will emerge.

How do I find “unique” college essay topic ideas?

Every year, our students wonder how to ensure that their essay stands out, often asking us questions along these lines:

How do I make sure that my essay topic is different from everyone else’s?

If I write about my sports injury, will it sound like every other sports essay?

If I write about my parent’s illness, will that be just another sob story?

We get it—it’s natural and normal to be curious about what admissions officers want to hear, or wonder whether particular college essay topic ideas will strengthen your application more than others. While there is some strategy involved with topic selection, the way you write about and reflect on any given topic is usually much more important than the topic itself.

To that end, college essay topics/themes we see on a regular basis include:

• Coming-of-age, most often a realization that changed their perspective or inspired personal growth
• A challenging situation or moral dilemma
• A passion or intellectual curiosity
• A meaningful aspect of their family/identity/cultural background
• An important community

We see these topics frequently because they are universal to the teenage experience. This does not make them bad or mean you should avoid them. On the contrary, it makes them classic, timeless, and relatable (remember, you’re trying to create a personal connection with your reader!).

Accordingly, use the above college essay topics/themes as a way to start collecting ideas for your own personal statement, and know you are in very good company if you write an essay on one of them.

Bottom line: you make a college essay topic “unique” by writing about yourself, in your own style and voice, with plenty of detail and specifics. You share what you learned and how you grew. That’s it!

Where can I find examples of college essay topic ideas?

Sometimes, you just need a list of examples. Let’s go back to our geocaching reference above. What the heck is a geocache, anyway? What will you find inside one? Do people use certain types of containers? Perusing a few examples will help you build an idea of what to expect when you go exploring. Okay, I could be looking for anything from Tupperware containers to film canisters…or fake rocks…what?!

Accordingly, in providing you with this list of college essay topic ideas, we want to validate and inspire you. These are real college essay topics developed by real college applicants, so it’s very likely you can connect or identify with at least a few of them. If a topic resonates with or sounds interesting to you, try writing down some thoughts on the associated brainstorming question and see where it takes you.

Inspiring College Essay Topic Ideas

• Central Story : A parent’s struggle with addiction, and the author’s struggle to cope with the changes happening at home
• Reflection/Resolution : How the author found themselves again—and learned to cope—by leaning into activities that they loved
• Brainstorming Question : Has your parent or guardian ever faced a significant health problem, such as a chronic illness, terminal diagnosis, or addiction? How did it impact you?
• Central Story : After volunteering at a homeless shelter for years, the author realized he had been avoiding personal connection with the men he served meals to
• Reflection/Resolution : Prioritizing connection, even if uncomfortable, and finding new, tangible ways to understand and assist this population
• Brainstorming Question : Have you ever had a perspective-changing volunteer opportunity? If so, what was your perspective before you started, and what is it now?

College Essay Topic Ideas — Continued

• Central Story : Navigating interactions with customers at a part-time job
• Reflection/Resolution : Finding ways to connect with and appreciate patrons, and understand how important her job was
• Brainstorming Question : Do you work in a customer service role? What have been your most memorable interactions, positive or negative? How have they impacted you?
• Central Story : After years of being a competitive ballet dancer and having aspirations to dance in college, the author is struck with the realization that she does not actually want to be a professional ballerina
• Reflection/Resolution : Coming to terms with her decision, and embracing who she is without ballet
• Brainstorming Question : Have you ever had a college-related or professional goal that changed? Why did it change, and how did you deal with it?
• Central Story : How a difficult incident during a baseball game changed the author’s relationship with the sport, and pushed him toward new realizations about his future
• Reflection/Resolution : Embracing his own power to make a difference by immersing himself in research, and discovering new fields that he is interested in pursuing in college
• Brainstorming Question : Has a particular situation ever shocked or deeply upset you? What realizations did you have about yourself? About others?
• Central Story : The author’s fiction writing journey and realization that women of color are underrepresented or presented as one-note in most literature
• Reflection/Resolution : The author’s commitment to crafting characters that not only represented her but reflected her values and beliefs, and creating a writing community in the process
• Brainstorming Question : Do you have a hobby or passion that you could spend hours a day/week engaging in? How did you get started, and what experiences have been most special/important to you?
• Central Story : How a strategy-based board game gave the author the skills needed to take a volunteer opportunity to the next level
• Reflection/Resolution : What the author learned about himself in the process, and the importance of being open to what all types of experiences can teach you
• Brainstorming Question : What’s your go-to “fun” activity? What (perhaps surprising) skills have you learned from it? Have you been able to apply them in other areas of your life?
• Central Story : The author’s intensive preparation for synchronized swim team tryouts
• Reflection/Resolution : How the author dealt with the disappointment of not making the team, and learned important lessons about failure and resilience
• Brainstorming Question : Have you ever tried—and failed—at something that took weeks, months, or even years to prepare for? What was that like? How did you cope, and what did you learn about yourself in the process?
• Central Story : The author’s longing for a stable community after experiencing a housing crisis
• Reflection/Resolution : How volunteering at a local nonprofit committed to building homes helped him find the community he was searching for, and inspired his future career path
• Brainstorming Question : What activity is most meaningful to you? How is it enabled you to make an impact on others? How has it impacted you personally?
• Central Story : The author’s first encounter with coral bleaching, and ensuing environmental activism
• Reflection/Resolution : How he found balance between activism and his personal life so that he could bring his best self to every project
• Brainstorming Question : Do you participate in any activities that feel consuming on multiple levels? How do you find balance? Has that been a difficult journey?
• Central Story : The author’s love of connecting with friends and family through baking, even when the time commitment involved became difficult to navigate
• Reflection/Resolution : How the author learned to juggle multiple types of commitments, leading to increased joy and intention
• Brainstorming Question : What personal hobbies are most meaningful to you, and why? Have you ever struggled to find time for your favorite hobby amidst other obligations? How did you navigate that?
• Central Story : How the author struggled with coming out
• Reflection/Resolution : How joining a supportive LGBTQ community helped the author make peace with her identity, and also begin helping others who may be struggling with their identity
• Brainstorming Question : Is there an aspect of your sexual or cultural identity that you’ve struggled to accept? What has that journey been like for you? What actions have you taken along the way, and what have you learned about yourself in the process?
• Central Story : The author’s determination to help other students feel less isolated and more involved at school, which stemmed from his own early experiences as an immigrant
• Reflection/Resolution : How the author implemented actual changes that resulted in more connection, school spirit, and personal fulfillment
• Brainstorming Question : Have you ever tried to solve a particular issue in your community? What issue did you try to solve, and why? What steps did you take to solve it, and what was the outcome?
• Central Story : How the author’s early love of Spanish led to learning additional languages
• Reflection/Resolution : How learning languages has allowed for deeper cultural exploration and appreciation, along with an exploration of the author’s own personal history and goal to pursue linguistics in college
• Brainstorming Question : Do you already know what you want to pursue in college? How did you come to that conclusion, and what experiences have informed or influenced it along the way?
• Central Story : How the author’s perfectionism often caused her to avoid trying new things, which she realized after a massive project went sideways
• Reflection/Resolution : The author began trying new activities outside her comfort zone that introduced her to new interests and inspired further exploration
• Brainstorming Question : Do you ever feel like you hold yourself back? In what ways? How have you tried to overcome those hurdles?
• Central Story : The author’s lifelong interest in his favorite animal
• Reflection/Resolution : What attributes of this animal the author is most fascinated by, how those attributes connect to his own life/experiences, and what he’s learned about himself in the process
• Brainstorming Question : What are your “favorites”—favorite color, favorite animal, favorite song, favorite movie, favorite place, etc? Why are they your favorite? What can your “favorites” tell us about you?
• Central Story : How the author’s boredom with piano stemmed from always following sheet music strictly as written
• Reflection/Resolution : How learning a new musical term—and experimenting with it—enabled the author to find the joy in music again
• Brainstorming Question : Have you participated in any activities that lost their appeal at some point? How did you react, and what was the outcome?
• Central Story : The author’s love for a certain childhood craft
• Reflection/Resolution : How rekindling her love for this craft led to a fascination with repetition and patterns that ultimately inspired her college major
• Brainstorming Question : As a child, what activities did you love most? Do you still engage in any of them? If so, why are they so important to you?
• Central Story : The toxic environment within the author’s first school play, which made her start to lose her passion for music
• Reflection/Resolution : How quitting theater and investing her energy in different, more supportive activities allowed her to reclaim her love of singing
• Brainstorming Question : Have you ever quit an important sport, club, or other activity? What led to that decision, and how did you move forward?
• Central Story : How the author’s love of fashion—and its history—led to a particularly optimistic sewing project
• Reflection/Resolution : How the process of trial and error during her project—as well as her continued work on it—represents her resilience, passion, and love of learning
• Brainstorming Question : Have you ever undertaken a project that didn’t go according to plan? What ups and downs did you encounter, and how did you navigate them?
• Central Story : How the author confronted her perception of entrepreneurship as well as her own role within her company
• Reflection/Resolution : How asking difficult questions, conducting research, and being willing to pivot led the author to adjust her mindset and personal philosophy
• Brainstorming Question : Have you ever realized that you might need to adjust a previously held belief or perspective? How did you come to that conclusion, and what did you do about it?
• Central Story : The author’s reluctance and nervousness to return to India, where she spent her childhood
• Reflection/Resolution : How reconnecting with her culture, especially its literature, led her to embrace herself more fully and even helped inform her future career path
• Brainstorming Question : Do you ever feel torn between two different worlds or cultural identities? How have you navigated and/or tried to come to terms with that?
• Central Story : How the author’s self-doubt and fear began to negatively impact her sports performance
• Reflection/Resolution : How a teammate’s influence enabled the author to start trusting herself, leading to increased self-confidence and new levels of risk-taking
• Brainstorming Question : Have you ever dealt with an ongoing struggle that started to take over your life? What enabled you to start adopting a healthier outlook?
• Central Story : The author’s realization that her method of communication in leadership roles may be hindering, rather than helping, progress
• Reflection/Resolution : How adjusting her communication methods, focusing on collaboration, and readjusting her perspective led to a new definition of personal and professional success
• Brainstorming Question : Have you ever realized that your way of doing things may be negatively impacting a particular group or team? If so, what did you do about it?
• Central Story : An ethical dilemma that the author experienced while serving on her school paper
• Reflection/Resolution : How the author arrived at her decision, and what she learned about her own decision-making process
• Brainstorming Question : Have you ever been confronted with a moral or ethical dilemma? If so, how did you arrive at a decision? Do you regret or stand behind that decision—why or why not?

Final Thoughts — College Essay Topics

After identifying an interesting and personally significant essay topic, you’ll want to focus on further brainstorming as well as execution. Not sure what to do next? College Transitions’ highly skilled essay coaches can help— click here to see available packages or schedule a free consultation.

Additional resources you may find useful:

• Common App Essay Prompts
• How to Brainstorm a College Essay
• 10 Instructive Common App Essay Examples
• College Application Essay Topics to Avoid
• How to Start a College Essay
• How to End a College Essay
• Best College Essay Help
• College Essay

Kelsea Conlin

Kelsea holds a BA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Tufts University, a graduate certificate in College Counseling from UCLA, and an MA in Teaching Writing from Johns Hopkins University. Her short fiction is forthcoming in Chautauqua .

• 2-Year Colleges
• Application Strategies
• Best Colleges by Major
• Best Colleges by State
• Big Picture
• Career & Personality Assessment
• College Search/Knowledge
• College Success
• Costs & Financial Aid
• Data Visualizations
• Dental School Admissions
• Extracurricular Activities
• Graduate School Admissions
• High School Success
• High Schools
• Homeschool Resources
• Law School Admissions
• Medical School Admissions
• Navigating the Admissions Process
• Online Learning
• Outdoor Adventure
• Private High School Spotlight
• Research Programs
• Summer Program Spotlight
• Summer Programs
• Teacher Tools
• Test Prep Provider Spotlight

“Innovative and invaluable…use this book as your college lifeline.”

— Lynn O'Shaughnessy

Nationally Recognized College Expert

College Planning in Your Inbox

Join our information-packed monthly newsletter.

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 113 perfect persuasive essay topics for any assignment.

General Education

Do you need to write a persuasive essay but aren’t sure what topic to focus on? Were you thrilled when your teacher said you could write about whatever you wanted but are now overwhelmed by the possibilities? We’re here to help!

Read on for a list of 113 top-notch persuasive essay topics, organized into ten categories. To help get you started, we also discuss what a persuasive essay is, how to choose a great topic, and what tips to keep in mind as you write your persuasive essay.

What Is a Persuasive Essay?

In a persuasive essay, you attempt to convince readers to agree with your point of view on an argument. For example, an essay analyzing changes in Italian art during the Renaissance wouldn’t be a persuasive essay, because there’s no argument, but an essay where you argue that Italian art reached its peak during the Renaissance would be a persuasive essay because you’re trying to get your audience to agree with your viewpoint.

Persuasive and argumentative essays both try to convince readers to agree with the author, but the two essay types have key differences. Argumentative essays show a more balanced view of the issue and discuss both sides. Persuasive essays focus more heavily on the side the author agrees with. They also often include more of the author’s opinion than argumentative essays, which tend to use only facts and data to support their argument.

All persuasive essays have the following:

• Introduction: Introduces the topic, explains why it’s important, and ends with the thesis.
• Thesis: A sentence that sums up what the essay be discussing and what your stance on the issue is.
• Reasons you believe your side of the argument: Why do you support the side you do? Typically each main point will have its own body paragraph.
• Evidence supporting your argument: Facts or examples to back up your main points. Even though your opinion is allowed in persuasive essays more than most other essays, having concrete examples will make a stronger argument than relying on your opinion alone.
• Conclusion: Restatement of thesis, summary of main points, and a recap of why the issue is important.

What Makes a Good Persuasive Essay Topic?

Theoretically, you could write a persuasive essay about any subject under the sun, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should. Certain topics are easier to write a strong persuasive essay on, and below are tips to follow when deciding what you should write about.

It’s a Topic You Care About

Obviously, it’s possible to write an essay about a topic you find completely boring. You’ve probably done it! However, if possible, it’s always better to choose a topic that you care about and are interested in. When this is the case, you’ll find doing the research more enjoyable, writing the essay easier, and your writing will likely be better because you’ll be more passionate about and informed on the topic.

You Have Enough Evidence to Support Your Argument

Just being passionate about a subject isn’t enough to make it a good persuasive essay topic, though. You need to make sure your argument is complex enough to have at least two potential sides to root for, and you need to be able to back up your side with evidence and examples. Even though persuasive essays allow your opinion to feature more than many other essays, you still need concrete evidence to back up your claims, or you’ll end up with a weak essay.

For example, you may passionately believe that mint chocolate chip ice cream is the best ice cream flavor (I agree!), but could you really write an entire essay on this? What would be your reasons for believing mint chocolate chip is the best (besides the fact that it’s delicious)? How would you support your belief? Have enough studies been done on preferred ice cream flavors to support an entire essay? When choosing a persuasive essay idea, you want to find the right balance between something you care about (so you can write well on it) and something the rest of the world cares about (so you can reference evidence to strengthen your position).

It’s a Manageable Topic

Bigger isn’t always better, especially with essay topics. While it may seem like a great idea to choose a huge, complex topic to write about, you’ll likely struggle to sift through all the information and different sides of the issue and winnow them down to one streamlined essay. For example, choosing to write an essay about how WWII impacted American life more than WWI wouldn’t be a great idea because you’d need to analyze all the impacts of both the wars in numerous areas of American life. It’d be a huge undertaking. A better idea would be to choose one impact on American life the wars had (such as changes in female employment) and focus on that. Doing so will make researching and writing your persuasive essay much more feasible.

List of 113 Good Persuasive Essay Topics

Below are over 100 persuasive essay ideas, organized into ten categories. When you find an idea that piques your interest, you’ll choose one side of it to argue for in your essay. For example, if you choose the topic, “should fracking be legal?” you’d decide whether you believe fracking should be legal or illegal, then you’d write an essay arguing all the reasons why your audience should agree with you.

Arts/Culture

• Should students be required to learn an instrument in school?
• Did the end of Game of Thrones fit with the rest of the series?
• Can music be an effective way to treat mental illness?
• With e-readers so popular, have libraries become obsolete?
• Are the Harry Potter books more popular than they deserve to be?
• Should music with offensive language come with a warning label?
• What’s the best way for museums to get more people to visit?
• Should students be able to substitute an art or music class for a PE class in school?
• Are the Kardashians good or bad role models for young people?
• Should people in higher income brackets pay more taxes?
• Should all high school students be required to take a class on financial literacy?
• Is it possible to achieve the American dream, or is it only a myth?
• Is it better to spend a summer as an unpaid intern at a prestigious company or as a paid worker at a local store/restaurant?
• Should the United States impose more or fewer tariffs?
• Should college graduates have their student loans forgiven?
• Should restaurants eliminate tipping and raise staff wages instead?
• Should students learn cursive writing in school?
• Which is more important: PE class or music class?
• Is it better to have year-round school with shorter breaks throughout the year?
• Should class rank be abolished in schools?
• Should students be taught sex education in school?
• Should students be able to attend public universities for free?
• What’s the most effective way to change the behavior of school bullies?
• Are the SAT and ACT accurate ways to measure intelligence?
• Should students be able to learn sign language instead of a foreign language?
• Do the benefits of Greek life at colleges outweigh the negatives?
• Does doing homework actually help students learn more?
• Why do students in many other countries score higher than American students on math exams?
• Should parents/teachers be able to ban certain books from schools?
• What’s the best way to reduce cheating in school?
• Should colleges take a student’s race into account when making admissions decisions?
• Should there be limits to free speech?
• Should students be required to perform community service to graduate high school?
• Should convicted felons who have completed their sentence be allowed to vote?
• Should gun ownership be more tightly regulated?
• Should recycling be made mandatory?
• Should employers be required to offer paid leave to new parents?
• Are there any circumstances where torture should be allowed?
• Should children under the age of 18 be able to get plastic surgery for cosmetic reasons?
• Should white supremacy groups be allowed to hold rallies in public places?
• Does making abortion illegal make women more or less safe?
• Does foreign aid actually help developing countries?
• Are there times a person’s freedom of speech should be curtailed?
• Should people over a certain age not be allowed to adopt children?

Government/Politics

• Should the minimum voting age be raised/lowered/kept the same?
• Should Puerto Rico be granted statehood?
• Should the United States build a border wall with Mexico?
• Who should be the next person printed on American banknotes?
• Should the United States’ military budget be reduced?
• Did China’s one child policy have overall positive or negative impacts on the country?
• Should DREAMers be granted US citizenship?
• Is national security more important than individual privacy?
• What responsibility does the government have to help homeless people?
• Should the electoral college be abolished?
• Should the US increase or decrease the number of refugees it allows in each year?
• Should privately-run prisons be abolished?
• Who was the most/least effective US president?
• Will Brexit end up helping or harming the UK?

• What’s the best way to reduce the spread of Ebola?
• Is the Keto diet a safe and effective way to lose weight?
• Should the FDA regulate vitamins and supplements more strictly?
• Should public schools require all students who attend to be vaccinated?
• Is eating genetically modified food safe?
• What’s the best way to make health insurance more affordable?
• What’s the best way to lower the teen pregnancy rate?
• Should recreational marijuana be legalized nationwide?
• Should birth control pills be available without a prescription?
• Should pregnant women be forbidden from buying cigarettes and alcohol?
• Why has anxiety increased in adolescents?
• Are low-carb or low-fat diets more effective for weight loss?
• What caused the destruction of the USS Maine?
• Was King Arthur a mythical legend or actual Dark Ages king?
• Was the US justified in dropping atomic bombs during WWII?
• What was the primary cause of the Rwandan genocide?
• What happened to the settlers of the Roanoke colony?
• Was disagreement over slavery the primary cause of the US Civil War?
• What has caused the numerous disappearances in the Bermuda triangle?
• Should nuclear power be banned?
• Is scientific testing on animals necessary?
• Do zoos help or harm animals?
• Should scientists be allowed to clone humans?
• Should animals in circuses be banned?
• Should fracking be legal?
• Should people be allowed to keep exotic animals as pets?
• What’s the best way to reduce illegal poaching in Africa?
• What is the best way to reduce the impact of global warming?
• Should euthanasia be legalized?
• Is there legitimate evidence of extraterrestrial life?
• Should people be banned from owning aggressive dog breeds?
• Should the United States devote more money towards space exploration?
• Should the government subsidize renewable forms of energy?
• Is solar energy worth the cost?
• Should stem cells be used in medicine?
• Is it right for the US to leave the Paris Climate Agreement?
• Should athletes who fail a drug test receive a lifetime ban from the sport?
• Should college athletes receive a salary?
• Should the NFL do more to prevent concussions in players?
• Do PE classes help students stay in shape?
• Should horse racing be banned?
• Should cheerleading be considered a sport?
• Should children younger than 18 be allowed to play tackle football?
• Are the costs of hosting an Olympic Games worth it?
• Can online schools be as effective as traditional schools?
• Do violent video games encourage players to be violent in real life?
• Should facial recognition technology be banned?
• Does excessive social media use lead to depression/anxiety?
• Has the rise of translation technology made knowing multiple languages obsolete?
• Was Steve Jobs a visionary or just a great marketer?
• Should social media be banned for children younger than a certain age?
• Which 21st-century invention has had the largest impact on society?
• Are ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft good or bad for society?
• Should Facebook have done more to protect the privacy of its users?
• Will technology end up increasing or decreasing inequality worldwide?

Tips for Writing a Strong Persuasive Essay

After you’ve chosen the perfect topic for your persuasive essay, your work isn’t over. Follow the three tips below to create a top-notch essay.

Do Your Research

Your argument will fall apart if you don’t fully understand the issue you’re discussing or you overlook an important piece of it. Readers won’t be convinced by someone who doesn’t know the subject, and you likely won’t persuade any of them to begin supporting your viewpoint. Before you begin writing a single word of your essay, research your topic thoroughly. Study different sources, learn about the different sides of the argument, ask anyone who’s an expert on the topic what their opinion is, etc. You might be tempted to start writing right away, but by doing your research, you’ll make the writing process much easier when the time comes.

Make Your Thesis Perfect

Your thesis is the most important sentence in your persuasive essay. Just by reading that single sentence, your audience should know exactly what topic you’ll be discussing and where you stand on the issue. You want your thesis to be crystal clear and to accurately set up the rest of your essay. Asking classmates or your teacher to look it over before you begin writing the rest of your essay can be a big help if you’re not entirely confident in your thesis.

Consider the Other Side

You’ll spend most of your essay focusing on your side of the argument since that’s what you want readers to come away believing. However, don’t think that means you can ignore other sides of the issue. In your essay, be sure to discuss the other side’s argument, as well as why you believe this view is weak or untrue. Researching all the different viewpoints and including them in your essay will increase the quality of your writing by making your essay more complete and nuanced.

Summary: Persuasive Essay Ideas

Good persuasive essay topics can be difficult to come up with, but in this guide we’ve created a list of 113 excellent essay topics for you to browse. The best persuasive essay ideas will be those that you are interested in, have enough evidence to support your argument, and aren’t too complicated to be summarized in an essay.

After you’ve chosen your essay topic, keep these three tips in mind when you begin writing:

• Do your research
• Make your thesis perfect
• Consider the other side

What's Next?

Need ideas for a research paper topic as well? Our guide to research paper topics has over 100 topics in ten categories so you can be sure to find the perfect topic for you.

Thinking about taking an AP English class? Read our guide on AP English classes to learn whether you should take AP English Language or AP English Literature (or both!)

Deciding between the SAT or ACT? Find out for sure which you will do the best on . Also read a detailed comparison between the two tests .

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

• For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

Narrative Essay Topics: 150 Ideas for You

Do you ever want to capture a special memory or a transformative experience but struggle to turn it into a riveting story? Narrative essays offer a powerful way to share your experiences and connect with readers on an emotional level. But choosing the right topic can be daunting.

This article will guide you through dozens of narrative essay prompts, sparking your creativity and helping you identify the perfect story waiting to be told.

Tips for Selecting the Best Narrative Essay Topics

Good narrative essay ideas set the stage for a breath-taking story that resonates with you and your audience. Here's a breakdown of key factors to consider when making your choice:

150 Narrative Essay Topics

Stuck for a story to tell? Dive into our treasure trove of excellent narrative essay topics! From heartwarming memories to eye-opening encounters, these writing ideas will free you from writer’s block and help you find the perfect anecdote to share.

Narrative Essay Topics on Relationships

Relationships are the foundation of our lives, shaping us and enriching our experiences. Here are 15 narrative essay ideas to explore the complexities and joys of connection:

• The Pen Pal Surprise: A Lifelong Friendship Born From Handwritten Letters Across Continents
• The Lost Toy: A Childhood Friendship Rekindled Through a Chance Encounter
• The Grumpy Neighbor: A Simple Gesture Blossoms into an Unlikely Bond
• The Unexpected Roommate: A Clash of Personalities Leads to Surprising Growth
• The Forgiveness on the Pitch: A Former Rivalry Transformed by an Act of Sportsmanship
• The Silent Understanding: A Wordless Communication that Speaks Volumes During a Difficult Time
• The Borrowed Dress: A Selfless Act Reveals the True Depth of a Friendship
• The Second Chance: Reconnecting with a Loved One After a Falling Out
• The Long-Distance Call: A Pivotal Conversation that Bridges a Geographical Gap
• The Broken Promise: A Betrayal that Forces a Reevaluation of Trust
• The Teacher Who Changed Everything: A Mentor Who Inspires a Student to Reach Their Full Potential
• The Family Recipe: A Treasured Tradition Passed Down Through Generations
• The Power of Forgiveness: Letting Go of Resentment to Heal a Broken Relationship
• The Goodbye Letter: Saying Farewell to a Cherished Friend or Family Member
• The Unexpected Hero: A Stranger's Kindness that Leaves a Lasting Impact

Personal Narrative Essay Topics on Life

Life is a journey filled with unique experiences that shape who we are. Here are 15 personal narrative prompts to capture the moments that define your story:

• The Time I Stepped Outside My Comfort Zone
• A Turning Point: A Decision That Changed My Path
• Facing My Fear: Overcoming a Deep Phobia
• The Lesson Learned From Failure
• A Simple Object, a Flood of Memories
• The Unexpected Hero in My Life Story
• A Journey That Transformed My Perspective
• Kindness Received, Kindness Paid Forward
• The Day I Discovered My Passion
• A Moment of Pure Joy
• A Loss That Shaped My Growth
• The Teacher Who Made a Difference
• When Technology Failed Me, Humanity Prevailed
• A Time I Stood Up for What's Right
• The Gift of Second Chances

Narrative Essay Ideas on Culture

Culture is a vibrant tapestry woven from traditions, beliefs, and customs. Explore the richness of cultural experiences with these 15 narrative essay topics:

• Culture Shock: A Funny (or Awkward) Moment with a New Custom
• Homesick Dish: Recreating a Childhood Favorite Abroad
• Talk It Out: Communication Struggles Lead to Deeper Understanding
• Festival Fun: Immerse Yourself in a Cultural Celebration
• Family Secret: A Hidden Tradition You Discover
• Master the Art: Learning a New Skill from a Cultural Expert
• More Than a Souvenir: The Unexpected Meaning Behind a Travel Memento
• Share Your World: Introduce Your Culture to Someone New
• Music Connects: A Song that Bridges a Cultural Gap
• Food with History: The Story Behind a Traditional Dish
• Culture Clash Fix: Solve a Cultural Difference in a Project
• Unexpected Expert: Learning About a Culture from a Non-Native
• Lost in Translation: A Funny Cultural Misunderstanding
• Oops! Cultural Faux Pas: Recovering from a Cultural Mistake
• Unexpected Family: Finding Belonging in a New Cultural Community

Topics for Narrative Essay on Hobbies

Unleash your inner storyteller with these 15 narrative essay prompts on hobbies:

• From Beginner to Baker: Mastering a New Culinary Skill
• The Thrill of the Hunt: A Treasure Hunt Adventure
• Brushstrokes and Breakthroughs: Overcoming an Artistic Challenge
• The Harmony of Strings: Learning a Musical Instrument
• The Great Outdoors: An Unforgettable Camping Trip
• Pixels and Puzzles: Conquering a Video Game
• The Perfect Shot: Capturing a Stunning Photograph
• From Seed to Sprout: The Joys of Gardening
• The Thrill of the Ride: Mastering a New Sport or Physical Activity
• Yarn and Creativity: Knitting, Crocheting, or Weaving a Special Project
• The Power of Words: Participating in a Writing Workshop or Challenge
• Building Worlds: Creating Something Amazing with Legos or Modeling Kits
• The Rhythm of the Dance: Learning a New Dance Style
• The Joy of Restoration: Giving New Life to a Beloved Object
• The Club That Changed Me: Finding Community Through a Hobby Group

Good Narrative Topics on Adventure

Ignite your wanderlust and unleash your inner Indiana Jones with these 15 exciting narrative essay ideas on adventures:

• Lost and Found: A Navigation Mishap and How You Found Your Way
• Unexpected Encounter: A Chance Meeting on Your Travels
• Summit Success: Conquering a Challenging Hike
• Hidden Passage: Discovering a Secret Location
• White-Water Rush: An Exciting Whitewater Rafting Adventure
• City Escape: A Solo Backpacking Trip Through the Wilderness
• The Road Less Traveled: Taking a Detour and Finding Something Unexpected
• Under the Sea: A Scuba Diving Adventure and Encounter with Marine Life
• Lost in Translation: Navigating a Language Barrier During Your Travels
• From Fear to Triumph: Overcoming a Fear on an Adventure
• City of Lights: A Night Adventure in a New City
• Treasure Hunt: Following Clues and Unearthing a Hidden Gem
• The Kindness of Strangers: Receiving Help and Hospitality During Your Travels
• Unexpected Detour: A Travel Plan Gone Wrong and the Lessons Learned
• A Night Under the Stars: Camping Under a Breathtaking Night Sky

Narrative Essay Topics on Education

Schools are more than just classrooms. They're places where we learn, grow, and face challenges. Study these 15 narrative essay topics on education to capture the ups and downs of your academic path:

• The Last-Minute Project: A Scramble to Success (or Failure?)
• Beyond the Textbook: A Learning Experience Outside the Classroom
• Teacher Inspiration: The Educator Who Made a Difference
• The Power of Debate: A Heated Discussion That Changed Your Perspective
• From Failing to Flying: Overcoming an Academic Obstacle
• The Research Rabbit Hole: A Fascinating Discovery During a Project
• Stage Fright or Spotlight? Presenting a Project or Performance
• The Value of Teamwork: Collaboration on a School Project
• Friendship Forged in Study Sessions: A Supportive Bond During Exams
• The Power of Choice: Selecting an Elective Course that Sparked Passion
• More Than Scores: A Lesson Learned Beyond Grades
• The First Day Jitters: Navigating the First Day at a New School
• The Debate Club Showdown: Facing Your Rival in a Competition
• From Dislike to Discovery: A Subject You Grew to Love
• The Unexpected Lesson: Learning from a Mistake in Class

Narrative Topics on Society

Society presents a rich tapestry of interactions, trends, and ever-evolving dynamics, which is reflected in these 15 essay ideas:

• A Cause I Championed: How I Spoke Up for Change in My Community
• Bridging the Digital Chasm: Connecting Across Online and Offline Worlds
• Kindness Contagion: A Random Act and its Unexpected Impact
• Welcoming the Newcomer: Embracing Differences and Building Community
• Redefining Roles: Challenging Gender Expectations in Everyday Life
• The Double-Edged Sword: Social Media's Impact - Positive or Negative?
• Convenience at a Cost: Technology's Trade-off on Human Connection
• Lost in Translation: Overcoming Communication Barriers and Building Understanding
• Honoring Heritage: Celebrating a Cultural Tradition and Its Significance
• From Witness to Advocate: Seeing Injustice and Taking a Stand
• A Bridge Between Generations: Navigating Family Dynamics and Building Harmony
• The Power of Protest: My Participation in a Peaceful Demonstration
• Breaking Down Walls: Confronting Inequality in My Community
• Sharing is Caring: The Rise of the Sharing Economy and its Impact
• The Future of Work: Adapting to New Technologies and Careers

Narrative Writing Topics on Career

Depict the twists and turns of your professional journey with these 15 narrative essay prompts on career:

• The Unexpected Interview: A Chance Encounter Leads to a Dream Job
• From Intern to Indispensable: Proving Your Worth and Landing a Permanent Role
• The Pivot Point: A Career Change that Ignited My Passion
• Deadline Crunch: Overcoming Pressure and Delivering Results
• The Big Presentation: Conquering Nerves and Enchanting the Audience
• The Supportive Colleague: A Helping Hand During a Difficult Project
• The Ethical Dilemma: Facing a Tough Choice at Work
• Learning From Failure: A Mistake that Became a Valuable Lesson
• The Unexpected Promotion: Rising to the Challenge of a New Leadership Role
• The Power of Networking: A Serendipitous Connection that Advanced My Career
• The Work-Life Balance: Finding Harmony Between Professional and Personal Goals
• From Passion Project to Paycheck: Turning a Hobby into a Fulfilling Career
• The Power of Perseverance: Overcoming Rejection and Landing Your Dream Job
• The Inspiring Mentor: A Leader Who Shaped My Professional Development
• Saying Goodbye: Leaving a Job and Stepping into a New Chapter

Interesting Narrative Essay Topics About Challenges

Challenges are inevitable, but they also hold the potential for immense growth. Dive into these 15 captivating narrative essay ideas about overcoming obstacles and discovering your inner strength:

• From Silent to Spotlight: Silencing Stage Fright and Owning the Stage.
• Body Bounced Back: Overcoming Injury and Rediscovering Physical Potential.
• Tongues Untied: Navigating Language Barriers and Building Communication Bridges.
• Fear Faced, Fear Faded: Conquering a Deep Phobia and Embracing New Possibilities.
• From Empty Pockets to Full Future: Resourcefulness During Financial Hardship.
• Imperfect Progress: Letting Go of Perfectionism and Finding Completion.
• Mending the Broken Bond: Healing and Moving On After a Friendship Fracture.
• From Struggling to Soaring: Academic Triumph Over Challenges.
• Through the Tears, Toward Growth: Coping with Loss and Discovering Strength Within.
• Love Across the Miles: Maintaining Connection Despite Distance.
• New Roots, New Bloom: Adapting to a New Environment and Discovering Thriving Potential.
• Finding My Tribe: Overcoming Loneliness and Building Confidence in Social Settings.
• From Target to Triumphant: Overcoming Bullying and Embracing Your Voice.
• Sparking Inspiration: Rekindling Your Creative Fire After a Block.
• Nature's Test, Inner Strength: Surviving a Wilderness Challenge and Discovering Resilience.

Narrative Essay Topics for College Students

Here's a selection of 15 short and intriguing narrative essay ideas that tap into the joys, challenges, and growth opportunities of college life:

• Freshman Frenzy: From Dorm Room Disasters to Lasting Friendships
• Roommate Rampage: Turning Clashing Personalities into College Camaraderie
• Cramming Crucible: Conquering All-Nighters and Emerging Victorious
• Campus Crossroads: Finding Your Tribe in the College Labyrinth
• Mentor Muse: The Professor Who Ignited My Academic Spark
• Passport to Possibility: Adventures and Transformations Abroad
• Internship Odyssey: From Coffee Runs to Career Clarity
• Bleachers to Glory: From Casual Fan to College Sports Superfan
• Cause for Change: Volunteering, Finding Purpose, and Leaving My Mark
• The Financial Tightrope: Budget Battles and College Survival Strategies
• Campus Cupid's Arrow: Love, Laughter, and Maybe a Few Heartbreaks
• Major Metamorphosis: Discovering a Passion I Never Knew Existed
• Homesick Hitchhiker: Navigating the Journey from Comfort to College Independence
• Graduation Countdown: Embracing the Final Stretch and Preparing to Launch
• College Metamorphosis: From Uncertain Caterpillar to Empowered Butterfly

Engaging narrative essay topics are the lifeblood of the story. Hunt for stories with twists, challenges, and personal growth – the kind that leaves readers saying, "Wow, I never thought of it that way!" Because a truly enticing narrative essay isn't about the ordinary; it's about the extraordinary hidden within the seemingly mundane.

Frequently asked questions

What are the topics of narrative essays, how to choose a topic for a narrative essay, what makes a good title for a narrative.

• https://topscholars.oregonstate.edu/sites/enrollmentmanagement.oregonstate.edu/files/content/500promptsnarrativeandpersonalwriting.pdf
• https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/20/learning/lesson-plans/650-prompts-for-narrative-and-personal-writing.html
• Narrative Essay Topic Checklist. (n.d.). STLCC. https://stlcc.edu/student-support/academic-success-and-tutoring/writing-center/writing-resources/narrative-essay-topic-checklist.aspx

She was flawless! first time using a website like this, I've ordered article review and i totally adored it! grammar punctuation, content - everything was on point

This writer is my go to, because whenever I need someone who I can trust my task to - I hire Joy. She wrote almost every paper for me for the last 2 years

Term paper done up to a highest standard, no revisions, perfect communication. 10s across the board!!!!!!!

I send him instructions and that's it. my paper was done 10 hours later, no stupid questions, he nailed it.

Sometimes I wonder if Michael is secretly a professor because he literally knows everything. HE DID SO WELL THAT MY PROF SHOWED MY PAPER AS AN EXAMPLE. unbelievable, many thanks

New Posts to Your Inbox!

Stay in touch

Home — Essay Samples — Arts & Culture — Cosplay — The Creative Process and Artistic Skills Involved in Cosplay

The Creative Process and Artistic Skills Involved in Cosplay

• Categories: Cosplay Creativity Skills

About this sample

Words: 774 |

Published: Jun 21, 2024

Words: 774 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

Research and character selection, costume construction and artistic skills, performance and character portrayal, community and collaboration.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Prof Ernest (PhD)

Verified writer

• Expert in: Arts & Culture Life

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

3 pages / 1314 words

6 pages / 2738 words

1 pages / 475 words

1 pages / 525 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Cosplay

Bauman, Z. (2013). Postmodernity and its Discontents. London: Sage Publications. Baudrillard, J. (1994). Simulacra and Simulation. Michigan: University of MichiganPress.Barker, C. (2004). Culture Studies Theory and Practice. [...]

When I attended a local comic convention last year, I was fascinated by the elaborate costumes and passionate enthusiasm of the attendees participating in various cosplay events. As I observed individuals embodying their [...]

Cosplay, short for "costume play," is a popular subculture in which participants, known as cosplayers, dress up in costumes and accessories to represent a specific character from a comic book, video game, movie, or television [...]

Literature started to evolve since people started to write and express their ideas. Not everything that is expressed in words is considered as a work of art, but when the ideas are collected and written in an organized manner it [...]

During the Roman Empire, mosaics were built in large rooms to make those rooms look more admirable and exciting. There was an architect that wrote a book about mosaics and how they were designed but this book did not include how [...]

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is the largest museum in the United States, it is a 2.2 million square feet museum with more than 2 million collections of work. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, also known as the Met, wasn’t [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

The Captable

Social Story

Enterprise Story

The Decrypting Story

Daily Newsletter

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Founder first

Announcement

Startup Sectors

Women in tech

Entertainment

Art & Culture

Travel & Leisure

Curtain Raiser

Wine and Food

Design and sustainability: this furniture brand promotes creative thinking about quality and environment

In our second photo-essay from picturesque jodhpur, we share more creative highlights from furniture brands basant and orange tree..

Sunday June 23, 2024 , 5 min Read

Launched in 2014, PhotoSparks  is a weekly feature from  YourStory,  with photographs that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. In the earlier 780 posts, we featured an  art festival,   cartoon gallery.   world music festival ,  telecom expo ,  millets fair,   climate change expo,   wildlife conference,   startup festival,   Diwali rangoli,  and  jazz festival.

Jodhpur-based brands Basant and Orange Tree span a wide range of B2B and B2C furniture, lighting and home décor solutions. The domestic retail arm, Orange Tree, was launched by Gaurav Jain in 2014 (see Part I of our photo essay here ).

As shown in our two-part photo essay, furniture is not just about wood, but can also include ropes, glass, metal, and other materials. This requires a mastery of design techniques and material integration, along with a mindset of experimentation.

The Basant design team shows that creators need to meet current customer expectations and aspirations while also delighting them with new creative surprises.

“Meeting local and global customer needs requires a masterful blend of traditional crafts and modern design,” Jain tells YourStory .

The company describes its offerings as global products with Indian elements, that can blend into any home or office around the world.

“The entry of global furniture and interior brands in India gives more choice to customers and spurs local brands to do even better,” he asserts.

Jain’s team has launched a competition on regenerative design this year, open to students and professionals. Students are being invited to participate from a range of design schools such as NIFT Jodhpur, Footwear Design and Development Institute, IIT Jodhpur, Indian Institute of Crafts and Design, and MICA Jaipur.

Sustainability and regenerative design help meet the challenges of climate change. They also align with the desires of a new wave of environmentally-conscious buyers, Jain affirms.

“Companies should become more proactive – they need to go beyond existing compliance requirements and introduce additional safety and environmental provisions on their own,” he suggests.

Sustainability has always been a part of Indian culture. “Sometimes we don’t throw away mango skins – even that can be used for making different kinds of drinks and food products,” he observes.

But sustainability needs to be brought back for industrial scale, and in the face of increasingly wasteful consumer culture and urban pollution. States like Rajasthan have so much sun throughout the year – this also should be tapped more for solar energy, Jain suggests.

“Sustainability is more than good press. It should be a way of life, the foundation of a brand,” he affirms. This includes the use of recycled materials in the design of new products.

“Design is about environmental impact, not just the look and feel of a product,” he says. The whole ecosystem needs to be involved in such an approach, right from landfill reduction to carbon tracking.

Basant is encouraging design students to visit the factory and suggest ways of reducing waste or incorporating discarded waste into new kinds of products. Such practices educate young minds while also passing on the reduced cost to customers.

“In earlier days, we used to carry our own bags for shopping and our own water bottles during train travel, but now there are too many discarded plastic bottles. I still carry my own water bottle today,” he remarks.

“Quality, safety and sustainability need to become movements, not just buzzwords or temporary fads,” he affirms.

Ethical considerations are also important. “We do not use animal leather in our products. We are looking at adding vegan leather now,” he says.

Indian youth love quizzes and competitions, Jain observes. “So our regenerative design competition is designed to spark creative ideas in the spirit of competition and collaboration,” he says.

This will also create and grow communities around regenerative design. The Indian education system needs to go beyond exam scores and encourage more creativity, he suggests.

“There is so much focus only on toppers. But we should also celebrate all those who succeeded later in life without being toppers,” he affirms.

“Yes, 95% marks may be good, but that doesn’t mean 55% scores in school are not good,” Jain says.

There are many creative and sporting skills that are not adequately assessed in the education system. “That is why we engage with many designers right at the student stage to see how well they can pick up skills in the industry and become creative,” he explains.

Basant is entirely privately held, and is not looking to raise funds at the moment. The company has incorporated a range of new technologies and tools in its operation.

“AI also has vast potential to revolutionise content creation and design. But designers and manufacturers should not ignore the human touch,” Jain observes.

As trends in the Indian furniture sector, he points to the growing prosperity of Indian consumers. “Global furniture brands are talking of India as a market, not just as a sourcing hub for materials,” he observes.

Jain also offers tips for aspiring entrepreneurs and designers. ““You have to find your own USP. Find your unique strength and keep working on it day and night, you will get better,” he advises.

“Expose yourself to best practices in various fields, learn from them, and adapt them to your own work. Good design should satisfy you as well as your customer,” he adds.

It can help to be good at many things, but it is important to find a specialisation. “Find your zone. Create your signature style,” Jain signs off.

Now what have you done today to pause in your busy schedule and harness your creative side for a better world?

(All photographs were taken by Madanmohan Rao on location in Jodhpur.)

• photosparks
• Gaurav Jain
• sustainability
• photography

MOST VIEWED STORIES

Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (June 24, 2024)

Meet the winners of YourStory India’s CTO Excellence Awards 2024

Win $10K in Siggi's Digital Detox Challenge: Ditch Your Phone for a Month

Windows 10 support ends in October 2025. What does that mean for your business?

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Student Opinion

176 Writing Prompts to Spark Discussion and Reflection

Here are all of our Student Opinion questions from the 2023-24 school year. Each question is based on a different New York Times article, interactive feature or video.

By The Learning Network

Each day of the school year we publish a Student Opinion question inviting students to share their own opinions and experiences in response to New York Times stories on the news of the day. To introduce each question, we provide an excerpt from a related Times article, interactive or video as well as a free link to that piece.

The 176 questions we asked during the 2023-24 school year are available below and in this PDF . The prompts are organized into three sections: questions that lend themselves well to persuasive writing, questions that encourage narrative writing, and additional Student Opinion forums.

Teachers can use these prompts to help students practice narrative and persuasive writing, start classroom debates and even spark conversation between students around the world via our comments section. For more ideas on how to use these Student Opinion prompts in your classroom, you might consult this comprehensive teacher’s guide , which includes practical strategies from a dozen educators.

Questions for Narrative and Personal Writing

1. Do You Multitask? Is It Helpful or Harmful? 2. How Did You Grow and Change This School Year? 3. What Accomplishments Are You Most Proud Of? 4. Have You Ever Been Injured? Tell Us the Story. 5. Where in the World Would You Most Like to Travel? 6. Who Is Your Hero? 7. How Well Do You Get Along With Your Siblings? 8. What Is Teenage Bullying Like Today? 9. Are You a Joiner? 10. When Have You Felt That You Mattered? 11. How Hard Is It to Wake Up in the Morning? 12. What Have You Learned From Failure? 13. Where Is the Line Between Helping a Child Become More Resilient and Pushing Them Too Hard? 14. If You Had $1 Billion to Give Away, What Charity Would You Support? 15. What Are the Small Ways You Show Love to Those You Care About? 16. How Do You Feel About High School? 17. What Activities or Hobbies Do You Do With Your Family? 18. Do You Use, Like, Too Many Filler Words? 19. What Is Your Relationship With Fast Food? 20. What’s the Greatest Gift Your Parents Have Given You? 21. What Is Your Favorite Word? 22. Are You Good at Apologizing? 23. What Is Your Dream Job? 24. What Amazes You Most About Animals? 25. Which Toy Would You Want to Help Design or Update? 26. What Are the Best, and Worst, Recommendations You’ve Gotten From Social Media? 27. What Small Wins Have You Had Recently? 28. What Do You Like About Playing Games? 29. What Everyday Object Deserves More Love? 30. Are You Too Critical of Yourself? 31. Do You Spend Enough Time in the Dirt? 32. What Got Your Attention in the News Recently? 33. Has Your Birth Order Shaped Who You Are? 34. What Elective Do You Wish Your School Offered? 35. How Far Would You Push Yourself Physically to Meet a Goal? 36. How Often Do You Take Breaks From Your Phone? 37. How Do You Deal With Conflicts? 38. What Children’s Book Worlds Do You Wish You Could Visit in Real Life? 39. Has Your Relationship to School Attendance Changed Since the Pandemic? 40. What Can You Make or Fix With Your Hands? 41. What Have You Learned From a Grandparent or Elder? 42. Do You Wish You Had More Places to Go? 43. What Author Would You Most Like to Meet? 44. Have You Ever Lost Someone as a Friend? 45. Do You Keep a Journal? 46. Are You Tired of Influencers? 47. How Did the Covid-19 Pandemic Affect You, Your Family and Your Community? 48. To Whom Would You Write an Open Letter? 49. What’s the Best — and Worst — Part of Being a Sports Fan? 50. How Much Exercise Do You Get Each Week? 51. Do You Have a Hard Time Saying ‘No’? 52. What’s Your Favorite Kind of TikTok Video? 53. What Are Your Favorite Local Businesses? 54. How Involved Do You Expect Your Parents to Be in Your Adult Life? 55. How Important Is It to You to Keep Mementos From Your Life? 56. Who Are Your Favorite Athletes to Watch Right Now? 57. How Does Your School Address Students’ Mental Health Needs? 58. What Communities Are You a Part Of? What Communities Would You Like to Explore? 59. What’s Your TV ‘Comfort Food’? 60. What Sad Songs Do You Listen to When You’re Feeling Down? 61. Will You Be Watching Super Bowl LVIII? 62. What Was Your Most Memorable Field Trip? 63. What Is Unique About Where You Live? 64. What Is Your Experience With Group Chats? 65. Are You a Fan of Movie Remakes? 66. What Brings You Delight? 67. Do You Ever Host or Attend Sleepovers? 68. Here Are 15 Winning Tiny Memoirs. Which Ones Most Resonate With You? 69. What Is Your Reaction to Trump’s Conviction on 34 Felony Counts? 70. Do You Enjoy Keeping Secrets? 71. Are You Growing Tired of Superhero Movies? 72. What Do You Wish You Could Do Well? 73. Do You Think Any of These Mythical Creatures Might Be Real? 74. What Are Your Thoughts on Last Names? 75. Which TV Show or Movie Would You Want to Live? 76. Do You Ever Feel Envious of Others? 77. What Do You Want to Do Differently in the New Year? 78. What Is the Best Month of the Year? What Is the Worst? 79. What Will You Remember About 2023? 80. Do You Prefer Gifts That You’ve Asked For or Ones That Are a Surprise? 81. How Do You Feel About Holiday Music? 82. What Do You Appreciate About Winter? 83. Do You Like to Dance? 84. Do You Ever Feel Sentimental About the Past? 85. What Slang Do You Use? 86. Do You Like Spending Time Alone With Your Thoughts? 87. Do You Like Watching Other People Watch Sports? 88. What Role Does Humor Play in Your Life? 89. What Are You Grateful For? 90. Do You Trust Online Reviews? 91. What Have You Changed Your Mind About? 92. Do You Use Swear Words? 93. The North American Total Solar Eclipse Is Here. Are You Watching? 94. What ‘Oddball Rituals’ Do You Have? 95. Do You Ever Feel Pressure to Post About Your Outrage Online? 96. What Do You Enjoy That Others Think Is Cringe, Played Out or Just Uncool? 97. What Small Moments From Your Life Do You Think About Often? 98. Are You There for Your Friends When They Need You? 99. What Misconceptions Do People Have About Where You Live? 100. What’s Your Take on Beige Flags in Relationships? 101. Do You Share Music Tastes With Your Parents? 102. What Does Hip-Hop Mean to You? 103. What Do You Think of Barbie? 104. How Concerned Are You About the Cost of College? 105. What Has Been Your Best Secondhand Find? 106. What Household Items Can’t You Live Without? 107. How Do You Feel When You’re Interrupted? 108. At Which Museum or Venue Would You Like to Spend the Night? 109. What Were the Best and Worst Parts of Your Summer Vacation?

Questions for Debate and Persuasive Writing

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .