299+ ‘Coping’ Writing Prompts
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Haunted Past
A teen discovers that their new home is haunted by a ghost. Rather than being afraid, they become best friends.
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Peering Through The Fear
Describe a time when you were terrified, the outcome, and how you dealt with fear afterwards.
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Finding Courage in Failure
Write about a moment of your life when you failed. Detail the experience, your feelings at that time, and how you overcame it.
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Lesions of Love
Write a short story about a person dealing with heartbreak and turning it into their strength.
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Unseen Casualty
Document a day in the life of a nurse or medic in a war hospital during the World War era.
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The Heartbreak
Write about a high school breakup, revealing the emotions, the fallout, and the lessons learned.
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Future Echoes
An adventurer finds a device that can show the future but cannot change it. Write about their journey coping with this power.
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Underneath the White Cloak
Describe a day in the life of an animal coping with a deep layer of snow.
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Shattered Reflection
Write a psychological thriller where a protagonist with multiple personalities is both the detective and the prime suspect.
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Converted by Force
Narrate a story of an unwilling human who’s been forced into vampirism and is coming to terms with their new reality.
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Virtual Nightmare
A technophobe is trapped in a virtual reality game that eerily mirrors their worst fears.
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Window to the Heart
Write a letter to a loved one expressing your feelings towards them, whether it’s love, anger, or confusion.
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Facing Fears
Write about a time you were truly frightened, describe the emotions you felt and how you dealt with that fear.
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Unveiling the Hide-and-Seek Champion
Revisit moments when you, as a child, used to hide either physically or metaphorically. Explore those feelings and circumstances.
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Comforting Lullabies
Write about a specific song, rhyme, or lullaby from your childhood that provided comfort in difficult times.
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Coping with Cliques
Share an instance from 7th grade of dealing with peer pressure or fitting into a specific group.
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Broken Hearts Club
Write a story about an exclusive club that only admits heartbroken people on Valentine’s Day.
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The Transformative Trauma
Create a character who has been irrevocably changed by a horrifying incident, adding a layer of eeriness to them.
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Create a Comic Character
Imagine a comic character, detailing their traits, quirks, and comedic style.
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Soldier of Fortune
Craft a story about an ex-military operative turned treasure hunter, who stumbles upon an artifact that puts them in the crosshairs of an illicit organization.
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Whirlwind of Betrayal
Write a story where a character suffers a heartbreaking betrayal from a trusted individual.
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Scars of the Past
Write a story about a character who carries a tragic past and how it shapes their present.
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Coping Mechanisms
In a post-apocalyptic world, narrate a story about a character who uses humor as a way to cope with the horrific reality around them.
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The Guilt of Not Being Enough
Draft a situation where a superhero couldn’t save everyone, examining their guilt and coping mechanisms.
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Crisis creativity
Write about a unique way you used creativity to cope with the adversities of the year.
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Resilience Reframed
Write about how the events of 2020 have altered your perception of personal resilience.
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Illuminating Silent Thoughts
Describe an instance when you had to conceal a secret or withhold your feelings in your childhood.
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A Refuge in Imagination
Imagine how children in the midst of a zombie apocalypse might create an imaginative, almost fantastical world as a coping mechanism.
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Surviving the Super-War
Describe a war-ridden world where superheroes fighting each other have wreaked havoc.
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The Unseen Terror
Write a story about a mythical, unseen creature that induces inexplicable fear in a fantasy world.
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Survivors on the Precipice
Narrate the experience of survivors standing on the edge of a ravine, contemplating whether survival in this ravaged world is a blessing or a curse.
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From Victim to Victor
Narrate an experience where you faced bullying and present your journey from coping to overcoming.
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The Last Hourglass
Imagine your protagonist finding an hourglass that runs out in seven days and brings about an irreversible change.
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The Air Conditioner Revolt
Imagine if all the air conditioners in the world decided to go on strike during the hottest summer.
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Deserted Island Discovery
Write a story about a child stranded on an island, discovering extraordinary things.
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Keys To Resilience
Ruminate on how you’ve bounced back from a crisis by detailing your coping mechanisms and sources of strength.
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Powerful Emotions
Write about a time when you felt a strong emotion, such as happiness, sadness, or anger.
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Santa’s Retirement Plan
Imagine a future where Santa decides to retire. Who takes over? How is the transition handled?
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Finding Light in the Cold
How does February with its aspects of cold, bleak weather or romance affect you and how do you find joy despite the potential adversities?
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Altitude Attitude
Narrate an instance where you faced your fears, literal or metaphorical, effectively.
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The Great Talent Show
Invent a story about a student who overcomes stage fright to perform in a big school talent show.
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Wilderness as a Metaphor
Think of a personal challenge or problem you’re facing. Frame it as a wilderness expedition.
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Facing School Fear
Write about a fear or nervousness you had about starting kindergarten and how you overcame it.
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Life After Pets
Reflect on the life-changing impact of losing a pet. How did this loss affect you and how did you cope?
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The Lost Trails
Write about a time when you got lost in a National Park and how it changed your perspective.
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Shadow Stalker
Detail a story of a shadowy creature that seems to be responsible for a series of unexplained disappearances.
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Urban Vampire
Write a story about people disappearing in a bustling city, and a detective who begins to believe a modern-day vampire might be responsible.
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Conquering Fearful Depths
Write about a fear that you’ve overcome and how it has shaped your character.
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Growth Through Adversity
Describe a challenging situation from this year and how it has ultimately contributed to your mental growth.
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Spectral Familiar
Create a narrative in which an individual, mourning a dearly departed loved one, starts seeing their spirit manifested in a beloved pet.
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Handling Heartbreak
Reflect on a romantic relationship that ended and how you handled the heartbreak.
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Navigating Through Emotions
Explore the multitude of feelings you experienced through heartbreak and the different ways you dealt with them.
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Journey to the Future
Write a future-focused entry detailing how you’d ideally like to overcome your grief.
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Stress Signature
Write about what stress feels like in your body and how it manifests in your behavior.
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Alone with the Dead
Document the daily life of a survivor living in complete solitude during a zombie apocalypse.
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Serial Letters
Imagine a scenario where a retired FBI agent starts receiving cryptic letters from an infamous, uncaught serial killer they worked to track down in their career.
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Monster Under the Bed
Write about the biggest fear you had as a child. Does it still scare you today? If not, when did you overcome it and how?
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Wisdom of the Body
Write about listening to your body during a period of excessive stress, and how you used that awareness to manage it.
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The Tale of Two Lands
Imagine two different lands separated by a thick, magical forest. One land is always sunny while the other is covered in snow all year round. Write a story about a character that must travel between these two lands.
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Tears of a Clown
Create a story around a comedic character whose life offstage is filled with personal struggles.
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First Christmas Without…
Narrate your experience of the first Christmas without a close family member.
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Loss and Regeneration
Write about a character who experiences a devastating loss and how they piece their life back together.
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Collapse of Morality in Chaos
Describe how the onslaught of zombies completely upends societal norms, particularly regarding morality and ethics.
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Last Breath Recordings
Imagine you find an old tape recorder that only plays the last dying breaths of people; some are familiar.
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The Rejection Letter and its Aftermath
Write from the perspective of an author who receives a rejection letter from a publishing company.
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Reflecting on a Mistake
Think back to a major mistake you made during your childhood and reflect on how it made you feel then and how it informs your choices now.
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First Day Feeling
Write about what you’re most excited for and what you’re nervous about on your first day of school.
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Superhero School
What if you woke up one day to find out you have developed superpowers and are now attending a school for gifted kids who are superheroes in training.
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Misunderstood Magic
Write a story about a novice fairy godmother who’s making a lot of mistakes with her magic.
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Immortal Apathy
Detail a scenario where endless, spine-chilling fights and near-death experiences render the invincible character emotionally disinterested or numb.
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The Multiverse’s Embrace
Imagine a society where the inhabitants are cognizant of being just one reality within an infinite multiverse.
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Unveiling Self-Love Obstacles
Identify past or present barriers hindering your self-love and elaborate on strategies to overcome them.
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Defining Adversity
Chronicle a moment when you faced significant adversity, how you responded, and how it shaped you.
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Lost in Adaptation
Write about the protagonist who has been forced to leave their home country and adapt to an entirely new culture.
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Understanding Sadness
Recall a time when you felt very sad and write about what happened and how you dealt with it.
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The Winning Goal
Imagine you’re playing in a crucial match in your favorite fall sport. You have the chance to make the winning move, describe the moment.
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Understanding Heartbreak
Write about a time you felt heartbroken and describe the emotions surrounding that experience.
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Accepting the Winter Blues
Write about a time when you felt particularly low during the winter season and the steps you took to accept or manage this feeling.
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Coping with the Crowds
Write about the strategies you adopt to deal with the crowds during holiday shopping.
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Ancient Curse
Weave a story about an ancient curse that mysteriously triggers a zombie apocalypse in the modern world.
