91+ ’emotional’ Writing Prompts
-
Cost of Immortality
Explore the idea of an immortal character, and the ramifications of eternal life.
-
Emotional Journey
Write a potent scene that marks a significant emotional transformation for your character.
-
Forbidden Love
In your novel, create a romantic relationship that’s prohibited due to social norms or personal circumstances.
-
Veiled Friend
Write about your antagonist’s introduction as a trusted friend or mentor to the protagonist, only to betray them later.
-
The Significance of Place
Explore a real location that holds significant meaning to you, and express why it does.
-
Riding the Waves of Emotion
Write about an emotionally significant non-fiction piece you have written and how it impacted you.
-
The Veteran Chronicles
Interview an elderly person about their most significant life event, and recount it in a narrative form.
-
My Encounter with an Illness
Describe a time when you or someone close to you fell ill, the treatments pursued, and lessons learned.
-
Diving into Crime Scene Cleaning
Describe the life of a crime scene cleaner, their challenges, and emotional experiences.
-
Crushing Encounters
Write about your first childhood crush and the emotions that came along with it.
-
Appreciating Artistry
Detail a fine arts experience that sparked an intellectual and emotional response in you, attempting to dissect why it elicited these feelings.
-
The Power of Music
Describe in detail a song or piece of music that deeply resonates with you and explain why.
-
Fitness Chronicles
Record your journey towards a healthier life, incorporating your workouts, diet changes, and mental health practices.
-
Recounting Culinary Adventures
Describe the most memorable meal you’ve ever had and how it shaped your relationship with food.
-
Preparation for Disaster
Create an impactful speech to either warn or comfort a community facing an imminent or ongoing disaster.
-
Timeless Tunes
Write about a specific piece of music or a song that has influenced you the most; detail the nuances of the music, its lyrics (if any), and the experience.
-
A Taste of a Memory
Choose a specific meal or food from your past and describe it in overwhelming detail, recalling the flavors, textures, and emotions associated with it.
-
Symphony of Remembered Sounds
Describe your favorite song from high school and how it shaped your teenage years.
-
Deciphering Reality
Write about a time when your understanding of truth or reality was fundamentally challenged.
-
The Room Speaks
Choose a room in your house and describe it from the perspective of the room itself.
-
Sounds of the Past
Pick a song from your past that evokes strong emotions or memories and describe why it is significant.
-
The Unsent Letter
Write down the things you wish you could say to a person you’re no longer in contact with but didn’t, bundled in an unsent letter.
-
Journey to My Inner Universe
Write about a time when you’ve felt the most connected with your inner self. What were you doing? What thoughts or feelings surfaced?
-
Closing the Distance
Write about a long-distance relationship and the ensuing miscommunication and conflicts. Explore how the characters find their way back to harmony.
-
Crosstalk Collision
Craft a difficult conversation between your character and someone they have a conflict with.
-
Character’s Personal Artifact
Write about an object that carries significant meaning for your character.
-
Wilderness Challenge
A hiking trip gone wrong leaves you stranded in a forest for a number of days. Write about your experience, focusing on the strategies you use to endure.
-
Facing the Final Moment
Write a scene where one character is faced with a life-or-death decision that will impact not only their life but the life of another character as well.
-
Hidden Love
Develop a plot in which one character has been in love with their best friend for years, but has been too afraid to confess.
-
Love Letter Continuity
Craft a series of love letters between two characters over several defining moments in their romantic journey.
-
Letters from the Front Line
During World War II, write a series of letters from a soldier on the frontline to their loved ones at home.
-
Eyes on the Underground Railroad
Imagine being an operative on the Underground Railroad. Write an account of one harrowing night.
-
Migration Blues
Write a tale about a teenager who relocates to a different city or country and the challenges that they encounter.
-
First Love Woes
Write about your first major crush or love, and how that experience shaped you as a person.
-
Museum of Memories
Describe a specific memory from your past, focusing on the details that make it significant.
-
The Homecoming
You return to your childhood neighbourhood after twenty years. How does it look now and what memories does it evoke?
-
Strangers in a Capsule
Write about two strangers who meet on a spaceship sent on a long voyage to colonize a new planet.
-
Soul Tunes
Familiar melodies often awaken certain emotions within us. Write about a song that resonates deeply with your soul.
-
Weightless Burdens
Explore the idea of carrying ‘heavy’ feelings and thoughts but feeling physically weightless.
-
Coming to Motherhood/Fatherhood
Write about the day when you first held your newborn child and how it radically changed your world.
-
Feeling into Memory
Try to recall and write on your first romantic incident, focusing on feelings more than the events.
-
Untold Love Letter
Craft a timeless love letter addressed to your significant other that you never plan to send.
-
Unseen Friend
Reflect upon an imaginary friend, if you had one, from your childhood, and discuss how they impacted your growing years.
-
Taste of Memory
Describe a food item or a dish that was part of your childhood, detailing the flavors, context, and the emotional strings attached.
-
The Underdog Story
Write about an underdog in sports or games, they can be real or fictional, and their journey to victory.
-
Unrequited Love
Describe a situation when you were deeply in love with someone who didn’t reciprocate.
-
Hidden Love Letters
Create a series of letters you would write to a significant other that you would never send.
-
Lost and Found
Describe a time you felt lost, either metaphorically or literally, and how you found your way.
-
Letters to an Author
Choose a deceased author and write a letter to them, discussing your feelings about one of their books and any questions you have about their work.
-
Wizard’s Enigma
Craft a story around a young and inexperienced enchanter given the task of unlocking an ancient spell that could change the fate of the world.
-
An Ode to Breath
Pen down a poem or a piece of prose that captures the power and significance of mindful breathing.
-
Quantum Rendezvous
Write a story about a group of scientists who manage to communicate with quantum entities.
-
Free-verse Visionary
Write a stream-of-consciousness style poem, focusing solely on expression rather than rhyme or rhythm.
-
Walking Through Illness
Explore the journey of caring for a family member struggling with an illness.
-
Staying Grounded
Write about a tradition or routine that has kept you grounded throughout your coming-out process.
-
After The Rain
Write about the time directly after you came out to your family. Focus on the immediate emotional aftermath, reactions, and unfolding dynamics.
-
Homecoming Stories
Recall a memorable moment when a family member returned home after a long absence.
-
Bonding Moments
Write about memorable moments when the bond between the adopted child and the family solidified.
-
Journey to Adoption
Write about the process and journey that brought you or a family member to the point of adoption.
-
Family Keepsakes
Choose an heirloom or keepsake that holds significance in your family and write about its history and importance.
-
The Heirloom’s Journey
Write about a family heirloom that has been passed down through the generations.
-
Roles and Responsibilities
Analyse the different roles individuals play in a family and how they contribute to a healthy family dynamic.
-
Growth in Togetherness
Write about a situation where your family’s support helped you to overcome a difficult situation.
-
Roots and Heritage
Reflect on the cultural or historical background of your family and how it has shaped you.
-
Distance Makes Hearts Grow Fonder
Describe a moment you felt a profound longing for your family after moving away.
-
The Foundation of Love
Visualize and write about the first time you remember your parents demonstrating love.
-
Under the Same Roof
Discuss the different skill sets and abilities of your family members that make your home function smoothly.
-
Heartfelt Honors
Describe a family celebration where a member was recognized or honored and how it touched you.
-
Sensational Celebrations
Talk about a family tradition that is tied to a specific celebration or holiday in your family.
-
Heirloom Tales
Choose a family heirloom and narrate the story behind it from the perspective of the ancestor who first owned it.
