185+ ‘Paint’ Writing Prompts
-
Jazz Speakeasies and The Prohibition
Describe a night in a jazz speakeasy during the era of Prohibition.
-
The Magic Paintbrush
Imagine you have a paintbrush that can bring anything you paint to life. What would your first painting be?
-
First Day Nerves
Write about a memorable ‘first day’ experience – your first day of school, work, or any new environment.
-
Text Messages in a Bottle
Imagine you could send five text messages to a past or current important person in your life. What would you say?
-
A Poem to Battle the Darkness
Compose a poem that speaks to your feelings, experiences and perspective on the longest night of the year.
-
Echo of War
Write a story from the perspective of a war veteran experiencing a series of vivid war flashbacks.
-
Sensory Scavenger Hunt
Choose one of your favorite locations, indoor or outdoor, and describe it using vivid, descriptive words.
-
The Unseen Face
Craft a riveting story about a detective who must solve a case with only the sound of the suspect’s voice as a clue.
-
Power of Implied Violence
Write about a situation where violence is imminent, but not yet occurred. Paint the fear and tension without physical actions.
-
Survival Strategies
Imagine you are a caveman during the Ice Age and describe your day-to-day strategies for survival.
-
November’s Visual Feast
Describe a November landscape of your choice in vivid detail, inviting readers to visualize it.
-
Framing December
Create a descriptive scene capturing a moment of warmth in your home during December.
-
Unseen Witness
You’re a zombie, endlessly wandering through destroyed remnants of civilization, a silent observer of poignantly human scenes.
-
Disease’s Toll on Kinship
Write about a family struggling through the Irish Potato Famine, focusing on the tensions and resilience within their relationships.
-
The Beauty of Ending Chapters
Reflect on a relationship that ended and appreciate the growth it brought you.
-
Artifact from Another Era
Describe a day in the life of a character who stumbles upon an artifact from a bygone era.
-
Dusk Till Dawn: An Easter Day
Write a descriptive account of Easter day, beginning with daybreak’s soft pastel skies until nightfall.
-
Buntings and Dreamy Booths
Paint a written picture of a particularly stunning booth or stall at an outdoor festival.
-
New Dawn, Infinite Possibilities
Write about the first sunrise of a new year and what it symbolizes for you.
-
Colors of Autumn
Write about a day when all the fall colors were at their peak. Were the vibrant hues invigorating or melancholic for you?
-
Shadow Stalker
Write a story where the protagonist is not sure if they are being followed or it’s just their paranoia.
-
Stolen Glances, Shy Smiles
Craft a setting where the presence of love is subtle yet undeniable, narrating a story where the characters never explicitly confess their feelings, yet their affection is visible.
-
Galactic Hero
Write about a superhero who lives on a distant planet and has to deal with threats both on their planet and from others.
-
Collision of Titans
Describe a fierce battle between two superhuman beings using vivid imagery and sensory details.
-
Spectrum of Emotions
Choose five emotions and describe a situation in which you strongly experienced each one.
-
Harvest Festival
Imagine that your town is holding a harvest festival. Write about how you’d like to contribute.
-
Lantern Festival Conclusion
Craft a romantic story set against the backdrop of the Lantern Festival, which concludes the Chinese New Year celebrations.
-
Remembering Their Sparkle
Describe a moment where your loved one truly shone during the holiday season.
-
Ghosts of Sleepy Hollow Revisited
Rewrite Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” from the perspective of the Headless Horseman.
-
The Unpainted Canvas
Imagine your life as an empty canvas and design the masterpiece you would like it to become.
-
Life as Music
Write your life story as a piece of music. What instruments would play the significant moments?
-
Festival of Lights
Write about a time when you saw a lot of bright lights and how they made you feel.
-
Survivor’s Settlement
Detail a makeshift settlement of human survivors. Paint a picture of how they have reconstructed society in a post-apocalyptic world.
-
Van Gogh’s Perspective
Suppose you are Vincent Van Gogh and write a poem describing what inspired you to paint ‘Starry Night’.
-
The Transformation Journey
Write about an emotional difficulty which turned into a turning point in your life.
-
The Protest Behind the Paint
Explore the growing trend of modern art being used as a medium for social and political activism.
-
October in Absentia
A challenge to imagine and describe October to someone who has never experienced it.
-
Political Manifesto
Draft a political manifesto for a fictional character that has decided to run for a political position.
-
Winter Wonderland Reflections
Write a reflective piece on your vision of a perfect winter wonderland.
-
Living Paint
Imagine that your favorite painting or artwork comes to life. Detail your interaction with it.
-
Travel Through Time
Imagine you have a time machine. Describe a journey to a past or future era, detailing the sights, sounds, and experiences.
-
Colorful Memories
Write about a memory that is sparked by a specific color. Use words to paint a detailed picture.
-
Candy Land Chronicles
Put on your storytelling hat and take us to a land made entirely of candies! Describe what you see around, taste, and who lives there.
-
December Street Art
Imagine your city organizes a unique December tradition – painting murals with frozen paint.
-
Time-Travel Gone Wrong
Narrate a hilarious misadventure where a time machine malfunctions and sends you to unexpected times and places.
-
Makeover Madness
Write about a disastrous attempt at a home makeover/reconstruction which surprisingly works out in the end.
-
The Magic of Snow
Write about your first memory of seeing or experiencing snow and how it adds magic to the holiday season.
-
Wave of Appreciation
Create a small story where a community shows their appreciation for frontline workers.
-
A Future View
Imagine yourself five years from now being in a happy and fulfilled place. Describe this scene.
-
The Dreadful Artist’s Masterpiece
The story revolves around a long-dead artist whose paintings are said to come alive.
-
Strawberry Fields Forever
Imagine owning a strawberry farm and write about a day in spring when the berries are ripe and ready to be picked.
-
Frozen Fronds
Describe a walk through a frozen forest, paying special attention to the details of the icy flora.
-
Road to Hell Paved with Good Intentions
Pen a narrative about a visionary whose noble intentions eventually lead them into becoming a feared dictator.
-
Dystopian Uprising
Explore a dystopian world wherein a group of oppressed people rise against an authoritarian regime.
-
Whisked Away to Candyland
Imagine a new world made entirely of your favorite sweets. Describe what it looks like and tastes like.
-
The Forgotten Keepsake
Write a story about finding an item from your past, and its associated memories.
-
Hollowed Halls
Set a flash fiction story in a seemingly desolate space, where the atmosphere and objects within the space tell a story of their own.
-
Villain’s Perspective
Rewrite a popular folktale from your culture from the perspective of the villain.
-
Journey to Candyland
Imagine a world where everything is made of candy and chocolate. What would your day in this world look like?
-
Autumn Runway Reflections
Write about attending a fictitious high-fall fashion show, detailing the clothes and the atmosphere.
-
Exotic Dream Destination
Write about a location you’ve always dreamed of visiting, detailing not just the scenery, but also the smells, sounds, local customs, and experiences that in your mind make it an exotic destination.
-
Paint Palette of Emotions
Imagine you could paint each of your emotions a different color, describe both the color and the emotion.
-
Nostalgic Lens
Write about a visit to your grandparents’ house when you were younger, emphasizing the atmosphere and tiny details.
-
The Day I Became a Superhero
Imagine one day you wake up and realize you have superpowers – describe your day.
-
Uncovered Lies
Your character is living a comfortable life when they discover it’s rooted in deception.
-
Easter Through Another’s Eyes
Write about an Easter tradition you have learnt about that was unique to a friend or acquaintance’s household.
-
Fading Photographs
Describe an old photograph as vividly as possible, bringing it to life with your words.
