97+ ‘Word’ Writing Prompts
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Bridges of Trust
Write a story about two people who had a turbulent past but worked to mend their relationship in their later years.
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The Magic of Friendship
Write about a day when your friend did something that made you feel unique and special.
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Blossoming with Juliet’s Words
Consider the famous quote from Romeo and Juliet, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, By any other word would smell as sweet.” and pen down your thoughts on the significance of identity.
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The Meaning Behind the Blessings
Write about the interpretation and significance of a specific Irish Blessing.
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Flashback in a Flash
Write a flash fiction story where the most important event happens in a flashback.
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Intimacy of Ideas
Tell the story of a complex character within the limited word count of flash fiction.
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Piecing Together History
Imagine life in a world where writing didn’t exist. How would information be passed, shared, or remembered? Reflect on the importance of writing in these aspects.
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Word Limit Wonders
Write a story that explores a complex theme or issue within a strict word limit of 100 words.
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Essence of an Era
Choose a historical event or period you find engaging. Write a flash fiction piece that captures its essence within just a few hundred words.
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Crystal Clear Conclusions
Craft a hyper-short story that leaves no room for interpretation at the end.
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Brainstorming Bubbles
Start with a single word or idea and form a “mind-map” of related topics, characters, or themes. Write about one of these offshoot ideas.
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Echoing Secrets
Tell the tale of an expedition team discovering a cavern filled with echoes that reveal secrets.
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Love Letters from the Front
Describe a romantic relationship sustained through letters while one partner is away at war.
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The Spoken Word
Discuss a conversation you’ll never forget. Who was it with, what did you talk about, why did it become unforgotten?
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Life as Music
Write your life story as a piece of music. What instruments would play the significant moments?
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Whirling Word Whirlwind
Create a list of words starting with each alphabet, starting with A and ending with Z.
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A Path of Kindness
Imagine you could leave a trail of kindness behind you wherever you go. What would this path look like, and how would it affect the people who cross it?
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Lifelong Companions
Choose six words that best describe you right now and write about why you chose each word.
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Emotion Code Breaker
Write a conversation purely in dialogue, but without mentioning any emotions directly, let the conversation express the emotional intensity.
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Journey into the Word Sprint
Write about an experience of intensely focused writing or a ‘word sprint’.
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Ephemeral Echo
Write a tale of a town where every spoken word echoes back in time and has the ability to influence past events.
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The Last Breath
Chase a horror story where a mystic proclaims the protagonist will die once they speak their next hundred words.
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The A-Z Adventure
Write an adventure tale where each sentence begins with the next letter of the alphabet.
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Inscribed Incantations
Create a system of runic magic, where the very act of writing becomes a magical ritual.
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The End is the Beginning
Write a flash fiction story that ends on the same note or line as it started.
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Inspiring the Pencil
Write about a book or author that made you realize the impact writing can have.
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The Power of Speech
Write a research paper about a significant speech in human history, focusing on its cultural, political, or social impact.
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Land of New Words
Imagine a new planet where each landform is named with a new word you’ve learned. Describe this planet.
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Building Word Tower
Write about building a tower with your favorite words. How tall is the tower? What does it look like?
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Unexpected Transformation
Write a story where a mundane, everyday object becomes something extraordinary.
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Twilight Momentum
Write a piece of flash fiction where the most important event occurs right before the story begins.
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Exchange of a Lifetime
Create a high-stakes negotiation in a flash fiction format, letting tension, pacing, and resolution play out on a quick turn.
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Flashback Microcosm
Write a piece of flash fiction that takes your readers from a moment of startling revelation back through key memories of your protagonist’s life.
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Once Upon a Promise
Pen a tale that revolves around a character breaking a promise, and the consequences that unfold because of it.
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The Magic Word
Write a poem about a word that sounds magical to you, and describe why it’s enchanting.
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Dance of Anger
Think about a time when you felt really angry. Write a scene to express this emotion without using the word “angry”.
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Lexical Scavenger Hunt
Choose a recently learned or unfamiliar word and write a journal entry involving it.
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Solitary Reflection
Write about three words that summarize your 2020 as experienced largely in solitude.
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Powerful Emotions
Think of 2020 and identify three emotions that dominated your year, describing them in a word each.
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A Dark Emperor’s Mortality
Without using the words ‘evil’ or ‘hatred’, write a poignant death announcement for Emperor Palpatine.
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Joke Machine Malfunction
Imagine you’ve invented a machine that generates jokes, but suddenly, it starts producing strange, nonsensical or extremely literal jokes.
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The Farewell
Compose a flash fiction piece where the plot centers on a farewell conversation between two characters.
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Expanded Vs. Pointed Description
Write a story using detailed and elaborate descriptions, and then shave it down into a flash fiction utilizing pointed, impactful descriptions.
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Inventing a Word
Create a new, original word and provide its meaning, usage and a short story where it’s being used.
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Escape Room Riddles
Write an escape room scenario that includes four puzzles or riddles, each solved by understanding a new vocabulary word.
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Words in Action
Write a narrative about a day where every action is described with a new vocabulary word.
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Love Letter to Myself
Pen a love letter to yourself, focusing on your qualities, strengths, and all the things you appreciate about yourself.
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Nature’s Palette
Create a flash fiction story that describes an entire season in just one paragraph.
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Conquering the word count
Write a flash fiction story in exactly 100 words about someone completing a task under a strict deadline.
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Vintage Vocabulary
Choose a unique, old-fashioned, or rarely-used word for each letter A-Z and compose an experience or memory associated with that word.
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Epistolary Therapy
Write a letter to someone who caused you emotional pain without the intention of ever sending it.
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Novel Vocabulary
Identify a new word you’ve learned in your target language and write about its meaning and potential usage.
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The First Scribe
Create a fictional character who discovers the art of writing for the first time and experiences the spark of inspiration.
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Reflecting the Muse
Write about a person, book or experience that first sparked your interest in writing.
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Journey of Perspectives
Pick three random words and write a three-stanza poem, each stanza centered around each word.
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Translation of Emotions
Generate a seemingly random list of words and try to write a poem that encompasses the emotion you feel when you read these words.
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Orchestrating Unseen Patterns
Use a random word generator to pick five words and write a poem incorporating these words.
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Slant Rhyme Self-Portrait
Create a poem about yourself using slant rhymes to illustrate your character, quirks, and personal journey.
