Creative fiction writing is a fun way for students to practice their writing and storytelling skills, but writing nonfiction essays and journal entries is just as important.
Below, you’ll find a list of writing prompts that will encourage students to explore history, form opinions, and spend time on self-reflection.
These prompts cover a wide variety of topics, so even your most reluctant writers should have no problem choosing a prompt that speaks to them.
How to use the prompts
This writing guide can be used as homework or in tandem with your ELA curriculum.
The point is to get students to work on their nonfiction writing skills in a way that is fun and engaging.
Here are a few ways you can use the list below:
- Use these prompts for students who finish work early and need something to do.
- Pick prompts that line up with what students are learning in other classes (like history or art).
- Have each student pick a prompt for someone else in the class to use.
Nonfiction Writing Prompts
- Choose a prominent woman in art and write an essay about her accomplishments.
- Tell the story of your city or town’s founding.
- Who is your biggest role model in history? Why?
- Do you think eSports are a viable career path? Explain.
- Tell the story about how you met your best friend.
- Write a list of ten things people might not know about you.
- Talk about a time when you were bullied. How did it feel? How was the situation resolved?
- Do you think homework helps or hurts students?
- Should girls be allowed to play on boys’ sports teams? Should boys be allowed to play on girls’ teams? Explain.
- What is one thing you would change about your community? Why?
- Explain your hobby to someone who has never heard of it before.
- Do you think kids spend too much time in front of screens?
- Choose a prominent woman in science and write an essay about her accomplishments.
- Write a news article about something that has recently happened in your town.
- If you could meet one celebrity, past or present, who would it be? Why? What would you talk about?
- Write about the scariest moment of your life.
- Does your family have any holiday traditions that are different from what others do? What are they?
- Write about a time when you asked someone to forgive you, or when you forgave someone else.
- Is it important to read the book before watching the movie? Explain.
- Do you think we should continue with space exploration, or spend more time exploring the oceans? Explain.
- What are some steps that can be taken to reduce or eliminate cyberbullying?
- Choose a prominent woman in sports and write an essay about her accomplishments.
- Write a review of the last book you read.
- Why is mental health just as important as physical health?
- Explain the qualities that make someone a good friend.
- Why is it important to assess more than one point of view when forming an opinion?
- Is it important for students to participate in extracurricular activities? Explain.
- Describe in detail the last live event you attended (sports, concert, etc).
- Write about a time when you conquered a fear.
- Choose a prominent man in art and write an essay about his accomplishments.
- Write about the best vacation you’ve ever taken.
- Do you believe that technology can become addictive? Explain.
- Why is it important for students to get adequate sleep?
- Do you prefer attending school in a classroom or virtually? Why?
- Write about your least favorite chore. What makes it your least favorite? Are there ways to make it less daunting?
- Think about somewhere you’d really like to go for a field trip. Write a persuasive letter to your teacher convincing them to consider it.
- What do you think is the perfect Halloween costume? Explain.
- Choose a prominent man in science and write an essay about his accomplishments.
- Write about the role music plays in your daily life and your culture.
- Explain the qualities that make someone a good leader.
- Write about a time when you taught someone how to do something.
- Do you think students should have to ask to go to the bathroom, or should they be allowed to go whenever they need to?
- Tell the story of how your parents met.
- Which is better: casual dress or school uniforms? Explain.
- Choose a topic that people tend to disagree on, and write a short essay from both points of view.
- Choose a prominent man in sports and write an essay about his accomplishments.
- Write about a special bond you have with a pet or an animal.
- Choose a piece of art and write about its history and artist.
- Write about the first birthday you remember.
- Should tweens and teens spend less time on social media? Explain.
- What is the biggest challenge your generation currently faces?
- Should the voting age be changed to 16? Explain.
- If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be? Why?
- Do you think violent video games cause people to be violent in real life?
- Write about your favorite summer memory. How old were you? Why is it still so important?
Looking For More?
We offer an abundance of free writing resources for parents, guardians, and teachers to help give young writers the tools they need to succeed.
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you are looking for something specific and can’t find it on our site. We love hearing all of your ideas!
