50 Writing Prompts To Ensure You Never Run Out of Ideas

Scroll until you find something that inspires you, and allow your creativity to flow

I’m writing this article for myself as much as everyone else. I plan on tagging it to favorites so I can reference it whenever I wake up groggy and can’t immediately think of something to write. The idea is to create a template of general concepts that can easily be used to organize your thoughts and enhance your creativity.

While you’re tagging articles, you should also take a look at this one:

That article contains all the keyword tags that Medium uses to assign ‘Top Writer’ badges. I’m currently a top writer in ‘Travel,’ ‘This Happened to Me,’ and ‘Parenting.’ The more badges you get, the greater your chances at visibility, getting curated and reaching a larger audience.

50 Writing Prompts

The easiest way to be successful in writing is to find a topic that you are passionate about. If you are stuck without inspiration, try to think of something that interests you and start reading some reference articles. It’s very likely that within a few minutes, you’ll find something that inspires you to compose a response (this is basically content writing):

Sometimes article concepts float in and out of your mind without you consciously recognizing them. You must cultivate an awareness when you notice an article concept and either stop to write the article or write down the idea. Once you begin to train yourself to pay attention to your ideas, you’ll find you’re never wanting for topics.

There’s an old story about how when Roald Dahl got the inspiration for ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,’ he didn’t have any paper to write down the idea. He noticed that there was dirt on the rear window of his vehicle, so he pulled over and wrote, ‘A chocolate factory run by a madman’ with his finger. The sooner you write down the idea, the faster you can move on from inspiration to composition.

Stop for a shout out

I wanted to pause for a second to give a quick shout out to Ryan Justin who is kind of the inspiration for this article. Ryan and I had a discussion in the comments on one of my articles, and Ryan went on to mention me in his subsequent article.

The very next day, I had a couple of people comment on my work who informed me they found me through Justin’s recommendation. This article is an extension of that original conversation, so I thought I’d shout out to Ryan (writers have to lift each other up):

With this example in mind, y’all should tag me if you write a post based on a writing prompt in this post. I’ll read it!

Here are fifty writing prompts to get you going:

1. Your first job

You should be able to get 50 writing ideas, or more, out of this topic alone. What were the people like? What city was the job located in? What were the major office scandals while you worked there? Did your education prepare you for the job?

Once you’ve answered all these questions, apply them again to your second job, third job, fourth job, etc. Here’s a story from the days when I worked as a teacher:

2. The decade when you grew up

I was mainly an 80's child, but I dabbled in the ’70s as well (to put it politely). In some ways, the 70’s made a bigger impact on me. I remember the orange and yellow stripes that seemed to be obligatory on every single piece of media advertising. Why? Why did they use so much orange and yellow?

People have fascinating impressions in their wisps of memory from their earliest years. Share them! You might find you’re dipping into the collective consciousness.

1970’s be like:

3. Your home town

I haven’t even begun to explore my home town life on Medium yet. I have a whole manuscript that I’ve been working on for about a year about growing up in a backward, backwoods, rural Wisconsin town. I read the manuscript to my kids, and maybe now they know everything they need to know about me.

The video store, Signer’s Hill, the local bakery, the murder at the movie theater. There’s a lot to tell, some of it quite painful, you’ll love it!

4. Things you would change

This could be about your personal life choices or the world in general. This is a place for activism, reflection, and wisdom. Or it could be something as simple as the fact that we all need at least one more tortilla when we order fajitas.

The sky is the limit!

5. Buying your first car

Where does buying your first car sit on the list of the most important moments of your life? There’s the birth of your children, the day you get married, learning how to ride a bike, and then maybe you start getting into first car territory?

Your first car becomes a symbol of you. People recognize it’s you when they see your car. It’s like a flag, a personal emblem. It’s freedom, it’s a place to escape with your first boyfriend or girlfriend.

People…your first car is a big deal, share the story (and tag me, I want to read about it):

6. Stories about car trouble

Oh, whoops! And it was going so well. But yeah, chances are, that first car was a piece of trash. I remember this time I got stuck on a fire road and had to call up my dad to come and pull me out. My girlfriend was mad at me. Good story, maybe I’ll write it!

7. Travel

Ah, yes, please share your travel stories with us! Show us where to go, tell us the restaurants to avoid in Belize! Share your photos. Every photo contains the personality of the photographer. For an example of my personality, check out these pictures I took of my children on vacation in Peru.

8. Childhood

Childhood is a wellspring of inspiration both as a parent and as you reflect on your own memories. Think ‘Stand by Me.’ Think about the cartoons you used to watch. Remember Saturday morning cartoons? Kids don’t get to watch those anymore…WTF!

9. Concerts

What does music mean to you? For this prompt, think ‘Detroit Rock City.’ Tell us the story about that time you and your friends got tickets to go see Kiss, or Nirvana, or Guns N’ Roses. Whose car did you borrow to drive there? Did you accidentally hit something and have to pay for repairs? Was there a jerk in line you almost got in a fight with?

Heck, when you write about concerts, you don’t even have to include any talk about the music. I remember seeing Tom Petty with my dad, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Warren Zevon (probably my favorite), Pink Floyd. Tell us about these concerts, chances are, that was the biggest thing in your life for about four or five months.

10. Grade school memories

Ungh…yeah, who wants to go back to grade school? But then again, did you learn how to write cursive? Kids don’t do that anymore. Remember how the big kids terrified you? Remember how little you were? Remember saying goodbye to mom on the first day?

Here’s an article I wrote inspired by some not so rosy grade school moments:

11. Middle school memories

The kids are a little bigger now, they’re making their way in the world, they’re making discoveries about themselves. When I was in middle school, I discovered Roald Dahl, and ‘Star Wars’ pretty much dominated everything.

My kids lives’ revolve around ‘Frozen’ and ‘Elena of Avalor.’ Middle school is when kids learn how to swim.

12. High school memories

Yeah, going back to high school takes some processing. One story I just remembered last night is how, for some reason, I got this book of the 100 greatest novels ever written and resolved to go through them all before I graduated.

Some of the books on that list were hard to find. I remember having to travel to the Minneapolis library to check out ‘The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse’ by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez. I remember not liking the book except for one passage that actually described the four horsemen.

Storytelling is big, here’s a book you should know about:

13. College memories

In college, I had a teacher that wouldn’t give me an A on my papers. I had an old dot matrix printer and the printing wasn’t very dark. He once wrote “darker print would be nice” but he never specifically wrote that he was docking my grade because of the ink.

I remember getting into discussion groups with other students, and they actually became very angry as I kept getting B+’s instead of A’s. One of them even said she was going to have words with the guy.

Honestly, I remember their protective attitude more than I remember any A I ever received on any subsequent paper in any other class. And that’s just the first memory that came up off the top of my head.

14. Mom

Big subject. I think it speaks for itself.

15. Dad

See above.

16. Brother

I have a little brother, and I think that’s affected my viewpoint of the world. I wonder what it would be like to have a big brother? I guess those of us that are big brothers have big brother substitutes.

When you’re a big brother, you kind of take on the role of big brother for everyone. Here’s an article that speaks to that impulse:

17. Sister

I have a little sister. I had a friend who had a big sister. Our friendship suffered when I started dating my friend’s sister. Maybe that’s as much of that story as I need to tell.

18. Cousins

Ah, your first true friends! Hopefully, you stayed in touch! If not, give them a call, have a meeting, and then write us a story about how it went!

19. Family

Touchy! This one could be good or bad. What about Thanksgiving etiquette? Here’s a story about a recent shift in position that I’ve undergone:

20. Children

I could probably do nothing else but write stories about my kids until the end of my days on Medium. In fact, maybe I should do that:

21. Exercise

Have you ever run a marathon? Have you ever tried to lose weight? There are stories there. Here’s one about a 100 mile bike ride I did (I took the picture):

22. Races

There is a massive cross-country ski race in the state of Wisconsin that truly changed my life. I grew up in the middle of nowhere, but every year, people would come from all around the world to do that race. Without it, I don’t know if I would have had the courage to travel. Here’s the novel I wrote about it:

23. Politics

The great thing about religion is that it is guaranteed to get a reaction. Here’s a satirical article I wrote just because I knew the headline would get a reaction (it worked):

24. Religion

Religion is good as a subject on its own, and for its influence on politics. Also, don’t forget that there are literally thousands of religions to choose from. This is a lifetime topic as well.

25. Crime

Have you ever had anything stolen from you? Have you ever committed a crime? What impact has crime had on your life?

Personally, I consider all billionaires to be criminals.

Behind every great fortune lies a great crime.

— Honore de Balzac

26. Personal stories

You can make a story out of literally anything that has ever provoked an emotional response in your whole life. Not all stories that you share have to be of vast, cataclysmic importance. You can make an engaging story about a comfortable pair of slippers.

Great artists sometimes begin by throwing paint on the canvas and seeing where the image takes them. Do the same thing with words. Start with a seed of emotion and watch as it sprouts into a terrific article.

27. Books

Books are very important to me. I’m a writer and a reviewer and I love to share great stories with as many people as possible. Here’s an example of a book review from a little known author who is, nevertheless, a superior talent.

28. Movies

If you’re looking for something to write about, write a movie review. Tell us about your experience of watching the film. Did your internet cut out? Who were you with? Did the person you were with enjoy it as much as you did?

The context of films creates part of the fabric of your life. Your perception of the art is also influenced by your viewing experience. Watching a film on a small screen on an airplane is not the same experience as watching a film in a theater. It just isn’t.

29. Plays

People don’t go to the theater enough anymore. There is something superior about seeing real people act out a story before your very eyes. You’re breathing the same air as they are, the villains are much more present and terrifying. Write about it!

30. Music

You know, I’m not a huge music guy. My wife’s life revolves around music. I’m more inclined to silence. When I listen to music, I start tuning it out and daydreaming. Yet there are still songs and artists that have spoken to me throughout the years. I look forward to sharing those thoughts with you.

31. Driving

A few years ago, I needed a break from life. A friend of mine asked me to be his best man at a wedding out in San Diego. So I loaded up the car in Northern Wisconsin, and we drove.

It turns out San Diego is a LONG way from Wisconsin. The trip was epic, the wedding amazing, and I came to realize how my soul needs a cross-country trip every year. I wonder how much I can remember from my various cross-country trips. I look forward to trying.

32. Fashion

This one is entirely on this list for you. I know nothing about fashion. Enlighten me. Although I did wear brown shoes with blue pants before it was acceptable! I guess I am a trendsetter!

33. Art

Picasso, Pollock, Prendergast, and that’s just the artists whose names start with the letter P (I admit, I got the name Prendergast from Wikipedia).

One of the things I do in my spare time with my children is to recreate ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ paintings in watercolor. Those are beautiful memories, and the paintings we create are just a bonus.

34. Health

A few years ago I had a severe infection that was misdiagnosed as a blood clot. My poor wife had to take care of me because I was shivering like a stray dog on the streets during a cold winter night.

Seriously, we have health stories to last a lifetime. Try to occasionally sprinkle in a funny one.

35. Business

Business is one of the most popular topics on Medium and on the internet in general. Many people write articles offering advice, but most people are bigger experts on what not to do.

Write the articles on what not to do. The following is not an example of that:

36. Finance

Personal finance is a big issue. The first tip that comes to mind is that you should always calculate your costs on a yearly rather than monthly basis. When you start to see that a $100 cost adds up to $1,200 yearly, you develop a good perspective on where your money goes.

37. Entrepreneurship

I ran my own business for seven years. I have plenty of stories about how that worked out for me. Some of them are rather scandalous. My big problem when it comes to business is that I’m too honest.

38. Advice

We need new advice articles every day. That’s how fast the world changes. Share your perspective, tell us what works for you. This advice article might be my favorite of all the things I’ve ever written:

39. Success

How do you define success? Is it money? Is it happiness? Is it a clear conscience? Compare and contrast. Now repeat 50,000 times. There will still be more to write about when you’re done.

40. Painting

Techniques, supplies, paint quality, paint reviews, canvas reviews. Make some videos, you can embed them in the article.

41. Drawing

When I was in high school, I used to fill up my notebooks with doodles. I should dig those notebooks up, scan them, and share them.

Like everything creative, you produce a snapshot of the creator’s mind at the moment of inspiration. Sometimes it’s beautiful, sometimes it’s terrifying, but it’s always fascinating.

42. Happiness

The quest for happiness is an eternal human aspiration. People want to hear what works. For me, happiness is my daughter dressed up as Chewbacca:

43. Humor

“Finding the funny” is a great way to turn a mundane experience into an entertaining story. Start with a seed of truth, and then water it with creativity until it blossoms. Here’s a funny story about a camping trip:

44. Life lessons

You know that thing that’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done? Why not write a story about it and share it on the internet so everyone can hear about it? Thank you in advance!

45. Construction

Tell us how to build stuff. Ikea products fall apart.

46. Home improvement

My home was built about the time Wild Bill Hickok was getting shot in Deadwood. I’ve been renovating the whole time I’ve owned the place, and we’ve just about paid off the mortgage. I need to do an article about restoring wood floors. You can do it for less than $500 (if you don’t count the expense of time).

47. Your first date

Again, it’s probably going to be embarrassing, but that’s what will make it endearing.

48. Your first love

It probably ended badly, but I’m sure it was great while it lasted.

49. Important romantic relationships

Now, combine those last two, and let’s look at them from a little higher up. How did one relationship roll into another?

50. Important friendships

This can cover anything from your friends in grade school to the person you’re married to. I sincerely hope your marital partner is your dearest friend. If you’ve got that, you’re fortunate. Tell other people how to get there, they are longing to know!

Here’s an article about how to make more Medium friends:

When I started writing this article, I didn’t imagine I’d come up with dozens of new article ideas during the process of writing it. However, that’s exactly what happened. I could stay occupied for a month with just the story seedlings that I stumbled upon here.

Sometimes a little focusing exercise is the best thing you can do. Read through this list again and again. Every time you look at the prompt, you’ll see something different. Your mind is a fertile place! Let those great ideas grow, and make sure you let me know it when you put them out for the world to see! Don’t forget to tag me, I’m serious!

Happy writing!