WRITING PROMPTS | PROMPTLY WRITTEN
Prompt Yourself: Weekly Prompts December 4–10
Prompts to tempt your muses

Welcome to the 49th week of Weekly Prompts here at PW! As you all know, Dr. Casey and I alternate writing weekly prompts. This week is my turn, next week is Casey’s, and then it’s back to me. However, there’s a slight change due to Casey’s schedule.
For those who might not know, Casey is getting married soon, and the preparations will keep her busy for the next few weeks. So, I’ll be stepping in to provide prompts for two consecutive weeks, starting from next next week (Dec18–24 and Dec.25–31).
To celebrate Casey’s wedding, I’ve decided to base the themes for these two weeks around weddings. And, as a special twist, I’m bringing forward the Christmas prompts to this week. So, get ready for a festive and family-oriented week of prompts!
Before we get started, here are a couple of quick reminders:
How This Works
- Use these prompts to write poetry, fiction, an essay, creative non-fiction, or an article. They are totally open to interpretation! Include a link to the prompt at the bottom of your post.
- If you use one of these prompts, you can submit the result here at PW, to any publication that accepts prompts from other publications, or self-publish. If you submit somewhere besides PW, make sure to include a link to the prompt and tag PW editors so that we do not miss reading your story!
- You don’t have to use PW’s prompts to submit work here. We are an open publication for established and new writers to submit their writing — usually based on writing prompts from here or elsewhere, but unprompted stories are also welcome!
- Please be sure to use the correct Reader Interest Tags when you submit your work to PW so it lands in the right place on the homepage. Please use ONE (not multiple) of the following tags: Poetry, Fiction, Essay, or Articles. Your other four tags can be whatever you wish them to be.
- Please ONLY submit drafts. To do this, once you have finished writing, instead of hitting the Publish button, click on the three dots (…), choose Add to Publication, click on Promptly Written, and then submit. This will put it into our queue, and we will publish it on our end.
- Each week, you will find prompts for Monday-Sunday. However, you do not have to use them in the order they are written. Browse them all and use only the ones that resonate with you. Submit your work any time during the week (or long after!).
- If you previously wrote for PW but haven’t in a while, you may need to go to the Submission Guidelines and ask to be a writer again. We went on hiatus a few months ago and stopped accepting submissions; if you were a writer with us before that time, you will need to sign up again.
- Have fun!
Are you ready? Great! Let’s get prompting!
Moody Monday
Write a ‘moody’ poem or story around any of the following:
1. The echo of carols in an empty house
2. The first Christmas without a loved one
3. Faded Carols
4. The unopened gift
5. Christmas Lights in the Lonely Lane
Tuesday Twosome
1. Conceptual Theme — Family Traditions
Twosome — Decorating the Tree and Cooking the Feast
2. Conceptual Theme — Holiday Memories
Twosome — Childhood Christmas and Christmas Now
3. Conceptual Theme — Gift Giving
Twosome — The Joy of Giving and The Surprise of Receiving
4. Conceptual Theme — Winter Activities
Twosome — Building a Snowman and Family Snowball Fight
5. Conceptual Theme — Family Dynamics
Twosome — The Fun of Family Gatherings and Handling Holiday Stress
Wednesday’s Either/Or
1. Either “Decorating the Tree Solo” or “Making it a Family Affair”
2. Either “Baking Grandma’s Secret Recipe” or “Trying a New Holiday Dish”
3. Either “Opening Gifts at Midnight” or “Waiting for Christmas Morning”
4. Either “Spending Christmas with Immediate Family” or “Hosting a Big Family Gathering”
5. Either “Keeping Holiday Decorations Minimal” or “Going All Out with Festive Decor”
Thursday’s Thoughts
1. “Christmas is the day that holds all time together.” — Alexander Smith
2. The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.” — Burton Hillis
3.”Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.” — Janice Maeditere
4.”At Christmas, all roads lead home.” — Marjorie Holmes
5. “Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we’re here for something else besides ourselves.” — Eric Sevareid
Fiction Friday
Use any or all of the following concepts for a story:
1. A tale of two siblings who, while trying to find the perfect Christmas gift for their parents, uncover a family secret.
2. A heartwarming story where a family’s first Christmas without a loved one leads to a surprising new tradition.
3. A narrative about a Christmas dinner where an unexpected guest brings joy and healing to a strained family relationship.
4. A heartwarming tale of a family adopting a pet for Christmas, learning the true meaning of family and togetherness.
5.A humorous story of a family accidentally mixing up their Christmas plans, leading to a series of comical and heartwarming events.
Random Words Saturday
With 2 or more of these words, explore how exchanging presents leads to reminiscing about past Christmases.
- Gathering
- Tradition
- Generosity
- Feast
- Music
- Surprise
- Games
- Lights
- Cookies
- Crafts
- Midnight
Spiritual Sunday
1. How can we find peace and spiritual connection amidst the holiday rush?
2. What does the spirit of giving at Christmas teach us about family values?
3. What spiritual lessons have you learned from a family member during Christmas?
4. What does the act of gift-giving at Christmas teach us about spiritual generosity in families?
5. How does the spirit of Christmas help in reconciling with family members?
Bonus Prompt — Write a poem, flash fiction story (500 words or less), or essay about the experience of a child spending Christmas with a divided family, exploring the emotions and adjustments involved in celebrating in two different homes.
There you have it. A week’s worth of prompts to tempt your muses. We look forward to reading your submissions. Don’t forget to mention me so I won’t miss reading your story.
Bella loves to write about life, psychology, and relationships. Click here to receive an email that guarantees you’ll get Bella’s newest stories delivered straight to your inbox.
Don’t forget, there are Writing Sparks available in the Monthly Theme by ADEOLA
And if you missed last week’s prompts by Dr. Casey, you can find it here.