20 Writing Prompts for Actual Adults

Danny and I taking part in an experiment together. Since we have more time in the evenings now, we are spending 20 minutes of them writing. This isn’t really anything particularly special. We both enjoy writing, but we have trouble “making time” for it. We both committed to Camp NaNoWriMo this July, but immediately found ourselves unable to keep up with even the tiniest of goals. However, we can motivate each other to write for 20 minutes on a very specific goal. That meant we needed writing prompts. 

And let me tell you: writing prompts for adults are sparse out there! 

We both also, generally, hate writing prompts: they are too vague or overly specific. They rely too much on making split-second decisions instead of just allowing the writer to tease out a little story. Or, as we realized, they are all aimed at getting children to write. 

It made me realize what a need there was for good writing prompts. Danny and I sat down together and wrote 20 writing prompts for our project. Our best advice when using these prompts is to allow yourself to create a story however you want; a prompt that might seem mysterious might be made less mysterious through clever writing. Because I love my fellow writers, here they are for you to use too! 

1. The absolute worst day
2. The absolute best day
3. I found tire tracks 
4. Save them all 
5. A summer feast
6. She found a bullet in the yard
7. A flag, a bottle, and a balloon 
8. He has a cold 
9. A new kind of myth 
10. A coffee cup, snakes, a sunny day
11. He suspects she’s lying 
12. Her last meal 
13. The new girl in town 
14. The one thing you need is… 
15. A voice in the distance screams “____” 
16. She found a flyer that say “____” 
17. The three lies she told her boss
18. An ice cream parlor on a hot day
19. A small town grocery store
20. A silver lily, a dog, a muddy book