fun writing assignment for middle school

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Teaching Expertise

• Classroom Ideas
• Teacher’s Life
• Deals & Shopping
• Privacy Policy

20 Creative Writing Activities for Middle School

April 10, 2023 //  by  Stephanie Ledford

Some students are prolific writers, needing no help putting pen to paper and telling their stories. However, there are other students who need a little more direction in order to get their stories out. Whatever the case may be, these 20 creative writing activities for middle school will have all of your students showing their creative prowess.

1. I Am From

After reading the poem “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon, have students write their own “I Am From” poems. Using a template, all students will be able to create wonderful poems illustrating their own unique backgrounds.

Learn More: Made by Teachers

2. Found Poems

Using the words of others, students create their own “found poems.” By taking a snippet here and a line there, they can arrange them in their own creative ways to create new, interesting poems. Reading a book as a class? Have them use the book to create a found poem!

Learn More: Read, Write, Think

Your middle schoolers are sure to feel like poets in the making with this creative assignment. Encourage them to connect themselves to something bigger, like their families, their culture, or their historical background as you task them with creating poems using their own names. Prompt them to begin their writing process by having them use the letters of their names to inspire a new line of poetry that they think reflects who they are as a person.

Learn More: Mama Smiles

4. Chain Stories

This assignment has each student start with a blank piece of paper. After giving them a writing prompt , every student begins writing a story. After your chosen time limit is up, they stop writing and pass their story to the next person in their group who then has to continue telling the story. When each story returns to its original author, the activity is complete.

Learn More: Creativities ESL

5. Visual Character Sketch

Being able to add depth to a character can be difficult for many students. By allowing a student to create a visual sketch, you are allowing them a different approach to writing a character description.

Learn More: Adobe Education Exchange

6. What If…

“What if” writing prompts are a great way to get your learners’ creative juices flowing. By posing a question, they’re given a starting point, and it’s up to them to decide what twists and turns their stories will take. Will they write a sad, action-packed, or scary story? The possibilities are endless!

Learn More: Journal Buddies

7. Descriptive Writing Prompts

Descriptive writing activities are another way for middle school students to practice their creative writing skills. They can give their descriptions their own unique twists by using their different writing styles to describe common objects. And hey, they might have a different appreciation for the things in their everyday worlds after this assignment!

Learn More: Academic Writing Success

8. Scary Stories

Go through the entire writing process and teach your students how to write scary stories! Before you begin writing, though, read them some (age-appropriate) scary stories to give them the chills and an idea of what is expected in a scary story.

Learn More: Keep ’em Thinking

9. Daily Journal Writing

There is no better way to improve students’ writing abilities than to do daily writing. Each day, give students a different prompt and allow them to write for fifteen minutes. After, allow them the opportunity to share their story with their peers or the class.

Learn More: Daily Teaching Tools

10. So Much Depends Upon…

“ The Red Wheel Barrow “–such a simple yet eloquent poem. Following this lesson plan, your students will be able to write their own simple yet eloquent poems and feel like accomplished writers.

Learn More: NYLearns

11. An Ode to…

Reluctant writers are often intimidated by complicated writing ideas. By using a template like the one pictured above, your students will all be able to feel like poets as they create their own odes about a person, place, or thing.

Learn More: Crafting Connections

12. Story Starters

Story starters are a great way to help students begin their stories. If you have a digital classroom, the Scholastic story starter page is great because it can formulate much different writing prompts, helping engage all students.

Learn More: Scholastic

13. My Time Machine Trip

What is everyday life like in 1902? How about in 2122? Have students write stories about their experiences traveling through time using the attached worksheet. For those that need a little extra help, allow them to research time periods so they have an idea of what life was like then.

Learn More: K12 Reader

14. Writing and Math

This is a great assignment for a math class! Using the provided instructions, students are to write a story that explains to their boss the math they used while delivering packages. Since this assignment asks them to cover specific math concepts, make sure you cover them in class first (or hand this assignment to a math teacher and let them have at it!).

Learn More: Dr. Hamblin

15. How to Bake Cookies for Santa

Seasonal writing activities are a great way to get kids excited around the holidays! One way to get descriptive paragraphs out of your students is through these instructions on how to bake cookies for Santa. The great thing about this assignment is all levels of writers can participate. Those that are more advanced can provide more details and struggling writers can still feel accomplished by explaining the cookie-making process!

Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers

16. Diary Entry of a Literary Character

Another favorite among creative writing ideas is having students write diary entries in the voice of a character from literature. This can be a character from a book you read as a class or from a book they read on their own. Either way, it will showcase their creative writing skills and their knowledge of the character!

Learn More: Banana Magic

17. Write a Rant

Writing a rant is a good assignment to use when you are trying to teach about the different voices we use when writing. When writing a rant, you are going to use an angrier, more aggressive voice than if you were writing a children’s story. This is a great warm-up to get students ready to write persuasive essays.

Learn More: Teachers and Writers Magazine

18. Write a Newspaper Story

After reading through some newspapers to get ideas on how newspaper articles are formatted, have each of your students write their own article. When they are all done, you can compile a classroom newspaper!

Learn More: Nie Online

19. Coat of Arms

Studying Shakespeare? Maybe European countries where it was common to have a Coat of Arms? If so, this assignment is perfect for your class. Have students create a coat of arms and then write a few paragraphs explaining their choices.

20. A Letter to Yourself

Have students write letters to their future selves. Give them specific questions to answer like “where do you see yourself in five years? Are you happy with your life? Is there anything you would change?” And then in five years, mail the letters to their parents!

Learn More: Ms. Carota

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

EveryWriter

A New Community of Writers

300 Writing Prompts for Middle School Students

February 15, 2024 by Richard Leave a Comment

Here are 300 Writing Prompts for Middle School Students, when looking to engage middle school students in daily writing, it can be difficult to come up with enough creative yet educationally meaningful prompts to fill the school year. That’s why I was thrilled to uncover an incredible list of over 300 Writing Prompts for Middle School Students. With about 180 school days, this mega list of prompts could last nearly two school years without repeating! As a middle school teacher striving to make writing fun while also pushing my students to think deeper, stretch their perspectives, and grow their skills, I appreciate prompts tuned specifically to 11-14 year olds on topics that resonate with their developmental stage and experiences.

The list has prompts spanning popular middle school genres and themes ranging from relationships with friends, family, teachers, and community; to personal growth around emotions, hardships, ethics, and decision making; to navigating their changing identity and society around them. Examples that caught my eye include: “How can peers positively stand up to bullying?” and “What leadership lesson challenged you?” Imagine how students will light up responding to prompts that speak their language and tap into what they care about! With 300 on deck, I can target different skills and rotate in new prompts easily. This treasury of writing ideas unlocks an exciting year ahead!

These prompts are organized in the following categories:

On Relationships

On technology, on emotions.

• Issues in Schools
• Entertainment
• On Hero/Role Models
• Write about what being a good friend means to you.
• Describe your best friend and what makes your relationship special.
• Write about a time a friend disappointed you. What happened and how did you handle it?
• What is the best advice about friendship you have ever received? Who gave you the advice?
• Describe a time you and your friend had an argument. How did you resolve it? What did you learn?
• What qualities do you look for in choosing friends? Explain why those qualities are important.
• What is your favorite memory with your best friend? What happened that makes it so memorable?
• Should friends always agree with each other? Explain your opinion using an example from your life.
• Write about a person who has been a mentor for you. How have they impacted your life?
• Describe how you balance time between family and friends. Give examples.
• Do you find making new friends easy or hard? Discuss a time you made a new friend.
• Explain three qualities that make someone a good family member. Provide examples from your experiences.
• Describe your relationship with your siblings or extended family members. Use examples.
• Should family always come before friends? Discuss why or why not using examples from your experiences.
• Write about a family tradition or ritual you have. Why is it meaningful to you?
• How can families best support teenagers? What is something you wish your family understood better?
• Have you ever had a teacher that was an important mentor for you? If yes, describe how they supported you.
• Describe an adult aside from your family who has been a positive influence on you. Explain how they have helped you.
• Do teachers have lasting impacts on students? Describe one of your teachers who inspired you.
• Write about a figure you admire but do not personally know, like a celebrity, author, or athlete. Explain why you admire them.
• Describe a disagreement you witnessed between two people. How did each handle it? Who handled it better in your view?
• Think of someone you had a disagreement with in the past. Looking back, how could you have handled it better?
• Why is it important to admit when you are wrong? Describe a situation when you had to admit you were wrong. What was it like?
• Write about a time you compromised with someone who had an opposing view from yours. How did you find common ground? What did you learn?
• Do you find it easy or difficult to get along with people different from you? Explain using examples.
• How can people move past stereotypes? Share a time when you or someone else overcame a stereotype.
• Describe a situation where jealousy impacted a friendship or relationship. What damage did it cause? What did you learn?
• Why is trust so essential in relationships? Describe the building or breaking of trust in one of your relationships.
• What have you learned from both good and bad relationships? How have those lessons shaped how you interact with people?
• How do you define respect? Write about a time when respect was present or absent from a relationship.
• Describe a time when words were very hurtful or healing in a relationship. What impact did this have on you?
• Think about a relationship that is difficult. How could you act to improve it?
• Write about a stranger who did a kind deed for you or someone else. How did this small act of kindness make a difference?
• Should people give second chances? Share a story from your own life on second chances.
• For what reasons do conflicts happen between family or friends? Share a personal story.
• How can people prevent or resolve conflicts between each other? Share a time when conflict was prevented or resolved positively.
• Think about a relationship that recently improved. What specifically changed for the better? What can be learned?
• What does it mean to truly listen to someone? Why is listening skills important in relationships? Give an example.
• Choose one word to describe each member of your family and explain why you chose those words.
• What are fun ways for families to spend quality time together? What does your family do and what do you enjoy most? Explain.
• If you had the chance to give advice to a good friend right now, what would it be and why?
• What goals can people set to become better friends or family members? What’s one goal you have set for yourself?
• Who do you turn to when you have problems? Why have you chosen to talk to this person/people?
• Should we forgive friends or family who lie to us? Share your thoughts and experiences with forgiveness.
• Is it ever okay to keep secrets from friends or family? Explain why or why not.
• What does “being responsible” with friendships and family relationships mean to you? Give examples.
• Do you think rules should be different for friends than family? Explain your thoughts with examples.
• Describe a time you felt support from your friends or family during a difficult situation.
• For you, what is the difference between a close friend and an acquaintance? Give examples from your life.
• Explain why friendships and family relationships should be valued and prioritized. Use personal examples.
• Describe your extended family like grandparents, aunts/uncles, and cousins. How often do you see them? What do you enjoy about those relationships?
• What traditions or rituals does your family have? Why are they meaningful?
• Has a relative ever given you great advice? What was it and why was it helpful?
• How can families best support pre-teens and teenagers? What do you wish your parents understood better?
• What qualities make someone a good brother or sister? Do you think you have those qualities? Explain.
• Describe your mom, dad, or another caregiver’s personality. What are 3 great qualities they have?
• If you had magical abilities, what problem would you solve for a family member? Why?
• What does “unconditional love” mean to you? Describe how your family shows love.
• Should parents be friends with their kids? Explain your view using examples and reasons.
• How should parents handle teens who break rules or make poor choices? Discuss their responsibilities.
• Describe one of your favorite memories with your family. What happened that makes it extra special?
• For what reasons do conflicts happen in families? Share a story from your own family.
• How can families prevent or resolve conflicts positively? Share a time your family resolved a conflict well.
• If you could add a new family rule, what would it be and why? Would others agree it’s needed? Explain.
• What does being a good listener mean in your family? Provide a time when good listening skills were helpful at home.
• Describe one issue your parents had to compromise on while raising you and your siblings. Explain their perspectives.
• What is one clue that a family member needs extra support? Describe a time you or someone else needed support.
• How can trust be built, lost, or repaired in families? Provide a personal example.
• What does “respect” require inside families? Describe how your family shows respect or could improve.
• Share an example of how your family cooperates and supports one another. Why is this important?
• How can families balance personal interests with responsibilities to the family unit or household? Give examples.
• Have religious or spiritual beliefs impacted your family positively? Explain how.
• What does “forgiveness” require in families? Describe someone forgiving or being forgiven. What was the outcome?
• Is venting anger appropriately important in families? Share an example from your household.
• What is one problem you think many families struggle with? Explain ideas for how to address this issue.
• What is a rule that has helped create order or safety in your home? Why was it needed?
• How do parents model good behavior for their children without realizing it? Give examples you’ve observed.
• Write about an annoyance or frustration you have experienced with a parent, guardian, or sibling. How have you worked through this issue?
• Explain why keeping promises and commitments to family matters. Provide a related example.
• What are fun ways for families to spend quality time together? What does your family do that brings you together?
• Should families pray or perform spiritual rituals together? Explain why this can be meaningful or not needed.
• Is getting advice from elders important? Share an example of getting advice from your parents or grandparents.
• How can parents and kids better understand each other’s perspectives? Explain with a personal example.
• Describe one house rule you did not understand as a younger kid. Now that you are older, does it make more sense? Explain.
• How should parents educate kids about racism or discrimination? Discuss using personal examples or observations.
• Do you make friends easily outside your family? Explain how your family gives you confidence or holds you back socially.
• What quality about your parents inspires you to be like them? Explain using examples.
• What is one thing you wish you and your siblings would stop fighting about? Why does this issue cause problems? What could improve it?
• Describe one thing you argue about a lot with your sibling(s) and one thing you get along well doing together. Compare the two relationship dynamics.
• Explain one of your family’s funny little habits or traditions outsiders would find interesting or strange. Where did it originate?
• For what reasons are family relationships often complicated? Share an example from personal experience.
• If a new kid was joining your family as an adopted sibling, what advice would you give him or her about fitting into your established household?
• Should parents give kids advice about friendship or let them learn those skills independently? Discuss, backing your view with reasoning.
• Describe an ethical dilemma or complex problem your family faced together. How did working through it strengthen relationships? What did family members learn about each other?
• How can parents and kids respect each other’s privacy? Discuss setting boundaries while still providing guidance.
• How might experiencing hard times like illness, grief, job loss, etc. bring a family closer together? Describe a difficulty that ultimately strengthened bonds between your family members rather than weakening them.
• Even in difficult or complex family relationships, what makes the bond stronger than conflict? Explain why you think family ties still endure.
• Even if family relationships are challenging or imperfect, why work to understand versus give up on each other? Provide evidence that trying leads in a positive direction.
• When do you think parents should stop influencing adult children’s choices? Explain where the line should be drawn and why.
• What have you learned from your parents’ strengths and weaknesses? How will you carry these lessons into your future as an adult?
• What is your favorite app or website? Describe what you like about it.
• Explain 3 responsible ways you use the internet and social media.
• Should there be laws about how people your age use the internet? Why or why not?
• Describe when it’s okay or not okay to share information or photos online.
• Write about a time technology like GPS maps or the internet really helped you or someone you know.
• Explain why spending too much time on devices can be unhealthy. Provide evidence.
• Describe problems or distractions technology like cell phones can cause at school. Should policies be made to address this issue?
• How is communicating online and via text different from talking face-to-face? Include pros and cons of each.
• Stories are spreading about technology like virtual reality. Describe what you think virtual reality will be like someday based on current information.
• Do you think technology brings people together more than it isolates them? Use reasons and evidence to back your opinion.
• How does the internet make researching for school easier and harder at the same time? Explain with examples from experience.
• Write about a time technology failed to work properly. What problems did it cause? What was the backup plan to address needs?
• How have smart phones impacted how youth and adults spend leisure time? Explain pros and cons.
• Describe an app that helps make people’s lives easier somehow. Explain its standout features.
• What are ways social media connects people positively? Also discuss risks and how to use social media responsibly.
• Should everyone have access to affordable home internet? Explain pros and cons of internet access becoming an essential utility provided via programs for low income families.
• Discuss an innovative medical technology that improves healthcare. How exactly does it help doctors treat patients better?
• Would receiving instruction through technology at home some days help students learn? Explain the possibilities and challenges you envision.
• How have delivery drones and self-driving vehicles started changing the way people transport items? Describe what future possibilities exist to revolutionize transportation.
• Explain how smartphones both waste and make the best use of people’s time. Provide evidence.
• How do various communication methods impact trust and relationships between people both positively and negatively? Cite examples.
• Should schools invest in providing laptops or tablets to each student for learning? Explain reasoning using pros and cons.
• How does advancing technology like electric cars, solar power, etc. positively and negatively impact the environment now and in the foreseeable future?
• How have smartphones changed people’s behaviors for better or worse? Provide evidence from real world observations.
• Should youth be on social media? At what age is appropriate? Cite reasons.
• How does the online world impact body image perceptions? Discuss using observations or evidence. Provide solutions.
• Explain pros and cons you see regarding video games’ impacts on things like kids’ brains, creativity, social skills, and values.
• Discuss positive and concerning impacts highly advanced robotics may have on jobs, the economy, how people treat each other in relationships, self-worth and identity when more labor becomes automated.
• How can the internet and connected technology increase existing inequities? Offer ideas to responsibly address this concern.
• Explain why developing future technology sustainably matters. Provide examples like electric car batteries, solar panels, etc.
• Should tech CEOs or companies do more about issues like device addiction? What exactly should change?
• How does immediate access to so much information impact how people view issues? Explain how quality versus quantity of data impacts judgments made. Cite real world examples like politics, news stories, etc.
• Discuss ways technology harms or helps entertainment quality and enjoyment like movies, shows, music, etc. Compare changes you see over time as innovation progresses.
• How does the internet impact the spread of truth versus lies? Describe how credibility should be evaluated.
• What existing technology truly excites you? Explain what you find interesting and innovative about it.
• Share what harm has occurred when people use technology irresponsibly. Also discuss fixes to address concerns you see being neglected.
• Should schools better educate students about using technology safely and wisely? Explain importance.
• Discuss technology’s influence during an election. Consider media, voter engagement, political messaging, etc. Are changes mostly beneficial or concerning in your view? Explain.
• Explain why websites and apps should value user privacy and security. What should companies transparently share and responsibly protect?
• Has social media made peers kinder or less sensitive to each other? Explain your observations and solutions.
• How does always on the go device access impact family relationships? Provide positives and hints for avoiding pitfalls.
• How does being constantly plugged in emotionally impact people over time based on your observations?
• Discuss an existing technology that worries you. Explain problems it fuels. What regulations could responsibly and ethically decrease harm?
• How does social media impact mental health? Support your perspectives with observations, credible research sources, and possible solutions.
• Share why empathy remains important even as technology progresses. Provide real world evidence supporting your claim.
• Discuss how smartphones both hurt and help people fully live “in the moment.” Use personal examples and suggestions.
• Explain effective tactics for determining if online content and interactions are credible versus manipulative or false. Cite real world examples like clickbait ads. What tips do you recommend?
• Describe pros and cons of computers grading students’ writing versus teacher feedback. Which approach is better in your opinion? Support perspectives with reasoning.
• How does always on technology impact people’s sense of wonder, curiosity to learn new things the old fashioned way, and ability to have insight? Provide observations.
• What existing or emerging technology do you believe is getting too little or too much hype? Explain reasoning using evidence and examples.
• Describe a time when you felt really proud. Why did this accomplishment make you feel that way?
• When was the last time you felt grateful? What happened that made you appreciate something or someone?
• Write about a situation where your emotions felt out of control. How did you eventually handle them?
• What calms you down when feeling nervous or worried? Explain step-by-step what helps you.
• What does courage feel like to you? Describe a situation where facing your fears made you braver.
• Share about a hardship or failure after which you felt resilience. What gave you strength during the tough time?
• Describe a memory where curiosity led to a fun adventure, interesting discovery, or new understanding.
• What sparks your sense of joy or happiness most? Paint a picture with words sharing what that feels like.
• How can friends show kindness to classmates who feel left out or lonely at school?
• What should someone do when social media interactions stir up feelings like anger or envy? Explain smart strategies.
• How might words impact someone’s self-worth without the speaker realizing it? Provide examples.
• How can overcoming a challenge build grit to handle future tough situations emotionally? Recall a time this happened for you or someone else.
• What values guide your life choices? Where did those become important to you?
• How can students show more empathy and compassion at school? Provide examples.
• How do responsibilities like chores influence attitudes and maturity levels? Explain using personal experience.
• What action should people take if they witness bullying? Offer solutions.
• Should students notify an adult if a peer’s joke goes too far emotionally? Explain why or why not.
• How do colors impact someone’s mood? Describe colors that tend to make you feel peaceful, energized, cheerful, etc. and why.
• What makes someone feel understood? Describe mindsets and behaviors that convey acceptance of others’ feelings.
• Is letting anger out always required? Why or why not? Offer healthy strategies for processing anger.
• Which is more important – self-confidence or self-awareness? Support your choice with sound reasoning.
• How can students respect differences in learning abilities, cultures, beliefs, backgrounds, etc.? Provide positive examples.
• Describe mindsets kids should avoid like blaming others for disappointments vs. taking responsibility for choices.
• What advice would you offer someone who feels marginalized for being different like nationality, disability, etc?
• Is perfectionism about looks and grades harmful? Explain problems and smarter mindsets to feel good enough.
• How can families show members they matter through simple gestures like greeting questions, eye contact, etc?
• Should people give second chances? Share why this does or does not make sense in certain relationships or situations.
• When has a pet’s companionship lifted your spirits? Paint an upbeat picture sharing that memory.
• Recount a time laughter healed hurt feelings between family or friends. What humor techniques restore connection?
• Coach someone from your own past on building self-esteem despite mean kid behavior. Offer concrete empowering strategies.
• How can students incorporate more emotional intelligence on social media? Consider acts of exclusion, meanness, etc. and remedies.
• Provide examples of tone and body language that convey trust and acceptance of someone venting feelings. Offer additional tips.
• Share how music enriches your life emotionally. Pick a song that impacts your mood and explain why.
• Should people give compliments just to be nice? Explain pros and cons of this using personal examples.
• How can focusing on gratitude, blessings, self-care, etc. safeguard mental health when undergoing stress? Discuss research-backed techniques.
• Recount a time you put yourself in someone else’s shoes during a tense interaction. How did trying to understand them positively transform empathy?
• Coach a shy student on making a tough social situation better through small acts of kindness. Provide uplifting guidance.
• Suggest healthy emotional habits students should build to handle future challenges like first jobs, college, adulthood, etc.
• How can recess sports and games nurture social skills like teamwork, good sportsmanship, managing disappointment after losses, etc.? Use examples.
• Should students speak up about wrong assumptions peers make regarding diverse groups? Politely clarify truth to dispel stereotypes. Use examples.
• Pick an emotion like awe, angst, delight, despair, wrath, bliss, etc. and paint a vivid personal picture where you felt that way.
• How can social media interactions demonstrate more emotional intelligence? Consider exclusion, meanness, etc. and remedies.
• When is it acceptable to hide feelings to spare someone pain versus speak truth with compassion? Explain where lines should be drawn.
• How can focusing on society’s past moral progress fuel present optimism? Discuss using civil rights victories, democracy wins, etc.
• Recount a time swallowing pride strengthened a valuable relationship. What wisdom did you gain?
• How do fair leaders appeal to citizens’ highest ideals rather than stoke dark emotions like blame, fear, etc.? Share real examples like Lincoln.
• Paint an inspirational picture of society lifting up youth wired to live meaningfully versus seek fleeting thrills. What specifically makes their lives shine?
• How can rules promote ethical, wise digital community behavior versus thoughtless harm? Consider implementing guidelines for more supportive interactions.
• Paint an inspirational picture of people uniting across political divides to solve real problems jeopardizing emotional and physical health like addiction, poverty, human trafficking, etc.
• Recount a time you transformed hurt into helpfulness or comfort for someone else grappling with hardship. What emotional tools and insights can uplift both giver and receiver?

Issues in School 

• Describe a challenging project and how you completed it successfully.
• Explain why cheating on schoolwork is unethical. Have you dealt with a cheater? Discuss honestly.
• Share about a teacher who inspired you to work hard. Traits? Qualities? Teaching style? How were they excellent?
• Tell how you improved at something that was difficult at first like sports, music, math, etc. Hard work pays off!
• Pick an ethical dilemma at school and explore solutions. Consider rights, rules, safety, fairness.
• Discuss pros and cons of letter grades verses pass/fail evaluation systems. Which promotes actual learning?
• Describe obstacles when group projects frustrate and solutions teachers could try instead.
• How do pressures like getting into college impact student priorities? Reflect on whether the tradeoffs are worth it.
• Discuss technology’s impact on school both positively and concerningly. Consider distraction, behavior, values, etc. Share ideas.
• How can teachers and students unite when controversial real-world issues arise in class conversations? Explore respectful solutions.
• What should teachers say and allow regarding politics, religion, activism etc.? Explain appropriate policies and ethical reasoning.
• How can school sports best prevent injury? Consider health risks of head trauma, ACL tears, etc. Offer student perspective on rule changes, gear requirements, rest guidelines etc. needed to protect players.
• Describe an ethical way you used tech for schoolwork versus a rule you’d add to curb misconduct. Consider cheating potential, theft, privacy invasions, harmful uses, etc. and consequences.
• Discuss public school funding debates. Consider formulas, competing priorities, misperceptions, pros/cons of programs cut or supplemented by parent fundraising. Should policies shift? Why/why not?
• How should schools handle mental health crises? Consider stress, anxiety, depression, trauma’s impacts. Discuss counseling, staff training needs etc. Destigmatize struggles!
• How might school safety improve? Consider emergency protocols, building modifications, security roles, technology aids. Balance protection with warm environments.
• What extracurricular activities matter most to you? Explore their life lessons like teamwork, resilience, commitment. Fund programs empowering students.
• Discuss controversies around school uniforms and dress codes. Consider disciplinary fairness, cost factors, Pros? Cons? Alternatives?
• How can students improve school spirit? Consider event turnout, community service participation etc. Share fun ideas!
• Describe a great teacher. Traits? Qualities? Teaching Style? Why were they excellent? How did they inspire students?
• Share a time good writing instruction made ah-ha connections for you. What teaching approach finally demystified skills? How does this help adults see school positively?
• Discuss positive side effects when youth pitch service projects. Consider impacts on agency, purpose, skill-building.
• How can peers positively stand up to bullying? Consider strategies matching context like severity, ages, power imbalances, supervision etc. Apply compassion.
• What career discovery approach best serves students? Consider guest talks, job shadows, project relevance etc. How can exploration pair with current coursework?
• Should cash incentivize good grades? Consider pros, cons and alternative motivations.
• How might better nutrition improve school performance? Consider food quality, budget disconnects, health ripple effects.
• What advice would you give struggling peers? Consider perspectives affecting motivation like learning differences, attention challenges, skill gaps, emotional blocks. Share supportive guidance.
• What leadership lesson challenged you? Consider group projects, captain positions, committee roles. How can educators further grow student leadership?
• Should middle schoolers use social media? Explain appropriate usage, privacy, ethics. Explore impacts face-to-face versus online communication, identity-building.
• How do sports build character and community? Consider award/recognition systems also encouraging nonsport interests.
• Share a time good teaching eased subject struggles. Consider learning style pairings, tutoring, visuals etc. What finally made content click? How can teachers apply such insights schoolwide?
• How can students practice self-advocacy asking for help? Consider communication method pros/cons. Normalize speaking up!
• How should schools handle grief support? Consider student perspectives on memorials, counseling, handlings of loss. What sensitivity helps healing?
• Should cellphones be allowed in schools? Consider classroom complexities. How to responsibly integrate usage?
• What career skills should schools teach? Consider financial literacy, interview tactics, job applications, workplace ethics alongside math, literature etc. Blend knowledge fields.
• What homework policies best serve students and family lives? Consider hour limits, vacation blackout periods. How can schools support balance?
• Should middle schoolers have recess? Consider mental health benefits balancing packed academic schedules.
• How can dress codes embrace personal style without straying from professionalism? Consider flexibility for religious diversity.
• What grading system most accurately reflects learning? Consider test reliance, extra credit, participation, skill gains versus deficits.
• How young should career advising begin? Consider early goal-setting, age views of self/interests. What roles can teachers play?
• Should community service become a graduation requirement? Consider purpose, logistics.
• How can better school-parent communication occur? Consider platforms, frequency, accessibility etc. Building partnerships around the whole child matters!
• Should teachers incorporate art forms into standard subjects? Consider benefits of music, visual art etc. blending into math, literature, science etc. Explore cross-disciplinary learning pros.
• Pick a controversial real-world issue arising in class study. Outline respectful discussion ground rules enabling equitable idea sharing. Consider rule modification by grade.
• Should schools screen students for mental health needs? Consider care connectors, warning signs role in prevention. Destigmatize support.
• Should schools provide career counseling? If so, what issues should be addressed and what topics avoided? Consider student feelings discussing economic challenges.
• Describe an imaginative teacher capturing learning in creative ways you enjoyed. What did their innovations teach in terms of thinking differently?
• Should students evaluate teacher performance? Consider aspects like tone, control, care shown. Explore survey goals – accountability, improvement insights etc. Discuss complex power dynamics sensitively.
• Is starting school days later better for health and learning? Consider research on adolescent sleep needs.
• How can team and individual activities coexist in gym class Cooperatively rotating through stations enabling choices might help those loving and loathing competition. Discuss solutions valuing all skill preferences.

entertainment 

• What is your favorite movie and why?
• What is your favorite song and why does it make you happy?
• Who is your favorite singer or musical artist? Describe their music.
• What is your favorite TV show? Describe the characters and plot.
• If you could star in any TV show or movie, what would you choose? Why?
• What is the funniest video you’ve seen? Describe what happens in it.
• What is your favorite book? Describe the main character and plot.
• Who is your favorite author? What do you like about the stories they write?
• Describe your perfect day watching movies or TV shows. What would you watch all day?
• What is your favorite smartphone or tablet app for having fun? How do you use it?
• If you could attend any concert, who would you see perform live? Why?
• Describe the most entertaining YouTube video you’ve seen lately.
• What entertainer or celebrity would you most like to meet? What would you talk about?
• Describe a time when you laughed really hard at something funny. What happened?
• What is the funniest joke you’ve heard? Why did you find it so funny?
• Pick three famous people you’d invite to a dinner party. Why did you choose them? What would you talk about?
• Describe a time when you performed in front of an audience. How did it make you feel?
• What games or activities entertain your family when you’re all together? Why do you enjoy them?
• Imagine you could enter any fictional world from a book, TV show or movie. What would you choose and why?
• What local attractions or amusement parks have you visited for fun day trips? Describe what you did there.
• What teachers at your school make learning the most fun? Describe their teaching styles.
• Describe your ideal birthday party for entertainment. What would you do? Who would you invite?
• What is the best school play, concert or other performance you’ve seen? Describe it.
• What do you like doing on weekends for fun?
• What entertainer or celebrity do you think has the best job? Why?
• Describe your favorite hobby. How did you get started doing it? What do you like about it?
• What is your favorite holiday? What entertainment traditions does your family have for it?
• What outdoor activities entertain you? Describe one.
• If you opened your own entertainment business for kids your age, what would you offer?
• When you want to relax and destress, what TV shows, music or other things do you turn to? Why are they relaxing?
• How do reality talent competitions like American Idol or America’s Got Talent entertain you? Do you want to someday audition for one?
• Describe your perfect entertaining day off from school. What fun would you have?
• What were the best fireworks you ever saw? Describe the display.
• Write a short, imaginary dialogue between you and your favorite entertainer or fictional character. What do you talk about?
• What is the funniest joke you know by heart? Why can you remember this one?
• Describe an entertaining family tradition or celebration your family enjoys. What happens each time? What do you like about it?
• What is your favorite live event you’ve attended, like a concert, play, or sporting event? Describe it. What entertained you?
• Have you ever entered a talent show or performed for an audience? Describe your act and the performance. How did you feel?
• Pick three famous historical figures you’d invite to dinner and describe why you chose them and what you might talk about.
• What is the most beautiful place that you have visited that made you happy? Describe what you saw and did there.
• What music always makes you smile and dance? Why does it have that effect on you?
• Watching movies at home or going to the movie theater – which do you prefer and why? Describe your perfect movie experience.
• What were your favorite school subjects as a younger kid? What made learning fun then?
• Have you ever met someone famous? Who was it? Describe the experience.
• If you had the power to become a fictional character for just one day, who would you be and why? Describe some things you would do as that character.
• You can have superpowers for just one whole day. What powers would you choose and how would you use them for entertainment or to help yourself and other people?
• You just won front row concert tickets to see your favorite band perform live. Who is the band and how excited are you as you take your seat? Describe the incredible night.
• Describe your dream vacation – where would you go, who would you take, and what fun things would you make sure to do when you get there? Make your planning committee happy!
• What outdoor summer hobbies and activities do you most look forward to each year? Describe your favorites in vivid sensory detail so the reader feels like they are there with you.
• What do you find entertaining that most other people probably don’t? Describe or demonstrate it and try to convince readers to give it a try!

On Hero/role Model 

• Who is your personal hero? Describe why you admire this person.
• What qualities make someone a hero? Describe your idea of a hero.
• Who in your family do you look up to the most? Explain why.
• Describe a fictional character that you consider a hero. What do you admire about them?
• If you could spend a day with any hero (real or fictional), who would you choose and why? Describe what you would do together.
• Have you ever met someone you consider a hero? Tell about your experience.
• What does being a role model mean to you? Describe someone who is a good role model.
• Who is a positive role model in your community? What makes them a good role model?
• Describe a time when you helped someone. Do you think that made you a role model or hero to them?
• If you had a special power, how would you use it to be a hero in your town? Describe the ways you would help people.
• What central traits do all heroes share? Explain some key qualities heroes have.
• Explain why teachers can be everyday heroes. What makes a teacher a hero to students?
• Describe a fictional superhero origin story for yourself. How did you get your powers and decide to become a hero?
• Whose poster would you hang on your wall: a sports star, entertainer, historic leader, inventor, or someone else? Explain why you admire this person as a role model.
• Who do you think is a hero in your family’s history? Write about one of your ancestors who inspires you.
• When have you felt like a hero? Describe a time you helped someone in an important way.
• What song best describes the qualities of a hero? Explain your choice.
• What is the most heroic career , in your opinion? Describe why.
• Have you read about an inspirational figure who overcame difficulties? Write about why their life story is heroic.
• What fictional place would you want to live where you could train to become a hero? Describe your training.
• Which of your friends shows heroic qualities? Share why you think they are hero material.
• Describe a way you would like to help animals and become their hero.
• What career would you like to have one day where you could be a hero? Explain the ways you could help people in that career.
• Tell about a time you stood up for someone. Do you think that took strength or heroism?
• Describe a character in book who is a good role model for teens. Explain why.
• Who is your hero in sports? Why do you find them inspirational?
• Have you ever written a story featuring yourself as the hero? Share some details.
• What is the most courageous thing you have ever done? Why did it require courage?
• Describe a way you would protect others from bullies if you could.
• Explain why nurses, doctors and other medical professionals are everyday heroes.
• Who is a “hometown hero” where you live and why are they admired?
• What animal is your favorite hero from a movie? Explain why.
• What is more important for being viewed as a hero – talent or good character? Discuss why you think so.
• Describe someone at your school who you think behaves like a hero to others.
• Tell about a time you exercised wisdom in a difficult situation. Does that make you feel heroic?
• Design a new superhero. Describe their costume, superpowers, vehicle, mission and who they protect.
• Parents often tell kids – “Be careful climbing too high or you might get hurt!” Do you think a hero would be careful or bold? Discuss why.
• What 3 traits best describe a hero? Explain your choices.
• How can ordinary people become heroes? Give some examples of ways everyday people have been heroic.
• Pick two fictional mentors you have read about and would want to learn life lessons from about being a hero. Explain your choices.
• Should people think of themselves as heroes or is it best to be humble? Discuss this idea.
• What inspires you to want to make a positive difference in the world? How does this relate to being a hero?
• How are teachers and students heroes for each other? Describe their heroism.
• Tell about a historical hero who inspires you. Why do you look up to them?
• How can music and movies motivate people to be heroes? Give examples of inspirational songs and films.
• What will be the next great challenge that tomorrow’s heroes need to tackle and overcome? Speculate what that challenge might realistically be.
• How can young people reveal their “inner hero” more? What would help them develop heroism?
• How do images of heroes vary across different cultures? How might your idea of a hero change if you lived in another country?
• Do you think there will ever be a time period that doesn’t need any heroes? Explain why you think so.
• Imagine yourself at age 60 looking back – what do you hope young people say about your life that might inspire them or make them see you as a hero?

With over 300 thoughtful writing prompts for middle school students, the possibilities for sparking student engagement are endless. I’m energized imagining how students will dive into these age-appropriate topics and questions that resonate with their experiences and invite them to explore identity, relationships, responsibility, and more.

Whether it’s debating policies around technology in schools or opening up about a time they felt marginalized for being different, students will surely find prompts on this comprehensive list that interest them while also pushing their perspectives and building key literacy skills. Teachers can easily integrate these into warm-ups, journal entries, discussion springboards, and more activities.

Best of all, using so many prompts over a school year prevents repetition and boredom while allowing teachers to customize difficulty, vary formats to meet different learning styles, and scaffold writing skill development. With around 180 school days, weaving these 300 gems in daily exposes students to less redundant ideas so they sharpen a greater diversity of skills through unique responses rather than formulaic approaches. I foresee this prompting richer writing and deeper engagement that unlocks students’ potential. I can’t wait to incorporate these into my lesson planning and unit development this summer to start the year strong and set my young writers up for ongoing success! We have many more writing prompts on our site if you found these useful. 

Related posts:

• Writing Prompts for High School Students
• Daily Writing Prompts
• Daily writing prompts for high school 
• 184 Daily Writing Prompts for Students
• 50 Thanksgiving Writing Prompts

About Richard

Richard Everywriter (pen name) has worked for literary magazines and literary websites for the last 25 years. He holds degrees in Writing, Journalism, Technology and Education. Richard has headed many writing workshops and courses, and he has taught writing and literature for the last 20 years.  

In writing and publishing he has worked with independent, small, medium and large publishers for years connecting publishers to authors. He has also worked as a journalist and editor in both magazine, newspaper and trade publications as well as in the medical publishing industry.   Follow him on Twitter, and check out our Submissions page .

Reader Interactions

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Privacy Overview

120 Engaging Middle School Writing Prompts

Getting middle school students to write can be particularly challenging. However, if you provide your students with a fun, interesting, and engaging writing prompt, you’ll find that their creativity and enthusiasm for writing can be easily sparked.

Below is a list of writing prompts for middle school students, including creative prompts, journal prompts, persuasive writing prompts, expository writing prompts, and story starter prompts. These are perfect for classroom exercises, homework assignments, or even just for personal exploration, helping students to develop their writing skills, express their ideas, and discover the joy of writing.

Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School Students

These creative writing prompts are cues or scenarios that inspire imaginative storytelling and personal expression. These prompts will encourage middle school students to explore new ideas, develop their narrative skills, and express themselves in unique and creative ways. Here’s a list of creative writing prompts for middle school students:

• Write a story where the main character discovers a secret passage in their home.
• Imagine a world where animals can talk. What would they say?
• Create a tale about a mysterious, abandoned city you stumbled upon.
• Write about a day where everything you draw becomes real.
• Imagine finding a book that contains your entire life story. What do you do?
• Write a story set in a futuristic world where everyone lives underwater.
• Create a tale about a magical garden that grants wishes.
• Describe a journey to a planet entirely different from Earth.
• Write about a character who can switch lives with anyone they meet.
• Imagine your school is a castle. What adventures unfold there?
• Write a story about a secret society of kids with superpowers.
• Describe a world where it’s night for half the year.
• Create a story about a mysterious forest that changes with the seasons.
• Write about discovering an old map that leads to a hidden treasure.
• Imagine waking up in a world where you are the ruler.
• Create a tale about a magical snow globe that transports you to different places.
• Write about a character who invents a new holiday.
• Describe a world where shadows have a life of their own.
• Imagine finding a door in your backyard that leads to a different universe.
• Write a story about a character who can hear others’ thoughts.

Journal Writing Prompts for Middle School Students

These journal writing prompts are thought-provoking questions or ideas that will encourage middle school students to reflect on their personal experiences, feelings, and beliefs. These prompts are designed to help students develop self-awareness, enhance their writing skills, and express themselves in a safe, private space. Here’s a list of journal writing prompts for middle school students:

• Write about your most memorable day and why it stands out.
• Describe your dream job and why you’re interested in it.
• Reflect on a time when you overcame a challenge.
• Write about what kindness means to you and a time you experienced it.
• Imagine your perfect day. What would it involve?
• Describe your favorite hobby and why you enjoy it.
• Write about the best advice you ever received and who gave it to you.
• Reflect on your greatest strength and how it has helped you.
• Write about a goal you have for this school year.
• Describe a place where you feel completely relaxed and happy.
• Reflect on a book or movie that deeply impacted you.
• Write about someone you admire and why.
• Describe a time when you helped someone and how it made you feel.
• Imagine what the world will be like in 50 years.
• Write about your favorite memory with your family.
• Reflect on a moment when you felt proud of yourself.
• Describe your ideal adventure.
• Write about a time you were scared and how you handled it.
• Reflect on what friendship means to you.
• Write about a skill you’d like to learn and why.

Persuasive Writing Prompts for Middle School Students

These persuasive writing prompts are designed to inspire middle school students to develop arguments and persuade readers about a particular viewpoint or idea. These prompts will encourage critical thinking and research skills and enable students to present and justify their opinions clearly. Here’s a list of persuasive writing prompts for middle school students:

• Should homework be banned in schools? Argue your point.
• Persuade your readers why recycling should be mandatory.
• Is it better to read a book or watch a movie adaptation? Make your case.
• Argue for or against the importance of physical education in schools.
• Should students have a say in what they learn? Persuade your audience.
• Persuade your readers about the importance of learning a second language.
• Is it more beneficial to be a team player or an individual performer? Justify your opinion.
• Should animals be kept in zoos? Present your arguments.
• Argue why your favorite season is the best.
• Persuade your audience about the importance of arts in education.
• Should there be stricter rules for students’ internet use? Make your case.
• Argue for or against school uniforms.
• Is it better to give money to charity or volunteer your time? Persuade your readers.
• Persuade your audience on the importance of eating healthy foods.
• Should video games be considered a sport? Argue your viewpoint.
• Is it more important to be smart or kind? Persuade your readers.
• Argue why your city or town is a great place to live.
• Should students be allowed to use mobile phones in school? Present your arguments.
• Persuade your audience on the importance of having a hobby.
• Argue for or against the significance of space exploration.

Expository Writing Prompts for Middle School Students

These expository writing prompts are designed to help middle school students explore and convey information in a clear, concise, and structured manner. This type of writing requires students to investigate an idea, evaluate evidence, expound on the idea, and set forth an argument concerning that idea in a coherent way. Here’s a list of expository writing prompts for middle school students:

• Explain the significance and process of the water cycle in nature.
• Describe the causes and effects of climate change.
• Write about the history and significance of a famous holiday.
• Explain how a specific technology works (like smartphones or virtual reality).
• Describe the steps involved in making your favorite meal.
• Write about the life cycle of a butterfly or another animal.
• Explain the importance of a balanced diet and exercise.
• Describe what life was like in a particular historical period.
• Explain how governments are formed and function.
• Write about the journey of water through the water cycle.
• Describe how a bill becomes a law.
• Explain the impact of social media on modern communication.
• Write about the process of photosynthesis.
• Describe the different types of renewable energy and their importance.
• Explain the significance of recycling and its impact on the environment.
• Describe how the human body’s immune system works.
• Explain the causes and effects of a significant historical event.
• Write about how a particular invention changed the world.
• Describe the process of creating a movie or a television show.
• Explain the importance and process of goal setting and planning for the future.

Narrative Writing Prompts for Middle School Students

These narrative writing prompts encourage middle school students to tell a story, either about themselves, someone else, or a completely fictional scenario. This type of writing helps students develop their storytelling skills, enhances their creativity, and allows them to express their thoughts and experiences in an engaging way. Here’s a list of narrative writing prompts for middle school students:

• Write about a time you faced a difficult decision and how you resolved it.
• Imagine you can time travel; describe your first adventure.
• Tell the story of a day when everything went wrong.
• Write about your most cherished memory with a friend or family member.
• Imagine you woke up one day and could speak another language fluently. What would happen?
• Describe a moment when you tried something outside of your comfort zone.
• Tell a story about a mysterious object you found and its origins.
• Write about a time you helped someone and how it made you feel.
• Imagine a day in the life of your pet. What adventures do they have?
• Describe your dream vacation and what would make it special.
• Write a story about meeting a famous person in an unexpected place.
• Tell the tale of a historical event from the perspective of someone who lived through it.
• Imagine a world where children are in charge. What would it be like?
• Write about the day you had a surprising encounter with wildlife.
• Describe a time when you overcame a significant challenge.
• Tell a story about a journey to a magical place.
• Write about the day you made an unlikely friend.
• Imagine discovering a secret room in your house. What’s inside?
• Describe a time when you achieved something you didn’t think was possible.
• Write about a day in the future, 50 years from now. What has changed? What has stayed the same?

Story Starters for Middle School Students

These story starters are engaging, imaginative prompts that provide the opening sentence or scene of a story. These starters will ignite the imagination, encouraging students to explore various genres, characters, and plots. They’re an excellent tool for overcoming writer’s block and for practicing narrative development, character creation, and setting establishment. Here’s a list of story starters for middle school students:

• “As the mysterious music played, the ancient book on the table suddenly flew open.”
• “Lost in the forest, I stumbled upon a hidden cottage made entirely of candy.”
• “The moment I put on the strange glasses, I could see into the future.”
• “Under my bed, I found a map leading to a secret underground city.”
• “When I woke up, I realized I had switched places with my pet.”
• “The old clock in the town square struck thirteen times, and then everything changed.”
• “I discovered a hidden door in the school library that led to a different world.”
• “On my way to school, I found a mysterious golden key with my name on it.”
• “During the night, all of my dreams escaped from my mind and became reality.”
• “The mirror in my room showed a reflection of a place I had never seen before.”
• “As I read the last page of the diary, the ghostly writer appeared in front of me.”
• “The new kid at school could do something no one else could – talk to animals.”
• “In the attic, I found a dusty old board game that turned out to be real.”
• “The picture in the museum started to move and reached out to me.”
• “I got a mysterious package in the mail with no return address. Inside was a magical object.”
• “During a thunderstorm, our house was suddenly transported to a different world.”
• “I found a strange old coin on the ground that had the power to grant wishes, but each wish came with a price.”
• “While exploring the beach, I stumbled upon a message in a bottle from a stranded pirate.”
• “In the garden, I discovered a plant that grew overnight and whispered secrets.”
• “When I looked through the telescope, I saw not stars, but the eyes of something watching.”

You May Also Like

Middle School Icebreakers Flashcard Games For Middle School Students Reading Games For Middle School Students Middle School Debate Topics Classroom Games For Middle School Students

100 Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School

Share this post!

Looking for some inspiration for your next short story? Look no further! We’ve compiled a list of 100 creative writing prompts for middle school to help you get started. Chose your favorite story idea from the list of creative writing prompts below and get started right now.

Why Story Starters and Writing Prompts Work

Writing is a complex skill. Not only do the hands of middle school students still cramp up when they write for more than a nanosecond, but they have to synthesize many new writing skills at once.

Young writers must generate creative writing ideas, assess their ideas to choose the best one, determine a compelling beginning, middle, and end, outline their story, write several drafts, and edit their own work. These are all necessary skills that must be developed, yes, but if we can isolate them, focusing on one or two at a time, we make it easier for middle school children to conquer each skill.

With writing prompts, they have lots of fun writing ideas to choose from. This takes away the stress of having to come up with their own high-concept idea. (And while these prompts only help with writing-induced stress, we recommend these tips for how to relieve stress in general. Being stressed doesn’t go well with creative writing.)

When they have a starting point to work from, writing gets a lot easier. Instead of spending a long time feeling frustrated about a lack of ideas, students can jump right in and write their first sentence. Even reluctant writers tend to get more excited about writing when presented with irresistible story-writing prompts.

In short, the best thing about using these fun writing prompts is that middle schoolers are more likely to fall in love with writing when they have a great time doing it.

Who Should Use These Story Writing Prompts

While these have been prepared with middle school and high school students in mind, many of them are also applicable to adult writers. Most of the prompts below will be too advanced or complex for most elementary school students, though some older kids from the lower grades, especially those with a real passion for writing, might find a few that peak their interest.

To make things a little simpler for you, we’ve also included a free printable version of these prompts that you can grab by entering your information below.

Sign Up for Your FREE Printable Story Starters and Writing Prompts

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

Writing Prompts for Stories That Start Out Just Like Any Other Day

• I tiptoed into the bathroom. If anyone caught me doing this, I’d be in big trouble. I grabbed my mother’s lipstick and brought it back to my bedroom where my brother slept…
• I peeked through the curtains. There was a limo parked outside with two bodyguards. I heard a knock at the door…
• I went over to say hello to the cute little baby under the umbrella, but when I reached her, I saw that…
• The bell rang, and I sprinted toward my locker. I had to get out of there before…
• I opened the front door to find the UPS man standing on the front stoop, his arm around a cylindrical package that was almost as tall as him. Oh no. Not again, I thought…
• Irene gripped her mom’s hand harder as they walked through the doors of the imposing gray building. Her mom had promised her they’d never have to come here again, but…
• The lights dimmed and the curtains opened. I felt like I was going to throw up. Why had I ever thought this was a good idea?…
• As soon as I boarded the train, I began my letter to my sister.  I did it. I sold everything and am on my way to…
• A kid’s birthday party seemed like an innocent enough place to blend in and relax for a moment. It’s been a while since I stopped moving. But when the balloon popped…
• I sat down at my desk and sifted through the mail that had been placed in front of my computer. All junk, of course. I was about to dump it all in the recycling bin when I saw my favorite magazine at the bottom of the pile. Tossing the rest aside, I snatched it up, but something unexpected fell out from between the pages…
• We were canoeing across the inlet when we noticed some unusual movement alongside the boat. A whale was surfacing next to us. Another one followed closely behind. Suddenly, our boat was being lifted out of the water and…
• The Instagram account I created for my hamster just went viral and he’s getting calls with job offers from around the world, only …
• At first, we thought the box contained the water guns we ordered online, so we tore it open eagerly, ready to load them up. Instead, what we saw inside completely changed everything.
• I got off the boat furious and trembling. I was never getting back on there again, not with him at least. There was no way I was going to let him…
• The pancakes were perfect—round and golden, soft but a little crispy near the edges. I slathered them in maple syrup and fruit. But then mom went to the fridge and took out the whipped cream, giving me an apologetic look as she did so. It was a treat, a very special one, and she only ever brought it out if…
• We sat around the campfire in eerie silence, nobody wanting to bring up our predicament. Everything was going to have to come out anyway, we might as well get it over with. I was just about to clear my throat when I noticed Sam and Layla standing apart from the group, whispering. What were they plotting now?
• I’d always wanted to be brave like my brother Simon. He wasn’t afraid of anything. I remember once, when he was younger, he…
• We walked through the garden one last time, knowing we’d never return to this house again. I waved goodbye to each flower bed, to the apple tree that I’d climbed innumerable times as a child. I wanted to scream. Why were they making me…
• My dad used to tell me these crazy stories when I was a kid. His life seemed so bizarre to me, but his sense of humor was mysterious, like I could never tell when fact blended into fiction. I still don’t know which ones to believe, like that one about…
• Shivering, I tried to open the door of my car, but it was frozen shut. I looked up and scanned the parking lot to make sure nobody had seen me. Why did it have to be this freezing, today of all days? What if they…

You might also enjoy:  How to Use Story Starters to Get Kids Writing

Writing Prompts for Stories That Start with Dialogue

• “Drink it, quick!” I looked at the bottle. The contents were unlike any I’d ever seen. I closed my eyes and drank it in one gulp…
• “Five more minutes,” my dad grunted, as I tried to pull him out of bed. “Dad, they’re here–we have to go!”
• “Shh…” I said frantically, as Robin’s wheelchair squeaked again. “Don’t you know how much trouble we’ll be in if they find us…”
• “Put me down!” I yelled as I was hoisted into the air by a giant…
• “Stop it!” I cried as my little sister snatched my phone from the desk and tried to eat it. I couldn’t run the risk of anyone seeing the words I’d etched into the back of it, the ones that would save my life if anyone ever…
• “Have you ever driven one of these before?” I asked James, trying not to let him see how nervous I was. “Is it safe?”
• “Are you coming or not?” he demanded as he took a few steps further into the…
• “Is there anyone in there?” I wondered aloud, staring up at the gothic castle. “The letter said they’d meet us…”
• “We finally did it!” I exclaimed to my lab partner. “We’ve invented a cream that actually makes people more beautiful. We are going to be so rich!”
• You have just five dollars to your name, and you decide to spend it on lunch at your favorite fast food joint. Just as you’re about to pay, a boy not much older than you leans in and whispers to you, “Hold onto your money. I’ll show you how to turn that five dollars into five grand.”
• You’re standing in line at a coffee shop when you spot a shiny coin on the ground. You bend down to pick it up, but a big black boot stomps down on it just before your fingers grasp it. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” a deep voice warns.
• “I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news,” she began, her arms crossed nervously over her chest. “You didn’t get in.” When I raised my eyebrows at her, she added, “And there’s more…”
• He patted my hand reassuringly and said, “It’s okay, you can trust me,” in that voice of his that I’d learned meant I really couldn’t. “All you have to do is…”
• “It’s for you!” she called, after answering the phone. When I went to take it from her, she covered the mouthpiece and whispered menacingly, “This better not be about what I think it’s about, got it?”
• “I should have listened to you,” Greg acknowledged, as he lay curled up on the grass, his clothes caked in mud. “You were right about…”
• “How could you?” I asked in disbelief. “After everything we’ve been through, I thought you were the one person I could trust. I can’t believe you…”
• I kicked at the dust with my shoe. Her question had caught me off guard. I wasn’t prepared to answer it, not yet. I tried to stall. “Remember that time when…”
• “Okay, okay, I’m here,” I said, rolling my eyes for effect. “What was this important news that you had to drag me away from pizza night for?”
• “It’s okay, you can come out, you don’t have to be afraid. Here, take my hand.” The hand that reached out toward me was like any I’d ever seen before.
• “Let go!” I screamed at the man holding me in a headlock. I tried to kick his shins, but he just grunted and held tight.  Think quick , I told myself.  Time is running out. If only…

You might also enjoy:  29 Creative Journal Writing Prompts for Teens

Writing Prompts with an Element of Suspense

• Estella ran down the trail, her dog, Gerard, several feet ahead of her. A gust of wind ripped through the forest and a loud crack on her left caught her attention. She watched the tree fall, then turned back to the trail, but Gerard was gone…
• The light started to flicker, first blue, then white. I looked around for a way out, but I was trapped. I guess I’d have to resort to the backup plan…
• The footprints in the snow were fresh. They veered off the path and into the woods. I had to make a choice. It was now or never.
• I tiptoed down the stairs of the prison. I had to break her out of here before…
• It was really hot that day, so I went to my favorite lake. I was about to jump into the cool water when a big splash in the middle of the lake sent ripples over the water. Something was in there. Something…
• My sister and I entered the fairgrounds suspiciously. The note we’d found had said that the mystery person would be here at five, and it was half-past four. We weren’t taking any chances. We had to find him before…
• Ellen squeezed down the narrow aisle of the plane looking for row M. She stuffed her backpack under the seat in front of her with her feet and buckled up. As the plane lifted off the ground, the pilot welcome them aboard their flight to Iceland. Wait, what? This wasn’t the flight to…?
• I walked out of the interview, still holding my breath. This was my dream job and I was afraid that the smallest of breaths would cause me to wake up. I exited the building and a little girl approached me. “The job’s yours,” she said, somewhat prophetically. “All you have to do is…”
• Last night, I was taking a nap on the couch when the phone rang. When I answered it, the voice on the other end said, “Will you accept a collect call from Brazil?” I started to panic, was this the call John has warned me about? I answered it with trepidation…
• It was my seventeenth birthday, and I’d been planning the party for months. Everything was perfect: the decorations were over the top, the food catered by my favorite restaurant, and every cool kid in school was there. The only problem? I was stuck in…
• The shelves in the used bookstore climbed higher than I could see, I’d never seen so many books before in my life. I climbed the rolling ladder to get a better look. Just then, a woman approached and held out a thick, red leather-bound tome. “This is one you seek,” she called out to me. “Look no further. This one will…
• I was sitting at a bus stop when a little girl came up to me and gave me a small box. It started trembling in my hands but when I looked up to ask her what it was, she’d disappeared.
• I tiptoed into the haunted house, looking both ways to see what was in it. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw…
• I was about to enter my house when I saw a little dog running down the street toward the busy intersection. There was nobody with him. Without thinking, I took off after him and…
• A loud crash sent me thundering down the stairs to the kitchen. Wolf, my rottweiler was greedily licking lasagna off the tiled floor. Not unusual in and of itself, but what caught my eye was the shiny silver thing glinting underneath the tomato sauce. Was that what I thought it was?…
•  It was well past dark and I was the last person in the library. It was eerily quiet, except for a faint tapping sound coming from the next aisle. I moved cautiously toward the end of the row and peeked my head around the corner…
• I was running out of time. They’d said they’d give me until sundown, and that was only a few hours away. I had to…
• That’s odd , I thought to myself as I reached the next landing and glanced up at the next set of stairs. I don’t remember there being another set of stairs here before. Is this what the old man was talking about when he said…
• The computer beeped again. It was now pinging six times per minute. Whoever was sending these messages was getting impatient, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to find out why.
• I woke up yesterday in a tree, without even a sweater to keep me dry. The weird thing is…

You might also enjoy:  Fun Writing Activities for Kids

Writing Prompts that Ask “What If?”

• What if every character you wrote automatically came to life and a foreign government was after you to make spies for them?
• What if a family member you’d never met left you a parcel of land in Norway, but when you got there you realized it was an enchanted forest?
• What if your parents came home from work tonight and told you they were sending you to boarding school?
• What if you were eating breakfast alone at your kitchen table when a newscaster interrupted your favorite TV show to break the story of a missing person, and the missing person was you?
• What if you could live in Ikea for a month?
• What if a cruise ship full of celebrities got stuck at sea for two weeks?
• What if you were in a museum and discovered a stack of letters describing the location of a buried treasure in your hometown?
• What if you were cast as the lead in an opera but you’d faked your way into the role and didn’t actually know how to sing?
• What if a child saw her parents stealing, but chose to keep it a secret so that she wouldn’t be separated from them?
• What if someone offered you the gift of being the best painter in the world, but in return, you could never stop painting?
• What if your pet was elected mayor of your city?
• What if you were an Uber driver in a world where people travel by hot air balloon instead of by car?
• What if you found a time machine, traveled back in time to ancient Egypt, and discovered that their world was even more modernized than ours and included more advanced technology but that they’d destroyed all evidence of these advances in an effort to protect future generations from making the same devastating decisions that they had?
• What if a screenwriter approached you about making a movie about your life, but every time she interviewed you, she completely ignored every answer you gave and made up her own?
• What if you could type 1000 words per minute and could write a new novel every hour?
• What if you woke up tomorrow morning speaking five new languages that you’d never heard before, only to discover that you’d been recruited by international spies and they’d filled your brain with secrets and information while you were sleeping?
• What if you could never leave high school, but instead had to keep coming back year after year to try and get perfect grades before you were allowed to move on?
• What if your parents were taking you on a dream vacation to Europe, but they got kidnapped at an airport and you had to navigate new countries on your own while trying to save them?
• What if you invented a new tool that could clean your whole house in fifteen minutes and you became a millionaire overnight?
• What if you were reading a list of writing prompts, and you realized that every sentence that came out of your mouth was, in fact, a writing prompt and that you were compelled to write a story for each one?

You might also enjoy:  Poetry Writing Prompts for Kids

Story Starters that will Bend Readers’ Minds

• The answer is 49. I looked around the room. There was nobody else there except Quincey. Could it be?
• It’s all over the news. Random events are taking place. What if someone discovers that it’s my dreams coming true, literally? What will they do to me? I have to find…
• On Saturday morning I went out to the backyard in my slippers and robe to feed my pet rabbits. When I reached their hutch, I gasped. A large hole had been torn in the wire door and the hutch was empty. Fearing the worst, I scanned the yard for signs of their whereabouts, when suddenly I was tapped on the shoulder. I spun around to find a black bear standing in his hind legs. “If you ever want to see your bunnies again,” he said, …
• Never trust your dreams, they will get you in trouble every time. At least, if they’re anything like mine. Maybe trouble has a way of finding me, but still, you need to be safe. Just last week, I had a dream about…
• I’d been tracking him all day, and I almost had him, but I had to wait until he was under a tree before I could pounce. I stood up and scanned the clearing. That’s when I realized that I’d been duped. I wasn’t the stalker, after all. He was the bait, and I was the target.
• A baby sits alone in the plane’s first-class section, bright red headphones perched on his head. He stares at me a moment as I pass, then snaps his fingers at the flight attendant to get her attention. Was this another one of…
• You’re forty years old and are happily married to your spouse of 15 years. You’re offered an opportunity to go back to your childhood and correct a horrible mistake you made, and you accept it. You fix the mistake and continue moving through the stages of your life as you did before. Only, the day you were supposed to meet your spouse for the first time, they never showed up.
• You’re walking down a deserted street downtown when you pass a building with a mural painted on its wall. As you take it in, the faces on the mural suddenly start talking to you, warning you of crimes that are about to occur in the city. You’re unable to shut out their voices or ignore them.
• You’re in the car when the person on the radio starts talking about something you did yesterday. Only, you didn’t actually do it, you only thought about it. And it wasn’t yesterday, it was five minutes ago.
• You discover a book in your parent’s bedroom that describes everything you’ve ever said and done. But the book is a hundred years old, and you’re just twelve. Or so you thought.
• She stepped off the plane looking different from how I remembered her, which was strange as it had only been a few months. But she was taller somehow, her eyes were darker, her features sharper. What had they done to her at that retreat?
• Sometimes I wish I could just get into a waterproof bubble and float away, forever, away from all of this. Leave it all behind and start over. I never actually thought it would be possible, until…
•  The house started to shake, and at first, I thought it was an earthquake. We’d trained for those at school. I ran to the nearest door frame and pushed my hands and feet into it as hard as I could. But this wasn’t a normal earthquake. None of the other houses outside were shaking, for one thing. And it went on much too long. As the shaking got more and more intense, a hole opened in the middle of the house, and from it rose…
• I can talk to animals. It’s just something I’ve always been able to do. I didn’t even know it was weird until some kids at school saw me shooting the breeze with a murder of crows at recess one day. Now I have to keep it a secret. If anyone else finds out…
• You’re walking home with your friends from school one day when your best friend vanishes down a manhole. You jump in without thinking and discover that in the sewer lives an entire species of…
• Leonard sat down on the park bench to tie his shoelace. An old man walked up with his dog and asked Leonard if he’d watch the dog for five minutes. The man never returned, and Leonard…
• I walked through the market timidly, unsure of what I was looking for, but somehow feeling sure that I would find it here. A flash of light flickered almost imperceptibly to my right, and instinctively I turned toward the stall that I’d just passed, but it was gone. In its place…
• Yesterday, my mother was turned into a rock. Yes, a rock. The kind that’s small enough to put in my pocket and carry around. In fact, that’s where she is right now. I have one week to figure out who did this and find them if I ever want to see her face again.
•  I knew robotics were dangerous. I’ve been warning them for years. Even when I was seven, I could see the harm they were capable of causing. But nobody listened to me. Until now. Now that an evil robot is threatening to destroy the world, suddenly they come running back to me for help. Good thing I’m thirteen now. Maybe they’ll actually listen this time.
• It never occurred to me that it would actually work. Who would have thought that the teleporter at the Star Trek Museum was functional? You’d think they would have put up a sign warning kids about that, or something. Anyway, that’s how Jamie and I ended up in this barren land. Now we need to figure out how to get back.

Hopefully, these creative writing prompts for middle school have given you tons of new inspiration for your next class project. Whether you’re writing short stories, flash fiction, or novels, working from a sentence starter or writing prompt is a fun way to spark ideas.

Wednesday 15th of November 2023

these are cool

Tuesday 27th of June 2023

I love these! I've recently started a creative writing journal and have been struggling to find inspiration. I learned about story starters earlier this week and have been hunting down prompts ever since. This list is perfect, thank you!

Privacy Overview

🎉 Our next novel writing master class starts in – ! Claim your spot →

BEST MIDDLE SCHOOL WRITING PROMPTS

Join (probably?) the world's largest writing contest. Flex those creative muscles with weekly writing prompts.

Showing 103 prompts reset

Start your story with somebody getting called to the principal’s office., finish this sentence: "i wish that i...".

Middle School

You find a magical portal in your bedroom one day. Do you step into it? What happens?

Write a scary story that you could tell around a campfire, if you could be anything in the world, what would you be why.

Introducing Prompted , a new magazine written by you!

🏆 Featuring 12 prize-winning stories from our community. Download it now for FREE .

Write about your dream for the future. Be as descriptive as possible.

If i were the teacher for a day, this is what i would do write about it., write about a time that you took a chance., think about your favorite place in the world. what makes it so special to you write about it., write about a time that you felt betrayed., subscribe to our prompts newsletter.

Never miss a prompt! Get curated writing inspiration delivered to your inbox each week.

Write about a time that you were brave.

One day, you wake up... and your pet has started talking to you what do they say, write a letter to a pen pal in a far away land., your friend invents a time-traveling machine, and invites you to enter it. which year do you travel to, you get to meet a character from your favorite book. which three do you pick, and why, what's your first memory describe it as if it were a story., if i were rich, the first thing i would do is..., write about a plan that goes wrong, for the better., create a holiday — one of your own making. what is this holiday of yours who celebrates it how do you celebrate it, you get to create a new nation. what is your national animal national flower national anthem, win $250 in our short story competition 🏆.

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Contest #244 LIVE

Enter our weekly contest.

This week's theme: Oh Snap!

Prize money

Contest entries, closes at 23:59 - apr 05, 2024 est, recent contests ✍️.

#243 – Re-Imagining Our World Through Speculative Fiction with Alice McIlroy

#242 – Fine Art

#241 – Et Tu, Brute?

#240 – In the Wind

Recent winners 🏆

Niamh O'Dea – read

Liz Grosul – read

Jonathan Page – read

Gem Cassia – read

Leaderboard 🥇

#1 Zilla Babbitt

32346 points

#2 Deidra Whitt Lovegren

28666 points

#3 Abigail Airuedomwinya

22413 points

#4 Graham Kinross

14370 points

#5 Scout Tahoe

13195 points

#6 Chris Campbell

10978 points

#7 Thom With An H

10595 points

#8 Rayhan Hidayat

10210 points

#9 Michał Przywara

9865 points

#10 Deborah Mercer

9603 points

The best writing prompts for middle school

Writing has a funny way of bringing the world around us to sharp contrast — which is why creative writing prompts might turn out to be just the trick to get the imaginations of your middle school students going! Whether you make it a journaling activity in the classroom or an interactive project to get your middle schoolers swapping ideas with friends, a writing prompt can do it all for kids: improve their writing skills, skyrocket their creativity, and broaden their perspective beyond the confines of school.

This directory is bursting with the best writing ideas about animals, people, and nature. Feel free to use any of these writing prompts for middle school to help turn your students into young writers with a story of their own.

If you're looking to cut to the chase, here's a list of top ten favorite writing prompts for middle schoolers:

• A character finds an old roll of film, and takes it to be developed. What do they find?
• A mundane ability suddenly becomes a superpower. Write about someone or something affected by this.
• End your story with someone finally conceding to another's point of view.
• Format your story in the style of diary entries.
• Set your story in a confectionery shop.
• Write a story about someone struggling to swallow some harsh (but fair) constructive criticism.
• Write a story in the form of a top-ten list.
• Write a story inspired by a piece of music (without using any lyrics).
• Write a story that focuses on the relationship between siblings.
• Write a story involving a character donating a box of clothes they have outgrown.

If you have a middle school student who's interested in becoming an author, check out our free resources on the topic:

Develop a Writing Routine (free course) — It’s never too early to start developing a writing routine! While creative writing prompts can give a student the spark of an idea for a story, it will take time, effort, and commitment to turn it into a novel. This course will show an author of any age how to develop the discipline that they will need to write a book.

Want to encourage your middle school students to start writing? Check out Reedsy’s weekly short story contest , for the chance of winning $250! You can also check out our list of writing contests or our directory of literary magazines for more opportunities to submit your story.

NEW VIDEO COURSE 🎉

How to Write a Novel

Join Tom Bromley for a writing master class and finish your first draft in 3 months . Learn more →

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢

Oops, you need an account for that!

Log in with your social account:

Or enter your email:

Middle School Writing Prompts: 26 Fun Ideas

Unstick your child’s creativity, stretch their thinking, and improve their writing skills with topics that tap into their passions..

Prisma is the world’s most engaging virtual school that combines a fun, real-world curriculum with powerful mentorship from experienced coaches and a supportive peer community

A blank page: endless possibilities or bottomless pit?

For many kids from elementary school through high school, writing assignments can seem like a daunting task. With the five-paragraph essay taking center stage in so many classrooms, it’s no wonder that kids feel disconnected from the practice of writing: No one ever reads five-paragraph essays, except on standardized tests.

Yet there is something to be said for giving new writers structure: something looser than connect-the-dots but more instructive than “ready, set, write!” That’s why writing prompts are a popular tool for all grade levels. (Even professional writers , at times, take advantage of this creativity catalyst.)

At Prisma, we use writing prompts to give our learners freedom within structure, providing topics that allow them to draw on — and deepen their connection to — their real life interests, all while strengthening their communication skills.

Here are some tips for creating prompts that your middle school student will want to engage with.

Incorporate their interests

Writing activities can be a great way to teach kids the fun of incorporating their interests into school — especially things that don’t seem “academic.” We’ve seen the phenomenon at Prisma: kids who never thought of themselves as a writer fall in love with writing when they are able to use their skills to talk about the things they love, video games included .

Here are some ideas to get started; feel free to let your child shape their own:

• Pick a character from your favorite tv show, and write a diary entry from their point of view.
• Rewrite the ending of your favorite movie.
• Add yourself into the plot of your favorite book.
• Write new lyrics to your favorite song.

Low-stakes, high fun

If your child has perfectionist tendencies, try short bursts of low-stakes writing that get them in touch with their silly side. Take the pressure off, keep the sessions down to a few minutes, and consider participating with them so they feel a sense of collective engagement in the task.

Fun writing prompts include:

• Design a desert island with its own ecosystem.
• Plan a birthday party for a famous person.
• Imagine your best friend woke up with a superpower that would only last 24 hours.
• Describe where you would travel with a time machine or a teleportation device.
• Imagine a conversation between you and your favorite food or your favorite animal.
• Narrate a game of your favorite sport, played on the moon or underwater.

Sign up for more research-backed guides in your inbox

• Prisma is an accredited, project-based, online program for grades 4-12.
• Our personalized curriculum builds love of learning and prepares kids to thrive.
• Our middle school , high school , and parent-coach programs provide 1:1 coaching and supportive peer cohorts .

Get story ideas from real life

The best story starters are all around us. Tap into your environment to help your child see connections to those around them, explore their emotional landscape, and work through areas of growth. (To make sure you never run out of ideas when you need them, create a “journal prompt” jar, and ask every family member contribute writing ideas for a rainy day.)

Real life ideas include:

• Think about the last time you...laughed ‘til you cried, made a mistake that turned into a great experience, surprised yourself...
• Describe the worst thing you ever ate.
• Write a step-by-step guide to mastering your favorite thing.
• Describe your favorite season to an alien visiting earth for the first time.

Play with genres

In the abstract, the topic of genre can seem alien to a middle schooler, but put the tools in their hands and they’ll see the power of perspective, form and word choice. Genre exercises can be especially fruitful to teach kids one of the main principles of creativity that we foreground in our “Remix” theme: There’s no obligation to create something from scratch; remixing is one of the tools of the world’s greatest artists.

Start with a piece of writing they’ve already produced (or something by their favorite author), then challenge them to rewrite it in a completely different form.

Genre transformations can include:

• Turn a short story into a haiku, acrostic poem, or limerick.
• Turn a chapter book into a graphic novel or vice-versa.
• Write a podcast script based on a news story.

Enter a competition

Sometimes a real life competition is just the thing to light a fire in a child’s belly. There are enough competitions out there to fill a whole school year. (Here’s just one source of writing competitions for middle school kids.)

The structure and motivation of a competition can help cement a child’s writing practice and, as an added bonus, it can be a great way to build a growth mindset (after all, no one wins every contest, every time).

Middle school writing prompts from Prisma

In addition to using writing prompts for a quick activity to get your child’s creative juices flowing, you can create more elaborate topics that become the anchor of an in-depth research project. The following examples are writing assignments from recent middle school themes that learners spent several weeks developing, with guidance from their coach and feedback from peers.

• Argumentative writing from “Cities of the Future” theme: Pretend to be the mayor of a city or another kind of lawmaker. Write a speech that convinces the people of your lands to approve a new law. What is the law you are proposing and how would it change people's lives for the better? What are some counterarguments against this law and how do you rebut them?
• Narrative writing from “Hidden Histories” theme: Research a historical era or event. Then, identify a voice or perspective that is lesser known or under-studied from that event. Write a piece of historical fiction, or a play, that shines a light on that perspective.
• Persuasive writing from “Wild Inventions” theme: Invent a new product. Then, write a persuasive pitch for investors or advertisement for customers that lets them know the features of your product, the value behind the cost, and why it will improve their lives. Include a catchy hook, convincing language, and sales techniques.
• Critical writing from “Games for Change” theme: Write a review of a video game in the style of a real game reviewer. Read existing game reviews for a sense of the style. Take notes as you play through, then write a review about the strong points, weak points, and if you would recommend the game. (Here’s a printable worksheet to organize your game notes.)
• Fan fiction project from “Remix” theme: Write a new story inspired by the work of an existing author. You could write a sequel, prequel, or retelling of a story from a new character's perspective.
• Investigative journalism from “Unsolved Mysteries” theme: Write an article that lays out the who, what, where, when, why, and how of an unsolved mystery, such as the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, D.B. Cooper, or the identity of the inventor of Bitcoin. Evaluate the possible theories and the evidence that supports each. At the end of the article, state your opinion on which theory is the most plausible.
• Nature poetry from “World of Wonder“ theme: Tons of the best poetry is inspired by nature. Observe the natural setting where you live, such as a backyard or park, and write down what you see without trying to make it sound good. Then, pull out the most interesting or impactful moments/images, and turn it into a poem.
• “What If?” theme Project: Research a historical event, then imagine "What If?" it had gone differently. Write an alternate history story inspired by what would have happened if the historical figures involved had made a different choice. Or, write a story that takes place far in the future, but the whole world is different because of one thing that went differently back then.

Join our community of families all over the world doing school differently.

Want to learn more about how Prisma can empower your child to thrive?

More from our blog

Recommendations.

Prisma Newsletter

Reluctant Reader Books

1029 Killer Writing Prompts for Middle School

Tired of searching through endless lists for the best writing prompts?

This is the only list you’ll ever need.

We personally combed through hundreds of lists, books and writing guides to bring you the 1,029 middle school writing prompts covering 20 different topic categories.

Want to Take It With You?

Our entire 1,029 writing prompts are available as a user-friendly PDF. Click on the thumbnail to preview the first 12 pages, or click the button below to get the full book.

Want great short stories for middle school? Go here .

Want poems for middle school? Go here .

Want 17 killer writing lessons for middle school? Check them out below.

Table of Contents

This list is huge.

Which is why we organized it by topic to make it easier to navigate. Click on any of the topics below and you will be taken directly to that topic and its prompts.

To return to the top of the page, click the arrow along the right side of the screen.

Let’s dive in.

40 Animal Writing Prompts for Middle School

• A kid wakes up to find a giraffe standing over his bed. What happens next? 
• You have to do battle with a giant snake or a giant spider. Which would you choose and why? 
• You’ve been selected to live for a year on the International Space Station. You can take one animal with you. What animal do you think would be best suited for life in space. Why? 
• Imagine you came home from school and your pet was ten times its usual size. What would you do next? 
• If you could have any pet, what would it be? 
• You can give your teacher any animal for their birthday. What animal would you choose and why? 
• Are there any animals you believe people shouldn’t be able to keep as pets? Why do you think these animals should never be pets? 
• Imagine an alien species came to Earth and intended to take only five animals back to their planet. What five animals should they take to help the aliens on their planet best understand life on Earth? 
• Cat or dog? Which is the better pet? Why? 
• Tell how you first met your pet, but tell the story from your pet’s point of view. 
• What animals make bad pets? Why? 
• Imagine you are going on vacation and a friend is taking care of your pet. Explain in detail precisely how your pet must be cared for in your absence. 
• You can combine the traits of any three animals into a single new species. What animals do you choose? Describe the new animal you intend to create.  
• Would you rather be attacked by a shark or a giant squid?  
• Write a story about the biggest shark in the sea. 
• If you could be an animal, what would you be? 
• What is your favorite animal? Why do you like that animal?  
• What is your least favorite animal? What do you dislike about that animal? 
• Can your pet do a funny or unusual trick? Describe the trick and how they learned it. 
• Should animals be kept in zoos? Give three reasons defending your answer. 
• Should people be allowed to bring their pets into restaurants? Why or why not? 
• Would you rather have to hibernate through the winter like a bear or come out only at night like an owl? 
• If you had a parrot that could talk, what would you teach it to say? 
• Choose any animal and imagine what the world would look like if they were the dominant species. 
• Would you rather like to jump sixty times your height like a flea or lift 100 times your body weight like an ant? 
• Would you rather be a shark or a dolphin? Explain your answer. 
• A dog’s nose is more than 10,000 times more acute than a human being’s. Describe all the things you would smell going through your day if you had the nose of a dog. 
• If you could bring back one dinosaur, what dinosaur would you choose? Why? 
• You have to fight a wooly mammoth or a saber-tooth tiger. Which would you choose to fight and why? 
• You can save any one animal from extinction, but to do so you must choose a different animal to vanish forever. What animal would you choose to save, and what animal would you select for extinction? 
• Imagine that all spiders disappeared tomorrow. What do you think would happen with them gone? 
• What animal do you think is the smartest? Explain your answer.  
• What is your spirit animal. Explain your answer. 
• Is it okay to have a monkey for a pet? Why or why not? 
• Why do you think there are more insects than mammals? 
• Whales don’t sing as much as before because of noise from boats on water. Write a journal response explaining how we can help the whales sing again. 
• What animal do you think is most similar to you in personality? Why? 
• Why do you think so many people are afraid of spiders? 
• What’s the difference between a cheetah and a tiger? 
• Ants can build structures that, relative to their size, are larger than anything ever built by human beings. How do you think they achieve this given their tiny brain size? 

84 Biographical Writing Prompts for Middle School

• Write about a time you stood up for something you believed in. What did you do? 
• What is the worst gift you ever received? Why didn’t you like it? How did you respond when you saw what you’d gotten?  
• What is the earliest memory you have? Describe your memory. Why do you think this is the earliest memory you can recall? 
• Do you think your personality has been shaped more by who you were when you were born or by the way you’ve been raised by your parents? 
• What is your favorite thing about yourself? Why is it your favorite? 
• Are you most like your father or mother? Why? 
• What do you like least about yourself? Explain your answer. 
• What makes you who you are? 
• Do you like being the center of attention? Why or why not? 
• Who is the person in your life that makes you laugh the most? Why do you find them so amusing? 
• What was your favorite summer vacation? Why? 
• Write about a time you gave something of yours to someone who needed it? What did you do? 
• Do you consider yourself to be a patient person? Why or why not? 
• Do your parents let you choose your own clothes at the store, or do they pick them for you? What is your style like? 
• What is your favorite game? Is it a video game or a board game? What do you like about it? 
• What is the best gift you ever received? What made it so special?
• Write about a secret you’ve never shared. How do you keep it secret? How does the secret make you feel? 
• What is the hardest decision you ever made in your life? Explain what made it so difficult. 
• Have you ever received a gift you didn’t like? How did you react? 
• Have you ever gone to summer camp? Did you enjoy it? Explain your answer. 
• If you were the ruler of the world, what would you do? 
• If you could only play one sport for the rest of your life, what would you choose? Why? 
• You can visit any country in the world, but only for a day. What country would you choose and what would you do for that day? 
• What is the most unfair thing in your life? Explain your answer. 
• Are you a team player? What qualities do you possess that make you a team player or not? 
• You can eat only one cuisine for the rest of your life. What type of food would you choose and why? 
• What is your favorite month of the year? Why? 
• Describe your bedroom. Is it messy or clean? Where are all your favorite things? What posters/pictures are on the walls? 
• Write a letter to your older self ten years from now. What do you hope that your older self has accomplished by then? What do you want your older self to remember about the person you are now? 
• Write a letter to your younger self in first grade. What do you wish you knew in first grade that you know now? What advice would you give your younger self? 
• What is the most important thing you ever learned? 
• When was the last time you laughed so hard you could barely breathe? 
• Where do you feel most at home? What is it about that space that makes you feel comfortable and safe? 
• When was the last time you felt so angry you wanted to hit something? Why were you so angry? 
• Imagine you won the lottery and now have $100,000,000. Everyone in your family expects you to give them money and make them rich. Would you give everyone in your family money or keep it for yourself? Explain your choice. 
• You’ve just been elected leader of the country. What is the first thing you would do with your new power? Why? 
• Would you rather be invisible or be able to fly? Explain your answer. 
• What one superpower do you wish you had? Why? 
• Do you remember your dreams? How often? What happens in them? 
• Describe the worst mistake you ever made and how you have learned from it. 
• What are your top three pet peeves? Why do these things bother you so much? 
• What is your go-to thing to do when you’re bored? What would happen if you could no longer do that thing for an entire year? 
• Imagine you could meet any person in history, living or dead. Who would you want to meet and what five questions would you ask them? 
• You can spend the day with any cartoon character. What character do you choose? Why? What would you do together? 
• If you could open any business, what kind of business would you start? 
• What is your worst quality? How do you think you can improve on it? 
• Have you ever been bullied? Describe how it happened and how it made you feel. 
• What is your perfect meal? Describe it in detail. 
• When was the first time you can remember feeling sad? What made you feel that way? 
• If someone wrote a book about your life, would you be the hero, the villain, or the sidekick? 
• If you had to pick one of your classmates as someone who inspires you, who would you pick and why? 
• What is the most valuable thing you own? Why is it special? 
• You can make one wish come true that would help other people but would not benefit you at all. What wish would you make and why? 
• Who is the most trustworthy person you know? Would you trust them with your deepest, darkest secrets? 
• Imagine the person you least like spending time with. What would happen if you had to spend an entire week with that person, all day, every day? 
• Have you ever failed to keep a promise? Why did you fail? How did it make you feel? 
• Do you think of yourself as a competitive person? Why or why not? 
• Have you ever done something simply because other people were doing it, even when you thought it didn’t look like any fun? How did you feel afterward? 
• If you died tomorrow, what one thing would you want everyone in your school to remember about you? 
• Have you ever collected anything? If so, what did you collect and why? If not, why do you think you’ve never been interested in collecting? 
• Write about a time when you had to work very hard for something. What made it so difficult? Why were you willing to work so hard? Was it worth it? 
• Have you ever been admitted to the hospital? Explain why and what your stay was like. 
• If you could trade places with a single person in your school, who would you trade places with and why? 
• You have to give up one of your senses. Which do you give up and why? 
• Who is the oldest person you’ve ever known? Why do you think they were able to live so long? 
• You have to go an entire month without the internet. How would this affect your life? 
• Would you rather be a great athlete or a great musician? Explain your choice.  
• Describe something that you used to enjoy when you were younger but that you find embarrassing now. Why did you like it when you were younger?  
• Have you ever lost something that you loved dearly? How did you lose it? How did it feel? 
• What do you wish your parents understood about you? 
• Are you too hard on yourself or do you let yourself off the hook too easily? Explain. 
• What childhood rules did you break when you were younger? What were the results of your actions? Would you break those rules again? 
• Describe a time when you have suffered and your suffering made you stronger. 
• Are you the same person on social media as you are in real life? Why or why not? 
• Have you ever felt like you can’t do something because of your gender? Describe how that made you feel. 
• Do you think you have a sense of style? What does your style say about who you are as a person? 
• Do you think your use of technology and social media has made you more isolated as you’ve gotten older? Explain. 
• Would you pursue a career if you knew you would never make much money doing it? 
• Which is more important to you: work that makes you happy or work that makes you money? 
• Do you look forward to getting older? Why or why not?  
• What do you think is the perfect age? Explain your choice. 
• Would you like your body to be frozen just before your death so that you might be resurrected hundreds or thousands of years from now? Why or why not? 
• Would you rather be rich but die young or be poor and die old? Explain.
• Have you ever been talked into something? What was it? Why were you convinced to do it? 

50 Book Writing Prompts for Middle School

• If you could have your teacher read only one book for the rest of their life, what book would you choose for them? Explain your choice.  
• Do you think kids should be allowed to read whatever they want? Defend your answer. 
• Pick three books you believe everyone in the country should read. Explain why you choose those three books. 
• Pick a book that you think was better than the movie version. Why was the book more effective? 
• Pick a book that you think was not as good as the movie version. Why was the movie better? 
• If you had to share your bedroom with one fictional character from a book, which character would you choose? Describe why they would be a good roommate.  
• What is your favorite book? Why do you enjoy it so much? 
• Do you prefer to read fiction or non-fiction? Why? 
• What is the most interesting book you ever read? What did you like about it? 
• What is the worst book you ever read? Why was it so awful? 
• Who is your favorite author? Why do you like their work? 
• If you could meet any author, living or dead, who would you want to meet? What three questions would you ask them? 
• Pick a character from one of your favorite books. Imagine that character was placed in a totally different story. Write about how they would behave in their new setting. For example: imagine Harry Potter was transported to Transylvania and had to face-off against Dracula. 
• What do you think makes a great book? Explain your answer. 
• Do you think classic books like James and the Giant Peach or Charlotte’s Web are better than modern novels? Or are modern novels better than the classics? Defend your answer. 
• Are there any genres of novels you don’t enjoy reading (ex: mysteries, romances, horror)? Why don’t you like those genres? 
• Do you ever listen to audiobooks? How do you think they compare to physical books? 
• Which Harry Potter house do you think you belong in? Why? 
• Has a book ever changed your life? Why or why not? 
• Imagine that your favorite fictional character had to come to school with you. What would they think of your school? What would do together? 
• Do you think certain books should be banned from school libraries? Explain your answer. 
• If you knew that a particular book were banned from your school library, would that make you want to read the book or stay away from it? Explain your answer. 
• Imagine that you are writing to a student a few years younger than you. Recommend three books to them and explain why you believe they should read them. 
• Throughout history, slave owners consistently prevented their slaves from learning to read. Why do you think slave owners didn’t want their slaves to read? 
• When you read, do you question what the author is telling you or accept whatever they say without question? 
• If you were given the power to make people only read fiction or non-fiction, which would you choose? Explain. 
• If you had to spend a year reading books from only one other country, what country’s literature would you choose and why? 
• If you were to write a novel, what kind of story would you write? A mystery? A horror story? A science fiction tale? Explain your choice. 
• What makes you pick up a book to read? Is it the cover? The description of the story? The author? 
• When you read a book, do you read out loud or only in your head? 
• Is it better to read a physical book or an ebook on your phone? Or does it not matter either way? Explain your choice. 
• Do you think kids today read less than their parents did when they were your age? Why or why not? 
• Adults often worry that kids don’t read enough books anymore. How many books a year do you think is enough for a kid to read?  
• Have you ever read a book that you’d be embarrassed to be seen reading in public? Why would you feel that way? 
• Are either of your parents readers? What kinds of books do they like to read? 
• Is it better to read books or do you think you can get just as much out of reading magazines and websites? 
• The oldest books in the world range from 500 to 2700 years old. Given that so much is now printed digitally, do you think any books from our own time will survive for that long? Why or why not? 
• Many people pass down important books from parents to children. Are there any books that are passed down through generations in your family? If not, are there any books you would one day want to pass down to your children? 
• Bill Gates paid over $30,000,000 for a notebook written by Leonardo da Vinci. Do you think this was a good use of his money or a total waste? Explain your answer. 
• The longest sentence ever published in a novel was written by Victor Hugo, who wrote Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame . That sentence was 823 words long. What do you think would happen if you turned in this writing prompt with a sentence that long?  
• What is the longest book you ever read? Do you think long books are better than short books? Why or why not? 
• Would you rather read 10 short books that are each 100 pages, or one long book that is 1,000 pages? Explain your answer. 
• When adults write books for kids your age, what do you think they fail to understand about you and your peers? What things do they get wrong about kids these days? 
• Do you think every book should have illustrations? Why or why not? 
• Do you like books with short chapters or long chapters? Explain your answer. 
• What was your favorite picture book as a child? Why did you like that particular book?  
• Do you think picture book writers like Dr. Seuss deserve to be considered great writers like authors who write chapter books (JK Rowling, Roald Dahl, etc.)? Why or why not? 
• Before the printing press was invented, history and stories were passed down orally. Why do you think the book has replaced the oral tradition? What makes the book and writing so durable and powerful? 
• Do you think people should write and underline in books? Why or why not?
• If you could have the President read any book, what book would you choose and why?

50 Comparison Writing Prompts for Middle School

• Your best friend and your worst enemy 
• Coke and Pepsi 
• Boys and girls 
• Freezing to death and burning to death 
• The pen and the sword 
• Outer space and the bottom of the ocean 
• School food and home food 
• Big city and small town 
• Vampires and werewolves 
• Texting and talking in person 
• Virtual learning and learning in person 
• Money and happiness 
• Digital movies and physical movies 
• Football and basketball 
• Men’s sports and women’s sports 
• Owning a business and working for someone else 
• Math and science 
• Reading and writing 
• Childhood today and childhood when your parents were in school 
• Hurricanes and tornados 
• Coffee and tea 
• Homeschool and public school 
• Movies at home and movies at the theater 
• Flying in an airplane and traveling by train 
• Playing a guitar and playing the drums 
• Camping in a tent and camping in an RV 
• Monday and Friday 
• Going to church and sleeping in 
• Losing a leg and losing an arm 
• Getting bit by a shark and getting bit by a bear 
• Peanut butter and jelly 
• Ice cream and cake 
• First day of school and last day of school 
• Birth and death 
• Giving gifts and receiving gifts 
• Kissing and being kissed 
• Asking someone on a date and being asked out on a date 
• Driving a limo and driving a bus 
• Sitting in the front of the class and sitting in the back of the class 
• Going to restaurant and cooking at home 
• Oldest sibling and youngest sibling 
• Mom and dad 
• Pride and humility 
• Like and love 
• Comedy and horror 
• Showers and baths 
• The first page of a book and the last page of a book 
• Writing on a computer and writing by hand 
• Explosively loud fart and silent-but-deadly fart
• Swords and lightsabers

50 Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School

• A witch casts a spell on your parents so they can only bark instead of talk. Write about your evening dinner together.  
• You come to school and find that you have a substitute teacher, but the sub is a tiny baby. Write about how you and your class get through the day. 
• You mix all the flavors at the gas station soda fountain. When you drink the concoction, you can suddenly see the future. What happens next? 
• Imagine your grandfather was a fabulous world traveler. One day you find an old camera he used to take on his travels, and inside is some undeveloped film. You get the film developed. Write about the pictures you discover. 
• Your best friend lets you borrow his hat. But whenever you put it on, you can hear everything your friend is thinking. What happens next? 
• Imagine you can understand what cats are saying. Write about what happens when the cats in your neighborhood find out you can understand them.  
• You’re flying on a plane to visit your uncle. You look out the window and see a young boy hanging onto the wing of the plane. His fingers are slipping, and he’s screaming for help. What happens next? 
• Imagine you found an old book in the library but when you try to check it out the librarian says you can’t read it. You sneak it out of the library anyway, but when you get home the book opens on its own and gigantic vines start growing out of it. What happens next? 
• You find a journal from 1850. On the last page it reads: “Come help me! You’re my only hope.” What happens next? 
• You wake up and discover that you have switched bodies with your dad. Write about your day. 
• Imagine your teacher has gone missing for a week. One day they are back at school. Your class asks where your teacher went, and they say they were kidnapped by aliens. What happens next? 
• Rewrite your favorite book or movie, but make the villain the hero of the story.  
• You receive a plastic dinosaur for your birthday. You take it home, and later that night you wake up to see it walking across your bedroom floor. It looks at you and roars. What next? 
• Imagine you are assigned a new locker on the first day of school. You open the locker and find a backpack inside. In the backpack is $1,000. Write about what happens next. 
• You have new neighbors. As you watch them unloading their moving van, you see they have a pet dragon. What happens next? 
• Your grandmother comes to visit after a nice vacation overseas. You ask about her trip, and she tells you she met a werewolf. What happens next? 
• A new girl you’ve never met joins your class. As your teacher begins today’s lesson, the girl passes you a note. It reads: “Do you remember me?” What happens next? 
• Choose your favorite emoji and write a backstory about its life. 
• You wake up one morning and realize you are floating five feet above your bedsheets. What happens next? 
• A new boy arrives in your class. He cries a lot, but his tears are Skittles. Write about what happens next.  
• On a class trip to the zoo, you get separated from your classmates. You wander around the zoo looking for your friends and teacher. You stop to look at the giraffe, and it bends its head down and says: “Hey, kid. Get me outta here.” What happens next? 
• You wake up one morning and look out your window. A rocket ship has landed on your lawn. What happens next? 
• Imagine you are teleported into your favorite video game. What happens next? 
• Your parents ask you to help weed the garden. You start pulling weeds, but as you do you discover something buried in the dirt: a treasure chest. Write about what’s inside and what happens next. 
• On a class trip to a museum you get separated from your class. You wander the halls, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone in that part of the museum. Eventually you find your way to the entrance, but it’s locked. You’re stuck there overnight. What happens next? 
• It’s the first day of school and you have a new teacher. Your teacher is a robot. Write about your first day in class. 
• Your parents hire a magician for your little brother’s birthday. The magician says he can make your brother disappear. He performs the trick and your brother is gone. The magician tries to bring him back, but something goes wrong and it doesn’t work. What happens next? 
• Write a conversation between your socks and your shoes. 
• You’re helping clean out your aunt’s garage. In a box you find an old oil lamp. You rub the lamp and a genie pops out. Write about what happens next. 
• You are the world’s youngest doctor. You have made a mind-blowing new medical discovery that will change the world. Write about your discovery and how it will affect modern medicine. 
• You have won a contest where every day you get a new 100-pound box of candy shipped to your house. Write about the type of candy you would order and what happens next. 
• You’re on an airplane flying to Disneyland. You really have to pee. You go to the bathroom, but when you come out the entire plane is empty. Everyone has disappeared. What happens next? 
• You have brought flowers to the cemetery to put on your grandmother’s grave. You walk down the row to her headstone, but when you get there the ground is dug up and her coffin is gone. What happens next? 
• You are watering the flowers in your mother’s garden. You bend down to smell the roses, but when you do you hear a tiny voice coming from the flowers: “Help us!” What happens next? 
• You’re at the lake skipping rocks across the water. You make a great throw and the rock skips into the middle of the lake. Then, suddenly, the rock comes skipping back. What happens next? 
• You come into class after school for tutoring, but just as you open the door you see your teacher pulling off her face. It’s a mask, and underneath your teacher is an alien. What happens next? 
• You wake up and discover you’re a mouse. You realize you left your pet snake on the floor last night instead of putting it in its cage. What happens next? 
• Your cat is meowing at your door. You think it has caught another bird, but when you open the door you discover it has caught a tiny person three inches high. What happens next? 
• You open your freezer and discover it has become a doorway to a cold, wintry world. You step inside. What happens next? 
• You’re taking a plane to visit your cousins in New York City. But when the plane lands, you realize that you’re actually in Chicago. What happens next? 
• One day the school bully comes up to you and says if you don’t help him he’ll beat you up. You say sure. He says he needs your help apologizing to everyone he’s ever bullied. What happens next? 
• Your little brother is drawing monsters at the kitchen table. You look over his shoulder, and suddenly his drawings come to life. They peel themselves off the paper and start to run around. What happens next? 
• There’s a knock at your door and when you open it you find an old man who hands you a glass jar with clear water in it. He tells you that the water in the jar will make you live forever, and that he has lived over five-hundred years. Then he leaves. What happens next? 
• You are taking a ride in a hot air balloon. Suddenly a terrible wind comes up and you are blown off course. The skies darken, and you realize you’re heading for a massive thunderstorm. What happens next? 
• You and your best friend are skydiving. You jump out of the plane. As you fall, you try to pull your chute, but your parachute is broken. The ground is coming up fast. What happens next? 
• You wake up one morning and start to yawn, but you realize your mouth has disappeared. What happens next? 
• You’re invited to your neighbor’s house for the first time to swim in their new pool. You dive into the water and discover there is no bottom to the pool. The water stretches and stretches like an ocean and when you surface you’re in a whole new world. What happens next? 
• Imagine you live in an apartment building. The elevator has buttons for 19 floors, because there’s no button for unlucky 13. One day you board the elevator and discover the button for the 13 th floor has appeared. What happens next? 
• You’re at the mall and really have to go to the bathroom. You find a bathroom and go inside, but standing by the sink is a gigantic bunny with ears that touch the ceiling. It looks at you and says: “I wouldn’t use this bathroom if I were you.” What happens next? 
• Imagine your little sister gets a gerbil for a pet. One day the gerbil crawls onto your lap and says: “Listen, I know where the buried treasure is. You want me to show you?” What happens next?

50 Descriptive Writing Prompts for Middle School

• Describe the most disgusting school lunch you can imagine. 
• Imagine your school is rocked by a massive earthquake. Describe the events inside your classroom. 
• Describe love without using the words love or emotion . 
• Describe how you want to spend the last day of your life.  
• Imagine you are teleported 100 years into the future. Describe the way your hometown looks. 
• You have invented a brand new flavor of soda pop. Describe what it tastes like, what it’s called, and what the label looks like. 
• Describe a problem you’re facing at home and how you might solve it. 
• Describe a problem you’re facing at school and how you might solve it.  
• Imagine the world suddenly loses all electricity. Describe how you would go through your day with no lights, no power, no internet, no phones.  
• Describe your dream car. What brand of car? What color? What kind of seats? What would it have inside? 
• You’re planning a road trip across the country. Describe the route you would take, what cities you would stop in, and what you would see along the way. 
• Who is your favorite family member? Describe what makes them so special. 
• Describe your bedroom. What’s on the walls? Is it neat or dirty? How big is your bed? Include as much detail as you can. 
• Look at your hand. Describe what you see without using the words hand, finger, or nails . 
• Describe the most beautiful flower you can imagine.  
• Describe the smell of the school locker room. 
• Imagine your teacher blames you for something you didn’t do and punishes you in front of the whole class. Describe how you feel in that moment. 
• Think of the bravest person you know. Describe what makes them brave and how they are different from everyone else. 
• Think of your favorite toy when you were younger. Describe that toy. Why was it your favorite? 
• Imagine you are sitting on a bus and the person next to you lets out a silent but awful fart. The worst you’ve ever smelled. Describe that smell.  
• Describe the worst day of your life. 
• Describe the best day of your life. 
• Think about what makes you a good friend. Describe the three qualities you think make you an excellent friend. 
• Imagine you were there the day the Titanic sank. Describe what you saw as you watched the great ship go down. 
• Imagine you were with Neil Armstrong when the first astronauts landed on the moon. Describe what you saw when you stepped out onto the moon. 
• Your principal comes on over the intercom and announces that an asteroid is hurtling towards the Earth and life as we know it will end in two hours. Describe how the world ends. 
• Imagine that you are surfing on the California coast. Describe what it feels like to be out on the ocean and ride the waves back into shore.  
• Describe the thing that scares you the most. 
• Imagine you are on a spaceship hurtling past a black hole. Describe what you see. 
• Imagine you have the ability to fly. You take off and zoom around your hometown. Describe what you see in the air and down below you. 
• Imagine the most perfect birthday cake. Describe what the cake looks like, what it tastes like, how many candles, etc.  
• Describe your first kiss, either real or imaginary.  
• Pick a parent. Describe what they do for a living. What does their day look like?  
• The warning sirens go off. A tornado has just touched down near your home. You scramble outside to get shelter, and you can see the tornado coming. Describe what you see all around you. 
• Describe the worst fight you ever had with your parents.  
• Describe a time you wanted something so badly but didn’t get it.  
• Imagine you are part of the first wave of immigrants to Mars. Describe what life is like when you arrive. What is your home like on the Red Planet? 
• Imagine you are onboard a fabulous submarine with giant glass windows. Describe your travels under the ocean and all the things you see. 
• Imagine you’ve created a brand new donut. Describe the donut you created, what it looks like, what it tastes like, etc. 
• Describe your perfect pet. What qualities of your pet makes them so appealing? 
• Describe the first school dance you ever attended.  
• Imagine you are out hiking and become separated from your group. You realize you’re lost. Describe how you would find your way back or help others to find you. 
• You’ve joined the circus. Describe the act you will perform opening night. 
• Describe your favorite kind of music without telling the genre (rock n roll, rap, rhythm and blues, etc.) or mentioning the name of any band/artist. 
• Describe the best pair of shoes you ever wore. 
• Imagine you colored your hair a neon color and cut it any way you want. Describe how your hair would look and how people would react to your new style. 
• Describe the best birthday party you ever had.  
• Imagine you crossed the country 200 years ago in a covered wagon. Describe what you saw on your way west to California.  
• Imagine you were part of the crew that discovered King Tut’s tomb in Egypt. Describe what you saw as you entered the pyramid and uncovered the mummy. 
• If the inside of your mind were a room, describe what that room would look like and what would be inside it.

50 Either/Or Writing Prompts for Middle School

• Would you rather have your greatest success at a young age or later in life? 
• Would you rather live on Mars or the bottom of the ocean? 
• Would you rather cut all sports programs at school or lose the school library? 
• Would you rather be 10 years old forever or 70 years old forever? 
• Would you rather there were no cell phones or no video games? 
• Would you rather be a zombie or a vampire? 
• Would you rather your mom chooses your clothes or your brother/sister? 
• Would you rather eat only cake or only ice cream? 
• Would you rather travel by airplane or by train? 
• Would you rather visit the East coast or the West coast? 
• Would you rather live 100 years in the future or 100 years in the past? 
• Would you rather live through a hurricane or a tornado? 
• Would you rather be the star of a movie or the main character of a book? 
• Would you rather have purple hair or no hair at all? 
• Would you rather listen to only classical music or no music ever again? 
• Would you rather be super tall or super short? 
• Would you rather be incredibly strong in only one arm or only one leg? 
• Would you rather be an Olympic athlete or a pro sports star? 
• Would you rather celebrate only Christmas or only Halloween? 
• Would you rather be rich and unknown or famous but poor? 
• Would you rather end world hunger or create world peace? 
• Would you rather attend private school or be homeschooled? 
• Would you rather have an extra eye or an extra nose? 
• Would you rather be a shark or a whale? 
• Would you rather join the circus or the rodeo? 
• Would you rather hitchhike across the country or hop trains? 
• Would you rather climb the world’s highest mountain or descend into the world’s deepest pit? 
• Would you rather write a famous novel or sing a famous song? 
• Would you rather be the teacher or the principal? 
• Would you rather watch the sunrise or the sunset? 
• Would you rather eat only waffles or eat only pancakes? 
• Would you rather raise a boy or a girl? 
• Would you rather be an eagle or an owl? 
• Would you rather have permanent spring or permanent fall? 
• Would you rather lose one month of summer vacation or all the holiday breaks during the school year? 
• Would you rather lose your eyesight or your hearing? 
• Would you rather be beautiful or wealthy? 
• Would you rather work hard and fail or barely work and succeed? 
• Would you rather be the rain or the sunshine? 
• Would you rather work from home or work in an office? 
• Would you rather make more money as an employee or work for yourself but make less money? 
• Would you rather get bit by a spider or stung by a bee? 
• Would you rather stop to smell the roses or rush to get to where you’re going? 
• Would you rather only be able to eat with a fork or only be able to eat with a spoon? 
• Would you rather live forever and be unhappy or live to be 75 and be happy all those years? 
• Would you rather be blind or not be able to taste anything? 
• Would you rather be able to dance or be able to sing? 
• Would you rather have to ride a tricycle to school or a ride a unicycle to school? 
• Would you rather go to the theater or watch a movie at home? 
• Would you rather be known for being honest or being loyal?

50 Expository Writing Prompts for Middle School

• In some cultures it is rude to burp. In others, it is considered a compliment to burp after a meal. Write about burping and the differences in table manners around the world.  
• Many schools are banning pop machines. Write about the effects of drinking too much soda, and whether or not you think kids should be able to choose for themselves.  
• What’s your favorite kind of music? Write about the history of that musical genre and what other genres of music influenced it. 
• Passing gas. Breaking wind. Silent but deadly. Most people think it’s rude to fart in public, but it’s also unhealthy to hold it in. Write about why farting is considered rude. Do you think it makes sense to shame people for doing something that everybody must do? 
• Is honesty really the best policy? Write about why people value honesty but also the times when honesty may get you in trouble. Do you think you should always tell the truth? 
• Imagine you’re a movie director. What kind of movie would you make? Write about how you would make your movie, from first idea to final cut to releasing your movie to the world. 
• Write about the reasons for school dress codes. Do you think dress codes are fair? Should students have input on what goes in the dress code?  
• Many people claim to have seen aliens and alien space ships. Write about the history of UFO sightings. Do you think we may have been visited by extraterrestrials? 
• What’s the best way to cure a cold or flu? Write about the different ways people around the world approach basic healing. What do you think is the best remedy for common illness? 
• Many countries are encouraging citizens to buy electric cars to save the environment, but those cars plug into a power grid fueled mostly by coal. Write about the history of electric cars. Do you think electric cars will positively impact the environment? 
• Everyone says kids are addicted to cell phones. Are they? Write about cell phone use and how it compares to other technologies kids were obsessed with in the past.  
• Write about the history of space exploration. Is it important for human beings to continue to explore outer space and travel to other planets? Do you think we’ll ever have a colony on Mars? 
• Write about the right to vote, how it has changed over time, and how old you think you should be before you can vote.  
• What does it mean to live a healthy life? Write about the history of health food trends and how health is different around the world. What do you think a healthy life looks like? 
• What is the best way to assess learning? Are grades the most effective way? Is it better to simply assign pass/fail? Or maybe no grades at all? Write about the history of grading and how it affects both students and teachers. 
• Does life get better as you get older? Write about the benefits and downsides that you’ve experienced as you’ve gotten older. What do you think is the perfect age? 
• Newspapers were once read by everyone. Now people get their news through social media. Write about how technology has changed the way people consume information. Has technology made things better or worse?  
• “History is written by the winners.” Pick an event from history and write about the side that “lost”. How does it influence our understanding of history when we don’t get to hear from the “losers”? Can we fully trust what we hear from the “winners”? 
• Write about the history of video games. Do you think kids spend too much time playing video games? Can video games make your life better? 
• Does homework matter? Write about the reasons teachers assign homework and whether or not you believe homework is an effective tool.  
• Is the only reason to go to college to get a job? Write about the history of higher education and the various benefits and drawbacks to going to college. Do you think getting a job is the sole reason someone should go to college? 
• What makes a great movie? How much money it makes? What kind of reviews it gets? Who decides what’s great and what’s not? Write about how you determine a movie’s greatness. 
• What makes someone a good friend? What qualities are the most valuable in a friend? Do you possess those qualities yourself? 
• Some parents believe kids should do chores and earn nothing in return. Others give their kids an allowance for chores. Write about chores, whether or not kids should be rewarded for them, and the benefits and drawbacks to doing chores at all.  
• Some kids drop out of school. Write about the different reasons someone may drop out. What will likely happen to kids who drop out? Are there any advantages to dropping out? 
• Your class is going to adopt a pet. It can be any animal. Pick an animal you think your class should adopt and explain why that animal is the ideal class pet. 
• Imagine an extra-curricular activity or program that your school does not currently offer. Write about why you believe your school should offer it and how it would benefit students. 
• What do you think makes for a good life? Who gets to decide what makes a life good in the first place? How would you determine whether you’ve lived a good life or not? 
• Do you think kids should have to read the classics in school? What are the benefits of the classics? What are the downsides to reading them? Who decides what makes a book a classic or not? Should those people be able to decide at all? 
• Imagine a traveler from the 1800s landed in our modern world. What things would be the most different between then and now? What would the traveler find the most strange or wondrous? 
• What is your favorite place in all the world? What is it about this place that makes it special? Write about this place and how you feel when you are there. 
• Who do you think is more important in a school: the principal or the teachers? How are these roles different? Why is one more important than the other? 
• Many schools now focus on preventing bullying. Write about the effects these efforts have had at your school? Is bullying being prevented? Or has it simply changed and gone underground?  
• What do you think it means to be happy? How do you rate being happy in relation to other things in your life like earning money or being a good friend? Is happiness worth pursuing? 
• The Founding Fathers wrote that everyone had a right to pursue happiness . Why do you think this was important enough to be included in the Declaration of Independence? Write about the importance of happiness and also why happiness itself is not a right but only its pursuit. 
• Do you think we expect too much of cultural heroes like Martin Luther King Jr. and LeBron James, expecting them to be perfect role models? Often people act surprised when they learn their heroes are not perfect. Is this fair? 
• Is it okay for kids to drink coffee? Write about the effects coffee has on mood and on the brain. Do you think kids your age should be allowed to drink coffee in school?  
• Many people argue kids today have poor social skills because they spend too much time on their phones. Write about how technology has affected your social skills. Do you think this criticism is valid? How do you feel when you have to communicate in person rather than on a phone? 
• In today’s world, plagiarism is a major offense. But in earlier eras, plagiarism was allowed and artists often reworked the ideas of others. Write about the history of plagiarism and the benefits and downsides to copyrighting artistic works.  
• “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” Do you think this is good advice? Are there times when the lemons you’re handed simply can’t be turned into anything good?  
• The poet TS Eliot once wrote: “In the end is my beginning.” What do you think this means? Write about how beginnings and endings are linked and whether or not this is true in life. 
• Should kids be allowed to watch any movie they want? Are there certain types of movies or elements in movies that kids simply shouldn’t see? Write about the history of the ratings system (G, PG, PG-13, R) and how it has changed. Do you think these ratings make sense? 
• In some countries, every young person is required to enlist in the military for a certain number of years. Write about the history of drafting citizens into the military. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this practice? Do you think you should be required to join the military? 
• Do you think it’s okay to keep secrets from your parents? Are there some things that should just be between you and your friends? Write about the benefits and drawbacks to secrets. 
• Years ago, many schools held formal dances where students were required to dress up in nice clothes. Do you think this is a good idea? Or should kids always be allowed to wear whatever they want to a dance? What are the advantages and disadvantages to a dance dress code? 
• Do you think artificial intelligence will ever surpass human beings? Write about the kinds of “thinking” machines are good at and how they are different from the kinds of things human beings are good at.  
• We have different ages for various adult responsibilities: 16 to drive, 18 to vote, 21 to drink. Write about how these benchmarks have changed over time. At one age do you think someone becomes an adult? Should all adult responsibilities be given at once or spread out as they are now? 
• How do you know when someone is lying? How can you be certain unless they admit to lying? Think about what you do when you lie. Is it easy to hide the truth or not? 
• Why is it considered rude to wear a hat indoors? Should kids be allowed to wear hats in school? What are the advantages and disadvantages to wearing hats in class? 
• Some parents buy their kids their first car. Others expect their kids to get a job and buy one themselves. What do you think is the best approach? Write about the benefits and drawbacks to your parents buying your car vs you buying it yourself.

67 Family Writing Prompts for Middle School

• Imagine your family is going to rob a bank. What role would you assign to each member of your family? How do you think the heist would go? 
• If you could be a parent, what would you do differently than your mom or dad? 
• What do you admire most about your father? 
• What do you admire most about your mother? 
• Imagine your family is going to compete on a singing and dancing competition on national television. What song would your family perform? Who would do the singing? What kind of dance would you do? 
• What’s the worst part about being a sibling? 
• Imagine that you are now your brother or sister’s teacher. What grades would you give them for their work? Do you think they would do well in your class? 
• What movies do you enjoy watching as a family? What are the favorite movies of your different family members? 
• Ask your parents what other names they considered naming you. Do you think you’d prefer any of their other choices? Were you surprised by some of the names they considered? 
• What chores do you have to do at your house? Are you given anything in return for doing chores? 
• If you had to pick a single color to describe each member of your family, what color would you choose for them and why? 
• Who is your favorite member of your extended family (aunt/uncle/cousin/etc.)? What do you like about them? 
• What is unique about your family? 
• Does your family open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?  
• Imagine your family is stuck in a horror movie. Who would be the first to be killed? Who would survive all the way to the end? 
• What is the favorite meal of each member of your family?  
• What is the best vacation you’ve ever taken with your family? 
• Imagine your family is going to start a business. What business would you go into? What role would each member of your family have in the company? 
• What is the most important value to your family?  
• How many different homes has your family lived in? Do you have a favorite? 
• Who is the decision maker in your household? Why do you think they get to make the decisions? 
• If your parents were superheroes, what powers would they have? 
• If you had to live with one of your siblings for the rest of your life, which sibling would you choose and why? 
• Write about a recent argument you had with your parents. What was the argument about? How did it turn out? 
• Are there any vegetarians or vegans in your family? Does that cause any problems at meal times? 
• What is something you think other families could learn from yours? 
• What kinds of rules does your family have? Do you believe any of them are outdated and should be done away with? Which ones and why? 
• What restaurants does your family like to go to? Is there a special restaurant your family goes to for particular occasions? 
• What countries did your family come from? Have you ever visited relatives in those countries? 
• What holidays does your family celebrate? Which one is your favorite? 
• What traditions does your family keep?  
• Does your family eat dinner around a table? Why or why not? Do you think it matters either way? Explain your answer. 
• Who usually cooks in your household? What is their best meal? 
• What kind of expectations do your parents set for you? What happens when you don’t meet those expectations? 
• In what ways are you different from your siblings?  
• In what ways are you similar to your siblings? 
• Are you more like your mother or father? Explain. 
• Are you close to your grandparents? Write about your relationship to them and how important they are in your life. 
• If you had to describe the members of your family as different flavors of soda pop, what flavor would each of your family members be and why? 
• If you could spent one day with either your parents or your grandparents when they were your age, which would you choose and why? 
• Do you think you would have been friends with your mom or dad when they were young? Or would you simply be too different to ever have hung out together? Why or why not? 
• Do you share a bedroom or have your own? Write about the positives and negatives of your current arrangement.  
• Do you think your parents should buy you a car when you turn sixteen? Why or why not? 
• Do you think your life has been more difficult than when your parents were young? Or has it been easier? Explain. 
• Where do you fall in your family? Are you the oldest child? The youngest? Somewhere in the middle? How does this position affect your role in your family? 
• What books did your parents read to you when you were little? 
• Imagine your family has been cast to reboot an old movie. What movie would you choose for your family to star in? What role in the movie would you give to everyone? 
• What is something you learned on your own (either a skill or a life lesson) that you wish your parents had taught you? 
• What stories do your mom or dad tell about their childhood over and over again?  
• Do your parents have different rules or expectations for you versus your siblings? Do you think it’s fair that they treat each of you differently or the same? Explain. 
• If you could trade places with your brother or sister, would you? Why or why not? 
• What do your parents do for a living? What do you think about their employment? Would you like to follow in their footsteps? Why or why not? 
• Imagine you could give your mom or dad any job in the world. What job would you give them? Why do you think that job would make them happy? 
• Do you think your parents are proud of you? Why or why not? 
• What are your parents’ pet peeves? 
• What is the one place in the world your parents want to travel to more than any other? Why? 
• What is something that you learned from your brother or sister? How did you learn it? 
• What is something you wish your brother or sister knew about you? 
• Think back to the first time one of your friends ever stayed at your house overnight? What were you worried they would think about your home and your family? 
• How would you define the word family ? 
• How does your family celebrate your birthday? 
• What did you get your mom and dad for Christmas? Why did you choose those gifts? 
• What is the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done in front of your brother or sister?  
• Who has the messiest room in your house? Describe their room and why it’s so messy. 
• What room does your family spend the most time in? Explain.  
• If you had to pick, would you rather have your mom or your dad as a teacher this year? Explain. 
• Imagine your family is chosen to be the first family to live in a new colony on Mars. What roles would you give to each member of your family once you land on the Red Planet? Write about your new life on Mars.

60 Friendship Writing Prompts for Middle School

• Imagine you and your best friend are police detectives. What kinds of crimes would you solve? What qualities would make you and your friend good investigators? 
• Which of your friends do you share the most in common with? What qualities do you have in common? 
• Write about the worst argument you ever had with a friend. What happened afterwards? 
• What is something that none of your friends know about you? 
• Which of your friends do you tell your deepest secrets to? What is it about that friend that makes you trust them? 
• What kind of music do you listen to with your friends? Do all of your friends share similar tastes in music? Explain. 
• Write about the day you met your best friend. What was it that drew you together? 
• If your friends were asked to describe you to someone who had never met you, what would you hope that they say about you? 
• What movies do you love watching with your friends?  
• Write about the first time you ever slept over at a friend’s house. What were you afraid of? What were you surprised by? How did the sleepover go? 
• Have you ever made friends with someone at summer camp? Write about how you connected with that friend. Do you stay in touch? 
• What qualities do you value most in a friend? 
• What skills do your friends have that you wish you had? 
• What skills do you have that none of your friends share? 
• Imagine you and your friends start a band. What instruments would each of your friends play? Who would sing? What kind of music would you record? 
• Imagine that your best friend is moving away to the other side of the country. Write them a letter telling them goodbye and what you are going to miss about them. 
• Write a letter to your younger second-grade self. In the letter, describe the best way to make friends and keep them. 
• What do you do with your friends in the summer that you don’t do during the school year? 
• Do you like making new friends? Why or why not? 
• Do you think you can “buy” friends if you had enough money? For example, if you bought people enough gifts and paid for them to do fun things, that they would be real friends with you? 
• Write about a time when you “broke up” with a friend. What was it that ended your friendship? Do you think you could ever be friends again? 
• What is something that you could never forgive a friend for doing? 
• Is it okay to lie to a friend? Why or why not? If yes, in what situations would a lie be okay? 
• In a friend, which do you value more: honesty or loyalty? 
• If you hear someone saying something mean about your friends, do you speak up and defend your friends or keep quiet? Explain. 
• Of all of your friends, whose parents do you like the most? Why? 
• Do you have any friends of the opposite sex? How are they different from your friends of the same sex? 
• Write about a time when two of your friends were fighting and you had to play peacemaker. 
• Do your parents approve of your friends? Why or why not? 
• How important is it for a friend to be honest and tell you when you’ve made a mistake?  
• Write about a time you felt betrayed by a friend. 
• If you had to describe each of your friends as a pizza topping, what toppings would they be and why? 
• What television show or movie most resembles the lives of you and your friends? Explain your answer.  
• What is something that one of your friends is allowed to do that your parents do not let you do? How do you think you and your friend are different because of this? 
• Do you think modern technology makes it easier to be a good friend? Or does it simply complicate things and make it more difficult? Explain. 
• Imagine you and your friends are going to take a week-long vacation together. Where would you go? What would you do? Who in your group would decide? 
• Where do you and your friends fit in the social world of your school? Are you part of a clique or group? How well do you get along with other social groups at school? 
• If you and your friends were going out trick or treating, what would everyone dress up as and why?
• If your best friend moved away tomorrow, do you have another friend that might eventually take their place? Write about how that might happen (or how it would be impossible). 
• If your best friend was magically turned into their opposite gender, do you think you could still be friends? Or is too much of your relationship based on gender for your friendship to still work? Explain. 
• If you heard an unpleasant rumor about one of your friends, how would you react? Would you tell them about it? 
• How important is friendship? Where do you rank it in comparison to other important aspects of your life (family, health, happiness, etc.)? 
• If you had to be adopted by the family of one of your friends, whose family would you choose? Explain.  
• Where do you and your friends spend most of your time hanging out? Why do you spend so much time at that location? 
• How do you know when someone is just pretending to be your friend? 
• What is the kindest thing you ever did for a friend? How did it make you feel? 
• Imagine you have two close friends but can only eat with one of them at lunch. What do you do in that situation?  
• Imagine that your teacher accused two of your friends of stealing from the teacher’s desk. Both your friends deny it, but you know which one of them is lying. What do you do? 
• What would you do if your best friend began hanging out with someone you hate?  
• Is it harder to make friends now than it was when you were younger? Or is it easier? Explain. 
• If you and your friends were a box of donuts, what kind of donut would each of your friends be? 
• What is the funniest movie you ever watched with a friend? Why did you and your friend find it so funny? 
• What is the saddest movie you ever watched with a friend? What did you and your friend find so sad? 
• Imagine you and your friends have gone out trick or treating and are now examining how much candy you raked in. How do you divide the candy? Does everyone keep their own? Who trades for what?  
• If you and your best friend were going to attend a protest, what would you protest against? What kind of signs would you make? 
• You can pick one of your friends to vote for in the coming election for school president. Which friend do you vote for and why? 
• Do you behave the same with all of your friends? Or do you change your behavior slightly for each friend? Do you think they do the same around you? 
• Do you believe you’ll have the same friends in high school and beyond that you do now? Why or why not? 
• Can you ever have too many friends? Why or why not? 
• Imagine you and your friends have to perform on America’s Got Talent. What kind of talent performance would you put on?

67 First Line Writing Prompts for Middle School

• I am an invisible man. – Invisible Man, Ralph Ellison  
• When Katelyn Ogden blew up in third period pre-calc, the janitor probably figured he’d only have to scrub guts off one whiteboard this year. – Spontaneous, Aaron Starmer  
• Until he was four years old, James Henry Trotter had a happy life. – James and the Giant Peach, Roald Dahl  
• It was the day my grandmother exploded. – The Crow Road, Iain Banks  
• The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door… – Knock, Fredric Brown  
• All children grow up, except one. – Peter Pan, JM Barrie  
• Edward Twonky had no intention of getting eaten by a giant the morning he left for the Cottleston Fair. – The Giant’s Tooth, Bruce Coville  
• Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. — Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston  
• Bingo Brown fell in love three times in English class. – The Burning Questions of Bingo Brown, Betsy Byars  
• My dad and I lived in an airport. – Fly Away Home, Eve Bunting  
• Not every thirteen-year-old girl is accused of murder, brought to trail and found guilty. – The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Avi  
• Mother died today. Or maybe, yesterday; I can’t be sure.  – The Outsider, Albert Camus  
• The world had teeth and it could bite you with them anytime it wanted. – The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Stephen King  
• It was a bright cold day in April and the clocks were striking thirteen. – 1984, George Orwell  
• Things are a lot different around here since that unicorn moved in. – Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great, Bob Shea  
• The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house all that cold, cold, wet day. – The Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuss  
• As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found he had been turned into a giant insect. – Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka  
• I write this sitting in the kitchen sink. – I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith  
• When the blind man arrived in the city, he claimed that he had traveled across a desert of living sand. – The Brief History of the Dead, Kevin Brockmeier  
• In an old house in Paris there lived twelve little girls in two straight lines. – Madeline, Ludwig Bemelmans  
• This is my favorite book in all the world, though I have never read it. – The Princess Bridge, William Goldman  
• The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed. – The Gunslinger, Stephen King  
• I still remember the day my father took me to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books for the first time. – The Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafon  
• I’ve heard it said girls can’t keep secrets. — Wildwood Dancing, Juliet Marillier  
• Johnny never knew for certain why he started seeing the dead. – Johnny and the Dead, Terry Pratchett  
• It was a pleasure to burn. – Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury  
• Most of the time John Midas was a nice boy. – The Chocolate Touch, Patrick Skene Catling  
• All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. – Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy  
• The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there. – The Go-Between, LP Hartley  
• In the town they tell the story of the great pearl – how it was found and how it was lost again. – The Pearl, John Steinbeck  
• That morning, after he discovered the tiger, Rob went and stood under the Kentucky Star Motel sign and waited for the school bus just like it was any other day. – The Tiger Rising, Kate DiCamillo  
• A screaming comes across the sky. – Gravity’s Rainbow, Thomas Pynchon  
• There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife. – The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman  
• The Herdman’s were absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. – The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Barbara Robinson  
• We went to the moon to have fun, but the moon turned out to completely suck. – Feed, MT Anderson  
• It was one of those things they kept in a jar in the tent of a sideshow on the outskirts of a little, drowsy town. – The Jar, Ray Bradbury  
• On Thursday, when Imogene woke up, she found she had grown antlers. – Imogene’s Antlers, David Small  
• People do not give it credence that a fourteen-year-old girl could leave home and go off in the wintertime to avenge her father’s blood but it did not seem so strange then, although I will say it did not happen every day. – True Grit, Charles Portis  
• On the morning I was scheduled to die, a large barefoot man with a bushy red beard waddled past my house. – The Colossus Rises, Peter Lerangis  
• If your teacher has to die, August isn’t a bad time of year for it. – The Teacher’s Funeral, Richard Peck  
• It was like nothing on Earth we had ever seen before. – Your Mother is a Neanderthal, Jon Scieszka  
• Once upon a time, not so long ago, a monster came to the small town of Castle Rock, Maine. – Cujo, Stephen King  
• They say Maniac Magee was born in a dump. – Maniac Magee, Jerry Spinelli  
• My dad died twice. Once when he was thirty-nine, and again four years later when he was twelve. – Time Traveling With a Hamster, Ross Welford  
• Some years ago there was in the city of York a society of magicians. – Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke  
• Three objects sat upon the carpet in Cleo Porter’s living room: an apple core, a human skull, and a package wrapped in red. – Cleo Porter and the Body Electric, Jack Burt  
• Kidnapping children is never a good idea; all the same, sometimes it has to be done. — Island of the Aunts, Iva Ibbotson  
• Once upon a time there was a huge family of children; and they were terribly, terribly naughty. – Nurse Matilda, Christianna Brand  
• The thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could ; but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge. – The Cask of Amontillado, Edgar Allan Poe  
• Four days after his own funeral, Albert Wilkes came home for tea. – The Death Collector, Justin Richards  
• For as long as anyone could remember, there wasn’t a house at the end of Juniper Drive – until one day there was. – This Appearing House, Ally Malinenko  
• The magician’s underwear has just been found in a cardboard suitcase floating in a stagnant pond on the outskirts of Miami. – Another Roadside Attraction, Tom Robbins  
• The city waited twenty-thousand years. – The City, Ray Bradbury  
• The Black Slide appeared on the playground of Osshua Elementary on a clear day in late September. – The Black Slide, JW Ocker  
• It was Purdy Newcomb’s thirtieth birthday, though none of his family seemed to be aware of it. – Grand Opening, Jessamyn West  
• Listen: Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time. – Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut  
• The moon blew up without warning and for no apparent reason. – Seveneves, Neal Stephenson  
• It began the night we died on the Kamikaze. – Full Tilt, Neal Shusterman  
• The manhunt extended across more than one hundred light years and eight centuries. – A Deepness in the Sky, Vernor Vinges  
• I waited and watched for seven years. – Dolan’s Cadillac, Stephen King  
• The island of Gont, a single mountain that lifts its peak a mile above the storm-racked Northeast Sea, is a land famous for wizards. – A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. LeGuin  
• Taran wanted to make a sword; but Coll, charged with the practical side of his education, decided on horseshoes. – The Book of Three, Lloyd Alexander  
• Esther Solar had been waiting outside Lilac Hill Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for half an hour when she received word that the curse had struck again. – A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares, Krystal Sutherland  
• Ironically, since the attacks, the sunsets have been glorious. – Angelfall, Susan Ee  
• The first thing you learn when yer dog learns to talk is that dogs don’t got nothing much to say. – The Knife of Never Letting Go, Patrick Ness  
• It wasn’t as if he hadn’t been warned. – Sackett, Louis L’Amour  
• Before the worms turned mean, before they slithered out to get their revenge, Todd Barstow had a great time with them. – Go Eat Worms, RL Stine

40 History Writing Prompts for Middle School

• Imagine you have signed on to go aboard a whaling ship in the 19 th Century. You will be away from your home sailing the seas for three to four years. How do you feel as you step onboard your ship?  
• Imagine you lived two hundred years ago. There is no electricity, no phones, no paved roads. What would you miss the most about the modern world? Explain.  
• If you had to build a statue to honor one person from your town, who would you build a statue of and why?  
• Through most of history, people rarely traveled more than five miles beyond the place where they were born. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of this?  
• Pick a local park or bridge or monument that is named after someone from your town. Write about who that person was and why this park/bridge/monument is named after them.  
• What is the greatest invention since sliced bread?  
• America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian explorer who claimed to understand that there was a “New World” between Europe and China. If you could rename the Americas, what would you name them instead and why?  
• Have you ever been to a history museum? Write about what you saw and what you thought.  
• If you could visit any period in history, what period would you visit? Why?  
• What events are going on right now in the world that you think people will write about in the history books hundreds of years from now? Explain your choices.   
• For thousands of years, very few people could read and write. The invention of the printing press changed that as it made the printing of books and papers much cheaper. How do you think this changed the lives of everyday people?  
• Have you ever visited your local history museum? Write about what you saw there and what you thought.  
• Many stories from history are actually not true. George Washington didn’t have wooden teeth. Benjamin Franklin didn’t fly a kite in a lightning storm. Why do you think so many myths get passed down and believed as fact?  
• “People who neglect history are doomed to repeat it.” Do you agree with this statement or not? Explain.  
• During World War II, the United States didn’t officially enter the war until the attack on Pearl Harbor. In fact, many citizens didn’t want the US involved at all. Do you think the US would have gone to war if the Japanese had not attacked?  
• When President Jefferson sent Lewis & Clark into Western America, he believed they would find wondrous creatures like wooly mammoths. They didn’t, of course, but what if they had? Write a “lost journal entry” from Lewis & Clark’s journals in which you discover a wooly mammoth.  
• “History is written by the winners.” What do you think this statement means? Do you agree?  
• When do you think was the best time to be alive? Why?  
• Many people imagine Adolf Hitler was always considered an evil man, but 43% of German people voted for him during his first run for president and was Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 1938. What do you think we can learn from the fact that Hitler was so popular and yet so evil at the same time?  
• Do you think you can learn more from non-fiction books like The Diary of Anne Frank or from fictional stories about the same time period like Number the Stars or The Book Thief ? Explain.  
• What one person from history would you like to meet? What three questions would you ask that person?  
• If people in the 1930s had YouTube, what do you think they’d be posting videos of?  
• Often visiting historical sites like the pyramids or the Eiffel Tower is boring. Reality isn’t as exciting as what you’ve seen in the movies. Write about a famous historical site, but write about it in a context that makes it more interesting and exciting. For example, a bank robber who tries to escape the police by hiding inside the Great Pyramid.   
• What if the Chinese had “discovered” America before Europeans? Write about how the history of the “New World” would be different.  
• What if the Allies had lost World War II? How would America be different if it were under the control of the Germans and Japanese?   
• Imagine that you have been hired to record what is happening in your town so that people 100 years from now will know all about it. What would you take pictures of? Who would you interview? What would you ask them about? What would you write down for the history books?  
• Imagine that you’ve traveled back in time 500 years. Your mission is to make life better for people in the past, but you can’t bring anything with you. Can you accomplish your mission? Can you explain how anything in our modern world works so that people 500 years ago can benefit?  
• If you had to describe your town as a person, how would you describe it? What gender would it be? What personality would it have? Would it be young or old?   
• Imagine an archeologist 1,000 years from now digging up your house and discovering your bedroom. Pick three objects they would find. What do you think they would make of those objects? How might they misinterpret what they find?  
• How much of your history is determined by where you live? Imagine how the history of you and your family would be different if you lived in China, or South Africa, or Brazil. How does geography and culture shape your world?  
• As cultures and attitudes change, so do our views on figures from the past. What do you think should be done about different holidays, memorials, streets, parks and other things named after historical figures who held views we no longer agree with?  
• Many cities still have monuments and statues to Confederate generals. What do you think should be done with these monuments? Should they be left standing or removed?   
• Some people believe everyone should visit the concentration camps of World War II to gain a better understanding of the horrors that happened there. Others feel the camps should be forgotten, that visiting them is like slowing down to view a car wreck. What do you think?  
• In Philadelphia, a man once found an original copy of the Declaration of Independence behind a painting he had purchased for $4. Imagine your own story of discovering a famous object from history. What object do you discover? Where did you find it? What do you do with it?  
• In ancient times, the Greek historian Herodotus made a list of the Seven Wonders of the World, which included the Great Pyramid at Giza, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Make your own list of 7 Wonders of Today’s World. What makes your list?  
• Cities often build monuments to remember major events from history. If you were the mayor of your town, what monument or statue would you build in your city, and what historical event would it commemorate?  
• The Declaration of Independence speaks of unalienable rights , those rights that should not ever be taken away. Should recess be an unalienable right? As a student, what rights do you think your teacher should be able to take away, and what rights do you think should be unalienable?  
• In The True Story of the Three Little Pigs , Jon Scieszka retells the classic tale from the point of view of the Big Bad Wolf, giving us a new perspective. Pick a villain from history and retell their story from their point of view.   
• Thomas Edison is often thought to be the inventor of the lightbulb, but other scientists and engineers invented variations on the light bulb before him. Why do you think history often attributes discoveries to one individual, even when a discovery is the result of the work of many different people?  
• Napoleon once said: “History is a fable agreed upon.” What do you think he meant? Do you agree?  

50 Movie Writing Prompts for Middle School

• Popcorn is the most commonly sold item at movie theaters. But in certain parts of the country, other foods are also popular. Giant pickles, for example, are sold in theaters in the Southwest. What do you think is the ideal food for watching movies at the theater?  
• Imagine you can keep only Disney movie. All the others must be lost to history. What movie would you keep and why?  
• What is the best way to watch a movie? In a theater? On your phone? On your TV at home? Explain your answer.  
• Who is the greatest movie villain of all time? Explain.  
• Should kids be allowed to see rated R movies? Why or why not?  
• What movie terrified you when you were younger? Why?  
• List your three favorite movies. What do you like about them?  
• Take a character from one of your favorite movies and place them into a different film. For example, take Spiderman and place him into Jurassic Park . Write about what happens in your mashup.  
• What is your favorite genre of movie (comedy, action, science-fiction, horror, etc.)? Why do you enjoy those kinds of movies so much?  
• Who is the greatest movie hero of all time? Explain.   
• What makes a movie successful? Is it the director? The actors? The screenplay? The special effects? Explain your answer.  
• Who is the greatest actor or actress of all time? Defend your answer.  
• Many actors get typecast , meaning they are given the same sort of role over and over again. Clint Eastwood played in dozens of westerns. Jamie Lee Curtis played in many horror movies. If you had to be typecast, what type of movie would you want to act in?  
• You are invited to watch a movie at the White House with the President, and you get to pick the movie! What movie would you pick and why?  
• Do you prefer movies or television shows? Why?  
• Many child actors have success early on and then struggle greatly with drugs, alcohol and depression as they get older. Do you think children should be allowed to act in movies given that it may wreck their lives?  
• What is the worst movie you’ve ever seen? Why was it so bad?  
• Certain actors become so famous for a particular role (Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, Daniel Craig as James Bond), that everyone in the world knows who they are. Would you want to have that kind of fame? Write about how your life would be different if you were that famous.  
• Have you ever watched a movie with subtitles? What did you think? Did it change your enjoyment of the movie?  
• When a new television show comes out, do you prefer to be able to binge watch the entire season? Or is it better for the season to come out one episode every week?   
• Hollywood is constantly remaking old movies, even movies that were great the first time around. Do you think great movies should be remade, or do you think that they should be left alone since they’re already amazing? Explain.   
• How do you choose what movie to watch? What is it that catches your eye and makes you pick a particular movie?  
• Are actors and actresses paid too much money? Is it right for anyone to make $20 million just to star in a movie? Explain your answer.  
• Would you rather be an actor or a director? Explain.  
• What do you think of the Academy Awards? Do you think the Academy usually gets their picks for Best Picture, Best Actor, etc right? Or do you think the Academy is usually wrong? Explain.  
• Did Disney ruin Star Wars ? Defend your answer.  
• It is now common for directors to go back and alter different things in their movies or shows, sometimes to improve them but other times because people on social media get upset about something in the movie they don’t like. Do you think directors should be allowed to change their movie/show after it has been released? Why or why not?  
• Have you ever gone to a theater and seen a movie alone? Would you? Why or why not?  
• You can get rid of one genre of movie forever (comic book movies, horror movies, romantic comedies, etc.). What genre do you do away with and why?  
• Pick one book that you think should be turned into a movie. Who would you cast in the main roles? Why would it make a good movie?  
• Can a movie still be a great movie if it has a bad ending? Why or why not?  
• Name a movie that everybody loves but that you hate. Why do you not like it? Why do you think everyone else is wrong?  
• What is the very first movie you remember seeing? Did you enjoy it? What do you think of that movie now?  
• Imagine that you are tasked with re-thinking the movie rating system (G, PG, PG-13, R). How would you recreate the current system? Where would you make the cutoffs? Explain.   
• If you could remake any movie and put yourself in the starring role, what movie would you remake? What role would you play? Explain.   
• Many people think very young children shouldn’t be allowed to watch movies or television. When do you think children should be allowed to start watching movies? Explain.  
• Does seeing violence in movies lead to violence in real life? Defend you answer.  
• Imagine you are given a chance to pitch a movie idea to a major Hollywood studio. What’s your pitch? What movie would you want them to make?  
• Imagine Hollywood is going to make a movie of your life. Who would you want to star as you in the movie? Explain.   
• Have you ever been to a drive-in theater? How was it different from watching a movie at an indoor theater? Did you enjoy the experience?  
• In the past, some horror movies claimed that they were so scary that people ran out of the theater screaming in terror or fainted dead away in their seats. Do you think these stories were true? Or do you think they were just good marketing to make the movie sound more scary?  
• Do you think Hollywood should keep making more movies in a successful franchise even if the movies aren’t very good (Lord of the Rings, Marvel comics, Star Wars)? Or should Hollywood move on and make something totally new? Explain.  
• Imagine that you’re tasked with selecting the next actor to play James Bond. Who would you choose? Why?  
• Which are better: live action movies or animated movies? Defend your answer.  
• People often decide whether to watch a movie or not based on user reviews on rating sites like IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes. Do you use these ratings to decide what to watch? What are the advantages and disadvantages to letting anyone leave a rating and review?  
• Are movies better now than movies made in the past? Explain your answer.  
• Are there movies your parents watched when they were kids that they have had you watch too? What did you think of those movies?  
• Are there any movies you watch every year as a tradition ( Groundhog’s Day on Groundhog’s Day, A Christmas Carol on Christmas, etc.)? If so, what movies and why do you watch them every year?  
• What is your favorite documentary film? What is it about? Why do you like it? 
• “The book is always better than the movie.” Give an example of a movie you think is better than the book. Explain why you think so.   

50 Opinion Writing Prompts for Middle School

• Write a letter to your parents explaining why, in your opinion, you should be their favorite child.  
• How would you describe the difference between an opinion and a fact?  
• Imagine you have the power to outlaw either chocolate or vanilla ice cream. Which flavor do you keep, and which do you outlaw? Explain your choice.  
• Should girls be allowed to play on boy teams and vice versa? Defend your answer.   
• Should teachers assign homework? Why or why not?  
• Take the Other Side: Argue for why you should be allowed to drop out of school.   
• Can wishes come true?  
• Should you be required to obey your parents? Why or why not?  
• Are boys and girls really all that different from one another? Explain.   
• If a kid skips school enough, eventually their parents will end up in trouble with the law. Is that fair? Should the parents be held responsible for what their kid does?  
• Should kids your age have an assigned bedtime or be allowed to stay up as late as they like? Defend your answer.  
• If a student doesn’t get good grades, should they be held back a year or allowed to move on? Explain.  
• “The truth will set you free.” Does it really? What do you think? Is it better to always tell the truth?  
• What are five places you believe everyone should visit at least once? Explain your choices.  
• Is distance learning a good substitute for in-class education? Why or why not? 
• Take the Other Side: Argue for why kids should be allowed to smoke.   
• Should kids your age have their own phones? Why or why not? At what age should a child be allowed to have a phone? 
• Should parents be allowed to “spy” on what their kids do online in order to keep them safe? Explain your answer.  
• Would you be okay with going to school for an extra hour every day if it meant you would receive a better education? Why or why not?  
• Should all schools have uniforms? Defend your answer.  
• Should smoking be illegal? Or should people be allowed to do things that may end up killing them?   
• Take the Other Side: Gossiping about people behind their back is perfectly alright. 
• Should shoppers be required to bring their own grocery bags? Why or why not?  
• Girls or boys: who has it harder? Explain.   
• Technology makes kids lazy. Do you agree or disagree? Explain.   
• Imagine you find $100 in the school parking lot. Finders keepers? Or should you turn it in? Defend your answer.  
• Pick a season and explain why it’s the best season of all.   
• Kids should be limited to only a few hours of screen time each day so that their brains will develop properly. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer.  
• Every kid should be required to learn cursive. Agree or disagree? Explain your answer.  
• Take the Other Side: Argue for why cheating on a test should be allowed.  
• Pick your favorite athlete. Why are they the best in their sport? Defend your answer.   
• How old should a kid be before they are allowed to date? Explain.  
• At what age should a kid be allowed to wear makeup? Explain.   
• Kids shouldn’t have to do homework if they don’t want to. Agree or disagree? Defend your answer.  
• Should someone in middle school be allowed to date someone in high school? Why or why not?  
• Take the Other Side: Argue for why the movie is always better than the book.  
• Should all the zoos be shut down and their animals let free? Why or why not? Explain.   
• Aliens exist and we have been visited by them many times. Agree or disagree? Explain.   
• Should kids be allowed to play video games or should they be banned for kids altogether? Defend your answer.  
• Money can buy happiness. True or false? Explain.  
• What modern musical artist will people still be listening to 50 years from now? Defend your answer.  
• Is it ever okay to ban books? Why or why not? Explain.  
• Every student should be required to participate in PE and sports. Agree or disagree? Explain.  
• Should students be allowed to bring homemade cakes or cupcakes to class to celebrate their birthday? Why or why not?  
• Should kids be allowed to go trick or treating on their own without their parents? Why or why not?  
• At what age should someone be allowed to get a tattoo? Explain.   
• Should cookie have nuts in them? Why or why not? Defend your answer.  
• At what age should someone be allowed to have a baby? Explain. 
• Should students be forced to memorize poetry? Why or why not? Explain.
• Santa Claus: fun and harmless or vicious lie? What do you think? Explain your answer. 

50 Poetry Writing Prompts for Middle School

• Imagine you are a balloon a child accidentally let go of at a birthday party. Write a poem about being released and floating away.  
• Write a poem about the worst nightmare you ever had.  
• Write a poem from the perspective of the very last dinosaur that has survived extinction for millions of years and has never been found by mankind.  
• Write a poem about a time you were disappointed by a birthday present.   
• Write a poem from the perspective of the Wicked Witch of the East from The Wizard of Oz about how you got hit and killed by Dorothy’s house.  
• Write a limerick about waiting for the bell to ring on Friday afternoon.   
• Write a narrative poem about the street you live on.   
• Imagine you won the lottery. You’re rich! Write a poem about how all that money ruined your life.  
• Write a rhymed poem about the worst meal you ever ate.  
• Imagine you could get rid of your brother or sister by selling them at an auction. Write a poem about auctioning them off to the highest bidder.  
• Write a poem about a dog falling in love with a cat.   
• Think about what makes you feel sad. Imagine you are a doctor prescribing what will make you feel happy again, and write your prescription in the form of a poem.  
• If you could change your name, what name would you pick? Write an acrostic poem using the name you selected.  
• Write a haiku about the end of the world.   
• Imagine that you have been selected to come up with a new national holiday. Write a poem about this new holiday and what it celebrates.  
• Write a poem about the sinking of the Titanic.   
• Write a rhyming poem about waking up Christmas morning and discovering that there are no presents under the tree.  
• Pick a sibling. Write an acrostic poem using their name.  
• Write a haiku about the smell of breakfast waking you up in the morning.  
• Write a poem about the most annoying sound in the whole world.  
• Write a poem from the perspective of the Moon. What was it like the first time someone landed on your surface? How does it feel to be cold and empty?   
• Write a poem from the perspective of a flower. How does it feel the day someone finally comes and picks you?  
• Write a limerick about the loudest fart ever heard.  
• Write a poem from the perspective of a fish studying a lure in the water. Do you take the bait or pass? What happens if you get caught?  
• Imagine you discover a secret passageway in your house. Where does it lead? Write a poem about exploring this hidden passage.  
• Write a poem about a flood sweeping your house away.  
• Write a poem about why you should never fall in love.  
• Imagine you are a baseball. You just got hit for a homerun to win the World Series. Write a poem about how it feels to get smacked over the fence to win the series.  
• Write a rhyming poem about getting lost in the woods.   
• Write a poem from the perspective of a snowman melting on a warm winter day.  
• Imagine you’re an old pair of shoes. Your owner brings home a brand new pair of shoes. Write a poem about how you feel and what happens next.  
• Write a poem from the perspective of Haley’s Comet as it passes by Earth.  
• Write a poem about a fight you had with your best friend.   
• Write a poem about moving to a new home.   
• Write a poem from the perspective of an abandoned shopping mall. What is it like now that everyone is gone?  
• Write a poem about your favorite movie theater.  
• Imagine Hollywood has decided to make a reality television show about your life and overnight you become a famous star. Write a poem about how your life has changed.  
• Write a poem about Halloween night.  
• Imagine you have an evil twin. Write a poem about all the wicked things your evil twin does and how hard life is because everyone believes these things are done by you.  
• Write a poem from the perspective of your hands, but without using the word hand .   
• Write a poem about a lost toy.   
• Imagine you come to class and you have a new teacher. She is literally a monster and says she will eat anyone who gets out of line. Write a poem about what happens next.  
• Imagine the internet suddenly dies and all the computers stop working. Write a poem about what happens next.  
• Write a poem about the worst thing you’ve ever tasted.  
• Imagine you’re Death and have come to take an old woman who has lived a good life. Write a poem about this final encounter.  
• Write a poem about an Elf on the Shelf who comes to life and causes all sorts of mischief.  
• Write a poem from the perspective of a book that has been banned from your school library.  
• A drought has caused the water levels to fall in the lake/river/sea near your home, causing all the old items lost in the water of the years to be revealed. Write a poem about the objects that can now be found and recovered.  
• Write a poem from the perspective of a Christmas tree on Christmas morning.
• Write a poem from the perspective of a pumpkin being carved for Halloween.  

30 Procedural Writing Prompts for Middle School

• Explain the steps for teaching a puppy new tricks.  
• Imagine you once escaped from prison and are now writing a letter to a friend of yours who is in your old cell. Explain step by step how they can escape as well.  
• How do you build the perfect snowman?  
• Explain the steps for how to apologize when you’ve hurt your friend’s feelings.  
• Write the process for shooting the perfect jump shot.  
• What are the steps for making a new friend?  
• Imagine that you are a bull rider performing at a rodeo. Explain the steps for riding the bull and staying on as long as you can.  
• Explain how to whistle.   
• What is the perfect way to spend a Saturday? Explain the order of your days from when you wake up to when you go to bed again.  
• How do you do the perfect dive?  
• Imagine you’re taking a road trip across the country. What are the steps for preparing your car for the trip? Think about what you will bring with you and how you will know where to go.  
• Explain the precise steps for carving a pumpkin.  
• Explain the steps for pitching a tent.  
• Imagine you’re going skydiving with someone who has never been in an airplane before and is terrified of heights. Explain to them how you will jump out of the plane and survive.  
• Explain the process for tying your shoes.  
• Imagine you’re planning a bank robbery and have to explain to your fellow robbers exactly how you will all escape without getting caught. Write down your precise getaway plans.  
• What is the best way to eat a pie? Explain the steps from removing it from the oven to the final burp.  
• Explain how to properly wash and dry your hair.  
• What is the procedure for packing your suitcase for a long vacation?  
• Imagine that your city is flooding due to a massive storm. Explain the steps you need to take to secure your house and protect it from the rising water.   
• Step by step, explain how you clean your room.  
• What is the procedure for tying a stem into a knot with your tongue?  
• Imagine that you are a general in charge of storming a medieval castle. Explain the steps your army will take to lay siege to the castle and win the battle.  
• Explain step by step how you draw a self-portrait.  
• Explain step by step how to live a good life. School, job, marriage, kids, etc. What order and at what age should these events happen to live a good life?  
• What is the procedure for convincing a stray dog to come to you so you can help it find its way home?  
• What are the steps for changing the world?  
• Imagine you are performing in a circus. Pick an act that you will star in and explain the steps for performing your act.  
• What is the proper way to make the perfect bowl of popcorn? 
• Explain the steps for making your parents happy. 

53 Relationship Writing Prompts for Middle School

• What does romance mean to you?  
• Should boys ask girls to dances or the other way around? Explain.  
• How do you say you’re sorry when you’ve hurt someone’s feelings?  
• What is the difference between hearing and listening?  
• Do you hold a grudge when your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner hurts you in some way? Why or why not?  
• What are the qualities that make you a good romantic partner?  
• How do you know your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner is reliable?  
• At what age do you think you should be allowed to start dating?  
• How do you know when you are ready to have sex with someone?  
• Describe your first kiss. Was it what you imagined it would be? Why or why not?  
• How are romantic relationships at your school different from the way they are portrayed in movies and television?  
• What are the top three qualities you would look for in a boyfriend/girlfriend/partner? Explain.  
• What are the biggest challenges in having a romantic relationship?  
• Do you believe in love at first sight? Why or why not?  
• Do you think your classmates make too big a deal about romantic relationships in middle school? Why or why not?  
• How do you know your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner respects you?  
• Should you only date people that your parents approve of? Why or why not?  
• Should schools do a better job of preparing students for having relationships and having sex? Explain.  
• Where is the best place to get information about relationships and sex?   
• Describe your perfect boyfriend/girlfriend/partner. What do they look like? What is their personality like? What do you two do together?  
• Should romantic partners ever fight? Why or why not? What does it mean if they do?  
• Valentine’s Day: romantic holiday or marketing scam?  
• How should a middle school couple celebrate their anniversary?  
• Should boys hold open doors for girls? Or is this just sexist? Explain your answer.  
• Should students be allowed to date someone older or younger than themselves? Why or why not?  
• “All is fair in love and war.” Agree or disagree? Explain.  
• What scares you the most about having a romantic relationship?  
• Do you think romantic relationships get better in high school? Why or why not?  
• What does it mean to be committed to your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner?  
• How do you know when you want to marry your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner?  
• Do you and your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner laugh a lot together? What makes you laugh?  
• Does it matter who says “I love you” first? Why or why not?  
• What do you think the opposite sex really wants in a romantic relationship? Explain.  
• Do you feel pressured to start dating? Why or why not?  
• What do you friends think of your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner? Do you agree with them? Explain.  
• How do you know when it’s time to break up with your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner?  
• Is it okay to never date in middle school and high school? Why or why not?  
• What are the disadvantages of having a boyfriend/girlfriend/partner? Explain.  
• Should parents be allowed to choose your romantic partners for you? Why or why not?  
• Is love logical? If it’s not, should you pay attention to it and follow it? Explain.  
• In what ways can a boyfriend/girlfriend/partner make you a better person?  
• Many people say that romantic partners should be “equals”. Do you think this is actually possible, that two people can be equals? Why or why not?  
• What would you do if your close friend was dating someone you didn’t think was good for them?  
• Do you think couples should have secrets? Why or why not?  
• How do you establish boundaries in a romantic relationship?  
• What have you learned about romantic relationships from watching how your parents interact?  
• How are romantic relationships today different from those in the past?  
• Do you think romantic relationships today have benefited from cell phones and technology or not? Explain.  
• Is it okay to ask someone out by text? Why or why not?  
• Are middle school romantic relationships doomed to fail? Why or why not?  
• What would you do on your “perfect” date?  
• Who should pay for things on a date?  
• “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” Do you agree? Why or why not?

50 Research Writing Prompts for Middle School

• Research the history of Christmas. Was Christmas always the holiday we know now? When did people begin celebrating Christmas the way we do today? How has the Christmas holiday changed over time?  
• Research the history of the circus. Who invented the first circuses? What kinds of attractions did they have? How did circuses become popular? What circuses still survive today?  
• What is a food desert? How do they affect families living within them? What can be done about food deserts?  
• Research a job or profession that no longer exists. Who performed that job in the past? Was it a good job or not? Why is that particular job no longer around anymore? Which jobs exist today will eventually disappear?  
• What did people use before GPS and Google Maps? Research how ancient people developed maps and learned to navigate by the stars.   
• What are some of the scariest places in your state? Research one of them and write about its history. What happened there that makes it so scary? Do you think the stories about this place are real or just made up?  
• Many people mistakenly believed that the Egyptian pyramids were created by slaves. New evidence suggests they were created by well-paid laborers. Research how the pyramids of Egypt were created. Who made them? Why? Why have they lasted so long?  
• Research the history of shoelaces. When were shoelaces first invented? What were shoelaces originally made from? How many different ways to tie shoelaces are there?  
• “The greatest invention since sliced bread.” Pick an invention. Write about how it was invented, who contributed to it, and how it changed the world.  
• Pick your favorite sport. Research how your sport was originally created. Who was responsible for inventing the rules? How did your sport come to be widely accepted? How were its professional leagues formed? How many people participate in it today?  
• What was the worst war in the 20 th Century? Write about why a particular war was the worst. How did this war start? Why and when did it finally end?  
• How do plants communicate? Research how plants have evolved to communicate with each other. How does this compare with human communication? Are plants really “unthinking” or are they more complicated than you thought?  
• Research the history of the Supreme Court. How was it formed? What is its role in the US government? How are justices appointed? How does the Supreme Court operate on a daily basis?  
• Pick a major city in a foreign country. Write about how that city was founded and what that city is known for today. If you visited that city, what would you go see? Who are famous people from that city?  
• Pick a particular natural disaster from history (hurricane, volcanic eruption, earthquakes, etc.) and write about what happened on that day. What were the effects of that disaster? Could the damage have been lessened if certain steps were taken?  
• Research the history of the cigarette. Why was it developed? Why is smoking so deadly? Has the tobacco industry always known about the dangers of smoking? How has vaping changed the industry? How many young people smoke?  
• Research how the different planets in our solar system were discovered. Who made the discoveries and how did they know the planets were there? Do you think there are more planets out there in our solar system waiting to be discovered?  
• Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among young people. Research why teens commit suicide. What are the signs someone is thinking about suicide? How can suicide be prevented?  
• Research the history of the video game. When were video games first invented? What were the earliest video games? How did video games develop over time? What are the most popular video games of all time?  
• Pick an author that you enjoy. Write about where they came from, what books they write, and why they became an author. Would you recommend their work to your classmates?  
• Christopher Columbus was once credited with “discovering” the Americas, but many other explorers had landed in the Americas before him. Write about the history of discovery in America. What cultures landed in the Americas before Columbus?  
• Research the history of the White House. How was it designed? What rooms are within it? How does it operate on a daily basis?  
• Are we alone in the universe? Research how scientists have searched for life outside of Earth. What are different groups doing now to look for signs of intelligent life beyond our solar system? Do you think they will ever find any?  
• Homelessness remains a huge problem in America. Research the different reasons people become homeless. What solutions are there for addressing homelessness?   
• What were the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World? Research how this ancient list was made, and then select one of the wonders to write about. When was your Wonder created? Where was it located? What happened to it?  
• Select an astronaut. Research their life and how they became an astronaut. What was their childhood like? What kind of missions have they done as an astronaut?   
• Research the history of school lunches. Why were lunches first served in schools? What kinds of foods have been served over the decades? Are school lunches healthy? How have they changed over time?  
• Research the history of your state. When was it founded? Why did it become a state? Who are some of the famous people from your state? What is your state known for?  
• One of the most massive floods we have evidence for happened during the last Ice Age at Glacial Lake Missoula. Research these floods and write about why they happened. How much water was involved? What would the floods have looked like? Where did all the water go?   
• Research the history of the dictionary. Why were dictionaries first created? Who created them? What effect did compiling a dictionary have on the English language?
• Why do we keep dogs as pets? Research the history of dogs. Where do they come from? Why did humans start keeping them as pets? What kinds of jobs have dogs performed over the years? What is your favorite breed of dog?  
• Research the history of gargoyles. When did people first start putting gargoyles on buildings? Why are so gargoyles monstrous? What purpose do gargoyles serve?  
• Where does chocolate come from? Research the history of chocolate. Where is it grown? Who originally discovered chocolate? Has it always been used in candies and deserts? How much chocolate is consumed every year?  
• Research Halloween. Has Halloween always been celebrated the way it is today? When did people begin celebrating Halloween as they do now? How has the celebration of Halloween changed over time?   
• How did we find the Titanic? Research the history of the search for the wreck of the Titanic. How long did it take to find? Who found it? How did they find it? What did they discover when they finally found the wreck?  
• Research the history of the ice cream truck. Why were ice cream trucks invented? Who drove the first ice cream trucks? Why do ice cream trucks play the kind of music they do? How many ice cream trucks are still around today?  
• Research the history of tattoos. When did people first begin tattooing themselves? What different kinds of tattoos have people created in different cultures? How does someone become a tattoo artist today? If you got a tattoo, what would you get?  
• Research the history of comic books in America. How popular are they? Why were they censored in the 1950s? Is reading comics the same as reading books?  
• The only successful skyjacking in American history happened in 1971. A man later called DB Cooper hijacked a Boeing 727, held it for ransom and escaped by diving out of the plane. Research the history of this caper and the speculations about what happened to DB Cooper.  
• Research the history of the Christmas tree. When did people begin using trees as Christmas decorations? Were Christmas trees always decorated the way they are now? What kinds of trees were used in the past?   
• Pick your favorite candy bar and research its history. When was it first invented? Has it ever changed over time? How many are sold every year?   
• Research the history of dragons. When were dragons first created? In what cultures did dragons first appear? Have dragons always had the same characteristics (fire-breathing, hoarding gold, etc.)? How have dragons changed over time?  
• Bullying remains a problem in schools. Research the various ways schools and communities can combat bullying. Which ideas do you think would be the most effective?  
• Research the history of money in the United States. What was the first money printed by the US government? How has money changed over the years? What is paper money made of? How is it decided what will be on the coins and bills? How much money is in circulation?  
• Who invented the electric guitar? Research the history of the electric guitar and how it changed modern music. Why was it invented at all? Was it popular right at the beginning? How many kinds of electric guitars are there?  
• Research the history of reading. When did people first begin to read silently? When did literacy become widespread enough for most people to own and read books? How did the spread of literacy change the world?  
• Research the history of the playground. When were playgrounds invented? What kinds of toys were used in the first playgrounds? When were playgrounds included at schools? How have playgrounds changed over time?  
• Research the history of pirates. Who were the first pirates? Who were some of the most famous pirates? What was the difference between a pirate and a privateer? How many pirate treasures are still out there to be discovered?  
• Research the history of the pencil. Who invented the pencil? When was it first invented? Where pencils always made of wood and graphite? How many pencils are made every year?  
• Research the history of the crayon. When were crayons first invented? Why? Who made them? How are crayons made? How many crayons are sold every year? How many crayon colors are there?

50 School Writing Prompts for Middle School

• Imagine you’ve been made principal for the day and can change three things about your school. What three things would you change and why?
• Imagine you find an old letter tucked inside a library book. The letter reveals that there is a hidden passageway somewhere at your school. Write about your search for the passageway and where it leads. 
• What is the worst part about school? Is there any way it could be improved? Explain.
• Should students be required to share a locker with a classmate? Why or why not?
• Spirit Week: good fun or totally stupid? Defend your answer.
• Do you think teachers should have a seating chart? Or should students be allowed to sit wherever they like? Explain.
• Imagine you have been chosen to host a foreign exchange student who has never been to America. Write a letter to your new guest explaining how to succeed at your school.
• If you could add any extra-curricular activity to your school, what would it be and why?
• Should tests include more multiple choice questions or more short answer questions? Explain.
• Should students be required to lead parent/teacher conferences? Or should teachers have to lead them instead? Explain.
• What is the difference between a good teacher and a great teacher?
• What is the biggest problem facing your school right now? What are possible solutions to that problem?
• What is one thing you wish your teacher understood about you?
• Imagine that no one can raise their hands ever again. What would you replace hand-raising with so that students can respectfully get the attention of their teacher?
• You are in charge of replacing the school lunch menu. You can select three restaurants to provide new menu items. What three restaurants do you choose and why?
• Should the number of students per class be increased or decreased? What is the ideal number of students in a single class? Defend your answer.
• Imagine one day at school you are allowed to create a rule for students to follow. Explain the rule you create and why you choose to make that rule.
• Sitting in the back row or sitting in the front row: which is better? Defend your answer.
• Imagine that you have been given the job of driving a school bus to school every morning. How will you keep order on your bus? What rules will you have? How will you enforce them?
• What is the point of education? Why does it matter? Explain.
• Should education be entirely directed to getting a job after school? Or should school teach you things that may not apply to a job but that enrich your mind? Defend your answer.
• You can do away with one subject at school so that it is never taught again. What subject do you get rid of and why?
• Should students be allowed to skip grade levels? Why or why not?
• Should students be held back if they cannot meet basic standards in their classes? Why or why not?
• Should teachers be allowed to assign homework to student athletes on game days? Why or why not?
• You can invite one famous person to come to your school. Who would you invite and why?
• Write a letter to the President of the United States. Explain the problems facing your school. What three things would you ask that the President do to address these problems?
• The best athlete at school or the student with the highest grades: which would you rather be? Explain.
• Imagine you are going to run for school president. Write a speech to convince your fellow classmates that they should vote for you.
• Do you think students should be allowed to choose their teachers? Why or why not?
• Would you rather start the school day earlier (and get out earlier) or start the day later (but have to stay later)? Explain.
• Is recess necessary? Why or why not?
• Where do fifth graders belong? In elementary school or in middle school? Explain.
• Where do eighth graders belong? In middle school or in high school? Explain.
• Should students be allowed to take mental health days and stay home from school? Why or why not?
• Should schools be allowed to celebrate holidays? Or should they not acknowledge them at all because they might offend some students?
• Do you feel safe at school? Why or why not?
• Should teachers be allowed to assign what books you read? Or should you always be allowed to pick whatever book you want? Defend your answer.
• Is it important to learn more advanced mathematics like algebra and geometry if you’re not ever going to use them? Why or why not?
• Should students be required to take exercise/workout/yoga classes? Why or why not?
• Should students be required to take classes in basic life skills like cooking, how to change a car tire, how to write a resume, etc.? Explain. 
• Your teacher gives you a camera and asks you to take pictures of three things you like at school. What would you take pictures of and why?  
• Is Monday through Friday really the best school schedule? Why or why not? If not, what schedule would be better?
• What does it mean to have school spirit? Is school spirit important? Explain.
• You are in charge of organizing a film festival at your school. You can pick three movies to show to all the students and teachers. What three movies would you show and why?
• Public school or homeschool: who gets a better education? Defend your answer.
• If you could repeat one grade level because you enjoyed it so much, which grade level would you choose and why?
• If you could add any sport to your school for students to compete in, what would you add and why?
• Should students have a say in the dress code? Why or why not?
• Get rid of lunch (you can eat at your desk in class) or get rid of recess? Pick and defend your answer. 

38 Science Writing Prompts for Middle School

• Is artificial intelligence going to take over the world? Why or why not? If it does, will life be better or worse? Explain. 
• Imagine there is no longer any gravity on Earth. Write about a day in your life without it.  
• Has technology really improved the world? Or has it simply changed the way things are done (cooking in a stove instead of over a fire, for example) but not really made it any better? Defend your answer. 
• What technological advancement do you think the world would be better off without? Defend your answer. 
• Imagine you are tasked with naming the Moon. What would you name it and why? 
• Self-driving cars are the way of the future. But self-driving cars will put millions of delivery drivers, truckers and taxi drivers out of work. Should companies be allowed to create new technology that ends so many jobs? Defend your answer. 
• If you had to lose one of your five senses, which one would you give up and why? 
• Imagine that you could create a magnet that would attract something other than metal. What would you want your magnet to attract? Explain. 
• If you were an astronaut, would you rather go to the Moon or go to Mars? 
• If you could invent an app to improve people’s lives, what would you invent and why? 
• How do you know the world we live in is real? Can you prove that we are not all part of a massive computer simulation? Explain. 
• Would you rather have the ability to transform into a liquid or a gas? Explain. 
• Should people be allowed to clone themselves? Why or why not? 
• Some people believe we will one day be able to upload our consciousness into a computer and then download it thousands of years later into new bodies so that we can live forever. Do you think this is a good idea? Why or why not? 
• If you could have a robot that did everything for you, would you want one? Why or why not? 
• You can watch one event: the beginning of the universe or the end of the universe. Which do you choose? Explain. 
• What do you think happens if you travel into a black hole? 
• Until a word is invented for a particular color, people literally cannot see it. For example, ancient people could not see blue until the Egyptians invented blue dye and the word blue entered ancient languages to describe it. Until then, the sky and the ocean were seen as shades of black and green, not blue. Why do you think this happens? 
• If you scream in space, can anyone hear it? Why or why not?  
• Imagine you traveled to Mars and planted a tree. Do you think the tree would look the same as it does on Earth? Why or why not? 
• What do you think would happen if every spider on Earth disappeared tomorrow? 
• How would you go about your day if electricity had never been discovered? 
• Do you think scientists will eventually create a pill that will make people lose weight without any effort? Why or why not? 
• What are some things that science cannot help us understand? 
• You can make one discovery: the cure for cancer or a device that will reverse global warming. Which do you choose and why? 
• Science has often resulted in unintended consequences. For example, Einstein’s discovery of the Theory of Relativity led to the creation of the atomic bomb. What inventions or discoveries happening today might lead to unintended consequences in the future? 
• If you could live in a virtual reality world like in the movie Ready Player One , would you want to? Why or why not? 
• What one invention would you most want to make? What would your invention do? How would it help people and society? 
•  We spend billions of dollars to learn about things like distant galaxies and the structure of atoms. Should we spend so much on these things when we haven’t solved more immediate problems like world hunger or the cure for cancer? Why or why not? 
• Should recycling be required for families, schools and communities? Why or why not? 
• Do you think there is intelligent life out there on other planets? Why or why not? If yes, do you think we should try and contact them? 
• Should you be allowed to own your DNA? Or should companies be allowed to use samples of your DNA to create medicines and cures without your consent? Explain. 
• Should students be required to learn how to write computer code? Why or why not? 
• A thousand years from now, what do you think scientists will find left over from our civilization? What will they think about us? 
• What aspect of science excites you the most (space exploration, biology, computer coding, chemistry, etc.)? Explain.
• Do we rely too much on technology? Explain. 
• No species survives forever. They are wiped out by mass extinction events or they die out over time because they can’t adapt. Do you think human beings will be the first species to live forever? Why or why not? 
• Pick one item from your bedroom that scientists 5,000 years from now might discover excavating your house. What would that item tell them about you?

41 Short Stories for Middle School w/Free PDF

41 Short Stories for High School w/Free PDF

[email protected]

Terms & Conditions

Privacy Policy

180+ Pages of Short Story Lesson Plans

6 Fun Writing Activities For Middle School Kids

We’ve rounded up writing activities aimed at middle-school age kids to get them to practice writing and to channel their creativity. Try out a writing activity yourself too!

1. Practice your argumentative writing .

In an argumentative essay, the writer takes a stance on a debatable topic. This stance, and the claims to back it up, is the argument . An argumentative thesis statement allows the writer to take a position about a subject (e.g., the deeper meaning of a literary text, the best policy towards a social problem) and to convince readers of their stance. The body of the argumentative essay uses examples and other evidence to support the writer’s opinion.

For example: Shakespeares’s Taming of the Shrew uses humor, disguise, and social roles to criticize the lack of power women had in Elizabethan England.

Activity 1: Write an argumentative paragraph using these seven argumentative words:

• in conclusion
• for example

Already an expert at argumentative writing? You’ll find 10 alternatives to  in conclusion  here.

Activity 2: Write your own scary campfire story.

Then share it with other students or family. (Bonus: turn off the lights and use a flashlight while you read it!)

To learn how to write a great scary story, read this article !

2. Write about careers.

First, watch a video on unique careers you may have never heard of. Then watch another video specifically about people who write the definitions in a dictionary: lexicographers .

• Video 1: Did You Know The Names Of These Unique Careers? [Dictionary.com YouTube]
• Video 2: Did You Know Real People Write The Dictionary? [Dictionary.com YouTube]

Try one of these three activities:

• Write a paragraph about which unique career from the videos above you might like to do when you’re older. Why
• Practice creating your own resume using our template from this article: How Do I Write A Résumé?
• Watch a movie and write down all of the careers the characters in the movie have. Look up the careers in the dictionary if you’re unfamiliar with any of the career terms.

3. Practice taking notes.

Take notes while watching a video.

WATCH: Types Of Hooks

Activity 1: While watching the “Types of Hooks” video, use these guided notes [PDF] to take notes about it. If you don’t have a printer, copy down some of the prompts from the guided notes onto a piece of paper or computer document.

Activity 2: Take notes about the information in this video (using some of the guided notes prompts from above).

• Video: Where Did The Days Of The Week Get Their Names? [Dictionary.com YouTube]

Activity 3: Ask another student or family member about their favorite “ hooks ” in songs. Although a hook in a song may not come at the beginning, this is still what “hooks” the listener in and makes them want more. Listen to a couple of songs together, and see if you all can identify the hook together.

4. Find the main idea.

Find the main idea (or the author’s purpose) in some informational texts. Read these informational texts [PDF] and answer the close reading questions.

Then, complete the graphic organizers (in the link with the informational texts) on the main idea, author’s purpose, and compare/contrast that follow.

Activity 1: Read this article: “Introvert” vs. “Extrovert” . Answer the following close reading questions.

• What is the origin of the word introvert ?
• What does the word extrovert mean?
• Are these two words similar in meaning?
• What do these words typically describe?
• Are you an introvert or an extrovert ?

Activity 2: Watch a fun movie.

After the movie, discuss what you think the main idea and the author’s purpose of the movie was.

Activity 3: Think about your friends or family members and classify them as introverts or extroverts .

Then tell them what you think they are and see if they agree.

5. Practice nonfiction writing.

Activity 1: Respond to one of these prompts:

• The governments of the world have agreed to ban all vehicles and factories that produce air pollution. What is this new world like?
• Imagine you are an aluminum can. Describe your journey from the store to a home to a recycling center from the can’s point of view.
• Write an explanation of the water cycle for a 7-year-old child. Be sure to use simple vocabulary.

For more ideas, check out this page of writing prompts !

Activity 2: Read a nonfiction article or book about an environmental crusader, such as Rachel Carson, Al Gore, or Greta Thunberg .

Look up the meaning of any unfamiliar words on Dictionary.com , then write a report about what you learned.

6. Practice spelling.

Activity 1 : Have you ever wondered why words in English have so many different spelling rules?

• Read this article to find out why .
• Read this article to learn the most commonly misspelled words—and spelling tips for each one .

Consider these discussion or writing prompts:

• Is there a spelling rule that you just don’t agree with? Why?
• Have you or any friends ever sent an auto-correct error in a text?

Activity 2: Look over this article on how spell checking works in our technology .

Go through your text messages together with other students. Find out who has the most misspellings. Was it auto-correct or just a human error?

Watch these videos about typos and share funny stories about auto-correct.

• Video 1: We All Make Typos: What’s Your Worst One? [Dictionary.com YouTube]
• Video 2: What’s The Best Typo You’ve Ever Made? [Dictionary.com YouTube]

Ways To Say

Synonym of the day

• Prodigy Math
• Prodigy English

From our blog

• Is a Premium Membership Worth It?
• Promote a Growth Mindset
• Help Your Child Who's Struggling with Math
• Parent's Guide to Prodigy
• Assessments
• Math Curriculum Coverage
• English Curriculum Coverage
• Game Portal

22 Writing Activities To Help Kids Hone Their Writing Skills

Written by Maria Kampen

Prodigy English is here! Get your students playing — and learning — today.

Fun writing activities

Creative writing activities, academic writing activities, at-home writing activities, daily writing activities, simple writing prompts for kids.

• How writing activities can bring reluctant writers out of their shells

Try some other educational activities

When kids start writing, they’re unlocking a whole new world of imagination to explore. It’s a great way for them to be creative, express themselves and practice key reading and writing skills. 

But as most kids — and adults — will tell you, writing is hard! It can be intimidating to put pen to paper for the first time, and sometimes the challenge of a blank page seems like too much to overcome. 

Writing shouldn’t be scary for kids. These 22 fun writing activities can help them:

• Use their imagination
• Think up new stories and ideas
• Share their writing with friends and family

Use them in your classroom or at home to get kids excited about writing!

Writing is supposed to be fun! Use these activities to help kids stretch their imagination and record their thoughts on paper in a fun, low-stress environment.

1. Try online ELA games like Prodigy English

Great for: Grades 1 to 6

Online games are a great way to engage students in the learning process — and Prodigy English is bringing the power of game-based learning to language and reading skill practice!

As students build and create, they’re always practicing key reading and language skills that help them write clearly and effectively. Every correct answer gives players more energy to gather resources, complete daily tasks and earn Wishcoins.

Plus, you can send questions about the topics you want them to practice and collect insights about their learning.

2. Poetry scavenger hunt

Great for: Middle and high school students

Words are all around us, so encourage your students to take inspiration from the real-life writing they see every day. Have students collect printed words and phrases from the world around them, including:

• Magazine ads
• Graphic novels
• Newspaper headlines
• Social media captions

Students can collect and arrange their words on a piece of paper to make a unique piece of poetry. Encourage them to find a key idea and expand on it in creative ways, then have students share their work with the class. 

3. Create your own comic strip

Great for: Grades 4 to 10

Students learn in all sorts of ways. For visual learners, creating a comic strip to accompany their story can help them express themselves in a visual medium. 

Give students a set number of panels and challenge them to come up with a quick story — just a few sentences. Then, they can illustrate their scene in the style of comic books. 

Remind students the point isn’t to be the best artist — it’s to write a story that’s short and exciting. 

4. Create your own Madlib

Great for: Elementary and middle school students

Give students vocabulary practice and help them write a silly story at the same time!

Fill a sheet with the outline of the story, then remove key words like:

For younger students, add a word bank to get them started. As students fill in words, they’ll craft a unique story filled with unexpected twists and turns.

Once students start getting in the habit of writing, these creative writing activities can pull new ideas out of their heads and encourage them to experiment with different genres. 

5. Acrostics

Great for: Grades 3 to 8

Acrostic poems are a great way to introduce your students to poetry! Start with a meaningful word or name and use it as a theme for the poem. 

Writing the word vertically, students can go down the letters and write a short word or phrase that starts with each letter. Acrostic poems help students write within a structure and theme, so it’s easier for them to get started. 

6. A letter to your future self

Great for: Middle school and high school

Where do your students see themselves in a year? Five years? Ten years?

A letter to their future selves is a great way for students to explore their own story, and brainstorm what they want to achieve. Not only can students practice their letter-writing skills, they can use their imaginations to develop a growth mindset . 

For extra nostalgia, store the letters for students and mail them out once the right amount of time has passed. 

7. Write a “Choose your own adventure” story

Great for: Grades 5 and up

Whether it’s a fairy tale, detective story or drama, chances are you’ve had a student tell you they don’t know how their story is supposed to end. 

A “Choose-your-own-adventure” story lets students brainstorm different storylines and endings. Once they’re done, encourage them to share their stories with the class so their peers can go on the adventure too.

8. Write a fake advertisement

Great for: Grades 6 and up

Good writing doesn’t just happen in books — it’s all around us!

Whether students are writing advertisements on their own or as part of a project-based learning assignment , this activity helps them build key media literacy skills and practice their snappy storytelling. 

Have students make up a new product and advertisement, or encourage them to re-imagine an ad for something they love. It’s also a great way to bring media literacy and interdisciplinary learning to your classroom. 

9. Make a story map

Great for: Grades 2 to 8

Not every student is going to be comfortable putting pen to paper right away. Story maps can help students brainstorm details like plot, characters and setting in a way that makes sense for visual learners. 

Have students use charts to set out the beginning, middle and end of their stories. Mind maps can also help them plot out details about their characters or setting. 

Encourage students to present their story map as a finished product or use it to start writing!

Writing isn’t all fairy tales and short stories — it’s also an important part of learning in middle school, high school and college. Use these academic writing activities to help students understand proper essay structure, grammar and more. 

10. Story chains

Great for: Grades 4 to 8

Stories are better when they’re enjoyed with friends and classmates. And story chains encourage every student to get involved!

Put students in small groups of three to six. Give each student a blank piece of paper and have them write the beginning of a story. Then, pass it to the next student in the group so they can write what happens next. 

For extra educational value, have students work together to summarize a story from your lesson or an important historical event. 

11. Persuasive essays

Sometimes writing is about more than just telling a story. It’s about convincing your readers of your point of view. 

Have older students practice their debate skills with persuasive essays. Start with a prompt, then let students make their case. Some of our favorite prompts for this writing assignment include:

• Is it more important to be right or to not hurt someone else’s feelings?
• What important historical figure do you think belongs on the ten-dollar bill and why?
• Do you think you’re born with your personality traits, or do you gain them as you grow up?

Most importantly, make sure students back up their opinions with solid facts and arguments that convince readers to care. 

12. Solve a real-world problem

Great for: Grade 6 and up

Climate change, litter, bullying, bad cafeteria food — no matter what students pick, there are lots of real-world problems for them to solve. 

Challenge students with a writing assignment that addresses a problem they see in their world. How would they fix it? Whether it’s a short paragraph or a longer essay, encourage them to find something they’re passionate about. After all, that’s where good writing comes from!

13. Vocabulary challenge

Great for: Elementary school students

Vocabulary challenges combine vocabulary strategies with student writing to make your next language arts lesson plan even more engaging. 

Give students a new word (or two or three). Once you’re done practicing it and they know what it means, challenge them to use it in a story as creatively as possible. 

14. Teach citations

Great for: Grades 1 to 12

Footnotes, endnotes and bibliographies are the least exciting part of writing, but they’re essential skills. As students write more complex research papers, they need to know how to give credit where credit is due. Thankfully, there are lots of online resources to help!

The Purdue Online Writing Lab offers teachers and students resources for all stages of the writing process, including citations. To practice, students can write an annotated bibliography as part of a project-based learning assignment or the first step in writing a longer research paper. 

Writing isn’t just something happening in the classroom. These at-home writing ideas can help you support your child as they experiment with prose and poetry.

15. Write letters to a pen pal

Great for: Grades 3 and up

Everyone likes getting mail! Got a friend with kids in a different part of the country, or far-away family members? A pen pal can be a great way for kids to build friendships and practice their writing skills at the same time. 

16. Bring a home object to life

“It’s as big as a mountain!”

“That’s the fluffiest thing I’ve ever felt!”

The ways kids describe things can crack us up sometimes. Full of wonder and hyperbole, it’s the perfect spark for creative writing, too.

Encourage kids to practice their figurative language skills with a description of something in your home. Let them pack as much alliteration and exaggeration into the description as they can, then do a dramatic reading out loud.  

17. Write reading reactions

If you want to boost reading comprehension and writing skills at the same time, this is the perfect activity. After your child is done reading, encourage them to write a few sentences about what they just read. 

Did they like it? What do they think happens next? Which character was their favorite and why? Learning how to express opinions in writing is a valuable skill. 

18. Document family stories

Great for: Grades 4 and up

Every family has a unique story, including yours. Make memories with your child when you share stories about important family events or your childhood. 

Kids can even interview grandparents, aunts and uncles to record their memories. When you’re done, store them in a shared space so everyone can go back and reminisce.

Writing is a muscle, and you have to flex it every day to get stronger. Use these daily writing activities to make writing part of your everyday routine. 

19. Journaling

Great for: Everyone

Sometimes, you’ve just gotta write it out. 

Whether you’re trying to make sense of life or just need a place to organize your thoughts, journaling is a great way to unwind, practice mindfulness and build social emotional skills . 

All kids need to get started is a notebook and a pen. Let them know you’re not going to read it, but they’re welcome to come to you if there’s something they want to talk about. 

20. Blog about your interests

Great for: High school and up

Everyone’s passionate about something. Whatever your students love, encourage them to share it with the world! Blogging is an accessible and fun way to express themselves, nerd out about the things that bring them joy and share their opinions with the world. 

Sites like WordPress and Wix offer free website builders to help students get started. This is a great way for kids to build computer skills and digital literacy .

21. Free writing

Write, write, write and don’t stop. That’s the premise behind free writing, a writing practice that can help unlock creativity, discover new ideas and take the pressure out of a blank page. 

Give students a five-minute timer and challenge them to write continuously, without worrying about formatting, spelling or grammar. They can write about whatever they want, but there’s only one rule: don’t stop. 

22. Answer daily writing prompts

Make time to exercise your brain with daily writing prompts! At the start of the day or as a quick brain break , set aside time for students to respond to a quick daily writing prompt. 

Students should have a dedicated journal or binder to make it a seamless part of your lessons. Whether or not you choose to read their writing is up to you, but it’s important to build good daily habits. 

A blank page can be a scary sight for a student who doesn’t know what to write about. 

Use writing prompts to:

• Kickstart a student’s imagination
• Start your lesson with a fun writing activity
• Give students a topic to debate in writing

Some of our favorite simple writing prompts include:

• Write a story about a wooden door, a can of soda and a blue shoe. 
• If you met a monster looking for new friends, what would you do?
• What’s your favorite season? What makes it the best?
• If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
• Describe your dream birthday cake. 
• Write a story about being cold without using the word “cold.”
• If you could decorate your bedroom any way you wanted, what would it look like?
• Is it better to have lots of friends or just a few really good friends?
• Write a story in 10 words or less.
• Write a story about the best surprise you’ve ever received. 

For more writing prompts you can use in and out of the classroom, check out our full list of 225 writing prompts for kids .

Writing activities can bring reluctant writers out of their shells

Writing is hard and can be intimidating for a lot of students. 

But even the quietest and most reluctant students have lots of stories to tell! You just have to encourage them to get their words out. 

Writing activities help remove some of the pressure and give students:

• A fun way to approach writing 
• A starting point for their stories
• Chances to share their writing with students

No two stories are the same, just like your students. Every story can start in a different way, and that’s the beauty of writing prompts.

Whether it’s writing activities or math problems, there are lots of ways to get reluctant learners excited about your lessons with educational activities. 

Here are some of our favorites:

• 37 Quick & Easy Brain Breaks for Kids
• 30 Virtual School Activities Students & Educators Love  
• 27 Best Educational Games for Kids to Play Sorted by Subject  
• 15 Geometry Activities to Engage Students Across Grade Levels
• 36 Fun Word Games for Kids To Help with Vocabulary & Literacy
• 15 Fun, Free & Effective Multiplication Games For Your Classroom
• 20 Exciting Math Games for Kids to Skyrocket New Math Skills On-The-Go
• 21 Classroom Games to Boost Teacher Effectiveness and Student Learning
• 25 Social Emotional Learning Activities & How They Promote Student Well-Being

Which ones can you use in your next lesson?

Prodigy English is a brand-new game-based learning platform helping students build key math skills. As students explore and build a world of their very own, they’ll answer curriculum-aligned reading and language questions that help build essential skills and encourage a love of learning. 

Sign up for your free teacher account and get access to teacher tools that help you differentiate learning and track student progress as they play.