50 Creative Writing Prompts for Secondary ELA: Teaching Creative Writing in Middle and High School

Creative writing prompts are a great way to get students’ imaginations flowing and to help them develop their writing skills. Having fun and engaging prompts is a key element in teaching creative writing. Whether you are teaching creative writing for the first time or are a seasoned pro at teaching creative writing, these prompts are sure to help.

These creative writing prompts can take many forms, from simple prompts that ask students to describe a character or setting, to more complex prompts that challenge students to explore a particular theme or idea.

You can use these prompts in your classroom in a number of ways. They can be used for micro writing assignments; this would be perfect for a bell ringer. They can also be used for collaborative writing, or even for a complete writing assignment. This post may contain affiliate links which helps me run and maintain this website.

Many of these creative writing prompts will work perfectly with my Narrative Writing Unit, which is tailored to students in grades 7-10!

Here are 50 creative writing prompts for secondary ELA:

1. Write a short story about a character who discovers a hidden room in their house.
2. Write a poem about the changing of the seasons.
3. Write a journal entry from the perspective of a tree.
4. Write a story about a character who travels to a faraway land.
5. Write a poem about a particular emotion (e.g. love, anger, fear)
6. Write a diary entry from the perspective of a character who is stuck in a time loop.
7. Write a story about a character who discovers a secret about their family.
8. Write a poem about the beauty of nature.
9. Write a story about a character who has a magical ability.
10. Write a diary entry from the perspective of a character who is traveling through space.
11. Write a story about a character who is forced to confront their greatest fear.
12. Write a poem about friendship.
13. Write a story about a character who finds a mysterious object.
14. Write a diary entry from the perspective of a character who is lost in a forest.
15. Write a story about a character who has to make a difficult decision.
16. Write a poem about the ocean.
17. Write a story about a character who discovers a hidden talent.
18. Write a diary entry from the perspective of a character who is living in a post-apocalyptic world.
19. Write a story about a character who is transported to another dimension.
20. Write a poem about the power of words.
21. Write a story about a character who has to solve a mystery.
22. Write a diary entry from the perspective of a character who is stuck in a dream.
23. Write a story about a character who has to confront their inner demons.
24. Write a poem about the passage of time.
25. Write a story about a character who has to make a difficult choice between two paths.
26. Write a diary entry from the perspective of a character who is living in a future society.
27. Write a story about a character who has to overcome a great obstacle.
28. Write a story about a character who discovers a hidden talent.
29. Write a poem about your favorite season.
30. Write a story about a character who must choose between two paths.
31. Write a poem about a significant moment in your life.
32. Write a story about a character who is dealing with a major change.
33. Write a poem about your hometown.
34. Write a story about a character who is trying to overcome a fear.
35. Write a story about a character who has a special relationship with an animal.
36. Write a poem about your favorite memory.
37. Write a story about a character who is trying to solve a mystery.
38. Write a poem about your favorite person.
39. Write a story about a character who has to make a difficult decision.
40. Write a poem about a dream you had.
41. Write a story about a character who has to face their worst nightmare.
42. Write a poem about your favorite time of day.
43. Write a story about a character who has to make a choice between two people they love.
44. Write a poem about your favorite hobby.
45. Write a story about a character who discovers a secret about themselves.
46. Write a poem about your favorite food.
47. Write a story about a character who must save someone they care about.
48. Write a story about a character who must travel to a new and unfamiliar place.
49. Write a story about a character who must confront their past.
50. Write a story about a character who discovers a hidden talent.

Looking for Resources for Teaching Creative Writing?

Check out my Narrative Writing Unit! This unit includes everything you need to teach creative writing in your classroom. With materials for both a personal and a fictional narrative, this ELA instructional unit helps you guide your students through the entire writing process!

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If you are teaching writing this school year, you will want to grab a copy of my writing teaching strategies book, “Building Strong Writers: Strategies and Scaffolds for Teaching Writing in Secondary ELA.” This book has it all: useful strategies that you can use in your classroom, practical writing applications, and tried and true advice for teaching writing!

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