Writing Prompts

“Never doubt that you can change history. You already have.” —Marge Piercy Tell us about something you did that made a difference. That changed at least one life beside your own.

“Put your ear down close to your soul and listen hard.” —Anne Sexton  What is your soul trying to tell you?

“How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.” —Henry David Thoreau in his journal (1851) Tell me about a time you stood up to live—a time you lived fully, with courage, stepping out into the unknown future. (It’s okay if you were terrified or scared—you stepped

“Why not go out on a limb? Isn’t that where the fruit is?” —Frank Scully Tell me about a time you went out on a limb and what you found there.

“I think the one lesson I have learned is that there is no substitute for paying attention.” —Diane Sawyer Write about what is in front of you right now. Choose something ordinary that you see every day. Observe it so closely that you find something new to say about it. Write your way into the

“There is no controlling life. Try corralling a lightning bolt, containing a tornado. Dam a 
stream and it will create a new
channel. Resist, and the tide will sweep you off your feet. Allow, and grace will carry you to higher ground. The only safety lies in letting it all in—the wild and the weak; fear,

“When I am working on a problem I never think about beauty. I only think about how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.” —R. Buckminster Fuller Tell me about a problem you had to solve, one that had an elegant or

“Your body is the ground and metaphor of your life, the expression of your existence. It is your Bible, your encyclopedia, your life story. Everything that happens to you is stored and reflected in your body. In the marriage of flesh and spirit divorce is impossible.” —Gabrielle Roth What does your body reveal about your

“I took a wrong turn the other day. A mistake, but it led me to the shop where I found the very thing I’d been searching for.” —Luci Shaw, “Wrong Turn” Tell me about a wrong turn you took and where it led you.

“Give up all other worlds except the one to which you belong. Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet confinement of your aloneness to learn anything or anyone that does not bring you alive is too small for you.” —David Whyte Tell me about a time you felt completely alive.

“In order to do creative work in any of the arts and sciences you must go through long or short spells of not knowing what is going on, of being irritated, and not being able to find the cause, of being willing to work as hard as you can and what happens isn’t valuable enough,

“There are so many people out there who will tell you that you can’t. What you’ve got to do is turn around and say, ‘Watch me.’”—Unknown Tell me about a time you said, “Watch me.”

“Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader – not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.” —E.L. Doctorow Write a piece that takes place in the rain. Make the rain a crucial component of the story.

“Our listening creates a sanctuary for the homeless parts within another person.” —Rachel Naomi Remen Tell me about a time when truly listening to someone else—or having someone listen deeply to you—was life-changing and profound.

“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk: Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness; I have walked myself into my best thoughts.” —Soren Kierkegaard Tell me about a habit you cherish that helps you find your center, as walking did for Kierkegaard.