15 Writing Prompts To Become a Better Writer
I’m so glad you landed on this article about writing prompts for writing. Here you are, sending a wish out to the internet for THE prompts that will get you writing.
I know a few things about getting people to write. After writing three books (editing my fourth now), and more than 20 years as a communications professional working in corporate and tech settings, and the latter half of my career helping entrepreneurs write their business content and first-time authors write their books, I know what keeps people stuck and what gets them moving.
Let’s get you moving.
Let’s get you writing.
Maybe the words were flying out of your fingertips like Niagara Falls just the other week, and today … you’ve got nothing.
That’s okay. It’s actually normal. We’re not meant to write the exact same way every day, every month, and every year. We’re constantly changing.
The thing about change is that we adapt. We might head into it kicking and screaming but eventually, give in. The resistance to change is actually our ego at work. To be able to gracefully navigate change, the ego needs to go.
Change is the underlying theme in my memoir and self-development book, I published in 2021, Unfussy Life: An Intuitive Approach to Navigating Change.
Embracing change is about acceptance & surrender.
Acceptance in the face of all things happening can sometimes feel challenging — and maybe that’s an understatement.
At the beginning of co-writing sessions inside the Intuitive Writing Membership, we set a timer, take a deep breath, and do some freewriting. I’ll share a few prompts for those who like having options to get everyone’s writing muscles warmed up.
If you’re new to freewriting, it might also be called automatic writing, morning pages, journaling, stream-of-consciousness writing, and even brain dumping. If you want to use your journaling practice for manifesting, you can try Prayer Pages.
Getting the gunk out of your head and onto the page clears the way for a creative day of writing.
All that brain scramble needs a place to go, so let’s put it on a page. This writing is just for you; you don’t need to share it with anyone. You can keep these words in a journal that you never reopen. You can tear the pages out and light them on fire at your next bonfire, or you can crumble them up and toss them into the recycle bin. The bonfire is my favorite.
You might uncover some brilliant nuggets when you quiet your thinking brain for a minute and start writing. This is the whole point!
You might very well write a bunch of stuff that’ll never see the light of day — as is the case with most of my SFD writing. Which, by the way, I now call “Surrendered First Drafts” and not “Shitty First Drafts.”
Sometimes, you come to a blank page and don’t know where to start writing.
How do you begin writing? Is there a “right” way to journal or follow writing prompts?
No. This is where I see a lot of clients let perfectionist tendencies creep in. There’s no right way to journal. And no wrong way either. You can’t do freewriting wrong. You can even come to the page and start by writing, “I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to write about. I’m supposed to be journaling, so I’m just going to ramble.” Even if you start there, that’s great. Put your judgment aside and let whatever words want to come out—out.
Whine, complain, make no sense … let it all out on the page. It’s not for anyone else to read but you. It’s your space to process, unpack, and clear your mind.
Important: Be mindful of trying to force your way to write something that gives you something, like writing in search of an insight or an a-ha. Your intuition speaks to you through your body, and we can’t force it.
This is where having a container for your writing to go can help take the thinking out of it. A writing container could be a five-minute timer, three pages of journaling, or a specific question or prompts to guide you. Without a container, creatives can freeze up or spin in circles. This is where some good writing prompts come in.
Follow a juicy writing prompt to see where it goes.
Here are some writing prompts to help you discover more about yourself, learn about a part of you that needs some love, and, most of all, feel just a little clearer, calmer, and more like yourself than you did before you started.
When you’re done, you might be ready to write on your project or even have a new direction to take. You might not. And if the only writing you do today is to follow some prompts, that’s wonderful. It’s still writing. Close your notebook with content and pick it up again tomorrow.
Tips before you begin exploring the writing prompts:
Pen and paper are best.
This slows down your thinking brain and helps you connect with your body. If you only have your computer, tablet, or phone handy, that’ll do too.
Take a deep breath.
Then, take three more. Feel your fingers on the keyboard or your pen in your hand, your feet on the floor, and your bum in your chair.
Write fast.
If a blank page gives you anxiety, start scribbling or doodling at the top of the page. Try writing something at the top that encourages a light and open approach, like “Let’s play,” or “Here’s something fun,” or “Let’s experiment here.” Once you see something at the top of your page, the anxiety of a blank page can fade. Then, write as fast as you can.
If you get interrupted, welcome that interruption.
Julia Cameron, the author of the book The Artist’s Way, says that interruptions are corrections in your trajectory. Welcome them. And if you have a family or pets, you’re probably experiencing hella disruptions!
Stay open.
You might write something that surprises you. If this happens, get curious and think to yourself, “Oh, how interesting I wrote that.” Then move on. No overthinking. No judging. You can explore this later or keep unpacking that thought. However you choose to play with your words today is perfect.
Keep a second blank page nearby.
When I start journaling, I suddenly remember all the things I need to do — schedule a dentist appointment, follow up with that client, buy bananas. I keep a blank page to put all those other random to-do’s as they pop up. Then, I return to journaling.
Alright, here we go! Use this list of writing prompts as a menu. Choose the ones that feel good or even the ones that trigger you most — there may be something for you in there to explore. Flow through all of them, or pick one a day for the next 15 days.
15 simple and powerful writing prompts to help clear the noise from your head and get you writing again
What do you want from life? Work? Relationships? Experiences? Dream big; what do you want? No judgment if your wants feel “too big” or “too small.”
What’s important to you? What do you value? What’s your purpose?
If you got to create a billboard with a message for your life, what would it say?
What songs feel like theme songs for your life right now? Or your fight song? Or your arena song? Consider making a playlist of these later.
When you’re living your purpose, what will this do for you? What will this do for others (your family, friends, clients, community, and even the world)?
What’s working really well in your business or writing life right now? How can you go deeper or double down on this?
What do you believe to be true?
How can you look after yourself today?
What things could you do that feel so fun and pleasurable that you lose track of time? How do you feel every time you sit down to do just that?
You wish everyone knew this…
What makes you compassionately angry? This is anger that propels you to do something helpful, awesome, or of service.
Turn on your favorite song with your notebook closed. When the song is done, open your notebook and write down whatever comes to mind.
Pretend it’s the end of the day or, this time tomorrow. Write about how your day went, in past tense and in positive, uplifting terms, imagining the day you want as if it’s already true.
Write an affirmation or revisit a list of your favorites. Write them as “I am…” statements. Journal what you see, sense, feel, hear, or even taste.
Write a grocery list of only your favorite foods and ingredients.
If you enjoyed these writing prompts, you might like these too:
15 Writing Prompts for End-of-Year Reflecting and Manifesting
A free daily practice to fill your creative well (that's also like therapy)
12 Fun Writing Prompts To Help Craft a Standout About Page in 2025
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