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20 Creative Writing Activities For Middle School: Poem Ideas, Prompts, Story Starters, And Worksheets

April 10, 2024 //  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

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50 creative writing prompts for middle school students.

• September 11, 2023
• 11 min read

Table of Contents:

Why creative writing matters, prompts to explore personal experiences, prompts for imagining fantastic worlds, prompts for exploring emotions, prompts to unleash adventure, prompts for humor and laughter, writing prompts for middle school mystery and suspense section, prompts to reflect on the future, prompts for historical time travel, writing prompts for middle school to target sci-fi and futuristic fantasies, writing prompts for middle school to dive into nature, writing prompts for middle school for alternate realities, are these prompts suitable for both classroom and individual use, creative writing.

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Middle school is a time of exploration, growth, and boundless imagination. It’s a phase where young minds are eager to express themselves, and what better way to channel this energy than through creative writing? This article explores 50 creative writing prompts for middle school students to worlds of wonder, emotion, and adventure. These prompts stimulate their creativity, boost their writing skills, and encourage them to think beyond the ordinary.

Creative writing holds a significance that extends far beyond the confines of a classroom. It is a form of expression that acts like a mirror reflecting human emotions, similar to what is explored in What are the three main purposes for writing? . It is a powerful medium through which individuals can express their innermost thoughts, emotions, and ideas, allowing them to connect with themselves and the world around them on a deeper level. This art form empowers individuals to unleash their imagination and paint vivid landscapes of words, enabling them to communicate in ways that traditional language often falls short of. For middle school students, creative writing is a journey of exploration and growth, much like the journey described in How to write a good story: A complete process . As they engage with a diverse array of writing prompts for middle school, they embark on a path that enriches their vocabulary, refines their grasp of grammar, and teaches them the invaluable skill of structuring their thoughts coherently and effectively. Through crafting narratives and weaving intricate tales, students learn the art of storytelling, a skill crucial in literature and various aspects of life. Whether it’s penning down a compelling essay, delivering a persuasive speech, or even drafting a well-structured email, the ability to organize ideas compellingly is a trait that serves students well throughout their academic and professional journey. However, the benefits of creative writing go well beyond linguistic and organizational services like book writing services . This form of expression acts as a mirror that reflects the complexities of human emotions. As students immerse themselves in crafting characters, settings, and plotlines, they inherently develop a deep sense of empathy. By stepping into the shoes of diverse characters and exploring the world from various perspectives, students cultivate an understanding of different viewpoints, backgrounds, and experiences. This broadens their worldview and nurtures their ability to relate to and connect with people from all walks of life.

• Discovering a Hidden Door

Imagine stumbling upon a mysterious door in your school that no one else has noticed. Where does it lead, and what adventures await on the other side?

• The Day I Traveled Through Time

You wake up one morning to find yourself in a different period. Describe your experiences and the challenges you face in this unfamiliar era.

• My Conversation with a Talking Animal

While wandering in the woods, you encounter an animal that can communicate with you. Write about your unexpected conversation and the wisdom the animal imparts.

• A Mysterious Message in a Bottle

You discover a message in a bottle washed up on the shore. What does the message say, and how does it change your life?

• Life on a Floating Island

Describe a world where entire civilizations exist on floating islands in the sky. What are the unique challenges and wonders of this airborne realm?

• Journey to the Center of a Candy Planet

You embark on a journey to the core of a planet made entirely of candy. Detail your adventures as you traverse the sugary landscapes.

• The Robot’s Secret Rebellion

In a futuristic city, robots have secretly started rebelling against their human creators. Explore the events leading up to this uprising and the consequences that follow.

• When Magic Came to the Modern World

Magic suddenly becomes real in the present day. How does society change, and how do you adapt to this new magical reality?

• The Joy of Finding a Lost Toy

Revisit a childhood memory of losing a cherished toy and the overwhelming happiness of eventually finding it.

• A Moment of Overcoming Fear

Write about when you faced a fear head-on and emerged stronger and braver on the other side.

• The Bittersweet Farewell

Explore the emotions surrounding a farewell to a close friend moving away. How do you cope with the mixture of joy and sadness?

• An Unexpected Act of Kindness

Describe an instance where a stranger’s small act of kindness profoundly impacts your life and perspective.

• Quest for the Enchanted Crown

Embark on a quest to retrieve a stolen enchanted crown from a treacherous dragon’s lair. Chronicle your epic adventure and the challenges you must overcome.

• Lost in a Haunted Forest

You find yourself lost in a mysterious and haunted forest. Describe your eerie surroundings and the spine-chilling encounters you experience.

• Exploring an Abandoned Space Station

Write about your exploration of a deserted space station, uncovering its secrets and unraveling the mysteries of its past.

• Time-Traveling to Historical Events

Where and when would you go if you could time-travel to any historical event? Describe your experiences and the impact they have on your perspective.

• The Day I Turned into a Vegetable

Imagine waking up one day to find yourself transformed into a vegetable. How do you communicate, and what hilarious misadventures ensue?

• Conversations Between My Pets

Write a humorous dialogue between your pets discussing their daily lives, adventures, and their peculiar perspectives on the world.

• When My Room Became a Miniature Zoo

Describe a scenario where your room suddenly becomes a mini-zoo filled with various animals. How do you manage this unexpected turn of events?

• The Misadventures of Super Socks

Create a quirky superhero story where a pair of socks gains extraordinary powers and embarks on comical crime-fighting escapades.

• The Puzzle of the Whispering Walls

Detail a suspenseful investigation into the strange phenomenon of walls that whisper cryptic messages, leading to an unexpected revelation.

• Footprints in the Forbidden Attic

You discover mysterious footprints leading to the forbidden attic in your house. Write about your daring exploration and the secrets you uncover.

• The Disappearance of the Midnight Carnival

Describe the mysterious disappearance of a beloved carnival that only operates at midnight. What clues do you follow to solve the enigma?

• The Secret Diary of a Famous Explorer

You stumble upon the secret diary of a renowned explorer. Unveil the adventures chronicled within its pages and the hidden truths it holds.

• A Glimpse into Life as an Adult

Imagine yourself as an adult and write about a day in your future life. How have your goals, priorities, and perspectives evolved?

• Inventing a Revolutionary Gadget

Design a revolutionary gadget that changes the world. Describe its features, benefits, and the impact it has on society.

• My First Day on Another Planet

Transport yourself to an alien planet and narrate your experiences on the first day of your interstellar adventure.

• The World After Solving Pollution

Describe a world where pollution has been successfully eliminated. How does this achievement reshape the environment, society, and daily life?

• Prompts for Exploring Friendship

Write about a strong and unbreakable bond between two friends. What challenges have they overcome together, and how has their friendship evolved?

• Adventures of the Dynamic Duo

Create a story about a dynamic duo who embark on thrilling adventures together. What makes their partnership special, and how do they complement each other?

• A Magical Friend from a Book

Imagine a character from a book coming to life and becoming your friend. Describe your magical friendship and the escapades you share.

• Messages in a Bottle Between Pen Pals

Two pen pals communicate through messages sent in bottles across a vast ocean. Write about their unique form of friendship and the stories they share.

• An Interview with a Renaissance Artist

Travel back in time to interview a famous Renaissance artist. Explore their inspirations, struggles, and the impact of their art on the world.

• Surviving the Titanic Disaster

Imagine being a passenger on the Titanic and surviving the tragic sinking. Chronicle your experiences and the lessons you learn from the ordeal.

• Ancient Egypt: Through the Eyes of a Pharaoh

Experience life as an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. Describe the grandeur of your rule, interactions with subjects, and leadership challenges.

• Encountering Dinosaurs in Prehistoric Times

Describe an adventurous journey to prehistoric times, where you encounter dinosaurs and experience the wonders and dangers of the ancient world.

• When Robots Ruled the World

Envision a world where robots have taken over as rulers. Detail the consequences of this robotic regime and the struggles of human resistance.

• Galactic Explorers on a New Frontier

Join a group of galactic explorers as they venture into uncharted space territories. Describe their discoveries, encounters, and the mysteries they unravel.

• The Day I Met an Alien from Mars

Write about the day you encounter a friendly alien from Mars. How do you communicate, and what do you learn from each other?

• Earth 3000: A Utopian Dream or Dystopian Reality?

Transport yourself to the year 3000 and describe the state of the Earth. Is it a romantic paradise or a dystopian nightmare? What led to this outcome?

• Conversations with Forest Creatures

Imagine having conversations with animals in a magical forest. Write about the wisdom they share and the adventures you embark on together.

• My Adventure in the Enchanted Rainforest

Describe your thrilling adventure through an enchanted rainforest with mystical creatures and hidden secrets.

• The Underwater Discovery: Mermaid’s Tale

You discover a hidden underwater world inhabited by mermaids. Chronicle your underwater journey and the interactions you have with these mythical beings.

• Exploring a World Inside a Dewdrop

Write about a micro-adventure inside a dewdrop, where you encounter miniature worlds and experience nature from a new perspective.

• Stepping into a Mirror Universe

Describe an experience where you step into an alternate reality through a mirror. How is this world different from yours, and what challenges do you face?

• The Butterfly Effect: Changing a Single Moment

Explore the butterfly effect concept by narrating a story where changing a single moment in the past has a cascading impact on the present and future.

• My Life as a Fictional Character

Imagine living the life of a fictional character from your favorite book. Describe your experiences as you navigate their world and story.

• When Dreams Became Our Reality

Write about a world where dreams have the power to shape reality. How do people use their dreams to create their lives, and what challenges arise?

• The Ethereal Library

Imagine a mystical library that holds books containing the stories of every possible life you could have lived. Write about a person who stumbles upon this library and can read the book of their alternate life stories.

• The Reality Architect

In a future society, some specialized architects design alternate realities for individuals seeking escape from their own lives. Write about a reality architect and their journey to create the perfect alternate world for a client.

• The Convergence Point

Describe a world where all alternate realities converge at a single point in time. People from different realities can meet and interact for a brief period. Write about the challenges and opportunities that arise during this unique convergence.

The suitability of writing prompts for middle school for classroom and individual use depends on their content and complexity. Prompts encouraging critical thinking, creative expression, and thoughtful discussion can work well in both settings. However, there are a few considerations to keep in mind:

• Ensure that the prompts are clear and easily understandable by individuals and a group of students. Avoid overly complex language or concepts that might be confusing.
• Writing prompts for middle school allow various interpretations, and responses can engage individual learners and groups. This flexibility encourages students to express their unique perspectives.
• Choose interesting and relevant writing prompts for middle school to the target audience, whether in a classroom full of students or individuals working independently. Engaging prompts are more likely to spark enthusiasm and thoughtful responses.
• Prompts that invite discussion and debate can lead to rich and meaningful conversations for classroom use. These prompts should be open-ended and encourage diverse viewpoints.

Middle school is critical for nurturing creativity, similar to the journey detailed in How to launch a book: The ultimate guide for authors , young students’ creativity, and honing writing skills. These 50 creative writing prompts for middle school offer many opportunities to explore diverse themes, emotions, and scenarios while refining their writing abilities. Whether they’re crafting tales of time travel, exploring futuristic realms, or delving into the mysteries of the past, these prompts will ignite the imagination and open new avenues of self-expression for budding writers.

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• Writing Prompts

150 Writing Prompts For Middle School (+Free Printable)

Make writing fun and easy, with these 150 writing prompts for middle school students. 

The more you write, the better you become at writing. But the problem is not all middle schoolers enjoy writing. There’s always something better to do, playing video games , watching YouTube videos , hanging with friends , lazing about the house – Why bother writing, right? The trick is to understand that even the smallest piece of writing can make a huge difference in a student’s attitude towards writing. 

If you unload too many lengthy assignments, such as writing 1,000 words on topic X or 3,000 about something, something – Writing can seem like a long, boring chore for some students. But if you break it down, and mix it up a bit, then your students have a real chance of actually liking writing for fun. Think of creating small writing tasks that take no longer than around 10 or 15 minutes to complete. As students complete these small tasks with ease, their confidence will grow, eventually turning them into avid young writers.

To help inspire and motivate young writers, we have created this list of 150 quick and easy writing prompts for Middle School students. Keep reading for a free printable writing pack for middle schoolers as well! Here is a quick generator that will generate a random middle school prompt for you:

For more fun writing ideas, check out this list of over 300 writing prompt for kids .

150 Writing Prompts For Middle School Students

This list of prompts is great for whenever your middle-schooler is bored and needs some quick ideas to write about:

• Make a list of at least three different opening lines for this story idea: A space knight living in outer space wants to fight a real fire-breathing dragon.
• Complete this sentence in at least three different ways: When I’m bored, I like to…
• Draw a picture of your dream house, and describe some of the coolest features it has.
• Make a top ten list of the scariest animals in the animal kingdom. You could even write down one scary fact about each animal.
• Write an acrostic poem using the letters that spell z-o-m-b-i-e.
• Describe the scariest monster that you can think of. You could even draw a picture of it.
• Complete the following sentence in at least three different ways: My goal for the next month is to…
• Make a top ten list of your favourite foods of all time. You could even write down one reason for why each food is your favourite.
• Create your own A-Z book or list of monsters. For A is for Abominable Snowman, B is for Bogeyman and so on.
• Research and write down five facts about an endangered species of your choice. Examples of endangered species include the blue whale, giant pandas, snow leopards and tigers.
•  Create a postcard for your local town or city. What picture would you draw on the front? And what message could you include on the back?
• Write an acrostic poem using the letters that spell out your own first name. This poem could be about yourself. 
• Make a top ten list of your favourite movies of all time.
• Make a top ten list of your favourite songs of all time.
• Complete the following sentence in at least three different ways. When I grow up I want to…
• Which is your favourite season, Winter , Spring , Summer or Autumn? Write a haiku poem about your favourite season.
• Create a party invite for a dinner party at your house. Think about the party theme, entertainment, food and dress code.
• Write down a recipe that uses eggs as one of the ingredients.
• Write a how-to guide on how to take care of a kitten or puppy.
• What do you enjoy doing on the weekends? Start by making a list of activities that you do on the weekend. Then you can pick one to write about in more detail.
• Using a photograph (or one of these picture writing prompts ), write a short caption or description to go alongside it. 
• Imagine you are the owner of a new restaurant. Create a menu of the dishes you will serve at this restaurant. 
• What has been the best part of your day so far? And what has been the worst part of the day?
• Imagine that you have a time machine. What year would you travel to and why?
• If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?
• If you could keep one dinosaur as a pet, which dinosaur would you pick and why?
• Write down everything you remember from a recent nightmare that you had. 
• What is your favourite country in the whole wide world? List at least five fun facts about this country.
• Make a list of at least 3 different story ideas about aliens.
• Create a character description of the world’s most evil supervillains.
• What is your greatest achievement to date? What are you most proud of and why?
• Write an action-packed scene that contains the following: A car chase, a lucky pair of socks and a talking parrot.
• What advice would you give to someone who is being bullied? You could make a list of at least three pieces of advice that you might give.
• Imagine you are stuck on a desert island. Write a diary entry of your first day on the island.
• Imagine you are a pirate sailing the seven seas. Talk about the scariest thing you faced while out at sea.
• You just discovered a new planet . Can you describe this new planet in detail? What would you call it? Does any life exist on the planet? What type of climate does it have?
• Would you rather have a magical unicorn as a pet or a fire-breathing dragon?
• Complete the following sentence in at least three different ways: One day I was walking through the forest and discovered…
• Write a letter to your friend about a favourite memory you have of them. You can use the following starter as inspiration: Remember that time…
• Make a list of book title ideas for a story about a girl who can go invisible whenever she wants.
• A talking cat is fast asleep, then suddenly someone wakes it up. Write down a short script between the cat, and the person arguing. 
• What is the nicest thing that anyone has done for you recently?
• Make a list of 10 online safety tips to help you stay safe online.
• Can you think of at least 5 ways to prevent climate change in your daily life?
• Make a list of your top ten favourite books of all time.
• Think about a movie that you’ve seen recently. What did you enjoy most about this movie, and what did you dislike about it?
• You are just about to take a bite of an apple. And then suddenly the apple starts screaming. What do you do next?
• Describe a magical forest in great detail. What makes this forest so magical?
• Write a super scary scene, using the following starter: As I walked into the haunted house…
• What is your greatest fear? Is it possible to ever overcome this fear? If so, how would you do it?
• Make a list of at least five things you like about yourself. And then make a list of five things that you would change about yourself.
• What would the perfect day look like for you? How would it start? What activities would you do? And how does it end?
• You are standing in the playground when you hear two of your classmates making fun of your best friend. What do you do next?
• A young boy yells at his pet eagle to fly away into the wild. The eagle does not respond. Write down this scene between the two characters in great detail. 
• Describe a pencil in the greatest detail possible.
• Create your own superhero character. What are their strengths and superpowers? What about their weaknesses? Also, think of a cool superhero name for them!
• What is your dream job? What skills and traits do you need to do this job well?
• Imagine that you have had the worst day ever. Write down what happened to make it so bad.
• What is your favourite colour? Now write a short rhyming poem about this colour.
• If you had three wishes, what would you wish for and why? Wishing for extra wishes is not allowed.
• Write an action-packed scene of a lion chasing a zebra in the wild from the perspective of the lion. 
• Imagine you own a video gaming company. Your task is to come up with a new video game idea. Explain this new video game idea in detail.
• What would you do if you were given $1 million dollars? 
• What is your favourite hobby or interest? Can you provide at least five tips for beginners who might be interested in starting this hobby?
• Make a top ten list of your favourite celebrities or YouTube stars.
• Write the opening paragraph of a fairytale about a zombie prince who has returned from the dead.
• Write an alternative ending to a fairytale that you are familiar with. For example, you could write a sad ending for Cinderella or a cliff-hanger style ending for Jack and the Beanstalk.
• Write down a conversation in a script format between two people waiting for the bus at a bus stop.
• Would you rather get abducted by aliens, or discover a magical portal to another realm in your bedroom? Explain your answer.
• Write a shape poem about your favourite food in the shape of this food.
• If you had to prepare for a zombie invasion, which three items would you pack in your bag, and why?
• Describe the most beautiful garden in the world in detail. What type of flowers would it have? Would it have any garden furniture?
• You receive a strange parcel in the middle of the night. You open the parcel to discover… Write down at least one paragraph of what you discover in the parcel.
• Use the word, ‘Stampede’ in at least three different sentences.
• Complete the following metaphor in at least three different ways: Your smile is like…
• Describe the city of the future. What would the buildings look like? How will people travel? What kind of homes will people live in?
• What is Marie Curie (the physicist) famous for? Research and write down five facts about her research and studies. 
• You have just been made leader of the Kingdom of Kinloralm. As the leader, what rules would you set for the kingdom? Make a list of at least 10 rules that you will enforce. 
• A witch has cast a spell on you. Every night at midnight, you turn into a werewolf. Describe this transformation in great detail. What does it feel like when you are transforming? How does your skin change? What about your teeth and fingernails?
• Using the following starter , write at least one paragraph: When I look outside the window…
• After a deep sleep, you wake up to find yourself locked inside a cage. No one else is around. What do you do next?
• You keep on having the same nightmare every night. In your nightmare, you are running as fast as you can, and then you suddenly fall. When you turn around you see… Write at least one paragraph about what you see. 
• Write down at least 10 interview questions that you can ask your favourite celebrity. If you have time, you can even write down the potential answers to these questions from the perspective of the celebrity.
• Write a how-to guide on how to grow tomatoes at home.
• Make a list of at least five tips for keeping your bedroom clean.
• Would you rather drive the fastest car on Earth for one hour or own a custom-made bicycle? Explain your choice.
• Write a limerick poem about an old snail. 
• Find something in your room that begins with the letter, ‘R’, and write a paragraph describing this object in detail.
• Research the history of how the first mobile phone was invented. Create a timeline of mobile phone inventions from the very first mobile to the current time. 
• If you were the headteacher of your school, what changes would you make and why? Try to list and describe at least three changes. 
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of having access to the internet? Try to think of at least five benefits and five drawbacks.
• Write about the best day of your life so far. Then write about the worst day of your life so far.
• Imagine that you are an agony aunt for a newspaper. A reader has written to you with the following problem: Dear Agony Aunt, I have no friends at school. And my classmates are always making fun of me… What advice would you give this reader?
• Imagine that you are a salesperson. Your task is to sell a new chocolate bar to customers. Write down a sales pitch that was selling this chocolate bar. What features would you highlight? What are the benefits of this chocolate bar?
• Can you complete the following sentence in three different ways: When I feel upset, I …
• What is the most difficult part about being in middle school? What is the best part of middle school?
• Imagine that your best friend has just revealed a huge secret. How would you react? Write down a script of the conversation between you and your best friend.
• Have you learned any new skills recently? How did you learn these?
• Imagine you are sitting at a dinner party with a group of strangers. Describe the atmosphere in great detail. Who are you sitting next to? What sort of conversations are the other guests having? What food is being served?
• Five years from now, where will you be? Will you be the same person? How would you have changed?
• Write about your plans for the weekend.
• Describe a day in the life of being a goldfish in a fishbowl at a pet shop.
• While at the seaside, a message in a bottle washes up onto the shore. You open the bottle and read the message. The message reads: Help Me! I’m stranded on an island! What do you do next?
• A mother and her son are baking some muffins in the kitchen. Write down a conversation that they might have while they bake together.
• Make a list of indoor activities you can do when it’s raining outside. Try to think of at least ten activities.
• Write down a diary entry from the perspective of an alien secretly living undercover on Earth. 
• Write at least three different opening lines for the following story idea: A king needs to keep his kingdom safe from the ravenous trolls that come out at night.
• Imagine you are a secret agent cat, write about your most recent mission.
• Complete the following sentence in at least three different ways: If I could change the world, I would…
• If you could program a robot, what tasks would you program it to do, and why?
• Imagine you are the owner of a toy shop. Your task is to hire some toy makers. Write a job description for a toymaker. Think about the skills and traits required to become a toymaker. 
• You are the owner of a zoo. Suddenly you hear people screaming as the lions are accidentally released. What do you do next?
• Your future self comes from the future to warn you about something. Write a conversation that you would have with your future self. 
• If you had a choice to become a superhero or a supervillain, which one would you be and why?
• Can you think of at least three things that no one knows about you? Why have you kept these things a secret?
• During a science experiment, you mix up the wrong chemicals. The liquid turns blue and jumps out of the glass container. It then slides into your backpack. What do you do next?
• Write down at least five things that you are grateful for in your life right now.
• You notice some strange footprints in your backyard leading to your shed. You follow these footprints and discover…
• When was the last time someone upset you or hurt your feelings? How did they hurt your feelings? Do you remember what was said?
• You walk inside a magic shop. You see all sorts of weird and fun things. Describe the inside of the shop in as much detail as possible. 
• Write at least three different opening lines for the following story idea: A young werewolf wants to be a human again.
• Make a list of three different story ideas about dragons.
• Write from the perspective of a kite flying high in the sky. Think about what you feel, see and hear.
• Write about your favourite subject at school. Why do you like this subject?
• Write a haiku poem about the full moon.
• Imagine you are the manager of a TV channel. Make a list of at least three new TV show ideas you can air on Saturday evening.
• You find a baby alien in your basement. What do you do next?
• Think of at least three newspaper headlines for the following article idea: The new mayor of your town/city is planning on creating more homes.
• Imagine that your pet dog has gone missing. Create a missing poster to find your dog. Remember to describe any important details relating to the dog in your power.
• Write an advertisement for the brand new mixer 3000. It mixes all the best music tracks with sounds to create the ultimate track.
• Write down three sentences. One of something interesting that happened to you today. Another of something positive that happened. And finally another sentence of something negative. 
• Write down four different character descriptions. Each character must have a different background story or history when growing up.
• Imagine you had a terrible experience at a restaurant. Write a complaint letter to the restaurant manager, outlining the problems you had. 
• Imagine your family is planning to go on a cruise. As you drive to the boat, a person walks up to your car window, holds up a flyer, and demands that they do what they were told. What is your family’s reply?
• As you’re making your way home, you pass by a group of people. It turns out the person who was walking next to them is a ghost. What do you do next?
• Your best friend has had a terrible year. You need to plan the best birthday party ever for them. Make a list of items that you will need for the party. 
• Using the 5 W’s and 1 H technique, outline the following newspaper article idea: A new breed of wolves was discovered nearby. The 5 W’s include: What, Where, When, Who and why. The one H is How.
• Write a positive self-talk poem, using the following starter: I am…
• Take a recent picture that you have drawn at home or during art class. Using this picture, can you think of at least three ideas for stories from it?
• How can you prevent bullying in your school? Make a list of at least five different ways to prevent bullying.
• Write a list of at least 10 interview questions that you can ask your favourite teacher at school. If you want, you can actually ask these questions and write down the responses your teacher gives.
• Describe a day in the life of being a mouse that lives in your school.
• What qualities to look for in a friend? Make a list of at least 3 qualities. Also, think about what qualities you try to avoid. 
• Complete the following sentence in at least three different ways: When I wake up in the morning, I feel…
• Do you ever wish you could do more to help people? Make a list of at least five ways you can help a friend who is going through a tough time.
• When was the last time you felt angry? How did you deal with this anger? Do you think it is okay to be angry all the time?
• Write down at least three predictions for the future. These predictions can be personal or about the world. You can use the following starter: In 10 years time…
• Do you enjoy writing? If yes, then what kind of things do you enjoy writing about. Explain your answer.
• Think about the last book you read. Which scene in the book stood out to you the most? Why did it stand out for you?
• Complete the following sentence in at least three different ways: The biggest question on my mind right now is…

What did you think of this list of quick and easy writing prompts for Middle School students? Did you find this list useful or difficult to use? Let us know in the comments below!

Printable Writing Pack for Middle Schoolers

Thank you for reading this post! You can download the free PDF writing prompts for Middle School students pack here .

Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.

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Fun Writing Activities for Middle School

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Does your middle schooler heave a sigh when it’s time for writing? 

Add some appeal to the subject of writing with these fun writing activities for middle school. 

Writing Activities for Middle School

The six types of writing are descriptive, expository, persuasive, technical, and poetic.  (I know, I know, your middle schooler is nodding off already.)

The truth is these writing types can be enjoyable if you have some fun topic ideas. 

Not only does it make writing fun, but it also gives students a chance to practice those dreaded middle school spelling words that they need to master.

Read on for some writing activities that are fun and (ssh! Don’t tell!) educational.

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Descriptive Writing Activities for MIddle School

As the name implies, descriptive writing describes something. 

You want to create mental pictures for your reader so they can see in their mind’s eye exactly what you are describing. 

This writing style can be a delight to compose if you like the topic, so pick one that resonates with your student.

Describe the car of the future  

Use your imagination to describe all the amazing features it will have.  What will it look like?  

Imagine an alien is your pen pal  

How would you describe yourself so your alien friend knows what you look like?

Describe the ideal pet

Some people love hamsters, and others love hounds. 

Some adore cats, while others keep chameleons. 

What is your ideal pet?  Describe it in detail. 

What does it feel like? Look like? Eat? How does it act?

Expository Writing Activities for Middle School 

Expository writing gives information, but it does so in a different way from descriptive writing. 

It is all about the facts and lacks flowery language. 

Like a newspaper article, it investigates an idea, subject, or event.  

Newspaper articles written by dogs  

Imagine there is a secret underground dog newspaper that dogs write and distribute that tells the news of the day from their perspective. 

Write an article for that paper as a doggie journalist. 

Consider possible titles like “Scuffle at the Dog Park,”  “Duck Befriends Dog,”  or “Frisbee Competition Wows All.” 

Compare and contrast the best and worst pizzas

Everyone has an opinion on pizza.  Compare your favorite pizza with your least favorite. 

Consider all the elements: size, crust, temperature, and toppings.

Write a how-to  

Topics could be how to be happy, how to play Minecraft, how to be a good friend, how to make perfect pancakes, or anything else you know how to do (or would like to think through how to be).

Persuasive Writing Activities for Middle School

Ah, middle schoolers, how they love to argue.  Channel that natural proclivity to argue into persuasive writing.

Whether children should have chores

Let them choose pro or con (can you imagine a child choosing pro?). 

Whether parents should limit their kids’ screen time 

Consider having them outline both pro and con and choose one to write about. 

It’s always good to think through both sides before you write about one.

Whether companies should market their products to kids

Aren’t you curious as to which side your student will pick?

Technical Writing Activities for Middle School

Some students say they are not good writers because they dislike creative writing, but your logical, detail-oriented students will shine doing technical writing. 

Although this writing style is, well, technical, you can introduce it in middle school.

Write a manual on how to use a certain phone app or device

My son has to show me how to manage the settings on my Roku, so he could write me a manual for that…

Create a sales pitch brochure 

Imagine a product you invented, and write a brochure convincing someone to buy it. 

Be informative and persuasive. You can include pictures!

Poetic Writing Activities for Middle School

Children were raised on poetry (think of Dr. Seuss), so although writing poetry may seem like a daunting task to some, they have already been steeped in it. 

Reawaken the poetic with these poetry activities. 

Think of a word or phrase like “SUMMER” and write it vertically down the page. 

Then compose a line that starts with each letter.  For example, “Sunny, unstructured, magazines at the beach, etc…”

Haikus are three-line poems that have 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second, and 5 in the third. 

They are traditionally about nature. 

These tiny poems can be fantastic first poems for the poetry intimidated.

Texting poem (or poem for two voices)

Write a poem that can read like a text conversation between two people

Middle School Writing Activities

Not every writing assignment has to be a five paragraph essay.  Writing should be fun and personal as well as educational and informative.  Keep it fun and fresh with these fun writing activities for middle school.

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10 Creative Writing Activities That Help Students Tell Their Stories

Lower the stakes and help them get started.

“I don’t have a story. There’s nothing interesting about my life!” Sound familiar? I don’t know a teacher who hasn’t heard students say this. When we ask our students to write about themselves, they get stuck. We know how important it is for them to tell their own stories. It’s how we explore our identities and keep our histories and cultures alive. It can even be dangerous when we don’t tell our stories (check out this Ted Talk given by novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and share it with your students for more on that). Storytelling is essential for every subject, not just English Language Arts; students dive deeper and engage when they practice thinking about how their own stories intersect with historical events, civic engagement, and the real-world implications of STEM. These 10 creative writing activities can work in every subject you teach:

Here are 10 of our favorite story telling activities that inspire students:

1. write an “i am from” poem.

Students read the poem “I am From” by George Ella Lyon. Then, they draft a poem about their own identity in the same format Lyon used. Finally, students create a video to publish their poems. We love this one because the mentor text gives a clear structure and example that students can follow. But the end result is truly unique, just like their story.

2. Design a social media post to share an important memory

How can you use your unique perspective to tell a story? We want our students to learn that they are truly unique and have stories that only they can tell that other people want to hear or could relate to or learn from. In this activity, students watch two Pixar-in-a-Box videos on Khan Academy to learn about storytelling and perspective. Then, they identify an interesting or poignant memory and design a social media post.

3. Create an image using a line to chart an emotional journey

How do you show emotion using a single line? In this activity, students watch a Pixar in a Box video on Khan Academy to learn about how lines communicate character, emotion, and tension. Then they experiment with these aspects as they write their story. We love using this for pre-writing and to help students explore their story arc. Also, for students who love to draw or learn visually, this can help them get started telling their story and show them that there are many different ways to tell a story.

4. Tell the story behind your name

Sharing the story behind our name is a way to tell a story about ourselves, our culture, and our family history. And if there isn’t a story behind it, we can talk about how we feel about it and describe what it sounds like. In this activity, students use video to introduce themselves to their classmates by discussing the origin of their name. This project asks students to connect their names (and identities) to their personal and familial histories and to larger historical forces. If you’re looking for a mentor text that pairs well with this one, try “My Name” by Sandra Cisneros .

5. Develop a visual character sketch

Give students the time to create a character sketch of themselves. This will help them see how they fit into their story. In this lesson, students create a visual character sketch. They’ll treat themselves like a character and learn to see themselves objectively.

6. Create a webpage to outline the story of your movie

Building a story spine is a great way to show students how to put the parts of their story in an order that makes sense. It’s an exercise in making choices about structure. We like this activity because it gives students a chance to see different examples of structure in storytelling. Then, they consider the question: how can you use structure to set your story up for success? Finally, they design and illustrate an outline for their story.

7. Respond to a variety of writing prompts

Sometimes our students get stuck because they aren’t inspired or need a different entry point into telling their story. Give them a lot of writing prompts that they can choose from. Pass out paper and pencils. Set a timer for fifteen minutes. Then, write 3-4 writing prompts on the board. Encourage students to free-write and not worry about whether their ideas are good or right. Some of our favorite prompts to encourage students to tell their story are:

• I don’t know why I remember…
• What’s your favorite place and why?
• What objects tell the story of your life?
• What might surprise someone to learn about you?

8. Create a self-portrait exploring identity and self-expression

Part of what makes writing your own story so difficult for students is that they are just building their identity. In this activity, students explore how they and others define their identity. What role does identity play in determining how they are perceived and treated by others? What remains hidden and what is shown publicly?

9. Film a video to share an important story from your life

Encourage students to think about how to tell the story of a day they faced their fears. Students consider the question: How can you use different shot types to tell your story? They watch a video from Pixar in a Box on Khan Academy to learn about different camera shots and their use in storytelling. Then, they use Adobe Spark Post or Photoshop and choose three moments from their story to make into shots. We love using this to help students think about pace and perspective. Sometimes what we leave out of our story is just as important as what we include.

10. Try wild writing

Laurie Powers created a process where you read a poem and then select two lines from it. Students start their own writing with one of those lines. Anytime that they get stuck, they repeat their jump-off line again. This is a standalone activity or a daily writing warm-up, and it works with any poem. We love how it lowers the stakes. Can’t think of anything to write? Repeat the jump-off line and start again. Here are some of our favorite jump-off lines:

• The truth is…
• Some people say…
• Here’s what I forgot to tell you…
• Some questions have no answers…
• Here’s what I’m afraid to write about…

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100 Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School

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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

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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!

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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.”

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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:

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• 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?

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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.

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20 Creative Writing Activities for Middle School

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1. Freewriting: Have students write continuously for a short time (5-10 minutes) without worrying about grammar or punctuation, allowing ideas to flow onto the page and encouraging creativity.

2. Round-robin storytelling: Divide the class into small groups, and have each member contribute a sentence to create a collaborative story. Pass the stories around the group, with each person adding their own unique touch.

3. Story starters: Provide students with an opening line or scenario to jumpstart their imagination and encourage them to write a complete story from the prompt.

4. Journaling: Encourage students to keep a journal or diary, recording their daily thoughts, ideas, and events as an outlet for self-expression.

5. Picture prompts: Find interesting photographs or illustrations and have students create stories based on the images.

6. Character creation: Have students brainstorm character traits and develop a detailed profile of a fictional character to use in their writing.

7. Poetry writing: Explore different types of poetry, such as haiku, acrostic, or limerick, allowing students to experiment with rhythmic language and structure.

8. Rewrite a favorite story: Challenge students to rewrite a well-known story or fairy tale from a different perspective or in a new setting.

9. Comic strip stories: Have students create comic strips with dialogue and narration that tell an original story.

10. Dystopian/Utopian worlds: Invite students to develop their own futuristic societies with unique rules and customs, then write stories set in these worlds.

11. Personal narratives: Guide students in writing personal essays that reflect on memorable experiences or events from their lives.

12. Scavenger hunt writing: Create a list of random items or ideas for students to ‘find’ by incorporating them into their original stories.

13. Two-sentence stories: Teach students how to craft suspenseful two-sentence stories that leave readers wanting more.

14. Flash fiction: Develop short stories of only 100-500 words, emphasizing brevity and powerful storytelling.

15. Autobiography of an object: Ask students to write from the perspective of an inanimate object, providing insight into its experiences and interactions with the world.

16. Social issues: Encourage students to write persuasive essays on topics of social importance, addressing the arguments and counterarguments for their chosen stance.

17. News reports: Teach students how to write engaging news articles about recent events or fictional happenings in their communities or schools.

18. Dialogue practice: Have pairs of students create realistic dialogues between characters by writing conversations that demonstrate effective communication and character development.

19. Write a script: Guide students in writing their own one-act plays or screenplays, focusing on plot, dialogue, and stage directions.

20. Trading spaces: Have students trade pieces of writing with a partner, then expand upon or revise each other’s work, providing constructive feedback along the way.

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Engaging Writing Prompts for Middle School Students

Nurturing creativity is essential to help middle school students explore their potential and prepare for future challenges. One effective method of promoting creativity in the classroom is through engaging writing prompts. These prompts not only spark imaginative thinking but also enhance skills, such as world-building, descriptive language, and point of view.

While writing prompts can be used with all grade levels, middle school is a prime opportunity to use them to bridge foundational skills and knowledge learned in elementary school with critical thinking and analysis that will be used in high school. Middle school students are at an age in their learning where they can explore creativity and writing in a setting that primes them for the higher level of thinking that will come in later years. The benefits of using writing prompts in middle school validates the argument that they should be regularly integrated into the curriculum throughout the school year. Here, we’ll explore the different benefits of writing prompts, engaging writing activities, and even specific writing prompts that can be used with young writers.  

The Role of Writing Prompts

Writing prompts are brief, thought-provoking statements or questions that inspire students to write clearly and creatively. They serve as the ignition for the creative fire within students, encouraging them to explore new horizons through writing. Writing prompts for middle school students also serve as invaluable tools for fostering literacy skills .

Writing prompts, such as creative writing prompts and personal journal prompts , offer a structured framework within which students can explore a wide range of writing ideas and literacy skills. For example, fun writing prompts can be used as hooks or bellringers to engage students in creative and critical thinking before reading a challenging text.

In addition to playing a role in general classroom instruction, writing prompts can also be used in reading and writing interventions. For example, teachers can provide students who may need extra guidance with sentence starters or story starters to help guide analysis or jumpstart creativity. 

Unlocking Creativity Through Engaging Writing Prompts

Writing prompts can also be used for informative and explanatory writing but as discussed already, they play a pivotal role in fostering creativity. In fact, engaging writing prompts are a powerful tool that can unlock the doors to imaginative thinking and self-expression. Let’s take a closer look at the creative benefits of using engaging writing prompts :

Encouraging Imagination and Originality : Writing prompts challenge students to think beyond the ordinary and come up with original ideas. By exploring diverse topics, they can tap into their unique perspectives and unleash their creativity. 

Inspiring Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills : Some writing prompts present real-life situations or dilemmas, prompting students to analyze and devise solutions. This process nurtures critical thinking abilities, preparing students for future problem-solving challenges.

Promoting Emotional Expression and Empathy : Writing prompts that evoke emotions encourage students to express their feelings and develop empathy toward others. This emotional exploration contributes to their holistic growth as individuals.

Enhancing Communication and Language Abilities : As students respond to writing prompts, they refine their communication skills, learning how to articulate their thoughts effectively. Additionally, they expand their vocabulary and command of the language.

Reinforced Reading Skills : Effective writing prompts can be used to support reading instruction and intervention as well. According to Dr. Jason DeHart in Connecting to the Written Word: Intentional Writing with Older Readers , “Older readers are also keenly aware of their own need for additional support, which can result in avoidance behaviors. Teachers who invite students to comfortably engage in writing and composing can gain knowledge of and build relationships with students who would otherwise stay ‘under the radar.’” From techniques like dialogic reading with young readers to intentional writing with older readers, an integrative approach to reading and writing deepens skill levels and understanding.

Integrating Writing Prompts in the Middle School Curriculum

Integrating creativity and self-expression into the curriculum is a fundamental aspect of nurturing well-rounded and confident individuals. Therefore, the integration of writing prompts in the middle school curriculum is not just about fostering better writers; it’s about empowering students to become effective communicators, critical thinkers, and confident individuals.

Writing prompts can be designed to align with educational standards, ensuring they contribute to the overall learning objectives. Writing prompts can also be tailored to various subjects, making them a versatile tool across the curriculum. 

One of the main concepts that writing reinforces is reading. In The Writing Rope: A Framework for Evidence-Based Writing Instruction podcast episode, Joan Sedita, founder of Keys to Literacy and author of The Writing Rope , explores the notion that writing is a task as complex and multifaceted as reading—but it’s often taught as a single skill. Sedita states, “There is this relationship between reading and writing. And what I found in writing this ( The Writing Rope ) and in the professional development work that I do, is that many of the components that we need to teach to students, skills, strategies, are things that also usually support their reading comprehension.” This is just another reason why writing prompts need to be a foundational part of middle school curriculum. 

Writing Prompt Activities for Middle School Students

Here, we’ve included a list of different writing activities, as well as a specific prompt that can be used with each idea.

Diverse Genre Exploration

Writing prompt activities expose middle school students to various literary genres. This diversity broadens their understanding of the written word and empowers them to find their unique writing voice. 

Some genres students can explore include imaginative fiction, personal reflection, mystery and suspense, historical fiction, and poetry and verse. Through these, students can develop the ability to craft suspenseful plots, create vibrant characters, and build intricate worlds that captivate readers’ imaginations. Moreover, as they step into genres like poetry, they can embrace the rhythmic cadence of language, painting emotions and experiences with words in a way that resonates deeply.

PROMPT : Imagine you have the opportunity to blend two different genres together to create a brand-new story. Choose any two genres (e.g., fantasy, mystery, science fiction, historical fiction, romance, adventure, horror) and combine them in a creative and unexpected way. Write a short story that incorporates elements from both genres.

Imagination Ignited

Prompts that delve into fantastical scenarios, futuristic worlds, or magical realms stimulate students’ imaginations. This activity is especially important for exploring the five senses and having students practice the writing skill of showing, not telling. 

PROMPT : Close your eyes and imagine stepping into an enchanted forest. This forest is no ordinary place—it’s a realm of magic, mystery, and unexpected wonders. As you venture deeper into the forest, describe what you see, hear, and feel. What kind of magical creatures do you encounter? Are there hidden secrets waiting to be discovered? 

Real-Life Relevance

Some prompts present real-life situations or dilemmas relevant to middle school students. Writing about familiar experiences allows students to relate more deeply to the subject matter and encourages them to reflect on their daily lives, maybe even stirring up a favorite memory.

Writing prompt exercises for middle school students go well beyond the boundaries of the classroom, incorporating real-world applicability into the educational process. These activities work as vibrant platforms that help students develop their literary abilities while also forging significant connections with their surroundings. 

PROMPT : Imagine you are a young inventor with a mission to create innovative solutions for a more sustainable future. Choose one real-world environmental challenge, such as plastic pollution, energy conservation, water scarcity, or air quality. Write a persuasive essay explaining your inventive solution to address this challenge. Consider how your solution could make a positive impact on the environment and inspire positive change.

Visual Prompts

Visual prompts, such as pictures or videos, act as powerful catalysts for creativity. These stimuli spark inspiration and help students visualize their ideas, leading to descriptive and vivid writing. A few popular visual prompts for middle school students include: enchanted forest, desert island, abandoned amusement park, hidden doorway, and journey through a wormhole.

PROMPT : Examine the image of a person discovering an object in an unexpected place. It depicts a person stumbling upon an unexpected object in an unlikely place. Write a short story inspired by this limited imagery. Consider who the person is, what the object is, and how they react to this surprising discovery.

Character Building

Writing prompts that focus on character development allow students to create intricate and relatable personas. This activity fosters empathy and an understanding of human emotions and behaviors. Some activities include empathy exploration, personal heroes, character evolution, reflective essays, and acts of kindness narratives. Whether reflecting on real people, analyzing fictional characters, or creating characters of their own, students can think both creatively and critically about the people they experience in the world around them as well as their own character traits. 

PROMPT : Imagine a character who faces a situation that requires immense courage. This could be standing up to a bully, facing a fear, or defending a friend. Write a short story that follows this character’s journey as they navigate their fear and find the inner strength to overcome the challenge. Explore their thoughts, emotions, and the growth they experience along the way.

Time Travel Through History

Historical writing prompts transport students to different eras, enabling them to experience the past through the eyes of historical figures. Such activities blend storytelling with historical context, making history come alive. This offers middle school students a portal to the past and an opportunity to connect with the people and events that have shaped our world. Students can transport themselves to the courts of ancient civilizations, walk alongside figures of significance, and experience pivotal events that have left an indelible mark.

PROMPT : Imagine you have a time machine that can transport you to any ancient civilization in history. Choose a specific civilization (e.g., Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, the Mayan Civilization) and write a detailed account of a day in the life of a young person living during that time. Describe their surroundings, daily activities, challenges, and interactions with others. What do they eat? What do they wear? What adventures do they embark on? 

Writing in Different Tenses and Points of View

Writing prompt activities that require students to experiment with different tenses and points of view expand their narrative skills. From the immediacy of the present tense to the reflective nature of the past tense, and even the speculative intrigue of the future tense, each tense holds a unique charm that can transform a narrative’s tone and texture. This practice prepares them for tackling complex storytelling techniques.

The choice of point of view shapes the reader’s connection to characters and events. Middle school students can experiment with different perspectives, forging intimate bonds or granting omniscient insight that illuminate the narrative in distinct ways. As they use writing prompt activities, let students explore tenses and perspectives. For example, students may be asked to write from the perspective of a best friend, family member, famous person, or main character. By doing so, they not only refine their writing skills but also cultivate empathy for others, new facts or information, and an appreciation for the language.

PROMPT : Write a short story about an unforgettable adventure. Start by describing the adventure in the first person, using the present tense to immerse the reader in the moment. Then, switch to the third person and past tense to recount the same adventure from an outsider’s perspective. Compare the two versions, considering how the choice of tense and point of view impacts the reader’s experience.

Nature and Environmental Themes

Writing prompts inspired by nature and environmental themes promote ecological awareness and encourage students to contemplate their relationship with the natural world. Some nature and environmental themes to spark imaginative writing activities for middle school students include eco-friendly adventures, a letter to future generations, an imaginary ecosystem, an unexpected encounter, and a day without technology.

PROMPT : Step into the shoes of a young explorer who enters a mystical forest known as “The Whispering Woods.” This forest is said to hold ancient secrets and a strong connection to nature. Write a short story that captures your journey through the woods, describing the sights, sounds, and encounters you experience.

The power of writing prompts for middle school students goes beyond honing writing skills; it encourages them to explore their thoughts, express their creativity, and develop a strong voice in the world of words. By providing a diverse array of prompts that resonate with their interests, challenges, and curiosities, educators can inspire young minds to embark on literary journeys filled with self-discovery and growth.

Voyager Sopris Learning’s writing instruction programs include engaging writing prompts and provide an explicit, multisensory approach to writing instruction. For example, Step Up to Writing ® instructional strategies help students understand the importance of each step in the writing process for increased writing success in all content areas. Download free Step Up to Writing lesson samples to explore the program.

Research-Based Writing Instruction (Grades K–12)

• Classroom Activities/Strategies/Guides

100 Creative Writing Prompts for Middle & High School – 2024

April 15, 2024

Some high school students dream of writing for a living, perhaps pursuing an English major in college, or even attending a creative writing MFA program later on. For other students, creative writing can be useful for school assignments, in English and other subjects, and also for preparing their Common App essays . In a less goal-oriented sense, daily freewriting in a journal can be a healthy life practice for many high schoolers. Not sure where to start? Continue reading for 100 creative writing prompts for middle school and high school students. These middle/high school writing prompts offer inspiration for getting started with writing in a number of genres and styles.

Click here to view the 35 Best Colleges for Creative Writing .

What are Creative Writing Prompts?

Similar to how an academic essay prompt provides a jumping-off point for forming and organizing an argument, creative writing prompts are points of initiation for writing a story, poem, or creative essay. Prompts can be useful for writers of all ages, helping many to get past writer’s block and just start (often one of the most difficult parts of a writing process).

Writing prompts come in a variety of forms. Sometimes they are phrases used to begin sentences. Other times they are questions, more like academic essay prompts Writing prompts can also involve objects such as photographs, or activities such as walking. Below, you will find high school writing prompts that use memories, objects, senses (smell/taste/touch), abstract ideas , and even songs as jumping-off points for creative writing. These prompts can be used to write in a variety of forms, from short stories to creative essays, to poems.

How to use Creative Writing Prompts

Before we get started with the list, are a few tips when using creative writing prompts:

Experiment with different formats : Prose is great, but there’s no need to limit yourself to full sentences, at least at first. A piece of creative writing can begin with a poem, or a dialogue, or even a list. You can always bring it back to prose later if needed.

Interpret the prompt broadly : The point of a creative writing prompt is not to answer it “correctly” or “precisely.” You might begin with the prompt, but then your ideas could take you in a completely different direction. The words in the prompt also don’t need to open your poem or essay, but could appear somewhere in the middle.

Switch up/pile up the prompts : Try using two or three prompts and combine them, or weave between them. Perhaps choose a main prompt, and a different “sub-prompt.” For example, your main prompt might be “write about being in transit from one place to another,” and within that prompt, you might use the prompt to “describe a physical sensation,” and/or one the dialogue prompts.  This could be a fun way to find complexity as you write.

Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School & High School Students (Continued)

Write first, edit later : While you’re first getting started with a prompt, leave the typos and bad grammar. Obsessing over details can take away from your flow of thoughts. You will inevitably make many fixes when you go back through to edit.

Write consistently : It often becomes easier to write when it’s a practice , rather than a once-in-a-while kind of activity. For some, it’s useful to write daily. Others find time to write every few days, or every weekend. Sometimes, a word-count goal can help (100 words a day, 2,000 words a month, etc.). If you set a goal, make sure it’s realistic. Start small and build from there, rather than starting with an unachievable goal and quickly giving up.

100 Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School & High School Teens

Here are some prompts for getting started with your creative writing. These are organized by method, rather than genre, so they can inspire writing in a variety of forms. Pick and choose the ones that work best for you, and enjoy!

Prompts using memories

• Begin each sentence or group of sentences with the phrase, “I remember…”
• Describe a family ritual.
• Choose an event in your life, and write about it from the perspective of someone else who was there.
• Pick a pathway you take on a regular basis (to school, or to a friend’s house). Describe five landmarks that you remember from this pathway.
• Write about your house or apartment using a memory from each room.
• Write an imaginary history of the previous people who lived in your house or apartment.
• Write about an ancestor based on stories you’ve heard from relatives.
• What’s your earliest memory?
• Who was your first friend?
• Write a letter to someone you haven’t seen since childhood.
• Write about yourself now from the perspective of yourself twenty, or eighty, years from now.
• Write about the best month of the year.
• Write about the worst day of the year.
• Rant about something that has always annoyed you.
• Write about the hottest or coldest day you can remember.
• Visualize a fleeting moment in your life and as though it’s a photograph, and time yourself 5 minutes to write every detail you can remember about the scene.
• Draw out a timeline of your life so far. Then choose three years to write about, as though you were writing for a history book.
• Write about a historical event in the first person, as though you remember it.
• Write about a memory of being in transit from one place to another.

Objects and photographs as creative writing prompts

• Describe the first object you see in the room. What importance does it have in your life? What memories do you have with this object? What might it symbolize?
• Pick up an object, and spend some time holding it/examining it. Write about how it looks, feels, and smells. Write about the material that it’s made from.
• Choose a favorite family photograph. What could someone know just by looking at the photograph? What’s secretly happening in the photograph?
• Choose a photograph and tell the story of this photograph from the perspective of someone or something in it.
• Write about a color by describing three objects that are that color.
• Tell the story of a piece of trash.
• Tell the story of a pair of shoes.
• Tell the story of your oldest piece of clothing.

Senses and observations as creative writing prompts

• Describe a sound you hear in the room or outside. Choose the first sound you notice. What are its qualities? It’s rhythms? What other sounds does it remind you of?
• Describe a physical sensation you feel right now, in as much detail as possible.
• Listen to a conversation and write down a phrase that you hear someone say. Start a free-write with this phrase.
• Write about a food by describing its qualities, but don’t say what it is.
• Describe a flavor (salty, sweet, bitter, etc.) to someone who has never tasted it before.
• Narrate your day through tastes you tasted.
• Narrate your day through sounds you heard.
• Narrate your day through physical sensations you felt.
• Describe in detail the physical process of doing an action you consider simple or mundane, like walking or lying down or chopping vegetables.
• Write about the sensation of doing an action you consider physically demanding or tiring, like running or lifting heavy boxes.
• Describe something that gives you goosebumps.
• Write a story that involves drinking a cold glass of water on a hot day.
• Write a story that involves entering a warm house from a cold snowy day.
• Describe someone’s facial features in as much detail as possible.

Songs, books, and other art

• Choose a song quote, write it down, and free-write from there.
• Choose a song, and write a story in which that song is playing in the car.
• Choose a song, and write to the rhythm of that song.
• Choose a character from a book, and describe an event in your life from the perspective of that character.
• Go to a library and write down 10 book titles that catch your eye. Free-write for 5 minutes beginning with each one.
• Go to a library and open to random book pages, and write down 5 sentences that catch your attention. Use those sentences as prompts and free-write for 5-minutes with each.
• Choose a piece of abstract artwork. Jot down 10 words that come to mind from the painting or drawing, and free-write for 2 minutes based on each word.
• Find a picture of a dramatic Renaissance painting online. Tell a story about what’s going on in the painting that has nothing to do with what the artist intended.
• Write about your day in five acts, like a Shakespearean play. If your day were a play, what would be the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution?
• Narrate a complicated book or film plot using only short sentences.
• Read a short poem. Then write a poem that could be a “sister” or “cousin” of that poem.

Abstract ideas as creative writing prompts

• Write about an experience that demonstrates an abstract idea, such as “love” or “home” or “freedom” or “loss” without ever using the word itself.
• Write a list of ways to say “hello” without actually saying “hello.”
• Write a list of ways to say “I love you” without actually saying “I love you.”
• Do you believe in ghosts? Describe a ghost.
• Invent a mode of time travel.
• Glass half-full/half-empty: Write about an event or situation with a positive outlook. Then write about it with a miserable outlook.
• Free-write beginning with “my religion is…” (what comes next can have as much or as little to do with organized religion as you’d like).
• Free-write beginning with “my gender is…” (what comes next can have as much or as little to do with common ideas of gender as you’d like).
• Write about a person or character that is “good” and one that is “evil.” Then write about the “evil” in the good character and the “good” in the evil character.
• Write like you’re telling a secret.
• Describe a moment of beauty you witnessed. What makes something beautiful?

Prompts for playing with narrative and character

• Begin writing with the phrase, “It all started when…”
• Tell a story from the middle of the most dramatic part.
• Write a story that begins with the ending.
• Begin a story but give it 5 possible endings.
• Write a list of ways to dramatically quit a terrible job.
• Write about a character breaking a social rule or ritual (i.e., walking backwards, sitting on the floor of a restaurant, wearing a ballgown to the grocery store). What are the ramifications?
• You are sent to the principal’s office. Justify your bad behavior.
• Re-write a well-known fairytale but set it in your school.
• Write your own version of the TV show trope where someone gets stuck in an elevator with a stranger, or a secret love interest, or a nemesis.
• Imagine a day where you said everything you were thinking, and write about it.
• Write about a scenario in which you have too much of a good thing.
• Write about a scenario in which money can buy happiness.
• Invent a bank or museum heist.
• Invent a superhero, including an origin story.
• Write using the form of the scientific method (question, hypothesis, test, analyze data conclusion).
• Write using the form of a recipe.

Middle School & High School Creative writing prompts for playing with fact vs. fiction

• Write something you know for sure is true, and then, “but maybe it isn’t.” Then explain why that thing may not be true.
• Write a statement and contradict that statement. Then do it again.
• Draft an email with an outlandish excuse as to why you didn’t do your homework or why you need an extension.
• Write about your morning routine, and make it sound extravagant/luxurious (even if it isn’t).
• You’ve just won an award for doing a very mundane and simple task. Write your acceptance speech.
• Write about a non-athletic event as though it were a sports game.
• Write about the most complicated way to complete a simple task.
• Write a brief history of your life, and exaggerate everything.
• Write about your day, but lie about some things.
• Tell the story of your birth.
• Choose a historical event and write an alternative outcome.
• Write about a day in the life of a famous person in history.
• Read an instructional manual, and change three instructions to include some kind of magical or otherwise impossible element.

Prompts for starting with dialogue

• Write a texting conversation between two friends who haven’t spoken in years.
• Write a texting conversation between two friends who speak every day and know each other better than anyone.
• Watch two people on the street having a conversation, and imagine the conversation they’re having. Write it down.
• Write an overheard conversation behind a closed door that you shouldn’t be listening to.
• Write a conversation between two characters arguing about contradicting memories of what happened.
• You have a difficult decision to make. Write a conversation about it with yourself.
• Write a conversation with a total lack of communication.
• Write a job interview gone badly.

Final Thoughts – Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School & High School 

Hopefully you have found several of these creative writing prompts helpful. Remember that when writing creatively, especially on your own, you can mix, match, and change prompts. For more on writing for high school students, check out the following articles:

• College Application Essay Topics to Avoid
• 160 Good Argumentative Essay Topics
• 150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics
• Good Transition Words for Essays
• High School Success

Sarah Mininsohn

With a BA from Wesleyan University and an MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Sarah is a writer, educator, and artist. She served as a graduate instructor at the University of Illinois, a tutor at St Peter’s School in Philadelphia, and an academic writing tutor and thesis mentor at Wesleyan’s Writing Workshop.

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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

10 fun writing activities for the reluctant writer

  10 FUN WRITING ACTIVITIES FOR THE RELUCTANT WRITER

No doubt about it – writing isn’t easy. It is no wonder that many of our students could be described as ‘reluctant writers’ at best. It has been estimated by the National Association of Educational Progress that only about 27% of 8th and 12th Grade students can write proficiently.

As educators, we know that regular practice would go a long way to helping our students correct this underachievement, and sometimes, writing prompts just aren’t enough to light the fire.

But how do we get students, who have long since been turned off writing, to put pen to paper and log in the requisite time to develop their writing chops?

The answer is to make writing fun! In this article, we will look at some creative writing activities where we can inject a little enjoyment into the writing game.

COMPLETE DIGITAL AND PRINT FUN WRITING UNIT

25 FUN and ENGAGING writing tasks your students can complete INDEPENDENTLY with NO PREP REQUIRED that they will absolutely love.

Fully EDITABLE and works as with all DIGITAL PLATFORMS such as Google Classroom, or you can PRINT them for traditional writing tasks.

1. Poetry Scavenger Hunt

The Purpose: This activity encourages students to see the poetry in the everyday language around them while helpfully reinforcing their understanding of some of the conventions of the genre.

The Process: Encourage students to ‘scavenge’ their school, home, and outside the community for snippets of language they can compile into a piece of poetry or a poetic collage. They may copy down or photograph words, phrases, and sentences from signs, magazines, leaflets or even snippets of conversations they overhear while out and about.

Examples of language they collect may range from the Keep Out sign on private property to the destination on the front of a local bus.

Once students have gathered their language together, they can work to build a poem out of the scraps, usually choosing a central theme to give the piece cohesion. They can even include corresponding artwork to enhance the visual appeal of their work, too, if they wish.

The Prize: If poetry serves one purpose, it is to encourage us to look at the world anew with the fresh eyes of a young child. This activity challenges our students to read new meanings into familiar things and put their own spin on the language they encounter in the world around them, reinforcing the student’s grasp on poetic conventions.

2. Story Chains  

The Purpose: Writing is often thought of as a solitary pursuit. For this reason alone, it can be seen as a particularly unattractive activity by many of our more gregarious students. This fun activity exercises students’ understanding of writing structures and engages them in fun, creative collaboration.

The Process: Each student starts with a blank paper and pen. The teacher writes a story prompt on the whiteboard. You’ll find some excellent narrative writing prompts here . For example, each student spends two minutes using the writing prompt to kick-start their writing.  

When they have completed this part of the task, they will then pass their piece of paper to the student next to them. Students then continue the story from where the previous student left off for a given number of words, paragraphs, or length of time.

If organized correctly, you can ensure students receive their own initial story back at the end for the writing of the story’s conclusion .

The Prize: This fun writing activity can be used effectively to reinforce student understanding of narrative writing structures, but it can also be fun to try with other writing genres.

Working collaboratively motivates students to engage with the task, as no one wants to be the ‘weak link’ in the finished piece. But, more than that, this activity encourages students to see writing as a communicative and creative task where there needn’t be a ‘right’ answer. This encourages students to be more willing to take creative risks in their work.

3. Acrostic Associations

The Purpose: This is another great way to get students to try writing poetry – a genre that many students find the most daunting.

The Process: Acrostics are simple poems whereby each letter of a word or phrase begins a new line in the poem. Younger students can start off with something very simple, like their own name or their favorite pet and write this vertically down the page.

Older students can take a word or phrase related to a topic they have been working on or have a particular interest in and write it down on the page before beginning to write.

The Prize: This activity has much in common with the old psychiatrist’s word association technique. Students should be encouraged to riff on ideas and themes generated by the focus word or phrase. They needn’t worry about rhyme and meter and such here, but the preset letter for each line will give them some structure to their meanderings and require them to impose some discipline on their wordsmithery, albeit in a fun and loose manner.

4. The What If Challenge

The Purpose: This challenge helps encourage students to see the link between posing interesting hypothetical questions and creating an entertaining piece of writing.

The Process: To begin this exercise, have the students come up with a single What If question, which they can then write down on a piece of paper. The more off-the-wall, the better!

For example, ‘What if everyone in the world knew what you were thinking?’ or ‘What if your pet dog could talk?’ Students fold up their questions and drop them into a hat. Each student picks one out of the hat before writing on that question for a suitable set amount of time.

Example What If Questions

• “What if you woke up one day and found out that you had the power to time travel?”
• “What if you were the last person on Earth? How would you spend your time?”
• “What if you were granted three wishes, but each one came with a terrible consequence?”
• “What if you discovered a secret portal to another world? Where would you go, and what would you do?”
• “What if you woke up one day with the ability to communicate with animals? How would your life change?”

The Prize: Students are most likely to face the terror of the dreaded Writer’s Block when they are faced with open-ended creative writing tasks.

This activity encourages the students to see the usefulness of posing hypothetical What If questions, even random off-the-wall ones, for kick-starting their writing motors.

Though students begin by answering the questions set for them by others, please encourage them to see how they can set these questions for themselves the next time they suffer from a stalled writing engine.

5. The Most Disgusting Sandwich in the World

The Purpose: Up until now, we have looked at activities encouraging our students to have fun with genres such as fiction and poetry. These genres being imaginative in nature, more easily lend themselves to being enjoyable than some of the nonfiction genres.

But what about descriptive writing activities? In this activity, we endeavor to bring that same level of enjoyment to instruction writing while also cleverly reinforcing the criteria of this genre.

The Process: Undoubtedly, when teaching instruction writing, you will at some point cover the specific criteria of the genre with your students.

These will include things like the use of a title, numbered or bulleted points, time connectives, imperatives, diagrams with captions etc. You will then want the students to produce their own piece of instruction writing or procedural text to display their understanding of how the genre works.

 But, why not try a fun topic such as How to Make the Most Disgusting Sandwich in the World rather than more obvious (and drier!) topics such as How to Tie Your Shoelaces or How to Make a Paper Airplane when choosing a topic for your students to practice their instruction writing chops?

Example of a Most disgusting Sandwich Text

The Prize: As mentioned, with nonfiction genres, in particular, we tend to suggest more banal topics for our students to work on while internalizing the genre’s criteria. Enjoyment and acquiring practical writing skills need not be mutually exclusive.

Our students can just as quickly, if not more easily, absorb and internalize the necessary writing conventions while engaged in writing about whimsical and even nonsensical topics.

if your sandwich is entering the realm of horror, be sure to check our complete guide to writing a scary story here as well.

Daily Quick Writes For All Text Types

Our FUN DAILY QUICK WRITE TASKS will teach your students the fundamentals of CREATIVE WRITING across all text types. Packed with 52 ENGAGING ACTIVITIES

6. Diary Entry of a Future Self

The Purpose: This activity allows students to practice personal writing within the conventions of diary/journal writing. It also challenges them to consider what their world will be like in the future, perhaps stepping a foot into the realm of science fiction.

The Process: Straightforwardly, after working through some examples of diary or journal writing, and reviewing the various criteria of the genre, challenge the students to write an entry at a given milestone in the future.

This may be when they leave school, begin work, go to university, get married, have kids, retire etc. You may even wish to get the students to write an entry for a series of future milestones as part of a more extended project.

Example of Message to Future Me Text

The Prize: Students will get a chance here to exercise their understanding of this type of writing , but more than that, they will also get an opportunity to exercise their imaginative muscles too. They will get to consider what shape their future world will take in this engaging thought experiment that will allow them to improve their writing too.

7. Comic Strip Script

The Purpose: Give your students the chance to improve their dialogue writing skills and to work on their understanding of character development in this fun activity which combines writing with the use of a series of visual elements.

The Process: There are two ways to do this activity. The first requires you to source, or create, a comic strip minus the dialogue the characters are speaking. This may be as straightforward as using whiteout to erase the words in speech bubbles and making copies for your students to complete.

Alternatively, provide the students with photographs/pictures and strips of cards for them to form their own action sequences . When students have their ‘mute’ strips, they can begin to write the dialogue/script to link the panels together.

The Prize: When it comes to writing, comic strips are probably one of the easier sells to reluctant students! This activity also allows students to write for speech. This will stand to them later when they come to produce sections of dialogue in their narrative writing or when producing play or film scripts.

They will also develop their visual literacy skills as they scan the pictures for clues of tone and context before they begin their writing.

Keep It Fun

Just as we should encourage our students to read for fun and wider educational benefits, we should also work to instil similar attitudes towards writing. To do this means we must work to avoid always framing writing in the context of a chore, that bitter pill that must be swallowed for the good of our health.

There is no getting away from the fact that writing can, at times, be laborious. It is time-consuming and, for most of us, difficult at the best of times. There is a certain, inescapable amount of work involved in becoming a competent writer.

That said, as we have seen in the activities above, with a bit of creative thought, we can inject fun into even the most practical of writing activities . All that is required is a dash of imagination and a sprinkling of effort.

8. Character Interviews

The Purpose: Character interviews as writing activities are excellent for students because they encourage creative thinking, character development, and empathy. The purpose of this activity is to help students delve deeper into the minds of the characters they are creating in their stories or reading about in literature. By conducting interviews with these characters, students gain a better understanding of their personalities, motivations, and perspectives.

The Process of character interviews involves students imagining themselves as interviewers and their characters as interviewees. They can either write out the questions and answers in a script-like format or write a narrative where the character responds to the questions in their own voice.

The Prize: Through character interviews, students learn several valuable skills:

• Character Development: By exploring various aspects of their characters’ lives, backgrounds, and experiences, students can develop more well-rounded and authentic characters in their stories. This helps make their fictional creations more relatable and engaging to readers.
• Empathy and Perspective: Conducting interviews requires students to put themselves in their characters’ shoes, considering their thoughts, emotions, and struggles. This cultivates empathy and a deeper understanding of human behavior, which can be applied to real-life situations as well.
• Voice and Dialogue: In crafting the character’s responses, students practice writing authentic dialogue and giving their characters unique voices. This skill is valuable for creating dynamic and believable interactions between characters in their stories.
• Creative Expression: Character interviews provide a creative outlet for students to let their imaginations run wild. They can explore scenarios that may not appear in the main story and discover new aspects of their characters they might not have considered before.
• Critical Thinking: Formulating questions for the interview requires students to think critically about their characters’ personalities and backgrounds. This exercise enhances their analytical skills and storytelling abilities.

Overall, character interviews are a dynamic and enjoyable way for students to delve deeper into the worlds they create or the literature they read. It nurtures creativity, empathy, and writing skills, empowering students to become more proficient and imaginative writers.

9. The Travel Journal

The Purpose: Travel journal writing tasks are excellent for students as they offer a unique and immersive way to foster creativity, cultural awareness, and descriptive writing skills. The purpose of this activity is to allow students to embark on a fictional or real travel adventure, exploring new places, cultures, and experiences through the eyes of a traveller.

The process of a travel journal writing task involves students assuming the role of a traveler and writing about their journey in a journal format. They can describe the sights, sounds, tastes, and emotions they encounter during their travels. This activity encourages students to use vivid language, sensory details, and expressive writing to bring their travel experiences to life.

The Prize: Through travel journal writing tasks, students will learn several valuable skills:

• Descriptive Writing: By describing their surroundings and experiences in detail, students enhance their descriptive writing skills, creating engaging and vivid narratives.
• Cultural Awareness: Travel journals encourage students to explore different cultures, customs, and traditions. This helps broaden their understanding and appreciation of diversity.
• Empathy and Perspective: Through writing from the perspective of a traveler, students develop empathy and gain insight into the lives of people from different backgrounds.
• Research Skills: For fictional travel journals, students might research specific locations or historical periods to make their narratives more authentic and accurate.
• Reflection and Self-Expression: Travel journals offer a space for students to reflect on their own emotions, thoughts, and personal growth as they encounter new experiences.
• Creativity and Imagination: For fictional travel adventures, students get to unleash their creativity and imagination, envisioning fantastical places and scenarios.
• Language and Vocabulary: Travel journal writing tasks provide opportunities for students to expand their vocabulary and experiment with expressive language.

Overall, travel journal writing tasks inspire students to become more observant, empathetic, and skilled writers. They transport them to new worlds and foster a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around them. Whether writing about real or imaginary journeys, students develop a deeper connection to the places they encounter, making this activity both educational and enjoyable.

10. The Fairy Tale Remix

The Purpose: A fairy tale remix writing activity is a fantastic creative exercise for students as it allows them to put a unique spin on classic fairy tales, fostering imagination, critical thinking, and storytelling skills. This activity encourages students to think outside the box, reinterpret well-known tales, and explore their creative potential by transforming traditional narratives into something entirely new and exciting.

The process of a fairy tale remix writing activity involves students selecting a familiar fairy tale and altering key elements such as characters, settings, plot twists, or outcomes. They can modernize the story, change the genre, or even mix different fairy tales together to create a wholly original piece.

The Prize: Through this activity, students will learn several valuable skills:

• Creative Thinking: Students exercise their creativity by brainstorming unique concepts and ideas to remix the fairy tales, encouraging them to think imaginatively.
• Critical Analysis: Analyzing the original fairy tale to identify essential elements to keep and areas to remix helps students develop critical thinking skills and understand storytelling structures.
• Writing Techniques: Crafting a remix requires students to use descriptive language, engaging dialogue, and well-developed characters, helping them hone their writing techniques.
• Perspective and Empathy: Remixing fairy tales allows students to explore different character perspectives, promoting empathy and understanding of diverse points of view.
• Genre Exploration: Remixing fairy tales can introduce students to various genres like science fiction, fantasy, or mystery, expanding their literary horizons.
• Originality: Creating their own narrative twists and unexpected plots encourages students to take ownership of their writing and develop a unique voice.
• Storytelling: Students learn the art of compelling storytelling as they weave together familiar elements with innovative ideas, captivating their readers.

By remixing fairy tales, students embark on a creative journey that empowers them to reimagine well-loved stories while honing their writing skills and imaginative prowess. It’s an engaging and enjoyable way for students to connect with literature, explore new possibilities, and showcase their storytelling talents.

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55 Creative Writing Activities and Exercises

Have you ever heard these questions or statements from your students?

• I don’t know where to begin.
• How can I make my story interesting?
• I’m just not creative.
• What should my story be about?

If so, you won’t want to miss these creative writing activities. 

What Are Creative Writing Activities?

Activities that teach creative writing serve as drills to exercise your student’s writing muscle. When used effectively, they help reluctant writers get past that intimidating blank paper and encourage the words to flow. 

When I think of creative writing exercises , writing prompts immediately come to mind. And, yes, writing from a prompt is certainly an example of a creative writing activity (a highly effective one). 

However, writing prompts are only one way to teach creative writing. Other types of activities include games, collaboration with others, sensory activities, and comic strip creation to name a few.

Unlike writing assignments, creative writing activities aren’t necessarily meant to create a perfectly polished finished project. 

Instead, they serve as more of a warmup and imagination boost.

Picture-based writing exercises are especially fun. You can download one for free below!

get this picture prompt printable for free!

How to use creative writing exercises effectively.

When teaching creative writing , the most effective exercises inspire and engage the student. 

Remember that worn-out prompt your teacher probably hauled out every year? 

“What I Did This Summer…” 

Cue the groaning. 

Instead of presenting your student with lackluster topics like that one, let’s talk about ways to engage and excite them. 

For Kids or Beginners

Early writers tend to possess misconceptions about writing. Many picture sitting down for hours straight, polishing a story from beginning to end. 

Even for experienced writers, this is next-to-impossible to do. It’s preconceived ideas like these that overwhelm and discourage students before they’ve even started. 

Instead of assigning an essay to complete, start with simple, short writing exercises for elementary students such as:

• Creating comic strips using a template
• Talking out loud about a recent dream
• Writing a poem using rhyming words you provide
• Creating an acrostic from a special word

Creative writing exercises don’t have to end in a finished piece of work. If the exercise encouraged creative thinking and helped the student put pen to paper, it’s done its job. 

For Middle School

Creative writing activities for middle school can be a little more inventive. They now have the fundamental reading and writing skills to wield their words properly. 

Here are some ideas for middle school writing exercises you can try at home:

• Creating Mad Lib-style stories by changing out nouns, verbs, and adjectives in their favorite tales
• Storyboarding a short film
• Writing a family newsletter
• Creating crossword puzzles

For High School 

Your high school student may be starting to prepare for college essays and other important creative writing assignments. 

It’s more critical than ever for her to exercise her writing skills on a regular basis. 

One great way to keep your high schooler’s mind thinking creatively is to have her make “listicles” of tips or facts about something she’s interested in already. 

Another fun and effective creative writing exercise for high school is to have your student retell classic stories with a twist. 

List of 55 Creative Writing Activities for Students of All Ages

No matter what age range your students may be, I think you’ll find something that suits their personality and interests in this list of creative writing ideas. Enjoy! 

• Using only the sense of hearing, describe your surroundings. 
• Write a paragraph from your shoes’ point of view. How do they view the world? What does a “day in the life of a shoe” look like?
• Imagine what the world will be like in 200 years. Describe it. 
• Write a letter to someone you know who moved away. What has he or she missed? Should he or she move back? Why? 
• Make up an imaginary friend. What does he or she look like? What does he or she like to do?
• Create a story about a person you know. Use as many details as possible.
• Write a poem that describes a place you have been.
• Soak up the season you’re in with seasonal creative writing prompts. Here are some ideas for fall and winter .
• Write a song where each line starts with the next letter in the alphabet. 
• Create a list of words related to something you love.
• Write a short story based on a true event in your life.
• Rewrite a chapter of your favorite book from the antagonist’s point of view. 
• Write a letter to your future self. What do you want to make sure you remember?
• Go on a five-senses scavenger hunt. Find three items for each sense. Create a story using the items you found. 
• Create a story around an interesting picture ( try these fun picture writing prompts! )
• Find an ad in a magazine or elsewhere and rewrite the description to convince people NOT to buy the advertised item.
• Write a story using the last word of each sentence as the first word of the next.
• Describe everything you’re sensing right now, using all five senses.
• Write a list of animals A to Z with a one-sentence description of each one. Feel free to include imaginary animals.
• Design your dream room in detail.
• Write a script of yourself interviewing a famous person. Include his or her answers.
• Describe what high school would be like if you lived on the moon. What would you be learning about? How would you be learning it?
• Describe a day in the life of a famous person in history. Include both mundane and exciting details of things they may have experienced on a normal day.
• Pick up something on a bookshelf or end table nearby. Now write a commercial script for it to convince your audience that they absolutely must own this thing.
• Plan a birthday party for your best friend. Describe the decorations, food, and everything else.
• Write a very short story about three siblings fighting over a toy. Now rewrite it twice, each time from a different character’s perspective.
• Tell a story from the point of view of a pigeon on a city street.
• Create a menu for a deli you’ll be opening soon. Name each sandwich after something or someone in real life and list the fillings and type of bread.
• Pretend you just became famous for something. Write 3 exciting newspaper headlines about the topic or reason behind your newfound fame.
• Keep a one-line-a-day journal. Every day, write down one thought or sentence about something that happened that day or how you felt about the day.
• Have you ever had a nightmare? Write what happened but with a new ending where everything turns out okay (perhaps the monster was your dad in a costume, preparing to surprise you at your birthday party).
• Write a “tweet” about something that happened to you recently, using only 140 characters. 
• Take an important event in your life or the life of someone in your family. Write one sentence answering each of the 6 journalistic questions: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.
• Set a timer for 5 minutes and write nonstop, starting with the words “I remember.” If you get stuck, write “I remember” again until you get unstuck.
• Pick something you use often (a toothbrush, your desk, etc). Then tell the story of how it was invented. If you don’t know, make something up.
• Choose a princess or hero and write a one-paragraph story about him or her traveling to a distant land.
• Pretend you are a tour guide for a local attraction. It can be a library, a park, or a museum, but it could also be a place that wouldn’t normally hold tours (such as an arcade). Write a speech about what you tell your tour group as you walk around the attraction.
• Create a marketing brochure for your favorite activity or fun place to go.
• Make a list of 10 future story settings. Write one sentence describing each. For example, “ in the dark, musty cellar of my grandmother’s house, surrounded by dried-up jars of canned peaches… ”
• Make a list of foods included in a dinner party catered by the world’s worst cook, describing how each course looks, smells, and tastes. Include your reactions while eating it.
• Write out your own version of instructions for playing your favorite game.
• Pretend you’ve lost your sight for one night. Describe going out to eat at a restaurant, using smells, textures, and sounds to tell your story.
• Write a script for an interesting phone conversation in which the reader can only hear one side. 
• Tell the story of an object someone threw away from the perspective of the person who tossed it out. Then tell the story of that same object from the perspective of a person who finds it and deems it a treasure.
• List your 3 least favorite chores. Pick one and write a one paragraph detailing why you can’t possibly complete that chore ever again.
• Write an excerpt from your dog’s diary (pretend he keeps one).
• Write the script for a movie trailer—real or imagined.
• Create an acrostic for a holiday of your choice. 
• Pretend you’re the master of a role-playing game, describing a sticky situation in which the other players now find themselves. Describe the scenario in writing.
• Compose a funny or dramatic caption for a photo.
• Parents, place a textured object in a box without letting your student see it. Have him or her reach in, touch the object, and then describe how it feels.
• Write lyrics for a parody of a song.
• Make a list of 10-20 songs that would be played if a movie was made about your life.
• Describe the sounds, smells, sights, and textures you’d experience if you went to the beach for the day.
• Write an election speech with ludicrous and impossible campaign promises.

One of the best ways to encourage students to write regularly is by providing fun creative writing activities . 

They serve to encourage both the habit and mindset of writing with imagination. If you need extra help with that, check out Creative Freewriting Adventure :

bring excitement into your student’s writing – no prep required!

About the author.

Jordan Mitchell

• HOW TO GET STUDENTS WRITING IN 5 MINUTES OR LESS

Writer’s Workshop Middle School: The Ultimate Guide

Feb 23, 2021

Writer’s Workshop Middle School: The Ultimate Guide defines the writer’s workshop model, its essential components, pros and cons, step-by-step set-up, and further resources.

What is the writer’s workshop model?

Writer’s workshop is a method of teaching writing developed by Donald Graves and Donald Murray , amongst other teacher-researchers.

The writer’s workshop provides a student-centered environment where students are given time, choice, and voice in their learning. The teacher nurtures the class by creating and mentoring a community of writers.

So, why does the writer’s workshop in middle school matter?

Students learn more during the writer’s workshop because you can mentor them toward what they need to know and practice, and they have lots of time to write and read in order to improve at their own pace (to an extent). 

For example, if the skill I need to teach is how authors use mood and tone to create meaning , then I would use a mentor text to teach that concept. However, after reading, the focus will not be on answering questions about the text in written form. Instead, I demonstrate how writers choose particular words and the arrangement of those words to create a mood and tone. 

Students then try creating mood and tone with their own pieces of writing. Only after students have practiced their own creations, do I then circle back around to other literature for students to practice literary analysis of mood and tone and its effect on meaning.

Why I focus on writing in the ELA classroom?

I’ve found students are more likely to read assigned texts if I’ve given them a reason to use those texts. That reason? To apply what they learn from mentor texts to their choice writing. Middle school students love to express themselves in creative ways, and by giving students this choice, you build engagement and motivation to continue learning.

The essential components of the writer’s workshop in middle school are:

• Time to write daily 
• Student choice 
• Exploring the writer’s voice
• Building a community of writers
• Mentor teaching 

1. Time to Write Daily

Students need a chance to write daily. Various ways you can do this are through Bell Ringers at the beginning of the class, writing during the mini-lesson, and writing projects during workshop time. My students use writing journals because they need a space to think before they face a blank computer screen.

Students do read in my classes. However, their purpose for reading is to become better writers. This reading is either assigned, student choice, or a choice between the assigned reading and student choice, depending on the skill or concept I’m targeting that week. 

This is how I break up our daily writing:

• Write Now (bell ringer) 
• Mini-lesson and sharing 
• Writing/Reading Workshop while I confer with writers 
• Short turn and talk, log off computers and pack up 

Below is an example of my story writer’s workshop time transformation. This is what I use when we are writing narratives. I’m using a fantasy magic theme here:

2. Student Choice

To keep students motivated to write, you want to build in student choice whenever and wherever possible. Just to clarify, you don’t have to give them choices for everything they do. 

For one thing, that would be as overwhelming as shopping on the cereal aisle at your local grocery store. Just too many choices. 

When I introduce a concept, I may give them a few choices on how students can practice that concept. If I give them a writing assignment, I often allow them ONE choice in topic, genre, audience, or mode of writing. 

If you need students to complete an assignment/activity within a certain time period, tell them ahead of time. Let them know they can turn in an excerpt if they want to write something longer than you expect. 

Of course, this is not always possible. They need to learn how to write within certain time parameters. So, let them practice this through timed writings or word sprints .

One way to help students with choice is to have them do listing activities frequently. They could even have a section in their writing notebooks just for lists of ideas.  

3. Exploring the writer’s voice

Writer’s voice – that elusive term that most writers have no idea how to achieve until they’ve written for a while, and then finally realize they have it. The ultimate goal for me as a writing teacher is to help my students to find their voice.

I want students to be able to explore what is important to them personally and to explore how they can share this with others. From encouraging students to participate in small group sharing to author’s celebrations, students need the opportunity to see their writing voice matters.

There are so many different ways for kids to publish safely online – Edublogs, Adobe Spark, Google Sites, FlipGrid, etc. 

4. Building a community of writers in your writer’s workshop for middle school

Middle school students are very social, but even the quiet writers need to socialize often with other writers. This component of the writer’s workshop for middle school is what makes this model an actual workshop.

Students share their writing with each other. Usually, I allow for natural partnerships and groups to form. However, at the beginning of the year, I often pair up students for short activities. This helps everyone feel more comfortable with each other.   

One way I build a community of writers is to play the name game at the beginning of the year. We all stand in a circle and we toss a ball to each other and say our name and all the people who have had the ball tossed to them. It gets fun when students start to forget names. They all start out being self-conscious but end up laughing and smiling.  

Another way to build a community is during share time. I have students write in their notebooks as soon as they come into the classroom as a warm-up, starter activity that I call Write Nows. These Write Nows are projected up on the screen, and students write for 2-5 minutes. After this, I ask students to turn and talk to a neighbor about what they wrote. 

Sometimes this writing is a review of the previous day or another activity that goes along with the skill we are learning. Other times it is a prewriting activity that helps break writer’s block .

Write a Letter to your Students

To help students get to know me as a community member, I write a letter to them and they write back to me. This starts the relationship-building between my students and me within the first week, and I conference with the students about their letters. This also gets them into the swing of a writer’s workshop.

My students love this letter-writing activity that I’ve done every year for the past 24 years. It’s a hit every year and establishes the tone and mood of our workshop.

5. Teacher as Writing Mentor

One of the most important components of the writer’s workshop in middle school is you – the writing teacher.

To teach writing well, you should write along with your students. Over the years, I’ve written on transparencies, used a document camera, and filmed myself writing. All of these methods work. Generally, I write along with students during the bell-ringer activity, which I call Write Now, but sometimes I’ve prewritten the Write Now.

Additionally, I show students my various writing projects, both published and unpublished, during daily lessons.

My students have seen this blog, heard my podcasts , listened to me read aloud from stories I’ve written and/or published. My students are the ones who pushed me to publish my first YA books . You’ll be amazed at what you come up with and how this creates a bond with your students that lasts a lifetime.

Also, by completing the writing assignments you assign, you’ll be able to empathize with and anticipate the writer’s struggle with each assignment.

Terms to Know for Writing Workshop

This is not an exhaustive list, but one that will be added to as I find more terms that should be added here.

Activity:   the practice of a skill or process, especially when gaining new knowledge

Assignment: a product created by the student after practicing a skill or process that may be revised up until a particular due date

Bell ringer: a beginning of the period activity (I call these Write Nows in my class)

Blended learning environment: in-person LIVE teaching and learning or digital learning with recorded lessons

Conference: a meeting between teacher and student about their writing

Journal write:  handwriting in a journal for ideas, bell ringers, collecting information, etc.

Mini-lesson: a short 5-10 minute lesson that teaches either a whole or partial skill or process

Mastery Learning: quizzing students on their conceptual knowledge, giving them different activities based on the results of their quizzes – either reteach or extend – and quizzing again. Revisions can also be mastery-learning pieces. 

Mentor texts: well-written, multicultural texts used to demonstrate a literary concept or style

Rubric: a breakdown of the skill into levels of learning – students revise to earn a higher level

Writing Workshop Middle School Pros and Cons

• Builds student relationships with you and each other – lots of SEL
• Easier to differentiate for students than the traditional classroom model
• Grading can be accomplished during conferences
• Students are more engaged and begin to enjoy writing
• They might even enjoy reading more, too
• Mini-lessons are short, sweet and to the point, less prep time for presentations 
• Breaking through writer’s block
• Teaching students how to use the technology 
• Helping students revise if they don’t have access to technology
• Adapting to technology challenges that arise (switch to writing journals or change Internet browsers) 
• Deadlines can be difficult to manage sometimes

As far as time management is concerned – one of the things I am going to stress to my students is the need for getting assignments turned in, even if it’s not perfect. I need to be able to keep them to deadlines. So, this year, I’m going to teach my student’s Parkinson’s Law :

How to start a writer’s workshop for middle school

These are the steps I’m taking this year to start my writer’s workshop, and I’ve used these for quite a few years now. Some steps may be done simultaneously on the same day. There will be future blog posts about each of these steps.

• Create a welcoming classroom space.
• Decide what technology you will be using – hardware and software. If you need help with Canvas LMS, click here .
• Send out your course syllabus with materials students will need for your course.
• Create a course outline based on your school’s curriculum guides or state standards. 
• Plan and post your first 2 weeks of lessons and assignments into your online course (if you are using technology in your course).
• Establish classroom expectations and routines.
• Build a classroom community of writers.
• Show students how to navigate your course online.
• Write a letter to your students and have them write back to you as their first assignment.
• Confer with your writers as they are writing their letters and make a list for yourself of things students need to work on with their writing.
• Set up writing journals and begin writing workshop routines.
• During mini-lessons, teach the 5 tricks that break writer’s block .
• Students write in journals to gather ideas and begin writing pieces.
• Assign a short writing piece and confer with writers during workshop time. 
• Teach ONE revision strategy during a mini-lesson, depending on your curriculum.
• Teach ONE editing strategy during a mini-lesson, depending on your curriculum.
• Allow writers to revise and edit before turning in their first short writing assignment.
• Celebrate your writers with the Author’s Chair presentations.
• Continue writer’s workshop by using daily bell ringers, mini-lessons about writing and reading, sharing, writing/reading workshop, conferencing, and turn and talk.
• Breakaway from the writer’s workshop routine every once in a while to play – escape rooms, read-arounds, watch a movie, celebrate authors, group brainstorm, catching up on overdue assignments.

References for Writing Workshop in Middle School

Atwell, Nancie. In the Middle: A Lifetime of Learning about Writing, Reading, and Adolescence. Heinemann, 2014.

Graves, Donald H. “All Children Can Write.” http://www.ldonline.org/article/6204/  

Lane, Barry. After The End: Teaching and Learning Creative Revision. Heinemann, 2015.  

Murray, Donald. “The Listening Eye: Reflections on the Writing Conference”  https://secure.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/CE/1979/0411-sep1979/CE0411Listening.pdf

Learning materials for Writing Workshop for Middle School

Writing Literary & Informative Analysis Paragraphs

Students struggle with writing a literary analysis , especially in middle school as the text grows more rigorous, and the standards become more demanding. This resource is to help you scaffold your students through the process of writing literary analysis paragraphs for CCSS ELA-Literacy RL.6.1-10 for Reading Literature and RI.6.1-10 Reading Information. These paragraphs can be later grouped together into writing analytical essays.

PEEL, RACE, ACE, and all the other strategies did not work for all of my students all of the time, so that’s why I created these standards-based resources.

These standards-based writing activities for all Common Core Reading Literature and Informational standards help scaffold students through practice and repetition since these activities can be used over and over again with ANY literary reading materials.

Included in these resources:

• step-by-step lesson plans
• poster for literary skills taught in this resource
• rubrics for assessments standards-based
• vocabulary activities and notes standard-based
• graphic organizers that incorporate analysis of the literature and information standard-based
• paragraph frames for students who need extra scaffolding standard-based
• sentence stems to get students started sentence-by-sentence until they master how to write for each standard
• digital version that is Google SlidesTM compatible with all student worksheets

List Making: This resource helps students make 27 different lists of topics they could write about.

Sensory Details:  This resource will help you to teach your students to SHOW, not tell. Descriptive writing with a sensory details flipbook and engaging activities that will get your students thinking creatively and writing with style.

Included in this resource are 2 digital files:

• Lesson Plans PDF that includes step-by-step lesson plans, a grading rubric to make grading faster and easier, along with suggestions for what to do after mind mapping.
• Google SlidesTM version of the Student Digital Writer’s Notebook allows students endless amounts of writing simply by duplicating a slide.

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9 Festive Holiday-Themed Writing Activities For Middle School ELA

Looking to fill the last weeks of December with holiday-themed writing activities? You’ve come to the right place! Channel your holiday spirit while engaging students in fun yet meaningful learning opportunities.

Many teachers feel like getting anything meaningful done in these last weeks of December is impossible. And, yes, as winter break inches closer, it becomes more challenging to keep students on task. However, if you find creative ways to bring festive fun into your classroom, you can channel the holiday spirit into meaningful learning opportunities. 

I’m here to help you leverage that festive (and sometimes chaotic) energy to engage students in writing activities that align with educational standards and bring the holiday magic into your classroom. The best part? It doesn’t have to involve hours of planning and prep work. (That’s a gift in itself.)

Read on to discover my favorite low-prep writing activities designed to keep students engaged in learning while having a holly jolly time in the weeks leading up to the holiday break.

9 Fun & Festive Writing Activities

Stop battling the “pre-winter break” struggle with your students. Instead, make the most of the holiday spirit by assigning these festive and fun writing activities perfect for December!

1. Character Ugly Sweater Contest

Like an ugly sweater contest, but make it literary.

Hosting a character ugly sweater contest is the perfect way to combine characterization with a little holiday fun. This activity seamlessly blends creative artwork with analytical writing, challenging students to design a Christmas sweater for a literary character. Start with a blank ugly sweater template . Then, let students have fun decorating an “ugly” sweater that represents their chosen character, including quotes, images, symbols, adjectives, and more. Have each student write a paragraph analysis explaining their choices, turning a classic festive sweater into an opportunity for character exploration and analysis.

Alternatively, you can have your students create symbolic sweaters representing a theme or an entire novel!

2. Winter-Themed Poetry

A perfect writing activity for December and beyond.

If you’re looking to steer clear of specific holidays, winter-themed poetry is the perfect option. Encourage your students to explore the beauty of winter through the lens of poetry. This is a perfect opportunity for students to showcase their knowledge of figurative language and poetic devices. Students will have a blast bringing winter to life through symbolism, metaphors, personification, symbolism, onomatopoeia, and more! To add an extra layer of creativity, have students exchange and illustrate each other’s poems, putting their descriptive writing to the ultimate test. Then, they can go around matching the illustrations to the poems.

If you want to kick up the holiday spirit, have your students write magically descriptive poems about abstract concepts, like holiday cheer, or concrete images, like a Christmas tree.

3. “Paint” a Picture with Sensory Details

Oh, what fun it is to write with sensory details!

Looking for a quick yet effective writing activity this December? This is it. Challenge students to describe the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures associated with the holidays. Whether it’s the scent of gingerbread, a twinkling Christmas tree, or the soft crunch of snow under your boots, students bring classic holiday settings or items to life with this fun writing challenge. Encourage them to create a description by combining descriptive writing and as many of the five senses as possible.

Want to add a little twist? Have students share their descriptions, and their peers guess the holiday element based on the vivid sensory details.

4. Holiday Memories

Practice narrative writing with a holiday twist.

Teaching narrative writing is a must in the secondary classroom, and it certainly comes with its challenges. Luckily, December is the perfect time to inspire and engage students in narrative writing prompts. Rather than the dreaded “I have nothing to write about” roadblock, students tend to have more to say regarding their favorite holiday memories and traditions. Challenge them to delve into their most cherished holiday memories, describing them with great detail through sensory language and imagery. Remind students that their pieces should make the reader feel like they were also experiencing the moment.

This reflective exercise sharpens narrative writing skills while tapping into the magic of the holidays.

5. “Roll Out” a Holiday Story

Another festive activity to help students surpass writer’s block.

Break through the “what do I write about” roadblock with the “Roll Out” A Holiday Story activity. Select six holiday-related options for classic story elements such as character, setting, conflict, and theme. Assign each option a number 1-6 so when students roll the dice for each component, it will determine a brainstorm for their narrative. Not only does this spark creativity, it also gives each student something more specific to write about while leaving plenty of room for creative fun. These unique plots often turn out festive and sweet or ridiculously funny, making them a joy to read.

This engaging exercise transforms the (often dreaded) writing process into a fun and festive game, making it both entertaining and intellectually stimulating.

6. A Festive Argument

Teenagers love to argue, right? So, why not make it festive?

While this activity has the main elements of a classic argumentative writing activity, it has a festive twist. Rather than choosing from traditional argumentative prompts regarding social media or school uniforms, provide students with a list of holiday-themed topics to take a stance on. This writing activity requires them to employ persuasive and argumentative writing techniques, incorporating ethos, pathos, and logos, to make their case. Despite the holiday twist, students must articulate their opinions in a structured and convincing manner.

Some favorite topics include arguing for the best Christmas tradition, holiday movie, or winter activity. Feel free to steal these for your classroom!

7. A Children’s Christmas Book

Who doesn’t love a good Christmas story?

This activity is a great way to review plot structure and get into the Christmas spirit. Invite students to gather around as you read a few of your favorite Christmas stories before encouraging them to write (and illustrate) one of their own. Students will craft holiday tales, bringing the magic of storytelling to life through words and illustrations. It’s also a perfect opportunity for students to exercise their knowledge of theme and descriptive writing. Spread the cheer by teaming up with a local elementary classroom and having your students read their stories to the younger kids.

Remember, it’s possible that some of your students don’t celebrate Christmas. Adjust this activity to best reflect your students’ winter holidays and traditions.

8. A Recipe for the Perfect Holiday

Talk about a recipe for festive fun!

Writing about abstract concepts can be challenging for students. That’s where this activity comes into play. Rather than the pressure of diving into an abstract concept in an analytical essay, students will transform holiday-related abstract ideas into concrete creations with this fun and creative writing activity. Instead of writing a recipe for holiday food, students will write their recipe for the perfect holiday. Students must create a list of “ingredients” before bringing it all together with a step-by-step process. Since holidays mean something different to each person based on their experiences and traditions, this is a personalized activity packed with meaning.

Have students bring in their favorite holiday recipe (for an actual food or beverage) to share with the class and serve as inspiration for the elements of a recipe.

9. Gingerbread House Listing

Get ready for a tasty treat of persuasive writing!

In this writing activity, students aren’t necessarily decorating gingerbread houses, but they are trying to sell them. Have students put on their realtor hats and use persuasive writing to “sell” their very own gingerbread house. Students will draw a gingerbread house before creating a compelling real-estate listing, attempting to convince you to make a purchase. I recommend having students review actual house listings first to get inspiration and build a stronger understanding of what to include. This hands-on approach combines real-life writing with creativity and holiday fun.

You can take this a step further by letting your students actually build their gingerbread houses for a delicious extension activity!

Even More Holiday Writing Activities

Ho, ho, ho no it doesn’t end there! Here are a few more holiday writing activities to sprinkle into your plans over the next few weeks.

• Assign festive bell ringers
• Write a Christmas dialogue
• Provide holiday story starters
• Create Christmas movie character diary entries
• Write creative holiday-themed news articles
• Take a stance on the great real vs. fake tree debate
• Correct grammar in holiday-themed sentences

So Much Holiday Writing Fun to Have, So Little Time

If you’re like me, you may want to do all of the things. But trying to do that (in the weeks leading up to the holiday break, no less) is enough to drive any teacher insane. And I’m all for supporting teachers in maintaining their sanity during these next few weeks. In fact, if you need some tips to help you do so, check out my teacher’s guide to surviving the holiday season .

If you’re torn between choosing from multiple writing activities in this post, consider doing a Holiday writing choice board. Your middle school students will love the freedom to select a writing activity that resonates with their interests. The element of choice promotes a sense of ownership over their writing while keeping students engaged and focused on festive yet meaningful activities leading up to winter break.

It’s Time to Get Festive!

Rather than fighting to get your students to pay attention, channel their festive spirit into meaningful classroom experiences. Trust me, it works wonders. So, if your students normally moan and groan when you assign writing, get ready for a change! Middle school students always eat these festive writing activities up.

What other fun and festive writing activities do you have to add to the list? Let me know in a comment below!

Looking to incorporate even more holiday fun in your classroom? Here are 8 more festive ELA activities to try !

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6 Fun and Educational Earth Day Activities for Middle and High School Students

Kids learn more from hands-on experiences!

Apr. 15 2024, Published 3:12 p.m. ET

Earth Day is an annual celebration that inspires many people to stop and reflect on how much of an impact their day-to-day lifestyle has on the planet. And while it may be hard for younger children like preschoolers to really understand what it means to live more sustainably, tweens and teens are the perfect age to appreciate the difference that even some of the smallest changes can make.

That's what makes Earth Day a great opportunity to teach your middle and high school aged kids about their relationship with the environment through fun and impactful activities . Whether you're a parent or teacher, take a look at this list of six Earth Day project ideas and see if you can find something that your older kids may enjoy doing!

Track the amount of trash you create.

When it comes to figuring out which age group produces the most waste, younger kiddos normally hold the title thanks to all the diapers and wipes , but that doesn't mean that teens aren't running up a trash tally, too. The Suburban Science blog says that having kids record or collect each single-use item they go through during the week could be a fantastic way to teach them about data collection, math, and personal responsibility !

Use a writing prompt to connect with the environment.

Giving teens or tweens a writing prompt can inspire them to look at things they take for granted in a whole new way. Consider asking your students to write about changes they'd like to see within their own community, have them make suggestions about what people can do on a larger scale to combat climate change, or have them get creative and invite them to compose music, poems, or even an original story about nature!

Build a community garden.

Try getting your teens to start a community garden — or even just a small gardening project — either at home or with friends at their school.

Not only can this teach them about collaborating with others, it may also help them to better understand the connection between the things we eat and the environment!

Help them plan an environmental debate.

The "why" phase may be over, but teens do love to ask questions and argue for what they believe in . And, while those points may normally be about extending curfew or hanging out with friends on a school night, having them practice their debate skills on one another may be a great way to have them learn more about the environment. Who knows, you may inspire one of your students to become the next Greta Thunberg simply by introducing them to the art form. Every activist starts somewhere!

Schedule a community cleanup.

Inspire your kids to think globally but act locally by scheduling a community cleanup . Whether they want to set something super informal up with a few friends, or spread the word at school so that everyone shows up to a designated area to start cleaning on Earth Day, getting people out together and picking trash can be a great way to not only clean up the neighborhood, but to prompt them to think about what happens to their trash after it's gone.

Teach them about invasive species.

Between invasive bugs like the spotted lantern fly, to plants like Kudzu that are choking out native forests, there are a lot of species that have been introduced into environments where they don't belong. Showing your students what these invasive species look like, while explaining the impact their presence has in your local environment, can teach them so much about how things both big and small work together in harmony.

Not only that, it may help to teach the next generation the dangers of gardening with plants that aren't beneficial to your region, creating a whole new generation of native gardeners who know to shop local when it comes time to add flowers to their yards!

Invasive Kudzu Vines Strangling Fiji’s Island of Vanua Levu — Where Do They Come From?

The Spotted Lanternfly: What to Do If You See One, and Why It’s Important to Take Action

4 Young Climate Activists on Intersectionality in Climate Justice, Fighting From Home, and More

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