How This Works

1. Feel free to use these prompts for poetry, fiction, essays, creative non-fiction, or articles. They are open to interpretation! Be sure to include a link to the prompt at the end of your post.
2. If you create something using one of these prompts, you can submit it here at PW, to any publication that accepts works from others, or even self-publish. If submitting elsewhere, please link back to the prompt and tag PW editors to ensure we see your story!
3. You are not restricted to PW’s prompts when submitting work here. We welcome submissions from both seasoned and new writers — typically inspired by prompts from this site or others, but unprompted pieces are also encouraged!
4. Ensure you select the appropriate Reader Interest Tags when submitting to PW so your work appears in the correct section on the homepage. Use one of the following tags: Poetry, Fiction, Essay, or Articles. You may choose four additional tags as you wish.
5. Only submit drafts. Instead of clicking the Publish button, click on the three dots (…), select Add to Publication, choose Promptly Written, and then submit. This will place it in our queue for publication.
6. Each week, you will find prompts for Monday through Sunday. You can use them in any order; feel free to select those that inspire you and submit your work at any time during the week (or even later!).
7. If you’re new to PW or it’s been a while, check out our UPDATED 2024 Submission Guidelines and request to join our writer community.
8. Have fun!

Are you ready? Awesome! Let’s get those creative juices flowing!

Monday Muses

This week, I encourage you to ponder what it means to belong to a nation — to be a citizen, to be born in a location or to have relocated there, to build a community, or to become a part of one.

1. Reflect on the line from O Canada: “My home and native land.” What does ‘native land’ signify to you? Contemplate the status of First Peoples in Canada, your ancestry, and varying definitions of ‘home.’

2. Do you consider yourself ‘patriotic’? What does that term convey to you? If not, do you celebrate your country’s Independence Day?

3. President Harry Truman once stated, “America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” Do you agree? Use this quote to articulate your perspective on how America was established.

4. Imagine being born in a different country than your home. How would your life and identity differ?

5. What does it mean to belong to a ‘nation’? Is it different from being a ‘citizen’?

6. Analyze these two quotes in relation to one another:

   “Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.” — Samuel Johnson

   “True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else.” — Clarence Darrow

7. What is one action you could take today to enhance your local community?

Tuesday Twosome

Consider these pairs of words and write about them — whether together, separately, or in contrast. What do these combinations inspire? Transform your thoughts into a poem, short story, or non-fiction essay.

1. Nationalism vs. Patriotism
2. Mother-tongue & motherland
3. Homeland vs. hometown
4. Govern vs. rule
5. Celebrate vs. commemorate
6. Pomp & circumstance
7. Fireworks vs. bonfires
8. Hot dogs vs. hamburgers
9. Citizen & alien
10. Expat vs. immigrant

Wild Wednesday

Let’s take a break from heavy themes and explore some imaginative combinations of words and concepts to invigorate your writing. Ensure you incorporate all elements from the prompt:

• A speeding train; the word INFLATE; a magic potion
• At least three farm animals; the color GREIGE; an unread book
• A therapist; the word METER; four bad jokes
• The moon; a stray cat; the word LOVESEAT
• An unhappy housewife; a candlestick; the color MAUVE
• A remote cabin; the word DISCRIMINATION; two coffee cups
• A sports injury; the color ORANGE; a bookcase; sunscreen
• A sewing kit; hydrogen peroxide; a ticking clock
• The word SOIL; a stained-glass window; a hymn

Throwback Thursday

Let’s evoke some nostalgia! Use one of these vintage images as inspiration for a story, poem, or creative non-fiction piece (consider using ekphrastic techniques if you wish)!

Freedom Friday

The concepts of “freedom” and “independence” carry varied meanings for different individuals. Reflect on these quotes and select one to inspire a poem, story, or creative non-fiction essay.

“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Independence is happiness.” — Susan B. Anthony

“Every human has four endowments — self-awareness, conscience, independent will, and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom… The power to choose, to respond, to change.” — Stephen Covey

“True independence and freedom can only exist in doing what’s right.” — Brigham Young

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” — Ronald Reagan

“Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.” — Denis Diderot

“May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right.” — Peter Marshall

“I know of no country in which there is so little independence of mind and real freedom of discussion as in America.” — Alexis de Tocqueville

“It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them.” — Mark Twain

Safe Saturday

Enjoy a few classic writing prompts that offer a comforting escape when other prompts feel overwhelming. Your responses could take the form of poems, lists, stories, creative non-fiction, journal entries, or even artwork.

• What’s on your travel bucket list? Describe the destinations you dream of visiting.
• Which era in history captivates you the most?
• If you could travel back in time, what advice would you give your younger self?
• What are your top three methods for relaxation?
• Write a story in the form of journal entries.
• Recall your dreams from last night and capture all the details, no matter how bizarre.
• Narrate a significant topic, like climate change, from the perspective of a small creature, like a mouse.
• Where do you prefer to write? Create a poem or essay about that place.
• Compose a love letter to something other than a person: a pet, a location, the moon, your favorite chair, or the world itself.

Random Words Sunday

As part of our Sunday tradition, here’s a list of ten random words. Choose five or more of these words (with modifications if necessary) to spark inspiration for a story, essay, or poem:

1. Communal
2. Treasured
3. Agent
4. Local
5. Fortunate
6. Canteen
7. Freedom
8. Spoon
9. Elect
10. Burst

Bonus Prompt — Envision a new nation emerging in today’s global landscape. Perhaps a small country declares independence near Canada or a state opts out of the USA (like Alaska or California). What would it feel like to belong to that place, now distinct from your birthplace? Write a narrative from the perspective of a character before, during, or after the declaration of that nation’s independence.

That’s it for another week of writing prompts designed to inspire your creativity. As always, I eagerly await your submissions, so remember to tag me, Dr. Casey Lawrence, if you utilize any of them!

Not yet a contributor for *Promptly Written*? Visit our updated submission guidelines to get started:

Promptly Written Submission Guidelines — New & Updated for 2024

How to submit your stories to Promptly Written

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Don’t forget, there are Writing Sparks available in the Monthly Theme from ADEOLA SHEEHY-ADEKALE, and all our previous weekly and monthly prompts are still available for inspiration.

Enjoying my content? Check out my debut novel, Out of Order, available in both eBook and paperback formats from JMS Books. If buying a book isn’t an option right now, consider supporting me by buying a coffee, and be sure to subscribe to my stories on Medium!