The hardest part about writing is usually getting started. That’s why writing prompts are a great tool for scribes of any age – they take away the pressure of conjuring up an amazing idea. It’s like a simple game to play – no judgment on how it turns out because it’s just for fun. Check out some prompts below to get the writers in your life scribbling away ...

BIG IDEAS

A few places to start a story, poem, essay, or whatever.

• What if leaves turned purple or blue or sparkly in the fall?
• What could be hiding in a tree at night?
• What can the wind do in autumn time?
• Something strange is growing in the pumpkin patch. What is it and why?
• Try this: Go outside. Every two minutes, start writing about something new you see. Stop after 10 minutes.

STORY STARTER

This is just the beginning – you take it from here.

“We had gone up into Aunt Sylvia’s creaky old attic to play games a million times before, but I’d never noticed the big, wooden chest painted red. A rusty padlock lay next to it. Someone had broken it open. This hadn’t been here yesterday. ...”