I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather lately, so I don’t have a story planned for this week. But because November is Creative Writing Month, I wanted to help you stay motivated to keep writing. Whether you’re participating in a writing challenge or simply want to rev up your writing routine, there are plenty of story ideas to test your creativity.
To get you started, here’s 25 prompts to keep you busy during the month and hopefully put you into the holiday spirit. Pick one, two or ten, then let your imagination run wild. These stories can be as short or as long as you want. Most importantly, have fun.
1. Write about someone (male or female) who attempts to host Thanksgiving dinner for the first time.
2. It’s the first snowfall of the year. Write about someone who is seeing snow for the first time.
3. Write about someone who falls for a holiday shopping scam. What do they learn from the experience? Do they help catch the thief?
4. Write about a pie eating contest featuring either pumpkin or apple pie.
5. The person hired to play Santa at the Thanksgiving Day Parade fails to show. What happens next?
6. Several college students who barely know one another drive home together for Thanksgiving break during a snowstorm.
7. A candy cane factory has come up with a couple of new, unusual flavors. What are those flavors? How do customers respond?
8. A young woman shops for jewelry for gifts and is persuaded by the shopkeeper to try on a rather ostentatious ring. When the ring gets stuck on her finger, what does she do next to get it off?
9. A family attempts to cut down their own Christmas tree for the first time with surprising results.
10. On Christmas morning, you find a gift on your doorstep. What is the gift? Who is it from? Why did they give it to you?
11. Write a note of gratitude to someone who helped you in the past.
12. Imagine you have a pet turkey. One morning, it suddenly begins to speak. What does it say?
13. You have a chance to invite a celebrity – alive or dead – to Thanksgiving dinner. What do you talk about over your festive meal?
14. You participate in a Christmas cookie challenge with several participants. What cookie do you make? What unusual ingredients or techniques do you use to set your cookies apart?
15. During the Thanksgiving Day parade, one of the oversized balloons experiences a mishap. What happens to the balloon and how does the crowd react?
16. Describe your favorite Thanksgiving Day food and the memories they bring you.
17. A group of friends or family members make one last hike through the woods before Thanksgiving break.
18. An angel visits you one November night. What message do they bring you?
19. November arrives with an unexpected guest – someone wants to spend the entire month with you. Describe this person, their reasons for making this request and how your home life is altered because of their presence.
20. Create a place called The November Cafe. Describe the cafe and what is offered on the menu.
21. During a family get together, an older family member reveals a secret they’ve kept from everyone for 20 years. What is their secret? How does it impact the family?
22. What is your Thanksgiving Day feast like? Describe what you eat complete with the sights, smells and taste.
23. Write a story about a mishap or accident at Santa’s toy workshop. What happened? Did anyone get hurt?
24. You discover a magical mode of transportation. What is it and where does it take you? What else happens on your journey?
25. It’s a week before Christmas, and you find yourself in the emergency room at the hospital. How did you get there? Did you have an accident yourself, or are you there to help someone else?
The Regal Writer 