Creative writing exercises help students improve their skills and tap into their creative side, but sometimes it can feel daunting to come up with an idea for a story from scratch – especially if students only have a short amount of time to practice writing.
“Finish the story” prompts are great for instances like this because they still get to practice those skills, but they don’t have the added stress of forming a completely new idea first.
We’ve made a list of writing prompts that allow your young writers to explore their creativity by finishing an idea.
Using the Prompts
You can use these prompts as homework assignments or in class along with your English/Language Arts curriculum.
Here are a few ways you can use this guide:
- Challenge students to use one writing prompt every day for a week.
- Have students choose a number between 1 and 41 and use that number to choose their prompt.
- Use these activities for students who finish their work early and need something to do.
- If one of these activities uses a student’s name, have them choose that prompt.
Finish These Stories
- Katie was walking through the empty hallway when she heard a mysterious tapping coming from locker 315—the haunted locker…
- You wake up in your favorite video game and…
- Start your story with someone winning a medal they didn’t earn.
- Ash is running for student council and they have the perfect campaign slogan. Now, they just need a friend to help them spread the word.
- I was most proud of myself when…
- When Kaylee opened the shiny letter addressed to her, she saw…
- Write a story that includes someone saying, “You didn’t have to do that.”
- The funniest thing that I’ve ever seen was…
- You are on the beach and you find a message in a bottle.
- Bryce was ready: today would be the day that he…
- You are stuck in an elevator with…
- A spaceship lands in your local park.
- As the rain poured outside, I…
- It’s your mom’s birthday today, and you…
- You wake up and you’re 5 inches taller than you were yesterday.
- I was most afraid when…
- You time travel to the year 2500 and…
- Rylie is walking down the street when she looks down and sees…
- You find a magic button behind your closet door that…
- You grab the wrong bag at the airport. When you open it, you find…
- Write a story that includes someone saying, “I did it. I can’t believe I conquered my worst fear.”
- Bella switches places with her teacher for a day.
- You accidentally discover your parents are spies.
- Finish your story with someone dancing in the rain.
- If I were a superhero, I would…
- Freya opened the front door and saw a giraffe standing on her porch.
- End your story with someone winning the science fair.
- Your class starts a prank war with the classroom next door.
- The merry-go-round stopped, and the horses came to life!
- End your story with someone learning a new skill.
- Kai was doing his homework in his bedroom when he heard a loud crash downstairs.
- Everything changed the day I decided to hike the mountain…
- Nothing was the same after Callie rubbed the magic stone.
- She looked out the train window, the trees and houses passing quickly…
- Layla had a problem with daydreaming. One day, it got her in trouble.
- If I woke up inside the world of my favorite book series, I would…
- Athena looked over the side of the bridge and gasped.
- I looked at the menu and sighed.
- Start your story with someone forgetting their locker combination.
- Emery looked up and saw a kitten stuck in the tree above her.
- Write a story that includes someone saying, “I knew I could do it!”
- Skye was so excited about her birthday party that she forgot to send out the invitations.
- Start your story with someone waking up in the comfiest bed they’ve ever slept in.
Looking For More Content?
We offer an abundance of free writing resources for parents, guardians and teachers to help give young writers the tools they need to succeed.
If you are looking for something specific and can’t find it on our site, don’t hesitate to reach out. We love hearing all of your ideas!
