Guided Creative Writing Topics that Make Journaling Easy and Fun!
You already know how beneficial journaling can be for your students… but what do you do when the whole class is complaining that they don’t know what to write about?
Enter guided creative writing topics—simple journal prompts that give kids a starting point and make it easier for them to get straight to writing. Instead of wasting time staring at a blank page, your students can simply respond to the question and begin writing right away.
In many cases, creative writing topics can even spark new ideas! Students may not know where their writing will take them when they first put pens to paper. However, you can be sure that the act of responding to a specific prompt will focus your class and keep them engaged with the task at hand.
Creative Writing Topics Key Benefits
Consider the following key benefits to using creative writing topics in your classroom:
1. Students Don’t Waste Time Feeling “Stuck” or “Uninspired”
With a guided creative writing topic, students can simply dive right into their work instead of sitting around feeling as though they don’t know what to say.
Creative writing topics can be as specific or as open-ended as you like. Many teachers start out with simple questions as their students become acclimated to writing and later branch out into more creative questions that promote open thinking once kids have gotten used to regular journaling.
2. Kids Will Consider New Ways of Looking at Old Issues
Additionally, creative writing topics have a unique ability to help people think about familiar issues from alternate viewpoints.
It’s important for kids to learn empathy from a young age—and being able to see an issue from the other side is an invaluable skill that will serve them throughout their entire lives.
When you choose creative writing prompts that ask your class to imagine life from someone else’s shoes, you can dramatically alter their perspectives. Look for questions that specifically ask things like “What do you think life is like for that person?” or “How do you think the other person felt?”.
3. Creativity and Imagination Get a Helpful Boost
Of course, creative writing topics don’t just have to be educational and edifying. They can also be silly, fun, or totally make-believe! Imaginative journal prompts give students the chance to connect with their creative sides and to be as free and innovative as they desire.
Whether a student wants to write about a fictional world where humans are the ones living in zoos or they want to pen a story about their future life as an award-winning scientist, creative writing prompts can give kids the space to explore their wildest thoughts and dreams.
4. Having a Safe Space to Reflect Allows Kids to Get to Know Themselves Better
Guided creative writing topics are also an effective tool that can help students practice the art of self-reflection.
As a child grows older, his or her sense of self becomes more articulated and defined. Introspective creative writing prompts that ask kids to reflect on their own unique characteristics are a fantastic way to help students get to know themselves better. And best of all, the more they write (and the more they learn about themselves), the more confident and self-assured they’ll become.
Journaling should be a fun and open-ended activity in which the journal-writer has complete control over what he or she writes. Though answering a prompt might seem like a counterintuitive approach, your students will quickly find that guided creative writing topics can actually grant them a great deal of freedom.
When students use the prompts as a simple guide and ultimately follow along wherever their brains want to take them, they’ll be amazed to see all of the beautiful places they end up in along the way.
Creative Writing Topics
Guided creative writing topics are a fun and effective way to journal! To help your students boost their creativity and learn more about the benefits of journal prompts, we’ve created 10 all-new creative writing topics they’ll enjoy. Use these questions with your class to teach them about the positive power of journaling.
- How do you feel when you sit down each day to write? Relaxed and eager to write? Or anxious and unsure of what to say? Describe your feelings.
- Do your feelings about writing change while you are writing or after you are done? Why or why not?
- Look back through your journal and choose an old entry to re-read. Do you remember writing it? How did you feel that day?
- Do you feel like the things you write in your journal are an accurate representation of you and the way you think? Why or why not?
- Write about a time when you were upset or confused by a situation—and found that your feelings changed after journaling about it. What happened?
- What has journaling taught you about yourself?
- Do you find the practice of regular journaling to be helpful? Why or why not?
- Do you enjoy using guided creative writing topics or do you prefer to simply write about whatever you want? Why?
- What are your favorite types of creative writing topics? What do you like best about them?
- Do you feel comfortable sharing your journal entries with your classmates or anyone else? Why or why not?
More Creative Writing Resource
- Creative Writing Prompt Ideas for Students
- 162 Creative Writing Topics
- 50 Fantastic Creative Writing Exercises
Until next time, write on…
If you enjoyed these Guided Creative Writing Topics,
please share them on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest.
I appreciate it!
Sincerely,
Jill
journalbuddies.com
creator and curator