Story Writing Topics—For many students, writing stories is an immensely formative and rewarding experience. The world of fiction is a powerful outlet for creativity—and, it is one that helps tweens and teens become more comfortable with their own thoughts and ideas. And now, you’ll discover some wonderfully inspiring prompts and story topics you can use with your students. Enjoy!
Why Use Story Writing Topics with Students?
Well…
It’s not always easy for young writers to come up with ideas out of nowhere. Heck, sometimes it’s not easy for seasoned writers to come up with story topics.
That’s why I recommend using story writing topics and prompts in the classroom to help get the ideas flowing for your writers. So, read on to learn about the top four benefits your students will enjoy when they begin writing their own stories.
And then—
Check out our lists of all-new story writing topics for students in grades 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 below!
Story Writing Topics for Grade 5
- Write a story about a puppy with a penchant for solving puzzles—and saving people!
- Write a story about what life was like for your grandmother as a young girl.
- Write a story about a weird new store that opens up in town and only sells items that begin with the letter “P.”
- Write a story about a friendly robot who has an unusual set of skills.
- Write a story about a game of hide and seek that catches everyone by surprise.
- Write a story about what happens when one student accidentally loses the class pet.
- Write a story about a young pair of friends who wake up one day to realize they can read one another’s minds.
Story Writing Topics for Grade 6
- Write a story about a science fair experiment gone awry.
- Write a story about a young boy who is eating alphabet soup—when suddenly, the letters start forming words on their own!
- Write a story about an alien’s visit to Earth—and what their first impressions of human life are like.
- Write a story about a family who learns something very surprising about their new pet.
- Write a story about a group of friends who accidentally stumble upon a secret otherworldly realm during a sleepover.
- Write a story about the future and imagine what types of new careers, homes, and methods of schooling people will enjoy. Be as descriptive and imaginative as possible!
- Write a story about a boy who creates an award-winning new pizza recipe—that has a very special secret ingredient that is in short supply.
Story Writing Topics for Grade 7
- Write a story about a family that wins the lottery—and then chooses not to accept the winnings!
- Write a story about a young boy who has a dream of growing up and leaving the small town he lives in.
- Write a story about a young teen who gets the chance to guest star on their favorite TV show—only to find out that things behind the scenes are very different than they seem.
- Write a story about a young girl who discovers an old book in the attic—and opens it to find that it is full of ancient spells!
- Write a story about a family that decides to sell their house and live on a boat—and all the exciting travels and challenges they face in their new lives.
- Write a story about a washed-up magician who desperately needs to learn a new trick.
- Write a story about a man who tries to help out someone in need, only to realize that he has accidentally made the other person’s situation worse!
Story Writing Topics for Grade 8
- Write a story about a hyped basketball game that everyone is excited for—and what it will mean to the community if the local team manages to win.
- Write a story about a family reunion with a surprising twist.
- Write a story about a brother and sister who are always arguing—until one day when they are forced to have one another’s backs.
- Write a story about a teen who receives a surprise visit from a time traveler—who happens to be their future self!
- Write a story about a famous movie star who is struggling with the fact that he didn’t follow his true passion in life—accounting.
- Write a story about a group of friends—and the summer vacation they had that was unlike any other.
- Write a story about an unexpected announcement that takes the whole world by surprise.
Story Writing Topics for Grade 9
- Write a story about a pair of friends who struggle to remain close as they begin taking different paths in their lives.
- Write a story about an old shade tree in a park and some of the moments it sees over the years.
- Write a story about a high school student who is struggling to adjust to life in their new city.
- Write a story about a secret island where time moves slower—and people can spend years there while only seeming like they are gone for a couple of weeks to the rest of the world.
- Write a story about an astronaut who travels to space to complete a mission—and then has an unusual discovery about herself on the way back to Earth.
- Write a story about a day in the life of a people zoo—and what all the animals who come to visit think of the humans and the way they act.
- Write a story about someone winning a major award that they don’t really feel like they have earned.
I hope you enjoyed these creative writing prompts for kids as much as I enjoyed writing them.
Four Essential Reasons to Use Story Writing Topics in Your Classroom
1. Story Writing Topics Hone Discipline and Logic
While people typically imagine that anything goes in a fictional story, an effective story actually requires a great degree of control.
When students begin using story writing topics and prompts, they will start to get a better handle on how to express their ideas logically in order for the story to make sense. Clear writing and descriptive sentences are essential components of a believable, engaging story.
Regular use of story writing topics also teaches students discipline. Though they may not have many ideas when they sit down to write, they’ll quickly learn how to push through creative blocks when they need to put words down on the page each day.
2. Story Writing Topics Promote Inspiration, Spontaneity, and Thinking Outside the Box
One of the best reasons to use writing prompts with students is to expose them to new topics and types of writing that they might not otherwise choose on their own.
While some students are more interested in creating unusual situations, others prefer to explore a character’s actions and ideas. However, by assigning story writing topics, you can ensure that each student tries several different types of writing and learns how to work in genres and styles that fall outside their comfort zones.
Regardless of their typical preferences, your students will get to thoroughly exercise their imaginations when they use story writing topics regularly.
3. Story Writing Topics Help Students Express Their Emotions
Expressing emotions and ideas is tough for many teens and tweens. Kids that age often worry that they will be judged or made fun of if they give voice to their truest thoughts. However, when students write stories, they have the chance to distance themselves from their emotions in a healthy manner.
Though many students will model characters on themselves and their own experiences, they can write without fear of embarrassment because they have the plausible deniability that following a writing prompt offers—and at the end of the day, it’s all just fiction anyway, right?
Though they may grow more confident in claiming their own experiences when they get older, in the meantime, writing stories can be a healthy way for kids to get their feelings out.
4. Story Writing Topics Allow Students to Improve Writing Skills
Naturally, writing stories is also a great way for students to improve their overall writing skills. From structuring sentences to practicing spelling to learning more about grammar and punctuation, stories incorporate numerous aspects of writing into a single activity.
Practice makes perfect, and giving students the chance to put the writing lessons they’ve learned into use is the best way to help them retain knowledge and become more comfortable expressing their thoughts and creative ideas. Plus, they’ll write a good story in the process!
And best of all, using story writing topics and prompts exposes students to a wide variety of genres and styles that they will need to use throughout high school, college, and their adult lives!
A Few Closing Words
Especially for you and your writers…
My blog is loaded with prompts for different genres including romance story ideas, science fiction, adventure, essay and narrative writing, and more. Truly, there is no reason your writers should experience writer’s block when there are thousands of ideas here on journalbuddies.com.
To get started writing a new story, simply find a prompt that builds a fantasy world, the main character — be it a hero or a villain — and more in your writer’s imagination, and the magic and pure treasure of a great story plot are sure to unfold for them.
115 More FREE Writing Prompts for You
- 55 Creative Writing Story Starters
- 30 Short Story Ideas and Short Story Prompts for Kids
- 30 Fiction Writing Prompts
Ok, that’s all for today.
Until next time, (story) write on…
If you enjoyed these Story Writing Topics,
please share them on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest.
I appreciate it!
Sincerely,
Jill
journalbuddies.com
creator and curator
PS – Take a look at these exciting Creative Writing Techniques for Kids!
