With the New Year comes the inevitable New Year’s resolutions. You know the ones: eat better, spend time with loved ones, finally take that trip you’ve been putting off—or, for writers, the one that can fill our hearts with both excitement and dread: write more! But write what, exactly? To start your year off with a bang, here are some writing prompts that are meant to excite you, challenge you, and help you dig a little deeper.

Self-Reflection

• If your life were a novel, what genre would it be? What would the title be and why?
• Describe a recurring dream or nightmare you had as a child. If you never had a recurring one, describe the last vivid dream that you can remember having.
• Write the first chapter of your autobiography.
• Name one thing that you learned yesterday that you can use to improve your day today.
• If you became a famous author, what kind of book would you want to be famous for writing? Fiction, nonfiction, romance, fantasy? Something else?
• Do you think your choices create your path or is your path already determined for you?
• If you could meet any character in a book you have read, who would it be and why? What would you spend the day doing?
• Name one moment you are truly proud of. Why are you so proud of it?
• Write about your very first memory in as much detail as possible.
• What do you love the most about yourself? How does this feature or characteristic impact you or others in a positive way?
• Name one book that speaks to you. Why do you think it affects you so deeply?
• What experience in your life has most changed the way you view your place in the world?
• What is the best piece of advice you ever received and how have you incorporated it into your own life?
• Is it easier or more difficult to build close friendships as an adult than it was as a child?
• If someone wrote a book about you, what would be the main event and why?

Fiction

• Your protagonist’s best friend just left out of the blue, and they have no idea why or where their friend went. Write about their journey to find them.
• Your main character just left town and sold everything they own. Where did they go and why?
• Imagine that you’re best friends with your favorite book character and write about what a day with them would be like.
• Your protagonist inhabits the role of Big Brother, in which they are in charge of monitoring and enforcing the rules of a dystopian society. How did they get there? What do they do?
• Your main character goes to the airport and books a flight to the farthest destination possible. Where do they go and what inspired them to do this?
• Write about your favorite bookstore’s (or restaurant’s or boutique’s, etc.) backstory. Who first opened it? Why? Where did they come from and how did they get there?
• Your protagonist just learned that they can control one of the earth’s elements (fire, water, earth, or air). What do they do? How do they cope?
• Your main character just woke up in a strange country with no memory of how they got there. What led them to this moment, and how do they proceed?
• Write about your main character getting called out of work by a mysterious stranger who acts like they know them. Why were they called out? What mission does your protagonist now have to accomplish?
• Your protagonist suddenly begins blacking out at random times. Why? Is it a medical condition or something more sinister?
• Your main character begins falling in love with someone and everything seems to be going wonderfully . . . until they discover something that changes everything. What did they discover and what do they do about it?
• Write about a feud between neighbors. What prompted it? How long has it been going on? How do they resolve it (if at all)?
• Your protagonist made a horrible mistake. What was the mistake and how can they go about fixing it?
• Write about your protagonist answering a phone call from someone who has been trying to reach them for a very long time. Why have they been trying to track them down? What do they say?
• Your main character has seen the same person at the bus stop for the last ten years, but today the person didn’t show up and your character decides to investigate.

Poetry

• Start the first line of your poem with a word or phrase from a recent passing conversation that occurred between you and someone you don’t know.
• Write a poem with absolutely no punctuation.
• Take a moment and listen. Write a poem about what you hear.
• Can you trust someone who has broken your trust in the past?
• Choose one color and use it as the basis of your poem.
• Use the last line of your favorite book as the first sentence of your poem.
• What does it feel like to feel nothing at all?
• Write a poem that is no more than thirty words long.
• How does it feel to have sunshine on your face?
• Write a poem about holding back tears when all you want to do is cry.

Hopefully these writing prompts remind you of the reason you write in the first place. Whether it’s for the sheer fun of it, a form of self-expression, or some other reason entirely, this is a great opportunity to spend this brand new year being grateful for your unique abilities and passions. May 2023 be a year full of happiness, healthiness, and productivity!

Andrea Moran lives outside of Nashville. She’s a professional copywriter and editor who loves all things books. Find her on LinkedIn.