A great way to get students writing effortlessly is by using narrative writing prompts.
Why?
Because narrative writing prompts offer students the opportunity to write about themselves.
Because the attention is on them, students will have lots of personal experiences from which to draw ideas.
This makes personal narrative writing prompts an excellent choice when you have beginner or reluctant writers.
Following you will find a collection of fun narrative writing prompts that motivate students to write about their personal experiences and develop their writing skills.
Why not add a handful of these narrative writing prompts to your writer’s workshop block this week?
Narrative Writing Prompts
Following you will find a variety of narrative writing prompts that you can use as writing activities.
1. Tell about a challenge you overcame recently.
2. Share one of your biggest phobias and how you cope with it.
3. Write about a time when you felt unappreciated.
4. Describe an event that has brought your family closer.
5. What’s your favorite place in your house and why?
6. Tell about a time when you learned a new skill.
7. Write about a time when you took a risk and it turned out well.
8. Do you prefer to be alone or with a group? Why?
9. What motivates you?
10. Tell about a time when you took care of something or someone.
11. How do you tackle obstacles when working on SMART goals?
12. Write about a time when you laughed uncontrollably.
13. Share a success you had recently.
14. What things make you angry?
15. Retell a memory of losing a tooth.
16. Describe your best birthday.
17. Tell about the worst gift you ever received.
18. What is something that you used to dislike but now love? What made you change?
19. Write about a time when you failed at something. What did you learn from the experience?
20. Which type of teacher feedback helps you to best improve?
21. What makes you happy?
22. Describe some things you are really good at doing.
23. Retell a memory participating in a contest.
24. Share about a time when you participated in a science fair.
25. When is a time that you showed leadership? Describe the event.
26. Write about a time when you showed patience.
27. Do you prefer eating in the cafeteria or bringing lunch from home? Why?
28. Write a about a time when you resisted peer pressure.
29. How do you deal with boredom?
30. Share a memory of a time when you didn’t show good manners.
31. What’s the story behind your name?
32. Write about a time when you felt embarrassed by your parents.
33. Explain your family’s history.
34. What’s your most prized possession and why?
35. Tell about a time when you overcame jitters on the first day of school.
36. What qualities make you unique?
37. How are you and your parents alike and different?
38. Share a memory of when you felt proud.
39. Describe a lesson that you learned from your parents.
40. Retell about a time when you told a lie in order to not hurt someone’s feelings.
41. Write about a scary trip to the dentist.
42. Share a memory about getting a new hairstyle.
43. Tell about a recipe gone wrong.
44. Write about a time when you got into trouble at school.
45. Describe your favorite type of music.
46. Write about the types of books you most enjoy reading.
47. What are your dreams for the future?
48. Share about a time when you surprised someone.
49. Tell about a time when you tried a new food that was disgusting.
50. Describe your strategy for responding well to narrative writing prompts.
51. Write about your first time flying on an airplane.
Final Thoughts: Narrative Writing Prompts
Now you have a ready-supply of personal narrative writing prompts to use for various writing activities.
Students will love writing about themselves.
Related: books for teaching narrative writing