WRITING PROMPTS

1.Think about a time you were nervous. It might have been before a big test or a recital. It might have been the first time you were up to bad, your first plane ride, or the first time you had to give a speech in front of a class.

2.Parents will often make you do something that you don’t really want to do. You would maybe like to tell them that you aren’t going to do it, but you know it’s to no use. Think about a time when your parent made you do something that you didn’t want to do.

3. Summer breaks from school are an excellent time for many families to go on a vacation. A vacation could be two weeks in Florida or a day in Nashville. Think of a time when you went on a vacation for any length of time.

4. [Being Unprepared] Because you have been sick, out of town, busy at work, or working on other homework, you didn't have as much time to study for an important test as you needed.  Everyone going to school has been in this situation.  Think of a specific test that you took that you felt unprepared for and narrate the events. 

 5. [Lightbulb Moment] Think of an experience when you realized that you suddenly understood an idea, a skill, or a concept you had been struggling with -- it might be something related to a class that you took or a specific athletic skill you were trying to perfect. For instance, you might think about trying to understand how to identify iambic pentameter in a poem or how to complete a Taylor Series problem in your Calculus class.  Or you might consider trying to perfect your free throws and suddenly understanding how your follow-through was affecting your success. 

 6. [Childhood Event] Choose a vivid time from your childhood -- You might think of the first time that you rode a school bus, of a time when you went to the principal's office, the first A you earned on a test or paper, earning money to buy something that you really wanted, and so on. 

 7. [Achieving a Goal] Think of a time when you achieved a personal goal -- you might have finally completed a marathon or triathlon, or you might have bettered your score on the SATs or another test, or you might have learned how to use a piece of software like Microsoft Word or Excel. 

 8. [The Good and the Bad]  Think about an event in your life that seemed bad but turned out to be good.  Maybe you got injured and while you were waiting for your broken leg to heal, you learned how to use a computer.

9. [Being a Teacher]  Teaching someone else how to do something can be rewarding.  Think of a skill that you've taught someone else how to do. Perhaps you taught someone else how to swim, showed someone how to bake a souffle, or helped someone learn how to study more effectively. 

10. [Changing Places]  Every place has things that change -- sometimes as the result of economics, sometimes because different people are involved, and sometimes for no clear reason that you know about.  Think of a change to a place that you know well.  Perhaps the local grocery store you grew up with as Smith and Bros. Grocery was bought out by a regional chain like Food Lion or Winn Dixie.  Maybe the First National Bank of Smithburg suddenly becomes NationsBank.  Perhaps the change was more personal -- an older sibling moves out of the house and your family changes the room to a guest room or an office. 

11. [Personal Rituals]  Describe a personal ritual that you, your friends, or your family have.  Think about the personal steps that you always go through when you prepare for an exam.  Do you sit at a desk, spread books and notes across your bed, or use the kitchen table?  Do you have to have something to drink...soda, water, jolt?  There are numerous things that we do for which we create our own personal rituals. 

 12. [Standing Up]  Choose a time when you did something that took a lot of nerve, a time when you didn't follow the crowd or a time when you stood up for your beliefs.  Perhaps your friends were urging you to do something that you were uncomfortable with and you chose not to cave into peer pressure.  Maybe you took a stance on a political issue that was important in your community, or you might have 

 13. [Disagreeing]  Think of a time when you disagreed with a decision that had been made and did something about it.  The decision might have been made by someone you know personally -- your Biology teacher announced a new policy to grade for spelling and grammar on your quizzes and homework, or an older family member decided to cancel a subscription to a magazine that you liked to read.