My collection of 40 themed prompts finally paid off in my writing group

Morgan Reed · 2026-09-04T20:55:05.206286+00:00

Last month I brought out my binder of 40 themed prompts to our Tuesday night group in Portland, the one where people usually just stare at blank pages. I started building it about 3 years ago after a dry spell where every idea felt flat, so I began writing down random triggers like a broken umbrella on a bus seat or a voicemail from a wrong number. Last week we picked one about a library book with margin notes and two strangers started arguing about who wrote them, then someone else turned it into a full short story by the end. It felt good seeing the whole table light up, not because of me but because the prompts gave everyone a door to step through. I am not a pro or anything, just someone who likes collecting weird little situations from real life. Does anyone else keep a running list of their own prompts, or do you pull from generators and apps mostly?

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My collection of 40 themed prompts finally paid off in my writing group | Creative Writing Prompts - Guest Forum