• Explain what you like and dislike about your name.
• What is your favourite holiday? Write the reasons for your choice.
• Write freely about your worst fear.
• What do you like and dislike about where you live?
• Write freely about the bravest thing you have ever done.
• List the things you worry about. Write about the thing you worry about the most.
• If you could be a superhero, what extraordinary powers would you give yourself? Explain your choices.
• What is one of your pet peeves? Explain why it bothers you.
• What is the one food you would least like to give up for the rest of your life? Explain why.
• What is your favourite colour? Write the reasons for your answer.
• Would you like to live to be 100 years old? Explain your answer.
• Who or what makes you laugh? Explain why you think this person or thing is funny.
• What is your most prized possession? Explain why it is so important to you.
• What makes you special or unique?
• Based on what you know about yourself, make five predictions about your future.
• Write about your favourite hobby. How did you get started? What do you like about it? Would you recommend it to others? If you don’t have a hobby, write about a hobby you would like to have or explain why you are not interested in having a hobby.
• What do you like most about yourself? What do you like least about yourself? Explain your answers.
• Imagine that you found an old cache that belonged to one of your ancestors. What would you like to find in the cache? Explain the reasons for your choices.
• What do you like the most about living in your town or city? What do you like least about it? Explain your answer.
• Have you ever been lost? Explain what happened and how you felt then, and afterwards.
• Do you think you have a lot of self-confidence? Explain the reasons for your answer.
• What is one goal or hope you have for the future? Explain why it is so important to you.
• What is the hardest decision you have ever had to make? Looking back on your decision, do you now think you made the right choice? Explain your answer.
• Do you think that you are shy? What advice would you give to someone who is shy?
• Describe a hero of yours. Explain why that person means so much to you.
• Imagine you have just been given the name and address of a penpal. Write about yourself to that person.
• Retell a compliment that someone recently paid you. Explain how that compliment made you feel.
• If you could be someone else, who would that person be? Explain your choice.
• Explain what the word “prejudice?means to you. Explain whether or not you think you’re prejudiced.
• Picture yourself twenty years from now. Write down any thoughts, ideas, or mental pictures of yourself that flash across your mind.
• What is your favourite song? Write about the thoughts and feelings you have when you listen to your favourite song.

Senn, J. A. 325 Creative Prompts for Personal Journals. Toronto: Scholastic Professional Books, 1992
Sweeney, Jacqueline. 350 Fabulous Writing Prompts. Toronto: Scholastic Professional Books, 1995.