Sometimes, when it comes to writing prompts, less is more.
Otherwise, why would you be here looking for one-word topics to write about?
One solitary word can contain a universe of ideas — even small words like “if” and “or.”
So, why not keep it simple this coming year with a daily word prompt?
Who can tell what a full year of using word prompts can do for your development as a writer?
There’s only one way to find out.
And while we’re encouraging you to try, it seems only fitting to share what this practice has done for other writers.
Why Use One-Word Writing Prompts?
One-word prompts give you so much freedom in deciding what to write about. For one thing, a single word can have multiple literal meanings. And besides those, each word has various connotations, depending on its usage and the connections you make in your own mind.
That’s what we mean when we say one word can contain a multitude of ideas. But it might still help to spell out the benefits of using one-word prompts like the ones in this list:
- Smaller, less specific prompts = more flexibility
- One word is sort of like a Rorschach test; write whatever comes to mind.
- One word can generate a network of different story ideas.
- One word doesn’t take long to read and is easier to remember.
- One-word prompts erase the “I don’t know anything about that” excuse.
Each word on the list below is open to various interpretations, even if you don’t have personal experience with it. Read the word aloud or let it echo in your mind, and see what comes up.
How to Use One-Word Prompts
Here are some ideas on how to use these one-word prompts:
- Write each word on a slip of paper and draw one from a jar each day.
- Draw two or three for an extra challenge, or
- Keep the same word for multiple days, writing something different each day.
- Place your memorized word under a candle and light it before you begin.
- Do a free association exercise with an index card mindmap before starting.
- If you’re stumped, do a quick image search of your word.
You can easily incorporate any rituals you prefer for your writing time, whether that involves a Pomodoro timer, your favorite hoodie, a particular kind of music, or anything else.
365 One-Word Writing Prompts (One for Every Day)
Think of the following list as your own one-word prompt generator. With one word per day, you’re all set for a year of inspired writing. Read each word and take a moment to call forth your ideas before you choose one and start freewriting.
| Cheeseburger Moon Rising Truffles Succulents Candles Tarot Nightgown Crystal Oily Sparkle Glimmer Jagged Smooth Jarring Melody Flame Lantern Ghost Evening Alone Arrow Misunderstanding Tragedy Unforgotten Unforgiven Odd Heat Chill Cloudy Unkempt Musty Cartwheels Merry-go-round Swings Cotton candy Ferris wheel Stray Road Found Lost Invisible Unnatural Beauty Deformity Unity Discord Conspiracy Anarchy Extremism Racism Fear Insecurity Blindness Clairvoyance Prophecy Clairaudience Pride Ritual Loyalty Betrayal Hidden Calm Worry Rational Clicking Gurgling Ticking Thump Bell Sand Wind Chime Whisper Chirp Spinning Swirl Opening Everyone Closing Bracelet | Locket Moth Torch Worm Spider Cave Phosphorescence Pendant Wax Bees Time Preservation Harvest Hibernation Chrysalis Neophyte Docent Museum Maximum Speed Locked Game Watch Train Sofa Rain Icy Coma Truck Nightfall Helicopter Aliens Sacrifice Grid Window Walls Purchase Debt Roadtrip Gasoline Chandelier Cloves Potatoes Strawberries Mint Teapot Candelabra Watering Deodorant Singing Traveling Constrictive Promised Quiet Eleven Muddy Floating Vigilant Different Disturbance Snack Pet Rocket Tower Chess Apples Spoon Frantic Kaleidoscope Reflection Toast Glasses Carving Removal Slippers Following Musical Forfeit Duel Relentless |
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| Paranoid Green Leverage Loser Disarm Banished Fussy Luck Voyage Acceptance Offensive River Mob Ashamed Letters Illegal Lying Homework Decline Threat Impulsive Tyrant Sleep Surrender Curtain Healing Irony Kleptomania Waste Convict Karma Space Purification Profanity Birthday Vanity Uninformed Shaking Predatory Hypocrite Protocol Flickering Hoarse Gasping Calling Crying Grasping Reach Tiny Helpless Unseen Vacant Climbing Immature Skeleton Remains Hopeless Sliding Gravity Bounce Agitator Runes Name-cards Sigil Protest Imprint Cutting Wage Nowhere Stranger Autumn Feast Winter Famine Student Mentor Balance Scales Family Alienation Blame Denial Telephone Laundry Sidewalk Market Altar Innocence Sanctuary Violation Unexpected Trust Escape Warning Alarm Catalyst Unfamiliar Supplements Secret Gate Crescent Mystical | Magic Imaginary Rage Anguish Solitary Scented Refreshing Alignment Cleansed Resuscitation Amnesia Swallow Dizzy Exhausted Fizzy Recipe Underground Grounded Autistic Disoriented Festival Sauerkraut Hinterland Wasteland Zombie Pickpocket Rags Polish Illusion Miraculous Melting Citrus Jasmine Curling Sled Refraction Matches Trickster Nautical Equestrian Vegetarian Carbon Chlorophyll Random Frolic Equity Nocturnal Midlife Saintly Mischief Complaint Manager Patient Qualified Indigenous Extortion Prescience Cybernetic Roundabout Flotation Funeral Homage Stovetop Hearth Cauldron Nest Piemaker Elf Forest Pace Planner Map Painting Waiting Conduit Hose Portrait Platform Hinge Tissues Markers Pills Stain Toadstool Wilt Croutons Embarrassed Takeaway Scrooge Secluded Feral Flippant Fracture Crate Slippery Forgetful Alleviate Krampus Nasal Door Boat |
Ready to use these one-word writing prompts?
Now you’re all set for a whole year of using a single word each day to start a new and potentially life-changing story idea. If you’re thinking, “Well, I’m gonna need a new notebook or journal just for this,” we’re not about to discourage that.
But don’t forget, as you read another word from the list, to express gratitude for your creative mind, for your writing tools, and for the time you have to devote to your craft.
With the words “Thank you” as part of your everyday writing routine, you’ll never lack for inspiration.
