non fiction essay topic

Bookfox Academy (All Courses)
Write Your Best Novel
How to Write a Splendid Sentence
Two Weeks to Your Best Children’s Book
Revision Genius
The Ultimate Guide to Writing Dialogue
Your First Bestseller
Master Your Writing Habits
Writing Techniques to Transform Your Fiction
Triangle Method of Character Development
Children’s Book Editing
Copy Editing
Novel Editing
Short Story Editing
General Books
Children’s Books

50 Creative Nonfiction Prompts Guaranteed to Inspire

But not to worry. I present one whole hefty list of prompts just for creative nonfiction writers.

One small note before you dive in: don’t be afraid to mix and match the prompts. Each suggestion was meant to highlight a specific line of inspiration. There is absolutely no reason that two or three of these can’t be explored within one piece.

In fact, just use my tiny suggestions as springboards. Good luck!

1. Explore a scene or story from your memory by reimagining it from an alternate perspective. Write the event from the point of view of a passing bystander, another person close to the event, a pet, or even an inanimate object. When choosing your narrator, pay attention to how objective they would have been, what they would have paid attention to, and what sort of background knowledge they would have had about the scene.

2. Tell the nonfiction story that you don’t want your mother to read. You know the one. Don’t censor yourself.

3. Recall a moment in which you felt a strong spiritual or unidentifiable energy. Describe the scene in vivid detail, with special attention to the senses. Connect that scene to your relationship with your own religious beliefs or lack thereof. Examine how you incorporated that experience into your worldview.

4. Create a timeline of events depicting your life by using newspaper headlines. Try to focus on events that didn’t involve you directly, but connect them to the pivotal events in your life.

5. Tell the story of one of your family holiday gatherings. Identify any of your family’s common trademarks, such as your one aunt that seems to tell the same joke at every Christmas, or your two uncles that always hide from the rest of the family by doing the dishes. Explore how you are linked within this family dynamic, and how these little quirks evolved and changed over the years.

6. Tell the story of a location. Possibly one that is very close to your heart that you already know well, or a new one that inspires your curiosity. Pay particular attention to your own connection to the location, however small or large that connection may be.

7. Choose a location that you’ve come to know as an adult. Compare how you interact with this setting now to how you interacted with similar settings when you were a child. How has your perspective changed?

8. Describe a time in which you expected or wanted to feel a religious or spiritual moment, but couldn’t. What were you hoping would happen? How do you choose to interpret that?

9. Recall a key lesson that parents or family members tried to impart onto you as a child. For example: “live with a healthy mind and healthy body,” or “put others before yourself.” Revisit that lesson as an adult and connect it to how you have come to interpret it as you grew up or in your adult life. Feel free to pick a less serious lesson and have a little bit of fun with it.

10. Revisit a special birthday from when you were younger. Describe specific details, with emphasis upon the senses. Now that you have years of context, how do you feel about what your parents and family did or did not do for you? What does that event mean to you now?

11. Choose an event in your life that someone else remembers differently. Describe both memories and debate the differences. Who do you think is right? Why do you think you remember it differently?

12. Choose a strong emotion and think of two memories associated with it. What are the links between those two memories?

13. Think of a lesson you learned recently and apply it to a memory. How would your behavior have changed if you had applied the lesson back then?

14. Choose a commonplace or otherwise unremarkable memory and describe it in the most dramatic and absurd way possible. For inspiration, I’m leaving you with some quotes from Douglas Adams. “The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don’t.” “He leant tensely against the corridor wall and frowned like a man trying to unbend a corkscrew by telekinesis.” “It was a deep, hollow malevolent voice which sounded like molten tar glurping out of a drum with evil on its mind.”

15. Have you seen those bizarre Illuminati videos in which some automated voice tries to prove that Arch Duke Ferdinand is actually alive and has a monopoly on the world’s dairy farms? For this prompt, think of people in your life who have believed in crazy conspiracy theories, and write about the time they first shared them with you. Think of how your beliefs might seem naïve to them, and explore the tension between the competing versions of history.

You Can’t Make This Stuff Up

16. What do you want more than anything in your life? Write about the burning hot core of your desire, and how that desire has changed over your life.

17. Recall what stressed you out most as a child. Was it the creaking stairs leading to the basement? Or being lost at the store? Explore your current relationship to that stressor. Did you ever move past that fear or anxiety? How do you interact with it now?

18. What relationship in your life has caused the most pain? Write the key scene in that relationship, when everything was at stake.

19. Write about a road trip you took, and about where all your fellow travelers ended up in life versus where you ended up. Are you glad you didn’t end up where they did, or are you jealous?

20. How has your identity changed over the course of your life? Write a scene from your teenage years that epitomizes the type of person you were, and then write a scene from recent life that shows how you’ve changed.

21. What event in your life has angered you the most? Write the scene where it happened, and tell us what you would do if it happened again.

22. What single experience most shaped who you are? Describe the experience in a single, vivid scene.

23. Who was your first friend to die? Write about how you learned of their death, and how you and their other friends mourned them.

24. Choose a happy or comfortable memory and write it in a way that makes the memory creepy or eerie to the reader. Don’t change the basic facts of the event, only select different facts and present them differently.

25. Show yourself in a scene pursuing the thing you want most in the world. Try to show the reader, without telling them, about your character flaws.

26. If you could throw five items into the fire, what would they be and why? To be clear, by throwing them in this fire, there would be no trace of them left anywhere, even if it’s something on the Internet or a memory. This is a very powerful fire. What would the consequences be?

27. What physical object or family heirloom ties together your grandparents, your parents, and yourself? Describe this object in great detail, and what it has meant to generations of your family.

This is seriously the best anthology out there for creative nonfiction.

Lee Gutkind and Annie Dillard have created a fantastic repository of classics.

In Fact: The Best of Creative Nonfiction

28. Tell a story from your life in inverted chronological order. Start with the end, then backpedal to the middle, then tell the beginning, and then fill in the rest of the gaps.

29. Write about your favorite trip or journey, and how that high level of happiness was eventually threatened.

30. Look at some photographs of your childhood. Look at the pictures of your old room, the clothes you wore, and the places you had been. Try to remember a friend from that time period, and describe the first memory of a time when they pressured you or made you uncomfortable or angry.

31. Take a small, boring moment that happened today and write as much as you can about it. Go overboard describing it, and make this boring moment exciting by describing it in intense detail with ecstatic prose. Eventually connect this small, boring detail with the grand narrative of your life, your bigger purpose and intentions.

32. Describe the best meal you ever ate. Then describe a conflict you had with the people you shared it with, one that happened before, during, or after.

33. Recall an individual that you particularly hated. Describe their cruelty to you, and try to write yourself into an understanding of why they might have done it.

34. What was the best/worst letter you ever received or wrote? Write about the situation surrounding that letter, and why it was so important.

35. Recall a name you’ve given to a toy, a car, a pet, or a child, and tell us the story of how you and your family selected that name. Who fought over the name? What was the significance of that name? What happened to the animal or thing you named?

36. Write about experiencing the craziest natural event you’ve ever seen — tornado, earthquake, tsunami, hurricane. Dramatize the physical danger of the natural event as well as the tension between you and the people you were with.

37. Tell the story of the most important person that has shaped your town and its culture (you might have to do some research). How did the activity of that person influence the way you grew up or live currently?

How do you find good creative nonfiction stories?

This book masterfully teaches you how to discover the stories others will want to hear.

Creative Nonfiction: Researching and Crafting Stories of Real Life

38. Scientists have wondered for years how nature and nurture plays into the development of human minds and their choices. Explore where you and your siblings are today and the choices that brought you there. Would you like to trade places with your sibling? Would you be happy living in their shoes? How have your personal choices differed over the years?

39. Write a scene of a time when someone older than you gave you advice, and write about how you followed it or ignored it and the consequences.

40. Write a single, three-paragraph scene when your sexual desire was thwarted by yourself or someone else.

41. Describe a scene when you were stereotyping someone. Did someone challenge you, or if you only felt guilty by yourself, how did you change your behavior afterwards?

42. Describe the biggest epiphany of your life, then backtrack and tell the lead-up to that scene or the aftermath. In the lead-up or aftermath, show how the epiphany was either overrated or every bit as valuable as you’d previously thought.

43. Write about a fork in the road in your life, and how you made the decision to go the direction you did.

44. Explore an addiction you had or currently have. Whether the addiction is as serious as alcohol or cigarettes, or something much more mundane like texting, video games, or internet usage, describe in vivid detail the first time you tried it. If you quit, tell the story of how you quit.

45. Recall a scene in which you chose to remain silent. Whether it was your boss’s racist rant, or just an argument not worth having, explore the scene and why you chose not to speak.

46. Revisit a moment in your life that you feel you will never be able to forget. What about that moment made it so unforgettable?

47. What makes you feel guilty? Revisit a moment that you are ashamed of or feel guilty for and explore why that is. Describe the scene and the event and communicate why you feel this way.

48. Write about a moment in which you acted selflessly or against your own benefit. What motivated you to do so? What were the circumstances? How did you feel after words?

49. Write about the most pivotal scene in a relationship with someone in your extended family — Uncle, aunt, cousin, grandmother. Describe the tension or happiness you shared, and how that came to affect your relationship from that point onward.

50. If all else fails, try a writing-sprint. Set an alarm for 5, 10, or 15 minutes and write as much as possible within that time span. Even if you begin with no inspiration, you might be surprised with what you come up with by the end.

The definitive guide to creating riveting true life stories.

Storycraft: The Complete Guide to Writing Narrative Nonfiction

For added pressure, try these writing websites:

Write Or Die

If you stop writing for more than 5 seconds, everything you’ve written disappears. It’s like writing with someone with a whip behind your chair. But with this new update you can choose to get positive reinforcements, too, like a kitten or candy, or to have your words disemvoweled rather than disappear.

A points-based system to encourage writers to write 750 words every single day. You get bonus points for not skipping days, and bonus points for writing more than 750 words.

Written? Kitten!

Every 100 words you write, you get shown a picture of a kitten. Ah, simple motivation. No word whether a dog version of the site is in the works for those who are more dog people.

For more on creative nonfiction writing, I suggest Creative Nonfiction . This website works with its print magazine counterpart to specifically cater to creative nonfiction writers and operates as an excellent starting point for more inspiration. Happy writing!

108 Engaging And Creative Nonfiction Writing Prompts

So you want to write a nonfiction book . Good for you! What are you going to write about ?

I know. That question stumps most everyone.

What indeed? Coming up with creative nonfiction ideas isn’t for the faint of heart.

Nonfiction is a big, broad genre of book writing, and narrowing it down to an area in which you have some expertise, background , or interest can be daunting.

And even if you kinda, sorta know what you want to write about , you’re not exactly sure how to begin or how to get your creative juices flowing.

That’s why we’ve created a varied list of nonfiction writing prompts for you — so you can narrow down your choices or pinpoint precisely the type of nonfiction you want to write.

108 Creative Nonfiction Writing Prompts

Ready to get started? Read through this list of creative nonfiction ideas, and make a note of any that resonate with you.

Or just start writing about one of the nonfiction prompts and see where it takes you.

If you’ve been wondering, “What are some nonfiction topics I might write about?” then these prompts can help you narrow down ideas for your next book project.

1. You’ve developed a new creative side-hustle, and you have enough business to bring in at least a few hundred (or even thousand) a month.

2. You know how to prepare for a specific kind of disaster, and you want to make others aware not only of the imminent danger of that disaster but how best to prepare for it.

3. The Missing Ingredient: What is one thing most people forget or overlook when making or doing something?

4. This is something most people don’t know about ______.

5. You could be more (or less) ______.

6. You need more _____ in your life.

7. Discontent is not (always) a lack of gratitude. Here’s why.

8. The right music can change everything for you. Here’s how.

9. Swap this for that and see how it changes your life!

10. Be your own devil’s advocate? Why would you want to do that?

11. What on earth does logic have to do with creative writing (or creative anything)?

12. Are your morning/nighttime habits keeping you poor? Or did they for a while?

13. How do you go on after your best friend dies (or leaves you)?

14. What one thing could you add to your workspace to make you happier and more productive?

woman typing outdoor patio writing prompts

15. What one thing in your life would you love to change? And what can you do to change it — and help others do the same?

16. Your doc says, “No more alcohol for you!” So, you look for ways to relax without it.

17. You used to take everything personally — thinking everyone was comparing you to someone else.

18. Why do bad things pile up the way they do? And what can you do about it?

19. Why would anyone want to live in < city /state/country>

20. Yeah, your desk is cluttered — and you’re okay with that.

21. Your oldest kid is driving you nuts, and you have to admit your role in that.

22. Your pets have all but destroyed an entire room in your home.

23. So, you want to do something dangerous (skydiving, parasailing, bungee jumping, learning parkour, etc.).

24. You’ve always wanted to travel to ______. How can you afford it, and what do you need to know?

25. Investing is a scary business. How do you even begin?

26. You’re moving, but you can’t find a buyer for your house. Why not rent it out instead — and how do you do that?

27. You have no Christmas budget, but you want to make this Christmas one your kids will remember fondly.

28. You learned something from writing your last book that has changed the way you write them.

29. Everything started to fall into place once you finally narrowed your focus to the kind of writing you really want to do.

30. When you changed this little thing in your diet, you started dropping weight faster than ever before.

31. Something you didn’t know about your body has been working behind the scenes, turning your own efforts against you.

32. Caffeine has always been one of your besties, but now your doc says you have to cut back — or even cut it completely from your diet!

33. Your path from the 9-to-5 job to full-time self-employment hasn’t been like the ones described by the experts whose books you’ve read, but you know you’re not alone.

34. Serendipity is nice and all, but something else is responsible for your success, and you want others to know what that is — and how they can make it work for them.

35. When was the last time you actually kept a New Year’s resolution? How did you keep it, and what difference did it make?

36. How big is your daily to-do list? And what kind of daily planning works for you?

37. What changes have you made to your monthly spending that have made a huge difference for you?

38. Desperation (i.e. lack of money and/or time) made you do it. You learned how to do something yourself, you did it well, and people are saying good things.

39. One of your kids has said, “I don’t read. I have ADHD.” You have ADHD, too, though, and you read plenty. You become determined to find out if something else is going on.

40. Adding this spice to every day’s menu has made a big difference in your health — as well as your enjoyment of cooking.

41. Only when you discovered and addressed a deficiency in a certain nutrient did you begin to feel more energetic, alive, and creative than you remember ever feeling before.

42. Your doctor suggests a new therapy for your condition but warns you that it could damage one of your other organs.

43. No one told you how hard it would be to withdraw from SSRIs (or how long it could take), but through trial and error, you found a way.

44. Everyone around you is telling you to quit taking your SSRI, but you know that — somehow — it has actually helped you.

man sitting on sofa with computer writing prompts

45. Your kids have special needs, and you’re fed up with people making assumptions about their intelligence or their parenting when they act up in public.

46. You find an approach to homeschooling (or partial homeschooling) that restores your kids’ curiosity and love of learning and creating.

47. Your oldest wants to drop out of school, because so-and-so did it, and “Look how successful he is!”

48. Your marriage was deteriorating until you made this one, small change.

49. For years, all you had to do was look at a donut, and you’d gain weight. Then you changed one thing

50. You made a goal: “In the next 100 days, I will ______.”A hundred days later, you’ve exceeded your goal .

51. The first day of that “staycation” you wanted has arrived.

52. You went on a mission to where?

53. You’ve increased your own self-confidence and helped others to boost theirs, too.

54. Ditching both Netflix and your gym membership has changed your life for the better….

55. Changing your beliefs about something has caused some tension at home but has also made it possible for you to earn and accomplish more than you used to think was possible.

56. Childhood memories and the emotions attached to them have held you back for years, but not anymore.

57. Your high school education led you to college, which led you to a job you hated but felt stuck with for years.

58. What app or online tool has changed the way you do business?

59. Families can take a heavy toll on a house. What repair work have you had done to restore your home and what have you learned to do yourself?

60. Your second grader hates school and thinks reading is boring.

61. One of your kids is a writer and wants to take a page out of her main character’s book and dye her hair purple.

62. One of your kids has come out to you as gay, bisexual, or asexual.

63. One of your teenage kids has chosen a different religion and no longer wants to go to church with his family.

64. A brush with death has changed your priorities, and you’ve made some drastic changes.

65. You’ve hit your forties and found a list you made 10 years ago of the things you wanted to accomplish during your 30’s.

66. You’ve had an epiphany in the shower, and after exploring it with a journal entry, you’re thinking, “This could be a book!”

67. You’re looking at a goal and thinking, “What kind of person do I have to be to accomplish this goal in the time I’ve set for it?”

68. What does it mean to be neurotypical as opposed to neurodiverse?

69. How has marriage changed your perception of married life?

70. You learn that one of your kids is autistic, and you and your spouse have very different reactions to the news.

71. You and your spouse have opposing beliefs with regard to gender differences and sexual orientation, and it’s becoming a problem.

21 Creative Nonfiction Writing Prompts to Inspire True Stories

by Sue Weems | 0 comments

If you've ever wanted to tell a true story using more literary techniques, then the genre you're exploring is creative nonfiction. Let's define creative nonfiction and then try some creative nonfiction writing prompts today.

Title "21 Creative Nonfiction Writing Prompts" with photo of a stack of old letters

What is creative nonfiction?

Creative nonfiction is a literary genre of writing that uses fiction techniques and stylistic choices to express real-life experiences. It depends on story elements especially, so everything you've learned about structure will serve you well in creative nonfiction.

It often includes personal essays, memoirs, biographies, and other related genres such as travel writing or food writing. Creative nonfiction writers strive to make their pieces engaging to readers with narrative techniques typically found in fiction, such as vivid descriptions and dialogue, but in addition to that, they approach their subject matter with a thoughtfulness about the larger meaning of experiences.

It's an extremely flexible form. You can begin by writing out a personal experience and then layering it with narrative or thematic elements. You can infuse your writing with poetic elements to make the writing more lyrical. The possibilities for your writing practice are endless.

Because of that, it's the perfect form for practicing new techniques and experimenting with your storytelling. You could use any nonfiction prompt, but let me give you a few to try today. Remember the one thing you want to do is tell a true story (or as true as you can tell it!).

And if you've always dreamed of writing a memoir, check out our full guide to writing a memoir here .

21 Creative Nonfiction Writing Prompts

1. Tell a personal story about a time you lost something that changed your life.

2. Relate a childhood experience where you felt locked out literally or figuratively.

3. Think about a road trip—maybe not the epic, once-in-a-lifetime trip, but a smaller one that surprised you with something on the way. Write about the vivid details and what defied your expectations.

4. Write about finding unexpected love or friendship.

5. Tell a story about the last time you felt at home.

6. Relate a time when you had to leave something important or precious behind.

7. Tell about a time you had to dig.

8. Write about the first time of drove or traveled alone and it changed you.

9. Tell about a painful or poignant goodbye.

10. Relate a favorite memory about a significant figure in your life.

11. Write the story of the most difficult decision you made in each decade of your life.

12. Tell the story of a birth: of a person, an idea, a business, a relationship.

13. Relate the most life-changing conversation you've had using only dialogue. (or stream-of-consciousness or alternating point of view)

14. Recreate the earliest significant experience you had with school or learning.

15. Write about a tiny object that changed your life.

16. Tell the story of an argument that ended in a surprising or unexpected way.

17. Recreate a scene where you had to defend yourself or someone else.

18. Share a story about trying something new (whether you failed or met success).

19. Write about the moment you knew you had to keep a secret.

20. Tell about a time you interacted, viewed, or read a piece of art and it changed you.

21. Share about a letter, email, or text that disrupted your life and caused you to change course.

Put your writing skills to the test

Now it's your turn. Dig into those childhood memories or visceral experiences that have made you who you are. Tell the story and then look for ways to explore literary technique as you revise.

Choose one of the prompts above and set your timer for fifteen minutes . Write the experience as vividly and direct as you can. Often, the magic of creative nonfiction comes in revision, so don't worry about focusing on too many stylistic choices at first.

When finished, share your creative nonfiction piece in the Pro Practice Workshop here , and encourage a few other writers while you're there.

Sue Weems is a writer, teacher, and traveler with an advanced degree in (mostly fictional) revenge. When she’s not rationalizing her love for parentheses (and dramatic asides), she follows a sailor around the globe with their four children, two dogs, and an impossibly tall stack of books to read. You can read more of her writing tips on her website .

title with red, orange, and yellow leaves stacked down the left side

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Submit Comment

Join over 450,000 readers who are saying YES to practice. You’ll also get a free copy of our eBook 14 Prompts :

Popular Resources

Best Resources for Writers Book Writing Tips & Guides Creativity & Inspiration Tips Writing Prompts Grammar & Vocab Resources Best Book Writing Software ProWritingAid Review Writing Teacher Resources Publisher Rocket Review Scrivener Review Gifts for Writers

Books By Our Writers

You've got it! Just us where to send your guide.

Enter your email to get our free 10-step guide to becoming a writer.

You've got it! Just us where to send your book.

Enter your first name and email to get our free book, 14 Prompts.

Want to Get Published?

Enter your email to get our free interactive checklist to writing and publishing a book.

Discover the Writing Routines of Literary Legends!
Writing Routines
Journalists
AI in the Writer’s World
Finding Muse & Beating Blocks
Productivity & Routine
Storytelling Craft

50 Creative Nonfiction Prompts to Spark Your Inspiration

Creative nonfiction is a unique blend of storytelling and reality, where the facts of life meet the art of narrative. It’s a genre that invites writers to explore their experiences, thoughts, and observations, weaving them into stories that resonate with truth and authenticity. In this realm, the line between the mundane and the extraordinary is often blurred, turning everyday experiences into captivating tales.

Prompts, in this context, serve as a starting point, a spark to ignite the imagination and draw out stories that might be hiding just beneath the surface. They encourage writers to dig deeper, reflect on their experiences, and discover the narratives that have shaped their perspectives.

Whether it’s exploring personal memories, observing societal dynamics, or simply musing on the quirks of daily life, these prompts are designed to cover a wide array of themes. They offer a launchpad for anyone looking to delve into the rich and varied world of creative nonfiction, guiding them through a journey of self-discovery and storytelling.

Personal Reflections

Recall an experience that changed your perspective on life.
Describe a tradition in your family and its personal significance.
Write about a moment of self-discovery or realization.
Share an experience of overcoming a fear or phobia.
Reflect on an encounter that left a lasting impression on you.

Life’s Milestones

Describe your feelings on the day you left home for the first time.
Write about the experience of meeting a significant other or a lifelong friend.
Share the emotions and thoughts of a pivotal birthday or anniversary.
Reflect on the experience of achieving a long-sought-after goal.
Describe a moment of failure and what it taught you.

Challenges and Resilience

Write about a time you faced a significant challenge at work or school.
Share a story of a personal setback and how you bounced back.
Reflect on a moment you had to stand up for yourself or someone else.
Describe a period of life-changing adversity and its impact on you.
Write about an unexpected challenge that you turned into an opportunity.

Travel and Exploration

Share a memorable experience from a trip that changed your view of the world.
Write about a place you visited that felt completely alien to you.
Reflect on a journey that did not go as planned, but taught you something valuable.
Describe a moment where you connected with a stranger while traveling.
Share an experience of discovering something new in a familiar place.

Societal Observations

Reflect on a current event that deeply affected you and why.
Write about a time when you noticed a significant social change.
Share your thoughts on a technological advancement and its impact on society.
Describe an encounter that challenged your long-held beliefs.
Write about a moment you witnessed community solidarity.

Creative Musings

Reflect on what creativity means to you.
Write about a book, film, or artwork that profoundly affected your life.
Share a story about how a particular song or piece of music moves you.
Describe a time when engaging in a creative activity helped you overcome a personal challenge.
Reflect on an instance where you found beauty in an unexpected place.

Relationships and Connections

Write about a relationship that taught you an important life lesson.
Share a story of a chance encounter that led to a meaningful connection.
Reflect on the evolution of a significant relationship in your life.
Describe a conversation that had a profound impact on you.
Write about the complexities of a family relationship.

Self-Discovery and Growth

Reflect on an aspect of your identity that has shaped your life.
Write about a habit you changed and the effect it had on you.
Share a moment that made you question your beliefs or values.
Describe a period of significant personal growth.
Reflect on a time when you surprised yourself.

Miscellaneous Adventures

Share a story about an unusual hobby or interest and why it fascinates you.
Write about an unexpected adventure in an ordinary day.
Describe an unusual or memorable event in your community.
Share a story of a spontaneous decision that led to an unexpected journey.
Write about a quirky or unique family story.

Moments of Joy and Happiness

Reflect on an experience that made you laugh uncontrollably.
Describe a surprise that turned out to be an incredible gift.
Share a memory of a perfect day.
Write about finding happiness in an unexpected place.
Recall a time when a small act of kindness made a significant difference in your mood or day.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it – 50 stepping stones to get those words flowing and stories growing. Each prompt is a little nudge, pushing you to explore, reflect, and maybe even uncover something new about yourself and the world around you. Creative nonfiction is all about taking the real and weaving it into narratives that resonate and connect.

These ones here are just the starting point. They’re here to break the ice, to get you thinking and, most importantly, writing. Whether you’re jotting down memories, musing over daily observations, or sharing life’s big moments, remember, every story you tell is adding your unique voice to the tapestry of human experience. So go ahead, pick a prompt, and let the adventure begin.

Why Having a Schedule is Crucial for a Writer’s Productivity

Writing on the Go: Developing Routines While Traveling

Finding Your Creative Peak: Identifying the Best Time to Write

No comments, leave a reply cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Interview with Jennifer Maritza McCauley: “It’s basically like switching between two different brains.”

Epistolary writing: crafting stories through letters and diaries.

Kindlepreneur

Book Marketing for Self-Publishing Authors

Home / Book Writing / Nonfiction Topics to Write About: 30+ Ideas to Get You Started

Nonfiction Topics to Write About: 30+ Ideas to Get You Started

If you're an aspiring nonfiction author or blog writer (or both), you may feel that you don't have as much to write about as fiction authors. After all, fiction writers are only limited by their imaginations, whereas nonfiction writers can't just make stuff up. But if you think about it, that's not quite right. Some of the best nonfiction books take a look at old ideas through a new lens. And that lens is the author's imagination.

So whether you're struggling to generate new ideas or just want to break away from your current work in progress, we've got a list of great nonfiction topics to write about.

Tips for writing great nonfiction.
How best to pick from the list of nonfiction topics.
Tips for vetting your nonfiction book idea.

Use Creative Writing to Generate Emotions
Keep Your Purpose in Mind
Bring Something New to the Table
Informational Writing Prompts
Memoir Writing Prompts
Personal Essay Writing Prompts
How to Vet Your Nonfiction Book Idea

Writing Excellent Nonfiction

For some people, nonfiction writing comes easily, whereas fiction is a little trickier. For others, the opposite is true. The fact is, writing nonfiction is not all that different from writing fiction. With the tips below, you'll see what I mean.

Whether you're writing a piece of narrative nonfiction or a handbook on becoming an entrepreneur, you'll want to tell a story . After all, anyone can put down words that tell someone how to do something, but this isn't how great writing works. We're story-centered creatures. It's how we relate to the world.

So use a narrative to get your point across. If your readers feel something as they read your book, it's more likely to stick with them. And that's exactly what you want!

The writing prompts below are split into sub-sections based on the purpose they serve. While a lot of nonfiction is designed to help the reader solve a problem, this is not always the case. Some sub-genres of nonfiction are for readers who want to be entertained or informed. Luckily, it's pretty easy to tell the difference.

So whichever writing prompt you choose, keep your purpose in mind the whole time. Always ask yourself, as you write, if each sentence is serving the purpose of the piece.

While the prompts below are fairly broad, they require an ingredient that I can't provide in this article: you. It's your job to bring the prompt or prompts alive with your own experience, imagination, and outlook. There's no use in writing a book, essay, or article that a hundred other people have already written.

But if you have a unique take on the subject, or can provide a compelling way to deliver the information to the reader, then you have a nonfiction piece worth writing.

Format Beautiful Professional Books

Easy to use, and and full of amazing features, you can quickly turn your book into a professional book.

Nonfiction Writing Prompts

Pick a prompt below that sounds intriguing to you. Take a moment to think about how you would provide a unique perspective on the subject. Or, simply use them as writing prompts to practice your craft!

First, we'll start with the informational nonfiction writing prompts. In other words, these are designed to solve a specific problem or explain something to the reader. These are often called expository nonfiction prompts.

1. Write about your health and fitness journey. Have you overcome any obstacles, tried any fad diets, or had any close calls? What can you share about your experience that can help others?

2. Write about your career or industry. How did you get to be where you are? What can you share about your experience that can help others?

3. Write about a skill that you have. How much time did you put into developing it? What practices worked best? What would you tell someone who is just now trying to learn the skill?

4. Explore your spirituality or religious beliefs. Finding ways to maintain your beliefs or practices is hard these days, so share with the reader how you've managed to do it, and how they can do it, too.

5. Write about finances. Are you better off than your peers? Have you been successful, or have you had major ups and downs? What can you share about your experience that can help others?

6. Are you an organized person? If so, write about how you stay organized. Don't skimp on the details of any systems or tactics you've developed!

7. Do you know how to maintain a home or a vehicle? If so, write a guide on how best to stay on top of regular maintenance while still saving time and money.

8. Have you overcome anxiety or stress? If so, share with readers how you stay on top of it while still functioning in society.

9. Do you know how to knit or make homemade decorations? If so, share your skills in a book or blog post.

10. Do you know all the best spots to eat, relax, or pass the time in your city? Write a guide of all the little-known gems to help people visiting for the first time.

Creative Nonfiction Writing Prompts

Unless you're a subject matter expert, you may be more interested in the writing prompts below. With the creative writing prompts in this section, you have a little more freedom when it comes to writing style. You can rely heavily on personal experience with the following prompts , as well, just make sure you're telling a true story!

11. Write about the most impactful time in your life. What lessons did you learn that other people would be interested in?

12. What does it mean to be happy? Is it possible to be happy all the time? If so, how?

13. Have you done any traveling, whether foreign or domestic? If so, you could regale readers with travel-writing stories.

14. Are you a fan of historical nonfiction? This nonfiction genre requires a lot of research, but if you have a unique angle on a moment in our history, it could be well worth the effort.

15. Write about a person who has influenced you without ever having met you. See if you can find and interview others who've been similarly influenced.

The memoir is a creative nonfiction genre in which everyone can write. Although it's hard to sell these kinds of books unless you're a well-known figure, they're great for developing the writing skill it takes to craft other types of books and stories.

16. Using a series of cultural or worldwide events, tell the story of your life. Whether it's a historic law that passed or the release of an impactful movie, see if you can weave important moments in your life into an entertaining narrative.

17. What does truth mean to you? Present times from your own life where the truth was important.

18. Write about what is important to you now. Has it always been a priority, or has the definition of importance changed over your life?

19. Write about a trip that changed your life forever. This could be a vacation, a road trip, or a simple trip to the grocery store.

20. Write about your life by describing the good times you've had with any and all the pets you've had over the years.

If you want more memoir writing prompts, we have an entire article dedicated to this type of narrative nonfiction here .

If a full nonfiction book sounds like a bit much for you, a nonfiction essay may just be the best alternative. This is a personal story told from the heart. It can be about almost anything, but most of these essays generally have to do with one specific topic or moment in the writer's life.

21. Try your hand at literary journalism by writing a series of articles about your life and achievements from the point of view of an impartial journalist.

22. Write a short story in which you are the protagonist and you're dealing with a real-life scary or difficult situation. What really happened, and what could you have done differently?

23. Everyone's afraid of something. What's the biggest fear you've worked to overcome? And how did you do it?

24. Write a personal essay about how music has impacted your life. What songs were playing at important events in your life? How has music defined who you are?

25. What makes you a unique person? What makes you the same as others? Write an essay on what it means to be an individual in a world full of individuals.

26. Think about a person you deeply admire. Write about why you admire them, exploring things like their personality traits, goals, philosophies, and other positive qualities.

27. Write about a location that holds a special meaning for you. This could be a home, a town, or even an entire state. Discuss how this place has impacted your life.

28. Pick a piece of work that has resonated with you. This could be a book, a movie, or a piece of artwork. Explore the themes it explores and why it has resonated with you.

29. The search for purpose is tricky for some. Whether you have found a purpose or are still searching for one, discuss what this means to you.

30. Explore a belief or tradition that is meaningful to you. How has it influenced your life, and why is it important to you? What positive effects have come because of this belief or tradition?

There's a lot to like about being a creative nonfiction writer. In many ways, it requires the same skills as fiction writing, but with narrower parameters to keep you on track. No matter what kind of writing you like to do, the prompts above can help you hone your skills. But what about when you think you have an idea for a potential bestseller? Before you invest the time in writing the whole book (or the book proposal), it's worth vetting the idea. Luckily, this is easy to do with Publisher Rocket.

You can think of the information you get from Publisher Rocket as the foundation for your nonfiction writing career. You get insights directly from Amazon on:

Keywords – Metadata to position your nonfiction book on Amazon.
Competition – Allowing you to see what other nonfiction books are selling well and how stiff the competition is.
Categories – Allowing you to position your book in the right categories and subcategories to increase your chances of success.
Amazon Ads – Helping you quickly configure a list of profitable keywords for running ads to your published nonfiction book.

Check out Publisher Rocket here to learn more about using data to position your book for success on Amazon.

Dave Chesson

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

How to write a book using google docs, how to write dark fantasy: a guide for new authors, how to write a book using microsoft word, sell more books on amazon, amazon kindle rankings e-book.

Learn how to rank your Kindle book #1 on Amazon with our collection of time-tested tips and tricks.

Join the community

Join 111,585 other authors who receive weekly emails from us to help them make more money selling books.

76 Nonfiction Writing Prompts to Help You Write Better, More Engaging Content

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on Published: September 9, 2022 - Last updated: July 31, 2023

Categories Writing , Inspiration

Do you sometimes struggle to come up with ideas for your articles or nonfiction works? Are you looking for ways to improve your writing and make it more engaging for your readers? If so, then you need to check out these nonfiction writing prompts! These prompts will help you come up with topics to write about and will also help you improve your writing skills. So what are you waiting for? Start using these prompts today!

33 Creative Nonfiction Prompts to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

As a writer, it can be easy to get caught up in writer’s block. You may not know what to write about or which angle to approach a topic from. If you’re feeling stuck, why not try your hand at nonfiction? Nonfiction writing can be a great way to flex your creative muscles and explore new topics.

Write about a time when you had to confront your fears. What were you afraid of? How did you overcome your fear?
Write about a journey you went on- literal or metaphorical. What did you learn from the experience?
Write about someone you admire and why they inspire you.
Write about a memory that still makes you laugh.
Write about a time when you had to stand up for yourself or someone else.
Write about an experience that taught you a valuable lesson.
Write about a goal you’ve set for yourself and why it’s important to you.
Write about someone who has made a positive impact on your life.
Write about a hobby or interest you have that others may find surprising.
Write an open letter to someone- living or dead, real or fictional- thanking them for their impact on your life.
Write about an important issue facing the world today and what needs to be done to address it.
Write about a time when you overcame adversity.
What was your best childhood memory?
Who has been the biggest influence in your life and why?
What is your favorite family tradition?
What was the most defining moment of your teenage years?
Write about a time when you had to confront a difficult truth.
What was the most difficult decision you’ve ever had to make?
What are some of the life lessons you’ve learned so far?
How have you grown and changed over the years?
What does happiness mean to you?
Tell the story of a defining moment in your life.
Write about a time when you had to confront a difficult truth about yourself.
Write about a hobby or interest you’ve always been embarrassed to admit to.
Write about a memory that still makes you laugh (or cry) every time you think about it.
Write about a place you’ve always wanted to visit but haven’t had the chance yet.
Write about someone who has had a major influence on your life, for better or worse.
Write about a time when you had to do something you were really scared of.
Write about a physical object that has sentimental value to you.
Write about a time when you took a stand on something even though it was unpopular.
Write about an experience that challenged your assumptions or worldview in some way.
Write about a person who you admire but don’t necessarily agree with.
Write about a time when you had to make a tough decision with no clear right or wrong answer.

10 Nonfiction Short Story Prompts

Your most memorable childhood experience
A time when you faced a challenge head-on
A life-changing event
An emotional moment that still stays with you
A time when you had to let go of something or someone important to you
A moment of happiness or success
When you had an “aha!” moment
A time when you had to confront a fear
An experience that taught you a valuable lesson
A memory that still makes you laugh (or cry!) today

11 Nonfiction Personal Essay Prompts

Crafting a personal essay is one of the most challenging parts of the writing process. You have to distill your experience to its essence and find a way to communicate it in a way that will resonate with your audience. No wonder many writers find personal essays some of the most difficult pieces!

Write about a transition period in your life (moving, starting a new job, going away to college, etc.) and how it affected you.
Pick an object with sentimental value and write about its history and what it means to you.
Write about an event from your childhood that you still think about today.
What are your earliest memories? Write about them in as much detail as possible.
Who is someone you admire and why?
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your life? How did you overcome them?
What do you think makes you unique?
What are some of your biggest accomplishments? Why were they important to you in the moment, and how do they continue to affect your life today?
Write about a time when you had to grapple with an ethical dilemma. How did you ultimately make your decision, and what were the consequences?

11 Journal Writing Prompts

Journaling is a great way to engage with the events of your day and process your thoughts and feelings.

Write about a time when you had to face a difficult truth.
What are some things you’re grateful for?
What does your idea of the perfect day look like?
How do you define happiness, and what are some things that make you happy?
Choose one thing that you’d like to change about yourself and write about why you want to change it and how you plan to go about doing it.
Do you have any lingering unresolved anger or resentment towards anyone? Why not try writing a letter to that person, even if you don’t plan on sending it? Getting your thoughts out can help you to let go and move on.
What would be your dream vacation spot? Write about all the details: where would you stay, what would you do, what would you eat?
Have you ever experienced something miraculous? Whether big or small, share your story.
Sometimes our biggest fears turn out to be unfounded. Write about a time when this happened to you.
When was the last time you did something for the first time? How did it feel?
Write about someone who has had a positive influence on your life. Why are they important to you?

11 Memoir Writing Prompts

A memoir is a way to tell your story and share your experience with others. Memoirs can be written about a personal experience, someone else’s experience, or even a topic you feel passionate about.

What is the earliest memory you have? What do you remember about it? How does it make you feel?
Write about a time when you were faced with a difficult decision. What were the options? What did you decide? Why?
What are some of the defining moments in your life? Why were they so significant?
Write about a person who has had a major influence on your life. Who are they, and what did they teach you?
What has been your most challenging experience? How did you face it? What did you learn from it?
Describe a time when you had to overcome adversity. What was the situation, and how did you manage it?
Is there someone in your life that you admire and look up to? Who are they, and what qualities do they possess that you admire?
Write about an event that has shaped who you are today. What happened, and how did it change you?
What are some of the defining moments of your childhood? Why were they so significant to you at the time?
Tell the story of a significant relationship in your life. What was this relationship like, and what did it teach you about yourself and others?
Everyone has regrets in life. What is something you regret, and why do you feel that way about it now?

Telling your story can be a powerful way to connect with others, process your experiences, and heal from trauma. If you’re stuck, try using one of these memoir writing prompts.

What Makes a Good Nonfiction Writing Topic

Searching for a good nonfiction writing topic can sometimes feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. There are just so many options out there! How do you choose one that will be interesting to write about and read?

Here are a few factors to keep in mind when choosing a topic for your next nonfiction piece:

Potential interest to the audience : You want to choose a topic that you think people will want to read about. Ask yourself- would you want to read an article on this subject? If the answer is no, it’s probably not worth writing about. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but in general, it’s good to err on the side of writing something that you think people will find interesting and useful.
Something you care about: It can be easier (and more fun!) to write about something you’re passionate about. When you care about your topic, it shows in your writing, and readers can sense that. Of course, you don’t have to be an expert on the subject- part of the reason you’re writing is to learn more about it yourself! However, if you aren’t interested in the topic, it will be harder to find the motivation to write about it.
Originality: You also want to ensure that you’re choosing a topic that hasn’t been written about too much before. Finding an original angle on a well-explored subject can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. Some of the best pieces take a new perspective on a familiar topic. However, if you find that there are already dozens of articles on the same subject you wanted to write about, it might be time to move on and choose something else.

What Is a Creative Nonfiction Essay?

A creative nonfiction essay uses the real-life experiences of the nonfiction writer as material for the piece. This type of essay can be written in first person point of view and is usually focused on a single event, experience, or moment in time.

What separates a creative nonfiction essay from a simple narrative essay is the addition of literary devices such as metaphors, similes, and other poetic language. This allows the writer to create a more emotive piece that engages the reader on a different level. In addition, creative nonfiction essays often use flashbacks and other devices that help create a more linear story.

While creative nonfiction essays can be based on real-life experiences, they are still stories that need to be well-crafted to engage the reader. This means that writers must be aware of good storytelling elements, such as conflict, resolution, and character development. By incorporating these elements into their essays, writers can create compelling pieces of creative nonfiction.

Creative nonfiction essays are an interesting and challenging genre for writers. By combining real-life experiences with elements of good storytelling, writers can create engaging and emotive essays that will resonate with readers.

How to Write Creative Nonfiction

Creative nonfiction is a genre of writing that uses fiction and nonfiction elements to tell a true story. Unlike traditional journalism or academic writing, creative nonfiction allows writers to use literary devices such as metaphor and simile to bring their stories to life.

The first step in writing creative nonfiction is deciding what story you want to tell. This can be a personal story from your own life or the story of someone else you have been told. Once you have decided on a story, the next step is to start researching. This will help you to understand the events that took place and the people involved.

Next, it’s time to start writing. The key to writing creative nonfiction is to be as honest as possible. This means being willing to share your thoughts and feelings about the events that took place. It’s also important to use literary devices such as metaphor and simile to bring your story to life for the reader.

Finally, don’t forget to edit and revise your work before publishing it. This will help ensure that your story is free of errors, flows smoothly from beginning to end, and help you become a professional creative nonfiction writer.

How to Write a Good Nonfiction Essay

A nonfiction essay is a piece of writing that aims to present information about a certain subject. It can be based on anything from real-life events to personal experiences. To write a good nonfiction essay, there are some key elements that you need to keep in mind:

Decide on a topic

The first step is to decide on a topic for your essay. The topic can be anything from a personal event to something you have read about or seen. If you are having trouble deciding on a topic, try brainstorming with friends or family members. Once you have settled on a topic, the next step is to start researching.

Do your research

Before you start writing, you must do your research. This means looking for sources that will help you support your claims in your essay. When looking for sources, make sure they are credible and reliable. Once you have found some good sources, the next step is writing your essay.

Write your essay

When you are writing your essay, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind. First, ensure that your essay has an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Second, make sure that all of your claims are supported by evidence from your research. And third, try to make your essay as interesting and engaging as possible.

Edit and revise

Once you have finished writing your essay, it is important to edit and revise it. This will help you improve the quality of your work and increase your chances of getting published. To edit and revise your work, try reading it aloud or getting someone else to read it. This will help you catch any errors or awkward phrasing you might have missed.

Submit your essay

The final step is to submit your essay to a publisher or contest. Doing this will allow you to get feedback from professionals and potentially have your work published for others to see.

How Do You Write a Nonfiction Book in 30 Days?

How is it possible to write an entire nonfiction book in such a short amount of time? Well, it certainly isn’t easy, and it isn’t for everyone. But if you have a clear vision for your book and you’re willing to put in the hard work, then it is possible.

Here are a few tips on how you can write a nonfiction book in 30 days:

1. Outline Your Book First

This may seem like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how many people try to wing it when they write their books. A clear outline of what you want to cover in each chapter will make the actual writing process much easier and less daunting. Trust us, you will thank us later.

2. Set Aside Time Each Day to Write

Trying to cram an entire book into 30 days is unrealistic and very stressful. A better approach would be to set aside time each day to write. Set realistic goals for yourself – maybe aim to write 2-3 pages daily. If you stick to this plan, you will have a much better chance of completing your book within the 30-day timeframe.

3. Get an Editor

Once you have written your first draft, getting someone to edit your work is important. This step is crucial because it will help tighten up your writing and catch any errors you may have missed. A professional editor will also provide valuable feedback on your work which can be very helpful as you revise your manuscript.

4. Promote Your Book

Writing and publishing a book is only half the battle – the other half is promoting it! Make sure to create buzz about your book before it is released and devise creative ways to market it once it hits online stores or shelves.

🎉 Our next novel writing master class starts in – ! Claim your spot →

BEST NONFICTION WRITING PROMPTS

Join (probably?) the world's largest writing contest. Flex those creative muscles with weekly writing prompts.

Showing 48 prompts reset

The perfect recipe, write a creative nonfiction piece about something you're grateful for., write about a challenge that you experienced in your life, and then overcame., pick one of the five senses. write a descriptive piece about your surroundings based on that sense., write about a time when you explored somewhere new., write about a time that you felt happy..

Introducing Prompted , a new magazine written by you!

🏆 Featuring 12 prize-winning stories from our community. Download it now for FREE .

Look at your most recent text. Write a story based on that text.

Write about a time that you made a mistake with lasting ramifications., write about a time when you helped someone..

Write about a time when you felt like an outsider at an event.

Write about a time that you failed.

Subscribe to our prompts newsletter.

Never miss a prompt! Get curated writing inspiration delivered to your inbox each week.

Choose a controversial topic from the news. Write an opinion piece on it.

Pick an impactful moment from your childhood. write about it from the lens of adulthood., the new york times runs a weekly modern love column. write your own "tiny love" column about a relationship in less than 100 words., write about your least favorite memory., write about your favorite memory., write about false news coverage of an important event., think of an item of clothing from your childhood, and write a story inspired by that., write a story where a particular piece of clothing appears three times..

Write a story inspired by a memory of yours.

Write about a person trying to see something from another’s point of view.

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆.

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Contest #270 LIVE

Enter our weekly contest.

This week's theme: The Perfect Recipe

Prize money

Contest entries, closes at 23:59 - oct 04, 2024 est, recent contests ✍️.

#269 – Magical Objects with Tracy Gold

#268 – Reap What You Sow

#267 – Overcoming Obstacles with Writers Ink

#266 – The Write Stuff

Recent winners 🏆

D Gorman – read

Fi Riley – read

Derrick M Domican – read

Victor David – read

Leaderboard 🥇

#1 Zilla Babbitt

32414 points

#2 Deidra Whitt Lovegren

28779 points

#3 Abigail Airuedomwinya

22433 points

#4 Graham Kinross

14790 points

#5 Scout Tahoe

13200 points

#6 Chris Campbell

11784 points

#7 Thom With An H

10742 points

#8 Rayhan Hidayat

10221 points

#9 Michał Przywara

9975 points

#10 Story Time

9838 points

We made a writing app for you

Yes, you! Write. Format. Export for ebook and print. 100% free, always.

The best nonfiction writing prompts

Are you an author looking for nonfiction writing prompts to spark your creative muse? You're in the right place: we created this directory to house all the story ideas about life, people, and history you might need to succeed as a nonfiction writer.

The great thing about nonfiction writing is that ideas can come from anywhere: in-house family drama with the parents, an argument over the Internet with a stranger about money, or a heart-to-heart talk with friends about your beliefs. So whether you're writing an essay or creative nonfiction, feel free to scour this page for inspiration. Who knows? Maybe one of the stories you write in response to a prompt will turn into your next book.

If you're looking to cut to the chase, here’s a top ten list of our favorite nonfiction writing prompts:

Write a story about inaction.
Write a story about activism.
Write about a date that was so terrible you’ll never forget it.
Write about a secret you’ve never told the person you love.
Write about someone (or something) you loved that you shouldn’t have.
Pick one of the five senses. Write a descriptive piece about your surroundings based on that sense.
Write about a time when you helped someone.

If you’re interested in becoming a nonfiction author, check out our free resources on the topic:

The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction (free cours e) — None of the sexy nonfiction books you see on the bestseller lists started that way. We can guarantee you that all those books were written the non-sexy way: through simple hard work that requires you to show up at the computer daily to get your words onto paper. This free ten-day course aims to help you through that process and emerge with a nonfiction book at the end of the tunnel.
How to Write a Memoir (blog pos t) — Memoirs are among the most popular types of nonfiction markets in the publishing industry today. Suppose you're also interested in turning your life and experiences into a story with a beginning, middle, and end. In that case, this guide will walk you through the entire process: from outlining your memoir to writing and marketing it.

Ready to start writing? Check out Reedsy’s weekly short story contest for the chance of winning $250! You can also check out our list of writing contests or our directory of literary magazines for more opportunities to submit your story.

NEW VIDEO COURSE 🎉

How to Write a Novel

Join Tom Bromley for a writing master class and finish your first draft in 3 months . Learn more →

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢

Oops, you need an account for that!

Or enter your email:

Skip to main content
Skip to primary sidebar

Writing Tips Oasis - A website dedicated to helping writers to write and publish books.

31 Writing Prompts for Creative Nonfiction

By Brittany Kuhn

Are you writing a book that belongs to the creative nonfiction genre? Do you need some inspiration? Check out the 31 writing prompts for creative fiction we’ve included for you below:

General Creative Nonfiction Prompts

1. describe the first time you went on a date..

There are a couple of ways you can approach this prompt . You can describe the date itself from the moment it started to the moment it ended. Alternatively, you could describe the lead-up to the date: getting ready, traveling to the venue, seeing the date arrive. In either case, focus on the feelings you had at each stage.

2. Write about going for your very first job interview.

Similar to the date prompt above: focus on getting to the interview rather than the interview itself. Include details about preparing, traveling, waiting to go in. Don’t include the actual interview, as what’s important are your feelings leading up to it. The most you should include is a final line saying whether you got the job and why.

3. Think of the first time you experienced failure.

Rather than focus on what you failed at, focus on how it felt to fail. Did you expect it? Did you learn something from it? What did you do after that moment?

4. Have you ever worked hard for something?

For this prompt, consider a project (no matter how small) that you invested time into. Maybe you ran a marathon, cooked your first big family dinner, or sewed something for the first time. Focus on the process as well as how you felt once you finally completed it.

5. Write about a time you stood up for something or someone.

Have you ever helped someone escape an uncomfortable situation? You can describe stopping a bully at school or keeping a friend from making a mistake. Remember to focus on your actions, including why you chose to stand up for that person, and the significances of your interjection afterwards.

6. Imagine you can only keep five items.

Pretend your house is on fire and choose the five items you would save. Describe not only the items themselves, but also highlight why they have so much more significance than every other item you own. What would they bring you when the dust settles that the other items wouldn’t?

7. Define what love means to you.

You can be as academic as you want with this prompt, but remember to explain how you see love in your everyday life. Delve into why you feel that way about love, who taught you those things, and how you express that love (or plan to) to your loved ones every day.

8. Write about a time you were running late.

This is less about the reason you were late and the actual journey of getting to where you were going. Go into as much detail as you can about all the things stopping you from being on time and end with what happened when you finally got to your destination.

9. Describe getting your first (or favorite) pet.

This should end with you getting the pet, so start as far back as you need to give the situation context. What events led you to getting that pet? Why was that pet so important at that time?

10. What celebration has special meaning to you?

This event doesn’t have to be special to you ; as in, this doesn’t have to be your birthday or anniversary. This could be someone else’s birthday, your parents’ anniversary, or even a national holiday. Just describe the event itself and what makes it so special to you.

11. Write about your biggest fear as a child.

Don’t just describe the fear. Describe the events that led to that fear manifesting. Describe how you dealt with it or how it affected your childhood. You could even consider whether it has impacted your current life in any way.

12. What if you could visit your younger self?

For this one, focus on the meeting, not the process of getting there. Describe the exact moment you would visit and why that moment is so important for you to revisit. Narrate what you would say to yourself and how your younger self might respond.

13. Describe a time you felt like an outsider.

While the emotions are the most important element of this creative nonfiction piece, so are the reasons you were outcast in the first place. Include things like how old you were, who made you feel like an outcast, and why. Finish with how you recovered from the situation or what you might have learned.

14. Tell the story of a family heirloom.

Is there an item or even a name that is important to your family? Tell its origin story. Begin with where it came from and how it got to where it is now. Be sure to delve into what is so important about this object or name and why your family continues to treasure it.

15. Write a story about visiting your favorite restaurant.

You really want to focus on the sensory details in this piece, as the key should be highlighting what makes it your favorite place to eat. Be careful not to overdo it, though; you might run the risk of sounding like an advertisement or a review piece.

Travel Writing Prompts

16. write about the first time you had to take public transportation..

Did you take a plane, train, or bus? Describe the journey from start to finish. Be sure to include what it was like getting on board, what it looked and felt like, what you saw from the window, and what it was like when you finally disembarked.

17. When was the first time you travelled for vacation?

Begin your story with deciding where to go (including why you chose that destination) and finish with arriving. The focus should be on the journey, not the destination.

18. Write about a time you visited a famous landmark.

Have you ever seen Mount Rushmore, the Eiffel Tower, or some other famous place? Describe the experience: what did you feel when you first arrived, what did you do while you there, how did you feel as you left?

19. Have you ever been to a theme park?

You could write this about your first visit to a theme park or your favorite, but be sure to highlight the sensory details of the experience. What did it sound like, smell like and feel like as you walked around the park? What rides did you ride and how did you feel waiting in the line to get on? Finish with explaining whether you plan to return and why.

20. Describe moving out of your family home for the first time.

To make this a ‘travel writing’ prompt, don’t focus on the packing and whatnot. Write about the actual journey from your family home to your new home. Explore all the emotions you have about the move through watching the world go by as you travel, regardless of whether you drove yourself or not. End with the way you felt opening your new front door.

Nature Writing Prompts

21. describe what it looks like outside the window at this very moment..

Put yourself outside and imagine what you might be experiencing in that scene. Really delve into how your skin might feel in the weather, what you might hear happening around you, how it might smell if you’re near any buildings or forestry. Write so that your reader can be you in that moment.

22. Go for a walk and write about it.

Write about everything you experience from the start of your walk to its end. Use sensory details to put your reader on the walk with you. Don’t forget to include what you are thinking and feeling.

23. Watch the clouds one day and describe them.

This goes beyond just describing the clouds as you see them. Become a child again and describe them as you might imagine them. Do they have shapes? Is there a story or a scene acted out as they pass by? What memories do they bring up for you?

24. Pretend to be a leaf caught in the wind.

Start with being lifted into the air and describe how the world might look by as you flit through it with no ability to stop. Include the emotions you might have witnessing different scenes. End with describing the place you end up and what you might have learned or discovered about yourself on the journey.

25. Describe your favorite season of the year.

Don’t just explain what season it is and why you like it. Describe all the elements of that season and all the things that add to why it is your favorite. Include memories the season triggers for you and why those memories are so important to you.

Auto-/Biography Prompts

26. write a story about your biggest hero..

To make this truly creative, tell the story of why you chose them as your hero. What did they do that made them stand out to you so definitively? Why did they have such an impact on you where others did not?

27. Interview an aging relative and write their story.

Choose someone who has experienced something exciting or different and ask specific details about their experience. Write the narration from their point of view but in the third person, like you were writing a fiction story. Give as many contextual details as you can (time period, relationship, etc.) but include their feelings and emotions throughout, as well.

28. Describe your very first memory.

Write the memory in as much detail as you can. How old were you? Where were you? Why is this moment so important to your life that you remember it?

29. What did you want to be when you grew up?

Describe your most persistent childhood dream job. Start with the reason you chose that job and include how you worked toward that job and whether you actually achieved it. If you didn’t, end with what made you give up the dream. Remember that the dream job is less important than the reason you chose that job in the first place.

30. Did you have a memorable teacher?

This could be about your favorite teacher or your most hated teacher. Tell the story of the event that made them memorable to you. Don’t forget to end with how their impression has impacted the rest of your life.

31. Write your own obituary or eulogy.

What do you think people will say about you when you are no longer around to hear them? Choose someone close to you and take on their persona. Focus on what they might say about your life and contributions so far. How would they view you? How would they celebrate you and your life?

Creative Nonfiction Prompts 15 Ideas To Inspire Writers & Hook Readers

August 3, 2022

Creative nonfiction refers to true stories that are immersive and engaging.

They are well-told accounts of real-life events, written to engage the reader and take them on a journey and spare them from any boring moment.

This article has included over 15 creative nonfiction prompts to help you get your creative juices flowing and inspire you to write your non-fiction book .

What is creative nonfiction?

Where does creativity come into nonfiction? Nonfiction is real stories and actual events, so where is the room for creativity?

Creative nonfiction writers use literary techniques, like character development, immersive settings , and engaging dialogue, but in the context of a true story.

The stories include real people, real events, and real situations. The way a writer tells the story is where they get creative.

Examples of creative nonfiction writing include:

Narrative essay
Personal essay
Journal entry
Literary journalism

Creative nonfiction writers aim to share real-world information such as an experience, a historical event, or a person’s life – with readers in a way that immerses them in the story as much as fiction.

Understand the use of the word creative in this context. Creative nonfiction authors don’t ‘create’ by making up facts or exaggerating them.

The facts are as they are, but how a writer conveys them and the frame in which they place them constitutes their creativity.

15+ creative nonfiction prompts

Write in a second-person narrative . In this POV, the reader reads as though they are the character. The writer uses ‘you’ to tell the story. Consider a time in history in which to plant your reader and walk them through the experiences of that time. For example, ‘You were born in 1925. At 15 years old, you were drafted, to your dismay. Your experience with gun fighting, limited to sticks and stones on the playground, wouldn’t suffice for the days to come.
Choose a skill, talent, or something you have a lot of experience with, and write a how-to article about it. For example, if you like to blog, write a blog about blogging – its challenges, why you want it, and how to do it well.
Write book reviews. Choose your favorite book or the one you read most recently and write an honest review about your reading experience. What did you like about the story? What did you like about the author? Is there anything that could have made the reading experience more enjoyable?
Do you feel a particular pull towards a vocation in life? Do you feel pulled to a particular career or life path, not because someone encouraged you but because you feel that pull deep down inside? Write about your experience with that feeling and the journey of following it.
Do you have something you’d like to share about faith or belief with others? Write an account of your experiences on your spiritual journey. How do you feel about religion? What about spirituality? Do you have thoughts, opinions, and insights that are unique to you?
Think about your favorite piece of art. If you can’t bring one to mind, go out and find some inspiration. Next, write about that piece of art. Describe it. How do you feel about it? Does it have any significance in other areas of your life? Is it a family heirloom?
Write about time spent with the best teacher you’ve ever had. What was it about that teacher that made learning so easy? How did they help you in other areas of your life?
Consider a dull moment in your day and write it as though it was the most exciting thing ever. Such a writing style lends itself well to humor, so take the joke as far as possible.
Write about a time in your life when you had to learn the hard way. We don’t always have common sense at the ready when faced with decisions, and life is such that mistakes are our most outstanding teachers. Think about mistakes and lessons you’ve learned that would have been less impactful had you not experienced them directly.
Sometimes we meet someone that changes our lives in a matter of moments. Perhaps we meet them once or are in our lives for days or weeks. Then, as life always does, it changes. That person isn’t around anymore, but the old version of ourselves isn’t around anymore either. Write a memoir about someone who passed through your life and made a significant impact.
Write a story about your town or city. Consider the various characters, communities, and events that have taken place in the past and recent years and how the community has shifted and grown. Focus on engaging, real-life characters and their lives.
Do you believe in fate and destiny? Do we have free will, or is that a more remarkable design at play? Write about your experiences with strange coincidences, spiritual experiences, and the concept of free will. Where do you stand? How do your religious beliefs come into play? Have you had experiences that you just can’t explain? What makes you think about how the world works? For a more fact-based and immersive read, include research and references to respected works on the topic.
Write about a significant event in your life from your perspective. Then, rewrite the story from someone else’s perspective, such as a friend or one of your family members.
Write about a time when your efforts paid off, even though you wanted to give up many times. The theme is persistence and consistency and their relationship to success.
Good vs. evil. What makes a person, action, or behavior good or evil? Is it all relative? Just a matter of perspective? Or are good and evil cold, hard facts? Write about a moment when you were unsure if your actions were good or evil. How do you feel about that situation now? What did you learn about yourself and life in general?
Write a story about a crime. You may know every detail, but take the facts you know and craft a story around them. Consider a major bank heist, a serial killer, or the story of a government whistleblower. Crime stories make for outstanding nonfiction because readers experience the pleasure of plot, narrative, settings, and characters while experiencing the thrill of the story being real.

Creative nonfiction writing tips

Writers have room to play when it comes to creative nonfiction. The facts exist and can’t be changed, but how one tells the story is what sets one account apart from another on the same topic.

Still, some basic nonfiction writing guidelines are essential to consider, as free as one is to write from different perspectives, characters, and tones.

Get your facts right

First things first, get your facts right.

If you write about a character from history, such as Julius Caesar or Genghis Khan, ensure everything around that character is accurate. Exert as much of your own efforts as you can in researching the topic.

Understand the time and culture in which they lived. Failing to convey the facts accurately is sure to backfire and damage your reputation, so check the facts.

Explore different points of view

One of the most exciting aspects of creative nonfiction is not the time or place in which the events happen but the people who experience them.

It’s wise to offer your readers multiple perspectives on the same situation, such as a shift from first person to third person narrative or even a second person narrative .

Use literary techniques and elements of fiction

Great creative nonfiction incorporates elements of fiction to tell a story better. Of course, it doesn’t contain the ‘fictional’ part – that would make it fiction. It includes literary techniques and devices such as:

Point of view
Vivid descriptions of settings and characters

These techniques, tools, and devices bolster your story-telling skills. You want your reader to get lost in your story, even if they know the ending.

For example, you may want to write about a historical figure, such as Malcolm X. We know that Malcolm X was assassinated. Still, the story leading up to the assassination is what readers want.

Pose a question

In Creative Nonfiction: A Guide to Form, Content, and Style, with Readings , author Eileen Pollack suggests that creative nonfiction authors pose questions before beginning the writing process.

For example, if you want to write a memoir about a period of your life, consider why you want to write it.

Why is this memory significant? What did it teach me? How am I different today because of that experience?

Such questions help you add dimension to your nonfiction story. The nonfiction aspect is the facts, the ‘what happened.’ Your creativity comes into why it happened and how you see it.

Read, read, read

No matter the genre you want to write, one of the best ways to improve your writing and craft a story that readers will love is to read as much as possible.

Find creative nonfiction authors you enjoy and explore their style.

Consider what makes their writing so engaging and immersive. Is it their descriptive abilities? Is it their use of POV? Is it their use of humor?

Find and experiment with different styles to find your own creative writing approach.

‘Creative nonfiction writers do not make things up; they make ideas and information that already exist more interesting and often more accessible,’ writes Lee Gutkind , founder of Creative Nonfiction. That accessibility is why many readers love creative nonfiction.

History, facts, actual events… These are interesting, but learning about them can be challenging. Many people don’t like to read dense, long historical accounts or complex research, and as such, they miss out on learning about those events.

Creative nonfiction writers offer as much detail about the facts as necessary but don’t rely on them. Instead, they play with other story elements such as the people, the setting , and different points of view.

This approach makes it easier for the reader to immerse themselves in the story and learn about what happened.

‘You don’t have to spend long in archives to see how much drama there is in real life – often more drama than a novelist would dare invent.’ – Charlotte Gray, author, historian

120 Motivational Quotes About Writing To Inspire A New Writer Like You

How To Register A Kindle On Amazon To Enjoy Your Ebooks In 4 Easy Ways

How To Market A Self-Published Book And Be Profitable In 9 Easy Ways

Have Questions? Call (234)-281-4187

Mar 16, 2022

Creative Nonfiction Structures (& Prompts to Try Them Out)

This month, Creativity Matters is digging into the ways you can explore creative nonfiction writing in your work. Even if writing a hard-hitting doesn’t interest you, there is a lot more to this diverse genre than most people think.

As we saw last week, everybody is “ready” to write creative nonfiction . It’s just a question of which topic suits your interests best.

But it isn’t just about having great topic ideas. Once you know what you want to write about, you need to consider what structure will best convey that topic to your readers.

Every topic you want to write about has a structure that fits it best. Your job is to find it.

Finding the Right Structure

Last fall, I went to see the Immersive van Gogh art exhibit in Cleveland, an interactive experience with van Gogh’s paintings that has been showing at different locations throughout the country.

The show does indeed immerse you in the artist’s work. Set in a cavernous, darkened room, van Gogh’s art paints itself across the walls and floor, places you in its settings, and allows you to get up close and personal with his most well-known work.

You can walk around the room, lie on the floor, sit on a cushion next to the walls, or sit on a bench, and the more times you sit through the show, the more opportunities you have to view it from different angles.

What caught my attention about experiencing van Gogh’s body of work in this manner was just how diverse his paintings are. Most people know him for the cool, calming shades of yellow and blue in The Starry Night , but this style doesn’t characterize all his work.

Van Gogh was known for using different color palettes depending on the subject he was portraying. For example, his paintings of the working class use darker colors, while his art inspired by natural settings and flowers explodes with lighter shades.

If he had reversed the two color palettes, it would have created an uncomfortable dissonance in his work—the difficult lives of miners and farmers would not come across as well with vibrant yellows, greens, and blues.

Van Gogh was also meticulous about his choice of medium, as he did not only colorful works, but simple sketches. His drawings using graphite and charcoal are less recognizable than his paintings, but convey so much about his subjects and natural settings that the use of color would detract from.

The point is that the real-life subjects you choose to write about can take any structure and use any media that will best communicate the ideas behind them.

The most thought-provoking essays play with form and structure in a way that creates a unified experience for readers, helping them to better understand the topic.

Here are a few creative nonfiction structures you can play with as you experiment with topics that intrigue you.

Frame Story

A framed essay features an opening and conclusion that connect in some way, providing bookends for the main story. You see this a lot in novels and films—think Old Rose in Titanic telling the sub crew about how her voyage on the ship changed the course of her life, or adult Gordy in Stand by Me writing his memoirs after learning that his childhood friend has been killed.

One way I like to use this structure is to think of a present-day event that triggers a memory from the past. Begin with the present event, then segue into the memory, then return to the present day at the end. The idea is that the introduction and conclusion should reinterpret the events of the past, showing how they remain relevant to your life today.

Lyric Essay

Nonfiction is a great genre for poets to try because it is inquisitive in the same way poetry is. Just as poetry can help uncover meaning through unique images and combinations of words, evocative language can also be used to explore your topics.

While frame essays are driven by storylines, lyric essays are driven by the musicality, tone, and rhythm of language. One experiment I’ve had some success with is to take a poem you’ve written and rewrite it as prose. You may find that it translates to this new structure word for word, or that individual phrases and images remain with new scaffolding in place.

I’ve written in the past about the importance of writing in other genres , and lyric essays are a great way for poets in particular to get their feet wet with nonfiction.

(NOTE: Do you want a free poetry workbook? You can grab one here .)

Hermit Crab Essay

I had a hermit crab when I was a kid, and once, I saw it change its shell. It was fascinating to see that for these fragile creatures, a shell offers protection and shelter, and that multiple different shells can fit that purpose.

I would even decorate the shells and leave them around its aquarium to see which ones it would pursue.

Hermit crab essays use different forms to portray deeply vulnerable and sensitive stories. They can, for example, take on the structure of grocery lists, postcards, letters, social media posts, personality quizzes, instruction sheets, how-to guides, and more.

Think of a genre apart from a traditional essay that you can use to convey the topic you want to write about, specifically, how you can use the conventions of the genre to explain it to readers.

Braided Essays

This nonfiction structure takes two or three ideas that may not appear related and weaves them together in interlocking segments, using numbers or white space to indicate a break between the sections.

I find that this structure can help you see the relationship between different things that come to mind when you think about your topic. Writing about those relationships can help you interrogate your thoughts on the subject, making you consider why these diverse subjects come to mind.

I’ve also discovered that braided essays work well when art is used as inspiration. Pick a work of art that inspires you—a book, movie, song, theatrical production, visual work, etc—and freewrite about what the experience of that art makes you think of.

Then, write an essay in alternating sections that relates that work to a particular experience or moment in your life.

There are many more structures for creative nonfiction, but these are the most fun to experiment with, and after all, that’s our goal for this Creativity Matters series.

Remember, your goal in using these prompts isn’t to write a completed essay or become a nonfiction expert. Your job is to have fun and see what you can make!

In the meantime…the Ultimate Writing Project Workbook can help you get started.

This free workbook contains prompts, worksheets, templates, and more cool stuff to help you work on your writing.

Plus, you get BOTH the fiction and nonfiction editions of the book when you sign up.

Click here to get more information and request your FREE copy!

Ideas for Writing Creative Nonfiction

by Melissa Donovan | Apr 6, 2023 | Creative Writing | 16 comments

Looking for creative nonfiction ideas?

In fiction writing, we’re often inspired by what-if questions: What if an innocent person is convicted of murder? What if humanity finds itself facing total extinction? What if that rabbit hole leads to a fantastical wonderland?

Fiction is driven by imagination.

Ideas for writing creative nonfiction often arise from experience and interest rather than imagination. Instead of asking what-if questions, creative nonfiction writers set out to share their experiences, knowledge, ideas, opinions, passions, and curiosities.

Creative nonfiction is a vast field of writing that can be quite lucrative. Readers are always looking for advice and information. People love reading real-life accounts by writers with firsthand experiences. Whether you write a memoir about a personal experience you’ve had or launch a blog related to your field of expertise, creative nonfiction offers a world of possibilities, and there’s no shortage of creative nonfiction ideas for you to explore in your writing.

Creative Nonfiction Ideas

Writers who are on a quest for inspiration can find a wealth of creative nonfiction writing ideas. Here are some to get you started:

1. An autobiography is your life story. You get to share your experiences, successes, and failures. The trouble with autobiographies is that readers are rarely interested in reading biographical information about total strangers. Unless you’re a public figure, there will be little interest in your project. However, you can always do some research and investigative reporting and write a biography about someone else, or you can narrow your focus and write a memoir.

2. What is a memoir? A memoir is not a life story; it’s a personal account of a particular experience. For example, if you’ve survived an illness, disaster, or trauma, that experience might provide the foundation for a memoir. Writing of this nature is appealing to readers because it speaks to a specific audience. Young parents whose children are struggling with autism, for example, will be highly interested in reading a memoir by a parent who has raised a child with autism. What makes memoirs so popular is the promise that through personal experience, the writer has obtained expertise and is now sharing it with the world.

A memoir doesn’t have to be about your past experiences. You can set yourself up for writing a memoir. Elizabeth Gilbert set out on a year of adventure and then wrote about it and became a best-selling author. A.J. Jacobs has built a life and a career around experimental adventures. He read all thirty-two volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica and then wrote about it. He spent a year living biblically and then wrote about it. He also experimented with outsourcing his entire life, and then wrote about it. If you’ve ever wanted to embark on a grand adventure or found yourself concocting experimental lifestyles, you may find that they fuel some interesting creative nonfiction ideas.

3. If a memoir is too daunting, try a personal essay instead. Personal essays can be short-form memoirs, in which you share a specific personal experience, but instead of writing an entire book, you can write a handful of pages. You can also use personal essays to express your ideas or opinions on any subject imaginable.

4. Are you an expert? If you’re an expert on any subject, you can share your expertise by writing creative nonfiction in the form of articles and topical essays. Write about the subject you studied in school, the work you’ve done throughout your career, or a hobby that you’ve enjoyed and mastered. Many writers avoid this type of writing, assuming that there is already enough information out there. But new works are being published every day on a wide range of topics. What makes them successful is not necessarily the information that is imparted, but the manner in which it is presented. A unique voice, a new take on the subject, and a fresh way to organize the information are all viable strategies for success in these types of creative nonfiction writing.

5. What’s your passion? You can take your personal experience and acquired expertise on anything in the world and turn it into a writing project. These days, writers share their thoughts and insights on everything from their favorite TV shows and video games to the meals they eat and the books they read. You can write about the philosophy of Star Trek . You could share tips and strategies for playing (and winning) popular video games. If you love coffee and have a penchant for taking pictures, set out to make a coffee table book about coffee. If you spend your mornings gardening and your evenings creating delicious home-cooked meals, you can launch a blog packed with tips and ideas for gardening, cooking, or healthy eating. You don’t have to be an expert or a professional to talk about your passion.

Check out “ A Guide to Writing Creative Nonfiction ” for an in-depth look at writing creative nonfiction

Where do you get creative nonfiction ideas.

Ideas for writing creative nonfiction books, blogs, essays, and articles are all around you. Your questions, passions, experiences, and ideas all have the potential to launch your next creative nonfiction writing project.

Ready Set Write a Guide to Creative Writing

16 Comments

My writing ideas most often come from my dreams or from real life experiences. On occasion another article, nice photography, art or music will inspire an idea for me, but most often they come from my life.

I love to hear from writers about where they get inspiration. In fact, when I listen to interviews with authors, my favorite portion is always when they talk about how they came up with an idea. It’s so interesting! Thanks for sharing your sources of inspiration, Nicole.

Writing ideas are somewhat like the proverbial moths swarming to the light source. There are so many that simple gads of them get away. Yet, I’ve discovered that keeping pen and paper near me as often as possible helps me to capture words or sentences which later make it into the creative nonfiction I love writing.

Even though I write nonfiction I adore fiction. Often fictional characters utter something which speaks to my heart. When that happens I frequently find ways to add the ideas or information to my own writing. Gosh, do you think I need to credit the creators of those fictional beings? 🙂

Yvonne, I believe all fiction writers are inspired by the authors who came before them. If we credited all of them, the acknowledgements pages in our books would be books themselves!

Melissa thanks. You say it all and true that everything is right there in the creative juice of the writer. I happen to pursue on this passion and look after writing relevant articles in my MIndaview Column and complied these as social commentary I’m now graduating as nonfiction writer. I have now a contract from Mr. Tom Wallace of Publisher on Demand Global after evaluating my work “The Needle” (actually a metaphor of 14 years of Martial in the Phil.) and pronounced his verdict: I could be their next best selling author! Hmm what a compliment and a breakthrough.

That’s wonderful, Ricardo! Good luck with your book!

I agree with Yvonne about keeping pen and paper handy. The only thing is, I have sentences, phrases and words on papers all over my world. I guess that is better than no ideas! I always thought I would start publishing with fiction and as it turns out, I am enjoying writing self-help–all from my own experiences. Maybe the “made-up” stories will come later… Diana Fletcher, Author of Happy on Purpose Daily Messages of Empowerment and Joy for Women

Hi Diana. It sounds like you and I have had similar experiences. I always keep pen and paper handy, but the clutter that my ideas and notes generate can be a burden. I also thought I’d start publishing with fiction, but it looks like I’m going to publish a book on writing before I get around to publishing a novel. I have mixed feelings about that!

Great minds think alike, I just wrote a post on getting ideas. I talked about the importance of observing. Sometimes the process of getting an idea can begin with just writing down something you saw in the course of your day. Once you get in the habit of observing, start speculating, using the 5 Ws. This post has some great suggestions in it!

Thanks, Charlotte! Yes, observation skills are critical for writers. If we miss something, our readers will catch it. Sometimes that’s not a big deal. But if it’s a big plot hole, a character behaving out of character, or a gap in our research, failure to observe can be pretty detrimental.

Be mindful. Pay attention. Ray Carver suggested that even an ordinary, mudane event in your life, like brushing your teeth, can be endowed with power.

Great tips, Chaz!

Melissa I have a real story I want to tell in the creative nonfiction genre. It inspired me out of the blue. I.ve never before wanted to write. But then that’s how i got my ladybug tattoo, inspiration from an a-ha moment. So when the notebooks went on sale at the beginning of the school year for 15 cents apiece I stocked up. I write and research every day now. My story may or may not ever be published, but I am having a blast getting it out there!

That’s great, Jo! It sounds like an experience from your life inspired you to become a writer, which is awesome. I wish you the best of luck in all that you write.

I actually wrote a nonfiction novel few weeks ago and thanks to you my writing are so much better just because of these few simple ideas. Thank you Melissa 🙂

You just made my day, Anna. Thanks so much for letting me know that you found these ideas inspiring and helpful. I wish you the best in your writing adventures!

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Subscribe and get The Writer’s Creed graphic e-booklet, plus a weekly digest with the latest articles on writing, as well as special offers and exclusive content.

Pin It on Pinterest

55 Nonfiction Writing Prompts For Middle School

Creative fiction writing is a fun way for students to practice their writing and storytelling skills, but writing nonfiction essays and journal entries is just as important.

Below, you’ll find a list of writing prompts that will encourage students to explore history, form opinions, and spend time on self-reflection.

These prompts cover a wide variety of topics, so even your most reluctant writers should have no problem choosing a prompt that speaks to them.

How to use the prompts

This writing guide can be used as homework or in tandem with your ELA curriculum.

The point is to get students to work on their nonfiction writing skills in a way that is fun and engaging.

Here are a few ways you can use the list below:

Use these prompts for students who finish work early and need something to do.
Pick prompts that line up with what students are learning in other classes (like history or art).
Have each student pick a prompt for someone else in the class to use.

Nonfiction Writing Prompts

Choose a prominent woman in art and write an essay about her accomplishments.
Tell the story of your city or town’s founding.
Who is your biggest role model in history? Why?
Do you think eSports are a viable career path? Explain.
Tell the story about how you met your best friend.
Write a list of ten things people might not know about you.
Talk about a time when you were bullied. How did it feel? How was the situation resolved?
Do you think homework helps or hurts students?
Should girls be allowed to play on boys’ sports teams? Should boys be allowed to play on girls’ teams? Explain.
What is one thing you would change about your community? Why?
Explain your hobby to someone who has never heard of it before.
Do you think kids spend too much time in front of screens?
Choose a prominent woman in science and write an essay about her accomplishments.
Write a news article about something that has recently happened in your town.
If you could meet one celebrity, past or present, who would it be? Why? What would you talk about?
Write about the scariest moment of your life.
Does your family have any holiday traditions that are different from what others do? What are they?
Write about a time when you asked someone to forgive you, or when you forgave someone else.
Is it important to read the book before watching the movie? Explain.
Do you think we should continue with space exploration, or spend more time exploring the oceans? Explain.
What are some steps that can be taken to reduce or eliminate cyberbullying?
Choose a prominent woman in sports and write an essay about her accomplishments.
Write a review of the last book you read.
Why is mental health just as important as physical health?
Explain the qualities that make someone a good friend.
Why is it important to assess more than one point of view when forming an opinion?
Is it important for students to participate in extracurricular activities? Explain.
Describe in detail the last live event you attended (sports, concert, etc).
Write about a time when you conquered a fear.
Choose a prominent man in art and write an essay about his accomplishments.
Write about the best vacation you’ve ever taken.
Do you believe that technology can become addictive? Explain.
Why is it important for students to get adequate sleep?
Do you prefer attending school in a classroom or virtually? Why?
Write about your least favorite chore. What makes it your least favorite? Are there ways to make it less daunting?
Think about somewhere you’d really like to go for a field trip. Write a persuasive letter to your teacher convincing them to consider it.
What do you think is the perfect Halloween costume? Explain.
Choose a prominent man in science and write an essay about his accomplishments.
Write about the role music plays in your daily life and your culture.
Explain the qualities that make someone a good leader.
Write about a time when you taught someone how to do something.
Do you think students should have to ask to go to the bathroom, or should they be allowed to go whenever they need to?
Tell the story of how your parents met.
Which is better: casual dress or school uniforms? Explain.
Choose a topic that people tend to disagree on, and write a short essay from both points of view.
Choose a prominent man in sports and write an essay about his accomplishments.
Write about a special bond you have with a pet or an animal.
Choose a piece of art and write about its history and artist.
Write about the first birthday you remember.
Should tweens and teens spend less time on social media? Explain.
What is the biggest challenge your generation currently faces?
Should the voting age be changed to 16? Explain.
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be? Why?
Do you think violent video games cause people to be violent in real life?
Write about your favorite summer memory. How old were you? Why is it still so important?

Looking For More?

We offer an abundance of free writing resources for parents, guardians, and teachers to help give young writers the tools they need to succeed.

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you are looking for something specific and can’t find it on our site. We love hearing all of your ideas!

25 Great Nonfiction Essays You Can Read Online for Free

A list of twenty-five of the greatest free nonfiction essays from contemporary and classic authors that you can read online.

Alison Doherty

Alison Doherty is a writing teacher and part time assistant professor living in Brooklyn, New York. She has an MFA from The New School in writing for children and teenagers. She loves writing about books on the Internet, listening to audiobooks on the subway, and reading anything with a twisty plot or a happily ever after.

View All posts by Alison Doherty

I love reading books of nonfiction essays and memoirs , but sometimes have a hard time committing to a whole book. This is especially true if I don’t know the author. But reading nonfiction essays online is a quick way to learn which authors you like. Also, reading nonfiction essays can help you learn more about different topics and experiences.

Besides essays on Book Riot, I love looking for essays on The New Yorker , The Atlantic , The Rumpus , and Electric Literature . But there are great nonfiction essays available for free all over the Internet. From contemporary to classic writers and personal essays to researched ones—here are 25 of my favorite nonfiction essays you can read today.

“Beware of Feminist Lite” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The author of We Should All Be Feminists writes a short essay explaining the danger of believing men and woman are equal only under certain conditions.

“It’s Silly to Be Frightened of Being Dead” by Diana Athill

A 96-year-old woman discusses her shifting attitude towards death from her childhood in the 1920s when death was a taboo subject, to World War 2 until the present day.

“Letter from a Region in my Mind” by James Baldwin

There are many moving and important essays by James Baldwin . This one uses the lens of religion to explore the Black American experience and sexuality. Baldwin describes his move from being a teenage preacher to not believing in god. Then he recounts his meeting with the prominent Nation of Islam member Elijah Muhammad.

“Relations” by Eula Biss

Biss uses the story of a white woman giving birth to a Black baby that was mistakenly implanted during a fertility treatment to explore racial identities and segregation in society as a whole and in her own interracial family.

“Friday Night Lights” by Buzz Bissinger

A comprehensive deep dive into the world of high school football in a small West Texas town.

“The Case for Reparations” by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Coates examines the lingering and continuing affects of slavery on American society and makes a compelling case for the descendants of slaves being offered reparations from the government.

“Why I Write” by Joan Didion

This is one of the most iconic nonfiction essays about writing. Didion describes the reasons she became a writer, her process, and her journey to doing what she loves professionally.

“Go Gentle Into That Good Night” by Roger Ebert

With knowledge of his own death, the famous film critic ponders questions of mortality while also giving readers a pep talk for how to embrace life fully.

“My Mother’s Tongue” by Zavi Kang Engles

In this personal essay, Engles celebrates the close relationship she had with her mother and laments losing her Korean fluency.

“My Life as an Heiress” by Nora Ephron

As she’s writing an important script, Ephron imagines her life as a newly wealthy woman when she finds out an uncle left her an inheritance. But she doesn’t know exactly what that inheritance is.

“My FatheR Spent 30 Years in Prison. Now He’s Out.” by Ashley C. Ford

Ford describes the experience of getting to know her father after he’s been in prison for almost all of her life. Bridging the distance in their knowledge of technology becomes a significant—and at times humorous—step in rebuilding their relationship.

“Bad Feminist” by Roxane Gay

There’s a reason Gay named her bestselling essay collection after this story. It’s a witty, sharp, and relatable look at what it means to call yourself a feminist.

“The Empathy Exams” by Leslie Jamison

Jamison discusses her job as a medical actor helping to train medical students to improve their empathy and uses this frame to tell the story of one winter in college when she had an abortion and heart surgery.

“What I Learned from a Fitting Room Disaster About Clothes and Life” by Scaachi Koul

One woman describes her history with difficult fitting room experiences culminating in one catastrophe that will change the way she hopes to identify herself through clothes.

“Breasts: the Odd Couple” by Una LaMarche

LaMarche examines her changing feelings about her own differently sized breasts.

“How I Broke, and Botched, the Brandon Teena Story” by Donna Minkowitz

A journalist looks back at her own biased reporting on a news story about the sexual assault and murder of a trans man in 1993. Minkowitz examines how ideas of gender and sexuality have changed since she reported the story, along with how her own lesbian identity influenced her opinions about the crime.

“Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell

In this famous essay, Orwell bemoans how politics have corrupted the English language by making it more vague, confusing, and boring.

“Letting Go” by David Sedaris

The famously funny personal essay author , writes about a distinctly unfunny topic of tobacco addiction and his own journey as a smoker. It is (predictably) hilarious.

“Joy” by Zadie Smith

Smith explores the difference between pleasure and joy by closely examining moments of both, including eating a delicious egg sandwich, taking drugs at a concert, and falling in love.

“Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan

Tan tells the story of how her mother’s way of speaking English as an immigrant from China changed the way people viewed her intelligence.

“Consider the Lobster” by David Foster Wallace

The prolific nonfiction essay and fiction writer travels to the Maine Lobster Festival to write a piece for Gourmet Magazine. With his signature footnotes, Wallace turns this experience into a deep exploration on what constitutes consciousness.

“I Am Not Pocahontas” by Elissa Washuta

Washuta looks at her own contemporary Native American identity through the lens of stereotypical depictions from 1990s films.

“Once More to the Lake” by E.B. White

E.B. White didn’t just write books like Charlotte’s Web and The Elements of Style . He also was a brilliant essayist. This nature essay explores the theme of fatherhood against the backdrop of a lake within the forests of Maine.

“Pell-Mell” by Tom Wolfe

The inventor of “new journalism” writes about the creation of an American idea by telling the story of Thomas Jefferson snubbing a European Ambassador.

“The Death of the Moth” by Virginia Woolf

In this nonfiction essay, Wolf describes a moth dying on her window pane. She uses the story as a way to ruminate on the lager theme of the meaning of life and death.

The Most Read Books on Goodreads in September 2024

Nonfiction Topics: Ideas to Ignite Your Creative Writing Journey

by Harry Wallett

Are you on the hunt for that perfect nonfiction topic, something that will ignite your passion and resonate with your readers? The quest for the ideal subject can be a daunting task, especially when you’re staring at a blank page, unsure where to begin.

In this article, we’ll not only explore a wide range of fascinating nonfiction topics to help you find inspiration, but we’ll also make the process a whole lot more enjoyable.

Think of this as a friendly chat between two writers, sharing ideas and knowledge to help each other grow. Our goal is to make sure you leave here feeling excited, motivated, and ready to embark on your creative writing journey.

We’ll be breaking down various nonfiction categories, from personal growth and self-help to business and finance, to give you a broad perspective on the diverse subjects you can tackle.

So, let’s jump into the world of nonfiction writing to help you uncover the topics that truly spark your interest, beginning with…

Personal Growth and Self-Help Topics

Let’s face it, we’re all trying to better ourselves in one way or another. That’s where self-help topics come in handy. These topics cover a wide range of areas like mindfulness and meditation, mental health awareness, fitness, and relationships.

For instance, you could explore the benefits of meditation, offering insights into different meditation techniques, scientific research, and the positive impact meditation can have on mental well-being.

Or, you could delve into coping strategies for anxiety, providing evidence-based methods and resources for managing stress and anxiety.

If you’re into fitness, you might want to talk about the connection between exercise and mental health, from the benefits of yoga and mindfulness to the impact of cardio workouts on mood and cognitive function.

And if relationships and communication are more your thing, you can give advice on building healthy relationships, effective communication, and conflict resolution.

Biographies and Memoirs

Who doesn’t love a good real-life story? Writing about famous peoples’ experiences can be both captivating and inspiring.

You could write about historical figures from various fields and time periods. Or you could focus on influential people in a specific industry, showcasing the lives and accomplishments of innovators and thought leaders who’ve shaped the world.

If you prefer personal memoirs, there’s no shortage of interest for the intimate account of personal growth stories that offer a unique window into the lives of ordinary people who’ve faced extraordinary challenges.

Current Affairs and Social Issues

Our world is ever-changing, and there’s always something new to discuss. Writing about current affairs and social issues keeps your work relevant and timely.

You can tackle environmental issues like climate change, providing reports and assessments on the state of the environment, climate risks, and mitigation strategies.

Or, you could discuss ongoing social movements by sharing an in-depth analysis on a variety of social and political topics, from civil rights and gender equality to labor rights and environmental activism.

If you’re into technology, you might want to explore the ethical implications of artificial intelligence, or talk about the future of AI, its potential impact on society, and the ethical considerations surrounding its development and deployment.

Travel and Adventure

Got wanderlust? Travel topics can transport readers to new places and spark their imaginations.

You could explore different cultures by highlighting the customs, traditions, and natural beauty of countries around the world.

Or you could uncover hidden gems and off-the-beaten-path locations, providing practical advice, travel tips, and first-hand accounts as seasoned explorers to inspire others in their own travel journeys.

Science and Nature

If you’re a science enthusiast, the possibilities are endless. You could write about space exploration and astronomy, from covering groundbreaking research on exoplanets to the latest missions to asteroids, Mars and beyond.

You could also discuss biodiversity and wildlife conservation, covering information on endangered species, conservation efforts, and the importance of protecting our planet’s ecosystems.

Or you could cover a wide range of scientific disciplines, including physics, chemistry, biology, and earth sciences, if that’s your area of expertise.

Business and Finance

There’s no shortage of topics in the business and finance realm to write about either. You could write about entrepreneurship and start-ups, offering expert advice, success stories, and insights into the ever-evolving world of business.

Or discuss personal finance and wealth management strategies, from budgeting and saving tips to investing and retirement planning to help readers manage their finances at every stage of life.

To keep your readers up-to-date on industry trends and analysis, you could offer them a deep dive into the current state of various industries and the factors that shape their growth and development.

As we wrap up the article, it’s important to remember that choosing the perfect topic is just the beginning — the real adventure lies ahead.

It’s now up to you to take the ideas and resources we’ve shared and use them as a springboard to dive into the deep end of research, creativity, and self-discovery.

Along the way, you’ll undoubtedly uncover new perspectives and insights that will enrich your writing and connect with your readers on a deeper level.

Lastly, always remember that writing is a continuous learning process. The more you write, the more you’ll grow and evolve as a nonfiction writer. So, be open to new ideas, embrace constructive feedback, and never stop seeking inspiration.

Happy writing!

Harry Wallett is the Managing Director of Cascadia Author Services. He has a decade of experience as the Founder and Managing Director of Relay Publishing, which has sold over 3 million copies of books in all genres for its authors, and looks after a team of 50+ industry professionals working across the world.

Harry is inspired by the process of book creation and is passionate about the stories and characters behind the prose. He loves working with the writers and has shepherded 1000s of titles to publication over the years. He knows first-hand what it takes to not only create an unputdownable book, but also how to get it into the hands of the right readers for success.

Books are still one of the most powerful mediums to communicate ideas and establish indisputable authority in a field, boosting your reach and stature. But publishing isn’t a quick and easy process—nor should it be, or everyone would do it!

Same Cascadia, New Management!

The Inevitable Journey of Ghazanfar Iqbal: Expatriate, Entrepreneur, and Author

Publishing for Peace: Author Ben JS Maure Inspires Canadian Peacekeepers

Unleashing Literary Flames: Award-Winning Author TK Riggins Keeps Readers Coming Back for More with 7-Book Series

Get our free definitive guide to creating a nonfiction bestseller here.

The New and Revolutionized Creative Nonfiction

An innovative partnership – Creative Nonfiction and Narratively join forces

What is Creative Nonfiction?

True Stories, Well Told

True stories based on real-world experience are the most powerful tools humans have for communicating information, fostering empathy, and changing ourselves, our culture, and the world.

Explore Creative Nonfiction

Can’t get enough? Browse 25 years of archives.

View by Issue

View by Type

View by Topic

More About the Genre

Dive in with CNF Founder and Editor, Lee Gutkind

Creative Nonﬁction magazine deﬁnes the genre simply, succinctly, and accurately as “true stories well told.” And that, in essence, is what creative nonﬁction is all about. In some ways, creative nonﬁction is like jazz—it’s a rich mix of ﬂavors, ideas, and techniques, some newly invented and others as old as writing itself.

Recent News

February 12, 2024

Creative Nonfiction and Narratively Join Forces

Learn more about the unique friendship and partnership Creative Nonfiction has formed with the storytelling platform Narratively to help us build on our three decades of work and remarkable community.

February 14, 2023

An Extraordinary Centennial

Read more about Edward Lueders, a remarkable and unacknowledged creative nonfiction pioneer, and why we should all celebrate a most significant Valentine’s Day with him.

Email Newsletter

The best of Creative Nonfiction in your inbox. Sign up to stay up-to-date on genre-related news and updates from the Creative Nonfiction Foundation.

Subscribe to our newsletter

1,000 narrative nonfiction articles & essays to read online, success and failure, science & technology, the environment, climate change, the internet, social media, artificial intelligence, art and culture, short memoir examples, linguistics, mental health, food & nutrition, gender and sexuality, 40 great writers, 100 great books.

About The Electric Typewriter We search the net to bring you the best nonfiction, articles, essays and journalism

Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates returns to nonfiction with his essay collection 'The Message'

AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:

Ta-Nehisi Coates is no stranger to tackling fraught topics. A decade ago, his article in The Atlantic titled "The Case For Reparations" spurred a national conversation about compensating African Americans. His goal, he says, was to get people to stop laughing about the idea and start talking. He followed up a year later with a book called "Between The World And Me," an exploration of his own history and the realities of being Black in the U.S. History is complicated, Ta-Nehisi Coates says, and so in his new book, "The Message," he takes on the stories that we tell and that others tell about three places - the Middle East, the American South, and Africa. His journey begins with travel to Goree Island just off the coast of Senegal, to the Door of No Return, a memorial to the victims of the Atlantic slave trade. Coates says that place and that portal, which legend says enslaved people pass through to be shipped to the new world left him speechless, and that in the end, he rejects romantic notions that Black people's worth is based on potential royal ancestry, snatched from dignity into slavery.

TA-NEHISI COATES: To base your self-worth as a people, to base your self-esteem on being Black or being part of the African diaspora or part of the Black diaspora, on the same metrics of the people that enslaved you, is a mistake. So all of this conversation about who we are the descendants of, our need to put ourselves in the shoes of people that did, quote-unquote, "great things" or made great, you know, works, is to, in fact, to repeat the mistake.

RASCOE: What is it, though? Because I think it is so complicated as a Black American born in this country to go to Africa. I haven't been, but I know people will feel a connection. And I'm sure you've heard of the diaspora wars. You know this. There are Black Americans who say, I'm not African. I've never been there. That's not me. How do you reckon with all that? And what is Africa to you?

COATES: I can't make anybody feel a certain kind of way. And I wouldn't ask anybody. If you don't know feel a connection in Africa, that's certainly, you know, your right. I didn't go there looking for acceptance necessarily from Africans...

RASCOE: Or like a kinship.

COATES: Well, maybe kinship, but not necessarily acceptance.

RASCOE: (Laughter).

COATES: But, you know, I didn't show up, you know, like, break out the drums for me and say, welcome home, brother. You know, I didn't need that. This is the site of my creation as an African American. My great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmothers were taken from this place on the water, and then in the plantations of this country here, we were genocided and created into a new people. But the process begins there. The great epic that I rooted myself in, the great Black American epic, the great Black diasporic epic - I was at the origin point. That was deeply moving.

RASCOE: You also go to South Carolina. You talk about a teacher who risked her job to keep teaching your book "Between The World And Me." And this is where you get into book bans and censorship. But you say in one passage that much of the hoopla about book bans and censorship gets it wrong. What do we get wrong?

COATES: I think the first thing I would say off the top is that I as the writer and the author of the book, I am not the victim.

RASCOE: You don't take it personally. It's not - you are not being victimized.

COATES: I don't. But I'm also not the person who's going to suffer. My personal offense and to make it about me misses the point. The people that are really hurt are the children and the students there. They're not necessarily hurt because they need to be exposed to my voice or my books, or they need to adopt my politics or my particular view of the world. But I know that the seat of me as a writer is so much varied literature in terms of its type and genre, and what all of that literature had in common was to open the world for me, and to say that I was free to find my own politics, my own views, my own future, I did not necessarily have to even believe everything that was said within my own house.

RASCOE: Is there a reason why you think writing catches it more than even other...

COATES: Yes.

RASCOE: ...Forms of media? Because...

RASCOE: ...You would think with the internet and all these things, that would be much more dangerous...

COATES: No, no, no.

RASCOE: ...Than the writing.

COATES: Absolutely not.

RASCOE: No, the writing is extremely dangerous. And the books in particular are very dangerous. In fact, I think the people who are in favor of book bans understand the power of books much, much better than those that oppose them. Books are intimate. It's a one-on-one connection. So that kid in South Carolina, that 15-year-old, 16-year-old kid is taking "Between The World And Me" or whatever other book they're reading - they're taking it into their bedroom, and they're having a connection with them that nobody else can actually perceive. Even if you took the book from the kid and read it yourself, you would still not have the same interaction because the way books work is they are necessarily a union between the imagination of the reader and the words that are on the page.

RASCOE: The longest essay in the book is on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Why did you choose to delve into this topic, which is one of the most, if not the most, fraught topic of public discourse today?

COATES: Well, the fact was probably my most celebrated work of journalism is "The Case For Reparations." That essay has a section in which it talks about reparations from the state of Germany to the state of Israel as recompense for the survivors of the Holocaust or those fleeing the Holocaust, in fact, fleeing Nazi Germany's existential violence to Israel. And I was roundly and sometimes loudly critiqued for using that as an example.

RASCOE: What was the criticism that you faced for that?

COATES: The criticism was that German reparations had been paid to build a project that necessarily was taking the land from other people, and itself was perpetrating another atrocity. What I wanted to do was I wanted to see that firsthand myself. I wanted to read as much as I could about it within the time I had to get this book done. I wanted to spend as much time as I could out of the three chapters in the book. One of the reasons why that's as long as it is because it's the place that I spent the most time. It's the place I talked to the most people. I felt the responsibility to take that criticism as seriously as I could.

RASCOE: In the essay, you draw parallels to the Jim Crow South with the treatment of Palestinians. And you also say that people say this issue is so complicated, and you say it is not complicated.

COATES: Well, the first thing I will say is history is always complicated. Stories are always complicated. What I saw over there was not especially complicated. It was not any more complicated than American history. Look, I am the descendant and the child of people born into Jim Crow America. When I step into a city like old Hebron, and a man stops me, a man young enough to be my son, with a gun that looks like it's about half his body weight - if I'm walking with a guy whose family has lived in that old city from time immemorial, for generation after generation, and that soldier tells me, I can walk down the street, but he can't, that evokes certain things in me. When I'm around a group of people who have been denied any real ability to determine their fate because of who they are, by which I mean the ability to vote, I can't look at that and say, that's complicated. That's not complicated to me, not with my background.

RASCOE: It doesn't sound like it, but did you have any pause about taking this on? You could have looked at this and said, this is not my conflict. This is not my fight.

COATES: I did. I did, I did. But every single fighter jet that drops a bomb in Gaza is of American providence. This is ours. You know, I think it's irresponsible as an American to say that this isn't really my struggle while your tax dollars undergird this war. I don't think that's an option.

RASCOE: In a review of your book in The Atlantic...

COATES: "My Old Home."

RASCOE: Yes. It criticizes you for, quote, "refusing to countenance conversations with Jews who don't share his opinions and don't denounce their nation." How would you respond to that?

COATES: I would respond to that by pointing out that I've spent the vast majority of my career around people, be they Jewish or not, who were very much believers in the dream and the idea of Israel and the Israeli project. That is the waters of journalism that I swam in. That's how that example ended up in "The Case For Reparations" in the first place.

RASCOE: Some may hear that and think, like, is the contention that Jewish people control the media or things of that nature - can you clarify what you meant by the representation?

COATES: I meant exactly what I said. I would like to know the number of Palestinians that are working at a major bureau for a major outlet, be that TV, newspaper, magazines. I would like to know the number of Palestinians specifically.

RASCOE: Who are covering Jerusalem?

COATES: Who are covering the West Bank, who are covering Israel, who are covering this conflict, as we call it. I would like to know that. I don't necessarily need the numbers of anybody else. I need the numbers of Palestinians.

RASCOE: What do you think that would show?

COATES: Well, here's what I would say. I am here talking about this book as a Black writer. And I'm being interviewed by Black journalists. There is a kind of conversation that you and I can have that is very, very different than the conversation that somebody who doesn't have that experience has. That doesn't mean I'm not going to talk to anybody else. That doesn't mean I shouldn't talk to anybody else. It just means that there is a certain perspective. I think we recognize that across journalism. I think we would say if The New York Times did not have any Black people covering race in this country - I think we would say that's a problem. I am asking that we export that same standard to Israel, to Palestine, to the Jerusalem Bureau.

RASCOE: What would you say to those who I am sure listening to this, who will be concerned, who will say, look, I love "Between The World And Me." But on this, I think this could lead to antisemitism. This has gone too far. What do you say to those?

COATES: Not much.

RASCOE: Not much.

COATES: Not much. I'd say, well, if that's how you feel, that's how you feel. I can't really influence that. You have to do what you have to do. As a writer, what I have to do is I have to be able to look at myself in the mirror and be OK. I got to be able to wake up in the morning and say, I feel like I did the right thing. Folks who feel that it's doing something else and that, you know, it offends their particular politics. I'm sorry, but I have to do what I have to do, and I have to say what I have to say.

RASCOE: That's Ta-Nehisi Coates. He is the author of "The Message." Thank you so much for joining us.

COATES: Thank you for having me.

(SOUNDBITE OF BREMER/MCCOY'S "FORENET")

RASCOE: You can hear all of NPR's reporting and analysis on the conflict in the region by going to npr.org/mideastupdates. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates returns to nonfiction with his essay collection 'The Message'

AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:

RASCOE: Or like a kinship.

COATES: Well, maybe kinship, but not necessarily acceptance.

RASCOE: (Laughter).

COATES: I think the first thing I would say off the top is that I as the writer and the author of the book, I am not the victim.

RASCOE: You don't take it personally. It's not - you are not being victimized.

RASCOE: Is there a reason why you think writing catches it more than even other...

COATES: Yes.

RASCOE: ...Forms of media? Because...

RASCOE: ...You would think with the internet and all these things, that would be much more dangerous...

COATES: No, no, no.

RASCOE: ...Than the writing.

COATES: Absolutely not.

RASCOE: What was the criticism that you faced for that?

RASCOE: In the essay, you draw parallels to the Jim Crow South with the treatment of Palestinians. And you also say that people say this issue is so complicated, and you say it is not complicated.

RASCOE: It doesn't sound like it, but did you have any pause about taking this on? You could have looked at this and said, this is not my conflict. This is not my fight.

RASCOE: In a review of your book in The Atlantic...

COATES: "My Old Home."

RASCOE: Yes. It criticizes you for, quote, "refusing to countenance conversations with Jews who don't share his opinions and don't denounce their nation." How would you respond to that?

RASCOE: Some may hear that and think, like, is the contention that Jewish people control the media or things of that nature - can you clarify what you meant by the representation?

RASCOE: Who are covering Jerusalem?

RASCOE: What do you think that would show?

COATES: Not much.

RASCOE: Not much.

RASCOE: That's Ta-Nehisi Coates. He is the author of "The Message." Thank you so much for joining us.

COATES: Thank you for having me.

(SOUNDBITE OF BREMER/MCCOY'S "FORENET")

RASCOE: You can hear all of NPR's reporting and analysis on the conflict in the region by going to npr.org/mideastupdates. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Home > Blog > Analytical Essay Examples and Best Practices

Analytical Essay Examples and Best Practices

Smodin Editorial Team
Updated: September 24, 2024
General Guide About Content and Writing

Do you want to write an analytical essay and get top marks? Then you may want to consider the analytical essay examples in this article to learn the basics. We’ll show you how to start and write an analytical essay that covers all the bases.

Therefore, newcomers to writing a critical analysis essay can get a head start. We’ll show you how to start an essay with analytical writing and finish with a thought-provoking conclusion.

Keep reading to learn more about what an analytical essay focuses on and how to write critical analysis essays to get top grades.

A smartphone displaying the Google search engine with the word "Analytics" written in the search bar.

What Is an Analytical Essay?

An analytical essay is a form of writing that examines and interprets a specific topic, text, or piece of art. Its primary purpose is to break down complex ideas, themes, or elements. These are the main skills that you’ll be practicing with analytical essays.

The essay typically includes a clear thesis statement that presents the writer’s perspective and is supported by evidence from the text or subject matter. Additionally, through structured arguments and critical analysis, you can deepen the reader’s understanding of the topic. For example, by highlighting its nuances and implications.

Overall, analytical essays foster critical thinking and encourage readers to engage with the material on a deeper level. We’ll show you how this is done with the analytical essay example entries in this article.

A black typewriter with a white piece of paper inside it.

How To Start an Analytical Essay: Examples and Best Practices

Do you want to learn how to start an analytical essay using an example? It’s a good idea to learn the process of writing critical analysis essays with an example to provide context. Follow along and craft a thesis statement that will make your analytical essay outline stand out. It’s a handy way to improve your essay-writing skills .

Note that in this section, we’ll be using Shakespeare’s Macbeth as an example to illustrate different ideas.

1. Choose a Topic

Selecting a relevant and engaging topic is the first step in writing an analytical essay. Ideally, the topic should allow for deep analysis and critical thinking. For example, for a literary analysis essay of Shakespeare’s Macbeth , you should focus on a specific theme like ambition. This focus will guide your research and analysis.

Furthermore, consider how ambition drives the actions of the character and leads to their downfall. Generally, by narrowing down your topic, you set a clear direction for your essay. It makes it easier to formulate a thesis statement and develop your arguments.

However, don’t forget to choose something you’re passionate about to enhance your writing process. You’ll find that analytical essays are better when you naturally want to get a comprehensive understanding of the topic.

2. Develop a Thesis Statement

A strong thesis statement is crucial for an analytical essay as it presents the main argument or perspective you will explore. For instance, if you are analyzing ambition in Macbeth, your thesis could be: “In Macbeth, Shakespeare illustrates that unchecked ambition leads to moral decay and tragic downfall.”

This statement clearly conveys your argument and sets the stage for your analysis. It should be specific and debatable to provide a roadmap for your essay. Also, a well-crafted thesis helps focus your research and supports the development of your main points. This guides your readers on what to expect in your analysis of the essay.

3. Conduct Research

It’s essential to gather evidence to support your analysis once you have your thesis. Make sure to research various sources, including literary critiques, historical context, and textual evidence from Macbeth.

For example, you might examine key passages where Macbeth’s ambition drives his decisions, such as his soliloquy in Act 1, Scene 7. This is the section where he contemplates the consequences of murdering Duncan.

Furthermore, take notes on significant quotes, character actions, and relevant scholarly interpretations. This research will bolster your arguments and provide concrete examples to illustrate your points. Hence, your analysis is well-supported and credible throughout your essay.

4. Create an Outline

An outline serves as a roadmap for your analytical essay. It should help you organize your thoughts and structure your arguments logically, especially if you are writing a comparative analysis essay. Therefore, begin with an introduction that presents your thesis statement. Then, outline the main points you will cover in the body paragraphs, with each focusing on a specific aspect of your analysis.

For instance, you might have one paragraph discussing Macbeth’s initial ambition, while another analyzes Lady Macbeth’s influence, and a third examines the consequences of their actions. Finally, include a conclusion that summarizes your findings and reinforces your thesis.

5. Write an Introduction

The introduction of your analytical essay sets the tone and context for your analysis. Start with a hook, such as a thought-provoking quote from Macbeth or a relevant question about ambition. Then, provide background information on the play and its significance in literature.

Finally, present your thesis statement clearly, to ensure it connects to the themes and ideas you plan to analyze. This will improve the overall quality of your academic writing.

For example: “In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the destructive nature of unchecked ambition becomes a catalyst for chaos, ultimately leading to the tragic downfall of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.”

A strong introduction engages readers and establishes the focus of your essay.

The word "Analytics" above a set of coloring pencils.

How To Write an Analytical Essay: Examples of the Body and Conclusion

We covered the process of how to start an analytical essay in the previous section. So, now let’s focus on finishing the process with the body paragraphs and conclusion. By the end of this section, you’ll have all the steps you need to write analytical essays that get top grades.

Here are the steps you can follow on how to write an analytical essay with examples.

Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs of your analytical essay should present your arguments and evidence in a structured manner. Therefore, start each paragraph with a clear topic sentence that relates to your thesis. Then, provide analysis and supporting evidence from your research. Make sure to space them out to improve the writing flow .

For example, in a paragraph about Macbeth’s ambition, you could discuss his internal conflict and how it drives him to commit murder. You can use quotes from the text to illustrate your points and explain their significance. Furthermore, ensure each paragraph transitions smoothly to the next and maintain a logical flow throughout your essay. This structure allows you to develop your analysis thoroughly and coherently.

Conclusion Section

The conclusion of your analytical essay should summarize your main points and reinforce your thesis statement. Therefore, begin by revisiting the key arguments you presented in the body paragraphs, and emphasize how they support your overall analysis. You’ll also need to reflect on the broader implications of your findings.

For instance, you might discuss how Shakespeare’s portrayal of ambition in Macbeth serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of pursuing power without moral consideration. Finally, leave readers with a thought-provoking statement or question that encourages further reflection on the topic. A strong conclusion ties together your analysis and leaves a lasting impression.

A light bulb in the middle of a thought bubble on a black background.

Analytical Essay Examples To Spark a Few Ideas

Now let’s pay attention to some interesting analytical essay examples that you can use to improve the creative process. Furthermore, you’ll have a better idea of how to write your own analytical essay. After all, it can take a while to come up with good topics and execute them correctly.

Example 1: Color and Emotion in Van Gogh’s Art

This essay example investigates the use of color and light in Vincent van Gogh’s paintings and how they convey emotion and movement. It examines specific works, such as Starry Night and Sunflowers, by highlighting how Van Gogh employs bold colors to evoke feelings of joy, sorrow, and turbulence.

Additionally, by analyzing his brushwork and compositional techniques, you can illustrate how Van Gogh’s artistry captures the intensity of human experience.

Example 2: Symbolism in The Great Gatsby

This essay example analyzes the symbolism of the green light in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and its representation of Gatsby’s unattainable dreams. It discusses how the green light reflects themes of hope, desire, and the American Dream.

This illustrates Gatsby’s perpetual longing for a future that remains just out of reach. Furthermore, you can examine key moments in the narrative. The analytical essay example also reveals how Fitzgerald critiques the illusions of wealth and success in 1920s America.

Example 3: The American Dream in Death of a Salesman

This essay explores the concept of the American Dream in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. It focuses on Willy Loman’s pursuit of success. Additionally, it analyzes how Willy’s misguided beliefs about success and wealth lead to his downfall. The idea is to illustrate the disillusionment inherent in the American Dream.

Finally, by examining key scenes and character interactions, the essay critiques societal expectations and the cost of unattainable aspirations. This ultimately reveals the tragic consequences of Willy’s ideals.

Someone writing the words "Be creative" and drawing a light bulb at the end.

Interesting Examples of Analytical Essay Topics

Are you having trouble coming up with analytical essay topics? Then you can use the examples in this section for inspiration. Don’t copy these topic ideas outright since many other people will read this article and may do the same. However, you can put your own unique spin on the titles that genuinely interest you.

Here are some analytical essay topics to consider for different genres:

Literature: Analyze the role of guilt in Shakespeare’s Macbeth and how it contributes to the downfall of the character.
Film: Examine the use of symbolism in Christopher Nolan’s Inception and how it enhances the film’s themes of reality and dreams.
History: Analyze the impact of the Industrial Revolution on social class dynamics in 19th-century England.
Poetry: Explore the themes of nature and isolation in Emily Dickinson’s poetry by focusing on how they reflect her worldview.
Social issues: Analyze the representation of mental health in contemporary media and its effects on public perception.
Philosophy: Examine the concept of existentialism in The Stranger by Albert Camus and how it relates to the theme of absurdism.
Music: Analyze the lyrics of Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are a-Changin” and their reflection on social change during the 1960s.
Science: Explore the ethical implications of genetic engineering and CRISPR technology in modern medicine.
Theater: Analyze the themes of power and corruption in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and their relevance to contemporary society.

A white question mark on a yellow background.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i choose a topic for my analytical essay.

To choose a topic, consider subjects that interest you and offer depth for analysis. Look for themes, symbols, or conflicts within texts or issues that invite critical thinking. Furthermore, ensure the topic has enough material for research and supports a clear argument.

You may want to start with a shortlist of several essay topics and think about them in more detail before choosing the final one. This ensures you end up with something that you feel passionate about.

How should I structure my analytical essay?

An analytical essay typically follows a standard structure, which is an introduction with a thesis statement. Then you’ll have the body paragraphs that present and analyze evidence. Finally, there’s a conclusion that summarizes the main points and reinforces the thesis.

You’ll need to make each body paragraph focus on a single aspect of your analysis. This ensures you don’t confuse the reader with a variety of points in a short amount of text.

What kind of evidence should I include in my essay?

Your essay should include textual evidence, such as quotes or examples from the work you’re analyzing, as well as relevant research or scholarly interpretations. This evidence should support your claims and help substantiate your analysis.

The majority of academic assignments require you to cite your sources, so make sure you understand the correct format to use. It’s best to organize your research early, so you can have a smooth essay writing process.

What is a thesis statement, and why is it important?

A thesis statement is a concise summary of the main argument or claim of your essay. It is important because it provides direction for your writing and helps the reader understand the focus of your analysis. A strong thesis is specific and debatable, so ensure that you feel passionate about the topic.

What are common writing mistakes to avoid in an analytical essay?

Common writing mistakes include having a vague thesis statement, insufficient evidence, a lack of analysis, poor organization, and failing to address counterarguments. Additionally, avoid overly emotional language and ensure your writing remains objective and focused on analysis.

The analytical essay involves analyzing topics in a cohesive manner with excellent structure. You can look at countless examples to get a better idea of how to get it right.

Use Smodin AI to Write an Analytical Essay

Use one of the examples of writing an analytical essay in this guide to get going. This is especially handy if you are stuck writing a rhetorical analysis essay, for example, and need help kick-starting the process with a creative idea. Furthermore, it helps if there are common examples for your topic, so there’s a lot of material to research.

Are you still finding it hard to create an analytical essay that you can be proud to submit? Then use Smodin AI to get a helping hand and learn the basics of how to write it. Our comprehensive toolset provides a suite of features for a wide range of writing assignments. You can get your hands on countless analytical essay examples within a few minutes of creating an account.

So what are you waiting for? Choose Smodin AI and elevate the quality of your writing today.

IMAGES

004 Non Fiction Essay Example Creative Nonfiction Personal Narrative
Nonfiction Essay
Nonfiction Essay
🔥 How to start a topic sentence. How do you write a topic sentence for
70+ Nonfiction Essay Topics for College Students
004 Non Fiction Essay Example Creative Nonfiction Personal Narrative

VIDEO

Plot summary, “Ground Zero” by Andrew Holleran in 4 Minutes
Fiction Essay Essentials
Literature and Its Forms/ Literary forms. Forms of Poetry, Drama and prose. language and literature
fiction and non fiction MCQ for examination
How to Write a Historical Fiction Essay Step by Step
Coffee and Conscience, and Writing Creative Non-Fiction

COMMENTS

50 Creative Nonfiction Prompts Guaranteed to Inspire
When choosing your narrator, pay attention to how objective they would have been, what they would have paid attention to, and what sort of background knowledge they would have had about the scene. 2. Tell the nonfiction story that you don't want your mother to read. You know the one. Don't censor yourself. 3.
108 Engaging And Creative Nonfiction Writing Prompts
1. You've developed a new creative side-hustle, and you have enough business to bring in at least a few hundred (or even thousand) a month. 2. You know how to prepare for a specific kind of disaster, and you want to make others aware not only of the imminent danger of that disaster but how best to prepare for it. 3.
199+ Creative Nonfiction Writing Prompts to Spark Your Creativity
Share your experience with a random act of kindness. 27. Write a narrative creative nonfiction piece about a significant event in your community. 28. Describe a moment when you realized you had grown up. 29. Write about a tradition in your family and its origins. 30. Share a personal essay about a turning point in your life.
21 Creative Nonfiction Writing Prompts to Inspire True Stories
Tell about a time you had to dig. 8. Write about the first time of drove or traveled alone and it changed you. 9. Tell about a painful or poignant goodbye. 10. Relate a favorite memory about a significant figure in your life. 11. Write the story of the most difficult decision you made in each decade of your life.
50 Creative Nonfiction Prompts to Spark Your Inspiration
Personal Reflections. Recall an experience that changed your perspective on life. Describe a tradition in your family and its personal significance. Write about a moment of self-discovery or realization. Share an experience of overcoming a fear or phobia. Reflect on an encounter that left a lasting impression on you.
Nonfiction Topics to Write About: 30+ Ideas to Get You Started
Personal Essay Writing Prompts. If a full nonfiction book sounds like a bit much for you, a nonfiction essay may just be the best alternative. This is a personal story told from the heart. It can be about almost anything, but most of these essays generally have to do with one specific topic or moment in the writer's life. 21.
40 Nonfiction Writing Prompts to get the Creative Juices Flowing
10. Tell the story of how your city or town came to be. 11. Research the origins of a certain invention and write about how and why it was made. 12. Choose a conspiracy theory. Write an essay that tries to either prove or disprove it. 13. Write a list of little-known facts about an interest of yours.
76 Nonfiction Writing Prompts to Help You Write Better ...
How to Write a Good Nonfiction Essay. A nonfiction essay is a piece of writing that aims to present information about a certain subject. It can be based on anything from real-life events to personal experiences. To write a good nonfiction essay, there are some key elements that you need to keep in mind: Decide on a topic
Best Nonfiction Writing Prompts of 2023
If you're looking to cut to the chase, here's a top ten list of our favorite nonfiction writing prompts: Write a story about inaction. Write a story about activism. Write about a date that was so terrible you'll never forget it. Write a story inspired by a memory of yours. Write about a secret you've never told the person you love.
31 Writing Prompts for Creative Nonfiction
General Creative Nonfiction Prompts 1. Describe the first time you went on a date. There are a couple of ways you can approach this prompt. You can describe the date itself from the moment it started to the moment it ended. Alternatively, you could describe the lead-up to the date: getting ready, traveling to the venue, seeing the date arrive.
Creative Nonfiction Prompts 15 Ideas To Inspire Writers & Hook Readers
15+ creative nonfiction prompts. Write in a second-person narrative. In this POV, the reader reads as though they are the character. The writer uses 'you' to tell the story. Consider a time in history in which to plant your reader and walk them through the experiences of that time. For example, 'You were born in 1925.
Creative Nonfiction Structures (& Prompts to Try Them Out)
This nonfiction structure takes two or three ideas that may not appear related and weaves them together in interlocking segments, using numbers or white space to indicate a break between the sections. I find that this structure can help you see the relationship between different things that come to mind when you think about your topic.
Ideas for Writing Creative Nonfiction
If you've ever wanted to embark on a grand adventure or found yourself concocting experimental lifestyles, you may find that they fuel some interesting creative nonfiction ideas. 3. If a memoir is too daunting, try a personal essay instead. Personal essays can be short-form memoirs, in which you share a specific personal experience, but ...
55 Nonfiction Writing Prompts For Middle School
Choose a topic that people tend to disagree on, and write a short essay from both points of view. Choose a prominent man in sports and write an essay about his accomplishments. Write about a special bond you have with a pet or an animal. Choose a piece of art and write about its history and artist. Write about the first birthday you remember.
30 Creative Writing Prompts for Memoir or Non-Fiction
30 Creative Writing Prompts for Memoir or Non-Fiction. We all get stuck (or, dare I say it, "writer's block") from time to time. I see this happen in two primary ways with clients. The first is, they'll message me and say, "Elizabeth, I'm supposed to write 2000 words today, and I felt like I did but then when I checked my word count, I was only ...
25 Great Nonfiction Essays You Can Read Online for Free
Also, reading nonfiction essays can help you learn more about different topics and experiences. Besides essays on Book Riot, I love looking for essays on The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Rumpus, and Electric Literature. But there are great nonfiction essays available for free all over the Internet. From contemporary to classic writers and ...
Nonfiction Topics: Ideas to Ignite Your Creative Writing Journey
Our goal is to make sure you leave here feeling excited, motivated, and ready to embark on your creative writing journey. We'll be breaking down various nonfiction categories, from personal growth and self-help to business and finance, to give you a broad perspective on the diverse subjects you can tackle.
A Complete Guide to Writing Creative Nonfiction
Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Sep 29, 2021 • 5 min read. Creative nonfiction uses various literary techniques to tell true stories. Writing creative nonfiction requires special attention to perspective and accuracy.
Most Read in 2021
In that spirit, we've compiled the most-read pieces published on our website in 2021, as well as the most-read work from our archives. And for good measure, we've pulled together a few pieces worth an honorable mention; our favorite Sunday Short Reads; CNF content that was republished elsewhere; and the best advice, inspiration, and think ...
Creative Nonfiction / True stories, well told
What is Creative Nonfiction? Creative Nonﬁction magazine deﬁnes the genre simply, succinctly, and accurately as "true stories well told.". And that, in essence, is what creative nonﬁction is all about. In some ways, creative nonﬁction is like jazz—it's a rich mix of ﬂavors, ideas, and techniques, some newly invented and others ...
1,000 Narrative Nonfiction Articles & Essays to Read Online
100 Great Books. Our favourite nonfiction books. The best examples of narrative nonfiction writing, short articles and essays to read online.
Writer Ta-Nahesi Coates returns to nonfiction with his essay collection
RASCOE: The longest essay in the book is on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Why did you choose to delve into this topic, which is one of the most, if not the most, fraught topic of public discourse today? COATES: Well, the fact was probably my most celebrated work of journalism is "The Case For Reparations."
A Conversation With Abbott Kahler on How to Write Narrative Nonfiction
I write fiction but read much nonfiction, sometimes for research but primarily for pleasure. I nearly fell from my reading chair when I opened the first pages of Abbott Kahler's new historical nonfiction Eden Undone: A True Story of Sex, Murder, and Utopia at the Dawn of World War II.Of course, with a title like that, I think she's covered all the prurient enticements of most mystery and ...
Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates returns to nonfiction with his essay collection
Ta-Nehisi Coates is no stranger to tackling fraught topics. A decade ago, his article in The Atlantic titled "The Case For Reparations" spurred a national conversation about compensating African Americans. His goal, he says, was to get people to stop laughing about the idea and start talking. He ...
Analytical Essay Examples
Selecting a relevant and engaging topic is the first step in writing an analytical essay. Ideally, the topic should allow for deep analysis and critical thinking. For example, for a literary analysis essay of Shakespeare's Macbeth, you should focus on a specific theme like ambition. This focus will guide your research and analysis.
Non-Fiction Essays
Nonfiction can be further divided into several categories, including memoirs and autobiographies focusing on an individual's own experiences; journalism documenting current events; scientific texts focusing on specialized topics such as biology or physics; and how-to books offering advice and instructions for completing tasks. encyclopedias ...

50 Creative Nonfiction Prompts Guaranteed to Inspire

Related posts:

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

108 Engaging And Creative Nonfiction Writing Prompts

108 Creative Nonfiction Writing Prompts

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

21 Creative Nonfiction Writing Prompts to Inspire True Stories

What is creative nonfiction?

21 Creative Nonfiction Writing Prompts

Put your writing skills to the test

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Popular Resources

Books By Our Writers

You've got it! Just us where to send your guide.

You've got it! Just us where to send your book.

Want to Get Published?

50 Creative Nonfiction Prompts to Spark Your Inspiration

Personal Reflections

Life’s Milestones

Challenges and Resilience

Travel and Exploration

Societal Observations

Creative Musings

Relationships and Connections

Self-Discovery and Growth

Miscellaneous Adventures

Moments of Joy and Happiness

Final Thoughts

Further Reading...

Why Having a Schedule is Crucial for a Writer’s Productivity

Writing on the Go: Developing Routines While Traveling

Finding Your Creative Peak: Identifying the Best Time to Write

Interview with Jennifer Maritza McCauley: “It’s basically like switching between two different brains.”

Nonfiction Topics to Write About: 30+ Ideas to Get You Started

Table of contents

Writing Excellent Nonfiction

Format Beautiful Professional Books

Nonfiction Writing Prompts

Creative Nonfiction Writing Prompts

Dave Chesson

Related Posts

Join the community

76 Nonfiction Writing Prompts to Help You Write Better, More Engaging Content

33 Creative Nonfiction Prompts to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

10 Nonfiction Short Story Prompts

11 Nonfiction Personal Essay Prompts

11 Journal Writing Prompts

11 Memoir Writing Prompts

What Makes a Good Nonfiction Writing Topic

What Is a Creative Nonfiction Essay?

How to Write Creative Nonfiction

How to Write a Good Nonfiction Essay

Decide on a topic

Do your research

Write your essay

Edit and revise

Submit your essay

How Do You Write a Nonfiction Book in 30 Days?

1. Outline Your Book First

2. Set Aside Time Each Day to Write

3. Get an Editor

4. Promote Your Book

BEST NONFICTION WRITING PROMPTS

Showing 48 prompts reset

Introducing Prompted , a new magazine written by you!

Look at your most recent text. Write a story based on that text.

Write about a time that you failed.

Choose a controversial topic from the news. Write an opinion piece on it.

Write about a person trying to see something from another’s point of view.

Contest #270 LIVE

Prize money

Recent winners 🏆

Leaderboard 🥇

We made a writing app for you

The best nonfiction writing prompts

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

31 Writing Prompts for Creative Nonfiction

General Creative Nonfiction Prompts

2. Write about going for your very first job interview.

3. Think of the first time you experienced failure.