One of my readers requested this post! I was happy to do it, because winter and the holidays bring great inspiration to me. These could be used for fiction, journaling, or just about any other creative writing. And I’m keeping them G-rated in case any teachers want to use them for their students! (And if you are a teacher, check out my 50 Story Ideas for Kids, too!)
But these prompts work just as well for adults. If you’ve had a busy autumn or a tumultuous year, but you have a Christmas break, that’s a great time to get back into a writing habit again. Although these are fiction prompts, some of them could be adapted to autobiographical prompts for essays, journaling, or memoir writing as well.
- Two people who are secretly romantically interested in one another. They agree to share Christmas dinner together, just as friends, because a family holiday isn’t going to happen and all of their other friends are already busy.
- Someone doesn’t have anyone to spend Christmas with.
- A person is on a difficult quest to find or make a particular gift for someone else.
- A Christmas card arrives in the mail fifty years after it was delivered.
- The Christmas ornament is supposedly enchanted.
- Someone has just became fabulously wealthy and is picking out gifts for their family.
- Someone is transported to a Christmas in a past century.
- To impress her, he learns all of the words to her favorite Christmas carol. And he doesn’t even like carols. Or Christmas. Or singing.
- Someone embarrasses herself at a Christmas party.
- Write a scene inspired by the image of a boat decked out in Christmas lights.
- Notes and gifts from a “Secret Santa” take a strange turn.
- After the blizzard hits, they’re stuck together for a while, and they have to stay warm.
- A single person reacts to getting Christmas cards from married couples with pictures of them with their smiling children.
- Two strangers wind up participating in a holiday activity together.
- Someone has been cutting down and stealing trees from the Christmas tree farm.
- Someone resorts to desperate measures to get home for Christmas.
- Write about the worst present your character ever got.
- They’re putting up a Christmas tree at the hospital.
- Write about someone who’s determined to make amends at Christmas.
- Write a scene that incorporates the smells of Christmas.
- Someone receives a gift wrapped in newspaper and duct tape.
- At the castle, Christmas is very different from what she’s used to.
- He and his very pregnant wife can’t find a hotel room right before Christmas.
- Okay, he’s not Santa, but he did have a very good reason for breaking into the house.
- What’s a reindeer doing in this part of town?
I hope you enjoyed the list! If you want to get notifications of new writing posts (plus general positivity), be sure to subscribe below!
And if you want more writing prompts…like 450 pages’ worth…check out my book 5,000 Writing Prompts. It’s full of master plots in many genres, creative exercises, and more.
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you’re having a great week!
Thank you so much for this ! 😀
You’re so welcome, Olivia! Thank you for the great suggestion!
I’m almost finished with my holiday writing project for this year but I’m going to take this list and use it for something for next year. I think it would be great fun to incorporate three…or six of these into a story, maybe more!
Hi, Anne! Congratulations on being almost done with your holiday project. And I hope there are useful for the next one!
#4 worked for me well. I took the about a Christmas card arriving 50 years after it was sent and made a 2500 word short story that was printed in TJ Hannon second short story collection Tales With a Twist 2. An emotional tale about an American soldier stationed in Viet Nam, who never made it home.
Thanks for the prompt. These things usually don’t work for me, but this one did
Tom, that’s so cool…I’m so glad it worked out for you!
These Christmas prompts are great fun, Bryn. Thanks. I’m sharing some with my writing class tomorrow. 🙂
Aww, I am flattered! Thank you!
These Christmas prompts would make a great prompt advent-calendar for a writer friend – next year …
Hi, there! Oh my gosh, a writing prompt advent calendar…that’s an amazing idea. 🙂
Thank you, I once upon a time did that for said friend … But I had to choose small prompts as I glued 24 tiny envelopes with those prompts on a sheet of cardboard. It was received with great joy!
Thanks for the holiday writing prompts, Bryn. I’ve shared your post on my blog for Write it Wednesday.
Aw, thank you, friend! Thanks for sharing!
These are so fun! You always have the best prompts.
Aww thank you. 🙂 Hey, I can’t wait to see you!
Thank you so much for these, Bryn!! They got me into the Christmas spirit (a bit), despite the fact that my 7-month old puppy died yesterday.
Speaking of disheartening things, could you please make a list of writing prompts about potentially upsetting/unwanted things? I would especially be very grateful if you could throw in a few fantasy/mythology because that is my genre and I really love your creative prompts!!
Merry Christmas,
Alyssa
Oh Alyssa! I am so sorry about your puppy! I know how much pets mean, and that’s so sad. I wish I could give you a hug. Take really good care of yourself, okay?
That is a great idea for a list. I’ll do it! Honestly, we’ve had a few upsetting things happen to us recently, so I’ll be inspired. 😀 But yes, I’ll try to remember to include some fantasy ones. Thank you for the suggestion!
Gosh…these are great and I love your posts..A prompt that may work for someone….
Holiday Tonic For The Soul supplies us with rejuvenated love and tranquil happiness. It is by far the most embraced and fulfilling holiday we celebrate. From the birth of our Savior, to hoping for a white one we create the tonic of our own personal joy….
Merry Christmas, Bryn…
I love this this is the best thing ever even though I am only 12 I have already worten 191 pages of a book because of these writing prompts I hope I get an A
On the evening of the 23rd The extended family is gathered and the patriarch and one of the younger children disappear. It is none the things that everyone fears.
5 stars. this was so helpful. all the other websites with similar title have cheesy and childlike ideas but this page has mystery and funny and pretty story prompts that i will definitely be using. thank you so much
Hey there! I’m so glad this was helpful 🙂 Happy holidays and happy writing!