Notes from the Inkpot
Writing, teaching, creating - one ink-stained idea at a time.
What Are Digital Writing Boxes? (And Why Teachers & Writers Are Quietly Obsessed)
Digital writing boxes are downloadable sets of fictional relics and documents that spark creative writing through curiosity, investigation, and worldbuilding. In this post, I break down what they are, why they work for both teachers and writers, and how The Soot & Shadows Series blends historical mystery, folklore, and atmospheric relics into a flexible creative writing tool. If you’re tired of prompts that say “imagine a door…,” you’ll love this.
31 Daily Writing Prompts for January: Ever After
A 31-day collection of fairytale retellings inspired by myths and folklore from around the world. These prompts move beyond “happily ever after” to explore power, consequence, and the stories left untold — perfect for classrooms, creative writing lessons, or anyone rediscovering their love of storytelling.
70 Christmas Writing Prompts for Teens: Story Starters, Characters, Settings & Visual Ideas
Christmas is a season full of contrasts — cozy fireplaces and glittering lights, but also mystery, magic, and the occasional bit of chaos. These prompts invite teen writers to explore the holiday across genres, from festive romance and fantasy adventures to gothic tales and eerie mysteries. With 70 story starters, titles, characters, settings, and picture prompts, this collection sparks creativity for classrooms or independent writing, offering fresh takes on the season that go far beyond the expected.
70 Winter Writing Prompts for Teens: Story Starters, Characters, Settings & Visual Ideas
Winter is more than just cold weather — it’s a season of stark beauty, hidden dangers, and powerful contrasts. From frozen forests and snowbound trains to icy queens and weary travelers, these prompts invite teen writers to explore survival, mystery, fantasy, and gothic tales shaped by winter’s grip. This collection of 70 prompts includes story starters, titles, characters, settings, and picture prompts, perfect for classrooms or independent writing.
Micro Writing for the TikTok Generation (Why Short Bursts Spark Big Ideas)
Micro writing is about stripping things back — short bursts of creativity that can grow into something bigger. This post explores how daily prompts, complete with titles, images, opening and closing lines, and plot ideas, can be used for quick five-minute writes that fit neatly into any lesson. Think of it as a clean, minimalist approach to writing practice: simple to set up, but powerful in what it sparks.
70 November Writing Prompts for Teens: Story Starters, Characters, Settings & Visual Ideas
November is full of contrasts — cozy fires and autumn leaves, but also secrets, shadows, and sudden chaos. From Bonfire Night and the Gunpowder Plot to Thanksgiving tables and Black Friday crowds, this month brims with inspiration. These 70 prompts include story starters, titles, characters, settings, and picture prompts to spark teen writers’ imaginations all season long.
The Hemlock Collection: A Witch Trial Mystery Across Centuries
Step into Crowhurst, 1628. A child’s screams in the night, whispered accusations, and a village consumed by fear. The Hemlock Collection is a digital-first creative writing mystery that blends witch trials and folklore with the modern-day disappearance of Beth Crowhurst in 2023. Through letters, grave rubbings, diary entries, and newspaper clippings, students and writers are invited to investigate both timelines and craft their own stories from the shadows left by history.
1000 Creative Writing Prompts: Spark Imagination in Every Classroom and Notebook
Discover a free collection of 1000 Creative Writing Prompts designed to spark imagination in every classroom and notebook. From eerie openings to beautiful settings and clever twists, this downloadable PDF is packed with story ideas for teachers, students, and writers who want to make creativity part of their daily routine.
70 October Writing Prompts for Teens: Spooky Starters, Autumn Titles, Characters, Settings & Visual Ideas
October is the perfect month for storytelling—misty nights, glowing lanterns, and the thrill of Halloween in the air. This collection of 70 October writing prompts for teens is packed with spooky plot hooks, atmospheric titles, eerie opening and closing lines, character and setting ideas, and detailed picture prompts to spark your imagination. Whether you’re writing ghost stories, autumn adventures, or a hint of magical realism, you’ll find inspiration to carry you through the season.
Dark Inheritance: 31 Haunting October Writing Prompts for Teachers and Teens
October is the perfect month for eerie storytelling, and Dark Inheritance delivers 31 gothic-inspired prompts packed with secrets, curses, and unsettling twists. Each daily prompt includes a title, image, opening line, closing line, and full plot idea—ideal for classrooms or independent writers who want to embrace the darker side of creativity this Halloween season.
The Silent Directive: A Creative Writing Box Inspired by a World Without Sound
What if silence wasn’t a choice, but the law? In our latest writing boxThe Silent Directive, citizens live under a regime where sound itself is treason. Broadcasts, memos, detention registers, and propaganda leaflets reveal a world where silence is loyalty, silence is safety, and silence is survival. Unlike my other writing boxes, this one doesn’t whisper secrets — it issues orders in plain sight.
30 Daily Writing Prompts for September: The Architect of Fate
September’s daily writing prompts come wrapped in gold thread and shadow. The Architect of Fate is a month-long journey into stories where destiny isn’t fixed—it’s forged. Across thirty prompts, you’ll explore mythic landscapes, surreal machines, whispered bargains, and impossible choices. Each day offers a spark for your creativity, whether you’re a teacher in search of classroom starters, a student finding your voice, or a writer chasing your next great idea. From villages that vanish before dawn to dreamwalkers trapped between worlds, these prompts are designed to challenge, inspire, and unsettle—in the best possible way.
Why I Swear by Picture Prompts for Teaching Literature (And How to Use Them)
Picture prompts aren’t just for creative writing units — they can transform the way students connect with literature. Whether you use them to spark predictions before reading or to inspire a fresh take after finishing a text, the right image can flip the switch from passive reader to active thinker. Here’s how I use picture prompts to teach language through literature, keep lessons fresh, and make analysis feel less like a chore.
Save Hours Planning Creative Writing Units with Daily Prompts
Tired of reinventing the wheel for every creative writing lesson? Daily prompts offer a flexible, low-prep way to boost engagement, sharpen skills, and save you hours of planning. Here's how to build an entire unit around them, and where to grab your first month of prompts for free.
The Atlas of Lost Places: A Free Creative Writing Resource to Unlock Student Imagination
Want to see how I use daily writing prompts in the classroom? The Atlas of Lost Places is a free 7-day resource that blends eerie images, rich prompts, and flexible teaching tips. It’s a sneak peek into my full daily writing prompt subscription launching in August—and it’s designed to actually get students writing.
The Ashridge Collection: A Free Creative Writing Resource for Curious Students and Tired Teachers
Tired of worksheets? The Ashridge Collection is a free printable creative writing mystery designed for curious classrooms. Built from letters, diary entries, and eerie school documents, it invites students to step into a story, and shape it themselves.
Download a Free Daily Writing Prompt for Your Students (Plus 31 Bonus Prompts Inside)
Download a free daily writing prompt to spark creativity in your classroom - plus get 31 bonus prompts when you join the waitlist for my upcoming Daily Writing Prompt Membership. Low-prep, high-impact ideas to keep students engaged and excited to write!
Why Ray Bradbury Is the Original Black Mirror (and How to Teach Both in the Classroom)
Ray Bradbury might not have predicted Instagram likes or parental control implants, but his stories hold up like eerie reflections of our own tech-obsessed world. In this post, I pair classic Bradbury short stories with Black Mirror episodes to explore how both challenge our ideas about progress, power, and humanity. Perfect for teachers looking to spark meaningful discussions in the classroom.
The Shoe Lesson: A Simple, Powerful Creative Writing Activity
What if one ordinary object could unlock a thousand extraordinary stories? The Shoe Lesson is one of my favourite creative writing activities - a simple, unexpected way to spark imagination, build character depth, and turn even the most reluctant writers into storytellers. Here's how a single shoe can transform your classroom or writing group.
How to Use Picture Prompts to Inspire Powerful Creative Writing
If you’ve ever felt like “describe the picture” prompts were falling flat, this is for you. In this post, I break down how I use picture prompts in the classroom to move beyond surface-level writing, and into rich, imaginative storytelling that students actually want to create.