Notes from the Inkpot
Writing, teaching, creating - one ink-stained idea at a time.
70 Valentine’s Day Writing Prompts for Teens: Story Starters, Characters, Settings & Visual Ideas
Valentine’s Day isn’t just about romance. These 70 teen-friendly writing prompts explore friendships, awkward crushes, heartbreak, comedy, identity, and the messy reality of February 14th. With plot hooks, character ideas, titles, openings, closings, settings, and picture prompts, this post is perfect for classrooms, clubs, and young writers craving fresh ideas beyond clichés.
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.
2000+ Creative Writing Prompts for Teens (Ultimate Master List by Genre, Trope, Season & Month)
Explore more than 2000 creative writing prompts for teens in this growing master list. Each themed collection includes 70 original prompts designed to spark imagination, build storytelling confidence, and support daily writing habits. Browse by genre, trope, holiday, season or month to find the right ideas for fiction writing, journaling or creative warm-ups. New collections are added every Friday, making this resource ideal for teen writers, creative writing clubs, homeschool and classroom activities. Bookmark this page and return as the list expands.
70 Urban Fantasy Writing Prompts for Teens: Story Starters, Characters, Settings & Visual Ideas
Urban fantasy fuses magic with the modern world—think secret covens behind coffee shops, cursed metro lines, and enchanted city streets. In this post you’ll find 70 creative writing prompts for teens, including plot hooks, titles, opening lines, characters, settings, and picture prompts to spark fresh stories.
A Million Stories in One: The Most Unexpected Christmas Gift for Creative Writers
Finding a Christmas gift for a writer is almost impossible. Another notebook won’t surprise them, and they already own every pen they need. What they really want isn’t stationery — it’s a spark. A doorway. A story waiting to begin.
This December, discover a gift that feels like a secret unearthed rather than something grabbed from a shelf. Digital writing boxes: immersive worlds built from fragments, clues, and forgotten documents, where nothing is explained and everything can become a story. A present that unfolds slowly, invites curiosity, and contains a million possibilities inside a single download.
If you’re searching for something rare, atmospheric, and unforgettable — a gift that feels like discovery — explore the four worlds waiting inside.
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.