Notes from the Inkpot
Writing, teaching, creating - one ink-stained idea at a time.
70 Fantasy Writing Prompts for Teens: Story Starters, Characters, Settings & Visual Ideas
Fantasy writing invites teen writers to imagine worlds beyond their own while exploring real questions about identity, power, and choice. This collection of 70 fantasy writing prompts for teens offers structured yet flexible inspiration through story starters, character ideas, settings, opening and closing lines, and visual prompts designed to support imaginative, emotionally grounded storytelling. Ideal for English lessons, creative writing units, writing clubs, and independent practice, these fantasy prompts help students develop worldbuilding, character voice, and narrative structure without relying on clichés or complex magic systems. Whether used for short stories or longer fantasy projects, the prompts encourage thoughtful creativity and meaningful exploration of imagined worlds.
70 Horror Creative Writing Prompts for Teens: Story Starters, Titles, Characters, Settings & Visual Ideas
Explore 70 horror creative writing prompts for teens designed to build atmosphere, tension, and unsettling storytelling. This collection of horror writing prompts includes story starters, title ideas, eerie opening and closing lines, character concepts, unsettling settings, and image-based inspiration focused on psychological dread rather than jump scares. Ideal for classroom writing prompts, creative warm-ups, independent writing, or full horror writing units, these prompts help students practise voice, mood, and descriptive writing while exploring fear in a safe, creative way.
Creative Writing Lessons That Feel Like Time Travel: How I Use Writing Boxes in the Classroom
Tired of blank stares during creative writing lessons? These immersive story boxes turn students into detectives, poets, and storytellers. From séance invitations to village festivals with a secret, here’s how I use creative writing boxes to spark serious engagement (and save my sanity) in the classroom.
70 Dystopian Writing Prompts for Teen Writers
Dystopian writing prompts give teen writers a powerful way to explore control, resistance, survival, and imagined futures shaped by fear or authority. This collection of 70 dystopian story ideas includes picture prompts, opening lines, titles, and speculative scenarios designed to support creative writing lessons, independent writing, and classroom discussion. Ideal for students studying dystopian fiction or learning how to write a dystopian story, these prompts encourage critical thinking, worldbuilding, and meaningful storytelling.
70 Sci-Fi Writing Prompts for Teens: Ideas, Openings, and Visual Starters for the English Classroom
Explore 70 science fiction writing prompts for teens designed to spark imagination, critical thinking, and original storytelling. This collection of science fiction creative writing prompts includes story starters, opening and closing lines, characters, settings, and visual prompts inspired by futures shaped by technology, power, and possibility. Ideal for classroom warm-ups, independent writing, creative clubs, and full sci-fi genre units, these prompts help students explore big ideas through engaging, age-appropriate science fiction stories.
One Month In: What I’ve Learned from Launching My Own Website
One month after launching my website, I’m sharing what really happened. From the unexpected slow start to the small wins that made it all feel worth it. Here’s what I’ve learned, what surprised me, and why I’m more excited than ever for what’s coming next.
10 Creative Writing Challenges to Stretch Your Imagination
Looking for ways to spark fresh ideas? These 10 creative writing challenges are perfect for classrooms, workshops, or solo writing sessions. From genre mashups to story reversals, each quick challenge helps stretch imagination, build skills, and unlock unexpected stories.
Why Creative Writing Boxes Aren’t Just for Kids (And Why You Might Need One Too)
Creative writing boxes aren’t just for kids—and the ones I’ve built were never meant to be. They’re for adults and older teens who want to reconnect with writing, rediscover their creativity, or get lost in a story built from fragments, mystery, and atmosphere. If you've ever needed a spark to write again, this might be it.
The Kindling Collection: A Writing Box of Ritual, Firelight, and Uneasy Traditions
If you’ve ever wanted to stumble across a forgotten box of secrets, piece together a decades-old mystery, or uncover what a village has tried to forget, this is the one.
The Kindling Collection invites you into the village of Ashwick, where the Longlight Festival burns brighter than reason. What starts with weathered letters and faded photos slowly begins to feel… real. You’ll find cinnamon-scented fragments, unsettling children’s drawings, volunteer lists, and sealed envelopes that beg not to be opened.
Step into something old, strange, and quietly horrifying, and let the story pull you under.
Inside the Victoriana Collection: A Writing Box of Mystery, History, and Creative Intrigue
The Victoriana Collection isn’t a set of writing prompts. It’s a mystery told through forgotten photographs, torn letters, and eerie clues from another time. If you’re the kind of writer who finds inspiration in texture, mood, and fragments, this box was made for you. Gothic, atmospheric, and open-ended - this is where your next story begins.
Creative Writing Prompts Reimagined: A Story in a Box
Creative writing prompts don’t have to be flat. These immersive, tactile storytelling boxes are designed for writers who crave atmosphere, mystery, and a spark of the unexpected — whether you’re writing alone, in a group, or just starting to explore your voice.