Creative Response Journal Topics



These topics encourage students to finish the story, think creatively, and have fun!

  1. You hear a knock on the door. You answer. No one is there, but on the ground you see three items: a paper bag with something in it, a key, and a phone number written on the back of a business card. Who left them and why?
  2. While visiting your grandparents’ farm you discover an underground shelter in the field. Dusting away the dirt and insects, you find the handle and begin to lift the heavy iron door…
  3. If I were invisible I would…
  4. On Saturday morning you have plans to meet your friend down the street. You walk to the house, knock on the door, and a stranger opens. You ask for your friend. “Who?” the stranger replies…
  5. Pretend you brought an alien to show-and-tell. Describe what it looked like and how you met.
  6. Pretend you were captured by an alien and taken to his/her show-and-tell. How would you describe earth to his class?
  7. Describe the sights and sounds at 3:00 (when school is out).
  8. Last night I awoke to a bright beam of light coming in my window… (finish the story)
  9. What would you do with a million dollars?  What would you do with the money?
  10. Explain what you think life would be like without: plumbing, electricity, cars, windows, air conditioning. On a daily basis, what things would you do differently?
  11. What do you think it would be like to be your favorite animal? Describe a typical day.
  12. Last night, while watching TV, I heard a soft knock on the back door… (finish the story)
  13. What would life be like if you were only six inches tall?
  14. Imagine a world that contained no written language. What would be different?
  15. Yesterday, when I was walking home I was approached by… (finish the story)
  16. Write about a dream you’ve recently had. What do you think it symbolized?
  17. List twenty uses for a toothbrush.
  18. You discover you have only six weeks to live. What would you do and why?
  19. What is life like for your shoe?
  20. What is life like for your backpack?
  21. It all started on Monday morning when several citizens of (your town) noticed that the sky didn’t look quite right…
  22. A man is dead on a deserted island wearing a backpack. The rescuers investigate the cause of death. They look inside the pack and find what killed him. What was inside the pack that killed him?
  23. If I had three wishes I would…

8 Responses

  1. Laura Hunter says:

    My granddaughter who lives half a world away, literally, is trying to write. I sent her the info on your 125 opening sentences. She is thrilled. I look forward to reading what she creates. Thank you for sharing your brain!

  2. Elsie Kang says:

    Thank you so much for writing this!!!

  3. Anna Wakita says:

    This helped me so much with my creative writing (I keep a journal at home). Thank you SOOOOO much

  4. Lily Liu says:

    This gave my daughter many new ideas. Very helpful article.

  5. Eileen Jau says:

    What a wonderful article. I cannot wait to utilize your amazing ideas!

  6. Omelia Chan says:

    Thank you for such a helpful article, and I will definitely be spreading the word about this article to my close friends who will be extremely happy to have new ideas for their journals