creative writing imagery exercises

25 Great Creative Writing Exercises To Awaken The Senses

January 23, 2023
Craft , Inspiration

I’ve written about the importance of sensory imagery in writing before, specifically for developing characters, in my blog: Use The Five Senses and Bring Your Characters to Life.

But it’s not just for developing your characters; sensory imagery is needed everywhere if you want your readers to engage with your story.

What is sensory imagery?

When we tell a story, we create a world in the reader’s mind, and by using specific, definite, and concrete details, we enable the reader to enter this new world.

A detail is definite and concrete when it appeals to the senses. It should be seen, heard, smelled, tasted, or touched.

Whether you are writing non-fiction, fiction, poetry, or plays, getting in touch with your senses, and using imagery that relates to them, will serve you well.

Experience using sensory imagery.

This post aims to give you the experience of engaging with each sense and letting it take you somewhere unexpected. It’s all very well to understand the concept of using the senses and even be convinced that it’s important to include them in your writing. Still, until you’ve taken the time—10 minutes is all you need— to experience the nuances of each sense, you might not fully understand why using sensory imagery in your writing is essential and how it works.

How to start: Choose a writing prompt and write it at the top of your page. Set your timer for 10 minutes. Read the prompt and begin writing immediately, without thinking—follow the first thought and go wherever it takes you. No editing, no judging, just writing.

Keep your pen moving.

Don’t stop until the time is up.

Suspend judgment.

Be curious.

Tip: Write by hand. Writing by hand connects the brain and body and, I believe, the heart. It’s especially helpful in getting those first thoughts onto the page.

Remember: you can always write from the POV of one of your characters.

25 Great Sensory Writing Prompts.

The sense of smell.

More than any other sense, smell can connect us intimately to the past in a way our ideas cannot. A scent can initiate a flood of memories regardless of how unexpected or fleeting. A whiff of your mother’s perfume on an old sweater can catapult you to a long-forgotten memory of weekly drives to ballet class, the last kiss at bedtime, tears over a science project, or your wedding day.

Prompt 1. What’s the most unusual smell you’ve ever encountered?

Prompt 2. What’s the first scent you smell upon entering your home?

Prompt 3. What is the most dangerous smell you can think of?

Prompt 4. If you were holding your favorite stuffed animal from childhood, what would it smell like?

Prompt 5. Peel an orange, inhale the scent and write about the first memory that comes to mind.

For more on smell, read the blog How the Sense of Smell Can Enhance Your Writing .

The Sense of Touch

Touch is a basic human need, and it’s the first sense we develop upon entering this world and the last sense to go as we depart this world.

It is also one of the least used senses in writing, perhaps because it’s the most difficult to describe. But think about how often we confirm what we see by reaching out and touching. A reader can more easily engage with a character’s world if they can touch it. I’m using the word touch rather than feel because the term “feel” tends to lead us to emotions, and while that’s important, it’s not what we’re aiming for here.

Prompt 1. Write about the last time you touched wet .

Prompt 2. Write about something you want to touch but can’t or shouldn’t.

Prompt 3. Imagine you can describe a sculpture by how it feels as you run your hands over it.

Prompt 4. Write about the earliest touch you can remember.

Prompt 5. Write about something you can’t pass by without touching it.

For more on the sense of touch, read the blog How To Use The Sense Of Touch In Your Writing .

The Sense of Taste

Taste might be the least used sense in writing but think of all you can learn about your character through their tastebuds. The sense of taste and the act of tasting can be highly evocative, taking your reader from delight to disgust with a mere nibble.

Yes, it may be challenging to describe taste without using the senses for sight and smell, which are inherent in taste but challenge yourself to see where taste alone might take you.

Prompt 1. This exercise will prime you for the following four prompts Choose something you like to eat, a piece of fruit, a square of chocolate, and most anything will work. Sit quietly and take a few slow breaths. When you’re ready, take a bite or place the food item in yo r mouth and let it sit on your tongue. Take note of physical sensations, flavor, and sound. You may discover new sensations and ideas for enriching your descriptive details. Now, write a description of what you experienced.

Prompt 2. Write about your favorite childhood meal and how it might ta te today.

Prompt 3. Think of two of your favorite foods. Now write about how they might taste together.

Prompt 4. Write about the experience of tasting a foreign dish for the first time.

Prompt 5. Describe the taste of your favorite dessert without revealing what it is.

For more on the sense of taste, read the blog, How To Use The Sense Of Taste In Your Writing .

The Sense of Hearing

Second, to sight, hearing gives us a primary experience of the world we live in. Sounds enrich our environment; we depend on them to help u interpret, communicate with, and express the world around us.

While not as evocative as smell, familiar sounds can stir memories and transport us to another time and place. What more powerful tool could a writer ask for than auditory details that offer nuanced layers to a scene?

Prompt 1. What would it sound like if you amplified the sound of snow falling on the roof?

Prompt 2. Describe the sound of a family holiday dinner.

Prompt 3. Play a piece of your favorite music and write from the first image that appears in your mind.

Prompt 4. Sit quietly for 2-3 minutes until you can identify the sound that is the farthest away. Describe it without naming it and go wherever it takes you.

Prompt 5. What sound do you most like/dislike?

For more on the sense of hearing, read the blog How To Use The Sense Of Hearing In Your Writing .

The Sense of Sight

The sense of sight is the sense we use most often in writing.

If you’ve ever tried to describe something without referring to sight, you’ll know just how challenging that is to accomplish.

Perhaps this is because 70% of the body’s sense receptors cluster in the eyes, and it is mainly through seeing the world that we appraise and understand it.

A visual image can be a trigger for memory and emotion. A painting can take us back to a time in history replete with triumph or tragedy. A gesture captured in a photograph may symbolize love, loss, or confusion.

Remember, sight is not only for description and scene setting; showing how your characters see the world and how they feel about it will capture your readers’ attention.

Prompt 1. Describe your face as you might see it reflected in a pool of water.

Prompt 2. Describe someone who doesn’t know you are watching them.

Prompt 3. If anger were a creature, describe it.

Prompt 4. Describe your ideal writing place.

Prompt 5. Choose a painting and describe it without using the sense of sight Use every other sense.

For more on the sense of sight, read the blog How To Use The Sense Of Sight In Your Writing .

I hope you find these prompts useful—let me know how it goes.

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Thanks for these useful prompts.

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Hi, I’m Kathryn Kay, the founder of A Writer Within. I offer support and inspiration to women writers through one-on-one coaching, editing services, and week-long retreats in Tuscany. My focus is on getting writers into the creative flow, beyond their internal critic, and their very best stories onto the page. If you have a writer within, let’s set her free!

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Creative Writing Prompts for Crafting Compelling Imagery

by Melissa Donovan | Dec 20, 2018 | Creative Writing Prompts | 6 comments

Creative writing prompts for crafting stunning imagery.

Today I’d like to share a collection of prompts from 1200 Creative Writing Prompts , which contains a variety of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction writing prompts.

Some of the prompts in the book are story starters. Some are word lists. The prompts I’m sharing today are simple but provocative images that are designed to spark a writing session.

In writing, imagery is the key that can unlock a reader’s imagination. When an image is rendered with the right combination of words, it magically appears in the reader’s mind like a photograph or film clip.

Here’s an example:

A woman wearing a black dress is lying on the floor in a disheveled room.

Now look at the image above. Note the details that are missing from the sentence above: the tilting couch and mirror, the shiny hardwood floor, and the brightly colored plastic flower in the foreground. These details were left out of the example sentence to create a white space, which readers can fill in for themselves.

One reader might imagine clothing scattered across a carpet, a broken lamp, and a woman who has been injured lying on the floor, waiting for help. Another reader might picture the aftermath of a party: dirty dishes, empty bottles, and a woman passed out from drinking too much wine. One reader will imagine a wild and beautiful young woman, another will picture an older, more refined woman.

The perfect balance of description and white space provides just enough detail to make the image manifest, but not so much that the reader’s own imagination fails to be engaged. As a writer, it’s your job to know how much detail you need to include in your writing in order to bring out the most important elements of any image.

Creative Writing Prompts

Today’s creative writing prompts deal with creating imagery in writing. Each prompt consists of an item, which functions as the inspiration for a larger image. You’ll need to paint in the final strokes so the image and its emotional implications become clear.

As you work through these creative writing prompts, try asking questions about the prompt you’ve chosen and the image it evokes. Where is it? Who put it there? Why? Ask questions until the image comes into focus. Then use your words to paint the picture you have developed in your mind.

You can use these writing prompts to create an essay, a short story, a poem, or a quick freewrite. You can write a few paragraphs or a few pages. Follow the image wherever it takes you.

A pair of baby shoes
A torn photograph
A broken bottle and a guitar pick
A “no smoking” sign and a pair of fishnet stockings
An oxygen tank
A partially deflated basketball
A fishing rod
A circus clown removing his or her makeup
An empty hospital bed
The vast emptiness and beauty of space.

Once you’re done, come back and tell us how these creative writing prompts worked for you. And keep writing.

Ooh, great prompts! Thanks for sharing those!

Thanks! My pleasure.

Your comments on imagery are spot on. In my teaching and editing, I see a lot of default settings, where the writer has a good scene going, with tense dialogue and action, but hasn’t given any thought to the background, the setting. And so the setting will be bland, and contributes nothing to the story. The writer has put nothing in the setting for the reader to wonder about. A rusty handsaw or a pair of fishnet stockings or a torn photo would arrest the reader’s eye. If a scene is in an otherwise dull elementary school classroom, put on a counter a terrarium where two tarantulas are fighting. In a living room, put an antique Apache war club on the wall. It’s so important to give the reader something to look at.

I agree, James. I see a lot of work in which meaningful imagery is completely absent. Occasionally, I see the reverse, but this happens more with published works. I find long passages of description tedious. Also, too much imagery in writing disengages the imagination. There needs to be a delicate balance!

I love writing prompts! Thank you so much. I will definitely write these down. I collect prompts and shuffle them. They’re fantastic for stirring up creative thoughts. Thanks again!

Awesome! Come back and let us know how these writing prompts worked out for you. Good luck!

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

FEBRUARY 2020 Newsletter | “Log of the Trail” – Texas Mountain Trail Writers - […] Writing Forward: Creative Writing Prompts for Crafting Compelling Imagery- https://www.writingforward.com/writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts-for… […]
APRIL 2020 Newsletter | “Log of the Trail” – Texas Mountain Trail Writers - […] Writing Forward: Creative Writing Prompts for Crafting Compelling Imagery- https://www.writingforward.com/writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts-for… […]
MAY 2020 Newsletter | “Log of the Trail” – Texas Mountain Trail Writers - […] Writing Forward: Creative Writing Prompts for Crafting Compelling Imagery- https://www.writingforward.com/writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts-for… […]
JULY 2020 Newsletter | “Log of the Trail” – Texas Mountain Trail Writers - […] Writing Forward: Creative Writing Prompts for Crafting Compelling Imagery- https://www.writingforward.com/writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts-for… […]
JUNE 2020 Newsletter | “Log of the Trail” – Texas Mountain Trail Writers - […] Writing Forward: Creative Writing Prompts for Crafting Compelling Imagery- https://www.writingforward.com/writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts-for… […]
AUGUST 2020 Newsletter | “Log of the Trail” – Texas Mountain Trail Writers - […] Writing Forward: Creative Writing Prompts for Crafting Compelling Imagery- https://www.writingforward.com/writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts-for… […]
November 2020 Newsletter | “Log of the Trail” – Texas Mountain Trail Writers - […] Writing Forward: Creative Writing Prompts for Crafting Compelling Imagery- https://www.writingforward.com/writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts-for… […]
December 2020 Newsletter | “Log of the Trail” – Texas Mountain Trail Writers - […] Writing Forward: Creative Writing Prompts for Crafting Compelling Imagery- https://www.writingforward.com/writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts-for… […]
JANUARY 2021 Newsletter | “Log of the Trail” – Texas Mountain Trail Writers - […] Writing Forward: Creative Writing Prompts for Crafting Compelling Imagery- https://www.writingforward.com/writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts-for… […]
FEBRUARY 2021 Newsletter | “Log of the Trail” – Texas Mountain Trail Writers - […] Writing Forward: Creative Writing Prompts for Crafting Compelling Imagery- https://www.writingforward.com/writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts-for… […]
MARCH 2021 Newsletter | “Log of the Trail” – Texas Mountain Trail Writers - […] Writing Forward: Creative Writing Prompts for Crafting Compelling Imagery- https://www.writingforward.com/writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts-for… […]
MAY 2021 Newsletter | “Log of the Trail” – Texas Mountain Trail Writers - […] Writing Forward: Creative Writing Prompts for Crafting Compelling Imagery- https://www.writingforward.com/writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts-for… […]
OCTOBER 2021 Newsletter | “Log of the Trail” – Texas Mountain Trail Writers - […] Writing Forward: Creative Writing Prompts for Crafting Compelling Imagery- https://www.writingforward.com/writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts-for… […]
NOVEMBER 2021 Newsletter | “Log of the Trail” – Texas Mountain Trail Writers - […] Writing Forward: Creative Writing Prompts for Crafting Compelling Imagery- https://www.writingforward.com/writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts-for… […]

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Room With a View: Creative Writing Exercises

Exercise one – in this room.

A key part of being a good writer is to really pay attention to your surroundings and to translate what you can hear, see, smell, touch, taste and feel into words so that other people can experience what you’re experiencing. Focusing on the five senses is an important skill to develop as it helps to make your writing richer and multi-dimensional. It’s also a great mindful tool for creating calm. Win win!

A key part of being a good writer is to really pay attention to your surroundings.

For this exercise, try to stay in the moment. Take in your surroundings. What can you see, hear, touch, taste and smell where you are today? Maybe there’s a smell of recently brewed coffee. Perhaps you can hear the birds tweeting outside or members of your family having an argument in another room. For touch, you might just want to focus on the feeling of your fingers on the keyboard or the way the paper feels beneath your arm or the pressure of one leg on top of the other, the feel of floorboards beneath your feet, or you could explore other feelings too. And if your mind gets taken away to a memory of another time and place as you notice a souvenir from a holiday on the desk, feel free to follow that thought too. Allow yourself to write whatever comes to mind and don’t think too hard about it. You can always edit it later.

Exercise Two – Room with a View

Windows and the views from them can be a rich source of inspiration for writing. They’re a boundary between one space and another, but a transparent boundary and a natural frame for writing. For this exercise, it’s probably easiest if you position yourself so that you can see out of particular window, but if you’ve got a good memory, you could also choose to write about a different view that you know well: maybe the view from a school window, or a holiday cottage that you might have visited. Follow the prompts below and allow your writing to get more fanciful and imaginative as you go on. Write in long sentences rather than making notes. Essentially, you’re constructing a poem, line by line.

You can also watch this video and follow the prompts included here:

Something is straight in front of you. What is it?
What’s off to the left?
In the corner of your view, what can you see?
Remember the way it looked at a different time in the past.
Something is unusual today. What is it? Maybe something is missing, or present when it isn’t usually there.
What is out of view (over the hedge, across the road)?
What’s happening further away – on the other side of the village or the city?
What about over on the other side of the world?

Exercise Three – The Witness

Let’s turn our attention from writing poetry to writing fiction and imagine a story in which a character observes the world from their window. Perhaps they’re a person who loves to be nosey, or someone who simply enjoys watching the world go by. Maybe, in your writing, you might have a whole cast of characters that the main protagonist sees: the woman who walks the dog at the same time every day, the man who pushes the pram, the postman or woman. Or, you might want to focus on one particular person and one particular incident.

Effective fiction tends to focus around change so see if you can incorporate this into your story. Maybe the main character sees something that changes their perception of the world in some way or perhaps they see something that literally changes their world. Perhaps it’s something that they shouldn’t have seen and perhaps their decisions about what they do with that knowledge will drive the story. Maybe the change is simply that the woman stops walking the dog or that the post stops arriving. It’s up to you.

Effective fiction tends to focus around change so see if you can incorporate this into your story.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

The post gets delivered to the wrong house and a person who hasn’t left their home for years has to take it to the rightful owner.
Someone witnesses a robbery.
A character sees two people having a fight and has to decide whether to intervene.
Someone overhears a conversation that they shouldn’t have heard.
A character sees or has an encounter with some unusual wildlife – maybe a badger or a fox

Exercise Four – Picture This

In case you’re tired of looking out of your own windows at your own views, we’ve provided some different views for you to look at. Hopefully they might inspire you.

For this exercise, simply take one of the photographs and imagine yourself into the scene. You might be a character who is looking out of the window, or you might be someone in the scene beyond the window.

Use the following questions to help you to develop the character that you’re writing about. You might want to write a piece of fiction, but you could also write a poem about, or from the viewpoint, of the character. Most stories are driven by the desires of the main character and the obstacles that you, the writer, put in their way. You might want to think about that as you write.

Who is the character? (Name, age, nationality)
What are they doing here?
Where are they going? Or where have you been?
Who are they with or who are they waiting for?
What are they afraid of?
What do they have in your pocket or bag?
What do they want most in the world?
What is their biggest regret?
Who is their best friend?

Exercise Five – Objects

We’re surrounded by objects in our homes and what can seem ordinary and boring can soon be transformed into something interesting if we bring our attention and imagination to it.

For this exercise, pick an object from the room where you’re sitting and use it as the starting point for a piece of writing.

You might want to tell the literal story of what it is and where it came from or you could make it the centre of a fictional piece. Maybe that little box from your holiday in Spain is actually a repository for all of the secrets of the universe, or perhaps your notebook is enchanted and everything you write in it becomes true.

Maybe that little box from your holiday in Spain is actually a repository for all of the secrets of the universe?

Another exercise to try is to write from the point of view of the object. How does it feel to be the necklace that no-one very takes out of the jewellery box or the book that someone bought just to show off but which never gets opened?

Maybe you could write about two objects and their relationship. Perhaps the salt pot has a vendetta against the pepper pot or maybe the fork is in love with teapot.

Have fun with it.

“It is perfectly okay to write garbage–as long as you edit brilliantly.’ C. J. Cherryh

Editing is a fundamental part of the writing process. Some writers enjoy the first burst of creativity more than editing, but others love that process of stripping out the unnecessary parts of their work and shaping it into a finished piece.

I like to imagine editing as being a bit like sculpting; the finished story or poem is in there and your job as an editor is to chip away at the raw materials (your first draft) to smooth and polish the final work of art. Most writers write several drafts before they get to a piece that they’re happy with and, if you want to be a writer, it’s an important lesson to learn, that something is rarely finished at the first attempt. Invariably there’s a lot that can be done to improve a piece of writing and sometimes the finished article bears little resemblance to the piece you started out with. You write as a writer, but you need to edit as a reader.

Here are some tips to help you to improve your first draft.

General tips

If you have time, leave your writing for a while before you start to edit it. That way you can view it as a reader.
Read your work aloud. You’re bound to find yourself editing as you go along as you’ll sense which bits flow and which bits don’t.
Give it to a few trusted readers to read. They will pick up things that you’re too close to see. Make sure you choose your readers wisely though. You don’t want the opinions of people who are too close to you who’ll be afraid of hurting your feelings (e.g. your mum) nor do you want people who are too critical or competitive. Other writers usually make for good critics as they know how precious your work is and they also know what to look for.
Think about what the purpose of your writing is. Can you summarise it in a paragraph? What do you want your reader to think or feel after they’ve read it? It helps if you can keep this in mind as you edit and try to make sure that everything you write serves this purpose.
Is your opening the best one? Does it make the reader want to read on? It’s usually a good idea to get straight to the point and the action. Can you cut the first paragraph or page? Often we’re finding our own way into the story at the beginning and our opening isn’t the right one.
That said, you want your reader to feel quickly located in your story and clear what it’s going to be about. You might find it helpful to think about the w’s: who, what, where, why and when. Can you convey the basics of this information quickly and succinctly?
Lay some hooks and questions to get the reader interested at the beginning. It’s a delicate balance between giving enough information so that the reader isn’t confused, and leaving them intrigued and guessing what’s going to happen next.
Are you showing rather than telling? This is a big topic and something you’ll be able to find out more about online. Generally-speaking, you want to feel like you’re in control of a movie set and that you, as writer, are directing the film, showing the reader the action as it unfolds rather than telling the story. The reader doesn’t want to hear your voice but the voices of the characters.
Check your viewpoint. Usually it’s best to stick with one character’s point of view or to be very clear that you’re switching to another character (e.g. by starting a new page of chapter). Be careful not to flit between characters’ heads unconsciously as this can make the reader feel confused and disorientated. One way to check this is to ask yourself the question: ‘says who?’ at the end of every sentence.
Check for repetition and see if you can use different words and phrasing.
Use as few words as possible. You don’t need to explain things in several different ways e.g. don’t say, “ ‘I’m furious,’ screamed Jen, angrily.” One way of letting us know that she’s angry is enough.
Where possible, avoid feeling words and show emotions in different ways e.g. with body language and physical sensations i.e. ‘she sank to the floor, her body wracked with sobs’ as opposed to ‘she felt really upset.’
Don’t overdo it though. You don’t need to reference the tightness in someone’s chest every time they feel anxious and beware of mentioning the same things over and over again e.g. scratching chin, playing with hair, winking. How often do people really wink in real life?
Avoid using too many adverbs and adjectives, especially adverbs.Often, you can replace an adverb by choosing a better verb e.g. instead of saying ‘he shut the door noisily ’, you could say ‘he slammed the door.’
Use dialogue to bring your prose to life and to show character rather than describing everything.
Don’t overuse names. Unless it’s confusing, use ‘he’ and ‘she’.
Be careful when choosing character names to choose names that sound very different. If your three main characters are called Ahmed, Abdul and Ahad, your reader is likely to get confused.
Don’t feel you have to use complicated dialogue tags: ‘he said’ and ‘she said’ are usually better than ‘he expostulated’ and ‘she exclaimed’.
Don’t give too much information and try to make it natural when you can e.g. a character wouldn’t say, ‘when Matt, my husband, came home from his work at the local hospital.’ She’d just say, ‘when Matt came home from work.’
Check that you’re indenting each paragraph and each time a new person speaks.
It’s generally accepted practice in the UK to use one inverted comma for dialogue and to put the punctuation inside the inverted commas e.g. ‘Are you coming for your dinner?’

Editing poetry is a bit more complicated as poetry is more open to interpretation and individualistic stylistic choices but here are a few things you can look for.

Read your poem out loud several times. How it sounds is as important as how it looks on the page.
Are you using the perfect word? Poets think really hard about every word. They’re thinking about the sound and shape of the word as well as its meaning.
Think about where you position your words. Does a line sound better if you turn it around?
Consider line lengths and stanzas or the overall shape and balance of the poem.
Think about which words go at the ends of the line. You probably don’t want to end lines with words conjunctions like ‘and’, ‘or’ and ‘because’.
If you’re rhyming a poem, make sure you’re not just using a word because it rhymes. If you are, then think about a different way to say what you’re trying to say.
Be consistent with your punctuation and capitalisation. Some poets use capitals at the beginning of each and some don’t. Either is ok but make sure you’ve thought about your stylistic choice.
Does your imagery make sense? Poets often make use of similes and metaphors. One or two carefully-chosen metaphors are usually more effective that lots.
Have you used other poetic techniques e.g. alliteration and assonance? Could these be strengthened?
Think about your beginning and your ending. Are you starting and ending with two of your best lines?

Don’t forget to follow us on social for regular writing prompts and challenges; @thelitplatform / @theliteraryplatform.

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Picture Prompts

145 Picture Prompts to Inspire Student Writing

A school year’s worth of short, accessible image-driven posts that invite a variety of kinds of writing.

By The Learning Network

Image from our related Picture Prompt “ Creative Juices .”

We’ve been publishing our Picture Prompts series four days a week since 2016. Below, we’ve rounded up all the prompts we published for the 2021-22 school year.

These short, accessible, image-driven prompts invite students to pen short stories, poems and memoirs; share experiences from their lives; analyze illustrations, graphs and charts; and tell us their opinions on hot-button issues.

You can find even more in our roundups for the 2016-17 , 2017-18 , 2018-19 , 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years. That’s nearly 900 prompts, many still open for comment by students 13 and up. We have also published a short, visual post highlighting four popular prompts from this school year.

To learn how you can use Picture Prompts to build literacy skills, promote critical thinking, inspire discussion and foster creativity in your classroom, watch our three-minute tutorial video or our on-demand webinar . For dozens more ideas, see our lesson plan, “ How to Teach With Our Picture Prompts (and Other Times Images) .”

If you use this feature with your students, or if you have other ideas for how to use photos, illustrations and graphics to encourage writing, let us know in the comments.

What story does this image inspire for you?

Phone Booth in the Wilderness Roller Coasters In the Waves In the Lunchroom Den of Toys Butterflies Flight Delays Two Roads Dog Park Friendship Under the Sea Found in the Crowd Under the Desk Barren Landscape Park Bench Other Selves On the Court Holiday Party Little Red House Candy Cornucopia Doors Mystery Money Royal Dining Up in a Tree Around the Fire Galaxy Plundered Shelves Confetti Solo Climb At the Fountain Heated Conversation Yellow Creatures Meadow in Starlight Storm On the Subway Giant Jar Family

Share experiences from your own life.

Pet Ownership Creative Juices Horror Stories One Great Summer Memory Dining Out Riddle Me This Your Go-To Recipes Hitting the Road Comic Con Craze October Thrifting Harry Potter Self-Compassion Holiday Shopping Giving Gratitude Festive Wear Measuring Time Winter TV Shows Sacred Spaces Your Tech Local Celebrities Winter Olympics Wildlife in Winter Group Chat Winter Getaways D.I.Y. Taste Test Spring Fashion March Madness Mask Withdrawal Your Favorite Tree Rites of Spring Fortuitous Finds Hanging Out Heartbroken Best Pizza? Everyday Pleasures Musical Instruments

What do you think this image, chart or cartoon is saying?

Hands Blasting Out of a Phone Dings and Pings Pulling at a Reflection Memorial Twisting Track Elephant and Donkey Tiny Dollar Clouds Vision Test The Whole World Work and Home Bedroom Staring Crossed-Out Words Clicking Her Heels Weapon Burger Quitting Spoonfed Brady Mesmerized Skates Melting Man Lit-Up Landmarks Literary Allusions A Brick on an Egg Listening and Clapping Between the Ears Smiling X’s on Bubbles Eyeballs Inside Vs. Outside Amazon Boxes Area Closed High Wire Very, Very Tired

What’s your opinion on this issue?

A New Social App Morality Plays Flamboyant Fashion Home Games Powering Down Facebook Outage Old Glory Custom Cars Tourist Surveillance E-Scooters, E-Bikes Motorcycle Adventures Veterans Day Book Lovers Speed Skydiving Gift-Giving, Gift-Getting Solstice Favorite Moments in Sports Your Word of the Year Guilty Pleasures Smart Watch Wordle True Love? Prized Possessions Audiobooks Separate Together TV-Themed Trips Forgiveness Life at Sea Constructive Criticism Electric Cars Little Free Libraries Met Gala #VanLife Responding to the Shooting in Uvalde

What is imagery?

Ok, writers. Let’s go back to basics. Voltaire famously said, “Writing is the painting of the voice,” meaning it is the task of the writer to show the reader something—a scene, an object, a view, a character, anything that can be described. We do that describing through imagery.

Imagery is one of the most important literary devices or tools in the writer’s tool box. Because literature (stories, poems, memoirs) is the written expression of a human condition, we as writers must draw on what makes us human to convey these experiences in the hopes of making a connection with the reader.

According to Literary Devices,

“Imagery is a literary device that refers to the use of figurative language to evoke a sensory experience or create a picture with words for a reader. By utilizing effective descriptive language and figures of speech, writers appeal to a reader’s senses of sight, taste, smell, touch, and sound, as well as internal emotion and feelings. Therefore, imagery is not limited to visual representations or mental images, but also includes physical sensations and internal emotions.”

To break that down: descriptive language + senses and emotions = imagery.

Now, I’m no math expert, but I like knowing what parts make up the whole. We probably know about senses and emotions, but what do we mean by figures of speech?

At its core, a figure of speech is usually a simile, metaphor, or hyperbole, and can be literal or figurative.

Examples of figures of speech

An example:

Literal Simile: Her hair was like the color of burnished copper.

Figurative Simile: Her hair was like a sunset on a desert.

In the previous examples, we have a figure of speech and senses, but what about emotion?

Literal Simile: Her hair, like her Grandma Ruth’s, was like the color of this copper kettle, the one Mary would take with her whether Mom liked it or not. (emotion is nostalgia)

Figurative Simile: Her hair shimmered like a sunset in Death Valley, but he was sure she was just a mirage. (emotion is certainty, perhaps sadness or longing that she isn’t real or present)

Here are some more examples from one of the reigning champions of literary device, Shakespeare:

“There’s daggers in men’s smiles.” Macbeth

“And thus I clothe my naked villainy

With odd old ends stol’n out of holy writ;

And seem a saint, when most I play the devil.” Richard III

“If I be waspish, best beware my sting.” The Taming of the Shrew

An imagery writing exercise

Choose a sentence below and add senses and emotion plus a figure of speech of your choice. Use that sentence to kickstart a poem or short story.

Jacob’s room smelled bad.

My grandmother’s locket is old.

I found a cat in the lane.

She wished she could visit the ocean.

He would never get on a plane and no one could make him.

They walked a mile together, then parted ways.

I was late to work again.

She forgot to catch fireflies.

What did you think of this little lesson on imagery? Will you try the writing exercise? Share with us in the comments.

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Teneice Durrant is a proud graduate of Spalding University’s MFA program, and The University of Toledo’s MA in English Literature program. She has published four chapbooks and one full-length poetry collection, Glass Corset (2019).

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Teaching Imagery to Young Writers

Help young writers learn all about imagery by using it in their writing. Here's an activity and free activity sheet to get kids writing.

When it comes to writing, imagery is an important literary device for kids to understand and use. Imagery brings a writer’s ideas to life. It helps them paint a picture with words. I love helping young writers create imagery and watch their writing bloom. They see the difference a good descriptive word adds and are often excited to keep writing. Below you’ll find one of my favorite imagery exercises and a free activity sheet so your young writers can get writing!

Guess What? An Imagery Activity for Young Writers

I have yet to meet a kid who doesn’t like a guessing game. Maybe that’s why this imagery activity has always been a hit with my students and children.

The object of the game is to use imagery to describe an object so well another person is able to guess what object the writer is writing about without them actually naming the object.

I have used this activity with writers ages 8-14 . Younger children could do it with assistance and older writers by adding elements of figurative language: similes, metaphors, personification.

When play and writing go hand in hand, writers who love to write are filled with ideas and reluctant writers might just forget they're writing.

What is Imagery?

The first step is helping kids figure out what imagery is. Even if they know, this is a good exercise to help them further develop it in their writing.

Begin to talk about how imagery helps a reader form an image in their mind or have a sensory experience . I like to start off with examples from pieces of literature we have read or are reading and have the writers highlight, write down, and/or discuss what words they can really see, hear, smell, taste, or touch.

One of my favorite poems to read with writers 10+, Kindness , by Naomi Shihab Nye, is a great place to hunt for imagery.

I begin by reading the poem out loud. I then either read the poem out loud again or have students read to it themselves while highlighting or underlining words they can see, hear, smell, taste, or touch.

“Before you know what kindness really is you must lose things , feel the future dissolve in a moment like salt in a weakened broth .”

Next, we share the words we identified as imagery and discuss what those words help us experience and figure out.

You can do this part of the activity with younger students as well. Picture books are often great places to find imagery.

Play with Imagery

Now that we have a basic understanding of imagery, it’s time to play with it. If I want my learners to really know something, using it in their writing is key.

Imagery Activity- What Am I Describing?

Want a printable activity sheet for this activity? I have one for you at the end of this post 🙂

1. Chose an Object

Have writers choose an object they like or can see. Tell them not to tell anyone what it is.

Depending on where my writers are (in-person or virtual), I ask them to either have or imagine the object. If students are in-person, you don’t want them to actually have the object on their desk, or it defeats the purpose of it being a secret, so have them choose an object that is not obvious or imagine one.

2. Use Imagery

Have writers describe the object using their five senses.

The best way for a writer to do this is to actually touch and smell the object. For younger writers, be sure they know not to actually taste the item unless it’s edible. Food is a lot of fun to use!

The more the writer can engage with the object, the better.

This is also a good time to talk about synonyms . Encourage writers to use a thesaurus and/or write down adjectives that go beyond words like big, small, red.

Once writers have brainstormed, have them write a paragraph describing their object in as much detail as possible, without naming what it is.

Again, encourage lots of sensory details. The goal is for the reader to see, hear, taste, smell, and feel the object in their mind.

When kids finish writing, let them share their paragraphs with one another. Their goal is to get people to guess their object. They can always go back and revise their description if no one knows what it is.

I’ve found even reluctant writers, and those reluctant to share are eager to read their descriptions.

Sharing Tip- I always ask guessers to wait until the writer has read the entire paragraph before guessing. My goal here is to get kids to share their writing, so I want to make sure they are actually able to share it.

I love this activity because it allows my learners and me to play with imagery while looking at it in the literature we’re reading and by getting them writing. It is also a great way to encourage students to share their writing.

If you’d like the printable activity sheet, just subscribe to my newsletter below. Once you do, I’ll send you the password to my free resource library. It’s in there under Writing. You’ll also have access to a ton of other resources I love and use with my homeschoolers and students.

Happy writing! I hope your young writers love this imagery exercise.

About Kelly Sage

2 comments on “ teaching imagery to young writers ”.

I believe that I just subscribed. Where can I find the free activities for your Imagery lesson? Thank you so much!

Hi Ashley, thanks for subscribing. You should have an email from my in your inbox. In that email is a link to my resource library and your password. Once in, everything is alphabetical. Just look for Imagery. Enjoy! Kelly

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Hi, I’m Kelly. Curiosity Encouraged is where I share my passion for helping kids love to learn. It’s where I share the many things I’ve learned as a teacher, homeschooler, mother, and writer. Thank you for being here!

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Writing Activities

105 Creative Writing Exercises To Get You Writing Again

You know that feeling when you just don’t feel like writing? Sometimes you can’t even get a word down on paper. It’s the most frustrating thing ever to a writer, especially when you’re working towards a deadline. The good news is that we have a list of 105 creative writing exercises to help you get motivated and start writing again!

What are creative writing exercises?

Creative writing exercises are short writing activities (normally around 10 minutes) designed to get you writing. The goal of these exercises is to give you the motivation to put words onto a blank paper. These words don’t need to be logical or meaningful, neither do they need to be grammatically correct or spelt correctly. The whole idea is to just get you writing something, anything. The end result of these quick creative writing exercises is normally a series of notes, bullet points or ramblings that you can, later on, use as inspiration for a bigger piece of writing such as a story or a poem.

Good creative writing exercises are short, quick and easy to complete. You shouldn’t need to think too much about your style of writing or how imaginative your notes are. Just write anything that comes to mind, and you’ll be on the road to improving your creative writing skills and beating writer’s block .

Use the generator below to get a random creative writing exercise idea:

List of 105+ Creative Writing Exercises

Here are over 105 creative writing exercises to give your brain a workout and help those creative juices flow again:

Set a timer for 60 seconds. Now write down as many words or phrases that come to mind at that moment.
Pick any colour you like. Now start your sentence with this colour. For example, Orange, the colour of my favourite top.
Open a book or dictionary on a random page. Pick a random word. You can close your eyes and slowly move your finger across the page. Now, write a paragraph with this random word in it. You can even use an online dictionary to get random words:

Create your own alphabet picture book or list. It can be A to Z of animals, food, monsters or anything else you like!
Using only the sense of smell, describe where you are right now.
Take a snack break. While eating your snack write down the exact taste of that food. The goal of this creative writing exercise is to make your readers savour this food as well.
Pick a random object in your room and write a short paragraph from its point of view. For example, how does your pencil feel? What if your lamp had feelings?
Describe your dream house. Where would you live one day? Is it huge or tiny?
Pick two different TV shows, movies or books that you like. Now swap the main character. What if Supergirl was in Twilight? What if SpongeBob SquarePants was in The Flash? Write a short scene using this character swap as inspiration.
What’s your favourite video game? Write at least 10 tips for playing this game.
Pick your favourite hobby or sport. Now pretend an alien has just landed on Earth and you need to teach it this hobby or sport. Write at least ten tips on how you would teach this alien.
Use a random image generator and write a paragraph about the first picture you see.

Write a letter to your favourite celebrity or character. What inspires you most about them? Can you think of a memorable moment where this person’s life affected yours? We have this helpful guide on writing a letter to your best friend for extra inspiration.
Write down at least 10 benefits of writing. This can help motivate you and beat writer’s block.
Complete this sentence in 10 different ways: Patrick waited for the school bus and…
Pick up a random book from your bookshelf and go to page 9. Find the ninth sentence on that page. Use this sentence as a story starter.
Create a character profile based on all the traits that you hate. It might help to list down all the traits first and then work on describing the character.
What is the scariest or most dangerous situation you have ever been in? Why was this situation scary? How did you cope at that moment?
Pretend that you’re a chat show host and you’re interviewing your favourite celebrity. Write down the script for this conversation.
Using extreme detail, write down what you have been doing for the past one hour today. Think about your thoughts, feelings and actions during this time.
Make a list of potential character names for your next story. You can use a fantasy name generator to help you.
Describe a futuristic setting. What do you think the world would look like in 100 years time?
Think about a recent argument you had with someone. Would you change anything about it? How would you resolve an argument in the future?
Describe a fantasy world. What kind of creatures live in this world? What is the climate like? What everyday challenges would a typical citizen of this world face? You can use this fantasy world name generator for inspiration.
At the flip of a switch, you turn into a dragon. What kind of dragon would you be? Describe your appearance, special abilities, likes and dislikes. You can use a dragon name generator to give yourself a cool dragon name.
Pick your favourite book or a famous story. Now change the point of view. For example, you could rewrite the fairytale , Cinderella. This time around, Prince Charming could be the main character. What do you think Prince Charming was doing, while Cinderella was cleaning the floors and getting ready for the ball?
Pick a random writing prompt and use it to write a short story. Check out this collection of over 300 writing prompts for kids to inspire you.
Write a shopping list for a famous character in history. Imagine if you were Albert Einstein’s assistant, what kind of things would he shop for on a weekly basis?
Create a fake advertisement poster for a random object that is near you right now. Your goal is to convince the reader to buy this object from you.
What is the worst (or most annoying) sound that you can imagine? Describe this sound in great detail, so your reader can understand the pain you feel when hearing this sound.
What is your favourite song at the moment? Pick one line from this song and describe a moment in your life that relates to this line.
You’re hosting an imaginary dinner party at your house. Create a list of people you would invite, and some party invites. Think about the theme of the dinner party, the food you will serve and entertainment for the evening.
You are waiting to see your dentist in the waiting room. Write down every thought you are having at this moment in time.
Make a list of your greatest fears. Try to think of at least three fears. Now write a short story about a character who is forced to confront one of these fears.
Create a ‘Wanted’ poster for a famous villain of your choice. Think about the crimes they have committed, and the reward you will give for having them caught.
Imagine you are a journalist for the ‘Imagine Forest Times’ newspaper. Your task is to get an exclusive interview with the most famous villain of all time. Pick a villain of your choice and interview them for your newspaper article. What questions would you ask them, and what would their responses be?
In a school playground, you see the school bully hurting a new kid. Write three short stories, one from each perspective in this scenario (The bully, the witness and the kid getting bullied).
You just won $10 million dollars. What would you spend this money on?
Pick a random animal, and research at least five interesting facts about this animal. Write a short story centred around one of these interesting facts.
Pick a global issue that you are passionate about. This could be climate change, black lives matters, women’s rights etc. Now create a campaign poster for this global issue.
Write an acrostic poem about an object near you right now (or even your own name). You could use a poetry idea generator to inspire you.
Imagine you are the head chef of a 5-star restaurant. Recently the business has slowed down. Your task is to come up with a brand-new menu to excite customers. Watch this video prompt on YouTube to inspire you.
What is your favourite food of all time? Imagine if this piece of food was alive, what would it say to you?
If life was one big musical, what would you be singing about right now? Write the lyrics of your song.
Create and describe the most ultimate villain of all time. What would their traits be? What would their past look like? Will they have any positive traits?
Complete this sentence in at least 10 different ways: Every time I look out of the window, I…
You have just made it into the local newspaper, but what for? Write down at least five potential newspaper headlines . Here’s an example, Local Boy Survives a Deadly Illness.
If you were a witch or a wizard, what would your specialist area be and why? You might want to use a Harry Potter name generator or a witch name generator for inspiration.
What is your favourite thing to do on a Saturday night? Write a short story centred around this activity.
Your main character has just received the following items: A highlighter, a red cap, a teddy bear and a fork. What would your character do with these items? Can you write a story using these items?
Create a timeline of your own life, from birth to this current moment. Think about the key events in your life, such as birthdays, graduations, weddings and so on. After you have done this, you can pick one key event from your life to write a story about.
Think of a famous book or movie you like. Rewrite a scene from this book or movie, where the main character is an outsider. They watch the key events play out, but have no role in the story. What would their actions be? How would they react?
Three very different characters have just won the lottery. Write a script for each character, as they reveal the big news to their best friend.
Write a day in the life story of three different characters. How does each character start their day? What do they do throughout the day? And how does their day end?
Write about the worst experience in your life so far. Think about a time when you were most upset or angry and describe it.
Imagine you’ve found a time machine in your house. What year would you travel to and why?
Describe your own superhero. Think about their appearance, special abilities and their superhero name. Will they have a secret identity? Who is their number one enemy?
What is your favourite country in the world? Research five fun facts about this country and use one to write a short story.
Set yourself at least three writing goals. This could be a good way to motivate yourself to write every day. For example, one goal might be to write at least 150 words a day.
Create a character description based on the one fact, three fiction rule. Think about one fact or truth about yourself. And then add in three fictional or fantasy elements. For example, your character could be the same age as you in real life, this is your one fact. And the three fictional elements could be they have the ability to fly, talk in over 100 different languages and have green skin.
Describe the perfect person. What traits would they have? Think about their appearance, their interests and their dislikes.
Keep a daily journal or diary. This is a great way to keep writing every day. There are lots of things you can write about in your journal, such as you can write about the ‘highs’ and ‘lows’ of your day. Think about anything that inspired you or anything that upset you, or just write anything that comes to mind at the moment.
Write a book review or a movie review. If you’re lost for inspiration, just watch a random movie or read any book that you can find. Then write a critical review on it. Think about the best parts of the book/movie and the worst parts. How would you improve the book or movie?
Write down a conversation between yourself. You can imagine talking to your younger self or future self (i.e. in 10 years’ time). What would you tell them? Are there any lessons you learned or warnings you need to give? Maybe you could talk about what your life is like now and compare it to their life?
Try writing some quick flash fiction stories . Flash fiction is normally around 500 words long, so try to stay within this limit.
Write a six-word story about something that happened to you today or yesterday. A six-word story is basically an entire story told in just six words. Take for example: “Another football game ruined by me.” or “A dog’s painting sold for millions.” – Six-word stories are similar to writing newspaper headlines. The goal is to summarise your story in just six words.
The most common monsters or creatures used in stories include vampires, werewolves , dragons, the bigfoot, sirens and the loch-ness monster. In a battle of intelligence, who do you think will win and why?
Think about an important event in your life that has happened so far, such as a birthday or the birth of a new sibling. Now using the 5 W’s and 1 H technique describe this event in great detail. The 5 W’s include: What, Who, Where, Why, When and the 1 H is: How. Ask yourself questions about the event, such as what exactly happened on that day? Who was there? Why was this event important? When and where did it happen? And finally, how did it make you feel?
Pretend to be someone else. Think about someone important in your life. Now put yourself into their shoes, and write a day in the life story about being them. What do you think they do on a daily basis? What situations would they encounter? How would they feel?
Complete this sentence in at least 10 different ways: I remember…
Write about your dream holiday. Where would you go? Who would you go with? And what kind of activities would you do?
Which one item in your house do you use the most? Is it the television, computer, mobile phone, the sofa or the microwave? Now write a story of how this item was invented. You might want to do some research online and use these ideas to build up your story.
In exactly 100 words, describe your bedroom. Try not to go over or under this word limit.
Make a top ten list of your favourite animals. Based on this list create your own animal fact file, where you provide fun facts about each animal in your list.
What is your favourite scene from a book or a movie? Write down this scene. Now rewrite the scene in a different genre, such as horror, comedy, drama etc.
Change the main character of a story you recently read into a villain. For example, you could take a popular fairytale such as Jack and the Beanstalk, but this time re-write the story to make Jack the villain of the tale.
Complete the following sentence in at least 10 different ways: Do you ever wonder…
What does your name mean? Research the meaning of your own name, or a name that interests you. Then use this as inspiration for your next story. For example, the name ‘Marty’ means “Servant Of Mars, God Of War”. This could make a good concept for a sci-fi story.
Make a list of three different types of heroes (or main characters) for potential future stories.
If someone gave you $10 dollars, what would you spend it on and why?
Describe the world’s most boring character in at least 100 words.
What is the biggest problem in the world today, and how can you help fix this issue?
Create your own travel brochure for your hometown. Think about why tourists might want to visit your hometown. What is your town’s history? What kind of activities can you do? You could even research some interesting facts.
Make a list of all your favourite moments or memories in your life. Now pick one to write a short story about.
Describe the scariest and ugliest monster you can imagine. You could even draw a picture of this monster with your description.
Write seven haikus, one for each colour of the rainbow. That’s red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
Imagine you are at the supermarket. Write down at least three funny scenarios that could happen to you at the supermarket. Use one for your next short story.
Imagine your main character is at home staring at a photograph. Write the saddest scene possible. Your goal is to make your reader cry when reading this scene.
What is happiness? In at least 150 words describe the feeling of happiness. You could use examples from your own life of when you felt happy.
Think of a recent nightmare you had and write down everything you can remember. Use this nightmare as inspiration for your next story.
Keep a dream journal. Every time you wake up in the middle of the night or early in the morning you can quickly jot down things that you remember from your dreams. These notes can then be used as inspiration for a short story.
Your main character is having a really bad day. Describe this bad day and the series of events they experience. What’s the worst thing that could happen to your character?
You find a box on your doorstep. You open this box and see the most amazing thing ever. Describe this amazing thing to your readers.
Make a list of at least five possible settings or locations for future stories. Remember to describe each setting in detail.
Think of something new you recently learned. Write this down. Now write a short story where your main character also learns the same thing.
Describe the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen in your whole life. Your goal is to amaze your readers with its beauty.
Make a list of things that make you happy or cheer you up. Try to think of at least five ideas. Now imagine living in a world where all these things were banned or against the law. Use this as inspiration for your next story.
Would you rather be rich and alone or poor and very popular? Write a story based on the lives of these two characters.
Imagine your main character is a Librarian. Write down at least three dark secrets they might have. Remember, the best secrets are always unexpected.
There’s a history behind everything. Describe the history of your house. How and when was your house built? Think about the land it was built on and the people that may have lived here long before you.
Imagine that you are the king or queen of a beautiful kingdom. Describe your kingdom in great detail. What kind of rules would you have? Would you be a kind ruler or an evil ruler of the kingdom?
Make a wish list of at least three objects you wish you owned right now. Now use these three items in your next story. At least one of them must be the main prop in the story.
Using nothing but the sense of taste, describe a nice Sunday afternoon at your house. Remember you can’t use your other senses (i.e see, hear, smell or touch) in this description.
What’s the worst pain you felt in your life? Describe this pain in great detail, so your readers can also feel it.
If you were lost on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere, what three must-have things would you pack and why?
Particpate in online writing challenges or contests. Here at Imagine Forest, we offer daily writing challenges with a new prompt added every day to inspire you. Check out our challenges section in the menu.

Do you have any more fun creative writing exercises to share? Let us know in the comments below!

Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.

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Helping Students Add Imagery to their Creative Writing

Helping Students to add Imagery to Their Creative Writing

Over the years, my students have had some of the most imaginative and original creative writing ideas, but they often have difficulty finding the right words to express these ideas in a way that allows the reader to fully immerse themselves in their literary worlds.

Incorporating activities for students to practice infusing imagery into their writing has been a big game-changer in the quality of their writing overall. First, I explain to students that imagery uses descriptive details that appeal to the five senses and that adding these details helps to expand ideas which creates easier visualization and connections for the reader. A passage without imagery will merely explain that an apple pie is sitting on the counter for example, whereas a passage that uses imagery to convey the smell and taste of the crisp pie crust and warm cinnamon apple mixture, transports you to your own experiences and memories with these senses and you can easily put yourself into the scene.

One of my students’ favourite activities to practice imagery has been using an imagery chart, which is basically a chart with various picture prompts and space beside each for details that relate to the five senses. For each picture I ask the class to brainstorm the sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and feelings as though they are in the picture, prompting them with questions like, “what does it sound like?” “What does it taste like?” and so on.

Once we have filled in the chart with lots of sensory details, I ask students to choose one of the pictures and write a descriptive passage in first or third person perspective using as many of the details from the chart as they can. The resulting passages are always a thrill to read. Students usually surprise themselves with how detailed and vivid their writing is. At that point I invite students to share their writing with the class. It’s always interesting to hear two passages about the same picture to see how different and similar they are using most of the same imagery details.

This activity makes for a great writing warm up or mini-lesson, but it could also be built upon to become the beginning of a larger piece of writing that students work on.

If you are looking for more help with supporting students through creative writing, you can check out this post for ways to help students brainstorm for creative writing and my Short Story Writing package for students with handouts for each stage of the writing process.

What are your favourite ways to teach imagery? Let us know in the comments, or join the conversation on Instagram or Facebook!

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3 Tips When Using Imagery in Your Writing

by The Magic Violinist | 49 comments

Free Book Planning Course! Sign up for our 3-part book planning course and make your book writing easy . It expires soon, though, so don’t wait. Sign up here before the deadline!

I've been learning a lot about poetry lately, specifically how to use imagery to your advantage so the reader gets a clear and fascinating picture in their head.

How to Use Imagery in Your Writing

Using imagery is something that I've struggled with and even now have to be extra conscientious of as I write. However, I feel like I have started to get the hang of it. Here are the three tips that most stood out in my mind.

1. Expand and specify

When you say, “She went to her room and sat on her bed,” don't stop there. This is your chance to give us a glimpse into her life, her surroundings. What is her bed like? Is it queen-sized with a bedspread that doesn't have a single wrinkle in it? A twin bed with faded sheets that are riddled with holes? With a couple well-chosen details, you can say so much about your character and your story.

2. Be weird

Don't be afraid to get a little out there with your descriptions, especially when it comes to similes and metaphors. Sometimes the strangest comparisons are the ones that work the best. Clichés are tired, predictable, and boring. Instead of describing the snow like, “glittering stars falling from the heavens,” compare it to, “ash drifting to the earth, burning cold.” You can be dark, gross, optimistic, or anything else you want to be. Just get creative.

3. Use the five senses

This is one of the tried and true methods, of course, but it's a good reminder. Don't leave smell and taste out of your passages, the often forgotten senses in writing. But be careful not to make it a checklist situation, either. You don't need every sense in every description, especially not all in a row where it'll be painfully obvious what you're trying to do. Pick one or two that make the imagery unique and exciting.

How do you keep imagery fresh in your writing? Let us know in the comments .

Keep these three tips in mind as you write for fifteen minutes about your character trying a new restaurant. Focus on the imagery and really put us into the story. When you're done, if you'd like to, share your practice in the comments . Don't forget to give your fellow writers some love, too!

The Magic Violinist

The Magic Violinist is a young author who writes mostly fantasy stories. She loves to play with her dog and spend time with her family. Oh, and she's homeschooled. You can visit her blog at themagicviolinist.blogspot.com . You can also follow The Magic Violinist on Twitter (@Magic_Violinist).

49 Comments

Does “the stench of his arrogance” count as smell or is it like just a metaphor?

It could be both literal and figurative: maybe he literally has a cologne that he wears to impress people, or maybe “stench” is just a feeling people get after being around him.

Sounds like a metaphor to me – as though he is so arrogant you can practically smell it. I like it.

Funny story: I like the phrase “sunbeams and moonshine,” because it fit my story. I had descriptions of their sandcastle reaching the moon (that’s how high it would become) and how they would go to the moon to fetch moonbeams to give their mum afterwards to make her smile. But my friend pointed out, “Oh, you mean moonshine like the alcoholic drink?” Don’t be as stupid as me!

after they take the drink, they might go even higher 😀

😀 That’s so funny! Unfortunately, it was a children’s story with a teddy as the protagonist.

perhaps there’s a twist in the tale or u could add inn that in the teddy bear’s world, moonshine is only (only only only) a fruit juice 😀

Ha, that’s so funny! I once gave a character the last name “Moonshine” when I was younger and had no clue what it actually was. 😉

It is not really stupid. What if they get literal moonshine and give it to their mother? Then you could show that scene, …

I don’t get it, …

I want to be your online friend

That does not explain why you would call me “loner.” Perhaps you mixed me up with someone else?

no, I apologize for that. i just found your profile and thought it would be nice to be friends with you, you seem clever and nice

If you say so then I must believe you. I, however, can still not understand why you called me a loner, if my memory serves me.

just get over it, i didn’t knew how to say hi lol. how are you?

Perhaps you might just say “Hello?”

hello, how are u?

Rather well, how are you?

They passed through a dirty purple curtain. It stuck to the tip of her fingertip like evaluating her worthiness before letting her enter this separate world. It was still cold outside being the beginning of rain season and her articulations had ached since early morning, but there, in that little shabby restaurant, the comal sitting in a corner produced a cozy atmosphere.

The noise of the street was also gone. Like entering a neutral space, the racket of cars and buses competing to reach the highway had vanished and been replaced for an incessant chatter coming from all tables and culminating with the voice from the radio, placed on top of the fridge, filling the place from above with the yelling of La Qué Buena the radio of choice for most restaurants and taxi drivers.

It had been a rough night, the rough week of an even more painful year but now seated with that man that could have been her father, she felt secure, more complete than ever before. She ordered two quesadillas, one simple and the other one stuffed with meat and potatoes. The decided on sharing a mango drink and she was surprised from the first zip by the sweet taste and the acid aftertaste lingering on her tongue in a rather pleasant way.

The fogginess of her brain was dissipating and she let her eyes travelled from table to table, mesmerized by the vibrancy of colors ranging from yellow to red, making no excuses for their presence in the middle of this damp September morning. She was drawn to the hands of the cook, a plump woman of indefinite age that flipped tortillas with surprising speed while chatting with the owner, smiling and laughing in a way that accentuated the lines around her eyes.

Quesadillas had arrived. They were crispy and slightly brown, smelling of oil and still very hot to the touch. She broke the crust as she had seen he had seen other do and was surprised by the vapor escaping. She felt like a child opening a gift, almost giddy, her heart was warmed.

The first bit almost burned her palate but left it numb so she could devour the rest feeling the melted cheese passing through her throat and descending to her stomach, crispy, hot, perfect. She ate her two quesadillas faster than expected and had almost forgotten her companion until his hand was on hers and reality was back with a bite.

They paid and got back to pushing the purple curtain, to the rain and the noise, but she was not cold anymore.

Good advice to ‘be weird’. Some of the great authors sometimes use similes that make me think ‘Hang on, did they just say that?’ Yet it takes a degree of confidence to pull it off and many do. Using the senses is advice I often give other writers, too. It’s easy to forget to use all the elements that give life its vivid colour.

Good article and reminder – I did this very quickly – no editing as always, and there is much work needed here, but it is an idea. Thanks for the practice!

The New Restaurant At first glance it doesn’t look like much from the outside, they don’t have any of those super plastic windows. I refrain from eating in places with plastic windows. The outer entrance hall only gets light from the outside and the inner doors have black glass so you are looking at yourself just prior to entering. I guess the keeps women from running to the lounge im1mediately after being seated. The doors open automatically, there is a wonderful aroma of bacon wafting over you. It only there for a moment as you pass the doors and approach the hostess it is replaced with the full body aroma of beef. Interesting approach to whet your appetite. The hostess’s station appears to float in the air, it is almost invisible if it weren’t for the calypso pink lighted edge. The hostess is dressed elegantly in a Greek style long black tunic and her hair done up with a gold ribbon tying it all together. Our reservation is ready and she directs us to another woman dressed in a tailed tuxedo jacket, white shirt, black skirt and stiletto heels. Entering the main dining room sections of tables have a various color edging similar to the hostess’s station. There is the distinct smell of coconut and an ever so slight breeze filled with the smell of the sea. Once seated at our table the aromas go away. No, they are replaced with the smell after a hard rain storm, fresh, renewed air the hint of ozone, to cleanse the olfactory? A cloud appears on the table and as it clears the night’s menu becomes clear. A waiter is ready to take our beverage request and he is off in a flash. We contemplate the menu, point to the special and we can smell the meat searing in wine, garlic and oil. My date puts her finger to the fish and the aroma of lemon, tarragon, scallions and wine permeate the air. This is an assault on your sense of smell. But what a way to stimulate your senses and prepare for your meal. There are wine selections for each and it’s aroma accompanies each dish after a few moments of savoring the meals odor alone. Our mouths are literally watering and we have yet to order. I would have to say it is a restaurant worth visiting again.

I either use a sense with a clear connection to my character, or on the basis of how primal is my story.

So for one story in which my character is a dancer, I focus on sound, rhythm and motion.

For another story in which my protagonist was a sociophobe who kept a fearful watch out for other people, I used vision and touch.

For horror, though, I sometimes like to take a leaf from out of John W Campbell’s “Who Goes There?” (the basis of “The Thing” movies). Campbell started that story by focussing on the odours of the Antarctic camp. We associate ‘sniffing out’ with hunting and predation, and smell is a more ancient, primal sense. Smell is not the first sense we use and for many it is scary to have to rely on it, because whenever we have to rely upon it, that means our vision and hearing are not telling us what we need to know.

By using smell, I feel that Campbell heightens our sense of unease.

I agree. I would like my writing to be more creative. Thank you. I think I can, I think I can……

I’m gonna try to incorporate what I’ve learned here at my character… She’s walking towards the new restaurant down the street to meet her date, she’s sweating in a cold breeze, seeing the bright lights inside the restaurant. She wants to turn back, but her feet won’t stop walking, it doesn’t listen to her anymore. She’s standing at the front of the wide, wooden door, blinded by the flash of lights from the reporters. This is the hottest new restaurant in town, owned by the biggest prick she’s about to meet inside. What is she even doing here? She steps inside and silently walks along the red carpet that lead her to long shining tables with giant, long-back seats around it. You wouldn’t see if someone was seated at certain places because of the ambiguous wooden seats painted in red, which almost looks like a spoiled blood. She finally sees him, his legs crossed, looking outside the window which is only beside him. He looks irritated by the sound of people chatting, all looking at him with disgust. And now, they’re looking at me, too. I placed myself across him as he turned his gaze on me. I tried to avoid looking at him, I can see his eyes gleaming from the lights, his gaze burns every part of my body he looks upon. His gray eyes is very deep, it is both as dark as the night-sky and as light as the porcelain vase on our table, filled with white tulips, at the same time. It’s as if he’s seeing my soul. My senses came back to me as the table almost shook from the chef’s bell, it is so loud that I’d think my eardrums would burst.

Your discription is so great! I really love it.

“I’ll take the corner booth,” she told the waiter quietly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

He was tall and gangly looking as he shrugged and gestured for her to follow him through the dark, romantic restaurant. She tried not to make eye contact with the couples paired off at tables drinking wine and judging her appearance. The weight of her dirty coat hung on her shoulders as the holes in her jeans were prominent and impossible to hide. There was no doubt she carried the stench of dirt, sweat, and tears. But she kept walking, willing these thoughts out of her mind.

She only wanted to have a meal far away from familiar faces, and there was no better place to avoid that than the last place someone would think to look for her. The lights swung above her slightly as she slid into the padded leather booth and the waiter handed her a menu. The menu was dark red and difficult to read, but she made do quickly looking for the cheapest appetizer.

Her stomach rumbled violently as if metal screws were being tossed around in her intestines. When the waiter returned and placed a glass pitcher of water in front of her, she practically lunged after it. She gulped down the iced, water as it dripped down her chin and soaked up the drought living inside her mouth.

“I’ll bring you another one,” the waiter shook his head at her.

She nodded thanks unable to feel ashamed just because of how satisfying it was to sooth the aching inside her throat. Next, was the wired basket of bread where it laid all kinds of dough. The fluffiness of the pumpernickel and the smell of the sourdough wafting towards her.

As she ripped apart the steaming bread and watched the butter melt into a yellow pool, all her problems seemed to dissipate with each bite. She ignored the fact that they would all rise back up as her stomach emptied again, but for now she closed her eyes and let herself drown in the happiness.

Really great job. I felt the ache of sadness in the last paragraph because the girl knows she’ll be hungry again.

The discerning looks that went her way was more powerfully felt.

I ALWAYS forget the sense of smell in my stories and then I have to return and add smell to a scene. Working on it.

Kerry’s Dine-In was established not far from the lake. As Julia climbed up the wooden steps to the front door of the restaurant with Shadow beside her, she took in the swaying lanterns hanging on either side of the doorframe, their tiny candles lit and exuding a warm glow over the deck.

“Ever been here before?” Julia asked Shadow as he opened the door.

He shook his head, holding the door for her. “First time.”

The moment they stepped inside the restaurant, she sensed Shadow stiffen behind her. “Not much of a city person,” he said.

Julia nodded, but her muscles relaxed as the activity in the room washed over her. Waiters cut back and forth across the room, resting trays on their shoulders, to attend the guests in the thirty plus booths scattered throughout the dining area. Guests ate their meals or spoke across their tables to each other. Crystal lamps poured soft light over every booth.

She gazed around the room as she waited in line behind Shadow, her eyes taking in the earth brown hardwood walls and floors and the smiling, laughing people. Warmth filled Julia’s chest. How many times had her mother taken her here as a child?

“Right this way,” the waitress said after Shadow paid for their booth. The blonde-headed woman then turned, weaving through the other employees and down the last aisle of booths in the room.

She stopped beside the last table in the far corner, right by the window, and set out their menus as Julia and Shadow slid into the booth across from each other.

After jotting down Julia’s request for lemonade and Shadow’s for water, the waitress smiled and said, “I’ll be right back with your drinks.” She moved away from the table.

Once the waitress was out of earshot, Julia said, “Do you think he’ll come?”

“He won’t be early, but he won’t be late.” Shadow flicked a glance at the window, which provided a view of the lake. “Sonic’s the type to be right on time and not an instant sooner.”

Julia hoped Sonic would be able to give them some information. The waitress came back with their drinks and they both thanked her.

“Are you both ready to order?” the woman asked, her pen poised to her notepad.

Shadow flipped open his menu. “We’ll need a few minutes.”

“Certainly.” The waitress departed.

Shadow turned a plastic-encased page on the brown, blue and white menu. “If what Sonic knows doesn’t help us, I’ll start looking for your kidnapper myself,” he said. “Whether the military likes it or not.”

“Can’t I come with you?” Julia asked, twirling the ice cubes in her glass with her straw.

He locked eyes with her and shook his head. “I’m not putting you in danger again.”

The way Shadow cut his eyes to the left, his gaze piercing past Julia, made her stop.

She turned in her seat and stared at the person who had just walked into the restaurant. Her insides shriveled.

I decided to have this be a restaurant that Julia had been to many times before. Any feedback/comments are welcome. Thanks! : )

Hello 709 Writer, Thanks for sharing your post, which is so well written that I couldn’t find any flaws. Frankly, I’ve taken a tip from your story, that of being expressive, of tightening up the tale and moving it forward without repeats. I wish you had written more but i realise that you left off at an accurate moment, to arouse our curiosity. Well done!

Thank you for the kind words, Lilian. : )

As I am deaf I always leave out the sounds in my writing. That needs to change I think, but it will be my hardest challenge as I’ve never heard anything but don’t want to be cliche.

You might mention sounds that make no sense in the context, but it might be all the more powerful for it.

I never thought of that. Thanks x

Great post! My readers always compliment me on my descriptions, they say they can see the scenes I describe perfectly. But it is something always worth improving and I did enjoy the tips. Specially the second one. I think I will experiment with it in my next short story. Thank you!

Regarding number three “Using the five senses”. There are more than five senses. Any scientist working in the field aknowledges a minimum of nine, and using the rest of them is what really brings it home. I’ll try to list these in no particular order other than the order I remember them in

Proprioception, the sense of the relative position of parts of your body to relative to each other and the strength or effort being employed in the movement of them. This gets out of wack when we have a growth spurt, which is why teenagers can become so clumsy or use way too much force.

Kinesthetic sense or the sense of balance and energy of movement sometimes gets lumped in with proprioception, but I believe it is distinct from it. Kinesthetic sense is your sense of the momentum of other things and have they move in relation to you, and how you move in relation to the world. I usually try to recall the feeling I get in a boat in bad weather or the the way almost falling feels to help me with using it in writing.

oh wait… [googles “wiki senses”]… there you go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sense

using other senses in imagery could be things like “the weight of the clouds is crushing me”; “the earth is trembling”; (Kinesthetic sense)

Thermoception, or the sense of temperatur “the room was as hot like a boiler”; “she gave me the cold shoulder”

interoception or internal sense. the sense of what is happening inside your body “The stomach turns”; “heart in my throat”; “high on caffeine”

Chronoception, the sense of time. typical examples would be “a place where time seems to have stopped” or time can rush or be running. Chronoception also involves our sense of rhythm or beat and the Cyrcadian rhythm, i.e., what time of day it is.

mix these different senses with synesthesia and you will have powerful and novel imagery without even trying, although there are many clichés here too, e.g. “I can smell fear”; “they weight of your words”; “loud colours”

As a food critic, I expect the best of the best. If someone is bragging about a restaurant about how miraculous the food is I feel I must try it. I keep my expectations high when I work. I walk inside and instantly feel the warmth and can hear the low conversations each person is having at their table. There is something very calming about the atmosphere. There is a sense of home when you walk in. You can just feel that this place is a place where people come to chat, eat, and just have a good time. I get a table in the heart of the restaurant and can see the chef cooking through a tiny window. The waitress kindly asked me what I would like to eat, but I coldly dismissed her. I needed more time to think. After about twenty minutes of me going back and forth between the tortelloni alla zucca and the pansotti alla genovese, I decided to go with the tortelloni alla zucca. The restaurant was starting to become more and more empty. I guess I shouldn’t have waited that long to order. A short time after I ordered my food, it was arriving. I could smell the garlic and nuttiness from a few tables away. There was still steam leaving the plate, as the waitress walked. I began to get this feeling of excitement, which is rare. I rarely ever feel excited for a meal, this time was different.

A woman with fiery orange hair entered a five-star restaurants, donning a long maroon dress with a slit on the right side of the dress, exposing her leg. Behind her followed a subordinate to her, a young man with dusty brown hair and bright green eyes. He donned a simple tuxedo with a blue tie. On the woman’s left arm, an entire sleeve of tattoos sat, with imagery of pirates and the seas. She wore maroon flats to accompany the dress. This woman was no ordinary person, and was no person for a five star restaurant. The woman and young man continued to walk at a steady pace towards two opaque doors. They seemed to appear as a rich woman and potentially her brother, but the woman herself was a gang leader, and a rather successful one. The man behind her was simply just a member from the gang that she trusted, despite his lanky and childlike appearance. A man in a black and white waiter’s outfit stood at the doorway, and opened the glass doors for the two people as they arrived. The woman seemingly flinched as she entered, as she had forgotten her manners. “Thank you,” the woman curtly said. Her voice was full of a rich Irish accent, and was softer and lower in tone. Admittedly, she wasn’t used to using manners. She mentally noted that she had to remember her manners for the situation that she was in. The woman was meeting with another successful gang leader, one who started at the top. He had found a way to destroy her gang in one step, and she had to be the one to compromise to save the gang. The sight of the rival leader made her sick in her stomach, and made her filled with rage and pure, raw emotions. She had her reasons, to simply put it. The restaurant was elegant in design; warm golden and orange lights dimly lit the tables and decorations, the floors were marble, the walls were a dark, wooden brown. At the tables sat companies of two or three, and rarely more. In the air wafted the smell of enticing and mouthwatering food; steaks, fish, vegetables, and much more. The woman grew hungrily very rapidly, but mentally reminded herself as to why she was here. The young man behind her looked at the restaurant in complete awe. An older waiter approached the duo. He had an easily understandable British accent when he spoke, “Are you Ms. Drae, perchance?” The woman glanced at the waiter. She simply nodded in response. “Right this way, ma’am.” The waiter began to lead the duo to the reserved table. The young man looked at his leader in confusion. “Aylana… how’d he know that it was you?” Aylana, the woman, glanced back at the young man. “Seems like we’re being expected, or he saw us walk in from a distance,” she replied. The young man still showed visible discomfort about the waiter recognizing them so quickly. “Don’t worry about it Jod. I don’t have a good feeling about this either. Besides… you have my pistol, right?” As she spoke to the young man, her voice became hushed, as the waiter may overhear. The man, Jod, nodded in confirmation. Aylana glanced ahead of the waiter, and there she saw the rival leader. Her stomach turned at the sight of him, and in her heart, fires of anger and emotion welled up. She clenched her left fist, but she was well aware that a knuckle sandwich would only ruin this meeting. The redhead released her tensed fist, and crossed her arms instead. The waiter stood next to one of the chairs to pull it out for Aylana. He glided the chair out with little noise being made. Unfortunately, this seat was next to the rival gang leader. However, Aylana knew that she had little choice in the matter. She sat in the extended chair, and immediately crossed her legs. Her eyes were set on the man who sat next to her, and his snake-like grin. Her blood boiled. She knew this was not going to end well, even if the food was gonna be good.

Jacob Delaque was a well known food critic in 1982. He had worked hard to become popular which all started with his education at Berkeley. Here he networked very well and got his first job tasting foods and rating them on a scale from 1-10. He was successful because none of the restaurant workers knew of him, so it was not expected. There were no employees trembling in fear and doubt when he walked in. He was treated as a regular customer here and he liked it. There was no special treatment because he was the critic. A well known story of Delaque’s is at the Barb Key. This place started off as a joint when Delaque’s came to critique their food but it was very popular and had friendly service. It was an old burger shack with a lot of fame over their cheese. Delaque knew he had to go and try their cheeseburgers and chili cheese nachos! He remembers walking in and seeing the sweaty workers move at a pace of life in the city. Barb Key normally had people self serve their condiments as well as finding a table to eat. Think of it as a loud and busy courtyard with only one fast food place to eat. The joint was built like an old trailer with only a kitchen inside. You could see the smoke rise from the roof as it was steamy and hot inside. The smell attracted many new customers near by. Delaque’s remembers the first bite into his juicy burger. The cheese dripped off the burger as well as all the grease but the best part was the crunchy lettuce and onion. It all tasted so fresh. The buns were toasted but not to the point it was burnt brown. Barb Key’s was rated an eleven out of 10, the experience was delightful. Jacob Delaque still goes as often as he can.

The young woman fidgeted in place, she was waiting to be tend to in a new restaurant that her co-workers recommended. It was a small cozy place, with dimmed lights covered with red glass; the blue seats looked worn and the tables had beautiful stained glass pieces decorating the top of them. This woman did not take kindly to new places or with new people and was nervous about ordering, asking herself what if she didn’t like the food there? What if she made a fool of herself?

A young waiter, about the same age as herself with his hair was slicked back and his uniform rumpled, came over to her. “How may I help you today?” His voice was soft and some what calming, as if he was able to tell that she was nervous. “Uhhh… May I have your special please?” Her voice came out faint as she realized she hadn’t chosen her meal as her thoughts were occupied by her nervousness. The waiter flashed her a friendly smiled before going off to place her order.

It was going to take a while so decided to look around the restaurant once more in order to kill some time. There were a few other patrons lingering about over at the small bar, many were older than her and male. The bartender looked bored and forced a smiled every time one of the patrons talked to him. A few other waitresses were hanging around near the small entrance to the kitchen, chatting and most likely gossiping. There was a scent in the air that she did not notice before, it was appetizing and mouth watering; it was similar to meat cooking but with a hint of spices and something she couldn’t recognize.

She didn’t realize the waiter had placed her plate in front of her. “Enjoy your meal.” He told her, walking off before she could thank him. She realized that she did not know what exactly she ordered and scanned her meal. It was a decently sized juicy steak that looked well-done, a side of creamy mashed potatoes and a separate small plate for her green salad on the side. A pot of warm water, a cup, and a few packets of tea was placed on her table. She smiled to herself, happy with her meal, then dug in.

I like how you created the setting around your character!

Lauren was a mischievous person you never knew what her next motive was. After every person she killed you would catch her back at the same diner not far from her house. It reminded her of when she was young and she was having the time of her life with her lover. She didn’t want to think about her let alone couldn’t as it would just break her heart even more since it brought constant pain; constant misery and constant memories to re-appear. “Hello” the waitress asked for the third time already. “Oh my apologies” lauren responded. “It’s fine dear, what would you like to order?’’ Emily said as Lauren read it off her nametag. “Um.. can i get some fries with a milkshake please” the raven head girl said. “Sure thing coming right up” Emily walked away putting the order on the wheel. Lauren looked the small diner it was small but not too small it was actually quite comfortable to sit in. The retro lights giving light; but yet there is still darkness seeping in from the blinds hanging from the windows. Darkness was all that you could see from the inside besides the headlights passing by constantly; the passing cars, pots banging, and soft urban music playing in the background was so calming to her. But yet she still felt hurt; she knew that her lover wouldn’t be there with her or even with here, she’s gone for good and cant get her back. So now to feed her broken heart she hurts others instead.

She stumbled into the cozy, well-lit diner. Rain had just started cascading from the midnight skies and she found herself stuck with nowhere to shelter herself besides the endearing little diner on the corner of Mayberry street. The power had gone out and small tealight candles dotted the compact space. It looked as though there were flickering stars in her eyes from the reflection of the flames. Floral designs painted the walls and there was a warm feeling that overtook her body. A petite, fragile old woman walked over to her and offered her a booth in the corner.

“I’ve never seen you around before sweetheart, what are you doing out and about on such a cold, winter’s day?”

She refused to speak, she couldn’t tell this lady why she had ran away from home, why she had nowhere else to go. Her whole body shivered, goosebumps were sprinkled across her skin. The cold had taken over her body and her mind was in shambles.

“You don’t have to talk, It’s okay. I’ll just bring you a hot chocolate to warm you up.”

The hot chocolate was placed on the table in front of her. She shakily brought her frozen fingers up to the reindeer covered mug. Steam wafted into the air and brought the rosiness back in her cheeks. She took a careful sip, the piping hot liquid flowed down her throat. She felt her insides defrost and her heart start beating once again, though it never stopped. She turned her head to the window and pressed her now heated hand to the dewy glass. She felt a glow within herself, a feeling she hadn’t felt in a millennium.

I love how real this seems. The imagery and descriptiveness is absolutely amazing!

When it comes to my meals, I am a very picky person. I prefer the moderate of meals; burgers with cheese, ketchup with fries, topped off with a medium Coke. But all month long, I have been hearing ranting and raving about this cafe that just opened. Optimism struck and I decided to give it a try. Upon entering the place, a homeless man wearing a faded San Antonio Spurs hat asked me for change. I thought to myself, “That’s a good way to greet newcomers, filthy peasants waiting at the entrance to panhandle.” The aroma upon entering the establishment was a deluge of eggs, bacon, the crisping of breads, and steaming coffee. I went to the first open seat I seen. I was then greeted by a young petite blonde waitress; she was no older than 20. She seemed very positive and ditzy, she pulled a miniature notepad out, pen, and opened her ears to hear my order. I asked for a brief moment in order to browse the menu, the first item to catch my eye was the burger combo they had for $9.99. She quickly wrote my order and then proceeded to the next customer. I waited an annoying 15 minutes for my meal. When the dish was finally served to me, a heap of cow remains, dirty lettuce, a rotten, and a crunchy bun presented itself. I have never been so disrespected. I paid a hard earned $9.99 for this meal and they serve me complete garbage. I do not even bother complaining, I just pushed back my seat, pushed it back in, and headed for the exit.

As I walk through the front door I look around trying to find an empty table. The restaurant was extremely busy and it wasn’t long until a waiter came walking towards me with a friendly smile he gave me a hand gesture telling me to follow him. I was lead to an empty table clean with pure white covering. I sat down and asked for a drink. As I was waiting I realized the alluring smell of food . It was a nostalgic smell almost as if I went back in time waiting for my mother to finish with dinner. Once the waiter came back with my drink I asked “what was that smell coming from the kitchen?” The waiter told me that it was the chef’s signature dish. I immediately said “well i’ll have that then.” The waiter nodded and headed towards the kitchen. About six or seven minutes have passed by when I saw the waiter come back he was proudly holding this steamy plate of meat and vegetables. When the waiter sat the plate down I could hear the sizzle coming from the plate. It was a dish my mother would make for me when I was a kid I didn’t have to take a bite to know that i was going to love it.

Jaime doesn’t normally like to try new restaurants. She gets skeptical about trying new food, but today that changed. As she walked down Nuevo Avenue, she noticed the sky was the perfect shade of blue and the sun felt delightful on her sleeveless shoulders. Her off the shoulders yellow crop top made her stand out over every other person. The sidewalks were filled with tons of people, going into little shops and cafes. This town is known for all the glamours things it has to offer especially the enormous line at the Dine Inn. The Dine Inn has been around for years and never fails to have outstanding reviews on Yelp. Jaime knew since it was Saturday afternoon the line would get long as people crowded in for lunch and the wait would be unbearable. She decided to get a head start down the street, for she was only a couple blocks away. When she arrived she noticed the building looked very modern with glass doors, high ceilings with long lamps hanging down at almost every table. The tables were made of black and white marble and the chairs a matte black with a bouncy cushion for a seat. Jaime only had to wait ten minutes before she got a table since she was eating alone. The waitress gave her a large laminated menu and smiled ever so softly before she asked what she’d like to drink. She happily replied “Just water for now, please.” The waitress was stunning, with dark brown hair, a small little nose and a mole on the right side of her upper lip like Marilyn Monroe. She said “Are you sure you wouldn’t like to try one of our Monster Slam shakes?” Jaime hesitated to answer her. She was staring at the vivid pictures of the shakes on the menu which looked very delicious. The way the caramel drizzled on top of the fluffy whipped cream called to her and she said, “Actually yes I’d love to.”

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70 Picture Prompts for Creative Writing (with Free Slides)

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Visual writing prompts help young writers generate new ideas and overcome writer’s block. We’ve put together 70 picture prompts for creative writing that you can use in your writing centers or lesson plans to get your students’ creative juices flowing.

70 PICTURE PROMPTS FOR CREATIVE WRITING TEXT OVERLAY WITH TWO VISUAL WRITING PROMPTS

Picture Writing Prompts for All Ages

Writers of all ages and experience levels can get stuck thinking about what to write. Writer’s block is not just a challenge for reluctant writers. Even professional writers have days when they feel less than inspired.

Visual prompts can result in a vast array of story ideas. A single image viewed by ten writers will result in ten completely different stories. Even if you use verbal cues to get students thinking about the picture, each student will still write a unique response to the image.

Visual creative writing prompts are fantastic for elementary school because younger students often relate more to a pictorial prompt than a written one, but don’t shy away from using these with high school and middle school students as well. Pictures make a fun alternative to your typical writing prompts and story starters and can help shake up your regular routine.

How to Use Picture Prompts for Creative Writing

There’s no limit to the ways you can use writing prompts. Here are some of our favorite ways to incorporate image prompts into your weekly lesson plans .

Writing Center. Print cards or writing pages with these images on them and put them in a writing center for your students to discover at their own pace.
Specific Skills. Use story picture prompts to help kids work on specific writing skills. For example, you could work on descriptive writing by having them describe the setting of the picture in detail. Or you could work on character development by having them make up a history for a person in a picture.
Warm-up Activity: You could pop the pictures into Google slides and project an image on a screen or whiteboard for the first fifteen minutes of class and have students work on a short story as soon as they enter the class.

No matter how you decide to use them—whether at home or in the classroom—photographic writing prompts are a great way to cultivate a daily writing habit and encourage kids to explore new topics.

70 Pictures for Writing Prompts

We’ve selected 70 of the most interesting pictures we could find for this exercise. When choosing photos for writing prompts, we look for high-quality photos with intriguing subject matter, but we try to go beyond that. We want to share images that suggest a story, that make the viewer ask questions and wonder why things are the way they are.

We want to feel propelled to explore questions like, What happened before the photo that led to this moment? What are we witnessing in this photo? What’s about to happen?

A photo doesn’t make much of a story starter if it doesn’t suggest that there might be a bigger picture lurking beneath the surface.

We hope you and your students love these picture prompts for creative writing as much as we do. If you love them, go ahead and scroll to the bottom to grab your own copy.

We’ve included a couple of questions with each picture that you could use to spark pre-writing conversations in your classroom, which can be helpful when working with younger students who might need a little more direction.

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Whose cat is this? What is he looking at? Where is he?

What is the owl thinking about? Is he alone? What does he hope to eat for dinner?

Who are these frogs? What is their relationship with each other? Why are they taking photos?

two toy frogs stand in a field. One takes pictures of the other.

How did the dog get a phone? Why is he taking selfies? What is he doing with the pictures he takes?

This cat doesn’t look too happy. What’s bugging him? Did he get too many phone calls or is he waiting on an important call that’s taking too long to come?

a black and white cat sits beside a phone

What do these chicks think of the dog? What does the dog think of the chicks? Do you think they can communicate with each other? If so, what would they say?

Where do these lemurs live? What are they looking at? What is something unusual that might happen to them?

a lemur lies on a branch while another hides in the background

What is this fox doing? Is he yawning and stretching or is he trying to scare someone away? What kind of mischief does he like to get up to?

Is this wolf alone? If not, who is with him? What is he planning to do? Does he have a family to feed or protect?

What is this child doing on the laptop? Can he actually read and type or is he just playing? If he can read and type, how did he learn that at such a young age? What other cool things can he do?

a toddler wearing a toque and glasses types on a laptop

Where is this woman? Is she lost? How did she get to this street? What interesting things might she discover as she explores this new city?

a woman stands in an empty street holding a map

Why is the dog wearing glasses? Can he see through them? What are he and the girl doing? How does he feel about it?

Who are these two little boys? What is their relationship with each other? What is the teddy bear’s story?

two boys sit in a bath holding a teddy bear

Who are these children? Why are they running? Is it a race or are they playing a game? Who’s going to win?

Whose horse is this? Does the little boy own it or does he just visit it? Can the horse talk? How does the boy feel when he’s with the horse?

What is this boy reading? Does the book have magical powers? Does the boy? Do the stories in the book become real or does something else special happen?

a boy reads a book that has some magical elements in it

Where is this man? How did he get there? What is he looking for?

a man dressed like a pirate looks through a telescope

Who is walking over the bridge? What’s on the other side? Is it worth the risk?

a top-down view of a person crossing a bridge

What are these people doing on the elephant? Where are they? Are they tourists or is the elephant their pet? What would life with an elephant be like?

two people ride an elephant through a field

Who made this map? It looks old. Has it been hidden away for a long time? Who discovered it and how? What does it lead to?

Whose typewriter is this? What important or secretive thing might they be working on? What could happen if the wrong person finds their work?

Who are these three stuffed animals? Are they living? What is their story?

Whose ukulele is this? Why did they leave it here? Who might find it?

Where is the owner of the bike? Where does this path lead? What if the bike’s not there when the owner returns?

Whose shoes are these? Why did they leave them here? Why are they so dirty?

Who was reading the newspaper? What was the most interesting thing they read? Where have they disappeared to?

a stack of newspapers, a white cup, and a pair of glasses

Who put this sign on the old truck? What do you think of it? How did the truck end up in its current condition and location?

Who set the table? Who are they expecting? What special occasion are they celebrating? What could go wrong?

Whose birthday cake is this? Are they having a party? Who is there? Who did they want to have there that didn’t show up?

Who lives here? How do they access their home? What is their life like?

Who built the igloo? Where is it? How does it feel to spend the night inside it?

What is the history of this castle? Who lives in it now? Does it have any special or magical features?

Is this barn abandoned or do people live on the property? What kind of animals might live here? How do they keep themselves entertained?

What is it like living on a houseboat? What kind of community do you think forms among the neighbors? Imagine you live on one of these boats and think about how your daily life might change. What interesting things could you do if you lived here? What would you miss the most?

Where is this hut? Who lives here? What mystery might unfold if a stranger came knocking at their door?

What is this lighthouse called? Who runs it? How often do they leave? What is the most memorable experience they’ve had as a lighthouse operator?

How did this house get here? Does anyone live in it? What would life be like here?

Where is this festive street? Are the people there celebrating something? Where is everybody?

Who lives here? How did they build this house? Are they hiding from something? What does it look like inside?

Whose notebook is this? Why did they leave it here? What’s written in it and how might it change the life of the person who finds it?

What are these women doing? What are they supposed to be doing? Will they be in trouble if they get caught?

Who might be represented in this statue? Why is she being pulled by lions? What amazing things might she have done to deserve a statue in this prominent place?

a statue of a woman being pulled in a carriage by two lions

Where is this? Who is riding in the hot air balloons? Where are they going and why?

How old is this tree? Where is it? What are some of the most fascinating stories it could tell?

Where is this carousel? Who is riding it? Can you think of a special or strange story about how it came to exist in this particular place?

What are these people thinking about? What’s at stake for them? What happens if one of them sneezes?

Where are these penguins? What are they talking about? Which one of them is the leader?

What is this place? Was it designed to be open like this or was it once part of someone’s home or a public building? How have people’s opinions of this place changed over time?

Who are these kids? Is this what they’re supposed to be doing? What happens when their teacher sees them?

Who is supposed to ride in this boat? Where are they going? Will they make it there?

Is this plane special to someone? What did they have to do to get it/build it? Where will they fly to in it?

Who decorated this train car? Which passengers will fill it up? What will they talk about?

Whose skis are these? Why are they sticking out of the snow? How did their owner get down the mountain without them?

two skis and two poles stick out of a snowbank

Where does this gondola go? Who rides it? How does it feel to ride it?

Who’s driving the monster truck? Why is it at the beach? What is it going to crush? Who is watching?

Where is the boat going? Who is on it? What is their mission?

What city is the helicopter flying over? Why? Is the driver looking for something specific or do they have a special delivery?

What’s the little boy doing in the boat? Is he alone or is someone with him? Where is he trying to go?

Who is in the sub? What’s it like inside? What are they doing?

Whose book is this? What’s it about? What’s happening to it?

How did that piece of land with the house on it break off from the rest of the world? Why? Where is it going? Is anyone in the house?

a fantasy graphic with a piece of land separating from the earth and floating away

Who is this girl? Where is she? Who is she shooting at?

a woman in the woods shoots a bow and arrow

Where does this scene take place? Is the lizard/dragon good or bad? What is its relationship with the girl?

a girl standing on the tip of a cliff pats the nose of a giant lizard

What do these books represent? What kind of world is this? What (or who) is inside the books?

a row of books designed to look like houses

What are these dinosaurs discussing? Where are they? What do they do for fun?

Whose cottage is this? Do they still live there? If not, where have they gone? If so, what do they do there?

What is the moth thinking about? Is it alone? What’s the biggest challenge it faces in this moment?

Who is the owl looking at? Has it read these books? What is its greatest talent?

Where are these trees? Why are they pink? Do they have any special powers or features?

trees in a wood covered with something pink

What do you think? Which kind of pictures do you like best for creative writing prompts ? Let us know in the comments.

Tuesday 5th of March 2024

I LOVE these! My daughter has always struggled with written story prompts and an internet search this week convinced me of the value of picture prompts for reluctant readers/writers (https://youcanjournal.com/journal-picture-prompts/ if you're interested!). I'll definitely be using these to help improve her writing skills. Thanks so much!

Tuesday 26th of December 2023

I think the idea of using picture prompts is a great idea. It initiates oral language thus building vocabulary. It allows lends itself to students working in small groups to stimulate new ideas. The prompts engage the students and gives the teacher the opportunity to focus on specific writing skills.

luke elford

Wednesday 13th of December 2023

cloey mckay

Tuesday 17th of October 2023

I tried this with myself and my 6th-grade students, and they love it. it gives room for so much creativity.

Nayyar Abbas

Tuesday 30th of May 2023

This is very good idea and it really works, viewing these one try to think one's own way that what these pictures are telling or asking? I also recommend that this idea should also be given to the students for building their creative instinct.

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Unlock Your Imagination: 15 Poetry Writing Exercises to Fuel Your Creativity

Hello and welcome! Are you feeling stuck in a poetic rut? Are you searching for new ways to unlock your imagination and fuel your creativity? Look no further! In this article, we will explore 15 poetry writing exercises that will tap into your inner poet and inspire you to create beautiful verses. Whether you are a seasoned poet or just beginning your poetic journey, these exercises will provide you with a fresh perspective and help you discover exciting new avenues for your creativity. So grab your pen and paper, and let\’s embark on a poetic adventure together!

Introduction

What is creative writing and why is it important for poetry?

Creative writing involves using imagination and original ideas to express thoughts and emotions. It is an essential skill for poets as it allows individuals to explore their creativity and develop unique ways of expressing themselves in the form of poetry. Through creative writing, poets are able to bring their thoughts, feelings, and experiences to life in a captivating and thought-provoking manner.

1. Visualization Exercises

Immersing in sensory experiences

One of the most effective creative writing exercises for poetry is the practice of immersing oneself in sensory experiences. By engaging the senses and visualizing specific scenes or objects, poets can enrich their writing and evoke powerful emotions in their readers. For example, a poet may envision a serene beach with the sound of crashing waves, the feel of warm sand beneath their feet, the salty scent of the ocean breeze, and the vibrant colors of the sunset. By immersing themselves in these sensory details, poets can create vivid and memorable descriptions that transport readers to the scene and evoke a range of emotions.

Describing abstract concepts with imagery

Another valuable exercise for poets to enhance their creative writing skills is describing abstract concepts with imagery. Abstract concepts such as love, time, and freedom can be difficult to explain using concrete language, but through vivid imagery and metaphorical language, poets can bring these concepts to life in their poems. For instance, a poet may use the image of a free-flying bird to represent the concept of freedom. By utilizing imaginative and descriptive language, poets can make abstract ideas more tangible and relatable to their readers.

Creating vivid narratives

A key aspect of creative writing for poetry is the ability to create vivid narratives within the poems. By visualizing characters, settings, and events, poets can develop compelling storylines and engage readers on a deeper level. This exercise allows poets to experiment with different perspectives, voices, and plot structures, adding depth and complexity to their poetic compositions. Through the use of descriptive language and a well-constructed narrative, poets can transport readers into a world of imagination and captivate them with their storytelling abilities.

Overall, creative writing exercises play a vital role in poetry by encouraging poets to think imaginatively and use language in innovative ways. By practicing visualization exercises, poets can immerse themselves in sensory experiences, describe abstract concepts with captivating imagery, and create vivid narratives within their poems. These exercises not only enhance the creative writing skills of poets but also allow them to connect with their readers on a deep and emotional level.

2. Wordplay Exercises

Exploring word associations

When it comes to writing poetry, word associations can be a powerful tool for creating unique and unexpected imagery. By connecting unrelated words and exploring their meanings, poets can uncover hidden connections and generate fresh ideas for their poems. To dive into this exercise, start by selecting two completely unrelated words. For example, \”fire\” and \”feathers.\”

Next, take some time to brainstorm all the different associations and images that come to mind when you think about each word individually. Think about the connotations, emotions, and sensory experiences connected to each word. For \”fire,\” you might think of warmth, destruction, passion, or even a flickering candle. For \”feathers,\” you might imagine lightness, flight, birds, or a soft touch.

Now, take those associations and try to find unexpected connections between the two words. How might \”fire\” and \”feathers\” relate in a poetic context? Perhaps your exploration leads you to the idea of a phoenix rising from ashes, where the destructive nature of fire is balanced by the delicate beauty of feathers. This exercise encourages you to think outside the box and experiment with surprising combinations that can bring new depth to your poetry.

Experimenting with word sounds

Poetry is as much about sound as it is about meaning, and wordplay exercises that focus on sound can help you create memorable and melodic poems. By playing with the musicality and rhythm of words, you can add an extra layer of interest and impact to your work. Here are a few techniques to get you started:

Alliteration: This involves using the same consonant sound at the beginning of multiple words in a line or stanza. For example, \”The sly snake slithered silently.\”

Assonance: This technique focuses on repeated vowel sounds within words. For instance, \”The cat ran past the black hat.\”

Onomatopoeia: Using words that imitate the sounds they represent can bring a sense of immediacy and vividness to your poetry. Think of words like \”buzz,\” \”hiss,\” or \”crash.\”

Don\’t be afraid to experiment and play with different sounds and combinations. Read your poems aloud to test how the chosen sounds flow and create a unique auditory experience for your readers.

Using word constraints

Setting limitations on word choices can be an excellent exercise to challenge your creativity and expand your poetic toolbox. By imposing constraints such as using only monosyllabic words or specific word lengths, you force yourself to think outside your usual patterns and find new ways to express your ideas.

For example, try writing a poem using only one-syllable words. This exercise encourages you to pay attention to the impact of each word and how they interact with one another. Additionally, it forces you to find alternative ways to convey complex concepts or emotions within the given constraint.

Similarly, you can experiment with poems that have a specific word count, such as a haiku or a sonnet. The limited space and structure push you to choose words meticulously and find innovative ways to convey your message.

These word constraints can help you break free from creative blocks and discover fresh approaches to writing poetry. Through embracing limitations, you\’ll likely stumble upon unexpected and delightful results.

3. Writing Prompts

Writing prompts are a fantastic way to ignite creativity and inspire poets to explore various themes and styles. They provide a starting point for the writing process and can lead to unexpected and exciting results. In this section, we will discuss three different types of writing prompts that can help poets hone their craft and elevate their poetry to new heights.

Writing from different perspectives

One of the most effective ways to add depth and diversity to poetry is by writing from different perspectives. This exercise challenges poets to step into the shoes of various characters, objects, or even abstract concepts and write from their point of view. By doing so, poets can gain a deeper understanding of different perspectives and infuse their poems with unique voices.

Whether it\’s exploring the thoughts and emotions of a historical figure, imagining the world through the eyes of a beloved pet, or giving a voice to an inanimate object like a tree or a river, this exercise encourages poets to stretch their imagination and breathe life into their poems.

Exploring emotions and memories

Poetry has a unique power to convey emotions and evoke memories. By using prompts that trigger personal experiences or intense emotions, poets can embark on a journey of self-reflection and delve into their own memories and feelings. This exercise allows poets to tap into their emotional reserves and translate their innermost thoughts and experiences into powerful and heartfelt poems.

These prompts can be as simple as recalling a joyful childhood memory, exploring the complexities of love and loss, or examining a challenging life event. By drawing from personal experiences, poets can create authentic and relatable poems that resonate with readers on a deep and meaningful level.

Responding to visual stimuli

Visual art has the power to inspire and spark the imagination. By using images or artwork as prompts, poets can enhance their creative process and explore the visual elements present in the piece. This exercise encourages poets to closely observe the details, colors, and composition of the visual stimuli and translate them into poetic language.

Whether it\’s a photograph, a painting, or even a captivating illustration, visual prompts can transport poets to different worlds and stimulate their creativity. They can inspire vivid descriptions, create powerful imagery, and stretch the boundaries of poetic expression. By expanding their engagement with the visual arts, poets can develop a heightened sense of observation and infuse their poetry with a newfound creativity and imagination.

Writing prompts offer valuable opportunities for poets to enhance their creativity, explore new themes, and develop their poetic voice. By engaging in exercises that encourage writing from different perspectives, exploring emotions and memories, and responding to visual stimuli, poets can expand their artistic horizons and create compelling and evocative poetry that resonates with readers.

4. Experimental Forms

Writing in different poetic forms

One way to enhance your poetry writing skills is to explore and experiment with various poetic forms. This exercise encourages poets to step out of their comfort zones and try writing sonnets, haikus, or free verse. Each form has its own set of rules and structures, presenting a new challenge for poets to adapt their styles and explore new creative possibilities.

Collaborative poetry exercises

Collaboration can be a great way to expand your poetic horizons and produce unique and diverse works. By joining forces with other poets or even artists from different disciplines, you can explore the intersection of creative minds. This exercise not only allows you to learn from others but also encourages you to combine your individual perspectives and creative approaches in order to co-create compelling and imaginative poetry. The result is a collaborative piece that showcases the fusion of different ideas and styles.

Found poetry

Found poetry is a creative exercise that involves incorporating existing texts into your poems. It can be a fun and innovative approach to writing that pushes you to think differently about language and composition. In this exercise, you can take texts from various sources such as newspaper articles, song lyrics, or even old diary entries, and rearrange and repurpose them to create new poems. By working with pre-existing words and phrases, you\’ll have the opportunity to explore unexpected connections and experiment with different ways of expressing ideas and emotions.

These experimental forms not only help you break free from habitual writing patterns but also challenge you to approach poetry from different angles. They encourage you to tap into your creativity, take risks, and discover unique ways of expressing yourself through words.

5. Reflective Exercises

Reflective exercises are an excellent way for poets to explore their personal values, beliefs, and life experiences. These exercises not only foster personal growth but also deepen their connection with their writing.

Exploring personal values and beliefs

One reflective exercise that can be beneficial for poets is exploring their personal values and beliefs. This exercise involves taking the time to reflect on what truly matters to them and why. Poets can ask themselves questions such as:

What are my core values?
What are my beliefs about life, love, and happiness?
How have my values and beliefs evolved over time?
What experiences have shaped my outlook on the world?

By delving into these questions and exploring their personal values and beliefs, poets gain a deeper understanding of themselves. This self-reflection can then be translated into their poetry, resulting in work that is more authentic and resonant.

Writing in response to famous poems

Engaging with renowned poets\’ works is another valuable exercise for poets. By reading and analyzing famous poems, poets can gain insights and perspectives from established voices in the field. One way to take this exercise a step further is by writing in response to these famous poems.

When poets write in response to famous poems, they are not aiming to imitate or replicate the original work. Instead, they are using it as a source of inspiration to create their own unique piece. By responding to famous poems, poets can explore different themes, experiment with different writing styles, and develop their voice.

This exercise allows poets to learn from the masters, understanding what works and why. It also provides a platform for poets to showcase their own creativity and originality.

Using writing as a form of self-expression

Using poetry as a tool for self-expression and emotional release is a powerful exercise that allows poets to authentically communicate their thoughts and feelings. This exercise encourages poets to fully embrace their emotions and channel them into their writing.

One way to practice this exercise is by setting aside dedicated time each day for writing. During this time, poets can let their emotions flow freely onto the page, without judgment or censorship. They can write about their joys, their heartaches, their fears, and everything in between.

By using writing as a form of self-expression, poets can gain a better understanding of themselves and their emotions. They can also create poetry that is deeply personal and relatable to others who may have similar experiences or feelings.

Overall, reflective exercises play a crucial role in a poet\’s growth and development. By exploring personal values and beliefs, responding to famous poems, and using writing as a form of self-expression, poets can deepen their connection with their craft and create poetry that is truly meaningful.

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150 Inspiring Picture Writing Prompts To Spark Creativity (Free Google Slides)

Use a picture to write a thousand words!

Picture writing prompts including a cartoon cat and mouse and a portrait of a Black family from the 1930s

Creative writing is a challenge for many students, often because they can’t come up with anything to write about. That’s why we love picture writing prompts. Each one sparks the imagination and helps young writers jump right into crafting a story to match. We rounded up a whole collection of intriguing images for use with kids in grades K-12 along. Plus we designed a set of free Google Slides featuring all of the prompts so you can easily share them with students.

Tip: Start by showing students the picture (or let them choose from among several) without making any comment about what they’re seeing. For kids who still struggle to get started, suggest a potential title or opening sentence, like the examples included here.

Don’t miss our free downloadable. Grab your full set of ready-to-go Picture Writing Prompts Google Slides with all of the prompts below.

Elementary Picture Writing Prompts

Middle school picture writing prompts, high school picture writing prompts, art picture writing prompts.

When kids first see these picture writing prompts, they may or may not immediately feel inspired. If they need some help, ask them questions like “What led up to this moment?” or “What’s going to happen next?”

Dog holding a rose in its mouth, with a heart-shaped cloud in the sky

When Larry fell in love, he fell hard.

Lighted sign reading ASK hanging from a building

When the new sign appeared on Main Street, everyone in town wondered exactly what it meant.

Snowy Footprints

A series of random footprints in the snow

After that crazy day, all that was left to show for it was footprints in the snow.

Dinosaur Bones

Child hiding inside a large toothy skull, reaching out a hand

“Come with me if you want to live!” Ash said, reaching out a hand.

Undersea Treasure

Goldfish swimming around a closed treasure chest sitting in the sand under the water

For years, no one saw the locked treasure chest but the local fish, who wondered what it could contain.

A Game of Fetch

A claymation dog bringing a stick to a snowman in a snowy scene

To Scout, it was a game, but to Mr. Freezy, it was much more.

Ladybug Gossip

Of pair of spotted red ladybugs perched on a leaf

The ladybug’s picnic was an excellent chance to meet up with old friends and hear all the latest gossip.

Two children peering in through a barred window

We met them when they peeked into our window, watching us as we ate lunch and watched cartoons.

King of the Jungle

Majestic lion perched on a log wearing a crown

It wasn’t the crown that made Amari the king of all he surveyed.

The Final Pitch

Small child waiting at home base for a baseball pitch that's about to arrive

It all came down to this—the final pitch in a game that was tied 2-2.

Doggie Massage

Two dogs sitting in a way that looks like one is giving the other a back massage

Every dog in the neighborhood knew that Rocky gave the best massages and was always willing to lend an ear too.

Skateboard Life

Girl in a striped shirt and red headband posing with a skateboard in front of some graffiti

When Charli got her first skateboard, she made herself a promise.

Garden of the Past

Painting of a woman in old-fashioned clothing walking in a cottage garden

The woman walked in the garden every day, never saying a word.

Sunset Friends

Two children on a jungle gym silhouetted against a setting sun

They met on the jungle gym every day at sunset, sharing everything about their days.

Pink Umbrellas

When the pink umbrellas first appeared, Toni thought they might be magic.

Firefly Forest

Illustration of a forest at night filled with fireflies

Olivia was surprised to discover that the fireflies didn’t just glow, they also sang.

Robot Spider

A large mechanical spider standing on a stormy beach

When it first crawled ashore, the mechanical spider moved slowly.

Fallen House

House tipped on its side following a hurricane

Staring at their house, which was now on its side, the whole family was in shock.

Red Riding Hood

A young girl wearing a red hooded cape riding a brown horse in the forest

If only she’d been riding her faithful steed the day she’d met the Big Bad Wolf, things might have been very different.

Kangaroo Fall

A kangaroo sprawled on its back in the grass

“Well, this is embarrassing,” thought Bouncer, as laughter filled the air around him.

A child's hand-drawn sign for a lost cat attached to a tree

Daci’s big brother said her signs wouldn’t help them find their runaway cat, but he was wrong.

Penguin Bookshop

An illustration of a penguin wearing a top hat, standing in a booksshop

A visit to Mr. Pickerel’s Penguin Bookshop is always an adventure.

A carton of colorful eggs with faces drawn on them

Of all the eggs in the carton, Ella was the one who could always crack you up.

Children writing a fairground swing ride

That was the year Min was finally tall enough to ride the Sky Swings, but now she wasn’t so sure.

Rubber Duck Parade

A row of rubber ducks in various costumes floating down a water-filled gutter

It was truly an honor to be asked to lead the Spring Duck Parade.

Teddy Story Time

Three teddy bears posed to look as if they're reading a book

Every afternoon, the three friends gathered for story time in their favorite spot in the woods.

Underwater School

A child sitting at a desk, looking out the window at fish swimming by

Nia thought going to school underwater would be exciting, but some days she really missed going outside for recess.

A red ball with a smiley face floating on the water

The day Amos started his journey down the river, the sun was shining brightly.

Turtle Trouble

A grumpy looking sea turtle floating in clear water

“None shall pass,” growled the old sea turtle, blocking the way.

Dinosaur Race

An illustration of a young girl racing alongside a dinosaur

Pia was supposed to keep Balthazar on a leash, but once they reached the forest, she set him free and they both began to run.

Finally Seeing Eye to Eye

Cartoon illustration of a large bear with a tiny mouse standing on its nose, looking into its eyes (Picture Writing Prompts)

“So, we meet at last, face to face,” Lord Squeakerton said to his enemy, the Count of Catnip.

Monkey face with mouth and eyes open in surprise

It takes a lot to surprise a monkey, but you don’t see something like this every day.

Not Coming Out

Child hiding behind a heap of pillows on a beige couch (Picture Writing Prompts)

The day started out normally enough, but by the end, Chris knew he was in over his head.

Life on Other Planets

A space scene showing a robot and robot dog standing on the surface of an alien planet, with a domed habitat behind them

“Hurry up,” Grnklor told his robopup. “We have to get back inside before nightfall.”

Reindeer Games

Boy leading a reindeer along a snowy path into the setting sun (Picture Writing Prompts)

The wind had died down, but the setting sun seemed to take all the warmth of the day with it.

Something to Celebrate

A young boy raises his arms in triumph as a young girl points at a computer screen, smiling (Picture Writing Prompts)

Their classmates could hear their shouts of joy from all the way down the hall.

Home Sweet Mushroom

Illustration of a mushroom turned into a house, with a fence and lighted windows, under a full moon

When the fairies that lived in the garden invited her to stay with them for awhile, Maria wasn’t sure what to expect.

Loch Ness Mystery

Model of the Loch Ness Monster rising from a lake

“There it is! I told you Nessie is real!” Angus whispered to Lee.

Lonely Bear

Worn teddy bear sitting on a stone bridge

It was hard to say who was lonelier that night, Amil or his lost stuffed bear, Jasper.

Sometimes You Lose

Boy sitting on the ground with his face in his hands

When his team lost the championship, Miguel was crushed, but it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to him.

Middle school writing prompts can be a little more complex, with pictures that have a lot of potential interpretations. Encourage students to delve deeper into the story by describing how the characters feel and why they behave the way they do.

Morgan was incredibly proud of those shoes, paid for entirely with money from after-school jobs.

Never Lose Hope

With his last bit of energy, Kai scrawled his message in the wet paint.

Computer keyboard with a red button reading Get Me Out of Here

The keyboard button could only be used once, and no one knew exactly what happened when you pressed it.

Piano Lessons

A young child's hands on a piano keyboard

Before she could even speak, Arya was drawn to the black and white keys.

Rolled fern front photoshopped to look as if a baby is sleeping inside

There was no doubt about it, this was was indeed a very special kind of garden.

A person wearing a dingy bunny costume standing on the end of a dock

No matter how you looked at it, it had been a very rough day to be the Easter Bunny.

Empty Chairs

Four empty beach chairs on the shore, with seagulls flying overhead.

By sunset, all four chairs were empty, and the only signs of life were the gulls swooping down from above.

Floating Treasure

Two black birds sitting on a chest floating in the water

To the birds, it was simply a convenient place to land, but Ali and I knew it was much more than that.

Shadow Question

A pair of sneakers and a person's shadow in a puddle

That was the day they discovered that just because you were invisible didn’t mean your shadow was.

Letter and Key

An old key lying on an old handwritten letter

The day she turned 12, Vivi’s aunt handed her an envelope containing the family secret.

Space Target

An illustration of a woman aiming an arrow at a target against an outer space landscape

Onyx paused, knowing that once their arrow hit the target, there was no knowing what would happen.

Mermaid Mystery

A mysterious figure that could be a mermaid, seen from below

It was a mermaid—or was it?

World on a String

A girl standing on a path, holding a suitcase and a bunch of balloons that look like planets

Her dad had promised to give her the world, but she wasn’t expecting three more planets as well.

Bee Standoff

Two bees face ot face on a purple flower

“This flower ain’t big enough for the both of us!” said Bianca.

Solitary Seat

A leather chair next to an old woodstove with a valise and old books

For as long as anyone could remember, Angus McGee spent his evenings in the same chair next to the woodstove.

Best Friends

A little girl holding a very large teddy bear, dragging it down a dirt road

When you decide to run away from home forever, you can’t possibly leave your best friend behind.

Dinosaur Demise

Illustration of dinosaurs panicking as a meteor is about to hit the earth

In retrospect, setting the time machine to randomly choose a day and time in the past might not have been such a good idea.

Magic Lamps

“Choose wisely,” said the old shopkeeper, “for only one of these lamps is truly magic.”

Message in a Bottle

Glass bottle on a seashore with a rolled up paper inside

The message floated at sea for more than 50 years before the day we found it on the beach.

Barrel Boat

Man wearing a life jacket and paddling half a barrel in a lake

Of all the ways to impress someone, Jonah thought to himself, this had to be one of the most ridiculous.

Dragon Guardian

A child sitting in the grass, with a dragon curled up around her

When your parents give you your own dragon guardian, your childhood is bound to be enchanted.

Octopus’s Garden

Diver encountering a large octopus with fish in the background (Middle School Picture Writing Prompts)

Wouldn’t you like to be under the sea, in an octopus’s garden in the shade?

Around the Corner

Girl peering around a corner at a boy walking a dog

After finally pressing “send,” she couldn’t resist peeking around the corner to watch him read the text.

Beam Me Up!

Small child sitting in a field watching a flying saucer beam up its tricycle (Middle School Picture Writing Prompts)

Milo’s earliest memory was of watching his beloved tricycle float into the sky above him, caught in a beam of light.

Poison Apple

To join the club, all Aaron had to do was creep up and snatch the apple from the skeleton’s hand without being seen.

Giraffe Council

Three giraffes shown from the neck up against a cloudy blue sku

“It is now 3 p.m., and I call this meeting of the Mighty Council of Giraffes to order,” announced Imari.

Mystery Creature

Computer illustrated creature with blue scales, pink spikes, and large eyes

At first glance, it was hard to tell whether the little creature was friend or foe.

Woman leaping across a chasm silhouetted by an orange sky

As the sky turned orange, Keisha ran faster than ever and used the last of her energy to push off and soar over the water below.

The End of Days

A boy stands with his bicycle watching as bombs rain down on a city skyline (Picture Writing Prompts)

Despite their best efforts, they arrived too late—the battle had already begun.

Out of the Book

Woman dressed in a blue ball gown peering out of a book lit from inside, with a mouse nearby

“Happily ever after” was about to take on a whole new meaning.

Stopped Clock

I was sure that the time on the broken clock was the clue to solving the mystery.

Dueling Webs

Two dew-covered spiderwebs in the early morning sun

It’s never a good idea to build your web too close to another spider’s, but this time I had no choice.

Do Shoes Grow on Trees?

A bare tree covered with hanging pairs of shoes against a clear blue sky

The day I threw my own shoes into the tree was the day I really started to grow up.

Abstract Art

“So,” asked their art teacher, “what do you think this painting means?”

Wandering Robots

Small cardboard robot in a field of daisies (Picture Writing Prompts)

Everything about NB-317 was made of cardboard except his heart—that was made of flesh and blood and very capable of being broken.

Dream Come True

Blue house floating in the sky above mountains, held up by blue balloons

It all started when Quinn watched her favorite movie the night before they assigned partners for the eighth grade science fair project.

Mysterious Cave

Rocky cave with strange geometric patterns in the rock

The cave was unlike anything we’d ever seen before, and what was more, it almost seemed like the rock was alive.

Storm at Sea

A pirate ship on stormy seas, with a purple sky and dramatic streaks of lightning

As the rain lashed his face and lightning tore apart the sky, Kiran had to admit he’d always thought it would be a lot more fun being a pirate.

Grasshopper Close-Up

A closeup view of a grasshopper looking directly at the camera

That’s when Javed realized it wasn’t that the grasshopper was too big—it was that he was suddenly very, very small.

UFO Parking

“Well, that’s convenient,” Javdok remarked to Qabow when they saw the sign.

High school writers are ready to dig deep, exploring character development and detailed plots. These pictures offer a jumping-off point to set their imaginations free.

Cyborg Girl

An altered image showing a young girl in a black dress with a white collar, with a neck made of mechanical gears

When she was 14, Tasha’s parents finally told her the truth about what she really was.

BBQ Cookout

Barbeque grill with many different kinds of meat

“So, I’m guessing no one told you I’m a vegetarian?” asked Sadie with a smile.

Hands holding up a phone with a picture of a baby's face in front an old man's face

The latest app was like a time machine, allowing people to look back in time, but it also had a dark side.

Woman sitting on a sidewalk with her head on her knees as others walk by

She was surrounded by people but never felt more alone.

Hippo Troubles

A hippo mother and baby with its mouth open

Like all parents, hippos sometimes really need a break from their kids.

iPad Farmer

Old man in overalls using an iPad while snapping green beans

Grandpa Jack never failed to surprise us.

Marching Band Blues

Black man in a red shirt sitting on a bench, wearing a sousaphone

Kaleel sat sadly on the bench, watching the rest of the band march away in jaunty time to the music.

Never-Ending Tunnel

A white-tiled tunnel stretching far into the distance

The tunnel seemed to stretch to infinity, but Jayma knew what was at the end, and it terrified her.

Carving Out Love

For years, we wondered who “WP” was, and who it was who loved them so much they carved it into a tree for all to see.

Glowing Globe

Just then, the globe began to glow, and Jaxson knew he was about to leap through space and time once again—destination unknown.

See No Evil

It seemed like a funny joke to pose the skeletons in front of old Mrs. Petoski’s house, but then she turned up dead, and the police said it was murder.

Upside Down

It’s an odd feeling to wake up one morning and find yourself able to walk on the ceiling.

Face at the Fence

Child with their face pressed up against a wire fence

So much depended on which side of the fence you were on.

Bicycle Race

Finley had trained too hard for this race to come in third—it just wasn’t good enough.

Family Travels

Vintage photo of a Black family strapping luggage to a car, with a young girl posing in front

In the picture, my grandmother’s expression is hard to interpret, but she’s told me the story many times.

Laundromat Antics

A pair of legs waving out of a dryer in a laundromat

Dani never expected to meet her first love feet first.

Black and white photo of a wedding ring lying on a sheet of notepaper saying "I'm sorry!"

Molly’s mom probably didn’t mean for her to be the one to find the note, but that’s how things turned out.

Through the Storm

Pickup truck driving through flooded streets in a storm

Javier knew it would have been smarter to stay put, but he had to make sure his mom was safe before the worst of the storm arrived.

Lifetime Friends

Two babies holding hands while being held by adults

They’d been friends for as long as they could remember—even longer, in fact.

Stray Kitten

A small kitten facing a person's legs, in black and white

“I am NOT taking you home with me,” Kai told the tiny mewling kitten firmly.

Abandoned Greenhouse

Woman inside an abandoned ramshackle greenhouse in the woods

Willow was free to leave at any time, but she couldn’t make herself go.

A fence topped by rolls of razor wire against a blue sky

Amani’s earliest memory was razor wire—miles and miles of it.

Church Graveyard

Everyone feels differently in a graveyard, but for me, they’re very peaceful places.

Orb of Death

A hooded figure folding out a crystal ball with a spooky image in it

“Do you really want to know?” Death asked. “Because once you know, you won’t be able to forget.”

Missed Shot

Steve was sure his shot would make it, but it bounced off the rim just as the buzzer rang to end the game.

First Contact

Alien figure with a human in a spacesuit visible in the window behind them (High School Picture Writing Prompts)

This was it—the moment that would change what it meant to be human forever.

One Life To Live

An old man wearing a cowboy hat sits in front of a house (Picture Writing Prompts)

His face said his life had been a hard one, but his eyes told a different tale.

Winter Walk

Snow-covered field with a winding trail of footprints

Snow fell, creating a blank canvas to record the story of that fateful walk.

Train to Nowhere

Sepia-toned image of an old sleeper train car in disrepair

It certainly wasn’t the most luxurious way to travel, but then again, no one really wanted to make this trip in the first place.

Modern Mary Poppins

Woman standing in the middle of a wheat field on a gray day, holding an umbrella and bag

She dropped into our lives on a gray day in midwinter, a hint of the spring that was to come.

All That Remains

A chair sits in the hallway of an abandoned building under a shaft of light from above (High School Picture Writing Prompts)

Dust motes filled the air of the abandoned hallway, replacing the voices once heard there.

A very small bunny being carried in a shirt pocket

From the day he found the little creature, Luis refused to go anywhere without him.

The Question

Figure holding flowers behind its back, with a woman turning to look in the background

Their happily ever after began quietly, with a bouquet of wildflowers.

Night Lights

A person holding an umbrella walks down an alley toward a street filled with neon lights

Misty rain both blurred and emphasized the lights that lit Suri’s way home that evening.

Forest of Fear

Black and white photo of tree trunks with arms and hands reach out from behind them (Picture Writing Prompts)

At first, Mateo thought it was a joke, but the screams that followed told him there was nothing remotely funny about it.

Closeup of a human eye, with the pupil represented as a camera lens

At the elite level, being a spy meant serious commitments.

The Yellow Door

A row of white doors with one yellow door (Picture Writing Prompts)

On their 14th birthday, every resident of Fresnia was required to stand before the Wall of Doors and make a choice.

Graffiti Palace

Abandoned warehouse with graffiti on the walls

To strangers, it seemed random, but every mark on those walls had deep meaning for us.

Fossil Fish

Millions of years ago, the fish gave one final flop before lying still in the deep mud.

On the Rails

Woman standing on railroad tracks holding a guitar and looking off into the distant sunset (Picture Writing Prompts)

Aliyah stood on the tracks, uncertain of where to go next.

These picture prompts are all works of art, some more well known than others. Try providing them to students without sharing the titles first, then offer up the titles if they need some help getting started.

The Dance Class (Edgar Degas)

Greek Funerary Plaque (520-510 BCE)

Washington Crossing the Delaware (Emanuel Leutze)

Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze

Kyōsai’s Pictures of One Hundred Demons

First Steps, After Millet (Vincent van Gogh)

Lady Lilith (Dante Gabriel Rossetti)

A Sunday on La Grande Jatte (Georges Seurat)

A Sunday on La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat

After the Hurricane, Bahamas (Winslow Homer)

After the Hurricane, Bahamas by Winslow Homer

Drawing Lots for Prizes (Kitagawa Utamaro)

Drawing Lots for Prizes by Kitagawa Utamaro

Portions of Field Armor (Jacob Halder)

Portions of a Field Armor by Jacob Halder

Sadie Pfeifer, a Cotton Mill Spinner (Lewis Wickes Hine)

Sadie Pfeifer, a Cotton Mill Spinner by Lewis Wickes Hine

Still Life With Monkey, Fruits, and Flowers (Jean Baptiste Oudry)

Still Life With Monkey, Fruits, and Flowers by Jean Baptiste Oudry

Man Leading a Giraffe, 5th Century Byzantine

The Three Skulls (Paul Cézanne)

The Madame B Album (Marie-Blanche Hennelle Fournier)

The Madame B Album by Marie-Blanche Hennelle Fournier

Coiled Trumpet in the Form of a Snarling Feline Face (c. 100 BCE to 500 CE)

Crazy Quilt With Animals (Florence Elizabeth Marvin)

Crazy Quilt with Animals by Florence Elizabeth Marvin

Storytime (Eugenio Zampighi)

Cubist Village (Georges Gaudion)

Zig-Zag Passenger and Freight Train (Unknown)

The Power of Music (William Sidney Mount)

The Power of Music by William Sidney Mount

The Large Tree (Paul Gauguin)

After the Bath (Mary Cassatt)

Wedding Gown (Korea, Late 1800s)

The Contemplator (Eugène Carrière)

The Girl I Left Behind Me (Eastman Johnson)

24c Curtiss Jenny Invert Single

Creeping Baby Doll Patent Model

Wrecked Zeppelin (British Library)

Wrecked Zeppelin photograph from The British Library

Skeleton (Tales of Terror Frontispiece)

Skeletons Frontispiece from Tales of Terror

Get Your Free Picture Writing Prompts Google Slides

Just click the button below to fill out the form and get instant access to free downloadable Picture Writing Prompts Google Slides with all the prompts included above.

How do you use picture writing prompts in your classroom? Come share ideas and ask for advice in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

These picture writing prompts are a unique way to excite young creative writers. Find options for all grades on a variety of subjects.

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Isis New Member

Imagery exercise.

Discussion in ' Discussion of Published Works ' started by Isis , May 2, 2007 .

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_56a2022e489ee21b64b22ba3f6e48101'); }); Welcome to an exercise in imagery. Beyond rhyme and meter, beyond subject or form or punctuation or personal style, it is imagery that makes poetry -- and which sometimes gets neglected. This discussion is taken from another forum, from the venerable and experienced MajKaiNis [OP/L frequenters, HAIL]. I certainly didn't write this, but I found it immensely useful. If I could find the original post, I'd link to it [it seems to have disappeared]. Hopefully you all find it helpful as well! As we further our study of imagery and its use in poetry, I think it's important to take note of the exact role imagery plays. Imagery, at its best, isn't simply the background of our poems or "pretty description." It goes further and deeper: Imagery is the way in which we, as poets, truly communicate with and reach out to connect with the reader. This of course begs the question "What are we trying to communicate to the reader?" Obviously, of course, this varies not only from poet to poet but from poem to poem. Each word we write in every poem is an attempt to convey some message, idea, or maybe simply a thought. So when we begin writing a poem, where do we begin? It's a common mistake for young poets to assume that we are attempting to communicate some high and lofty truth to the reader. Well, this is only partially true; the poet is indeed attempting to reveal "the truth" to the reader, but only the truth as it pertains to the poet. Each of us views the world differently, so it is important to remember that abstract ideas and words--the plain and simple descriptors such as love, pain, or happiness--will mean anything and everything to the reader. Because we are separate entities, lacking the knowledge of associations and meanings others attribute to such words, there is no way these words alone can ever truly communicate the intended meaning. It is at this point that imagery becomes such useful and important tool. Consider the way we understand larger ideas, as individuals: We associate images with words. Consider the word "happiness." This is an abstract term we can roughly define as "a state of being or condition marked by pleasure or good will." But such a word--as does any word--carries not only a denotative meaning, but a connotative meaning. These connotative meanings are as numerous as the people alive on earth. Each person associates with these words various images and personal meanings. To you, happiness certainly has different connotations. When you think of happiness, maybe you think of baking cookies in your grandmother's kitchen and having them come out a little too burned to eat; watching your father throw out his last pack of cigarettes, because you finally convinced him to quit; or counting the pocket change on your dresser as a child and realizing you had saved enough to buy a new toy. Everyone around you will have images like this associated with any word you speak or write. Because of this, we cannot simply rely on words alone to express an idea to another; instead, it is these personal images that allow us to truly convey our thoughts, feelings, or our "point," if you will, to another person. When I tell you that "I felt happiness," you might assume that I spent the morning baking or that I had found enough pocket change on my dresser to buy something. Certainly, it's a valid assumption, since that is what happiness may mean to you. If I describe the pleasurable smells, feelings, sights, and other physical sensations that I experienced, and if you see the motions of my body and expressions of my face in the delivery of my message--then, and only then, am I truly expressing to you happiness, as I experienced it. The same is true in a poem. We cannot start big and work small. It's not simply a matter of taking a subject--such as happiness--and telling the reader how we feel about it; we, as poets, are taking the world as it appears to us and presenting it to the reader. This isn't an invitation to pour out our souls or risk entering the realm of "psychobabble." We are seeking not only to emphasize a grand notion or idea--a generalization such as "happiness"--but to present the world through evocative images in a way to which the reader can relate. Perhaps more specifically, we seek to present something through images that the reader could experience him or herself. Consider this passage from Boisseau and Wallace's Writing Poems: We're all tempted to write poems that spill out our feelings and proclaim our thoughts. And poets, of course, do express themselves, though rarely as directly as it may seem. Coming are a subject sidelong, though implication, can often help us fully engage it. In the following poem, notice how William Matthews begins by deflecting attention away from himself, thereby taking in the scene's deeper significance: Men at My Father's Funeral The ones his age who shook my hand on their way out sent fear along my arm like heroin. These weren't men mute about their feelings, or what's a body language for? and I, the glib one, who'd stood with my back to my father?s body and praised the heart that attacked him? I'd made my stab at elegy, the flesh made word: the very spit in my mouth was sour with ruth and eloquence. What could be worse? Silence, the anthem of my father's new country. And thus this babble, like a dial tone, from our bodies. By decentering the son's grief (which nevertheless lies at the heart of this poem), Matthews can foreground the small gestures that reveal the mourners' hidden feelings: a mixture of generosity and selfishness. The older men lament the loss of their friend and at the same time fear for their own lives. Naturally, the men wouldn't admit or acknowledge, perhaps even to themselves, that they have such feelings, but the poet makes the feelings palpable in the awkward handshakes between the men and the son which jolts his arm "like heroin"--powerful, dangerous, and forbidden. Another poet might simply say he stood before his father's coffin to eulogize him, but Matthews says he stood with his back to his father's body, suggesting that he, too, wanted to shun the dead, perhaps because his father reminded him of the precariousness of his own life. The son, "The glib one," speaks the appropriate words of praise for his father, thought they turn sour in his mouth for all that remains unsaid. All this noise--body language and spoken language, a babble meaningless as a "dial tone"--speaks of the survivors' desire to drown out the silence they feel hovering behind them. Matthews's poem shows how small, commonplace actions speak more powerfully than grand pronouncements. Click to expand...

Gannon Contributor Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_56a2022e489ee21b64b22ba3f6e48101'); }); *Applauds* great post. Thanks both you and the orig author.

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IMAGES

105 Creative Writing Exercises: 10 Min Writing Exercises
Transforming Writing With Visual Imagery and Thinking
Creative writing 2
Imagery Worksheet
50 Fantastic Creative Writing Exercises
Creative Writing Imagery Exercises

VIDEO

CREATIVE WRITING: Sensory Language
Introducing Imagery: How to develop advanced similes and metaphors
Functional Imagery Training
The Seven Ancient Heart Imagery Exercises with Daniel Mitel
TOP 10 Creative Ways to RELAX
imagery definition and example 🎊👌#shorts#youtube shorts#imagery

COMMENTS

25 Great Creative Writing Exercises To Awaken The Senses
Prompt 3. Imagine you can describe a sculpture by how it feels as you run your hands over it. Prompt 4. Write about the earliest touch you can remember. Prompt 5. Write about something you can't pass by without touching it. For more on the sense of touch, read the blog How To Use The Sense Of Touch In Your Writing.
Creative Writing Prompts for Crafting Compelling Imagery
You can use these writing prompts to create an essay, a short story, a poem, or a quick freewrite. You can write a few paragraphs or a few pages. Follow the image wherever it takes you. A pair of baby shoes. A torn photograph. A broken bottle and a guitar pick. A "no smoking" sign and a pair of fishnet stockings.
What is Imagery in Creative Writing + 16 Prompts
Now, imagery in creative writing can be of many types. Visual imagery focuses on the sense of sight and uses descriptive phrases that paint a picture in the reader's mind; whereas, auditory imagery appeals to the sense of hearing and uses language that focuses on sound. Tactile imagery engages the sense of touch and employs words that evoke ...
Create Powerful Imagery in Your Writing
Paint the image in small bites. Never stop your story to describe. Keep it going, incorporating vivid images, enlarging the action, and putting the dialogue in context. A sponge carpet of pine needles covered the trail. It cushioned their soles and absorbed the sounds of their footsteps.
Imagery: How to Create Strong Visuals In Writing
Writing imagery with the 5 senses. Mastering the use of all five senses in prose takes a lot of practice. Let's look at each sense individually with examples from one of my favorite books, I Am The Messenger. Markus Zusak is known for using crisp and original imagery to illustrate both the mundane happenings of daily life, as well as extremely weird circumstances.
Room With a View: Creative Writing Exercises
Allow yourself to write whatever comes to mind and don't think too hard about it. You can always edit it later. Exercise Two - Room with a View. Windows and the views from them can be a rich source of inspiration for writing. They're a boundary between one space and another, but a transparent boundary and a natural frame for writing.
Creative Writing Prompts for Crafting Compelling Imagery
Today I'd likes to share a collection of prompts from 1200 Creative Writing Prompts, which contains an wide away novel, poems, and nonfiction writing prompts.. Some of the prompts in the book are story starters. Some are word lists. The requests I'm sharing nowadays are simple but provocative images that be designed to spark a writing session.
Sensory Imagery in Creative Writing: Types, Examples, and Writing Tips
Sensory Imagery in Creative Writing: Types, Examples, and Writing Tips. Sensory imagery is a literary device writers employ to engage a reader's mind on multiple levels. Sensory imagery explores the five human senses: sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell.
145 Picture Prompts to Inspire Student Writing
These short, accessible, image-driven prompts invite students to pen short stories, poems and memoirs; share experiences from their lives; analyze illustrations, graphs and charts; and tell us ...
101 Picture Writing Prompts To Unlocking Creativity for Every Writer
A long list of picture writing prompts. 1. A secret garden hidden behind an old, ivy-covered wall, with flowers that glow in the dark. 2. A futuristic city floating in the sky, connected by transparent walkways. 3. An underwater town with buildings made of coral and colorful fish swimming in the streets. 4. A world where trees are as tall as ...
What is imagery?
An imagery writing exercise. Choose a sentence below and add senses and emotion plus a figure of speech of your choice. Use that sentence to kickstart a poem or short story. Jacob's room smelled bad. My grandmother's locket is old. I found a cat in the lane. She wished she could visit the ocean.
Teaching Imagery to Young Writers
When it comes to writing, imagery is an important literary device for kids to understand and use. Imagery brings a writer's ideas to life. It helps them paint a picture with words. I love helping young writers create imagery and watch their writing bloom. They see the difference a good descriptive word adds and are often excited to keep writing.
How to Create Powerful Imagery
So there you have it! I promised you a simple tool and here it is: The X-Chart! If you want to create more powerful imagery in your writing, then give it a go! You might just find it helpful, like I did! Happy writing! P.S. If you'd like a PDF Copy of the X-Chart, then by all means send me a message! This isn't a shameless plug.
8 Creative Writing Exercises to Strengthen Your Writing
Learning to write fiction is like training for a marathon. Before you get ready for the main event, it's good to warm up and stretch your creative muscles. Whether you're a published author of a bestselling book or a novice author writing a novel for the first time, creative exercises are great for clearing up writer's block and getting your creative juices flowing.
29 Easy, Fun, and Effective Writing Exercises
The purpose of creative writing exercises is to expand your imagination and to spark new ideas or thoughts, encouraging you to practice writing these before you start on your next project. Themed writing prompts can be helpful here, breaking down your prompts into different buckets like: Food. Animals. Landscapes.
Picture Prompts for Writing: Transforming Ideas into Stories
Key Takeaways. Picture prompts enhance creative writing skills. Visual imagery enhances the appeal and engagement of narratives. Prompt interpretation is crucial for unique and valid stories. Visual literacy stimulates imagination and evokes emotions.
105 Creative Writing Exercises: 10 Min Writing Exercises
Here are over 105 creative writing exercises to give your brain a workout and help those creative juices flow again: Set a timer for 60 seconds. Now write down as many words or phrases that come to mind at that moment. Pick any colour you like. Now start your sentence with this colour.
Helping Students to add Imagery to Their Creative Writing
Incorporating activities for students to practice infusing imagery into their writing has been a big game-changer in the quality of their writing overall. First, I explain to students that imagery uses descriptive details that appeal to the five senses and that adding these details helps to expand ideas which creates easier visualization and ...
3 Tips When Using Imagery in Your Writing
With a couple well-chosen details, you can say so much about your character and your story. 2. Be weird. Don't be afraid to get a little out there with your descriptions, especially when it comes to similes and metaphors. Sometimes the strangest comparisons are the ones that work the best.
70 Picture Prompts for Creative Writing (with Free Slides)
Writing Center. Print cards or writing pages with these images on them and put them in a writing center for your students to discover at their own pace. Specific Skills. Use story picture prompts to help kids work on specific writing skills. For example, you could work on descriptive writing by having them describe the setting of the picture in ...
Unlock Your Imagination: 15 Poetry Writing Exercises to Fuel Your
Overall, creative writing exercises play a vital role in poetry by encouraging poets to think imaginatively and use language in innovative ways. By practicing visualization exercises, poets can immerse themselves in sensory experiences, describe abstract concepts with captivating imagery, and create vivid narratives within their poems.
150 Inspiring Picture Writing Prompts (Free Google Slides)
Creative writing is a challenge for many students, often because they can't come up with anything to write about. That's why we love picture writing prompts. Each one sparks the imagination and helps young writers jump right into crafting a story to match. We rounded up a whole collection of intriguing images for use with kids in grades K ...
Imagery Exercise
Keeping this discussion in mind, here are a few exercises. Each is very similar to the others, so pick on that you think will be most enjoyable and helpful to you. 1. Write a poem about one of the following, or a similarly odd or unique subject. Flesh it out with carefully chosen details--that is, through images.
Creative Writing Workshop
This event will take place in person at the 53rd Street Library. This workshop is designed to help patrons unlock their creative potential. We will engage in fun idea generating exercises and work together to get results and find joy in the writing process. All writers of any experience level are welcome. If you're curious, come check it out! This workshop, the sixteenth in an ongoing series ...
Clark Colleges hosts Creative Writing Festival May 6-11
Spring Writing Workshop on May 11. STEPHANIE ADAMS-SANTOS, "Dreamscape of the Altar". "You must give birth to your images." — Rilke. Through a blend of guided meditation and writing prompts, we will work to nurture a fertile soil for receiving sacred imagery from the depths of the psyche.

25 Great Creative Writing Exercises To Awaken The Senses

What is sensory imagery?

Experience using sensory imagery.

25 Great Sensory Writing Prompts.

The Sense of Touch

The Sense of Taste

The Sense of Hearing

The Sense of Sight

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Room With a View: Creative Writing Exercises

Exercise Two – Room with a View

Exercise Three – The Witness

Exercise Four – Picture This

Exercise Five – Objects

General tips

145 Picture Prompts to Inspire Student Writing

What story does this image inspire for you?

Share experiences from your own life.

What do you think this image, chart or cartoon is saying?

What’s your opinion on this issue?

What is imagery?

Examples of figures of speech

An imagery writing exercise

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Teaching Imagery to Young Writers

Guess What? An Imagery Activity for Young Writers

What is Imagery?

Play with Imagery

1. Chose an Object

2. Use Imagery

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How to Use Imagery in Your Writing

1. Expand and specify

2. Be weird

3. Use the five senses

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