Here are 30 picture writing prompts that work with any image: a photo from your phone, a painting, a page from a picture book or a child's own drawing. Pictures help because they hand writers a setting and a mood, and the Common Core builds images into writing from kindergarten, where children combine drawing, dictating and writing.
Picture prompts are the easiest way I know to get a stuck writer moving. A blank page asks 'what do you want to write about?', which is a scary question. A picture asks 'what's happening here?', which almost everyone can answer. Because I can't put images on every prompt here, each one tells you what kind of picture to find or use, so you can pull from photos, books, art or the view out of the window.
Why pictures help writers of every age
Images are part of how children are taught to write. The Common Core's kindergarten standards ask children to use a combination of drawing, dictating and writing for opinions, information and stories, and in third grade, informative writing includes illustrations when they help a reader understand. Older writers use pictures differently: as a spark for setting, mood and character.
| Writer | How pictures help | Prompt group |
|---|---|---|
| Young children | Draw first, then write a word or sentence | Draw and write prompts |
| Primary and middle school | A ready-made setting and characters | Photo story prompts |
| Teens and adults | Mood, atmosphere and detail | Art and atmosphere prompts |
| Anyone | Quick daily practice | Phone camera prompts |
Photo story prompts
Use any photo of people or places, from a magazine, newspaper or your own camera roll.
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Find a photo of a crowded street. Pick one person and write what they're thinking.
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Choose a photo of an empty room. Write what happened there just before the picture was taken.
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Find a photo of an old building. Write a story about who lived there a hundred years ago.
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Pick a photo of a stranger laughing. Write the joke that made them laugh.
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Use a photo of a beach in winter. Write about the one person who goes there every day.
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Find a photo of a door. Write about what's on the other side.
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Choose a photo of two people talking. Write their conversation.
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Use a photo of a road disappearing into the distance. Write about where it leads.
Art and atmosphere prompts
Use paintings, illustrations or film stills. Focus on mood as much as plot.
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Choose a painting of the sea. Write a scene that matches its mood exactly.
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Find an illustration from a fairy tale. Rewrite the story from the villain's point of view.
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Look at a portrait. Write the letter the person in it never sent.
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Pick a picture of a storm. Describe it without using the words rain, wind or dark.
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Choose an abstract painting. Write a poem about the feeling it gives you.
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Find a film still and write the scene that came just after it.
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Look at a picture of a busy market. Describe it using all five senses.
Draw and write prompts for young children
The picture comes first, then the words, written or dictated. A labelled drawing counts as writing at this age.
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Draw your favourite place. Write one sentence about why you love it.
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Draw a monster. Label its body parts and give it a name.
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Draw what you did at the weekend in three boxes: first, next, last.
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Draw your family having a picnic. Write what everyone is eating.
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Draw an animal that doesn't exist yet. What does it eat?
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Draw the weather today and write one word to describe it.
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Draw your dream bedroom and label three things in it.
Phone camera prompts
Take your own picture first, then write. Great for daily practice.
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Take a photo of something ordinary from a strange angle. Write about it as if it were alien.
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Photograph your shoes at the end of the day. Write where they've been.
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Take a picture of the sky. Write a short poem about it.
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Photograph a shop window. Write a story about the person who arranged it.
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Take a picture of your desk or table. Write about the person who uses it, as a stranger would.
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Photograph a shadow. Write what it might belong to.
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Take a photo of something old. Write its life story.
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Photograph a view you see every day. Write about it as if seeing it for the first time.
Using one picture with a whole class
Project a single image and give everyone the same picture but different jobs. One group writes what happened just before, one writes what happens next, one writes from the point of view of an object in the scene, and one writes a news report about it. Read them aloud in order and you've got a story built by the whole room. It's a lovely way to show children that the same picture can hold completely different stories, depending on who's telling it.
How to get better writing from pictures
- Look for longer than feels natural. Details appear after the first glance.
- Ask the five questions: who, where, when, what just happened, what happens next?
- Write about what's outside the frame. The best stories are often just off the edge.
- Let young children label their drawings first, then build sentences from the labels.
- Use your own photos. Personal pictures carry real memories into the writing.
If you'd like to turn a child's picture story into something special, my guide to choosing the right tutor for your child helps if they need support, and teachers might enjoy my piece on why people choose to teach elementary school.
My advice for picture prompts
Keep a folder of interesting images, from postcards to screenshots, and pull one out when anyone in the house is stuck. With young children, start with the draw and write prompts. With older writers, the art and atmosphere set produces the richest writing. And for yourself, try the phone camera prompts for a week; you'll start noticing stories everywhere.
Frequently asked questions
What are picture writing prompts?
Prompts that use an image, such as a photo, painting or drawing, as the starting point for a story, poem or description.
Why do picture prompts help children write?
A picture gives them a setting and characters to work with. The Common Core kindergarten standards combine drawing, dictating and writing for exactly this reason.
Where can I find pictures for writing prompts?
Magazines, newspapers, picture books, art galleries, film stills and your own phone's camera roll all work well.
How do you write a story from a picture?
Ask who's in it, where and when it's set, what just happened and what happens next, then write about something just outside the frame.
Can adults use picture writing prompts?
Yes. The art and atmosphere prompts and phone camera prompts are designed for teens and adults.
