Writing Prompts for High School

Here are some fresh, new creative writing prompts for high school students! Your students will have to do some ingenious thinking to complete these challenging prompts.  (That means these are perfect for your best students who always fly through their usual assignments!)

Writing Prompts for High School

Here's a peek at the printable page. The full text also appears below for your convenience. 

Students are asked to select one story starter and one set of words. They must use as many words as possible from their word lists in the stories they write. When you see these words, you'll understand the challenge!

Words were taken from several lists of difficult English spelling words which appear on this page. 

Story Starters:

1. I was ready to perform on stage when a shocking thing happened…

2. My best career choice would be…

3. If I could travel to any location on the planet, …

4. The smartest thing I ever did was…

5. Someone needs to invent an object that will…

6. The best-tasting foods in the world are …

7. My most prized possessions are…

8. When I met our new neighbor, I was surprised to learn that…

Word Lists:

1.  committee, handkerchief, difference, eclectic, chasm,  multitudinous, frontier

2.  argument, fallacious, beguiling, citadel, wary, potpourri, picnicking

3.  pneumonia, acquiescence, knickknack, surgeon, finesse, anxiety, efficient

4.  similar, biennial, operetta, indispensable, reek, distinction, briefcase

5.  embarrass, infinitesimal, correspondence, surveillance, dormitory, heirloom,  receipt

6.  mischievous, ichthyosaur, gimmicky, perjury, ubiquitous, impatient, ceiling

7. exaggerate, oxymoron, absenteeism, unforgettable, recipient, weird, notoriety

More Writing Prompts

High School Writing Prompts - Here's an easier set of writing prompts for high school! Do you need a lot of sleep to be a good student? What happens when the absenteeism rate skyrockets? What do you say to your principal at graduation?  Your students will respond to prompts like these while practicing some difficult spelling words!

Expository Writing Prompts - New engaging expository prompts to help students reason, explain and make lists. These prompts also provide practice with some challenging 8th grade spelling words.

Fiction Writing Prompts - Your students will love making up some wacky scenarios using some of our 7th grade spelling words!

Middle School Prompts What is the best strategy for teaching your younger sibling to stay out of your bedroom? What would you miss most if you had no electricity for a week, and 10 more writing prompts for middle school. 

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These prompts from our list of 101 Journal Prompts:

1. Describe your personality in 100 words.

2. What was the most interesting thing you saw on the way to school?

3. Your favorite teacher has been replaced by a robot for a day. Explain what happens.

4. Would you rather have a pet mouse or a pet porcupine, and why?

5. If you could write a non-fiction new book, what would it be about, and why?

6. You’re asleep on the sofa and you feel a tiny creature crawling on your arm. You open one eye and take a peek. This never-before-seen creature looks like…

7. One of my relatives is going to become famous, and I am going to help. Finish the story!

8. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa or Hanukkah, what is the main message of the holiday, and how do you incorporate that into your celebration?

9. List at least eight ways your life would have been different 100 years ago.

10. Why do you think soccer (called football in some countries) is the most popular sport in the world?

11. Collecting baseball cards, coins or stamps: Which would you rather do, and why?

12. Suppose you sit down on a park bench and find a wallet with $500 in it. There’s also a note inside that says, Please return to owner. What would you do?

13. Persuade someone that a grapefruit is healthier and tastier than an apple.

14. Do you think people will be living on another planet in your lifetime? Why or why not?

15. A very old riddle is Why did the chicken cross the road? The typical answer is To get to the other side. Make up at least three new answers to the question that are funny!

16. What’s your favorite thing to do on a computer, and why?

17. Why do you think each generation prefers its own kind of music?

18. Which current celebrity would you most like to meet and why?

Challenging Brain Teasers

Rhymonyms TM -  Challenging new word play for upper grade students and adults. Think of a pair of rhyming words for each set of synonyms. Printable, free and fun!

Brain Teasers for Adults  & Upper Grade Students - Two REALLY difficult letters with hidden messages. Good spelling skills are the key to uncovering them!

Travel Teaser - One of our most difficult logic brain teasers. Can you figure out who went where and when?  

Here are some helpful lists of difficult spelling words for your high school students: 

• 9th grade spelling words
• 10th grade spelling words
• 11th grade spelling words
• 12th grade spelling words
• 102 Frequently misspelled words

Ann Richmond Fisher is a longtime published educational writer, a former classroom teacher and a former homeschool teacher. Ann's spelling bee resources, graded spelling word lists, spelling games, worksheets, and other language arts resources have become respected around the globe since she launched Spelling-Words-Well in 2010.

Ann is also the creator of www.word-game-world.com.

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Visit my YouTube Channel for fun spelling practice videos!

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Mammoth Spelling Bee Word Lists  for grades 3/4, 5/6 and 7/8  with sentences, definitions, and languages

Young Spellers Spelling Bee Word List for Grades 1 & 2 only 

100 Difficult Spelling Bee Words with Definitions, Sentences and Pronunciations, Volumes 1 and 2

600 Spelling Bee Words & Sentences for Gr 3/5 & 6/8 Extra words & sentences at two levels