10 quick essay writing prompts

Writing essays on your own is a great way to improve your writing skills. Coming up with your own essay assignments isn't always easy, though, so we've compiled a quick list of ten helpful essay writing prompts for you.

    Challenging Prompts

  1. Every cloud has a silver lining.
  2. Discuss the "silver lining" behind a bad experience you've personally had, a current event, or a historical event. Could the silver lining have been predicted, or was it completely unexpected? Do you think the silver lining makes up for the negative aspects of the event?

  3. Embarrassing experiences
  4. While an embarrassing experience may not come to mind as your first choice for an essay topic, they're a great topic to explore your descriptive skills. Conveying an embarrassing experience requires both the ability to describe events in detail as well as being able to express emotions effectively.

  5. Changing your mind
  6. Some of our opinions and beliefs are deeply held and difficult to change. Those times in life when something manages to uproot one of these deeply held opinions is ripe material for writing an essay. Think back to a time when you were positive you believed one way - but something came along and changed your mind.

    More Prompts

  7. The first time you remember being angry.
  8. Tapping into early childhood memories is always great material for essay writing prompts. Think about other "firsts" for more inspiration!

  9. An unexpected happening at a family gathering.
  10. Family events are offer a wealth of opportunity to describe people and places, often those you know very well, so are perfect for writing practice.

  11. A friend surprised you (pleasantly).
  12. Being surprised, whether pleasantly or otherwise, is a good topic to write about from a narrative point of view.

  13. A friend surprised you (unpleasantly).
  14. Choosing an "unpleasant" surprise gives you the opportunity to write about different types of situaitons and emotions.

  15. A failure that you still think about.
  16. Writing about our failures is cathartic, and it's also great practice for essay writing. Often the reasons for failing and the things we contemplate afterwards are complex ideas that challenge us to write better in order to express them clearly.

  17. A success that you still think about.
  18. Successes that last a long time in our thoughts are usually important for multiple reasons; they have had a lasting effect on our lives, or taught us valuable lessons.

  19. A historical figure you'd like to meet, and why.
  20. Tap into your imagination to improve your writing as well with this classic, fun prompt!