It’s true: Middle schoolers don’t exactly jump for joy when it’s time to write. 😬 Too often, they hear “writing” and instantly picture a formal, five-paragraph essay with embedded quotes and text evidence and transitions that bridge it all together.
But writing doesn’t always have to mean MLA formatting, thesis statements, and nit-picky formal structure.
Sometimes the best way to build motivation and creativity is through short, low-stakes, fun challenges that encourage students to flex their writing muscles without the pressure.
If you’re a Middle School ELA teacher trying to boost student engagement, these quick prompts are the perfect no-prep solution. Think of them as “writing sprints” that get kids laughing, thinking, and actually putting words on paper—without the stress.
1. The Emoji Story
Pick three random emojis from your phone (🙈🍕🚀 or 💃🎒🐉). Write a short passage that includes all three.
*** No cell phones in the classroom? I totally get it, and I support that completely. So for this one, tell your students the day before to come to class the next day with their 3 favorite/weirdest/funniest/most-used (or whatever adjective) emojis. Draw or sketch them on paper ahead of time—tell them that’s their homework—and bring that paper to class the next day. The curiosity and anticipation about WHAT in the world they’re going to have to do (or get to do) will be so fun!
2. The Plot Twist Journal
Start a paragraph about a totally normal day (waking up, going to school, eating lunch)… then halfway through, drop a wild plot twist (a dragon lands on the football field, your math teacher is secretly a rock star, etc.).
3. The “I Wish” Poem
Write a poem where every line starts with “I wish…” (serious, funny, ridiculous >> pick your tone).
4. The Soundtrack of My Life
Choose one song you’d put on your “Life Soundtrack.” Write a paragraph about why it fits you or what scene of your life it would play in.
5. The One-Minute Mystery
Write a mystery story that can be read out loud in 60 seconds or less. It must include a strange sound, a missing object, and a suspicious character.
6. The Food Fight Fantasy
Imagine your lunch comes to life. Write a scene where your food items have a full-on argument (the pizza slice vs. the salad, the juice box as the referee).
7. The Superpower Switch
You wake up with a superpower… but it’s the worst one possible. (Think: the power to change stoplights or always know when a dog is about to bark.) Describe your first day with it.
8. The “Bad Advice” Column
Pretend you’re an advice columnist (or podcaster? YouTuber?) giving terrible—but funny, not scary or creepy—advice. A student writes in (or texts your show): “I freeze up on tests. What can I do?” What do you suggest?
9. The Time-Travel Text
You accidentally send a text message back in time to someone famous (Abraham Lincoln, Cleopatra, Amelia Earhart). What do you say, and how do they respond?
10. The Six-Word Memoir
Sum up your entire life/day/Kindergarten year/etc. in just six words. (Example: “Overslept. Missed bus. Still survived day.”)
There’s no reason you can’t repeat these 10 writing sprints once used, either! Doing them once or twice a week will work over time to shift your students’ attitudes about writing. Plan for it consistently by creating a “Wild Write Wednesday” and a “Funny Friday” so you and your students know to expect an off-the-wall writing prompt (even if you only plan to spend 5 minutes on it).
You can also plot them all into a choice board one-pager so students can pick and choose as they wish when you decide to make time for creative thinking and writing.
These are the types of writing prompts that students actually want to share with each other, which means an authentic audience is always there (besides just writing “for the teacher”). Give students time to share with each other, and use that as a natural way to teach or reinforce what active listening looks like and sounds like.
By mixing in quick, creative challenges like these, you’re showing students that writing can be playful, personal, and even a little weird, which is exactly what makes it fun.
These prompts won’t replace your essay instruction (because yes, we still need those skills!), but they will help students build stamina, confidence, creativity, and voice in a way that five-paragraph assignments alone can’t. Think of them as your secret weapon for keeping writing fresh all year long.
Students write every day—usually informal, but sometimes formal—in the ready-made ELA Lesson Plan Units. In the Ready, Set, Stations™ materials, writing is part of every station in one form or another (though we keep it short, quick, and super informal due to time constraints in stations). Either way, students don’t walk into class asking, “Are we writing today?” because with those ⬆️resources, they do write. every. day.
