How to Use Picture Prompts to Inspire Powerful Creative Writing

We’ve all used the “Describe the image” style of writing prompt before. It’s simple, it’s quick, and it fills a slot in the lesson plan. But if we’re being honest? It doesn’t always spark deep creativity or engagement, and it rarely pushes students to go beyond the surface.

That’s why I started creating daily picture prompts for my own classroom. I needed something that did more.

From “Describe the Image” to “Build the World”

I’ve found that using daily prompts, especially visual ones, helps students build confidence in a low-stakes, low-pressure way. But I wanted to go further than just showing them an image and asking them to describe what they saw.

Because there’s so much more to explore.

What happened before this moment? What happens next? What can’t we see? What do we feel, hear, smell?

That’s where the real writing lives. Not in the literal image, but in the story just beyond it.

A Flexible Format That Supports Every Student

I designed my picture prompts around differentiation. Each one includes:

• A title

• A powerful image

• An opening line

• A closing line

• A plot idea

Students can use just one element… or all of them. Teachers can let them choose or guide them to a combination depending on the focus that day.

This flexibility makes the prompts work for all kinds of writers - those who love structure and those who just need a little nudge to get started.

A lot of picture prompts I found online felt too childish or overused, especially for secondary students. I wanted something more atmospheric, more thematic, and more open-ended.

The Results: More Variety, More Buy-In

Before I started using this format, I found that students often wrote similar stories from the same prompt. But now? The variety is incredible - and it’s made marking more enjoyable, too.

Students settle faster. As soon as they walk in and see the slide up, they know what to expect: a creative warm-up. Some try to guess the theme of the month or see how far they can twist the day’s prompt into another genre. I love that. I don’t think we should ever try to limit creativity - if they’re writing, they’re winning.

What If You Only Have 10 Minutes?

Quick win: Project the full prompt slide on the board (image, title, opening line, closing line, and plot idea). Ask students to write flash fiction, a 50-word story, or even a journal entry from the character’s perspective.

You don’t need a full lesson - just a window of time to let them flex their creative muscles.

What If They Don’t Know What to Write?

Try it anyway.
Ask students to talk about the image in pairs - what do they notice? What might be happening? What emotion does it evoke?
You’ll be surprised how quickly ideas start flowing when they realise there’s no pressure to get it “right.”

A picture really does speak a thousand words. Sometimes, it just takes the right question to unlock them.

Want A Whole Month of Free Picture Prompts?

If you'd like to try this format in your own classroom, I’ve put together a bundle of 31 free daily writing prompts—one for each day of a month.

They’re structured, classroom-ready, and designed to give students a new way into storytelling.

◆ Join the Waitlist + Get Your Free Prompts Here

You’ll also be the first to know when my full daily prompts membership launches later this year.