November usually means darker days, falling leaves, and the return of cozy. It can be a stressful month, with the hustle and bustle of November activities, but it can also be a month full of gratitude.
This is a month full of feelings, and these November creative writing prompts for adults offer a way to express emotions in all kinds of creative ways.
Get ready to embrace your inner writer — and my favorite season! — with these 30 daily writing prompts that are perfect for the month of November.
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Using Writing Prompts For November
November is a month that can bring with it many opportunities to spark creativity and/or feelings of anxiety. November creative writing prompts are one way to take a step beyond creative journaling exercises and find another way to deal with the stressors of November.
Daily prompts are a way of encouraging people to write with no restrictions, allowing them the freedom to express themselves in whatever genre they choose.
It’s also National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), so creative writing prompts are absolutely perfect for this purpose as well!
These creative writing prompts offer a chance to reflect on what November means to us and an opportunity to clear our minds as we prepare to plan ahead for December.
I hope you’ll enjoy using these November writing ideas as much as I enjoyed creating them for you!
November Creative Writing Prompts: The Month of Ideas
1. Oh Deer
— Walking by the river, your character is startled to see a wild deer. Write about the moment they realized it was a deer. How did it make them feel? What thoughts were going through their head? What happened next?
2. Time Traveler
— Imagine you are a time traveler landing in November of a different century. Describe the November you see in this time period and how it differs from the one you know. What goes through your head as you realize the time machine malfunctioned and got you lost, landing you in the correct month, but the wrong year and place. How do you cope?
3. The Royal We
— You are a member of the royal court. November is coming and you know there will be a November ball. Write about the excitement and preparation for the November ball, as well as the events of the night itself. What unexpected events happen?
4. The Animal Trainers
— Write about a trainer who has to take care of an animal they are afraid of. The reason they are nervous is because this animal acts very differently from all the other animals in the zoo. Describe what happens when they find out WHY this animal acts so differently.
5. The Storm
— Write about what you were doing when there was a terrible storm. You decide to go outside in the face of the danger. What happens while the storm is going on, and what happens after it passes?
6. The Dance Competition
— Write about what happens when two dance contestants are both vying for a spot in the finals, and it’s going to be a very close call who gets it. Describe how their practice goes before the semi-finals, what happens when they all meet up for the semi-finals, and who ends up making it into the finals (and why).
7. An Artist’s Dream
— Write about the dream that an artist has where they show up to their art gallery opening and they realize that all of their paintings have been painted over. Describe what happens in this dream when they realize someone is replacing their hard work with something… different.
8. To Write or Not to Write?
— In the future, something terrible has happened that changed how people feel about writing. It’s also caused a lot of damage to various books and libraries, which makes it harder for people who love reading to find anything good to read. Try writing from the perspective of someone who has been affected by this disaster, and how they cope.
9. The Park After Dark
— November brings longer nights. Write about what happens when your character goes to the park after dark to have some time to themselves, but ends up being approached by a stranger. What happens next?
10. Mail Call
— Write about a military soldier who gets regular correspondence from their loved one. What do they talk about in these letters? How do the events of the day impact how they feel when they read each letter? Make the person on the other side of the letter come alive for the reader.
11. The Book of Love
— You’ve been given a gift — a book of love letters from a great author to someone they loved. One letter is November-themed and you have to open the letter on November 1st. Write about what happens when November hits and you finally get to read that November letter for yourself.
12. Baby on Board
— Your character discovers they are pregnant, but they aren’t quite sure if they’re ready to be a parent yet. Write about their first reactions when they find out, and what kind of thoughts go through their head as they aim to figure out what exactly this means for their life.
13. The Great Escape
— You’ve been imprisoned and judged as something you’re not, but it’s finally time for your escape. Take us through what happens as you make this great getaway, and how the people who put you in prison feel when they discover that you’re gone.
14. The November House
— November comes with an unexpected visitor — someone who wants to stay with you for the entire month. Describe this person and what they bring to November, as well as how the month seems to change because of their presence.
15. Act of Kindness
— Write about how your character’s life changes when something unexpected happens that was not necessarily planned, but ends up changing their path in a positive way. What did this person do to deserve this? How does the other person involved feel when they get to see the change in your character because of what happened?
16. The Voice of the Sea
— Write about a person who has never known what lies beyond the sea, and they’ve always wanted to find out. When they finally get their wish, why do you think that it doesn’t turn out as expected? How does your character feel when this happens?
17. The Life You Were Meant For
— Write about a person who has always felt like they’ve been struggling with what path in life they were meant to take. One day everything changes when something happens that allows them to see how things could be if they decided to do the opposite of what they’ve always done before. How does this situation make them feel and what do they do?
18. The Homeless Man in the Street
— Write about the moment when your character comes across someone in the street whom they recognize, but at first it seems like this person doesn’t recognize your character. Who is this homeless person, and how does your character react to seeing them again?
19. A Sudden Dose of Reality
— Your character has always thought that their life was completely perfect. One day they discover this isn’t true when a sudden bad experience happens to them. What has happened to your character while they were going about their life, and how have they been oblivious to it? What happens now?
20. A Life Saved
— Write about a person who has just prevented someone else from being seriously injured or killed, but this person insists that they were in no danger at all. Why do you think this happens? How do the characters’ lives intersect after this point?
21. Beautiful Memories
— Your character has an old box that contains all the beautiful memories they have of someone who is no longer in their life. Write about what your character decides to do with this box, and how the person they are thinking about reacts when they discover what their old friend has done with it.
22. A Sudden Change of Heart
— Your character has never felt the need to open themselves up to someone else. But they end up changing their mind when they meet a person who is unlike anyone they’ve ever come across before. Write about what has made them feel this way towards someone they don’t even know yet.
23. The Invitation
— Someone has decided to invite your character over for dinner, but if you look at the invitation it’s clear that they’ve made a mistake. Write about what happens when you realize this, and how your character eventually responds to the invitation.
24. The Secret Revealed
— Someone who has been keeping a secret from everyone else eventually decides to reveal what was hidden. Write about when your character decides to do this, and how the people close to them react when they find out. How are lives changed?
25. One Life to Live?
— Write about someone who has one chance to live their life all over again, but they don’t know what choices they would make if given this opportunity. Do they use this chance to make all the things they’ve wanted to happen in their life finally come true? Or do they realize that what’s most important is the choices they made and the way they treated people the first time?
26. The Chase
— Write about a character who decides to run away from everything that’s expected of them, and what they end up doing is becoming someone else entirely. Why do you think your character wanted to escape? Why did they feel like this was the only option they had? Do they end up chasing a new life… or do they end up BEING chased?
27. Dog’s Secret Life
— Write about a character’s dog who seems to have been doing something strange for quite some time now. What does the dog get caught doing, and why do you think your character didn’t notice what was going on before?
28. A November Night at Home With the Family
— Write about a character who decides to spend some time with the family they haven’t seen in a while. What happens when personalities clash and unexpected conversations take place? How does your character react?
29. A Rare Sight
— Write about a character who discovers that something they thought was impossible is actually possible, and this ends up changing their perspective of everything around them. What has your character discovered, and how does it change the way they view the world?
30. A November Story
— Write about November 30th in your character’s life, and what memories they have of the November events that took place each year on this day. What has changed? What has remained the same?
What Tools Do You Need for Creative Writing?
You don’t need anything fancy to get started, and these prompts will give you plenty of writing ideas.
You could easily begin writing in a word processing app like Google Docs on your phone or computer. Sometimes, when I’m in the flow of writing on my laptop, the words fly off the ends of my fingers almost before the thought has formed in my head.
Plus, writing with an electronic app means you can pick up your story threads and continue writing almost anywhere as long as you use something that syncs between your devices. Many programs like Google Docs and Evernote have this capability.
Of course, if you carry a notebook, you can do the same thing. 😉 There are also many positives to ‘classic’ creative writing with something like a beautiful rose gold pen and writing journal.
Writing by hand has been said to increase hand-eye coordination and improve certain brain functions. I know writers who produce an entire novel in a notebook before even touching a computer keyboard.
You may find one particular form of getting the words out really sparks your creativity… If so, keep doing that!
More Creative Inspiration
Why You MUST Discover & Develop A Creative Outlet
November One Word Journal Prompts {Free Printable}
50 Creative Writing Prompts For Adults
Feeling Stuck? Try These 14 Creative Things to Write In a Journal
Best Journals for Writing: 6 Top Picks
If you want to get started with creative writing ideas but don’t know where to begin, these 30 November Creative Writing Prompts For Adults should help get your mind working and inspire you with some ideas for short stories — or maybe even a novel for NaNoWriMo!
What creative prompts are you most looking forward to trying? Leave a comment below!
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