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15 Writing Prompts to Start Writing Your Book Today

Most aspiring authors carry the quiet belief that a book lives inside them.

They sense a story, a message, a set of insights that deserves to be shared. But when they sit down to write, they freeze. It's not because they lack intelligence or experience, but because they lack clarity. The blank page is too open. The stakes feel too high. And without a clear path, even the best ideas fade into hesitation.

Over the past few years, I’ve worked with over 130 professionals—entrepreneurs, executives, speakers, and creators—who knew they had a book in them but didn’t know how to bring it out. What unlocked their creativity wasn’t some grand epiphany. It was structure. It was asking the right question at the right time.

That’s what prompts are designed to do. Each one is a mental lever, a way to extract the stories, lessons, and convictions already inside you. Prompts don’t require perfect grammar or polished language. They only require attention and honesty. If you write consistently from these prompts, you won’t just fill pages—you’ll develop chapters, themes, and a clear sense of what your book is about.

Click here to get a printable version of the prompts!

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These nonfiction writing prompts are based on Trivium Writing’s 4-goal framework (describe, narrate, explain, and argue) from The Architecture of Writing. By focusing on these distinct purposes, you’ll not only become a sharper writer—you’ll become a better thinker.

Whether you’re stuck with writer’s block, unsure how to start, or simply craving momentum, this article is your springboard. Not every prompt will spark something, but one will. And that’s all you need to begin.

Why Writing Prompts Work

Too often, aspiring authors try to start their nonfiction book with a perfect introduction or a fully formed outline. That’s a mistake. Clarity doesn't usually precede writing; it comes from it. Writing prompts help you reverse that dynamic. They remove the pressure to write the book and instead invite you to write from experience.

As a writing coach and ghostwriter, I’ve seen this method unlock creativity in professionals who hadn’t written a page in years. Prompts work because they tap into memory, emotion, and insight. They give your ideas shape without demanding perfection.

Writing prompts are also a direct cure for writer’s block. When you know the topic, the story starters come more naturally. You’re no longer staring at a blank page—you’re responding. And that act of response is often all you need to access your writing voice.

Even more powerful is the ability to stack prompts into structure. A few strong responses can become full chapters. Over time, these short stories and essays evolve into a cohesive manuscript. In fact, several of my clients have built entire books using nothing but prompt-based writing sessions. They didn't start with a plan—they discovered the plan through writing.

If you love writing but struggle to start, or if you’ve lost momentum on a book idea, writing prompts will bring you back into motion. They are small commitments that lead to big breakthroughs. And they allow you to write with as much detail, insight, and honesty as your audience deserves.

Describe: Clarity Through Specificity

The first step to writing a nonfiction book is learning how to describe your reality clearly and vividly. This isn’t about stringing pretty words together. It’s about precision. Strong description builds trust with the reader. It helps them see what you’ve seen and feel what you’ve felt. In nonfiction, that’s where resonance begins.

These creative writing prompts are designed to help you mine specific moments, events, and details from your life. As you respond, focus on concrete nouns, active verbs, and real environments. The goal is to write with as much detail and honesty as possible.

Writing Prompt #1:

Describe the achievement that makes you feel the proudest.
What happened? Why does it matter? What skills did it take? Where did it happen, and how did it change you?

Too often, we downplay our accomplishments. But your book needs to begin from a place of credibility. This prompt gives you a way to articulate your value without arrogance. If you can describe the moment that made you proud, you’re beginning to uncover the essence of your message.

Describe the achievement that makes you feel the proudest

Writing Prompt #2:

Describe your first job.
What was the environment like? Who were the people around you? What kind of work did you do?

Your first job likely shaped the way you view work, value, and personal growth. Whether it was a bakery, a call center, or your own startup, use this prompt to revisit that experience in detail. Reflect on how it influenced your thinking and what you carried forward from it.

Describe the first job you’ve had

Writing Prompt #3

Describe the impact you’ve had on someone’s life.
Who was the person? What were they struggling with? What did you do to help them?

Transformation is at the heart of every nonfiction book. This writing prompt helps you pinpoint a case study from your own life. Choose one person—whether a client, a friend, or a family member—and describe their “before” and “after.” The more specific the transformation, the more powerful the story.

describe the impact

Writing Prompt #4

Describe the most satisfying event you’ve ever experienced.
What made it meaningful? What happened around you? How did you feel in the moment?

We often skip over satisfaction in nonfiction, especially when trying to sound “serious.” But writing inspiration doesn’t just come from pain—it comes from joy, too. Use this prompt to relive a moment of deep fulfillment. It could be a personal win, a project launch, or something more intimate.

Writing Prompt #5

Describe a person who shaped your thinking. 
It could be a mentor, a best friend, or even a famous person you never met. What did they say or do that left a mark?

Strong nonfiction often includes the voices and influences that shaped us. This prompt allows you to connect your ideas to a broader tradition—whether philosophical, personal, or cultural. Focus not on the whole biography, but on one interaction or insight that changed the way you think.

Narrate: Build Stories That Resonate

Facts inform, but stories persuade. If you want your nonfiction book to feel alive—not just smart—you need to become a storyteller. The narrative form invites your reader to walk through your world, feel what you felt, and understand your perspective without being told what to think.

These prompts help you narrate pivotal events in your life. Use them to generate first-person stories that can anchor your chapters or serve as stand-alone pieces. Whether it’s about a failure, a turning point, or an injustice you overcame, your story has power—but only if you tell it honestly.

Writing Prompt #6

Narrate your greatest failure.
What happened? What emotions did you experience? What did you learn from it?

Failure is often the soil where our strongest insights grow. This writing prompt asks you to stop hiding the low points and start using them. Be specific. Show your thinking, your emotions, and how you found your way back. This is often the place where your audience will connect most deeply.

Writing Prompt #7

Narrate how you got started in your career or business. 
What were the early days like? What sparked your direction? What obstacles did you face?

This is one of the most valuable prompts for nonfiction authors—especially if you’re writing as a coach, expert, or entrepreneur. Your origin story is part of your credibility. Don’t sanitize it. Share the setbacks, the mentors, and the messy beginnings.

Writing Prompt #8

Narrate the worst thing someone ever did to you—and how you overcame it.
What did you feel? What did you do next? What did this event teach you about yourself or others?

Painful stories require care. But the truth is, your readers have experienced betrayal, abandonment, and injustice too. This writing prompt isn’t about venting. It’s about reframing pain into personal power. Be raw—but also be reflective.

Writing Prompt #9

Narrate a story that takes place in a single day. 
What made that day memorable? What shifted inside of you by the end?

Some of the best nonfiction books are built around ordinary days that led to extraordinary insight. Choose one day where something shifted—big or small—and tell the story moment by moment. Include the setting, the dialogue, the subtle changes.

Writing Prompt #10

Narrate the first time you taught someone something important. 
What did you teach? How did they respond? What made the moment stick with you?

Teaching moments reveal what matters to you. They also showcase your expertise. Use this prompt to reflect on the first time you realized you had something valuable to share—whether it was a formal lesson, casual advice, or a breakthrough conversation.

Explain: Share Your Expertise

If you’ve been thinking about writing a book, chances are you have something worth teaching. But teaching isn’t just about downloading facts—it’s about making the complex feel accessible. When you explain with precision and empathy, your reader doesn’t just learn—they feel empowered.

These creative writing prompts are designed to help you unlock the lessons, methods, and mental models that define your perspective. They can form the backbone of your book’s “teaching” chapters, each one rooted in clarity and usefulness.

Writing Prompt #11

Explain what you do as if you were talking to a four-year-old. 
Strip away jargon. Use everyday examples. Focus on the why and how.

This writing prompt forces you to get to the essence of your work. If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it deeply enough. Don’t underestimate this exercise—it can reframe your entire book concept and help you build stronger chapters.

Writing Prompt #12

Explain the one thing you understand better than anyone else.
What makes your insight unique? Where did it come from? How do you apply it?

Most nonfiction books revolve around a “core insight.” This prompt helps you identify yours. Think in terms of intersection—where two ideas meet and you bring a unique perspective. Your goal isn’t to be the world’s top expert. It’s to be the best at explaining your take.

Writing Prompt #13

Explain the most complicated thing you know in the simplest way possible. 
What does a beginner need to know first? What metaphors can you use? Where do people usually get stuck?

Your book won’t succeed because you know more—it will succeed because you explain better. Choose a concept you usually avoid because it’s “too complex,” and simplify it. Use a metaphor. Create a three-part model. Add a story that makes the abstract real.

Writing Prompt #14

Explain the best bet you’ve made on yourself or your business.
What options were on the table? What decision did you make? What happened next?

This is a strategic storytelling prompt disguised as an explanation. Walk your reader through the decision-making process behind a bold move. Outline the risk, the logic, the emotion—and the result. This is a great prompt to illustrate confidence and thought leadership.

Argue: Challenge and Persuade

Writing a nonfiction book isn’t just about sharing knowledge. It’s about taking a stand. Your book should challenge assumptions, provoke new thinking, and invite readers to see the world through a different lens. That’s what argument does—it makes writing persuasive, not passive.

These writing prompts will help you clarify your convictions and explore their opposite. You’ll learn to write not just what you believe, but why—and how to move your reader from uncertainty to agreement.

Writing Prompt #15

Argue a position you firmly believe in.
What change are you advocating for? Why does it matter? What evidence supports your claim?

Choose a belief you often find yourself defending—whether it’s about business, education, creativity, leadership, or life. Write with passion and precision. Don’t just appeal to logic—bring in emotion, story, and consequence. This is how you turn an idea into a mission.

Writing Prompt #16

Argue against something you believe deeply.
What’s the opposing view? How would someone else defend it? What do they get right—and wrong?

This is one of the most intellectually rigorous exercises you can do as a writer. By challenging your own beliefs, you become a more balanced, persuasive author. You learn where your argument is weak, and how to make it stronger.

Writing Prompt #17

Argue for a change you want to see in society.
What behavior needs to shift? Who’s responsible for making that change? How can your reader participate?

Great nonfiction doesn’t just observe—it moves people to act. Use this prompt to connect personal conviction with broader cultural relevance. Whether it’s about education reform, mental health, leadership, or creativity, make your case.

How to Use These Prompts Strategically

Writing prompts aren’t just warm-up exercises. Used well, they can become the very architecture of your nonfiction book. But the key is consistency. To build something meaningful from these prompts, you need more than creative thinking—you need a method.

Here’s how to turn writing prompts into book chapters, clarity, and momentum.

1. Treat prompts as weekly writing projects

Set aside time each week to respond to one prompt. You don’t need to write a masterpiece—just aim for 800 to 1,000 words with as much detail and insight as possible.

Over 15 weeks, you’ll have 15 short stories, essays, or teaching pieces. That’s the skeleton of a book.

2. Group your best pieces by theme

After completing several prompts, read through what you’ve written. Which pieces cluster around similar topics or emotions? These clusters form natural chapter groupings or book sections.

This is how many of my ghostwriting clients uncover the real message of their book—it emerges through writing, not brainstorming.

3. Use prompts to break writer’s block

If you’re midway through a manuscript and feel stuck, go back to a prompt. They aren’t just for beginners—they’re reset tools for any phase of writing.

Keep a few printed prompts next to your desk. When the ideas dry up, pick one, set a timer, and just write. Writer’s block thrives in vagueness—prompts bring clarity.

4. Rewrite prompt responses as polished content

Not everything you write from a prompt will be book-ready—but much of it will be editable into chapters, blog posts, or emails. As a writing coach, I often advise clients to recycle this content across platforms.

For example:

  • A story of personal failure? → Chapter opener.

  • A simplified explanation? → LinkedIn carousel.

  • A belief you argue for? → Podcast script.

One writing session can fuel multiple pieces of content.

5. Build your author voice through repetition

These prompts don’t just help you write—they help you find your voice. When you describe, narrate, explain, and argue regularly, your tone sharpens. You stop mimicking and start sounding like yourself.

Over time, you’ll notice patterns in your writing:

  • Certain metaphors you love

  • Core beliefs you repeat

  • Vocabulary that feels natural

Final Thoughts: Start Writing Before You Feel Ready

You don’t need to know your book’s title to start writing it. Nor do you need a clever hook, a traditional deal, or 30 hours a week. You need a way in, and these prompts are exactly that.

Writing a book is not a linear process. It's a process of excavation. Your ideas are already there, layered beneath lived experience, unspoken beliefs, and the quiet clarity you've earned over the years. Writing prompts are tools. They help you dig.

Every time you describe a turning point, narrate a failure, explain a hard-won insight, or argue for change, you move closer to a book that matters. And not just to you, but to the people who need it.

The truth is, someone out there is waiting for the story only you can tell. And the first sentence might just begin with one of these prompts.

Click here to get a printable version of the prompts!

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Leandre Larouche

Article by Leandre Larouche

Leandre Larouche is a writer, coach, and the founder of Trivium Writing.