50 Sad Story Writing Prompts That Aren’t Boring
Writing prompts are becoming one of the greatest ways to initiate conversations and writing at different levels. The Love to Know defines a writing prompt as a statement that is accompanied by a question that one can use to design or craft a story. The questions are intended to guide the writer or the storyteller on particular areas they should pay attention to. A sad story writing prompts carry emotions of sorrowfulness or events that we would never wish to have again in our lives. Like all the other writing prompts, sad story writing prompts fall into different categories, as seen in our discussion.
Creative Sad Story Writing Prompts
These are writing prompts based on possibilities the writer has never experienced. They may contain questions or use eclipses to give the writer a chance to pick up a story from a given level. Some of them are as stated below.
50. That night, my brother went to bed early, Having his usual smile. However, in the morning, he never came to wake me up as he used to. When I went to his room, I found him crying and he told me that…
49. On that morning, you were expecting your father, who was serving abroad, to return. Instead, you realize that things are not good when you see the army captain knock at your family’s door. Upon opening the door, his tired face looked at your mother, and he delivered the sad news that…
48. Your class teacher has been sick and hospitalized for a long period. When you finally visited them, you met your friends who were crying, saying how good the deceased teacher was…
47. You have just arrived home and found your pet dead. What will you do?
46. There is that Stranger you always see at the church gate begging for food. What will you do if you realize that he is one of your lost relatives, of which you were unaware?
45. You have just visited your friend’s house, and you find that they have lost their sibling through a terrific road accident. What are the best three songs you would sing to them and why?
44. Your grandmother has been telling you that you have to visit her soon. The day you intend to travel, you have fallen sick. Please write a letter to him explaining the situation.
43. You have been diagnosed with cancer, and you have been told that you have three months to live. If allowed to choose the best thing you wish to do, what will that be?
42. You have been given a role where you must cry during a play. What event will you think of so that you shed tears in that part of the play?
41. You are tired of some students bullying others in the school. What are the appropriate actions that you think should be taken by your school to stop the vice?
Descriptive Sad Story Writing Prompts
After stating the statement, there is the use of phrases like “write about,” “describe,” or “tell your…”. Descriptive writing prompts target learners’ ability to talk about a real-life experience. The learners must give in detail how painful the event/ experience was, and they must do so vividly. Some of the best examples are as given below:
40. Last summer you went on a holiday camp. When having a play, one of your friends got injured, tell your class the appropriate steps you took.
39. You have just moved into a new school and like its diet. What are some of the most boring meals you wish they could do away with?
38. When packing clothes for hiking and camping classes, you forgot to pack your cold-weather clothes. Describe how bad the experience was.
37. You arrived home, and you found that there was a fire that had consumed everything you had. Describe one item which you felt so bad losing and why?
36. Families can be separated through legal means. When your parents decided to separate, you had to make a difficult choice on which you would live with them. Write about why you chose the one you have today.
35. Your family has just moved into a new location, and on the first Sunday, after coming from church, you find that someone broke into your parents’ house and stole several items. What are the factors which could have contributed to this?
34. There are friends your parents have warned against interacting with them. What are some of the reasons they have advanced against them?
33. Some of your classmates have racially discriminated against your new friend in your school. Describe the right measures you would take to ensure that the same does not happen in future.
32. You have consistently failed in a certain subject, and the reason is because of the bad attitude the subject teacher has towards you. Describe how you wish to solve the problem.
31. One of your parents was transferred to a foreign country last year, and since then, he has been coming only twice a year. He has just arrived and wants to know how things have been without them. Describe the situation.
Imaginative Sad Story Writing Prompts
Most times, imaginative writing prompts are confused with creative ones. However, there is still a thin line between them in that imaginative prompts may create situations that may not exist in real life and may be based on things we may never experience. On the other hand, creative prompts are based on real situations, and their probability is so high. You will likely see the phrase “imagine that” or “if it were true that. ” Here are some of the imaginative sad story-creating prompts.
30. Imagine that you are your school’s principal [all and the students who had gone on a trip got into an accident, and all of them have lost their lives. How would you break the story to the rest of the school?
29. Last night, you dreamt of floods in your area, and all the houses will be swept. Imagine that all your dreams must come to pass. How will you break the news to your parents?
28. Your parents have never entertained the idea that you choose a pet for yourself. Imagine that you have won a cash award and have decided to buy yourself a pet instead. How will you convince your parents why they should allow you to own a pet?
27. Imagine that you can stop people from destroying the environment. What are some of the laws you would pass to make this happen?
26. Imagine that all the stories you hear about an abandoned building in your village are true and, with your friends, must get into it to confirm the same.
25. Imagine that there is that one guy who keeps mocking your sister that she is a “fat lady with no shape.” What will you do to stop him?
24. There are places you wish to visit in your life. Imagine one of such places and write about them.
23. Imagine that you are the lead character in a leading movie cast that has just hit the airwaves and has fallen sick. Whom will you recommend that they take up your role and why?
22. You know that there is a new developer in your area demanding the evictions of the people surrounding his area. What are the best actions you can take to stop this?
21. You have been a teacher in your local school, and students have decided to go on strike. Imagine that you are the only teacher who is easily available; what will you do to stop them?
Poetic Sad Story Writing Prompts
Poetry is one of the greatest ways we can poetry our sad feelings. Poetic sad story writing prompts to guide the writer in focusing their energy on telling a painful emotional experience. Britannica summarizes poetry as the use of literature to evoke emotions through creative and imaginative writing skills. Some of them are as stated below.
20. Your current grade/ form is the worst year you have ever had in school. Write a poem to document all the bad incidents.
19. You have just witnessed the border police separate a parent from their kids. Write a poem to narrate the situation.
18. Your parents have been embroiled in marital fights daily. This has had a lot of negative impact on your school performance. Write a poem on the same.
17. You have entered a competition to write poems about the fallen army soldiers. Do a poem you shall present with your class at their memorial service.
16. There has been serious water pollution in your area. Do a poem about it.
15. Parents’ Day is just around the corner, and your teacher needs you to do a poem on bullying. In a group of five, write and pre-recite the poem.
14. You have been looking for your sister, who disappeared five years ago. Write a poem on the things you miss about her.
13. War has serious implications for people’s lives. Write a poem on why you do not like war.
12. Using a short poem, tell people how difficult it has been as an orphan.
11. You remember that time you were in a deep depression? Write a poem to your friends about how you felt.
Speculative Sad Story Writing Prompts
Speculative prompts find their place between imaginative and creative prompts. They carry the elements of both prompts only that they introduce the use of the phrase “what if” to initiate a possibility. Some of the best sad story writing prompts are as stated below.
10. Accidents have been the greatest cause of death in your nation. What would you do if such a tragedy occurred in your school?
9. You have not been aware that your friend is a gang member in the town. What would happen if the police conducted a search and found his murder weapon at your house?
8. What if you realized that your parents are drug dealers who have been responsible for the death of several youths in your area?
7. You have been planning your wedding for the last two years. What if another person shows up and claims that they have been having an affair with your partner for longer?
6. You have planned to visit the children with your wife, whom you work with, at a place far away from home. What if one of you is denied permission at the workplace?
5. You have been selected to represent your school at the regional competitions. What if you sustain an injury?
4. You have been hoping you will retire from your current company. What if it closed down?
3. You have always known that your birth parents are the ones you have been living with. What if you find documents showing that you were adopted?
2. Your class teacher has been your role model. What if you are watching the news in the evening and see them arrested for being a serial sex offender?
1. You have been performing well in your favorite subjects. What if you fail the last exam?
Why Writing Prompts?
Though we have analyzed different writing prompts and how they can be useful, it is good that we look at the general importance of writing prompts.
- They can be used as the platform for writers to create future writings on books or novels.
- They unclog a writer’s mind by guiding them on the specific areas they should write about. For example, after a long holiday, students may have a problem trying to get what they should write, but using writing prompts, they can quickly sort out these problems.
- They are important in enhancing learners’ creativity levels by giving them new ideas.
- Through them, writers learn how to initiate their stories.
- Where they are set in a school context, they are used by teachers to determine improvements in the writing skills of a given learner as they move from one level to another.
In Conclusion
The above sad story writing prompts have been designed with much respect for learners’ and writers’ abilities. Depending on the writer’s capability, they have a wide room from which they can choose. Teachers can use some of them and develop new prompts. For example, one can improve poetic prompts into imaginative or creative writing prompts. We hope that we have guided you to understand and get a list of 50 sad writing prompts that are not boring.