Looking for creative nonfiction essay prompts—not argumentative, not persuasive, just interesting.

[Tebberty]

I’m so tired of argumentative essays. I don’t want to prove anything. I want to explore something.

I found this book coming out in 2026 called Teaching the Anti-Essay by Wesley Phillipson . It’s for secondary teachers, but the concept is exactly what I need: 18 creative nonfiction prompts that treat writing as “thinking on paper” rather than winning a debate .

Examples of what I mean:

• Write like a journalist profiling a subculture.
• Write like a professional blogger reflecting on a mundane object.
• Write like a creative nonfiction essayist finding meaning in a failed experiment.

Does anyone have prompts like this for college level? Not “what is your opinion on X.” Just “here’s a lens. go look at something.”

I’ll start: “Write about a piece of technology you trust—and why you trust it.” (Inspired by Harvard’s AI satisfaction research .)

Drop your favorite creative/exploratory prompts below.

 

[SarahJones]

OKAY I HAVE SO MANY I'M JUST GONNA DROP THEM HERE

• "Write about an object you kept even though you had no practical reason to keep it"
• "Describe a moment you realized someone you loved was wrong about something important"
• "Write about a time you were absolutely certain—and then discovered you were wrong"
• "Examine a photograph of yourself from exactly five years ago. What does that person not know yet?"
• "Write about a tradition your family does that makes no sense to outsiders"
• "Describe a fear you outgrew—and one that grew with you"
• "Write about a time you were offered help and refused it. Why?"
• "Explore the last time you changed your mind about something significant"

The goal isn't to argue!! It's just to LOOK closely and see what's there!! That's what makes nonfiction sing!!