what is essay prompt

What Is a Prompt in Writing? (Ultimate Guide + 200 Examples)

Ever stumbled upon a blank page and didn’t know where to start?

That’s where a writing prompt steps in, kicking your creativity into gear and guiding your pen (or cursor) in the right direction.

What is a prompt in writing?

A prompt in writing is a starting point designed to ignite creativity, guiding writers to explore themes, genres, or emotions. It can be a word, question, image, or scenario, aiding in overcoming writer’s block.

Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about prompts in writing.

What Is a Prompt in Writing (Long Description)?

Table of Contents

A writing prompt is essentially a starting point.

Think of it as a spark designed to ignite your creativity and guide your thoughts in a specific direction.

This little nudge can come in various forms – a word, a sentence, a question, or even a picture – and serves the purpose of inspiring you to write.

Whether you’re drafting a story, an essay, or just jotting down your thoughts, prompts help overcome the intimidation of a blank page.

It sets a predefined theme or direction for your writing.

They’re not just about what you write, but how you think and approach writing, encouraging you to explore new ideas, genres, and perspectives.

Here is a good video that explains prompts in writing:

Types of Prompts in Writing

Now let’s go over different types of prompts in writing.

Common prompt types include:

The Story Starter

The question quest, picture this, the first line frenzy.

The Story Starter is your classic nudge towards narrative creativity.

It’s a sentence or scenario meant to kick off your storytelling journey, helping you dive straight into the plot, characters, or setting.

This type of prompt is great for fiction writers looking for a jumping-off point to explore various themes or genres.

It can be as detailed or as open-ended as you like, providing just enough information to spark an idea without dictating the direction of your story.

• “When the clock struck midnight, she realized…”
• “Lost in the forest, he stumbled upon a hidden village…”
• “The last person on Earth sat alone in a room. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door…”
• “In a world where magic is real, a young apprentice discovers…”
• “The photograph in the old book revealed a secret that would change everything…”
• “Stranded on a desert island, they found a message in a bottle…”
• “On her hundredth birthday, she received a letter that took her back to her youth…”
• “The map led them to a place that wasn’t supposed to exist…”
• “In the midst of war, a forbidden love blossomed…”
• “He inherited an old mansion, not knowing the ancestors would still be around…”

The Question Quest prompt type uses intriguing questions to push your thinking boundaries and explore ideas in depth.

It’s perfect for essays, reflective writing, or exploring complex themes and issues.

These prompts challenge you to consider different perspectives, analyze situations, and develop reasoned arguments or narratives based on the question posed.

• “What would you do if you could travel back in time?”
• “How would society change if humans lived to be 300 years old?”
• “Is it possible to live a completely ethical life in today’s world?”
• “What does true bravery look like?”
• “How would the discovery of extraterrestrial life impact humanity?”
• “What is the true cost of progress?”
• “Can happiness be measured?”
• “What role does fate play in our lives?”
• “Is technology bringing us closer together or driving us apart?”
• “What would you change if you were the leader of your country for a day?”

Picture This prompts use images as the springboard for writing.

A photograph, painting, or even a random doodle can unlock a flood of creativity.

Which makes it an excellent tool for both fiction and non-fiction writers.

This visual cue encourages you to dive into descriptive writing, storytelling, or even analytical essays, exploring the emotions, stories, or ideas evoked by the image.

• A deserted street at dawn, with an old bicycle leaning against a lamppost.
• A vintage suitcase, open and filled with letters and photographs.
• A bustling market scene in a foreign country.
• A child gazing out of a rain-spattered window.
• A majestic mountain range under the stars.
• An abandoned house, its rooms still furnished but covered in dust.
• A close-up of a spider web with dewdrops.
• A lively street festival, with people dancing and musicians playing.
• An old, faded map with several places marked in red.
• A serene lake at sunset, with a lone boat tied to a wooden dock.

The First Line Frenzy is a thrilling way to dive into a story.

These prompts provide the opening sentence of your narrative, setting the tone and direction for everything that follows.

It’s a fantastic method for overcoming writer’s block and sparking your imagination, as the initial line can lead to unexpected and exciting story developments.

• “The day began with a mysterious package on my doorstep.”
• “I never believed in ghosts until I moved into the old Henderson house.”
• “The moment I heard the news, I knew my life would never be the same.”
• “Under the light of a full moon, the city revealed its true secrets.”
• “It was the kind of café you’d stumble upon once and never find again.”
• “With a deep breath, I stepped into the unknown.”
• “The letter, sealed with a wax emblem, contained a proposition I couldn’t refuse.”
• “As the train pulled away, she realized her mistake.”
• “In the heart of the ancient forest, a hidden path led to unexpected wonders.”
• “The discovery promised to rewrite history, but at what cost?”

Dialogue Driven

Dialogue Driven prompts center around a snippet of conversation, offering a dynamic entry point into your writing.

This approach is particularly effective for character development and exploring relationships through direct speech.

It can set the scene, reveal personalities, and drive the plot forward, all through the power of dialogue.

• “Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?” “I was hoping.”
• “Why is this door always locked?” “You’re not ready to know what’s behind it.”
• “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” “That’s where you’re wrong.”
• “The stars look different here.” “Everything does.”
• “I wish I could stay.” “Then why are you leaving?”
• “It’s not about what I want anymore.” “Then what’s it about?”
• “I’ve never seen anything like it.” “And you never will again.”
• “Can you keep a secret?” “Depends on the secret.”
• “We’re not in Kansas anymore.” “We’re not even on the same planet.”
• “It was supposed to be a simple plan.” “Since when does anything go according to plan?”

The Sensory Dive

The Sensory Dive prompts are designed to immerse you and your reader in vivid, sensory-rich experiences.

These prompts encourage descriptive writing that appeals to the senses, painting a scene so tangible that readers feel they can touch, taste, hear, see, and smell it.

It’s a powerful tool for creating immersive worlds and experiences.

• Describe the cacophony of a bustling city market at noon.
• The taste of the first snowflake of winter.
• The scent of old books in a forgotten library.
• The feeling of sand between your toes as waves crash on the shore.
• The sight of a landscape transformed by autumn’s touch.
• The sound of a distant thunderstorm approaching.
• The warmth of a crackling fire on a cold night.
• The chill of walking through a foggy graveyard at dusk.
• The texture of an ancient, carved stone.
• The silence of a snow-covered forest.

The What-If Wonder

The What-If Wonder prompts take you on a journey of imagination, exploring alternate realities and scenarios.

These prompts ask you to consider how different choices, events, or conditions might alter the world, characters, or story.

It’s an excellent way to delve into speculative fiction, science fiction, and fantasy, pushing the boundaries of reality.

• What if humans had the ability to communicate telepathically?
• What if gravity suddenly became a variable force on Earth?
• What if you woke up 100 years in the past with your current memories intact?
• What if plants were the dominant intelligent species on the planet?
• What if you could see the future but only 24 hours ahead?
• What if water was as rare as gold?
• What if everyone had their lifespan displayed above their heads?
• What if you found a door that could take you to parallel universes?
• What if animals could petition for their rights?
• What if dreams were actually glimpses into alternate realities?

The Emotional Rollercoaster

The Emotional Rollercoaster prompt is all about exploring the depths of human emotion, challenging you to convey complex feelings and reactions.

These prompts are perfect for delving into character development, interpersonal relationships, and personal reflection.

By focusing on the emotional landscape, writers can create compelling narratives that resonate with readers on a deeply personal level.

• The moment you realized you were in love.
• Feeling utterly lost in a place you once called home.
• The bitter sweetness of a farewell.
• Overcoming a fear that once held you back.
• The complex emotions of reuniting with someone after many years.
• The guilt of a lie that spiraled out of control.
• The rush of achieving something you thought was impossible.
• The profound sadness of losing a cherished memory to time.
• The unexpected joy found in a simple act of kindness.
• The peace of accepting things you cannot change.

The Genre Blender

The Genre Blender prompts encourage you to mix elements from different genres, creating unique and innovative narratives.

These prompts are excellent for writers looking to break the mold and experiment with their storytelling.

Whether it’s combining science fiction with historical fiction or fantasy with mystery, the possibilities are endless.

• A detective in a dystopian future solving a crime that could change the course of history.
• A romance blossoming in the midst of a zombie apocalypse.
• A fantasy world where magic is dying, and technology is on the rise.
• A historical drama set in ancient Rome, but with a twist of time travel.
• A horror story set in space, aboard a ship with a mysterious alien artifact.
• A western where the frontier towns are protected by wizards instead of gunslingers.
• A cyberpunk thriller featuring a heist in a virtual reality world.
• A mystery set in a magical school where the students must uncover a dark secret.
• A superhero story grounded in the real-world challenges of modern society.
• An adventure tale that blends deep-sea exploration with ancient mythology.

The Time Traveler’s Gateway

The Time Traveler’s Gateway prompts explore the intricacies of time travel, its implications, and its paradoxes.

This type of prompt is perfect for science fiction and speculative fiction writers, offering a playground for the imagination that challenges our understanding of time, history, and causality.

• Discovering a time machine in your backyard and deciding where to go first.
• A message from the future warning of an impending disaster.
• The consequences of changing a small event in the past.
• A society where time travel is common, but strictly regulated.
• An ancient civilization that had advanced time travel technology.
• Meeting your ancestors and learning their secrets.
• The ethical dilemmas of using time travel for personal gain.
• A love story that transcends time barriers.
• The discovery that history is a construct, shaped by time travelers.
• A time loop where the protagonist must solve a puzzle to escape.

The World Builder’s Dream

The World Builder’s Dream prompts invite you to create entire worlds from scratch.

This type of prompt is a boon for fantasy and science fiction writers, offering the freedom to craft unique settings, cultures, laws of nature, and societies.

It’s an opportunity to let your imagination run wild and establish the groundwork for epic tales.

• A planet where the seasons last for decades.
• A city built entirely on the back of a giant, wandering creature.
• A society where people’s roles are determined by their innate magical abilities.
• An underwater civilization that has never seen the surface.
• A world where dreams can be entered and manipulated.
• A floating island nation that travels the skies.
• A dystopian future where memories can be bought and sold.
• A kingdom where music is the source of all magic.
• A realm where the night lasts half the year.
• An alternate Earth where the continents never split apart.

The Unseen Perspective

The Unseen Perspective prompts challenge you to write from the viewpoint of non-human characters or entities.

This approach forces you to step outside the human experience and consider the world from a completely different angle.

It’s a fantastic way to explore themes of consciousness, nature, and the interconnectedness of life.

• The life of a tree over centuries, witnessing the changes in the world.
• A day in the life of a household pet during a major family event.
• The thoughts of a spaceship AI as it travels through the cosmos.
• The experiences of a ghost haunting an old mansion.
• A story told from the perspective of a river, from source to sea.
• The journey of a single leaf from sprout to falling to the ground.
• The collective consciousness of a hive of bees facing environmental challenges.
• The ancient spirit of a mountain overseeing its surroundings.
• The adventures of a book as it passes from reader to reader, experiencing different interpretations and emotions.
• The perspective of a city as it grows and evolves over centuries, through peace and conflict.

The Emotional Journey

The Emotional Journey prompts focus on the internal growth and transformation of characters.

It invites writers to delve into personal development, self-discovery, and the overcoming of obstacles.

This type of prompt is ideal for character-driven narratives, where the emphasis is on emotional depth and the evolution of the protagonist’s inner self.

• A character grappling with the loss of a loved one and finding a way to move forward.
• The journey of self-acceptance for someone who feels out of place in their world.
• A hero facing their darkest fears in order to save what they cherish most.
• A villain’s realization of the impact of their actions and their quest for redemption.
• A young adult’s transition into independence and the challenges they face along the way.
• The transformation of a skeptic into a believer through a series of unexplainable events.
• The struggle of a character to forgive themselves and others for past mistakes.
• The process of rebuilding one’s life after a catastrophic event.
• A character’s journey from indifference to passionate advocacy for a cause.
• The evolving relationship between two characters who start as rivals and become allies.

The Moral Dilemma

The Moral Dilemma prompts put characters in situations where they must make difficult choices, often between two equally undesirable options.

These prompts are great for exploring ethical questions, character morality, and the complexity of human nature.

They challenge writers to think deeply about what it means to make a “right” decision.

• Choosing between saving a loved one or a group of strangers from danger.
• Deciding whether to expose a painful truth that could destroy a friend’s happiness.
• The choice of upholding the law or doing what is morally right in a corrupt society.
• A character must decide whether to seek revenge or forgive an unforgivable act.
• The dilemma of sacrificing personal dreams for the greater good.
• Deciding whether to keep a secret that protects one person but harms others.
• A leader’s choice between peace at the cost of justice or war for the sake of freedom.
• The ethical implications of using advanced technology to alter human nature.
• A scientist faces a moral conflict over a discovery that could change the world but has dangerous implications.
• The struggle of a character who finds out that their entire life is based on a lie and must choose how to react.

The Creative Challenge

The Creative Challenge prompts are designed to push the boundaries of conventional storytelling.

It encourages experimentation with narrative structure, style, and content.

These prompts invite writers to play with unconventional formats, such as a story told in reverse, a narrative composed entirely of dialogue, or a tale that weaves multiple perspectives into a cohesive whole.

• A story told through a series of diary entries, each revealing a piece of the puzzle.
• A narrative structured as a series of text messages between characters.
• A tale that begins with its conclusion and works backward to the start.
• A story where each chapter is from the perspective of a different character, all revolving around a single event.
• A narrative composed entirely of letters sent between two characters.
• A story told through the lens of an inanimate object witnessing events unfold.
• A tale that intertwines the past and present, revealing how they mirror and affect each other.
• A narrative that challenges the concept of linear time, mixing moments from various points in the characters’ lives.
• A story where the setting changes in each chapter, influencing the plot and characters in unique ways.
• A narrative that plays with genre conventions, blending elements from different genres in unexpected ways.

Final Thoughts: What Is a Prompt in Writing?

I hope this guide “prompts” you to understanding, creativity, and motivation to write.

Check out some of our other great guides below.

Read This Next:

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Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

Putting the Pieces Together: What Are Writing Prompts?

What are writing prompts.

Why Are Prompts Used in WRIT?

Learning to write well takes time and practice. Becoming a better writer, whether for academic or professional purposes, can only begin if you actively engage with other writers, and, most importantly, other viewpoints. Responding to another writer involves not only understanding  the argument or position that they make, but also determining whether you agree, disagree, or partially agree with their position. Your goal as a developing writer, then, is to articulate your view clearly and concisely on an issue, to support it with solid reasons, and to respond to potential arguments other readers may raise about your own argument.

How Are Prompts Used in WRIT?

In WRIT, weekly prompts are used to allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the writing process.  Through guided writing practice, your instructor will use timely and topical writing scenarios so that you can apply the various aspects of writing competency in an incremental way each week.  Sure, writing weekly can seem daunting for some or repetitive for others. Yet, it is important to remember that learning any new skill involves a level of repetition.

Learning to write is an iterative process, which means you will get better the more often you write. You know what they say: practice makes perfect – and this is especially true when learning to write. Using prompts regularly as part of our writing curriculum can boost the chances that you will not only improve as a writer but also feel connected to the writing process itself.

Understanding Writing Prompts

A strong prompt response contains several components, components which must all work together to produce a finished product with which other readers can engage. As an emerging writer, we hope you will develop a number of skills to ensure you are understood. These skills include the ability to:

• create a clear thesis (or main argument)
• develop a logical organizational structure
• use effective and formal language
• vary your sentence structures
• write cleanly without grammatical error to express yourself clearly and concisely

While learning to write effectively depends on your ability to master many of these skills,  one skill can be taught quickly: how to understand a writing prompt.  In fact, this should be the first skill you focus on as a developing writer.  Why? Because if you are unable to understand a piece of writing, then responding to it will be very difficult. Put another way: to make an argument about something, you’ll need to make sure you fully understand the arguments made by another writer– in our case the writer of the prompt . This skill requires more that simple reading comprehension.  More often than not,  strong students receive a weak writing grade because they misunderstood the prompt. In order to respond successfully , you must learn to analyze the prompt before responding to it.

Questions to Ask

The first phase of composing a strong piece of writing occurs in the pre-writing phase, and in WRIT you’ll practice and learn how to  plan your writing responses. Unlike a formal research essay assignment–where you’ll often have weeks to research, plan, and compose a polished final essay–in WRIT,  your responses will be shorter and designed to be completed within a set period of time. The ability to respond in writing quickly is a core skill you’ll practice in WRIT; that skill is called time-on task writing. While, the pre-writing phase will be shorter, you should still learn to ask a few key questions about the prompt to help narrow down your overall writing goal.

When reading a writing prompt, the following are helpful questions to ask and answer:

• What is the topic of the prompt?
• What is the main argument (thesis) the author makes?
• What is the purpose of the prompt? Why does the author want to convince you of her argumentative position?
• What kind of details or supporting points does the author provide?
• Do I agree or disagree with the author’s points? Why or why not?
• Can I provide reasons to oppose the author’s argument?
• Do I understand WHY I support or oppose the author’s argument?

By asking and answering these questions, you can jump-start your essay outline and formulate your own thesis. A good way to begin is to write a one-sentence response to each question. Whether you practice this skill in class or not, there are a number of ways that you can do so everyday. You can:

• Read an opinion editorial on a news site
• Watch a film documentary
• Watch a television interview
• Listen to a documentary podcast
• Track a social media hashtag

Most of the media with which we engage on a daily basis comes with thesis statements, points of view, arguments both well supported and not-so-well supported: the more you bring critical thought–by applying the core questions from above–to these spaces, the more you’ll develop into a critical thinker who is ready to become a critical writer.

Putting the Pieces Together Copyright © 2020 by Andrew Stracuzzi and André Cormier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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What Is a Writing Prompt and What Types There Are?

June 2, 2022

What Is An Essay Prompt?

Understanding writing prompts, types of writing prompts, how to write a prompt, how to respond to essay writing prompts for beginners, key takeaways.

Do you love writing but sometimes feel stuck or uninspired? Are you looking for a way to jumpstart your creative process ? If so, writing prompts may be just what you need. But what is a writing prompt and what is its role in writing?

In this article, we will discuss the definition of a writing prompt, explore different types of prompts, and learn how to write one yourself.

What Is a Writing Prompt?

A writing prompt is a sentence, paragraph, or (rarer) an image that provides inspiration and guidance for creative writing . It may be used as a possible topic or starting point for an original essay, report, journal entry, story, poem, etc. A writing prompt’s main aim is to test a writer’s analytical capabilities, writing skills, and ability to express their point of view.

Writing prompts for students have long been used in the classroom to encourage student attention and develop their capacity to focus on a certain subject, idea, or concept. They also give students the chance to express their own opinions on a certain topic. Prompts stimulate students’ critical thinking and offer them an opportunity to construct a well-reasoned, structured argument in response to another writer’s viewpoint.

An essay prompt is a subtype of the writing prompt. Essay prompts are generally made up of 1 to 3 sentences that provide some context about the subject, followed by a question that asks students to write about a certain topic in the form of an essay .

The goal is to get students to respond with an essay focusing on a statement or issue in order to assess their writing, reasoning, and analytical abilities.

Analyzing your writing prompt is easier if you highlight the important words while reading it . Here are some of the words you should watch out for:

• Argue – requires you to present facts that support your opinion
• Compare – determine the similarities and differences between two or more concepts
• Define – provide a definition of a specific concept or subject
• Discuss – explain various aspects of a subject or problem and reach a conclusion
• Describe – give a detailed description of an event or a particular person, place, or thing

Prompts can help improve your writing skills by providing practice in brainstorming, planning, drafting, revising, and editing . Daily writing prompts can also help you practice and develop your understanding of grammar when learning a new language .

Following are the most common types of writing prompts that students come across as a part of their degrees or continuing education programs:

Descriptive

Descriptive prompts frequently include cue terms such as “describe in detail,” “describe how something looked/felt/smelled/tasted,” and so on. In this type of writing, the reader should be able to experience what you’re writing about. Descriptive writing exercises frequently request writers to provide details that will help the reader construct a vivid picture by including sensory elements , such as sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste.

Expository/Informative

Expository writing prompts are a good writing practice for teens and college students. Expository prompts typically ask the writer to describe, compare and contrast, discuss pros and cons, or define something .

Expository writing has a particular purpose and audience in mind; as a result, the style and voice must correspond to the set subject and audience. The following words are used as cues to elicit expository answers: why, how, what, and explain.

The act of writing a narrative is the process of recording and telling events from one’s personal or fictional experience . Identifying what a narrative writing prompt look like is easy when you know what to look for. These prompts call for insight, creativity, drama, suspense, humor, and/or fantasy, and often contain the term “tell about…,” “write a story,” or “describe”.

Writers should use real or invented experiences when responding to narrative prompts. They should also incorporate dialogue, sensory elements, and sensible sequences into their response.

In this sort of prompt, the writers are expected to express their viewpoint on a certain subject, followed by logical reasoning and facts . This can either be a controversial issue or something light-hearted and fun. No matter what the topic is, if you’re wondering how to start a writing prompt like this, just make sure you’re clear and concise so that the reader knows exactly what is being discussed.

Persuasive prompts are writing prompts that require the writer to convince or persuade the reader to agree with a certain point of view . These types of prompts typically use cue words such as “convince,” “persuade,” and “why” rather than “how.”

To write a persuasive prompt, it is important to first brainstorm ideas and then narrow down your focus to come up with a creative and unique prompt. Remember to consider your audience when writing persuasive prompts.

The research approach to daily writing prompts encourages writers to look for information on a given topic using books, internet resources, films, etc . Such a writing assignment asks students to look up all the details and provide the resources as well, sometimes in the form of a bibliography .

When you start writing, no matter the type and form of the written piece, it’s important to consider your audience and purpose. When you’re responding to a written prompt that lists children as your target audience, for example, you’ll need to use age-appropriate language and focus on the topics that are interesting for the particular age group . Apart from the audience, you need to pay attention to the following factors, as well:

Prompt Construction

Breaking down the writing prompt into three parts is another useful approach for better conveying the task’s meaning:

• the first part introduces the subject
• the second part encourages writers to think about it, perhaps with a brainstorming pre-writing exercise
• the third portion explains what needs to be written

In order to avoid confusion, writing prompts should be brief and focused . The instructor must make sure that the students are provided with sufficient information in order for them to understand the writing assignment completely.

The components of the prompt can be repeated, but using parallel wording will help writers stay focused on the specific writing task.

Bias and Sensitivity

The topics of your creative writing prompts should be inclusive and fair to all potential writers . The prompts should be written in a way that allows writers to easily comprehend them, regardless of their cultural background or other variables. It’s important to avoid cultural, ethnic, gender, or any other form of bias when developing prompts.

After you’ve examined your prompt, it’s time to get creative and prepare for your essay writing:

• First, make a thesis statement to address the main issue . Your thesis statement should be the focal point of your whole essay and should reflect your stance on the issue.
• When responding to writing prompts for beginners, write simple topic sentences that cover all the criteria. Add any facts, elaborations, or evidence you need to back up your viewpoint.
• After you’ve finished, you may add more facts and smooth transitions between each phrase and paragraph . Make sure to include an eye-catching opening line in your first paragraph, as well as a conclusion that summarizes your ideas and thesis statement.

All in all, understanding what is a prompt in writing and how to respond to one is a key skill for all writers. By taking the time to analyze the prompt and brainstorm ideas, you’ll make sure that your written piece is clear, concise, and on-topic. Practicing with different types of prompts will help you hone your skills and become a more confident writer.

The three parts of a writing prompt are the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. The introduction sets the tone for the rest of the piece, the body provides support for the thesis, and the conclusion ties everything together and leaves readers with a final thought or impression.

Most writing prompts consist of the following six parts: articulation of purpose, a summary of the assignment, logistics, paper’s key components, framing questions, and evaluation criteria.

What is a writing prompt supposed to be like in order to both challenge a writer and let them showcase their writing skills? It must be clear and concise, and possible to answer in a short amount of time. It should also be open-ended enough to allow for creative interpretation, not requiring prior knowledge in order to be answered.

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I am curiosity-driven and detail-oriented so you will often find me researching the latest trends, experimenting with search engine optimization, or testing software. As a keen observer of content, my teammates often like to joke that "noting escapes the eye of Beti."

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Over 170 Prompts to Inspire Writing and Discussion

Here are all of our Student Opinion questions from the 2020-21 school year. Each question is based on a different New York Times article, interactive feature or video.

By The Learning Network

Each school day we publish a new Student Opinion question, and students use these writing prompts to reflect on their experiences and identities and respond to current events unfolding around them. To introduce each question, we provide an excerpt from a related New York Times article or Opinion piece as well as a free link to the original article.

During the 2020-21 school year, we asked 176 questions, and you can find them all below or here as a PDF . The questions are divided into two categories — those that provide opportunities for debate and persuasive writing, and those that lend themselves to creative, personal or reflective writing.

Teachers can use these prompts to help students practice narrative and persuasive writing, start classroom debates and even spark conversation between students around the world via our comments section. For more ideas on how to use our Student Opinion questions, we offer a short tutorial along with a nine-minute video on how one high school English teacher and her students use this feature .

Questions for Debate and Persuasive Writing

1. Should Athletes Speak Out On Social and Political Issues? 2. Should All Young People Learn How to Invest in the Stock Market? 3. What Are the Greatest Songs of All Time? 4. Should There Be More Gender Options on Identification Documents? 5. Should We End the Practice of Tipping? 6. Should There Be Separate Social Media Apps for Children? 7. Do Marriage Proposals Still Have a Place in Today’s Society? 8. How Do You Feel About Cancel Culture? 9. Should the United States Decriminalize the Possession of Drugs? 10. Does Reality TV Deserve Its Bad Rap? 11. Should the Death Penalty Be Abolished? 12. How Should Parents Support a Student Who Has Fallen Behind in School? 13. When Is It OK to Be a Snitch? 14. Should People Be Required to Show Proof of Vaccination? 15. How Much Have You and Your Community Changed Since George Floyd’s Death? 16. Can Empathy Be Taught? Should Schools Try to Help Us Feel One Another’s Pain? 17. Should Schools or Employers Be Allowed to Tell People How They Should Wear Their Hair? 18. Is Your Generation Doing Its Part to Strengthen Our Democracy? 19. Should Corporations Take Political Stands? 20. Should We Rename Schools Named for Historical Figures With Ties to Racism, Sexism or Slavery? 21. How Should Schools Hold Students Accountable for Hurting Others? 22. What Ideas Do You Have to Improve Your Favorite Sport? 23. Are Presidential Debates Helpful to Voters? Or Should They Be Scrapped? 24. Is the Electoral College a Problem? Does It Need to Be Fixed? 25. Do You Care Who Sits on the Supreme Court? Should We Care? 26. Should Museums Return Looted Artifacts to Their Countries of Origin? 27. Should Schools Provide Free Pads and Tampons? 28. Should Teachers Be Allowed to Wear Political Symbols? 29. Do You Think People Have Gotten Too Relaxed About Covid? 30. Who Do You Think Should Be Person of the Year for 2020? 31. How Should Racial Slurs in Literature Be Handled in the Classroom? 32. Should There Still Be Snow Days? 33. What Are Your Reactions to the Storming of the Capitol by a Pro-Trump Mob? 34. What Do You Think of the Decision by Tech Companies to Block President Trump? 35. If You Were a Member of Congress, Would You Vote to Impeach President Trump? 36. What Would You Do First if You Were the New President? 37. Who Do You Hope Will Win the 2020 Presidential Election? 38. Should Media Literacy Be a Required Course in School? 39. What Are Your Reactions to the Results of Election 2020? Where Do We Go From Here? 40. How Should We Remember the Problematic Actions of the Nation’s Founders? 41. As Coronavirus Cases Surge, How Should Leaders Decide What Stays Open and What Closes? 42. What Is Your Reaction to the Inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris? 43. How Worried Should We Be About Screen Time During the Pandemic? 44. Should Schools Be Able to Discipline Students for What They Say on Social Media? 45. What Works of Art, Culture and Technology Flopped in 2020? 46. How Do You Feel About Censored Music? 47. Why Do You Think ‘Drivers License’ Became Such a Smash Hit? 48. Justice Ginsburg Fought for Gender Equality. How Close Are We to Achieving That Goal? 49. How Well Do You Think Our Leaders Have Responded to the Coronavirus Crisis? 50. To What Extent Is the Legacy of Slavery and Racism Still Present in America in 2020? 51. How Should We Reimagine Our Schools So That All Students Receive a Quality Education? 52. How Concerned Do You Think We Should Be About the Integrity of the 2020 Election? 53. What Issues in This Election Season Matter Most to You? 54. Is Summer School a Smart Way to Make Up for Learning Lost This School Year? 55. What Is Your Reaction to the Senate’s Acquittal of Former President Trump? 56. What Is the Worst Toy Ever? 57. How Should We Balance Safety and Urgency in Developing a Covid-19 Vaccine? 58. What Are Your Reactions to Oprah’s Interview With Harry and Meghan? 59. Should the Government Provide a Guaranteed Income for Families With Children? 60. Should There Be More Public Restrooms? 61. Should High School-Age Basketball Players Be Able to Get Paid? 62. Should Team Sports Happen This Year? 63. Who Are the Best Musical Artists of the Past Year? What Are the Best Songs? 64. Should We Cancel Student Debt? 65. How Closely Should Actors’ Identities Reflect the Roles They Play? 66. Should White Writers Translate a Black Author’s Work? 67. Would You Buy an NFT? 68. Should Kids Still Learn to Tell Time? 69. Should All Schools Teach Financial Literacy? 70. What Is Your Reaction to the Verdict in the Derek Chauvin Trial? 71. What Is the Best Way to Stop Abusive Language Online? 72. What Are the Underlying Systems That Hold a Society Together? 73. What Grade Would You Give President Biden on His First 100 Days? 74. Should High Schools Post Their Annual College Lists? 75. Are C.E.O.s Paid Too Much? 76. Should We Rethink Thanksgiving? 77. What Is the Best Way to Get Teenagers Vaccinated? 78. Do You Want Your Parents and Grandparents to Get the New Coronavirus Vaccine? 79. What Is Your Reaction to New Guidelines That Loosen Mask Requirements? 80. Who Should We Honor on Our Money? 81. Is Your School’s Dress Code Outdated? 82. Does Everyone Have a Responsibility to Vote? 83. How Is Your Generation Changing Politics?

Questions for Creative and Personal Writing

84. What Does Your Unique Style Say About You? 85. How Do You Spend Your Downtime? 86. Would You Want to Live to 200? 87. How Do You Connect to Your Heritage? 88. What Do You Think Are the Secrets to Happiness? 89. Are You a Sneakerhead? 90. What Role Have Mentors Played in Your Life? 91. If You Could Make Your Own Podcast, What Would It Be About? 92. Have You Ever Felt Pressure to ‘Sell Your Pain’? 93. Do You Think You Make Good Climate Choices? 94. What Does TikTok Mean to You? 95. Do Your Parents Overpraise You? 96. Do You Want to Travel in Space? 97. Do You Feel You’re Friends With Celebrities or Influencers You Follow Online? 98. Would You Eat Food Grown in a Lab? 99. What Makes You Cringe? 100. What Volunteer Work Would You Most Like to Do? 101. How Do You Respond When People Ask, ‘Where Are You From?’ 102. Has a School Assignment or Activity Ever Made You Uncomfortable? 103. How Does Your Identity Inform Your Political Beliefs and Values? 104. Are You an Orchid, a Tulip or a Dandelion? 105. Are You Having a Tough Time Maintaining Friendships These Days? 106. How Is Your Mental Health These Days? 107. Do You Love Writing or Receiving Letters? 108. What Has Television Taught You About Social Class? 109. Are You Easily Distracted? 110. What Objects Bring You Comfort? 111. What Is Your Favorite Memory of PBS? 112. Have You Ever Felt Embarrassed by Your Parents? 113. What Are You Doing to Combat Pandemic Fatigue? 114. Have You Ever Worried About Making a Good First Impression? 115. What Do You Want Your Parents to Know About What It’s Like to Be a Teenager During the Pandemic? 116. How Have You Collaborated From a Distance During the Pandemic? 117. How Important Is It to You to Have Similar Political Beliefs to Your Family and Friends? 118. How Are You Feeling About Winter This Year? 119. Which Celebrity Performer Would You Like to Challenge to a Friendly Battle? 120. How Mentally Tough Are You? 121. What Smells Trigger Powerful Memories for You? 122. What Are You Thankful for This Year? 123. Do You Miss Hugs? 124. Are You a Good Conversationalist? 125. What Habits Have You Started or Left Behind in 2020? 126. What Was the Best Art and Culture You Experienced in 2020? 127. What’s Your Relationship With Masks? 128. What Role Does Religion Play in Your Life? 129. How Will You Be Celebrating the Holidays This Year? 130. What Is Something Good That Happened in 2020? 131. What New Flavor Ideas Do You Have for Your Favorite Foods? 132. What Are Your Hopes and Concerns for the New School Year? 133. How Has 2020 Challenged or Changed You? 134. What Do You Hope for Most in 2021? 135. How Do You View Death? 136. What Is Your Favorite Fact You Learned in 2020? 137. What Are the Places in the World That You Love Most? 138. Have You Ever Experienced ‘Impostor Syndrome’? 139. How Well Do You Get Along With Your Siblings? 140. Do You Talk to Your Family About the Cost of College? 141. Do You Have a Healthy Diet? 142. How Do You Feel About Mask-Slipping? 143. Do You Believe in Manifesting? 144. How Do You Express Yourself Creatively? 145. What Are Your Family’s House Rules During the Covid Crisis? 146. What Online Communities Do You Participate In? 147. Have You Experienced Any Embarrassing Zoom Mishaps? 148. What Does Your Country’s National Anthem Mean to You? 149. Are Sports Just Not the Same Without Spectators in the Stands? 150. Would You Volunteer for a Covid-19 Vaccine Trial? 151. What ‘Old’ Technology Do You Think Is Cool? 152. Have You Ever Tried to Grow Something? 153. How Has the Pandemic Changed Your Relationship to Your Body? 154. How Do You Find New Books, Music, Movies or Television Shows? 155. Are You Nervous About Returning to Normal Life? 156. How Do You Celebrate Spring? 157. How Do You Talk With People Who Don’t Share Your Views? 158. Would You Want to Be a Teacher Someday? 159. What Would You Recommend That Is ‘Overlooked and Underappreciated’? 160. What Children’s Books Have Had the Biggest Impact on You? 161. What Is Your Gender Identity? 162. Have You Hit a Wall? 163. What Is the Code You Live By? 164. Do You Think You Have Experienced ‘Learning Loss’ During the Pandemic? 165. What Are the Most Memorable Things You’ve Seen or Experienced in Nature? 166. Do You Want to Have Children Someday? 167. What Have You Learned About Friendship This Year? 168. What Seemingly Mundane Feats Have You Accomplished? 169. Has a Celebrity Ever Convinced You to Do Something? 170. How Have You Commemorated Milestones During the Pandemic? 171. How Often Do You Read, Watch or Listen to Things Outside of Your Comfort Zone? 172. Do You Think You Live in a Political Bubble? 173. What Is Your Relationship With the Weight-Loss Industry? 174. What Have You Made This Year? 175. How Are You Right Now? 176. What Are You Grateful For?

Want more writing prompts?

You can find even more Student Opinion questions in our 300 Questions and Images to Inspire Argument Writing , 550 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing and 130 New Prompts for Argumentative Writing . We also publish daily Picture Prompts , which are image-centered posts that provide space for many different kinds of writing. You can find all of our writing prompts, added as they publish, here .

The 2021-22 Common Application Essay Prompts

Tips and Guidance for the 7 Essay Options on the New Common Application

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For the 2021-22 application cycle, the Common Application  essay prompts remain unchanged from the 2020-21 cycle with the exception of an all new option #4. As in the past, with the inclusion of the popular "Topic of Your Choice" option, you have the opportunity to write about anything you want to share with the folks in the admissions office.

The current prompts are the result of much discussion and debate from the member institutions who use the Common Application. The essay length limit stands at 650 words (the minimum is 250 words), and students will need to choose from the seven options below. The essay prompts are designed to encourage reflection and introspection. The best essays focus on self-analysis, rather than spending a disproportionate amount of time merely describing a place or event. Analysis, not description, will reveal the critical thinking skills that are the hallmark of a promising college student. If your essay doesn't include some self-analysis, you haven't fully succeeded in responding to the prompt.

According to the folks at the Common Application , in the 2018-19 admissions cycle, Option #7 (topic of your choice) was the most popular and was used by 24.1% of applicants. The second most popular was Option #5 (discuss an accomplishment) with 23.7% of applicants. In third place was Option #2 on a setback or failure. 21.1% of applicants chose that option.

From the Admissions Desk

"While the transcript and grades will always be the most important piece in the review of an application, essays can help a student stand out. The stories and information shared in an essay are what the Admissions Officer will use to advocate for the student in the admissions committee."

–Valerie Marchand Welsh Director of College Counseling, The Baldwin School Former Associate Dean of Admissions, University of Pennsylvania

Always keep in mind why colleges are asking for an essay: they want to get to know you better. Nearly all selective colleges and universities (as well as many that aren't overly selective) have holistic admissions, and they consider many factors in addition to numerical measures such as grades and standardized test scores. Your essay is an important tool for presenting something you find important that may not come across elsewhere in your application. Make sure your essay presents you as the type of person a college will want to invite to join their community.

Below are the seven options with some general tips for each:

Option #1  

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

"Identity" is at the heart of this prompt. What is it that makes you you? The prompt gives you a lot of latitude for answering the question since you can write a story about your "background, identity, interest, or talent." Your "background" can be a broad environmental factor that contributed to your development such as growing up in a military family, living in an interesting place, or dealing with an unusual family situation. You could write about an event or series of events that had a profound impact on your identity. Your "interest" or "talent" could be a passion that has driven you to become the person you are today. However you approach the prompt, make sure you are inward looking and explain how and why  the story you tell is so meaningful. 

• See more Tips and Strategies for Essay Option #1
• Sample essay for option #1: "Handiwork" by Vanessa
• Sample essay for option #1: "My Dads" by Charlie
• Sample essay for option #1: "Give Goth a Chance"
• Sample essay for option #1: "Wallflower"

Option #2  

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

This prompt may seem to go against everything that you've learned on your path to college. It's far more comfortable in an application to celebrate successes and accomplishments than it is to discuss setbacks and failure. At the same time, you'll impress the college admissions folks greatly if you can show your ability to learn from your failures and mistakes. Be sure to devote significant space to the second half of the question—how did you learn and grow from the experience? Introspection and honesty are key with this prompt.

• See more Tips and Strategies for Essay Option #2
• Sample essay for option #2: "Striking Out" by Richard
• Sample essay for option #2: "Student Teacher" by Max

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Keep in mind how open-ended this prompt truly is. The "belief or idea" you explore could be your own, someone else's, or that of a group. The best essays will be honest as they explore the difficulty of working against the status quo or a firmly held belief. The answer to the final question about the "outcome" of your challenge need not be a success story. Sometimes in retrospection, we discover that the cost of an action was perhaps too great. However you approach this prompt, your essay needs to reveal one of your core personal values. If the belief you challenged doesn't give the admissions folks a window into your personality, then you haven't succeeded with this prompt.

• See more Tips and Strategies for Essay Option #3
• Sample essay for option #3: "Gym Class Hero" by Jennifer

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Here, again, the Common Application gives you a lot of options for approaching the question since it is entirely up to you to decide what the "something" and "someone" will be. This prompt was added to the Common Application in the 2021-22 admissions cycle in part because it gives students the opportunity to write something heartfelt and uplifting after all the challenges of the previous year. The best essays for this prompt show that you are a generous person who recognizes the contributions others have made to your personal journey. Unlike many essays that are all about "me, me, me," this essay shows your ability to appreciate others. This type of generosity is an important character trait that schools look for when inviting people to join their campus communities.

• See more Tips and Strategies for Essay Option #4

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

This question was reworded in 2017-18 admissions cycle, and the current language is a huge improvement. The prompt use to talk about transitioning from childhood to adulthood, but the new language about a "period of personal growth" is a much better articulation of how we actually learn and mature (no single event makes us adults). Maturity comes as the result of a long train of events and accomplishments (and failures). This prompt is an excellent choice if you want to explore a single event or achievement that marked a clear milestone in your personal development. Be careful to avoid the "hero" essay—admissions offices are often overrun with essays about the season-winning touchdown or brilliant performance in the school play (see the list of bad essay topics for more about this issue). These can certainly be fine topics for an essay, but make sure your essay is analyzing your personal growth process, not bragging about an accomplishment.

• See more Tips and Strategies for Essay Option #5
• Sample essay for option #5: "Buck Up" by Jill

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

This option was entirely new in 2017, and it's a wonderfully broad prompt. In essence, it's asking you to identify and discuss something that enthralls you. The question gives you an opportunity to identify something that kicks your brain into high gear, reflect on why it is so stimulating, and reveal your process for digging deeper into something that you are passionate about. Note that the central words here—"topic, idea, or concept"—all have rather academic connotations. While you may lose track of time when running or playing football, sports are probably not the best choice for this particular question.

• See more Tips and Strategies for Essay Option #6

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

The popular "topic of your choice" option had been removed from the Common Application between 2013 and 2016, but it returned again with the 2017-18 admissions cycle. Use this option if you have a story to share that doesn't quite fit into any of the options above. However, the first six topics are extremely broad with a lot of flexibility, so make sure your topic really can't be identified with one of them. Also, don't equate "topic of your choice" with a license to write a comedy routine or poem (you can submit such things via the "Additional Info" option). Essays written for this prompt still need to have substance and tell your reader something about you. Cleverness is fine, but don't be clever at the expense of meaningful content.

• See more Tips and Strategies for Essay Option #7
• Sample essay for option #7: "My Hero Harpo" by Alexis
• Sample essay for option #7: "Grandpa's Rubik's Cube"

Final Thoughts

Whichever prompt you chose, make sure you are looking inward. What do you value? What has made you grow as a person? What makes you the unique individual the admissions folks will want to invite to join their campus community? The best essays spend significant time with self-analysis rather than merely describing a place or event.

The folks at The Common Application have cast a wide net with these questions, and nearly anything you want to write about could fit under at least one of the options. If your essay could fit under more than one option, it really doesn't matter which one you choose. Many admissions officers, in fact, don't even look at which prompt you chose—they just want to see that you have written a good essay.

• Tips for Writing an Essay on an Event That Led to Personal Growth
• Tips for the Pre-2013 Personal Essay Options on the Common Application
• Common Application Essay Option 2 Tips: Learning from Failure
• Topic of Your Choice: Common Application Essay Tips
• Common Application Essay Option 4—Gratitude
• Common Application Essay Option 3 Tips: Challenging a Belief
• Common Application Essay on a Meaningful Place
• A Sample Essay for Common Application Option #7: Topic of Your Choice
• 2020-21 Common Application Essay Option 4—Solving a Problem
• Common Application Essay, Option 1: Share Your Story
• "Grandpa's Rubik's Cube"—Sample Common Application Essay, Option #4
• "Gym Class Hero" - a Common Application Essay Sample for Option #3
• 5 Tips for a College Admissions Essay on an Important Issue
• Common Application Essay Option 6: Losing Track of Time
• Tips for an Application Essay on a Significant Experience
• "My Dads" - Sample Common Application Essay for Option #1

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Writing in Literature: Writing the Prompt Paper

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Whether you are given a selection of prompts to choose from or just one, knowing something about the various sorts of writing prompts can help you understand what your teacher expects and how you should approach the project.

“Compare and Contrast”

This classic writing prompt can be quite challenging because it sounds almost as if you are being asked to compile a list of similarities and differences. While a list might be of use in the planning stage, this prompt asks you to use what you discover to arrive at a conclusion about the two works under discussion.

Example: “Compare and contrast the two endings for Dickens’ Great Expectations paying special attention to the situation of Stella at the close of the novel.”

• Find three or four elements from the texts upon which to base your comparison.
• Examine possible connections and determine a thesis.
• Base your outline around the elements you’ve chosen, remembering to give equal coverage to each side.

“Discuss the theme of x as it appears in works a, b, and c.”

This is an extended or re-named compare and contrast prompt. In this situation, you are given a general theme, such as “loss of innocence” or “self-revelation.” Your job is to use the instances of that theme to arrive at some general conclusions regarding how the theme works in the text you are analyzing.

Example: “Discuss the ways in which Shakespeare talks about the passing of time in three of the sonnets we read for class.”

• Re-read carefully the selected works looking specifically for the theme or motif in question. Then research the ways in which other critics have examined this theme.
• Determine your argument. Will you make a claim for similarity (“A, b, and c use x in much the same way.”), difference (“A, b, and c, when dealing with x, take highly individual approaches.”), or superiority (“While a and b deal with x, c clearly demonstrates a richer, more nuanced treatment.”)?
• Organize your paper around the works, making each point deal thoroughly with a discrete work. Remember that connections are of the utmost importance for this paper, so pay close attention to your transitions.

“What is the role of women/the role of class/the role of the Other as presented in this work?”

All three examples above serve as first steps to the larger world of literary theory and criticism. Writing prompts like this ask you to examine a work from a particular perspective. You may not be comfortable with this new perspective. Chances are that since your instructor has given you such an assignment, the issues in question will be at least partially covered in class.

Example: “Discuss the ways in which the outsider or Other is dealt with in James Joyce’s story “The Dead.”

• Categorize the persons or characters in the piece. What are they in the most general, stereotypical way? Male or female? Lower or upper class? Natives or foreigners? Strangers or friends?
• Examine the ways in which the characters you’ve categorized fit or don’t fit into the boxes you’ve assigned them. Do they support or undermine the categories, and what do others (including the author) say about them and their place in the world?
• Write your paper as if you were giving a new definition (or an amended definition)of the category in question using the text as your guide. Your main points should highlight the ways in which the text uses or discards the accepted categories.

“Critic A has famously said “B” about this work. In light of our study of the piece in question, would you agree or disagree, why or why not?”

This sort of question is often asked as an in-class essay, but can appear as a prompt for larger papers. The goal of a question like this is to give you the opportunity to deal with the critical voices of others in your own writings.

Example: “C.S. Lewis has said that Chaucer is “our foremost poet of joy” in the English language, and in this field he “has few equals and no masters.” Discuss how this applies to the ending of “The Knight’s Tale” from The Canterbury Tales.”

• Read and re-read the quote from the prompt several times. Ask yourself what seems to be the quote’s central claim.
• Apply that claim to the relevant passage or work. In a way, you are being asked not to examine the literature so much as the claim about the literature. Does it hold up to scrutiny in light of the actual text?
• Your instructor would be equally pleased whether you agree or disagree with the critic’s views as long as you do so in a scholarly fashion. Structure your paper around the claims made by the quote and use lines from the text to support your own reaction.

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60+ College Essay Prompts From Actual 2023-2024 Applications

Ideas to inspire every college applicant.

Writing a college application essay can be a stressful task for a lot of students. The more practice they get in advance, the better! This roundup of college essay prompts gives applicants a chance to explore their thinking, polish their writing, and prepare to make the best possible impression on selection committees. Every one of these questions is taken from real college applications for the 2023-2024 season, so they’re meaningful and applicable to today’s high school seniors.

Common App 2023-2024 College Essay Prompts

2023-2024 coalition for college essay prompts, life experiences college essay prompts, personal college essay prompts, academics college essay prompts, creative college essay prompts.

Hundreds of colleges and universities use the Common App process . For many schools, this includes responding to one of several college essay topics, which can change each year. Here are the essay prompts for the current application cycle (check with your chosen school/s to see if an essay is required).

• Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
• The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

• Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
• Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
• Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

• Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
• Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

More than 150 colleges and universities use the Coalition for College process . Here are their essay prompts for 2023-2024.

• Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

• What interests or excites you? How does it shape who you are now or who you might become in the future?
• Describe a time when you had a positive impact on others. What were the challenges? What were the rewards?
• Has there been a time when an idea or belief of yours was questioned? How did you respond? What did you learn?
• What success have you achieved or obstacle have you faced? What advice would you give a sibling or friend going through a similar experience?

• Submit an essay on a topic of your choice.

Answer these questions by sharing specific examples from your own experience.

• Who is your favorite conversation partner? What do you discuss with that person?
• Discuss a time when reflection or introspection led to clarity or understanding of an issue that is important to you.
• Share an example of how you have used your own critical-thinking skills on a specific subject, project, idea, or interest.

• Describe a time when you were challenged by a perspective that differed from your own. How did you respond?
• What are the best words of advice you have received? Who shared them, and how have you applied them in your own life?
• Elaborate on an activity or experience you have had that made an impact on a community that is important to you.
• Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you.
• Who do you agree with on the big, important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with? What are you agreeing or disagreeing about?
• Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.
• When was the last time you questioned something you had thought to be true?
• Discuss the significance to you of the school or summer activity in which you have been most involved.
• Reflect on a time when you or someone you observed had to make a choice about whether to act with integrity and honesty.
• Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.

• Describe a time you did not meet expectations and what impact the experience had on you.

These essay topics give schools a better sense of who you are, what you value, and the kind of student citizen you might be.

• What drives you to create, and what do you hope to make or have you made?
• Which book, character, song, monologue, or piece of work (fiction or nonfiction) seems made for you? Why?
• What would you want your future college roommate to know about you?
• How has your own background influenced the types of problems you want to solve, the people you want to work with, and the impact you hope your work can have?

• Describe any meaningful travel experiences you’ve had.
• What would you want to be different in your own country or community to further principles of equality, equity, or social justice?
• What strength or quality do you have that most people might not see or recognize?
• If you could live your life fighting for one cause, what would it be and why?
• What gives meaning to your life?
• If you wrote a letter to yourself to be opened in 20 years, what would it say?
• If you had the power to change the course of history in your community or the world, what would you do and why?

• Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.
• What is the greatest compliment you have ever been given? Why was it meaningful to you?
• Explain how a text you’ve read—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or literature of any kind—has helped you to understand the world’s complexity.

Topics like these show your academic interests and demonstrate your commitment to learning and discovery.

• What does it mean to you to be educated?
• What is your motivation for pursuing higher education?
• Describe your reasons for wanting to attend the specific school you’re applying to. Who or what factored into your decision?
• Academic inquiry starts with bold questions. What are some of the bold questions you have pondered that get you excited, and why do they interest you?

• What has been your best academic experience in the last two years, and what made it so good?
• If you decide to take a “gap year” between high school and college, what would you do during that time?
• Many schools place a high value on diverse student populations. How can you contribute to and support a diverse and inclusive student population at your chosen school?
• Imagine you were just awarded a research grant for a project of your choice. What are you researching and why?
• What do you love about the subject(s) you selected as potential major(s)? If undecided, share more about one of your academic passions.

• Describe a time when you’ve felt empowered or represented by an educator.
• Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

Use these college essay topics to show off your creativity and innovative thinking.

• You are tasked with creating a new category for the Nobel Prize. Explain what it would be, why you chose your specific category, and the criteria necessary to achieve this accomplishment.

• Pick one person—a historical figure, fictitious character, or modern individual—to converse with for an hour, and explain your choice.
• If you could witness a historic event (past, present, or future) firsthand, what would it be and why?
• If you could have a theme song, what would it be and why?
• Discuss a book that you would call a “great book.” What makes the book great in your view?
• If you could give any historical figure any piece of technology, who and what would it be, and why do you think they’d work so well together?
• If I could travel anywhere, I would go to …
• My favorite thing about last Tuesday was …
• Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge.
• If you had 10 minutes and the attention of a million people, what would your TED Talk be about?
• What are your three favorite words in the English language? Explain what they mean to you.
• Imagine that you could have one superpower. What would it be and how would you use it? What would be your kryptonite?

• Which Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor (real or imagined) best describes you?
• If you could create a college course that all students would take, what would it be about and why?
• What website is the internet missing?

How do you help your students prepare their college application essays? Come share your ideas and ask for advice in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out  the ultimate guide to college scholarships.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, which common app essay prompt should you choose.

College Essays

On one hand, the Common Application has seven essay prompts to choose from, which is great news: No matter what your story, you're sure to find a good fit! On the other hand, having seven prompts means you can write seven different kinds of essays, each with its own potential pitfalls and clichés to steer around.

In this article, I'll outline two totally different approaches to figuring out which Common App essay prompt is right for you and help you brainstorm possible ideas for each. I'll also talk about what makes great college essays great and give examples of what you want to avoid when crafting your essay.

What Are Application Essays for, Anyway?

Before you can choose an essay prompt, before you figure out what you're going to write about, it helps to know what the goal of your writing is. Think about it: if your goal were to give someone instructions, you'd write really differently than if your goal were to describe a landscape.

So What Is the College Essay Supposed to Do?

Admissions officers want to know the things they can't find in the numbers that make up the rest of your application. They want to know about your background, where you come from, and what has shaped you into the person you are today. They want to see your personality, your character, and your traits as a person. They want to learn your thinking style and perspective on the world. They want to make sure you have the ability to creatively problem-solve. And finally, they want to double-check your maturity level, assess your judgment, and get a general sense of whether you would be a good college student—whether you would thrive in an environment where you have to be independent and self-reliant.

So think about the college essay as a way of letting the admissions office get to know you the way a close acquaintance would. You have to let them in and share real thoughts, feelings, and some vulnerabilities. You definitely don't need to reveal your deepest, darkest secrets, but you should avoid showing only superficial details or, even worse, a façade.

Disclosing your closest-held secrets is not the goal of a college essay; however, you  do want to share enough information to give the admissions staff a sense of your personality, motivations, and values.

How to Brainstorm Ideas for Each Common App Prompt

There are two big-picture ways of coming up with essay ideas.

First, maybe you already know the story you want to tell. Perhaps you experienced something so momentous, so exciting, or so dramatic that you have no doubt it needs to be in your college application.

Or maybe you need to approach finding a topic with some more directed brainstorming. There's nothing wrong with not having a go-to adventure! Instead, you can use the prompts themselves to jog your memory about your interesting accomplishments.

Approach #1: Narrating Your Exciting Life

Does something from your life immediately jump into your head as the thing you would have to tell anyone who wanted to know the real you? If you already know exactly which of your life experiences you are going to write about, you can develop this idea before even looking at the prompts themselves.

You can ask yourself a few questions to see whether this is your best brainstorming option:

Is there something that makes you very different from the people around you?

This could be something like being LGBT in a conservative community, having a disability, being biracial, or belonging to a minority group that is underrepresented in your community.

Has your life had a watershed moment? Do you think of yourself as before X and after X ?

For example, did you meet a childhood hero who has had an outsized impact on your life? Did you suddenly find your academic passion? Did you win an award or get recognized in a way you were not expecting to? Did you find yourself in a position of leadership in an unusual time or place?

Did you live through something dramatic, such as a crisis, a danger you overcame, or the complete upheaval of your circumstances?

Maybe you lived through a natural disaster, made your way home after being lost in the woods, or moved from one country to another?

Was your childhood or young adulthood out of the ordinary? Were you particularly underprivileged or overprivileged in some unusual way?

For instance, did you grow up very poor or as the child of a celebrity? Did you live on a boat rather than in a house or as part of a family that never stayed long in one place because of your parents' work or other circumstances?

If you've experienced a dramatic event that changed your life or face unusual obstacles on a daily basis, approach #1 may work well for you.

Approach #2: Brainstorming for Each Prompt

If you don't have an unusual life experience or a story that you absolutely know needs to be told, don't worry! Some of the very best personal essays are about much more mundane situations that people face. In fact, it's better to err on the side of small and insightful if you don't have a really dramatic and unusual experience to write about.

Let's go through the prompts one by one and think of some ways to use more ordinary life events to answer them.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

This is the broadest of the seven prompts. Almost any life experience that you write about could fit in this category, but you need to be careful to avoid writing the same essay as every other applicant.

Brainstorming Ideas

Background. Did a family member or friend have a significant influence on your life? Did you grow up in a particularly supportive and tolerant—or narrow-minded and intolerant—community? Were your parents not able to provide for you in the expected way? Did you have an unusual home life?

For example, my family came to the U.S. as refugees from Russia. By the time I went to college, I had lived in five different countries and had gone to nine different schools. This wasn't a traumatic experience, but it certainly did shape me as a person, and I wrote about it for my graduate school application essay.

Identity. Are you a member of an interesting subculture (keep in mind that violent or illegal subcultures are probably best left off your college application)? Do you strongly identify with your ethnic or national heritage? Are you a committed fan of something that someone like you would be expected to dislike?

Interest. In this category, esoteric interests are probably better than more generic ones because you don't want your essay to be the hundredth essay an admissions officer sees about how much you like English class. Do you like working with your hands to fix up old cars? Do you cook elaborate food? Are you a history buff and know everything there is to know about the War of 1812?

Talent. This doesn't have to be some epic ability or skill. Are you really good at negotiating peace between your many siblings? Do you have the uncanny ability to explain math to the math challenged? Are you a dog or horse whisperer? Are you an unparalleled mushroom forager?

Pitfalls to Avoid

Insignificance. The thing you describe has to be "so meaningful" the application "would be incomplete without it."

Redundancy. If the interest you write about is a pretty common one, like playing a musical instrument or reading books, make sure you have an original angle on how this interest has affected you. Otherwise, your essay runs the risk of being a cliché, and you might want to think about skipping this idea.

Bragging. If you decide to write about your talent, be aware that by focusing on how very good you are at playing the cello, you run the risk of bragging and coming off as unlikable. It's much better if you describe a talent a little more off the beaten path. Or if you do end up writing about your excellent pitching arm, you may want to focus on a time when your athleticism failed you in some way or was unsuccessful.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

In essence, you're being asked to demonstrate resilience. Can you get back on the horse after falling off? Can you pick yourself up and dust yourself off? This quality is really important to colleges, so it's great if you have a story that shows off your ability to do this.

The key to this essay is the "later success" part. If all you went through was failure and you learned no lesson and changed no approach in the future, then don't use that experience here.

Did you lose a game because of a new and poorly rehearsed strategy, but later tweak that strategy to create success? Did you not get the lead in the play, but then have a great experience playing a smaller part? Did you try a new medium only to completely ruin your artwork, but later find a great use for that medium or a way to reconceptualize your art? Did you try your best to convince an authority figure of something only to have your idea rejected but then use a different approach to get your idea implemented?

Too much failure. Don't focus so much time on the "failure" half of the equation that you end up not giving enough space to the "later success" and "learn from the experience" parts.

Too little failure. Don't diminish the negative emotions of failure because of a fear of seeming vulnerable.

Playing the victim. Avoid whining, blaming others for your failure, or relying on others to create your success. You should be the story's hero here.

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

The key to this prompt is the reflection or insight that comes from the question, "What was the outcome?" Challenging deeply held views is not always a good idea. Writing about a negative outcome and how you reacted could demonstrate your maturity level and ability to tolerate views different from your own.

Remember, the belief or idea could be anyone's: yours, a peer group's, or an authority figure's. Did you stand up to your parents' conservative or traditional values, for instance, about gender norms? Did you get your friends to stop bullying someone?

Also, the belief or idea doesn't have to be extremely serious or big in scope. Did you make dressing up for Halloween cool for teenagers in your town? Did you transform your own prejudice or bias (e.g., about athletes having interesting thoughts about philosophy)?

Causing offense. If you have a story that deals with super hot-button issues, such as abortion or gun control, you need to be careful to keep your essay's tone respectful and unaggressive. This is a good thing to check by letting other people read your drafts and respond.

Avoiding negative feelings. Challenging beliefs means pointing out that what a person thinks now is wrong. It can also be quite lonely and isolating to be on an unpopular side of an issue. It's important to include these negatives into the story if they fit.

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

“Reflect” and “surprising” are the keywords in this prompt. You need to write about a specific thing that another person (or persons!) has done for you that made you feel grateful—but your response shouldn’t stop there. To make your response really shine, you also need to reflect on the experience or, in other words, explain what it meant to you, why your feelings about it surprised you, and why. From there, you’ll need to round out your essay by connecting what that person did for you to the person you are today. Did that surprising act change you in some way? Did it make you a better person? This is your chance to show colleges what your values are when it comes to connecting with other people.

Remember how the prompt specifies that you should write about something someone did for you that made you happy or thankful in a surprising way? That wording is nudging you to think outside the box. For instance, most people are thankful for birthday presents or a friend who picks up the check at lunch. You need to think of something more out-of-the-box—something you didn’t necessarily expect to make you feel gratitude.

It’s entirely possible, for instance, that someone helped you out of an ethical dilemma or really difficult situation. Has someone ever helped you when you didn’t necessarily want help? Have you ever been in a situation where, if someone else hadn’t stepped in, something bad could have happened? Did that event motivate you to change your behavior in the future? Were you persuaded to own up to your mistake and do better next time?

An event in which the act of kindness or the person who performed it was unexpected is a great option here as well. Did someone you dislike do something kind for you? Did a stranger help your family out financially? Did your best friend come in from out of town when you had a bad injury to throw you a surprise party? Did a student who’s more popular than you invite you into their group at school?

Being disingenuous. Don’t exaggerate the effects of the surprising act of kindness you choose to write about. Similarly, you don’t want to write about an event that didn’t truly mean something to you and affect your life in a tangible way. Stick to writing about the truth of what happened in the situation and how you felt about it, and your response will be gold.

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Going from childhood to adulthood doesn't usually happen after one accomplishment or event but is more of a process. This question is asking you to find one step along the process and explain how it fits into the long thread of your growing up.

You don't necessarily need to tell the story of some big, official ceremony. Instead, you can focus on a small moment that showed you that you were older, more mature, and more responsible than you had been before.

Did your family make up its own adulthood initiation ceremony? Were you finally able to beat your mom in chess or shooting hoops, and did that change how she treated you? Did your dad cry in front of you for the first time, making you realize that you were old enough to handle it? Were you suddenly left in charge of younger siblings, and did you rise to the task instead of panicking? Were you allowed to make a big financial decision for the first time and found yourself taking it very seriously?

For example, during my junior and senior year, my mom traveled extensively for work, and my dad lived several states away, so I lived by myself for weeks at a time. It was exhilarating and made me feel independent and mature. But it was also lonely and burdensome because I had to take care of everything in the house by myself. Living alone was a huge part of my life, shaped me into the person I was, and made me see myself in a new light as a grown-up.

Sameness. Avoid the milestones that happen to everyone: driver's license, bar/bat mitzvah, etc., unless they happened to you in some extraordinary way.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

The idea of this prompt is to discuss something you're passionate about. It's a great opportunity to showcase a skill and show off your writing skills because your passion should come across on the page. Pay special attention to the "What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?" aspect of this prompt; how you learn and from who can say a lot about you.

Hopefully, you should know the things that captivate you right off the bat. Try to think of the things that you turn to not just for fun but that de-stress you or give you the ability to learn.

More importantly, understand why this topic, idea, or concept is important to you. It should have a deeper meaning in your life and say something about who you are as a person.

Some other questions you can ask yourself to find a topic include the following: What unique hobbies or interests do you have? What challenges have you overcome in pursuing this topic, idea, or concept? What have you discovered about yourself in relation to this topic, idea, or concept?

Don't miss the overall meaning. Even if something is captivating to you, it's not necessarily captivating to others. Make sure you focus on what the topic, idea, or concept means to you and why that matters rather than getting lost in explaining it and how you feel about it.

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

This is one of the most popular prompts from the Common App. Remember that even though this prompt is open-ended, you should discuss something meaningful that shows growth, reflection, or something unique about you.

A lot of students have unique experiences that have influenced them throughout their lives. Try to think of people or events that have changed your perspective in a big way.

However, the topic itself doesn't have to be about a big moment. Lots of things can be life-changing, and it's perfectly OK to write about something that happened in your daily life as long as it moved you and has affected you in a way that you can put on paper.

In this prompt, insight is key to a great essay. Reflect on the moments that defined your perspective or events from which you learned something. This prompt should be about something personal to you and can be about family, friends, or an experience.

Ask yourself if there's a time, event, or person that has stuck with you and what it or they meant to you. Once you have some ideas, ask yourself why. What does it say about you to have changed as a result of that experience, and how might others relate?

Being too general. Insight can be found in moments both big and small. But for this prompt, try to avoid going too big and going too small. You don't want to write about something mundane and have to stretch it to make it mean something. That said, it can be tough to boil down an experience that's really significant, like being an Olympic athlete, into a short essay. Personal and insightful are the key.

How to Turn Your Idea into an Essay

Now that you've come up with some possible ideas, how do you go about actually writing the essay? Before you write, you need to have a plan. I like to think about planning out personal essays that I've written by first imagining them as enjoyable movies. You want your reader to walk away entertained, to remember the characters and story, and to want to see more from the same creator. So how do good movies do those things?

Character arc. Good movies have main characters that undergo some kind of change or transformation. Who is the main character of your essay? It's you! The you of your essay has to start one way and end up another: more mature, with a different mindset, or having learned a lesson.

Conflict or transformation. Good movies also have challenges. The main character doesn't simply succeed and then keep on succeeding; that's boring. Instead, the main character either overcomes an external obstacle or changes in some way from beginning to end. Your essay also needs this kind of story drive. This can come from an obstacle you overcame, an outside force that stood in your way, a disability or weakness you experience, or a seemingly unsolvable problem you face. Or it could come from a before–after scenario: you used to be, think, or act in one way, but now you've changed into a different or better person.

Dramatic set piece. In good movies, the conflict or transformation isn't just told to the audience. They are acted out in scenes set in specific locations, with dialogue, character close-ups, and different camera angles. In your essay, your story also needs to show you dealing with the conflict or transformation you face in a small, zoomed-in, and descriptive scene. Think spoken dialogue, sensory description (i.e., what did you see, smell, hear, taste, or touch?), action verbs, and feelings. This scene should function as one illuminating example of what you overcame or how you changed.

Happy ending. Movies that are fun to watch tend to have happy endings. The hero resolves the conflict, emerges a better person, and looks forward to future accomplishments. Your essay also needs to have this kind of closure. This is really not the time to trot out your nihilism or cynicism. Instead, your essay should end on a moment of self-understanding and awareness. You lived through something or you did something, and it affected you in a way that you can verbalize and be insightful about.

Coming up: the story of you, starring you, written and directed by you.

Which Prompt Should You Choose?

So now that you've brainstormed some topic ideas and a game plan for turning those ideas into an essay, how do you narrow it down to the one ?

Reverse-Engineer the Perfect Prompt

If you used the first brainstorming approach, try to formulate a big-picture idea about the story you're telling.  

Is the character arc primarily you learning something about yourself or making peace with your background? Sounds like a good fit for prompt #1.

Is the conflict about you struggling to do something but eventually succeeding? That goes well with prompt #2.

Does the story focus on a mind being changed about an idea? You want to go with prompt #3.

Does your happy ending involve you changing something for the better, fixing something, or solving a problem? Then your essay is ready for prompt #4.

Is your character arc about growing up, gaining wisdom, or becoming more mature? Then you're probably answering prompt #5.

Look in Your Heart

If you used the second brainstorming approach, get ready to get a little cheesy. Really listen to what your gut feelings are telling you about which of your ideas is most compelling and which will get your emotions flowing on the page. Readers can tell when you're writing about something you care deeply about, so it's worth it to find the topic that has the most meaning to you.

Not sure how to tell? Then this is the time to ask your parents, teachers you are close to, or some good friends for their input. Which of your ideas grabs their attention the most? Which do they want to hear more about? Chances are that's the one that an admissions officer will also find the most memorable.

What's Next?

Want a detailed explanation of why colleges ask you to write essays? Check out our explanation of what application essays are for .

If you're in the middle of your essay writing process, you'll want to see our suggestions on what essay pitfalls to avoid .

When you start working on the rest of your application, don't miss what admissions officers wish applicants knew before applying .

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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Harvard University’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

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Intellectual Experience Short Response

Briefly describe an intellectual experience that was important to you.

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Common App Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

Πώς να δημιουργήσετε μια προτροπή γραφής (με παραδείγματα)

• Συντακτική ομάδα Smodin
• Δημοσιεύθηκε: 9 Μαΐου 2024

Κοιτάζετε μια κενή σελίδα, νιώθετε να χάνεστε για έμπνευση; Ευτυχώς, υπάρχουν έξυπνοι τρόποι για να ξεπεράσετε το μπλοκ του συγγραφέα χρησιμοποιώντας αποτελεσματικές, λεπτομερείς προτροπές γραφής, ιδιαίτερα για γεννήτριες τεχνητής νοημοσύνης όπως το Smodin, το Chat GPT ή το Google Gemini.

Η δημιουργία προτροπών γραφής απαιτεί υπομονή και εξάσκηση, αλλά μόλις τα κατακτήσετε, η δημιουργία περιεχομένου σας θα βελτιωθεί δεκαπλάσια.

Από το να κάνετε λίγη δική σας έρευνα μέχρι να ορίσετε το κοινό-στόχο σας και να αναπτύξετε προσωπικότητες, να δημιουργήσετε ιστορίες, ποιήματα, ερευνητικές εργασίες ή δοκίμια ιστορίας, γίνεται παιχνιδάκι!

Ας ρίξουμε μια πιο προσεκτική ματιά στον τρόπο δημιουργίας μιας προτροπής γραφής και γιατί η χρήση του Smodin's AI Rewriter είναι η καλύτερη λύση για τον εξανθρωπισμό του περιεχομένου που δημιουργείται από AI.

Τι είναι μια προτροπή γραφής;

Μια προτροπή γραφής είναι ένα εργαλείο για να εκκινήσετε τη φαντασία σας και να πυροδοτήσετε τη δημιουργικότητά σας. Αυτό μπορεί να είναι οτιδήποτε από μια λέξη, εικόνα ή ερώτηση που προκαλεί σκέψη. Οι προτροπές λειτουργούν ως σημείο εκκίνησης για τη δημιουργική σας γραφή, βοηθώντας σας να ξεπεράσετε το μπλοκ του συγγραφέα, να βελτιώσετε τις δεξιότητές σας στη γραφή και να δημιουργήσετε νέες ιδέες.

Ενώ τα μηνύματα γραφής είναι κοινά σε εκπαιδευτικά περιβάλλοντα όπως τα σχολεία και τα πανεπιστήμια, η δημιουργία αποτελεσματικών προτροπών για γεννήτριες τεχνητής νοημοσύνης όπως το Chat GPT έχει γίνει όλο και πιο δημοφιλής, ειδικά από την κυκλοφορία του στα τέλη του 2022.

Όταν χρησιμοποιείτε εργαλεία γραφής τεχνητής νοημοσύνης όπως το Chat GPT ή το Google Gemini, μια καλή προτροπή χρησιμεύει ως οδηγία που καθοδηγεί και «προετοιμάζει» τον συγγραφέα τεχνητής νοημοσύνης προς την κατεύθυνση που θέλετε να ακολουθήσετε με τη γραφή σας. Όπως αναφέρθηκε, αυτό μπορεί να είναι με τη μορφή ερώτησης, δήλωσης ή ακόμα και μεμονωμένης λέξης-κλειδιού.

Για παράδειγμα, εάν είστε απασχολημένοι με μια ανάρτηση ιστολογίου σχετικά με τις καλύτερες παραλίες στη Φλόριντα, θα μπορούσατε να χρησιμοποιήσετε μια προτροπή γραφής όπως αυτή: «Γράψτε μια λίστα με τις πέντε κορυφαίες πιο γραφικές παραλίες στη Φλόριντα, ΗΠΑ, επισημαίνοντας μοναδικά χαρακτηριστικά και αξιοθέατα. ”

Αυτή η προτροπή δίνει στο Chat GPT συγκεκριμένες λεπτομέρειες και σαφή κατεύθυνση, κάτι που τελικά οδηγεί σε πιο εστιασμένα, σχετικά αποτελέσματα.

Το κόλπο είναι ότι όσο πιο συγκεκριμένες είναι οι προτροπές σας, τόσο καλύτερο θα είναι το αποτέλεσμά σας.

Τύποι προτροπών γραφής

Υπάρχουν πολλοί διαφορετικοί τύποι προτροπών γραφής: ορισμένες αφηγηματικές και άλλες περιγραφικές. Ας ρίξουμε μια πιο προσεκτική ματιά:

Αφηγηματικές προτροπές

Αυτές οι προτροπές έχουν σχεδιαστεί για αφήγηση. Συχνά περιλαμβάνουν ένα σενάριο, μια περιγραφή χαρακτήρα ή μια αρχική γραμμή. Οι βασικές λέξεις και φράσεις περιλαμβάνουν συχνά «πες μου για», «γιατί» και «γράψε μια ιστορία στο [X]».

Παράδειγμα : Γράψτε μια ιστορία για ένα ρομπότ που ανακαλύπτει ότι έχει ανθρώπινα συναισθήματα.

Περιγραφικές προτροπές

Αυτές οι προτροπές συνήθως ακονίζουν ένα συγκεκριμένο άτομο, μέρος ή πράγμα. Περιλαμβάνουν γενικά αισθητηριακές λεπτομέρειες όπως εικόνες, ήχους και συναισθήματα.

Παράδειγμα : Περιγράψτε την αίσθηση του να μπαίνεις σε ένα στοιχειωμένο σπίτι στη μέση της νύχτας στο Κονέκτικατ.

Ενημερωτικά/Εκθετικά μηνύματα

Αυτές οι προτροπές στοχεύουν να ενημερώσουν και να εξηγήσουν. Γενικά βασίζονται περισσότερο σε γεγονότα, με αναφερόμενα στοιχεία για την υποστήριξη των ισχυρισμών. Σκεφτείτε σύμφωνα με τις γραμμές των καταστάσεων «πώς να οδηγήσετε» ή «αιτίας και αποτελέσματος».

Παράδειγμα : Γράψτε για την βασική ενημέρωση της Google τον Μάρτιο του 2024, η οποία στοχεύει στη μείωση του μη χρήσιμου περιεχομένου κατά τουλάχιστον 40% [ 1 ].

Πειστικά προτροπές

Αυτές οι προτροπές ενθαρρύνουν τη δράση ή πείθουν τους αναγνώστες για την άποψή σας, όπως θα κάνατε στις κριτικές προϊόντων. Οι βασικές λέξεις περιλαμβάνουν συχνά «πώς», «γιατί», «πείσει» ή «πείσει».

Παράδειγμα : Γράψτε ένα πειστικό επιχείρημα σχετικά με το γιατί τα σχολεία πρέπει να έχουν μεγαλύτερο διάλειμμα.

Πώς να δημιουργήσετε μια προτροπή γραφής: Βήμα-βήμα

Μπορείτε να δημιουργήσετε προτροπές γραφής παρέχοντας σε συντάκτες τεχνητής νοημοσύνης λεπτομέρειες σχετικά με τα συμφραζόμενα, αναπτύσσοντας μια περσόνα και χρησιμοποιώντας το εργαλείο AI Rewriter του Smodin.

Οι προτροπές γραφής στοχεύουν στο να κάνουν τους συγγραφείς να σκεφτούν έξω από το πλαίσιο, εισάγοντας και εστιάζοντας σε ένα συγκεκριμένο θέμα. Οι εκπαιδευτικοί συχνά χρησιμοποιούν προτροπές για να κάνουν τους μαθητές να γράψουν δημιουργικά, είτε ασχολούνται με δοκίμια ιστορίας είτε με αγγλικά διήγημα. Ο σκοπός της σύνταξης προτροπών είναι να δημιουργήσουν ιδέες, να βελτιώσουν τις δεξιότητες γραφής και να πυροδοτήσουν τη δημιουργική γραφή.

Μια καλή προτροπή θα πρέπει να περιλαμβάνει αυτά τα δύο στοιχεία:

• Κατάσταση – εισάγει το γενικό θέμα για το οποίο πρέπει να γράψετε και έχει σκοπό να προκαλέσει ενδιαφέρον στον συγγραφέα, όπως να γράψει ένα κομμάτι στις παραλίες της Φλόριντα.
• Tοποθεσία – περιγράφει πώς πρέπει να εκτελεστεί το γραπτό κομμάτι. Για παράδειγμα, εξηγήστε εν συντομία τι μπορεί να περιμένει, να δει και να κάνει ο αναγνώστης στα κορυφαία παραλιακά σημεία της Φλόριντα. Ενθαρρύνει τον συγγραφέα να ερευνήσει το θέμα και να προσφέρει τις μοναδικές του απόψεις – και ίσως ακόμη και να δώσει την ευκαιρία να πασπαλίσει με τις προσωπικές του εμπειρίες.

Κάντε κάποια έρευνα

Πριν ξεκινήσετε να γράφετε προτροπές, είναι καλό να ξεκινήσετε με λίγη έρευνα.

• Διευρύνει τους ορίζοντές σας ως προς το τι αφορά το θέμα.
• Τα περισσότερα εργαλεία γραφής AI έχουν περιορισμένη βάση γνώσεων (το ChatGPT φτάνει μέχρι το 2021!).
• Σας βοηθά να παράγετε καλύτερα μηνύματα.

Ας υποθέσουμε ότι πρέπει να γράψετε μια ανάρτηση ιστολογίου στην βασική ενημέρωση Μαρτίου 2024 της Google. Τώρα, βλέποντας ότι αυτή είναι η τελευταία αναβάθμιση της Google, οι περισσότεροι συγγραφείς τεχνητής νοημοσύνης δεν θα έχουν τη σωστή γνώση για το θέμα. Εδώ είναι που η έρευνά σας γίνεται ανεκτίμητη!

Αφού έχετε μια καλύτερη ιδέα για το θέμα, μπορείτε να προετοιμάσετε μηνύματα προτροπής για το Chat GPT. Είναι επίσης καλή ιδέα να τροφοδοτήσετε σχετικά άρθρα, σύνολα δεδομένων ή ερευνητικές εργασίες στο εργαλείο γραφής τεχνητής νοημοσύνης για να του δώσετε περισσότερο πλαίσιο για το θέμα.

Οι γρήγορες ιδέες περιλαμβάνουν:

• Προτροπή 1: Hi Chat GPT, διαβάστε αυτό το έγγραφο [εισαγάγετε τον αντίστοιχο σύνδεσμο] και δώστε μου μια σύνοψη της λίστας κουκκίδων για το τι συνεπάγεται.
• Προτροπή 2: Από αυτήν τη σύνοψη μπορείτε να μου δώσετε μια λίστα με τεχνικές ορολογία και να εξηγήσετε τι σημαίνουν με απλούς όρους;
• Ερώτηση 3: Από αυτό το συνημμένο έγγραφο, πώς, κατά τη γνώμη σας, η τελευταία ενημέρωση της Google θα επηρεάσει το μελλοντικό ψηφιακό περιεχόμενο;
• Ερώτηση 4: Ποια θα ήταν η καλύτερη στρατηγική για τους συγγραφείς SEO εάν δεν θέλουν να τιμωρηθούν από την Google;

Όπως μπορείτε να δείτε, αυτές οι ενημερωτικές προτροπές (και λεπτομέρειες σχετικά με τα συμφραζόμενα) σας βοηθούν με την εκπαιδευτική σας ανάρτηση ιστολογίου με στόχο την ενημέρωση και την εκπαίδευση του αναγνώστη σας. Αν δημιουργήσετε προσεκτικά μηνύματα προτροπής για να ταιριάζουν με την πρόθεσή σας και παρέχοντας συγκεκριμένες λεπτομέρειες στον συγγραφέα τεχνητής νοημοσύνης, θα έχετε καλύτερα αποτελέσματα από ό,τι αν του ζητούσατε απλώς να σας ενημερώσει για την Βασική Ενημέρωση της Google τον Μάρτιο του 2023.

Να είστε συγκεκριμένοι

Όπως αναφέρθηκε, όσο πιο συγκεκριμένη είναι η προτροπή, τόσο καλύτερο θα είναι το αποτέλεσμα.

Τα μοντέλα γραφής τεχνητής νοημοσύνης ευδοκιμούν με σαφείς οδηγίες, οπότε σε αυτήν την περίπτωση, όσο περισσότερα, τόσο καλύτερα!

Η σαφής κατεύθυνση δίνει στο Chat GPT έναν σαφή οδικό χάρτη για το θέμα, καθώς οι ασαφείς προτροπές συχνά αφήνουν την τεχνητή νοημοσύνη να περιπλανιέται, αβέβαιοι για τη γωνία που πρέπει να ακολουθήσει.

Αυτό περιλαμβάνει επίσης να λέτε στην AI ότι:

• Στοχευμένο κοινό : Ποιο είναι το κοινό-στόχο σας; Δώστε λεπτομέρειες σχετικά με αυτό το δημογραφικό στοιχείο, όπως ηλικία, ενδιαφέροντα, επίπεδο γνώσεων (αρχάριος έναντι ειδικού) και σημεία πόνου. Παράδειγμα: Πρέπει να γράψω έναν οδηγό [σε επίπεδο αρχαρίου] σχετικά με τα [ηλιακά πάνελ] για [πρώτους ιδιοκτήτες σπιτιού].
• Μορφή στυλ : Για να γράψετε σε συγκεκριμένη μορφή (ύφος δοκιμίου vs ιατρικής έκθεσης). Παράδειγμα: Γράψτε για [ηλιακούς συλλέκτες] σε μορφή [ανάρτηση ιστολογίου].
• Ο τόνος της φωνής: Για να χρησιμοποιήσετε έναν συγκεκριμένο τόνο φωνής (TOV), όπως επίσημο, περιστασιακό ή χιουμοριστικό. Παράδειγμα: Εξηγήστε τι σημαίνει [φωτοβολταϊκή ενέργεια], χρησιμοποιώντας έναν [πληροφοριακό] τόνο φωνής.
• Ορισμός παραμέτρων: Για να γράψετε μέσα σε ένα συγκεκριμένο πλήθος λέξεων – θέλετε μια σύντομη, έντονη ιστορία ή μια μεγάλη, αναλυτική εξήγηση;. Παράδειγμα: Εξηγήστε [πώς λειτουργούν τα ηλιακά πάνελ] με [100] λέξεις.

Ανακεφαλαίωση: Συμβουλές για συγκεκριμένες προτροπές γραφής

• Καθορίστε τη μορφή (καταχώριση/ανάρτηση ιστολογίου, οδηγός, ιατρική έκθεση, ποίημα, κ.λπ.).
• Καθορίστε το κοινό-στόχο (αρχάριοι, ειδικοί, κ.λπ.) και το TOV (επίσημο, περιστασιακό, κ.λπ.).
• Συμπεριλάβετε την κύρια λέξη-κλειδί σας που πρέπει να χρησιμοποιεί η τεχνητή νοημοσύνη (ηλιακά πάνελ, καλύτερες παραλίες στη Φλόριντα, βασική ενημέρωση Μαρτίου 2024 της Google, κ.λπ.).
• Ορίστε παραμέτρους όπως όρια πλήθους λέξεων.

Αναπτύξτε ένα Persona

Ομοίως με τα παραπάνω, μπορείτε να γίνετε ακόμα πιο συγκεκριμένοι όταν λέτε στην τεχνητή νοημοσύνη να αναλάβει μια συγκεκριμένη περσόνα. Το Chat GPT μπορεί να είναι ένας κύριος αφηγητής, αλλά χρειάζεται την κατάλληλη καθοδήγηση για να δημιουργήσει ελκυστικό περιεχόμενο.

Και εκεί μπαίνει η έννοια της περσόνας.

Τα Personas είναι ουσιαστικά μια λεπτομερής περιγραφή της οπτικής γωνίας ενός συγκεκριμένου συγγραφέα από τον οποίο θέλετε να γράψει το AI. Αυτό παρέχει ένα σχέδιο για την τεχνητή νοημοσύνη πάνω στο οποίο θα βασιστεί.

Για παράδειγμα, πρέπει να γράψετε για τον εντοπισμό διαρροών, αλλά δεν έχετε την πιο ομιχλώδη ιδέα περί τίνος πρόκειται ή πώς συζητούν οι ειδικοί ανίχνευσης διαρροών. Θα μπορούσατε να ζητήσετε από την τεχνητή νοημοσύνη να αναλάβει την προσωπικότητα ενός επαγγελματία υδραυλικού ή ειδικού ανίχνευσης διαρροών και να γράψει από τη δική του οπτική γωνία. Απλός.

Παραδείγματα:

• Θέλω να φανταστείτε ότι είστε ειδικός ανίχνευσης διαρροών με πάνω από 20 χρόνια εμπειρίας στον εντοπισμό, την εύρεση και την επισκευή διαρροών κατοικιών. Εξηγήστε ποιες διαδικασίες θα ακολουθούσατε για τον εντοπισμό διαρροών, ποιος εξοπλισμός χρησιμοποιείται και ποιες είναι οι κύριες αιτίες τέτοιων διαρροών.
• Εξηγήστε πώς θα προετοιμαζόταν ένας μαραθωνοδρόμος για έναν αγώνα στο στυλ της Lynn Jennings.

Η δημιουργία συναρπαστικών, λεπτομερών χαρακτήρων ή προσώπων υπερβαίνει τις βασικές προτροπές. Μια καλά καθορισμένη περσόνα προσθέτει βάθος και διάσταση όχι μόνο στις προτροπές σας αλλά και στο κείμενο που δημιουργείται από την τεχνητή νοημοσύνη!

Άλλα πρόσωπα περιλαμβάνουν:

• Μια 45χρονη γυναίκα που αγαπά τις γάτες ζει στο Κάνσας με πάθος για την ιστορία του Β' Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου.
• Ένας ιδιότροπος ποιητής με τζίντζερ μαλλιά και στρογγυλά γυαλιά που γοητεύεται από την τέχνη του πετάγματος.
• Ένας δύο φορές διαζευγμένος Αμερικανός αφηρημένος καλλιτέχνης που ζει από τη γη στην Αλάσκα.

Περιορίστε τις προτροπές

Περιστασιακά, το Chat GPT μπορεί να είναι εκτός θέματος και να δημιουργεί κατασκευασμένες απαντήσεις.

Αυτό είναι αρκετά φυσιολογικό.

Ωστόσο, μην φοβάστε να το επαναφέρετε – και διατηρήστε το Chat GPT σε καλό δρόμο! Αυτό υπερβαίνει επίσης την επεξεργασία της αρχικής σας προτροπής για να εξηγήσετε τι ψάχνετε.

Εάν ή όταν οι συγγραφείς τεχνητής νοημοσύνης δεν σας δίνουν την επιθυμητή απάντηση, μπορείτε να τους ζητήσετε:

• Ποια στοιχεία υποστηρίζουν την απάντησή σας;
• Μπορείς να το ξαναεξηγήσεις πιο αναλυτικά;
• Πώς συνδέεται αυτή η απάντηση με την [κύρια λέξη-κλειδί];

Είναι λίγο παιχνίδι γάτας με ποντίκι, για να είμαι ειλικρινής. Αλλά με εξάσκηση και υπομονή, μπορείτε να διαμορφώσετε και να διαμορφώσετε το Chat GPT σε (σχεδόν) οτιδήποτε θέλετε!

Εξανθρωπίστε το περιεχόμενό σας

Σωστά. Έτσι η έρευνα, η προτροπή και η περιποίηση έχει γίνει.

Και τώρα τι?

Μόλις το Chat GPT δημιουργήσει τις απαντήσεις που θέλετε, ακολουθώντας τις οδηγίες που του δώσατε, ήρθε η ώρα να προχωρήσετε στη γραπτή εργασία με τεχνητή νοημοσύνη με μια χτένα με λεπτά δόντια. Αυτό περιλαμβάνει:

• Τροποποίηση της γραφής ώστε να ταιριάζει με το προβλεπόμενο TOV.
• Αφαιρέστε την ορολογία και αντικαταστήστε την με απλούστερες επεξηγήσεις (εάν υπάρχουν).
• Πασπαλίστε με προσωπικά ανέκδοτα για να προσθέσετε μια μοναδική πινελιά.
• Ελέγξτε τις απαντήσεις σας. Διαβάστε το ξανά.
• Διαλύστε τους τοίχους του κειμένου με λίστες κουκκίδων και λευκό διάστημα.
• Βεβαιωθείτε ότι έχει αρκετές λεπτομέρειες για να καλύψει αποτελεσματικά το θέμα.
• Επιστρέψτε και επεξεργαστείτε ξανά τις προτροπές (αν χρειάζεται).
• Βεβαιωθείτε ότι η μορφή διατηρεί μια λογική ροή.

Η ανθρωποποίηση του περιεχομένου που δημιουργείται από τεχνητή νοημοσύνη θα αποτρέψει την επισήμανσή του σε ανιχνευτές τεχνητής νοημοσύνης, όπως Copyleaks ή GPTZero . Αυτά τα εργαλεία ανίχνευσης χρησιμοποιούνται ιδιαίτερα σε εκπαιδευτικά περιβάλλοντα για τον έλεγχο για λογοκλοπή.

Κορυφαία συμβουλή: Δοκιμάστε Smodin's AI Rewriter για να εξανθρωπίσετε το περιεχόμενό σας σε χρόνο μηδέν!

Εάν είστε ακόμα λίγο κολλημένοι, έχουμε βάλει για εσάς μια λίστα με μηνύματα που σχετίζονται με συγκεκριμένους κλάδους – απολαύστε!

Καλύτερες προτρεπτικές ιδέες γραφής

Ακολουθούν μερικά παραδείγματα άμεσης γραφής που μπορούν να χρησιμοποιήσουν πολλοί συγγραφείς σε διαφορετικούς κλάδους:

• Δημιουργήστε μια μετα-περιγραφή μέγιστου 150 χαρακτήρων στο [θέμα].
• Δώστε μου 5 υπότιτλους για μια ανάρτηση ιστολογίου [X].
• Δώστε μου 20 παραλλαγές λέξεων-κλειδιών για το [X].
• Δημιουργήστε ένα περίγραμμα για το [θέμα] εντός ορίου πλήθους 1,500 λέξεων.
• Δημιουργήστε μια λίστα με ιστοτόπους υψηλής εξουσιοδότησης στη [βιομηχανία].
• Δημιουργήστε [X] ιδέες βίντεο YouTube για [εταιρεία] σχετικά με [θέμα].
• Δημιουργήστε ένα πρόγραμμα παραπομπής για να δώσετε κίνητρα στους υπάρχοντες πελάτες να παραπέμψουν το [προϊόν ή την υπηρεσία μας] στα δίκτυά τους.
• Δημιουργήστε ένα ελκυστικό σλόγκαν για [ιστότοπο επωνυμίας] χρησιμοποιώντας όχι περισσότερες από 10 λέξεις.
• Δημιουργήστε μια λίστα ελέγχου για τη διεξαγωγή έρευνας αγοράς πριν από την κυκλοφορία ενός νέου προϊόντος ή υπηρεσίας.
• Δημιουργήστε έναν οδηγό βήμα προς βήμα για [εισαγάγετε υλικό] που απευθύνεται στο [κοινό-στόχο].
• Δώστε μου 10 ιδέες μάρκετινγκ για το πώς να πουλήσω [προϊόν] στο [κοινό-στόχο].
• Δημιουργήστε ένα επακόλουθο email σε έναν υποψήφιο πελάτη που έχει δείξει ενδιαφέρον για το [product/service].
• Αναπτύξτε μια σειρά από μηνύματα ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου ψυχρής κλήσης για την ανάπτυξη συνεργασιών.
• Γράψτε ένα πρότυπο LinkedIn σε [αριθμός λέξεων] για να προσεγγίσετε το [κοινό-στόχο] στη [βιομηχανία].
• Δημιουργήστε έναν οδηγό στρατηγικής πωλήσεων για το [product] στη [χώρα] για τον [βιομηχανία].
• Δημιουργήστε μια καμπάνια τηλεπωλήσεων 10 γραμμών που στοχεύει [κοινό-στόχο] για να δημιουργήσετε δυνητικούς πελάτες για την εταιρεία μας.

Η γνώση της τέχνης της συγγραφής προτροπών σάς δίνει τη δυνατότητα να αντιμετωπίσετε οποιαδήποτε εργασία γραφής με σιγουριά.

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In the campus protests over the war in Gaza, language and rhetoric are—as they have always been when it comes to Israel and Palestine—weapons of mass destruction.

By Zadie Smith

A philosophy without a politics is common enough. Aesthetes, ethicists, novelists—all may be easily critiqued and found wanting on this basis. But there is also the danger of a politics without a philosophy. A politics unmoored, unprincipled, which holds as its most fundamental commitment its own perpetuation. A Realpolitik that believes itself too subtle—or too pragmatic—to deal with such ethical platitudes as thou shalt not kill. Or: rape is a crime, everywhere and always. But sometimes ethical philosophy reënters the arena, as is happening right now on college campuses all over America. I understand the ethics underpinning the protests to be based on two widely recognized principles:

There is an ethical duty to express solidarity with the weak in any situation that involves oppressive power.

If the machinery of oppressive power is to be trained on the weak, then there is a duty to stop the gears by any means necessary.

The first principle sometimes takes the “weak” to mean “whoever has the least power,” and sometimes “whoever suffers most,” but most often a combination of both. The second principle, meanwhile, may be used to defend revolutionary violence, although this interpretation has just as often been repudiated by pacifistic radicals, among whom two of the most famous are, of course, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr . In the pacifist’s interpretation, the body that we must place between the gears is not that of our enemy but our own. In doing this, we may pay the ultimate price with our actual bodies, in the non-metaphorical sense. More usually, the risk is to our livelihoods, our reputations, our futures. Before these most recent campus protests began, we had an example of this kind of action in the climate movement. For several years now, many people have been protesting the economic and political machinery that perpetuates climate change, by blocking roads, throwing paint, interrupting plays, and committing many other arrestable offenses that can appear ridiculous to skeptics (or, at the very least, performative), but which in truth represent a level of personal sacrifice unimaginable to many of us.

I experienced this not long ago while participating in an XR climate rally in London. When it came to the point in the proceedings where I was asked by my fellow-protesters whether I’d be willing to commit an arrestable offense—one that would likely lead to a conviction and thus make travelling to the United States difficult or even impossible—I’m ashamed to say that I declined that offer. Turns out, I could not give up my relationship with New York City for the future of the planet. I’d just about managed to stop buying plastic bottles (except when very thirsty) and was trying to fly less. But never to see New York again? What pitiful ethical creatures we are (I am)! Falling at the first hurdle! Anyone who finds themselves rolling their eyes at any young person willing to put their own future into jeopardy for an ethical principle should ask themselves where the limits of their own commitments lie—also whether they’ve bought a plastic bottle or booked a flight recently. A humbling inquiry.

It is difficult to look at the recent Columbia University protests in particular without being reminded of the campus protests of the nineteen-sixties and seventies, some of which happened on the very same lawns. At that time, a cynical political class was forced to observe the spectacle of its own privileged youth standing in solidarity with the weakest historical actors of the moment, a group that included, but was not restricted to, African Americans and the Vietnamese. By placing such people within their ethical zone of interest, young Americans risked both their own academic and personal futures and—in the infamous case of Kent State—their lives. I imagine that the students at Columbia—and protesters on other campuses—fully intend this echo, and, in their unequivocal demand for both a ceasefire and financial divestment from this terrible war, to a certain extent they have achieved it.

But, when I open newspapers and see students dismissing the idea that some of their fellow-students feel, at this particular moment, unsafe on campus, or arguing that such a feeling is simply not worth attending to, given the magnitude of what is occurring in Gaza, I find such sentiments cynical and unworthy of this movement. For it may well be—within the ethical zone of interest that is a campus, which was not so long ago defined as a safe space, delineated by the boundary of a generation’s ethical ideas— it may well be that a Jewish student walking past the tents, who finds herself referred to as a Zionist, and then is warned to keep her distance, is, in that moment, the weakest participant in the zone. If the concept of safety is foundational to these students’ ethical philosophy (as I take it to be), and, if the protests are committed to reinserting ethical principles into a cynical and corrupt politics, it is not right to divest from these same ethics at the very moment they come into conflict with other imperatives. The point of a foundational ethics is that it is not contingent but foundational. That is precisely its challenge to a corrupt politics.

Practicing our ethics in the real world involves a constant testing of them, a recognition that our zones of ethical interest have no fixed boundaries and may need to widen and shrink moment by moment as the situation demands. (Those brave students who—in supporting the ethical necessity of a ceasefire—find themselves at painful odds with family, friends, faith, or community have already made this calculation.) This flexibility can also have the positive long-term political effect of allowing us to comprehend that, although our duty to the weakest is permanent, the role of “the weakest” is not an existential matter independent of time and space but, rather, a contingent situation, continually subject to change. By contrast, there is a dangerous rigidity to be found in the idea that concern for the dreadful situation of the hostages is somehow in opposition to, or incompatible with, the demand for a ceasefire. Surely a ceasefire—as well as being an ethical necessity—is also in the immediate absolute interest of the hostages, a fact that cannot be erased by tearing their posters off walls.

Part of the significance of a student protest is the ways in which it gives young people the opportunity to insist upon an ethical principle while still being, comparatively speaking, a more rational force than the supposed adults in the room, against whose crazed magical thinking they have been forced to define themselves. The equality of all human life was never a self-evident truth in racially segregated America. There was no way to “win” in Vietnam. Hamas will not be “eliminated.” The more than seven million Jewish human beings who live in the gap between the river and the sea will not simply vanish because you think that they should. All of that is just rhetoric. Words. Cathartic to chant, perhaps, but essentially meaningless. A ceasefire, meanwhile, is both a potential reality and an ethical necessity. The monstrous and brutal mass murder of more than eleven hundred people, the majority of them civilians, dozens of them children, on October 7th, has been followed by the monstrous and brutal mass murder (at the time of writing) of a reported fourteen thousand five hundred children. And many more human beings besides, but it’s impossible not to notice that the sort of people who take at face value phrases like “surgical strikes” and “controlled military operation” sometimes need to look at and/or think about dead children specifically in order to refocus their minds on reality.

To send the police in to arrest young people peacefully insisting upon a ceasefire represents a moral injury to us all. To do it with violence is a scandal. How could they do less than protest, in this moment? They are putting their own bodies into the machine. They deserve our support and praise. As to which postwar political arrangement any of these students may favor, and on what basis they favor it—that is all an argument for the day after a ceasefire. One state, two states, river to the sea—in my view, their views have no real weight in this particular moment, or very little weight next to the significance of their collective action, which (if I understand it correctly) is focussed on stopping the flow of money that is funding bloody murder, and calling for a ceasefire, the political euphemism that we use to mark the end of bloody murder. After a ceasefire, the criminal events of the past seven months should be tried and judged, and the infinitely difficult business of creating just, humane, and habitable political structures in the region must begin anew. Right now: ceasefire. And, as we make this demand, we might remind ourselves that a ceasefire is not, primarily, a political demand. Primarily, it is an ethical one.

But it is in the nature of the political that we cannot even attend to such ethical imperatives unless we first know the political position of whoever is speaking. (“Where do you stand on Israel/Palestine?”) In these constructed narratives, there are always a series of shibboleths, that is, phrases that can’t be said, or, conversely, phrases that must be said. Once these words or phrases have been spoken ( river to the sea, existential threat, right to defend, one state, two states, Zionist, colonialist, imperialist, terrorist ) and one’s positionality established, then and only then will the ethics of the question be attended to (or absolutely ignored). The objection may be raised at this point that I am behaving like a novelist, expressing a philosophy without a politics, or making some rarefied point about language and rhetoric while people commit bloody murder. This would normally be my own view, but, in the case of Israel/Palestine, language and rhetoric are and always have been weapons of mass destruction.

It is in fact perhaps the most acute example in the world of the use of words to justify bloody murder, to flatten and erase unbelievably labyrinthine histories, and to deliver the atavistic pleasure of violent simplicity to the many people who seem to believe that merely by saying something they make it so. It is no doubt a great relief to say the word “Hamas” as if it purely and solely described a terrorist entity. A great relief to say “There is no such thing as the Palestinian people” as they stand in front of you. A great relief to say “Zionist colonialist state” and accept those three words as a full and unimpeachable definition of the state of Israel, not only under the disastrous leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu but at every stage of its long and complex history, and also to hear them as a perfectly sufficient description of every man, woman, and child who has ever lived in Israel or happened to find themselves born within it. It is perhaps because we know these simplifications to be impossible that we insist upon them so passionately. They are shibboleths; they describe a people, by defining them against other people—but the people being described are ourselves. The person who says “We must eliminate Hamas” says this not necessarily because she thinks this is a possible outcome on this earth but because this sentence is the shibboleth that marks her membership in the community that says that. The person who uses the word “Zionist” as if that word were an unchanged and unchangeable monolith, meaning exactly the same thing in 2024 and 1948 as it meant in 1890 or 1901 or 1920—that person does not so much bring definitive clarity to the entangled history of Jews and Palestinians as they successfully and soothingly draw a line to mark their own zone of interest and where it ends. And while we all talk, carefully curating our shibboleths, presenting them to others and waiting for them to reveal themselves as with us or against us—while we do all that, bloody murder.

And now here we are, almost at the end of this little stream of words. We’ve arrived at the point at which I must state clearly “where I stand on the issue,” that is, which particular political settlement should, in my own, personal view, occur on the other side of a ceasefire. This is the point wherein—by my stating of a position—you are at once liberated into the simple pleasure of placing me firmly on one side or the other, putting me over there with those who lisp or those who don’t, with the Ephraimites, or with the people of Gilead. Yes, this is the point at which I stake my rhetorical flag in that fantastical, linguistical, conceptual, unreal place—built with words—where rapes are minimized as needs be, and the definition of genocide quibbled over, where the killing of babies is denied, and the precision of drones glorified, where histories are reconsidered or rewritten or analogized or simply ignored, and “Jew” and “colonialist” are synonymous, and “Palestinian” and “terrorist” are synonymous, and language is your accomplice and alibi in all of it. Language euphemized, instrumentalized, and abused, put to work for your cause and only for your cause, so that it does exactly and only what you want it to do. Let me make it easy for you. Put me wherever you want: misguided socialist, toothless humanist, naïve novelist, useful idiot, apologist, denier, ally, contrarian, collaborator, traitor, inexcusable coward. It is my view that my personal views have no more weight than an ear of corn in this particular essay. The only thing that has any weight in this particular essay is the dead. ♦

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Longtime Clinton Adviser Sounds The Alarm With ‘Biden Is Doing It All Wrong’ Essay

Reporter, HuffPost

A longtime adviser to former President Bill Clinton has spelled out what he believes could cost President Joe Biden victory in the 2024 election.

Mark Penn suggested in an essay for The New York Times — titled “ Biden Is Doing It All Wrong ” — that the president should stop pandering to his “political base on the left” and “chart a different course” if he wants to beat presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump in November.

“By pitching too much to the base, he is leaving behind the centrist swing voters who shift between parties from election to election and, I believe, will be the key factor deciding the 2024 race,” Penn wrote of Biden.

“If Mr. Biden wants to serve another four years, he has to stop being dragged to the left and chart a different course closer to the center that appeals to those voters who favor bipartisan compromises to our core issues, fiscal discipline and a strong America,” he argued.

Biden is currently polling slightly behind Trump .

The president is “not reaching out to moderate voters with policy ideas or a strong campaign message,” and although “the 2024 election is a rematch” between Biden and his quadruply indicted predecessor, Biden’s victory in battleground states is anything but guaranteed, Penn said.

Biden could “still move more to the center, hoover up swing voters who desperately want to reject Mr. Trump, strengthen his image as a leader by destroying Hamas, and rally the base at the end,” he continued. “But that means first pushing back against the base rather than pandering to it, and remembering that when it comes to the math of elections, swing is king.”

Read the full essay here .

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