Writing Prompts by Topic

177 pages

0–9, A 8

100th Day of School Writing PromptsPrompts built on the number: 100 of one thing, life at 100 years old, what changed in 100 days of school, and lists to carry to 100.
Alamo Writing PromptsPrompts from the Alamo: the mission itself, a message sent for help, the siege day by day, both sides of the wall, and how it is remembered.
Alligator Writing PromptsPrompts set in a swamp: eyes above the water, a bellowing chorus, a nest of eggs, and how an alligator differs from a crocodile.
American History Writing PromptsPrompts from inside a real event: first settlements, the Revolution and the founding papers, moving west, the Civil War years, the twentieth century.
Analogy Writing PromptsExplain one thing through another: a thing is to a thing, a kitchen, a bad analogy fixed, teach it to a child.
Apple Writing PromptsPrompts on one fall fruit: at the orchard, an apple with five senses, from seed to pie, an opinion to argue.
Art History Writing PromptsPrompts from inside the history of art, cave to modern gallery, most with a fact under them, and a group of looking prompts for any picture.
Astronaut Writing PromptsPrompts from inside the suit: launch day, a week on the station, a message home, would you go. Many carry a NASA fact.

B 9

Back to School Writing PromptsPrompts for the first days of a school year, from the student's side: the night before, the first day, all about me, hopes for the year, summer looking back.
Baking Writing PromptsPrompts written in a kitchen: a recipe as a story, the cake that sank, a bake sale, how to make it.
Ballad Poem IdeasStories for a ballad, each with its stanzas planned or a refrain to try: a journey, a loss, a local legend, a line that returns.
Baseball Writing PromptsPrompts set on one diamond: bottom of the ninth, from the dugout, my first glove, an opinion to argue.
Bat Writing PromptsPrompts for an animal that works in the dark: hanging upside down, a night flight, a bat in the attic, real bats.
Bear Writing PromptsPrompts on what a bear eats, its first day of spring, a bear that walks into town, and cubs.
Bible Writing PromptsPrompts tied to a passage: retell a story, write as someone who was there, a verse in your own words, the seasons of the church year.
Biography Writing PromptsPrompts for writing a life: questions to ask, the early years, a turning point, and my own life so far.
Black History Month Writing PromptsPrompts tied to dated events of Black history: a first, an invention in daily use, a place on the map, a march, a speech or a song.

C 8

Camping Writing PromptsWritten prompts for a camping trip: around the fire, a noise outside the tent, the hike, a camp diary.
Candy Writing PromptsPrompts for a candy shop and a shared bag: invent a candy, the last one in the bag, a shop at night, how to share.
Career Writing PromptsPrompts on work for young writers: when I grow up, a day in a job, a job that does not exist yet, questions for a career day visitor.
Cliche Writing PromptsWorn openings, characters, plot turns, endings and phrases, each with the one change that breaks it.
Cloud Writing PromptsPrompts that start from a named cloud type or a shape seen in one: shapes in the sky, a cloud with a job, under a storm cloud, a cloud diary.
Creative Writing Prompts About SoccerStories, scenes and poems from kick-off to the last whistle: a penalty, the muddy pitch, a new teammate, an opinion to argue.
Crow Writing PromptsPrompts on what crows really do: a clever bird, the shiny thing, a crow remembers, a murder of crows.
Culture Writing PromptsPrompts on the writer's own culture: food and festivals, a custom explained to a stranger, two cultures in one home, an object that carries a story.

D–E 16

Day of the Dead Writing PromptsPrompts built on the customs of November 1 and 2: an ofrenda, a visit from an ancestor, the food and the flowers, a memory to keep.
Deep Writing PromptsThought-provoking prompts: a question with no right answer, a belief I changed, a choice between two goods, a what if.
Desert Writing PromptsPrompts set in one biome: a walk at dawn, finding water, a night under the stars, an animal that waits for dark, lost, then found.
Dream Writing PromptsPrompts on both kinds of dream: a dream I had, a daydream, a dream that goes on, a hope for later.
Early Explorers Writing PromptsPrompts from voyages of exploration by sea, ice and space: a ship log, first sight of land, the people on the shore, what to pack.
Easter Writing PromptsPrompts for Easter alone: the egg hunt, the Easter Bunny as a character with a job, dyed eggs and the basket, the family table, the customs of the church holiday.
Economics Writing PromptsStory and opinion prompts with one economics idea each: producers and consumers, a trade, a lemonade stand, an opinion to argue.
Electricity Writing PromptsPrompts on a day without power, the first light bulb in town, a lightning storm and how electricity reaches the outlet.
Elegy Writing PromptsThings to mourn in a poem, each with its lament, praise and consolation: a place that is gone, an object, a season, a pet.
Elephant Writing PromptsPrompts on an elephant's memory, a trunk that does everything, a herd led by a grandmother and a long walk to water.
Elf Writing PromptsPrompts told by a workshop elf in December: in the workshop, an elf's first day, the toy that went wrong, an elf's letter.
Emoji Writing PromptsRows of three or four emoji to turn into a story: a day out, a mystery, a problem and its fix, an animal tale. 🐌 🏠 🌧️ · 🚲 🗺️ 🌳 · 🥁 😴 🏠
End of the Year Writing PromptsPrompts for the last weeks of a school year: what I learned, a letter to my teacher, my summer list, next year, and a group just for fun.
Enlightenment Writing PromptsPrompts for the Age of Enlightenment: in the coffee house, the encyclopedia, a letter between thinkers, an experiment shown in public, an idea that reaches a law.
Epistolary Writing PromptsPremises for a story told in documents: letters, diary pages, notes on a fridge, messages.
Experimental Writing PromptsPrompts that set a method and leave the subject open: cut and rearrange, a borrowed form, erase to find, chance decides, found text.

F 11

Farm Writing PromptsPrompts set on a working farm through one day and one year: before sunrise, the animals talk, harvest, a day as a farmer.
Father's Day Writing PromptsFor the third Sunday of June: his portrait in words, a lesson he gave, a letter of thanks, and prompts for a grandpa, a stepdad or a coach.
Favorite Place Writing PromptsDescriptive prompts about one place the writer knows well: a room, an outdoor spot, a place that is gone, a place only imagined.
Field Trip Writing PromptsPrompts for a class outing from start to finish: before we go, on the bus, what I saw, a thank-you letter.
Figurative Language Writing PromptsPrompts for one figure of speech at a time: simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, imagery, idiom.
Finish the Story Writing PromptsStory openings of three or four sentences that stop at a door, at a sound, at a choice or in the middle of a sentence, for the writer to finish.
Fire Prevention Writing PromptsPrompts for Fire Prevention Week: a plan for my home, firefighters and their work, a story where the plan works, a poster line to write.
Food Writing PromptsPrompts about eating and remembering: a dish from home, a meal that went wrong, a taste I changed my mind about, my favorite food, a menu.
Football Writing PromptsPrompts for one game day: the last play, in the locker room, a fan in the stands, an opinion to argue.
Friendly Letter Writing PromptsLetters to write to a pen pal, a relative, a friend who moved, someone to thank or your future self.
Fun Writing Prompts for When You Are BoredShort prompts that need only the room you are in: quick ones, look around first, a list to finish, something silly.

G–H 14

Geography Writing PromptsPrompts that ask why people live where they do: where I live, a place I have never been, borders, a journey by river.
Gilded Age Writing PromptsPaired prompts, uptown and downtown: a mansion and a tenement, arriving by steamship, the new electric light, a strike.
Gingerbread Writing PromptsPrompts on one December cookie: on the run, a gingerbread house, a new ending, a recipe as a story.
Good Citizenship Writing PromptsPrompts that sort a right from a duty and ask what a good citizen does on a Tuesday: rights, duties, a good neighbor, becoming a citizen.
Graduation Writing PromptsPrompts for the last weeks of a school year: a letter to the class, what I will miss, ten years from now, advice to next year's class.
Groundhog Day Writing PromptsPrompts for February 2: the day from the groundhog's side, six more weeks of winter or an early spring, a forecast of your own, the day itself.
Habitat Writing PromptsPrompts where the place is the subject: a day in the habitat, a new neighbor arrives, a habitat in trouble, design your own.
Haiku Writing PromptsSmall subjects for a haiku, each with a traditional season word: a season word to start from, one moment outdoors, an ordinary object, a turn in the last line.
Hedgehog Writing PromptsPrompts for a small night animal that rolls into a ball: curling up, a night walk, a hole in the fence, winter.
Hispanic Heritage Month Writing PromptsPrompts for September 15 to October 15: food and the family table, music and dance, words in two languages, a place on the map, an interview.
Holiday Writing PromptsPrompts for the holidays with no list of their own: Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Lunar New Year, Diwali, Eid al-Fitr and a favorite of your own.
Horse Writing PromptPrompts about one animal: in the stable, the first ride, a wild herd, a horse tells it, with checked facts about horses under most of them.
Hot Chocolate Writing PromptPrompts on one warm drink: how to make it step by step, with all five senses, the best cup I ever had, a cocoa stand of my own.
Human Rights Writing PromptsPrompts from the articles of the Universal Declaration: a right I use every day, a right someone lacks, one article in my own words, speaking up for a right.

I 7

If I Were Writing PromptsPrompts that begin If I were, If I had, If I could be or If I met: a butterfly, a superhero, a pot of gold, a professional athlete, a community helper, an alien.
Immigration Writing PromptsPrompts in the first person about moving to a new country: leaving, the journey, the first day, two homes.
Imperialism Writing PromptsPrompts that say whose account it is: a map redrawn, the trading company, the port, the village, an argument at home.
In Medias Res Writing PromptsOpenings that start in the middle of the action, each with what the reader must learn by the end of the page.
Industrial Revolution Writing PromptsDiary and letter prompts with a dated fact each: the first day at the mill, a new machine, city smoke, a letter home.
Informational Writing Prompts on the Underground RailroadExplain and describe tasks with a fact under each: how the routes worked, a safe house, words with two meanings, a night on the road, arriving.
Invention Writing PromptsWritten prompts about inventing: my invention, an invention that failed, a world without the wheel, the instructions.

J–M 11

Jellyfish Writing PromptsPrompts for an animal with no brain and no bones that still gets where it is going: drifting, a glow in the dark, a bloom.
Juneteenth Writing PromptsPrompts tied to June 19, 1865, and to how the day is kept: the news in Galveston, a celebration, freedom in my own words, the federal holiday.
Kenning Writing PromptsThings to rename as kennings, each with a model such as whale-road for the sea: animals, weather and sky, people and their work, a schoolbag, a riddle.
Labor Day Writing PromptsPrompts about work and workers for the first Monday of September: jobs I see every day, a thank-you to a worker, the last day of summer, an opinion to argue.
Leap Year Writing PromptsPrompts for a date that exists one year in four: born on February 29, an extra day to spend, a day that comes every four years, why we have it.
Money Writing PromptsStory and opinion prompts for children and teens: saving for something, a found wallet, if I had a hundred, needs and wants.
Monkey Writing PromptsPrompts for a clever animal that lives in a troop: trouble in the trees, copycats, the troop, a tail for a hand.
Moon Writing PromptsPrompts about the Moon as a place and as a clock: a night walk, living on the Moon, the phases as a diary, a moon legend of your own.
Morning Writing PromptsShort prompts for the start of a day: before anyone is up, the first thing I saw, a plan for today, three lines.
Mother's Day Writing PromptsPrompts for the second Sunday of May: her portrait in words, a day she remembers, a thank-you letter, and a group for anyone who mothers you.
Music Writing PromptsPrompts about listening and playing, none about writing a song: a song that takes me back, the instrument I would play, a concert, silence.

O–P 14

One Sentence Writing PromptsPrompts to answer in one sentence: a whole day, a whole life, a secret, a place.
Outdoor Writing PromptsPrompts to write outdoors with the subject in front of you: sit and listen, one square of ground, a walk with a notebook, weather on my skin.
Owl Writing PromptsPrompts for a hunter that works at night: the night shift, silent wings, an owl pellet, who else is awake.
Panda Writing PromptsPrompts for an animal that eats one plant for half the day: bamboo, a tiny cub, a misty forest, a black and white coat.
Penguin Writing PromptsPrompts on one winter animal: a penguin's day, a penguin far from home, real penguins, an opinion to argue.
The Perfect Playground Writing PromptDesign the perfect playground, as five kinds of writing: a design with reasons, a description, an argument, a rainy-day version, the rules on the gate.
Physical Education Writing PromptsPrompts about gym class itself: a game I would invent, rules and fair play, my team, the hardest thing I learned to do.
Pi Day Writing PromptsPrompts for March 14 that mix circles, pie and poems counted by the digits: a number that never ends, circles everywhere, pie on the table, a pi-ku.
Plot Development Writing PromptsSituations that need their next step of plot: a want, an obstacle, a turn, a price.
Point of View Writing PromptsPrompts sorted by narrator: first person, second person, close third, all-knowing, one event told twice, and the villain's side.
Polar Bear Writing PromptsPrompts set on sea ice: a wait at a breathing hole, a long swim, cubs in a snow den, a warmer Arctic.
Presidents Day Writing PromptsPrompts for the third Monday of February: if I were president, the job and the house, voting and fairness, the day itself.
Pumpkin Writing PromptsPrompts that follow one pumpkin: in the patch, its life on the vine, the one nobody picked, painting a pumpkin, after October.
Purim Writing PromptsPrompts on what belongs to Purim alone: the story told by a side character, costumes and masks, baskets for the neighbors, the noisemaker, the feast.

Q–R 8

Quote Writing PromptsPrompts that start from a quote: a proverb to argue with, a line overheard, a saying in your family, a saying to finish your own way.
Rabbit Writing PromptsPrompts from a burrow and a living room, wild and pet: the warren, ears up, a garden raid, a pet that thumps.
Rainbow Writing PromptsPrompts about rainbows as weather and as story: the end of the rainbow, a color goes missing, after the storm, how a rainbow forms.
Rainforest Writing PromptsPrompts from inside a rainforest: the forest floor, up in the canopy, the river, a sound in the night, after the trees are cut.
Rainy Day Writing PromptsPrompts for a wet day: stuck indoors, out in it, the sound of rain, a puddle that leads somewhere, with On a rainy day sentences to finish.
Reconstruction Writing PromptsDated prompts from 1862 to 1880: the first year of freedom, a school opens, the vote, rebuilding a town, what was left undone.
Reindeer Writing PromptsPrompts on one December animal: a reindeer of my own, the night of the flight, real reindeer in the north, how to look after one.
Renaissance Writing PromptsPrompts set in Renaissance workshops, courts and print shops: in a workshop, a patron and a painter, a new invention arrives, an opinion to argue.

S 18

Salem Witch Trials Writing PromptsPrompts on the Salem witch trials: a village afraid, a hearing, a neighbor accused, the one who speaks up, and the apologies of later years.
Scarecrow Writing PromptsPrompts on one autumn figure: if I were a scarecrow, the scarecrow comes alive, describe and compare, how to build and dress one.
Scene Writing PromptsSingle scenes to write, sorted by kind: an arrival, an argument, a meal, a chase or a fight, a goodbye, a discovery.
Scientist Writing PromptsPrompts with a scientist at work: in the lab, an experiment goes wrong, a question nobody asked, a day as a scientist.
Seahorse Writing PromptsPrompts on the fish that swims upright: holding on by the tail, a father with a pouch, hide and seek, a small sea.
Self-Portrait Writing PromptsA self-portrait written, not drawn: what the mirror shows, my hands, a portrait in five objects, me at another age, as someone else would describe me.
Slam Poetry Writing PromptsPoems to perform, each with a note on saying it aloud: something you are tired of hearing, a list that builds, your name, a letter out loud.
Snake Story IdeasStories about shedding, moving without legs, being feared and turning up in a garden, with snake facts underneath.
Snowglobe Writing PromptThe winter prompt classes ask for by name, in sixty forms: trapped inside, the town in the glass, if I made my own, someone shakes it.
Social Justice Writing PromptsPrompts that ask for a view or a story: fair and unfair, speaking up, a rule that should change, walking in other shoes.
Social Media Writing PromptsPrompts for writing about social media, on paper: a day offline, a post I did not send, what a like is worth, a rule for my feed.
Sociology Writing PromptsJournal prompts for a sociology class: unwritten rules, the groups you belong to, roles, one institution close up, and things to observe and write up.
Sonnet Writing PromptsSubjects sized for fourteen lines, with the turn marked: a question and an answer, a turn at line nine, love for a place, a closing couplet to earn.
Speech Writing PromptsOccasions to write a speech for, never a bare topic: a toast, a talk to my class, a case to change a mind, a thank-you, one minute with no notes.
Spider Writing PromptsPrompts on one October animal: a friendly spider, the web, real spiders, a spider at Halloween.
Squirrel Writing PromptsPrompts about one busy animal in autumn: the lost acorn, a squirrel at the feeder, getting ready for winter, real squirrels.
Stranded on a Deserted Island Writing PromptsThe stranded-on-an-island prompt in five parts: washed ashore, three things I would bring, shelter, water and fire, a message in a bottle, the day a ship appears.
Summer Camp Writing PromptsPrompts for a stay at camp with other children: the first night in the cabin, a letter home, the lake, the counselor, the last campfire.

T 9

Teacher Appreciation Writing PromptsPrompts that end in something to hand to a teacher: a thank-you letter, what I learned by accident, a day as the teacher, a note for the desk.
Theatre Arts Writing PromptsPrompts about the theater itself, none asking for a script: backstage, the audition, in the audience, a review of a show, a musical.
Tiger Writing PromptsPrompts for a big cat that hunts alone and swims: stripes, a hunter alone, a cub learns, a forest that shrinks.
Time Capsule Writing PromptsPrompts for a real capsule and for stories about one: what goes in the box, a letter to future me, opened in fifty years, a capsule someone else buried.
Timed Writing PromptsPrompts sorted by how long they take, each small enough to finish in its time: one minute, three minutes, five minutes, ten minutes. Put down everything you can hear right now.
Titanic Writing PromptsPrompts from one voyage in April 1912: boarding day, life on deck, the night of April 14, an opinion to argue.
Tradition Writing PromptsPrompts about family and community traditions: one in my family, one I would start, one that changed, a holiday table.
Transportation Writing PromptsPrompts sorted by the way of getting there: by wheel, by rail, by water, by air. Buses, bikes, trains, ferries, balloons and planes.
Turtle Writing PromptsPrompts on a shell, a slow pace, a sea turtle's long swim and a tortoise's hundred years.

V–Z 44

Vacation Writing PromptsPrompts for a trip away: packing, the journey, a day that went wrong, a postcard home.
Veterans Day Writing PromptsPrompts for November 11: a thank-you letter to a veteran, questions for an interview, what service means, the history of the date.
Video Game Writing PromptsPrompts that treat games as something to write about: design a game of my own, a level described, my favorite game and why, a day inside the screen.
Vignette Writing PromptsPrompts for one short scene with no plot: a doorway, a pair of hands, five minutes of a day, after the party.
Volleyball Writing PromptsPrompts on the net game: match point, the serve, a team of six, an opinion to argue.
Weekend Writing PromptsPrompts about the weekend for a Monday morning or a Friday afternoon: what I did, a perfect Saturday, Sunday night, plans that changed.
Weird Writing PromptsOdd, quirky and absurd prompts, told with a straight face: odd jobs, strange rules, an unlikely narrator, a small absurd problem.
What If Writing PromptsQuestions that begin What if, with the first consequence under each: a rule of nature changed, history gone another way, an ordinary day broken, one chance.
Winter Break Writing PromptsPrompts for the days off in winter, with no holiday named: a plan before the break, the best day, a day when nothing happened, and back in class.
Women's History Month Writing PromptsPrompts for March tied to dated firsts and the suffrage amendment, with a group about a woman in the writer's own family.
World War 1 Writing PromptsLetters and scenes from 1914 to 1918: the summer it began, the mail, the home front, the day the guns stopped, a hundred years on.
World War II Writing PromptsPrompts from the Second World War at home: the home front, rationing and making do, letters across an ocean, sent to the country, the day the news came.
Writing Prompt ChallengeDifficult writing prompts, each with one rule: a letter left out, exactly fifty words, one syllable only, backwards.
Writing Prompts About BeesPrompts from inside a hive: the comb, the waggle dance, a worker's day and a world without bees.
Writing Prompts About CarnivalsPrompts for one evening at a traveling carnival: the midway at night, one ride, a game nobody wins, the food, packing up at dawn.
Writing Prompts About CommunityPrompts with the writer's own neighborhood as the subject: my street and my town, people who help, something I would fix, a time we worked together.
Writing Prompts About FashionWritten prompts about clothes and the people who make them: an outfit's story, backstage, a designer's brief, an opinion.
Writing Prompts About FirefliesPrompts for one warm evening and an insect that signals with light: a jar, a code in flashes, the first of summer, a dark field.
Writing Prompts About GovernmentPrompts on how a group governs itself: three branches, a law for my town, an election in class, who decides.
Writing Prompts About Ice CreamPrompts on one summer food: invent a flavor, the truck comes around, it melts, describe one scoop.
Writing Prompts About IdentityPrompts on who a writer is: my name, where I am from, what people get wrong, who I am becoming, and identity story ideas.
Writing Prompts About LionsPrompts about the cat that lives in a family: the pride, a roar at night, the cub who would not nap, a day on the savanna.
Writing Prompts About LuckPrompts on good and bad luck for young writers: a lucky find, bad luck that turned, lucky charms, luck or hard work.
Writing Prompts About MapsPrompts that begin with a map: a map with a mistake, directions to a secret place, the edge of the map, a map of my street.
Writing Prompts About MuseumsPrompts for a museum visit or the day after: one object, in an art museum, the guard at night, a label for my own thing, the room nobody visits.
Writing Prompts About PlantsPrompts told from the seed, the root and the gardener: a seed speaks, the garden at night, a plant that would not grow, a plant diary.
Writing Prompts About SleepPrompts on going to sleep, staying up and waking: cannot sleep, the best nap, bedtime rules, what the house does at night.
Writing Prompts About SoftballPrompts written for softball: two outs, in the pitcher's circle, dugout cheers, an opinion to argue.
Writing Prompts About SuccessPrompts that question the word: what is success, a small win, what it cost, success for someone else, trying again.
Writing Prompts About the EnvironmentPrompts to write, not posters to draw: a litter pick, a thing saved from the trash, a letter to the town council, a warmer world.
Writing Prompts About Women's SuffragePrompts set between 1848 and 1920, each with a dated event: a march, a banner, an argument at the table, the first vote.
Writing Prompts for Ancient CivilizationsPrompts set in a named ancient place: Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, China, Greece, Rome. Each has one checked fact under it.
Writing Prompts for BloggersPosts to write, by kind of blog and kind of post: personal, travel, family and home, a list post, a how-I-did-it post. Each has a working title.
Writing Prompts for Cinco De MayoPrompts for May 5 with the date's history under them: the battle at Puebla, a parade, food and music, what the day is not.
Writing Prompts for Free Verse PoetrySubjects for free verse, each with a line break to try: a break that changes the meaning, a list, a single image, a conversation.
Writing Prompts for MonologuesPrompts for one speaker and one speech: a character alone on stage, a confession, a villain who explains, an object that speaks.
Writing Prompts for PsychologyJournal prompts for a psychology class: memory, learning and habit, perception, a classic study to retell, a study to design.
Writing Prompts for the Civil Rights MovementPrompts beside a dated event of 1954 to 1965: a march seen from the pavement, a letter home, a rule that was changed, an opinion to argue.
Writing Prompts for the Cold WarPrompts from the Cold War, 1948 to 1990: a divided city, the space race, a drill at school, an opinion to argue.
Writing Prompts for Writer's BlockPrompts for a draft that has stalled: change the form, change the teller, skip ahead, or write ten bad sentences on purpose.
Writing Prompts Using the Five SensesThings to describe through one sense at a time (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch), and told sentences to show instead.
Writing Prompts With Sentence StartersSentence starters to finish, grouped by their first words: I remember, I wonder, If I could, The best part of, One day.
Writing Prompts with StarsPrompts about stars as something to wish on, to join into pictures and to wonder at: wishing, a constellation of my own, the oldest light, a night with no stars.
Zoo Writing PromptsPrompts set in one place with many animals: a day at the zoo, the keeper, after closing time, an opinion to argue.

Each list here holds prompts on one topic, and each prompt is one sentence to start writing from, with a line under it that gives the angle. The craft lists take one skill at a time: a single scene, the narrator who tells it, a figure of speech, a description through one sense.

More about these tools

Three lists start from a form: a cliche to break, a letter with someone to read it, a row of emoji to turn into a story. Four take a day of the calendar or the town as the subject: Presidents Day, the holidays that have no list of their own, Fire Prevention Week and the writer's own community. Four take one seasonal subject each: the scarecrow, the reindeer, the penguin and the spider. Three write from history and scripture: a dated event of American history, a day in an ancient city, a passage of the Bible. Three more start close to home: dreams and daydreams, the work a child may grow up to do, and the apple, from orchard to pie.