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100 Classic Philosophical Writing Prompts

June 2, 2024 by Richard Leave a Comment

100 Classic Philosophical Writing Prompts to Expand Your Mind

Philosophy has been a cornerstone of human thought for centuries, exploring the fundamental questions of existence, knowledge, values, reason, and the nature of reality. Engaging with philosophical ideas can help us develop critical thinking skills, challenge our assumptions, and gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Whether you’re a seasoned philosopher or simply curious about life’s big questions, exploring philosophical writing prompts can be a powerful way to expand your mind and broaden your perspectives.

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of 100 thought-provoking philosophical writing prompts designed to stimulate your intellect and encourage introspection. These prompts cover a wide range of topics, from the nature of reality and the meaning of life to the existence of free will and the definition of personal identity. By engaging with these prompts, you’ll have the opportunity to explore some of the most profound and enduring questions that have puzzled philosophers for generations.

Writing about philosophy can be a challenging but rewarding experience. It requires you to think deeply about complex ideas, articulate your thoughts clearly and logically, and consider multiple perspectives on a given issue. By engaging in philosophical writing, you’ll develop valuable skills that can be applied across many areas of life, from personal relationships to professional pursuits.

Whether you’re looking to explore new ideas, challenge your assumptions, or simply gain a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you, these philosophical writing prompts are an excellent starting point. Each prompt is designed to inspire reflection, encourage critical thinking, and help you develop your own unique insights and perspectives on some of life’s most profound questions.

So if you’re ready to embark on a journey of intellectual discovery and personal growth, grab a pen and paper (or your favorite digital writing tool) and dive into these 100 thought-provoking philosophical writing prompts. You never know what insights and revelations await you as you explore the depths of your own mind and the fundamental questions of human existence.

100 Classic Philosophical Writing Prompts to Expand Your Mind:

• What is the meaning of life?
• Is free will an illusion?
• Can we ever truly know anything?
• What is the nature of reality?
• Is there a higher power or God?
• What is the purpose of suffering?
• How do we define good and evil?
• Is morality subjective or objective?
• What happens after we die?
• What is the nature of consciousness?
• Is the mind separate from the body?
• Can artificial intelligence be conscious?
• What is the role of intuition in knowledge?
• Is time linear or cyclical?
• How do we reconcile determinism and free will?
• What is the self?
• Is the universe infinite or finite?
• What is the nature of causality?
• How do we define truth?
• Is beauty subjective or objective?
• What is the role of language in shaping reality?
• Can we ever escape our own perspective?
• Is there a universal moral code?
• What is the nature of love?
• How do we find meaning in a seemingly meaningless universe?
• Is there such a thing as absolute truth?
• What is the role of faith in knowledge?
• Is the universe deterministic or probabilistic?
• How do we reconcile the existence of evil with an all-loving God?
• What is the nature of the soul?
• Is there such a thing as fate or destiny?
• How do we define personal identity over time?
• What is the relationship between the mind and the brain?
• Is the universe a simulation?
• What is the nature of time?
• How do we reconcile the existence of suffering with a just world?
• Is there such a thing as objective reality?
• What is the role of emotion in decision making?
• Is the universe fundamentally knowable?
• What is the nature of the self?
• Is there a difference between knowledge and belief?
• How do we reconcile the existence of free will with a deterministic universe?
• Is there such a thing as objective morality?
• What is the role of intuition in moral reasoning?
• How do we define personal responsibility?
• What is the nature of the mind-body problem?
• Is the universe fundamentally good or evil?
• What is the role of reason in knowledge?
• How do we reconcile the existence of suffering with a loving God?
• Is there such a thing as absolute knowledge?
• What is the nature of causation?
• How do we define the good life?
• Is the universe fundamentally chaotic or orderly?
• What is the role of emotion in moral reasoning?
• Is there such a thing as objective beauty?
• What is the nature of the self over time?
• How do we reconcile the existence of evil with a just world?
• Is there a difference between appearance and reality?
• What is the role of faith in moral reasoning?
• Is the universe fundamentally material or immaterial?
• How do we define truth in a world of conflicting perspectives?
• What is the nature of the relationship between language and thought?
• Is there such a thing as objective truth?
• What is the role of reason in moral reasoning?
• How do we reconcile the existence of suffering with a meaningful life?
• Is the universe fundamentally deterministic or indeterministic?
• What is the nature of the relationship between the self and others?
• Is there a difference between knowledge and understanding?
• How do we define personal identity?
• What is the role of intuition in scientific reasoning?
• Is the universe fundamentally mental or physical?
• How do we reconcile the existence of evil with an all-powerful God?
• What is the nature of the relationship between the self and the world?
• Is there such a thing as objective moral truth?
• What is the role of emotion in scientific reasoning?
• How do we define the meaning of life?
• Is the universe fundamentally knowable or unknowable?
• What is the nature of the relationship between the mind and the body?
• Is there a difference between belief and faith?
• How do we reconcile the existence of suffering with a benevolent universe?
• What is the role of reason in religious reasoning?
• Is the universe fundamentally finite or infinite?
• How do we define personal responsibility in a deterministic universe?
• What is the nature of the relationship between language and reality?
• Is there such a thing as objective aesthetic truth?
• What is the role of intuition in philosophical reasoning?
• How do we reconcile the existence of evil with a perfect God?
• Is the universe fundamentally rational or irrational?
• What is the nature of the relationship between the self and the divine?
• Is there a difference between truth and fact?
• How do we define the good life in a world of suffering?
• What is the role of emotion in religious reasoning?
• Is the universe fundamentally temporal or atemporal?
• How do we reconcile the existence of suffering with a just universe?
• What is the nature of the relationship between the self and the cosmos?
• Is there such a thing as objective moral knowledge?
• What is the role of reason in artistic reasoning?
• How do we define personal identity in a world of change?
• Is the universe fundamentally a unity or a plurality?

As we come to the end of this exploration of 100 thought-provoking philosophical writing prompts, it’s important to reflect on the value and significance of engaging with these ideas. Philosophy is not simply an academic exercise or a form of intellectual entertainment; rather, it is a vital tool for navigating the complexities of human existence and making sense of our place in the world.

By grappling with the fundamental questions posed by these prompts, we develop a deeper understanding of ourselves, our values, and our relationships with others. We learn to think critically, to question our assumptions, and to consider multiple perspectives on a given issue. These skills are essential not only for personal growth and self-discovery but also for participating in the broader conversations and debates that shape our society.

Moreover, engaging with philosophical ideas can be a source of profound personal fulfillment and meaning. By exploring the depths of our own minds and the fundamental nature of reality, we tap into a sense of wonder and awe that can be both humbling and exhilarating. We come to appreciate the incredible complexity and beauty of the world around us, and to recognize our own small but significant place within it.

Of course, engaging with philosophy is not always easy. It requires a willingness to step outside of our comfort zones, to confront difficult and sometimes unsettling questions, and to accept that there may not always be clear or definitive answers. But it is precisely this challenge that makes philosophical inquiry so rewarding and transformative.

So as you reflect on the 100 philosophical writing prompts presented in this article, we encourage you to approach them with an open mind and a spirit of curiosity. Don’t be afraid to explore new ideas, to question your own beliefs, and to engage in respectful dialogue with others who may hold different perspectives. Remember that philosophy is not about finding the “right” answers but about embarking on a lifelong journey of discovery and growth. By embracing this journey with enthusiasm and humility, you open yourself up to a world of endless possibility and profound insight.

If you enjoyed these writing prompts we have many more on our site .

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About Richard

Richard Everywriter (pen name) has worked for literary magazines and literary websites for the last 25 years. He holds degrees in Writing, Journalism, Technology and Education. Richard has headed many writing workshops and courses, and he has taught writing and literature for the last 20 years.  

In writing and publishing he has worked with independent, small, medium and large publishers for years connecting publishers to authors. He has also worked as a journalist and editor in both magazine, newspaper and trade publications as well as in the medical publishing industry.   Follow him on Twitter, and check out our Submissions page .

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Philosophy Writing Prompts

Throughout human history, philosophy has been the beacon that illuminates our understanding of the world and our place in it. It offers a lens through which we reflect on life’s most pressing questions and seek meaning in our experiences. Philosophy-inspired writing prompts serve as bridges, connecting our thoughts to the vast realm of inquiry.

By engaging with them, we have the chance to refine our worldview and delve into a profound dialogue with our inner selves. They all act as a key, unlocking doors to intellectual exploration and deep introspection.

The Benefits of Philosophical Journaling

Writing, in its essence, is a conversation – an interaction between the writer and their thoughts. When the conversation takes a philosophical turn, it transcends the mundane, touching the fabric of existence and meaning. By employing philosophical journal prompts, the dialogue becomes even richer, guiding our reflections toward deeper waters of understanding.

Whether it’s a seasoned philosopher mulling over existential concepts or a curious mind exploring ethical dilemmas, journal prompts for Philosophy offer pathways to deeper insights. The beauty of them lies in their open-ended nature. They don’t demand definitive answers. Instead, they invite a continuous and evolving dialogue that challenges, refines, and often transforms our beliefs and perspectives.

Diverse Range

Philosophy is an ever-expansive field, encompassing many schools of thought and perspectives. Hence, journal prompts for Philosophy are designed to cater to this diversity. From existential dilemmas to ethical conundrums, they cover many topics. Such a wide spectrum ensures that individuals delve into areas that resonate most with their current thoughts or challenges.

For instance, when pondering metaphysical queries or social constructs, specific options are awaiting to guide your reflections. Each can create a 10 Thought-Provoking Philosophy Journal Prompts list to push the boundaries of conventional thinking and foster a deeper understanding of philosophical concepts.

How to Utilize Journal Prompts Effectively

In the digital age, many seek guidance online when it comes to enhancing their philosophical writing journey. A custom essay writing service can be a valuable asset in this regard. Not only does it offer insights and expertise from seasoned philosophers and custom paper writers, but it also provides a platform for sharing and discussing various philosophical concepts.

By collaborating with such a service, one can ensure that their philosophical essays and journals resonate deeply, are well-articulated, and can stand the test of rigorous intellectual scrutiny. Such services enhance the philosophical writing experience, bridging the gap between novice thinkers and seasoned philosophers.

Engaging with this method is only half the equation. The real magic happens when you know how to harness their full potential. Creating an environment conducive to introspection is the first step. Choose a quiet space, free of distractions, where thoughts roam uninhibited. As you see, these prompts allow your mind to wander without rushing for answers.

While the Philosophy-inspired writing prompts guide the flow of thought, revisiting them after a while offers fresh perspectives. As your philosophical foundation grows and evolves, insights can change, reflecting your intellectual journey.

Further, mixing and matching or combining insights from multiple journal prompts for Philosophy leads to even deeper revelations. Remember, philosophy isn’t about definitive answers, but the continuous exploration of questions.

Inspiring the Next Step

The philosophical journey doesn’t end with a list or a few reflections. As you grow and evolve in your thinking and composition writing , a vast ocean of options is awaiting exploration. Delving deeper, there are more advanced prompts that push the boundaries of traditional thought and foster deeper introspection.

Perhaps you’ll yearn for more challenging inquiries after spending time with basic journal prompts. This is where the 10 Thought-Provoking Philosophy Journal Prompts list can be of immense value. They are crafted to demand a higher level of intellectual engagement, ensuring that your reflections become richer and more profound as you progress in the journey.

The prompts above open a new avenue for exploration, encouraging a deeper dive into the complexities of existence, ethics, and human nature. The world of science is expansive and diverse, and the philosophy-inspired writing prompts are the gateway to this richness. They offer a structured path for reflection, enabling you to explore various philosophical concepts and theories at your own pace. The prompts are not just questions but catalysts for thought, inspiring you to ponder, question, and explore the depths of your beliefs. As you traverse through the realms of philosophical inquiry, remember that the journey is as important as the destination. The quest for knowledge, writing skills , understanding, and wisdom is endless, and these prompts are here to guide you every step of the way. Let the philosophical journal prompts be the fuel that ignites curiosity, challenges your thinking, and ultimately contributes to intellectual and personal growth.

The Intersection of Philosophy and Reality: Connecting Theoretical Concepts to Real-World Scenarios

Throughout human history, philosophy has been the beacon that illuminates our understanding of the world and our place in it. It offers a lens through which we reflect on life’s most pressing questions and seek meaning in our experiences. Philosophy-inspired writing prompts serve as bridges, connecting our thoughts to the vast realm of inquiry. By …

Philosophy of Writing

How to Develop a Creative Philosophy: A Practical Guide

• Define a creative philosophy
• Evaluate your current creative process
• Identify your creative strengths and weaknesses
• Establish creative goals
• Create a creative vision board
• Develop a daily creative routine
• Employ new creative methods
• Apply your creative philosophy
• Review and refine your creative philosophy

Let's take a journey through the landscape of creativity. Today, we're going to explore how to develop a unique creative philosophy. This philosophy is like your personal map through the world of ideas, guiding how you think, work, and bring your creative visions to life. If you've ever wondered how the great artists, writers, and thinkers of our time manage to consistently inspire with their works, a large part of that success comes from having a clear creative philosophy. Welcoming the philosophy of creativity into your life can be a game-changer. So, how about we break it down into simple, easy-to-follow steps? Ready? Let's get started.

Define a Creative Philosophy

What is a creative philosophy? It's the guiding principle or set of ideas that steer your creative process. It's like a compass for navigating the often chaotic and unpredictable waters of creativity. Here's a simple way to start defining your creative philosophy:

• Find your inspiration: What sparks your creative fire? Is it nature, music, stories of people, or maybe abstract concepts like love or freedom? Identifying your sources of inspiration is the first step towards defining your philosophy of creativity.
• Understand your style: Everyone has a unique creative style, whether it's bold and dramatic or subtle and understated. Recognize your style and embrace it. It's what sets you apart.
• Value your values: Your values greatly influence your creative process. If you value simplicity, your creations will likely reflect that. If you value challenging norms, that too will show in your work.
• Look at your past work: Review your previous creations, be it art, writing, design, or whatever your creative outlet might be. You'll often find recurring themes, ideas, or techniques that can offer insight into your creative philosophy.

Remember, your creative philosophy isn't set in stone. It's a living, evolving entity that grows with you. As you gain more experiences, your philosophy of creativity will naturally evolve. So don't stress about getting it perfect from the get-go. The most important thing is to start the journey.

Evaluate Your Current Creative Process

Now that we've covered what a creative philosophy is, let's shift our focus on how to evaluate your current creative process. It's a bit like doing a health check-up, but for your creativity. This step is crucial in the journey of understanding and enhancing your philosophy of creativity.

• Identify your process: First, pinpoint what your creative process looks like. Do you dive right into creating, or do you need a moment of quiet contemplation first? Do you prefer a structured approach or a more spontaneous one? There's no right or wrong answer here, only what works best for you.
• Find your creative peak times: Are you a morning lark or a night owl? Identifying when you're most productive creatively can help you better structure your day for optimum creativity.
• Observe your environment: Take note of where you're most creative. Is it in a quiet room with minimal distractions, or do you thrive in a bustling café with a lively atmosphere? Your environment plays a significant role in your creative process.
• Recognize your triggers: What usually triggers your creativity? It could be a conversation, a film, a book, or simply a walk in the park. Recognizing these triggers can help you tap into your creativity more effectively.

By evaluating your current creative process, you're not only gaining valuable insights into how you work best, but you're also laying the groundwork for your evolving philosophy of creativity. And remember, this is not a one-time activity. Regularly checking in with your creative process can help you stay aligned with your creative philosophy.

Identify Your Creative Strengths and Weaknesses

Next in our journey through the philosophy of creativity, we'll take a closer look at your creative strengths and weaknesses. This isn't about judging yourself or comparing your abilities to others. It's about understanding where your creative power lies and where you might need a little help.

• Identify your strengths: What are you naturally good at? Maybe you're a whiz at brainstorming innovative ideas, or perhaps you're a master at turning a simple concept into a masterpiece. These are your creative strengths, and they're a vital part of your philosophy of creativity.
• Spot your weaknesses: Now, let's flip the coin. Where do you struggle in your creative process? Do you find it hard to generate ideas, or do you lose interest halfway through a project? By identifying these weaknesses, you can create strategies to overcome them.
• Consider feedback: What do others say about your creative work? Feedback can provide valuable insights into your strengths and weaknesses. But remember, it's just another perspective, not the final word on your creative abilities.
• Reflect on past projects: Looking back at your previous creative endeavors can reveal patterns in your strengths and weaknesses. Did you excel in the ideation phase but struggle with execution? Or maybe it was the other way around?

Identifying your creative strengths and weaknesses is not about being hard on yourself. It's about recognizing where you shine and where you can improve. This awareness gives you the power to fine-tune your creative process and enrich your philosophy of creativity.

Establish Creative Goals

Now that we've identified your creative strengths and weaknesses, let's set some creative goals. These goals form an integral part of the philosophy of creativity and serve as stepping stones towards refining your creative skills.

• Set achievable goals: Start by setting goals that you can realistically achieve. Think about your current creative abilities and where you want to see improvements. Perhaps you want to become better at brainstorming or want to finish a project you've been putting off.
• Make your goals specific: Instead of vague goals like "become a better artist," aim for something more concrete like "create a piece of art every week." The more specific your goals, the easier it is to measure your progress.
• Break down big goals: If you have a big creative goal, break it down into smaller, manageable tasks. This makes the goal less daunting and allows you to celebrate small victories along the way.
• Set a timeline: Having a timeline for your goals can keep you on track and focused. Whether it's a daily, weekly, or monthly goal, having a deadline can motivate you to stay committed.

Remember, the aim of setting creative goals isn't about putting pressure on yourself. It's about encouraging growth and development in your creative journey. As you work towards these goals, you'll find your philosophy of creativity evolving and taking shape.

Create a Creative Vision Board

It's time to give your creativity a visual boost. A creative vision board is a powerful way to visualize your goals and aspirations. It acts as a constant reminder of what you're working towards, making your journey an embodiment of the philosophy of creativity.

• Collect inspirational materials: Gather images, quotes, or anything else that sparks your creativity. These could be pictures of artists you admire, snippets of poetry, or even a color palette that catches your eye.
• Arrange your board: There's no "right" way to arrange your vision board. It could be a thematic layout or a random collage of images. The main point is to make sure it resonates with you and reflects your creative goals.
• Place it where you can see it: Put your vision board in a place where you’ll see it often. This constant visual reminder can help keep you motivated and focused on your goals.

Creating a vision board is not just a fun activity—it's a visual representation of your philosophy of creativity. It can serve as a source of inspiration when you're feeling stuck, and a reminder of your creative aspirations when you need a boost.

Develop a Daily Creative Routine

Consistency, as they say, is key. This also rings true in the realm of creativity. One practical way to cultivate your philosophy of creativity is to develop a daily routine that encourages creative thinking.

• Set aside time for creative activities: Whether it's writing, painting, or playing an instrument, dedicate specific times of the day for your creative pursuits. It could be a full hour or just 15 minutes—what matters is that you make it a regular habit.
• Take breaks to refresh your mind: Even the most brilliant minds need to rest. Ensure to sprinkle small breaks in your routine to avoid burnout and to allow fresh ideas to seep in.
• Practice mindfulness: Engage in activities that promote mindfulness, such as meditation or yoga. These can help clear your mind, reduce stress, and enhance your overall creativity.

Remember, your daily routine should not feel like a task. It should be something you look forward to—a time when you can explore and express your creativity. And remember, every step you take, every habit you form, is a vital part of developing your philosophy of creativity.

Employ New Creative Methods

Comfort zones are nice and cozy, but do they really help us grow? Often, stepping out of our comfort zones can lead to the most profound growth and creativity. So, let's explore how to employ new creative methods in your quest to define the philosophy of creativity.

• Try new tools: There's a whole world of art supplies, software, and platforms out there that you might not have explored. Ever tried digital painting or 3D modeling? What about writing a song or poem? The tool doesn't make the artist, but it can sure open up new possibilities.
• Study different styles: Whether it's Baroque music, abstract art, or haiku poetry, every style can teach you something new. Even if it's not "your thing", the experience will broaden your creative horizon.
• Combine the old and the new: Remember, creativity doesn't mean you have to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes, the most creative ideas come from fusing old concepts with new twists.

Remember, the philosophy of creativity is not a one-size-fits-all. It's a fluid, evolving concept that grows and changes with you. So, don't be afraid to try new methods and blend different styles. After all, creativity is all about breaking boundaries and exploring the unexplored.

Apply Your Creative Philosophy

Now that you've defined your philosophy of creativity, it's time to apply it in practice. This is where the rubber meets the road. But how do you go about it? Let's dive in.

• Use your philosophy as a compass: Your creative philosophy isn't just a fancy idea. It should guide your decisions and actions in your creative pursuits. Not sure if a certain project is worth your time? Refer to your philosophy. It can help you stay focused and avoid distractions.
• Share your philosophy: Your philosophy of creativity is not just for you. Share it with others. It could become an inspiration for fellow creatives or a guiding principle for a team project.
• Be flexible: This is key. Your philosophy is not set in stone. As you grow and evolve, so should your philosophy. Don't be afraid to revise and refine it as you go along.

Applying your creative philosophy isn't always smooth sailing. You might face challenges and even doubt yourself at times. But remember, every brush stroke, every note, every word you put out there is a part of your creative journey. So, stand by your philosophy and let it guide you towards your creative vision.

Review and Refine Your Creative Philosophy

Just like a painter stepping back to examine their work, it's important to review and refine your creative philosophy periodically. This isn't about being critical or negative, but about taking a healthy and productive look at where you are and where you're headed.

• Reflect on your journey: Take a moment every now and then to reflect on your creative journey. Are you still aligned with your philosophy of creativity? Are you living it out in your work and life? If not, it might be time for some adjustments.
• Embrace change: Creativity is all about change and evolution. Your philosophy should be no different. If you feel like your philosophy no longer fits you or your work, don't be afraid to change it. It's your philosophy after all.
• Ask for feedback: We can't always see our own blind spots. So, don't hesitate to ask for feedback from others. Maybe they see something in your work or in your philosophy that you've missed. Use this as an opportunity to grow and refine your philosophy.

Remember, your philosophy of creativity is not a destination, but a journey. It's not about getting it right the first time, but about constantly evolving and refining it. So, keep reviewing, keep refining, and most importantly, keep creating.

If you're seeking further inspiration and guidance on developing your creative philosophy, we recommend checking out Grace Miceli's workshop, ' How To Deal: Cultivating Inspiration & Creativity .' This workshop will help you dive deeper into the process of cultivating a unique and authentic creative philosophy that will set you apart and fuel your artistic journey.

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How to Write Philosophy

Last Updated: June 17, 2022 Approved

This article was reviewed by Gerald Posner . Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 91% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 51,734 times.

Clarity, grammar, and logical flow are important components to any piece of philosophical writing. However, with these three things in mind, there are multiple forms your writing can take, depending on what feels most accessible for you. This article will walk you through several options.

Free your mind of all conventional restrictions or inhibitions.

Write letters.

Keep a diary.

Keep a notebook

Write poetry.

Use Socratic dialogue.

Use creative writing.

• The novel is one of the best ways to put across ideas. However it requires a lot of input and you yourself will have to be pretty good at creative writing if you want to perform this type of writing. One example would be Ayn Rand or Dostoyevsky's 'The brothers Karamazov' or 'Crime and Punishment'.

Write out your beliefs.

• After writing a basic philosophical statement add some more "big" words to replace more common ones (i.e. good, bad, nice, etc.)and transitions to get your basic idea across.
• After doing so, re-read and make sure you make sense; afterwords read it to a friend or relative and see how they react; after correcting what mistakes they are able to find in your grammar or logic you are practically done. Feel free to and an introduction and/or conclusion or have a friend/relative do that for you.
• Read Thomas Paine's Common Sense, or some Immanuel Kant to get a good format as well.

Community Q&A

• You must be reasonably good at writing, both formally and creatively, if you aren't take a writing course. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Dedicate time regularly to both writing and thinking. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Don't spend to much time writing and thinking otherwise your performance will go down and the quality of your writing. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

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• Plenty of philosophical works on your shelf

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Writing philosophy

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Peter Lipton

Style is the feather in the arrow, not the feather in the cap.

I. Awkwardness

Awkward writing makes the reader uncomfortable. It is ungrammatical, unclear, choppy, or just too difficult to follow. One case of awkward writing is not using your own words . Instead, you rely on the phrases and constructions of the author you are discussing. The resulting mixture of your author's style and your own is almost always awkward. Even if you are describing someone else's views, use your words. The most general and important cause of awkwardness, however, is simply the failure to revise . Most writers produce awkward sentences the first time around; good writers take the time to review their writing and know how to spot awkwardness and how to eliminate it. You should assume that the first draft of each sentence will have to be fixed up. Writing on a word processor may make the revision easier and less time-consuming. The best way to test for awkwardness is to read your draft aloud . Most people have a better ear than eye, and if it sounds good it will usually read well. If you do have any doubts about your ear, W. Strunk and E.B. White, The Elements of Style , London: Macmillan, 1979 (3rd ed.) is a good guide to awkwardness.

II. Empathy

Once you understand something, it is difficult to remember what it was like not to understand it; but you have to do this to get your point across. To write effectively you must put yourself in the reader's shoes . (Pretend that your reader is a friend not in the class rather than the teacher.) The reader cannot read your mind and she hasn't just spent five hours thinking about your topic. So she needs plenty of help. Don't just make your point, explain it. Give an example. Approach it from several angles. Above all, keep your writing concrete , even in as abstract a subject as philosophy, because abstract writing loses the reader. In addition to keeping your reader on board, empathy helps you to figure out what it will take to convince her that what you write is true. You already believe it yourself, but your reader needs an argument. Think of yourself as selling your point of view, or as defending yourself in front of a jury.

III. Choreography

An essay is not a list of sentences: it has structure . The structure should be obvious to the reader. Write informative introductions and conclusions. The introduction should not only introduce the topic, it should introduce your argument. That means that you should tell the reader what you are going to prove and how you are going to prove it. Unless the introduction gives the reader a clear map of the essay, she is likely to get lost. Be direct and specific. Replace sentences like 'Throughout the centuries, the greatest minds have pondered the intractable problem of free will' with 'In this essay, I will show that free will is impossible'. The conclusion of the essay should tell the reader what has been accomplished and why the struggle was worthwhile. It should remind the reader how the different moves in the body of the essay fit together to form a coherent argument.

Think of your essay as composed of a series of descriptive and argumentative moves. Each major move deserves a paragraph. Generally speaking, a paragraph should start with a transition sentence or a topic sentence. A transition sentence indicates how the paragraph follows from the previous one; a topic sentence says what the paragraph is about. Both types of sentences are really miniature maps . In the middle of a paragraph you may want to give another map, explaining how the move you are making here is connected to others you have made or will make. The order of your paragraphs is crucial. The reader should have a clear sense of development and progress as she reads. Later paragraphs should build on what has come before, and the reader should have a feeling of steady forward motion. To achieve this effect, you must make sure that your sentences hang together. Think about glue . You can get glue from maps, from transition sentences and words, and especially from the logic of your argument.

IV. Originality

There is room for originality even when you are out to give an accurate description of someone else's position. You can be original by using your own words, your own explanations, and your own examples. Of course in a critical essay there is much more scope for original work: most of the arguments should be your own. This worries some beginning philosophy students, who think they don't know how to come up with their own arguments. Do not deceive yourself: Plato did not use up all the good and easy moves, nor do you have to be a Plato to come up with original philosophy. It is difficult to teach creativity, but here are three techniques that may help. First, make distinctions . For example, instead of talking about knowledge in general, distinguish knowledge based on what others tell you from knowledge based on your own observation. Often, once you make a good distinction, you will see a fruitful and original line of argument. Second, consider comebacks . If you make an objection to one of Plato's arguments, do not suppose that he would immediately admit defeat. Instead, make a reply on his behalf: the resulting 'dialectic' will help you with your own arguments. Lastly, play the why game. As you learned as a child, whatever someone says, you can always ask why. Play that game with your own claims. By forcing yourself to answer a few of those 'why's' you will push your own creativity. The technique of the why game suggests a more general point. Often the problem is not lack of originality; it is rather that the originality is not exploited. When you have a good point, don't throw it away in one sentence. Make the most of it: explain it, extend it, give an example, and show connections. Push your own good ideas as deep as they will go.

Some online resources:

• Tackling the Philosophy Essay is a comprehensive guide to writing, produced by experienced supervisors from the Faculty of Philosophy.
• When you are ready to think about publishing there are many good guides online such as Publishing Advice for Graduate Students or Publishing Your Philosophy . But beware of publishing scams and consult your supervisor when in doubt.
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy : High quality state-of-the-art articles with very useful bibliographies.
• Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
• PhilPapers is an open and comprehensive bibliography covering all areas of academic philosophy.
• Google Scholar : It's worth learning a little technique here, e.g. using quotation marks to get an exact match and using '+' and '-' to narrow the search. Once you have found a relevant article, clicking on the number of citations will give you all the articles that cite that article, plus the number of citations those articles have, which permits what can be a very productive regress.
• And for fun, AskPhilosophers

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Flash Fiction and Creative Writing Prompts.

Post by JackDaydream » December 8th, 2022, 2:20 pm

Re: Flash Fiction and Creative Writing Prompts.

Post by kandreoandro » December 27th, 2023, 6:40 am

Post by A Material Girl » December 27th, 2023, 7:22 pm

kandreoandro wrote: ↑ December 27th, 2023, 6:40 am The essence of flash fiction lies in succinct storytelling, encapsulating narratives within a brief span. I suggest creating a 200-word story delving into philosophical or life themes. I encourage others to kickstart this endeavor, emphasizing experimentation. Prompts are offered for inspiration, yet the freedom to explore personal ideas is welcomed. This initiative seeks to provide a refreshing break from intense philosophical discussions in the lounge, fostering a light and enjoyable approach to understanding.

Post by kandreoandro » December 27th, 2023, 8:07 pm

Post by PhilMD » February 15th, 2024, 9:45 am

Post by Lagayscienza » February 16th, 2024, 3:28 am

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The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are by Alan Watts May 2023

Killing Abel by Michael Tieman June 2023

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First Survivor: The Impossible Childhood Cancer Breakthrough by Mark Unger August 2023

Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely September 2023

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The Maestro Monologue by Rob White May 2022

What Makes America Great by Bob Dowell June 2022

The Truth Is Beyond Belief! by Jerry Durr July 2022

Living in Color by Mike Murphy August 2022 (tentative)

The Not So Great American Novel by James E Doucette September 2022

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In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All by Eckhart Aurelius Hughes November 2022

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If Life Stinks, Get Your Head Outta Your Buts by Mark L. Wdowiak September 2021

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Natural Relief for Anxiety and Stress by Dr. Gustavo Kinrys, MD November 2021

Dream For Peace by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah December 2021

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Philosophy writing guide.

I. Thesis Argument II.  Argument, Reasoning and Logic III.  Counterargument IV.  Defining Terms V. The Basic Structure VI. Arguing Specific Philosophies VII.  Appendix

I. Thesis Argument

The key to a good philosophy paper is good argument. Of course, a good argument is important in all disciplines, but it is especially important in a philosophy paper.  General arguments for philosophy papers include:

• Criticizing a philosopher's argument.
• Defending an argument against someone else's criticism.
• Giving new reasons to support a philosopher's argument.
• Discussing criticisms of a philosopher's argument in terms of strengths and weaknesses.
• Discussing the consequences of an argument, if it were true.
• Revising an argument after stating an objection.

Before you begin writing the paper, think thoroughly through your ideas when you are forming your argument. Keep in mind, however, that the aim of philosophy is often to make problems, rather than solve them.  Philosophy papers must have a clear thesis with a narrow, manageable focus. For example, instead of writing about "free will," choose an aspect of free will that interests you.

Your thesis should be arguable. If you assert a thesis against which no one could reasonably argue, then you need a new thesis!

Finally, do not base your thesis on a tautology or on empirical facts.

II. Argument, Reasoning and Logic

to convince rational readers of your position, you must have valid and sound arguments and employ deductive reasoning to support your thesis:

• In general arguments consist of premises and a conclusion. A premise is evidence from which a conclusion is drawn, and that conclusion may in turn be a premise for another conclusion! Writers should be careful not to state conclusions without justifying them with premises.
• An argument is valid if its conclusion follows from its premises and invalid if its conclusion does not follow.
• An argument is sound if it is valid and all its premises are in fact true; arguments which are either invalid or have a t least one false premise are unsound.
• An argument uses deductive reasoning when a specific case follows from a general rule. An argument use inductive reasoning when a generalization is made from a specific case. Writers should use deductive, and not inductive, reasoning to prove their points.

Arguments must be based on rationality and not emotion. Do not use claims you cannot support. Do not use inflammatory language.

Make sure that your initial claims are not controversial, but something that every rational person would agree on.

Logic is essential to philosophy. If you are unsure about your use of logic, consult An Introduction to Logic by Cochi et al.

III. Counterargument

You should treat your reader as someone with an opposing viewpoint. In this regard, you should predict and respond to potential criticisms by presenting and subsequently refuting counterarguments to your thesis. The counterarguments should be stated credibly, and the refutation should be firm but not unreasonable or extreme.

IV. Defining Terms

Clear definitions are important in philosophy papers because it is impossible to assess an argument if the terms of the argument are vague or ambiguous. Often, the writer may wish to use an entire paragraph to define an important term she/he is about to use.

V. The Basic Structure

The introduction . Think of your introduction as a concise guide to your paper; briefly map out the structure of your paper and explain how your arguments combine to support your thesis.

• Your first sentence should be focused and down to earth (avoid lines that are fluffy and/or grandiose). Douglas Portmore of the College of Charleston gives this example: "We will be concerned with both the moral status of abortion, which for our purposes we may define as the act which a woman performs in voluntary terminating, or allowing another person to terminate, her pregnancy, and the legal status which is appropriate for this act." Do not use an opening sentence such as, "Abortion is the single more important topic on the minds of Americans today."
• State your thesis.
• Define any terms you will use in the body of your paper.

Body paragraphs . Your body paragraphs should have clear main ideas/topic sentences and details to support those ideas. Remain true to the logic and structure of argument you set forth in your introduction.

• Make sure the reader knows what you have proven so far and what you'll prove next. Use connective words and phrases: because, given this argument, nevertheless, and on the other hand.
• Examples and analogies are often useful for illuminating an argument that is otherwise very abstract and complicated, but they are never critical to the argument. That is, your clear definitions and comprehensive explication of an argument should be a freestanding defense of your thesis. Examples and analogies, however, might help the reader gain a clearer picture of your argument.
• When using analogies, keep in mind the relevance and the number of analogous and dissimilar characteristics.
• Use quotes sparingly and only if you plan to discuss the way they support your argument. Keep citations brief! Check with your professor to find out what form of citation she prefers.
• Philosophy papers should mostly make use of primary sources (e.g. philosophical texts); make sure secondary sources do not dominate your paper.
• Aim for clarity in order to ensure that your audience understands what you're saying. Be precise in both argument and word choice; use simple language and syntax. Do not strive for unnecessary complexity and avoid excessive academic jargon. Refrain from using imprecise synonyms or metaphors.

Conclusion . If you have unanswerable questions when you've finished the body of your paper, include them in your conclusion. Try to respond to them, and explain what makes them difficult to solve. Remember that ending philosophy papers with questions is not wrong.

Don't claim more than you have shown; avoid making grandiose statements about "all" things based merely on a few examples.

VI. Arguing Specific Philosophies

Most philosophy papers do not argue both directly and independently for one philosophical position or another. Rather, they engage the work of various philosophers in arguments over those positions. Here are some sample essay questions:

• Does Plato have a good argument for the immorality of the soul?
• Wolff and Hobbes have competing views on the legitimacy of government. Which one is better?

Two tasks should be immediately obvious. First, the writer should restate the argument of the philosopher(s) being discussed. Second, she should evaluate that argument in terms of its premises, conclusions, validity, soundness, and reasoning. In addition, the writer may wish to speculate as to how a philosopher would or should argue with respect to a certain point, given his previously stated premises and/or conclusion.

What the writer should not do is prefer one philosopher or argument over another without providing solid logical evidence to support that preference. This evidence will rarely be in the form of statistics, public opinion, historical fact, anecdotes or testimonials. If evidence is a quote from a philosopher, the quote should be explained in terms of the argumentation it employs.

VII. Appendix

For further information on writing philosophy papers, consult the following sources:

• Consult any of the books in McCabe whose call numbers are between B2 and BF. These are philosophy reference guides, which contain important information about writing philosophy. Avoid the introductory philosophy books, which are in the B2l section; these primarily contain philosophical texts and have little information about writing in the discipline.
• Two of the best resources in the philosophy reference section are The Philosopher's Guide by Richard DeGeorge, which contains a list of Philosophical writing guides, and Philosophical Writing by A. P. Martinich, a book devoted to writing philosophy papers. Check out Appendix A, which is dedicated to last minute paper writing (it's also a quick summary of the entire book).
• http://www.philsophypages.com  Philosophy Pages by Garth Kemerling contains a dictionary of philosophical terms, a student study guide, and many other helpful resources.
• http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/guidelines/writing.html  James Pryor, a previous Associate Philosophy Professor at Princeton, assembled this site. It is an informative resource and contains useful information about potential topics for philosophy papers, how to use quotes, how to organize a philosophy paper, and lots of other important topics.
• http://www.public.asu.edu/~dportmor/tips.pdf  This site contains important tips on arguing for your position, arguing against a claim, criticizing an argument, and when it is necessary to define your terms.  Written by Douglas Portmore of The College of Charleston.
• Ask your philosophy professor what texts or web sites s/he recommends.

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philosophy + science fiction

3 creative writing approaches.

There are three basic approaches to creative writing that can create equally good but considerably different works. One way is to focus on a strong set of characters; another way is to focus on the action or story; and yet another way is to focus on expressing ideas through dialogues. No approach is necessarily better than the others; they are just three different ways to get the ball rolling. Some genres may dictate which approach to use, and most great works do two or three well.

Character driven

When you create compelling characters, it almost doesn’t matter what situation you put them in – it’s their interactions with each other that drive the story. Some examples of this sort of approach are Orson Scott Card’s Ender series and the TV series Brothers and Sisters . In these family dramas, they could be arguing a bag of chips, and it would still be entertaining because of their personalities and the family dynamic. The advantage of strong characters is that they can sustain a series for quite a long time.

Action/story driven Similar to action movies, some books race along so quickly that it really doesn’t matter who the characters are or what they say – think The Da Vinci Code and (to some extent) Dan Simmons’ Hyperion Cantos . The brisk pace makes it difficult to flesh out characters and dialogues, but it’s not impossible. The downside of focusing primarily on action is that your work may not be particularly memorable.

Idea/dialogue driven

Dialogue is the biggest way that characters interact, so usually it’s intimately tied to having strong characters. However, some genres like philosophical sci-fi and mystery are particularly dialogue driven without necessarily having strong characters. Dialogue has always been the traditional medium to discuss philosophical ideas (ie. Plato’s dialogues). In mysteries, the real action has already happened (ie. murder, robbery, etc), and the protagonist must talk to people to figure out what happened. Witty or even cheesy dialogue can be very memorable – one of my favorites is the “You can’t handle the truth!” bit from A Few Good Men . Classic.

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Why choose this course?

• Your Philosophy lecturers are all active researchers
• Be taught by award-winning poets, fiction and non-fiction writers
• Home of the British Wittgenstein Society

We give you:

• A flexible programme of study, allowing you to concentrate on areas you find especially interesting
• An exceptional academic team, conducting internationally renowned research
• Stimulating, innovative courses that allow you to make rewarding connections between two disciplines
• CV-building potential through work placements and extra-curricular activities

What's the course about?

Philosophy explores and confronts the assumptions that frame the way we think, act and see the world around us. Creative writing offers a way for you to do this by exploring new perspectives on familiar themes, expanding your imaginative capacities, and finding ways to articulate ideas in novel and illuminating ways.

On our BA Philosophy and Creative Writing degree, you will be introduced to a range of literary texts, genres and practical approaches to writing, and you will learn how to formulate your own philosophical arguments, to arrive at your own conclusions.

In your first year, you will embark on becoming a writer, including writing for the screen, whilst exploring central philosophical questions, such as whether anything can give meaning to life, and whether our striving to achieve anything of significance is ultimately futile, even ridiculous. The philosophy of film and literature module addresses the assumption that anything is possible in fiction and considers the extent to which that is true.

All our Philosophy lecturers are active researchers, so you’ll share the excitement of doing original work in a supportive and highly-rated academic community. Our Creative Writing team are published and practicing novelists, poets and dramatists and you will gain a clear, theoretical understanding of the discipline, as well as practical skills that will shape your ability to express yourself.

In your second year as a writer, you’ll turn your attention to writing for the stage and consider poetry as well as prose writing. In Philosophy, you’ll choose from a variety of topics, which includes a module on the nature of art, expression and representation (in literary as well as visual art), and modules on influential texts in philosophy, such as Plato’s Republic, which is written in dialogue form.

Our Creative Writing students can choose a work experience module, Literature at Work, which explores English in the classroom and aspects of the literary heritage industry. The module is centred around a six-week work placement where you’ll gain valuable transferable skills. Our students have worked as school classroom assistants, in publishing houses or attractions such as London’s Charles Dickens Museum and Dr Johnson’s House.

Work placement/study abroad option:  Between your second and final year, you’ll have the option to study abroad or do a work placement for up to a year. Not only will this give you an amazing experience to talk about but will also give your CV a boost. If you’d rather go straight to your final year, that’s absolutely fine too. 

The final year allows for even more opportunity to tailor your degree to reflect your own interests. In Creative Writing, you will embark on your own project, either on poetry, prose or script writing, whilst in Philosophy, you’ll choose from a variety of modules, including modules on feminist philosophy, the nature of language and meaning, and a module on Nietzsche, who is well-known for his literary style.

Your main campus is College Lane

This is where the creative arts, science and health-related subjects are based. This means you’ll share the campus with future nurses, scientists, artists and more. You can use the common rooms to relax with friends, work out in the 24-hour gym or have a drink in our on-campus pub or cafes. We also have restaurants for you to eat in or grab something on the go. Our Learning Resources Centres are open 24/7, which means you can study whenever suits you best. Want to pop over to the other campus? You can take the free shuttle bus or walk there in just 15 minutes.

What will I study?

Creative writing offers a supportive, tight-knit community in which to develop your skills as a writer, whatever your level and goals, and is primarily taught through writing workshops. Our philosophy students benefit from being part of a lively and active academic community. You’ll learn through formal courses and extracurricular seminars, while our small group teaching helps you to find your feet in the academic environment. There are plenty of opportunities to discuss critical issues with staff and fellow students, including an optional residential weekend each year.

An opportunity for an amazing experience, which will help make you stand out from the crowd. With more and more companies working internationally, experience of living in another country can make a great impression on future employers.  

This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a sandwich year abroad. The University has partnerships with over 150 universities around the world, including the USA, Canada, Asia, Africa, Australia, South America and closer to home in Europe.  

If you study abroad between your second and third year of study, you’ll pay no tuition fee to the partner university and no tuition fee to us either. We’ll ask you to make your decision in your second year, so there is plenty of time to think about it. 

Find out more about Study abroad opportunities  

Please note Erasmus+ funding is only available until May 2023. For students starting their course in September 2022 and wishing to study abroad in 2023-24 or 2024-25, please refer to the Turing Scheme .

Graduate with invaluable work experience alongside your degree and stand out from the crowd.  

This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a work placement sandwich year. It’s a chance to explore career possibilities, make valuable contacts and gain sought after professional skills.  

Our dedicated Careers and Employment team are here to help guide you through the process. 

If you take up a work placement between your second and third year of study, at the University of Hertfordshire you’ll pay no tuition fee for this year. We’ll ask you to make your decision in your second year, so there is plenty of time to think about it. 

Find out more about work placements  

'I certainly developed professionalism and employability through studying Philosophy, primarily through the methods of rational and logical problem solving. I acquired a skill that is useful in whatever field one works in. However, it is enterprise that I most notably improved on while at Herts. I had never really considered starting a businesses or working for myself, but while studying Philosophy (particularly my Masters by Research and my undergraduate dissertation) I realised I was learning self-management and combining this with my new proficiency at problem solving sent me down a new path. Since leaving Herts I have set up multiple small business which are growing healthily. This individuality has really helped me find out what I want to do in life.'

BA(Hons) Philosophy, MA(Res) in Philosophy

Check out our student blogs

Student Blogs

Kailan - Week at a glance

Weekly schedule blog post

At the beginning of my week, I make a to-do list of all the things that I need to do on top of my studies. After that, I begin with an hour each day at the state-of-the-art gym and swimming pool on the de Havilland campus where my classes are. I then get showered; have breakfast, pack my bag, and walk to my classes. I’m a visual learner, so I focus on just listening to the lecturer, and engaging with the content as much as possible; especially if I am in a seminar. I re-watch the lectures and seminars on Canvas (our online learning portal), as I learn best from visual/audio resources.

I love that at the University, you get the choice to study in a way that suits you. There is absolutely no pressure in sticking to certain means, and you can (to a reasonable degree), build a studying pattern that suits you. I usually have between eight and 13 hours of classes a week (depending on the semester), and I study Politics, International Relations, and Philosophy.

For me, the lectures and seminars are my best resource; and the information and concepts usually make complete sense to me. I struggle to read for long periods of time, so thanks to the academic English resources available for students; I was able to learn ways to read in a way that suits my style of learning. This allowed me to look into the recommended reading, and explore the extra resources given to me; while not overloading myself with information that Is ultimately unimportant (relatively speaking).

In my course (which is a joint honours), coursework makes up around 40-50% of the classification in the first year. Exams obviously make up the rest. What I was surprised to find out upon enrolling, is that once you get into a rhythm with coursework, and make template documents (which include things like an empty bibliography and a title), they are relatively straight forward. I feel that the overwhelming feeling that comes from coursework and exams, comes when you don’t feel like you have access to the resources that teach you how to write assignments efficiently - the University makes these resources available to you; you just have to reach out for them. If you have a professional and academically beautiful document; you will be more inclined to write in a similarly professional way.

Fundamentally, though, assignments and exams are super easy and fun, as long as you’re prepared (in my case having a template document, and understanding how to reference was the key), as-well-as interested in the topic that you’re studying. If you love the topic and know how to build an essay; you’ll blast through your assignments!

Going back to my typical week… There are lots to do on both campuses; especially in the first semester; with freshers fairs and endless other things going on too. Wednesday’s and Friday’s I usually go out to the Forum (the club on campus) with my flatmates. As long as you study hard, and understand the content in your own way; you will be able to afford to go out as much as you want!

The bottom line is: Work hard and play hard; prepare in advance for your assignments, and that way they’ll be super easy, and study a subject that you are passionate about!

Kailan - Things you should know

Things you need to know before studying PiR at UH

Before you choose the study at the University of Hertfordshire, you need to ask yourself a few questions. What do you want out of University? If the answer is more than a degree, then Herts is the place for you. If you want to make international friends and expand your network, Herts is the place for you. If you want to have access to State of the art resources and world-class staff, then the University of Hertfordshire is for you.

So you’ve checked all of the boxes, and you’re considering Herts. That’s great! You’re planning to study Politics and International Relations; that’s great! What should you know before making your decision? Let me tell you…

• The staff are amazing and go a million steps past what is required of them to help your experience and understanding of the content. HOWEVER, they can only do that if you reach out and discuss your issue or query with them. They’re extremely attentive, but the UH staff are not trained in telepathy, unfortunately (maybe in another decade or so).
• You can, and should, make a study plan that suits you. The school (in my personal opinion), trains you to study in a very specific and rigid way. If that works for you; then great; proceed as you are. If you struggle to learn from the ‘traditional means’, and hate the idea of reading every word in a 15-page article in order to find one piece of information to support your argument; don’t. The staff and the department can recognise that different students learn differently. That is why there are resources made available to you to find a system that allows University to be straight forward for you. Tip: Check out the Academic English hub on campus, and discuss this with them.
• You have the option to study a language, as-well-as study abroad for free! Studying a language as an elective (an extra module) is free; and you have the choice from multiple languages, at multiples levels; even if you’ve never spoken a word before.
• If you wish to study abroad; there are lots of resources available to you; you can find a placement abroad within Politics and IR, and the staff will help you learn how to apply; do well in interviews, and the study abroad office can give you more specific advice on planning your trip etc.
• University is a place for ideas; if you have an idea that you think is against the norm; the staff will ALWAYS welcome it. There are no stupid questions; if you’re thinking it, others probably will be too, and it will open up the discussion anyway!
• Take advantage of any research opportunities presented to you by the department; they are announcing them because they really believe that it is a lucrative opportunity for students; don’t assume that it’s not for you - explore ALL opportunities.

Fundamentally though, have fun; University is not all about the degree; in many ways, the network that you build and the life that you develop during your time at UH is much more important than having a first on your transcript. The beauty of the system is that you can have both, as long as you reach out first!

Kailan - Why I love PIR

What I love most about my course

I love the department. The staff go a million steps past just teaching you the assigned content. They support your ideas and interests; your professional growth, and are constantly checking to ensure that each and every student understands in a thorough, academically holistic way; the concerned content. Each and every staff member in the department is a mentor and extremely patient and attentive to a student’s pace.

You can approach professors about anything; from personal issues affecting your workflow (and asking for them to help you one to one to understand the content during their office hours) to asking them for advice concerning your professional aspirations (such as internships). I have contacted members of staff for references to internships and scholarship applications; of which they’re more than happy to help out with.

The way that the department frames your University journey during induction is important; it started with one of the subjects heads explaining to us that this is beginning of our professional lives; and that in our course, we are not students who are hierarchically lectured to by teachers; we are colleagues, who are exploring the academic discipline that we mutually take interest in.

Starting the course by showing students that this is a professional journey, and NOT a commodity, really sets the tone for the course. I feel is allows students to feel more comfortable with reaching out for help; because asking for help is a logistical thing, rather than something to be embarrassed about.

When I say that the staff go the extra mile; I am not kidding. It’s not just the outstanding attentiveness and resources put into your experience that they finetune, they also are mentors. I have asked for career advice concerning internships, and was offered mock interviews, and given advice on typical questions given in interviews within the Political field; of which the interviewer asked!

When I got accepted into a scholarship to delegate at the General Assembly, the staff members helped me out with resources on how to succeed in this venture. The staff members have offered me contacts for research and professional opportunities.

If you have any questions, or any interest, or anything you wish to clarify about anything at all; all you have to do is ask. IF you don’t ask, you don’t get. IF you do ask, you are met with mentorship and invaluable advice that will inevitably solve your issue, or help you to excel.

Study at Herts!

Mercedes - Unibuddy

Alumni Stories

Meet jenny vu who gained valuable transferable skills for her future career. she is currently a teaching assistant at a secondary school..

University life and experience

Throughout her degree, Jenny learnt a considerable amount of transferable skills and world knowledge to enable to her succeed in her career as a Teaching Assistant. She says that the most useful skills she learnt are how to analyse and correct grammar which have proved invaluable when teaching her students.

Jenny initially chose the University of Hertfordshire as it ‘was close to home but still relatively far enough to move out and learn to live independently.’ She explains how her independence grew as she used her degree to explore the World by taking the opportunity to study abroad for a year. She says, ‘My standout memory from my time at the University was studying abroad for a year. It was probably the best year of my life.’

Future aspirations

Jenny’s study abroad year sparked her passion for travel and in the future,  she plans to teach in Asia. However, she says, if she does return to the UK, she would like to teach and promote higher education to young students to inspire future generations and showcase their potential.

Eleanor Pilcher

Meet Eleanor Pilcher who since graduating in 2016 has taken the publishing industry by storm. Eleanor currently works as a Marketing Manager at Avon, HarperCollins Publisher.

University experience and employability

Eleanor is a keen writer with great creative ambitions. During her degree she undertook a six-month internship at a literary agency in her final academic year. In 2016, shortly after her studies, Eleanor landed a placement at Penguin before getting a job in publishing recruitment. After developing her skills within the industry and amassing and impressive amount of knowledge and experience, Eleanor began her current role at HarperCollins Publishers.

Eleanor's degree encompassed a broad spectrum of critical, analytical and evaluative skills and helped shape her as a writer. Throughout her studies she had been writing a novel, which she submitted to literary agencies after being encouraged by her tutor to do so. It was Eleanor's passion for writing that uncovered her interest in working for a literary agency. Due to the fantastic lecturers on her course and the invaluable industry networks available to students, Eleanor managed to secure impressive opportunities in her chosen industry that have informed her career.

Sher recognises the impact the University has had on getting her to where she is today. 'For me the advice and feedback I received on both my History essays and Creative Writing finals was incredibly useful to my academic and professional development. I learnt to take criticism and to harness it and also write more because of it.'

Ambitions for the future

Eleanor has established herself in her chosen industry yet still has ambition to continue pursuing new goals. On her hopes for the future, she says: 'I hope to run a marketing department within a publishing company, possibly the one I'm at now. I hope to publish a novel and continue my freelance writing and public speaking on the side.'

• View our Alumni profiles Jenny Vu Eleanor Pilcher

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*Tuition fees are charged annually. The fees quoted above are for the specified year(s) only. Fees may be higher in future years, for both new and continuing students. Please see the University’s Fees and Finance Policy (and in particular the section headed “When tuition fees change”), for further information about when and by how much the University may increase its fees for future years.

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“The Writing Workshop”: Increasing Representation in Philosophy

It’s common in philosophy departments to have fewer women on faculty than men. In our Ph.D. granting institution (at least while we were there), one third of the faculty were women. There is a gender gap. A gender gap occurs when women make up a disproportionately low percentage of a group when compared with the percentage of potential women members in the discipline or workforce ( Thompson 2017 ). The gender gap in philosophy occurs on all levels; although the faculty gender gap is striking. Only one philosophy department in the US, as of 2018, had more than 50% women faculty, while all other departments had fewer than 50% women, most with less than 30% women faculty. The majority of departments had an average of just 25% women faculty (Conklin et al . , 2018).

So far, more fine-grained data on the faculty gender gap demonstrates a gap between nontenured women associate professors and tenured full professors. This is unsurprising, given that more senior professors are an artifact of the educational system of previous eras, in which fewer women than today made it to and through professorial ranks. However, it’s unclear whether the decreasing representation of women as rank increases is a result of historical barriers or is partially a result of persisting barriers. 

Yet it seems that this is not merely a historical artifact. According to NCSES (1994–2015), women make up 27% of the Ph.D.s awarded in philosophy, yet women only account for 20% of full professors today ( Conklin et al., 2019 ). Thus, the difference in the gender gap between assistant professors and tenured faculty is not merely an artifact of how many women applicants are in the pool. However, as Conklin et al. (2019) also notes, other factors may contribute to the rate that women are hired and tenured, such as the size of the applicant pool and wait times between hiring and tenure (p. 856).

One potential cause of this gender gap at higher academic ranks is that women publish at significantly lower rates than men in top journals. According to Wilhelm et al. (2018), in the top 25 philosophy journals ranked by the Philosophical Gourmet Report, women publish between 14–16% (p. 1447).  Publication plays a large role both in hiring and in tenure. Since the percentage of women faculty has a positive effect on reducing the gender gap in philosophy, and there is a correlation between publication and tenure rates, there is good reason to strategize how to improve women publication rates in top philosophy journals. It is unclear whether women publish less because they submit fewer articles than their male counterparts or whether they are more likely than their male counterparts to have their submissions rejected ( Wilhelm et al., 2018, p. 1459 ). If more articles are rejected one reason may be that those writing from diverse perspectives may be seen as failing to follow strict disciplinary norms ( Dotson 2012 ). Whether women submit less or are rejected more (or both), the low publication rate suggests a possibility for intervention: research and writing support.

So, how can we increase representation of women faculty in philosophy? One way is to create a pipeline of women scholars on track to fill faculty positions. We propose an intervention, “the writing workshop,” which takes a holistic approach to improving research and writing. This writing workshop presents graduate students with a method to develop a habitual writing habit, training students to write more frequently to meet the demands of publication rates. While faculty might benefit from this support as well, intervening at the doctoral level provides students with the tools they need to thrive in academia before a tenure clock starts ticking. We predict an intervention at the doctoral level would be more effective than one at the faculty level, because doctoral students have more time to hone and develop their writing skills post-intervention before major milestones like the job market and tenure.

In this doctoral writing workshop model, participants learn to write regularly, to make long-term, medium-term, and short-term plans for their writing and research, to write with academic structure and styling, to provide and receive frequent feedback on writing in progress, and to reframe rejection. A pilot study using this intervention on doctoral students in humanities, social sciences, and education demonstrated that, after the intervention, participants enjoyed writing more, felt more confident in their own writing abilities, and severed the association between writing and inspiration. The intervention taught students to write productively in shorter blocks of time. Additionally, the intervention helped students with planning a research pipeline and breaking it down into manageable chunks ( Sarnecka, et. al., 2022 ).

We hope to run a mixed-methods study of a version of this intervention tailored for philosophy graduate students. Since 2019, we have been running and tailoring workshops on this model, both for philosophers specifically and for doctoral students more generally. Our anecdotal observations in these workshops show the power of this sort of intervention. From our experience of how the workshop affects participants, we have curated a set of quantitative measures and questions for qualitative interviews. Our hope would be to formally collect and publish data on the effectiveness of the workshops.

The remainder of this post provides information on the basic building blocks of the intervention, the writing workshop model, below. While the authors of this paper had input on course materials for the overall study, the first author on the study was a quantitative cognitive scientist. For that reason, some of the materials are less appropriate for a humanities audience. We have since modified and augmented original materials to better support humanities graduate students in navigating their specific literature and academic publishing in the humanities and interpretive social sciences. The main structure of the writing workshop remains the same.

Each meeting is run for 3 hours and includes four activities:

• Quiet writing time: we write quietly together to foster a sense of communal writing
• Check-in: the facilitators check-ins with all participants to see how the week went and help troubleshoot problems
• Skill-building: discuss the readings assigned each week (see sample syllabus below).
• Feedback forum: each week we read and edit a short piece of writing from one participant in real time

We encourage philosophy departments to run these writing programs. All of the original materials for employing this model of writing workshop are available on Open Science Framework ( https://osf.io/ftuhp/ ). The authors have now been running these workshops for over two years and can provide insights for those interested in adapting the model to their circumstances, especially to those teaching philosophy graduate writing courses and graduate students who would like to start their own workshops. Below is a sample syllabus with suggested readings. The syllabus is scheduled for a 10-week quarter, but there are additional topics at the end. Email the authors at renag@uci.edu for access to the reading materials. We will gladly supply them!

Sample Syllabus

10:00-11:30am: Introduction & Housekeeping

Ice Breaker & introduce names/pronouns, etc.

Make sure everyone has access to Shared Drive

Go over method of the writing workshop

11:30pm-12:00pm Tools of the Writing Workshop

Accountability: writing logs & rejection collection

Sign up for feedback forum & weekly readings

Reminder: Next week      optional extra hour for next week 

12:00-12:30pm Academic Writing

Benefits of writing groups & community in academia

What are your writing assumptions?

Read: “Introduction” The Writing Workshop – Barbara Sarnecka

Chapter 1 “The Workshop” The Writing Workshop – Barbara Sarnecka

12:30pm-1:00pm

Prompted quiet writing time: What do you hope to get out of graduate school?

Why are you in graduate school?

Why are you working with the people you are working with?

What skills do you want to have upon leaving graduate school?

10:00-11:30am: QWT

11:30am-12:00pm: Check in

1:50pm-1:30pm: Planning

Read: Chapter 2 “Planning Your Time” The Writing Workshop – Barbara Sarnecka

12:30pm-1:00pm: Feedback forum

1:00pm-2:00pm: Optional Planning Hour

12:45pm-1:30pm: Get Ready to Practice

Read: Chapter 3 “The Practice of Writing” The Writing Workshop – Barbara Sarnecka

Read: Chapter 1 Becoming an Academic Writer – Patricia Goodson

Optional: Chapter 3 “Getting Started Writing” and Chapter 4 “From Zero Draft to First Draft” Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day – Joan Bolker

12:45pm-1:30pm: Abstracts

Read: Chapter 3 “Abstracting Your Article” Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks – Wendy Belcher

Optional: “A Strategy: Tiny Texts” in Writing for Peer-Review Journals

    pgs. 59-68)

Optional: Chapter 7 “ Presentations” The Writing Workshop – Barbara Sarnecka

12:00pm-12:30pm: Input and Output Seasons

Read/Listen: YGT 11: Input and Output Seasons | Dr Katie Linder

         Read: “The Eureka Phenomena” by Isaac Asimov

1:30pm-2:00pm: Feedback forum

12:00pm-12:30pm: Literature Review

Read: Chapter 5 Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks – Wendy Belcher

Optional: Chapter 4 “Literature Reviews” The Writing Workshop – Barbara Sarnecka

12:00pm-12:30pm: Designing Your Project

Read: Chapter 1 “Finding the Right Conversation” Designing Research for Publication (pp. 2-20)

12:00pm-12:30pm: Paragraphing & Structural Clarity

Read: Chapter 8 “Paragraphs” The Writing Workshop (pp. 235-263) (Jess)

Reread: Revise to continue your thinking, Chapter 3 “The Practice of Writing” (pp. 96-103)

12:00pm-12:30pm: Writing Style & Sentence-level Clarity

Read: Reading: Chapter 9 “Sentences” – Barbara Sarnecka (pp. 265-289)

Read: Chapter 10 “Words,” The Writing Workshop – Barbara Sarnecka (pp. 291-323)

11:30am-12:00pm Check in with Writing Log

12:00pm-12:30pm: Co-authorship/Sharing Ideas

Read: Standing in the Shadow of Giants: Plagiarists, Authors, Collaborators

(Perspectives on Writing) by Rebecca Howard

         Read: Myra’s blog

Other Possible topics include

Presentations

Chapter 7 “ Presentations” The Writing Workshop – Barbara Sarnecka

Grant Writing

Read: Chapters 51 & 52 in The Professor is In – Karen Kelsky

         Optional: Chapters 53 & 54 on Post-Doc applications The Professor is In – Karen

         Optional: Chapter 6 “Proposals” The Writing Workshop – Barbara Sarnecka

“Tempting Titles” (Chapter 6, pgs. 63-75) in Stylish Academic Writing by Helen

Engaging with Reviewers & Editors

Read: Chapter 7 “Engaging with Reviewers and Editors” Writing for Peer-Review Journals (pp. 127-144)

Optional: Chapter 8 “Paragraphs” The Writing Workshop – Barbara Sarnecka

How to Choose the Right Journal for Your Article

Read: Chapter 2 “The Reader” Writing for Peer-Review Journals (pp. 29-49)

Read: Reading: Chapter 4, “How to Write a Journal Article in 12 weeks” – Wendy Belcher

Optional: Chapter 6 “Proposals,” The Writing Workshop – Barbara Sarnecka

Readability and Imaginability

         Read: Chapter 9 “Sentences” The Writing Workshop – Barbara Sarnecka

Optional: Stylish Academic Writing by Helen Sword

Optional:  Chapter 10 “Words” The Writing Workshop – Barbara Sarnecka

• Rena Beatrice Goldstein

Rena Beatrice Goldstein is a Mellon Faculty Fellow at the University of California, Irvine. Her research focuses in the field of social and applied epistemology, with an emphasis on 20th-century analytic philosophy, virtue epistemology and the philosophy of education. Her work has appeared in Philosophia , Educational Theory , Pre-college Philosophy and Public Practice , and in an edited volume published by Routledge. Goldstein has taught courses in writing, introduction to philosophy, and critical thinking at community colleges and Cal State schools in the Los Angeles area. Goldstein was the recipient of the Kavka Endowed Prize for excellent scholarship in 2019, and the 2020-2021 Svetlana Bershadsky Graduate Student Community Award for her commitment to improving graduate student life at UCI.

• Darby Vickers

Darby Vickers is an assistant professor of philosophy at University of San Diego (starting Fall 2022). She received her Ph.D. in philosophy from UC Irvine in 2021. Her research focuses on expertise and skill acquisition and transmission and sits at the intersection of ethics, epistemology, and philosophy of education. In her research, she draws on contemporary philosophy and cognitive science as well as her training in Ancient Philosophy. She has co-authored articles on ethics of artificial intelligence and doctoral student education.

• Editor: Maryellen Stohlman-Vanderveen
• Increasing Representation in Philosophy
• The Writing Workshop
• women in philosophy

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What exactly makes a story interesting? (philosophical) [closed]

So I am trying to write a story for a game. I am more of a systems guy so this is uncharted territory.

I try not to follow examples ("make terrible things happen to the characters") but rather the philosophical aspects as that opens up a lot of possibilities in how a game can be made fun.

• What makes us as humans interested in reading about the suffering of the characters in the story? Not necessarily suffering but always facing problems or some kind of conflict. (It reminds me of people watching gladiators or boxers)
• What keeps you reading? I mean, why do you care of what happens next, if you really just wanted to know only that you could let yourself get spoilered. So there is more then that.
• Do you enjoy happy endings? Why exactly or why not? (unfortunate endings might appeal to some because of the realism, but that of course gives the question: What do you read storys for? To learn from them or for the enjoyment?)

I can't really answer these questions myself, because I don't read stories all that much. I think that this is the best forum to ask these questions, because I assume you had to answer some o these questions for yourself before.

• creative-writing

• There is no real answer for this, and a philosophical look into why stories are interesting would be a huge discussion that isn't suitable for a stack exchange site. Personally, I think that people enjoy stories because there are some elements in them, that they themselves want to believe in. So make sure to identify who you are targeting and see what they like. –  Shadowzee Commented Jul 5, 2019 at 1:30
• 1 Hi RIJIK, welcome to Writing (Beta) on SE. Your question is very broad and non-specific. This forum works best for questions that ask a single thing. You can improve the quality of the responses to your question by focusing it on a single topic. You can post multiple questions to the site. I think you've described your situation very clearly, and that is a great start. But your question reads like many many different questions, and that is discouraged since the answers become much more opinion driven than question driven. –  EDL Commented Jul 5, 2019 at 1:31
• If you are looking for general information on storytelling then the online lectures by Brandon Sanderson are an excellent place to start. youtube.com/watch?v=N4ZDBOc2tX8 –  EDL Commented Jul 5, 2019 at 1:33
• @Shadowzee Can you maybe point me to a place where these questions belong? EDL pointed me to a lecture nthat might help, but is there also a forum of sorts? –  GRASBOCK Commented Jul 5, 2019 at 9:28

2 Answers 2

What makes us as humans interested in reading about the suffering of the characters in the story?

In fiction, they don't expect that suffering to last, at least not for the main characters or heroes they are identifying with. The suffering justifies what the heroes must do to overcome whatever evil or hardship they face. It is not watching gladiators or boxers, those fighters are just fighting, they are not defending any principles, not defending or rescuing the innocent, not sacrificing themselves for their children or for humanity, they aren't fighting for any reason other than to win.

We want to see heroes that sacrifice themselves for what is right to defeat evil that is wrong .

"Evil" is the selfish premise that getting your way, in terms of wealth, sex, luxury, power, or ideology justifies any harm it causes to innocent others: Injury, death, disease, misery, grief or despair. Obviously there are degrees of evil.

"Right" is the opposite altruistic premise, that avoiding and preventing harm to innocents is worthy and admirable, and actually risking harm yourself to prevent harms to innocents is heroic.

What keeps you reading? I mean, why do you care of what happens next, if you really just wanted to know only that you could let yourself get spoilered. So there is more than that.

What keeps you reading is indeed wondering what happens next, but also you want to follow the adventure. Spoilers spoil the adventure of vicariously being the hero (or beside the hero) and going through their experiences, emotions, suffering and epiphanies. Spoiler Alert: In real life, in the end we all die, every one of us. But that doesn't really matter today ; today we can have some fun!

The journey is what matters and builds the vicarious virtual experience, just knowing the ending doesn't provide the virtual experience. We read because the fiction presents something near to a life experience, in a few hours. We don't want the spoilers because in real life we don't know how the future will turn out, we take risks without knowing if we will win, and sometimes we don't win. We want the fiction to reflect real life (with a bias toward heroes defeating evil in the end, which is unfortunately not how real life usually turns out).

Do you enjoy happy endings? Why exactly or why not? (unfortunate endings might appeal to some because of the realism, but that of course gives the question: What do you read stories for? To learn from them or for the enjoyment?)

I have read Hollywood studios have studied this, and find that regardless of awards, critical acclaim or anything else, happy endings outsell unhappy endings by 10 to one, or more specifically, "evil defeated" endings outsell "hero defeated" endings by 10 to one. We are looking for sacrifice, so a hero can die defeating evil, making the ultimate sacrifice, and that can still be seen as a good ending. But evil prevailing (unless it is in a series and a temporary victory) is not going to sell well, even if it wins Oscars or Book Awards or critics love it.

People like happy endings because they consume fiction to escape the real world, where mobsters and frauds and assholes and evil people in general abound and seem to operate and prevail with impunity. In real life children get cancer and die, they are torn apart in car wrecks by drunk drivers that get away with it, people get raped and murdered and the police do nothing about it, nor does anyone else.

In real life heroes don't appear, or people trying to be heroes fail or get killed without saving anybody. Corporations hide and cover up their lies and profit-seeking shortcuts that ruined innocent lives, and get away with a fine that costs them 1% of their profits. ohhh nooo! (ahem, high five).

We (for the most part) read fiction to escape that aspect of real life. We do want our fiction to be 'true to life' in the sense of seeming like it could really happen, that helps us immerse ourself in the story and the adventure. But we don't want the "realism" of heroes usually being defeated and evil winning in the end. That is not escapism, if we want to feel depressed and hopeless we can watch the news of the world on almost any night.

The truth from the real world is crime pays. Evil has a competitive advantage in politics, business, running religions or charities -- because the truly evil are willing to do anything to win, and anybody with a shred of morality is, by definition, not willing to do anything to win, and the more moral they are the less effective they can be.

That is the fundamental dilemma of life; being on the side of "right" is bringing a knife to a gunfight. In fiction, to be escapist, the hero with the knife needs to defeat the gunslinger, against the odds. Otherwise it isn't a happy ending, and people don't enjoy it, so they don't recommend it, or they give it a bad review and say the ending was disappointing, or they say nothing about it but recommend something else that DID have a happy ending.

Call that word of mouth or whatever you want, in the modern world we pay a lot of attention to what other people think about entertainment because we find it predictive of how much we will like the entertainment, and that is why sales figures are highly correlated to how much the public actually liked consuming a particular book or movie. And that is why Happy Endings outsell Unhappy Endings ten to one; a small percentage of "independents" are willing to try an entertainment first and "blind", but their reactions then become extremely important. If they say they didn't care for it, that kills the sales to the 90% of people that are more cautious and won't buy without any recommendation. As soon as an early independent waves them off they move on; there is a glut of other entertainment to buy that is recommended.

Yes, we like happy endings, and particularly in the modern world that preference will be reflected in your sales.

• 1 I'd vote for this again, too. –  wetcircuit Commented Jul 5, 2019 at 13:15
• 1 That is an amazing answer! It delves exactly into what I was interested in. –  GRASBOCK Commented Jul 5, 2019 at 13:48

Question : What makes a story interesting?

Answer: Here are the things I find make stories interesting.

Relationships. Think less about plot and more about how the parts (edit: the way the characters) fit together in helpful vs. harmful ways. Balance the relationships. Some good, some bad, show both. Conflict, but also support.

Time. Good stories give us characters that have had a past and that yearn toward a future . Storytelling limited to 'in the moment' risks portraying characters that do not have this sort of dimensionality. We are all a product of the past and we all have dreams . Characters can and should, too.

Multi-sensate experience. Smell, sound, etc.

Although there are lots of parts to a good story, I think these are some of the really important bits that sometime get overlooked.

(Page-turning is down to conflict and suspense and well-crafted writing. Satisfying endings should fulfill the contract and need not be happy. But this feels like we're starting to open a can of worms.)

Edit (to comment): "isn't how the parts fit together the same as the plot?" To my mind, the way events fit together, one leading to the next, is plot. The way people fit together--adversary, loyal best friend, mentor, lover, commander, and so on--is less linear, more fluid, and sort of 'chewier' to a story. Example: when a lover turns into a stalker, that's a plot point, but also a shift in relationship between two characters. And, a story can have a complete arc but if it lacks any friendship it might feel less realized than otherwise. That's the sort of thing I mean. I like stories that have a breadth of developed relationships in addition to developed characters.

• 1 I'd like to vote for this again. –  wetcircuit Commented Jul 5, 2019 at 9:01
• 1 I have a question regarding "Relationships": isn't how the parts fit together the same as the plot? The other two points I think are mainly to convey realism, where as "Time" would create a realistic reason for conflict. –  GRASBOCK Commented Jul 5, 2019 at 9:26

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged creative-writing ideas philosophy or ask your own question .

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12 Nature-Inspired Creative Writing Prompts

by Melissa Donovan | Jun 20, 2024 | Creative Writing Prompts | 16 comments

Nature inspires, and so do these creative writing prompts.

Today’s post includes a selection of prompts from my book, 1200 Creative Writing Prompts . Enjoy!

Creative writing prompts are excellent tools for writers who are feeling uninspired or who simply want to tackle a new writing challenge. Today’s creative writing prompts focus on nature.

For centuries, writers have been composing poems that celebrate nature, stories that explore it, and essays that analyze it.

Nature is a huge source of inspiration for all creative people. You can find it heavily featured in film, television, art, and music.

Creative Writing Prompts

You can use these creative writing prompts in any way you choose. Sketch a scene, write a poem, draft a story, or compose an essay. The purpose of these prompts is to inspire you, so take the images they bring to your mind and run with them. And have fun!

• A young girl and her mother walk to the edge of a field, kneel down in the grass, and plant a tree.
• The protagonist wakes up in a seemingly endless field of wildflowers in full bloom with no idea how he or she got there.
• Write a piece using the following image: a smashed flower on the sidewalk.
• A family of five from a large, urban city decides to spend their one-week vacation camping.
• An elderly couple traveling through the desert spend an evening stargazing and sharing memories of their lives.
• A woman is working in her garden when she discovers an unusual egg.
• Write a piece using the following image: a clearing deep in the woods where sunlight filters through the overhead lattice of tree leaves.
• Some people are hiking in the woods when they are suddenly surrounded by hundreds of butterflies.
• A person who lives in a metropolitan apartment connects with nature through the birds that come to the window.
• Write a piece using the following image: an owl soaring through the night sky.
• A well-to-do family from the city that has lost all their wealth except an old, run-down farmhouse in the country. They are forced to move into it and learn to live humbly.
• Two adolescents, a sister and brother, are visiting their relatives’ farm and witness a sow giving birth.

Again, you can use these creative writing prompts to write anything — poems, stories, songs, essays, blog posts, or just sit down and start freewriting.

16 Comments

lovely prompts… really simple line or two that just strikes up imagery and let you freestyle all over it. Nice one

Thanks, Rory!

thanks for the good ideas good short story for someone in grade 8

Thanks. I just read through your list of prompts and got flashes of either beginnings or endings for stories from every one. I’ve not seen prmopts like these much on the web, so well done. Such a simple idea with so much power and potential. If only I had the day off to get cracking!

I love to create and use writing prompts, and I’m glad you found these to be useful. Thanks!

Hello. Supernatural or magic realism is pretty much all I write. I’ve got a prompt. ‘A young teenager is walking home during a storm and ends up getting struck by lightning. The next day they wake up to find that the accident turned them into an inhuman being.’ I’ve heard of this type of scenario before and I thought it would make for a great story. I love creating my own ideas of course but writing prompts are just fun challenge myself with and see what I can create out of already given ideas. I really like the prompts you give. As I said they are enjoyable to mess around with.

Thanks for sharing your prompt, Kristen. I agree that prompts are fun and can be challenging. I’m glad you like these. Keep writing!

#7 Woodland Clearing

Winter trees screen blue and sunny skies, Intense but icy light the heat belies. Spikey, naked, dormant maids and men Wait for the earth to turn around again.

And bring the warmth that touches every thread Of bark and twigs and all that acted dead Until the full-blown leaves create a wall Shortening the view until late fall

When sun and clouds break through the limbs again And show clear-cut those lacey maids and men Black for a time against the coldest air While waiting for the Spring to deck them fair

With leaves that seem to turn the world to green Creating hidden meadows only seen By animals and birds and mist and rains. For ages before calendars and trains.

Humanity intrudes in such a place And fools themselves that they have found a space Where they belong beneath the patchy light To rip and tear and exercise their might.

For meadow edges have no need to stand Between the woods and grassy, open land Where bugs and bears and buntings feel the sun. ‘Till people think they do what must be done.

April 27, 2019

Hi Jennifa. Thanks for sharing your lovely poem here.

That is a stunningly good poem, Jennifa. Far more worthy than just an obscure comment thread here. I hope you found a home for it where more eyes will see it. If you are published anywhere, I’d love to find out.

Wow. These are truly amazing prompts! Just a few lines of inspiration and now my mind is filled with creativity. Please come up with more! <3

You’ll find plenty more in the Writing Prompts section of the Blog menu.

these are really helpful

Thanks, Flo! I’m glad you found them helpful.

What lovely prompts. I’m going to do some free writing and see what comes out. And maybe a poem or two.

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• Here are three inspirational activities to elevate a writer's creativity - Judy Kundert - […] get an idea of how nature can inspire your creativity, try these Nature-Inspired Creative Writing Prompts from these 12…

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26 Publications that Pay for Writing on Philosophy & Culture

Here’s our latest research on publications that pay writers. This list presents publishers of writing about ideas — philosophy, culture, etc.

We’ve researched payment rates and contact information for these publishers, so you can easily contact the right editor.

If you’re new to pitching, I encourage you to spend time carefully studying the publications you would like to write for. Learn their style, how they’re organized, the types of writing they publish, and even the general lengths of the articles they publish. Also, pay special attention to the way they write article titles, as this is often vital to the pitch writing process.

Once you’re familiar with the publication, you can brainstorm ideas, and then carefully craft a short pitch to the appropriate editor at the publication. For paid subscribers, feel free to send me a draft pitch, and I’ll give you my feedback.

If you’re looking for even more opportunities to get published,you should also check out this list of 100 publications that pay freelance writers. You can also browse the many lists we’ve published so far on this site.

Noema is a magazine that explores the transformations sweeping our world. They publish “essays, interviews, reportage, videos and art on the overlapping realms of philosophy, governance, geopolitics, economics, technology, and culture.” According to payment reports, they pay $1.05 per word. If interested, send your pitches or drafts for essays, reported features, interviews, or fiction short stories to [email protected] . To contact them, refer to this page .

Nautilus is a magazine about science, culture, and philosophy. They want stories that "take you into the depths of science and spotlight its ripples in our lives and cultures."  According to a Tweet by one of their editors, they pay $0.50 to $1.00 per word. To contact them, refer to this page . 

Maisonneuve is a Montreal-based quarterly of “arts, opinion and ideas.” They are looking for all kinds of non-fiction writing including essays, memoirs, reporting, and humor. According to their editor, their standard rate is 15 cents per word. To contact them, visit this page .

Long Now is a non-profit organization that fosters long-term thinking. Their pitch guide says, “Our work encourages imagination at the timescale of civilization — the next and last 10,000 years — a timespan we call the long now.” They want stories that explore the ‘long now’ of climate change, the rise and fall of civilizations, biotechnology and artificial intelligence, economics, architecture, and more. They accept pitches for essays (1,200 - 3,000 words), reported features (1,200 to 3,000 words), interviews (2,000 to 3,000 words), book reviews, shorter articles, fiction, and poems for Ideas, their living archive of long-term thinking. Rates begin at $600 for features and essays and range between $300 and $600 for interviews, reviews, science journalism, and news articles. Rates are $100 for science fiction stories and $25 for poems. For more information, refer to their pitch guide .

The New Modality is “a new publication and community about experiments in culture.” They cover art, culture, science, spirituality, sexuality, technology, business, philanthropy, society, and more. They ask contributors to specify in the pitch whether they would like to be considered for their honorarium rate or their professional rate. Their honorarium rate is $100 per piece. Their professional rate for a reported non-fiction piece is 50 cents per word. Their rate for professional science fiction and fantasy writers is $100 or 15 cents per word, whichever is higher. For details, read this .

New Humanist is “a quarterly magazine of culture and science.” They welcome feature pitches on culture, ideas, science, and philosophy. They also welcome poems, book reviews, and in-depth reportage. They also accept pitches for their website. According to a Tweet from 2021, they pay   £350-£500 for features and about 10p/word for reviews and online-only. To learn more, refer to this page .

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