Ever feel like you’re just twiddling your thumbs with nothing to do? Writing can be like a magical adventure that takes you on exciting journeys of imagination when you’re unsure what to do next. Here are 70 ideas (Things to Write When Bored) to get your pencil moving and mind racing when boredom strikes!
1. Pen a Message to Your Older Self
Think about where you are today and where you want to be 1, 5, or even 10 years from now. Imagine talking to your future self and telling them about your big dreams, goals, and what you hope to achieve. Seal it up and open it years later!
2. Plan your dream vacation
Research destinations and activities for your ideal getaway. Make an itinerary, budget, and packing list for a dream vacation you hope to take someday. Allow your imagination to go on an exciting adventure!
3. Create New Song Words
Choose your favorite song and give its lyrics a makeover from a different perspective. Try writing from another character’s point of view or changing the setting. Get creative and make it funny or dramatic.
4. Pen a poem
Discover Your Inner Poet and give poetry a try. It can be about anything from nature to emotions to daily life. Experiment with rhyme, verse, and other poetic devices.
5. Start a running journal
Document your daily runs or workouts. Jot down distances, routes, how you felt, challenges you overcame, and goals achieved. It’s motivating to see your progress.
6. Craft a short story
Let your imagination flow and write a fictional short story. Develop exciting characters, settings, and plot twists. If inspiration strikes, keep writing to turn it into a novella!
7. Create Your Play
Write a play script with characters and directions. Develop engaging characters and act out the scenes in your head. Your playwriting may come to life on stage someday!
8. Pen a motivational manifesto
Write an inspirational mantra or motivational manifesto to uplift yourself. Include affirmations, quotes, and words of wisdom that resonate with you. Revisit it when you need a confidence boost.
9. Try calligraphy
Practice the art of beautiful handwriting. Try different styles of calligraphy and decorative fonts. This meditative practice enhances focus and creativity.
10. Start a quote collection
Explore books and the internet to find quotes that inspire you. Transcribe your favorites into a journal or digital document. Add your thoughts and commentary on each quote’s meaning.
11. Make a bucket list
Make a list of 25 or 50 amazing things you want to do in your life! Think about fun adventures, exciting places to go, extraordinary skills to master, and books you can’t wait to read. Challenge yourself!
12. Pen product reviews
Write reviews of products you’ve purchased, from tech gadgets to beauty items. Share pros/cons, ratings, and who you would recommend the product to. Your honest reviews may help other consumers.
13. Draft a speech
Practice public speaking by writing a speech. Choose an inspiring topic and research facts and stories to include. Read it aloud and refine it for optimal impact.
14. Describe a fictional character
Dream up an interesting fictional character. Write a thorough description including their personality, background, interests, quirks, habits, motivations, dialogue, and character arc.
15. Compose song lyrics
Channel your musical creativity by writing an original song. Compose lyrics with verses and a catchy chorus. If you’re feeling extra inspired, try writing melody ideas, too.
16. Write a blog post
Choose a topic you love and write an excellent blog post about it, Like You’re Sharing Your Expertise with the World. Use keywords, headings, images, and links to optimize it.
17. Craft dialogues
Write a conversation between two fictional characters. Give them distinct voices through vocabulary, sentence structure, and tone. Make the dialogue reveal something about each character.
18. Describe a place
Pick a place familiar to you and write a vivid, sensory description for someone who has never been there. Use adjectives and figurative language to bring it to life.
19. Write a fan letter
Send uplifting fan mail to someone you admire, like an author, musician, activist, athlete, or artist, explaining how they have impacted you. They may write back!
20. Pen a children’s book
Write a fun children’s story with engaging characters, easy vocabulary, repetition, rhyme, and colorful illustrations. Read it aloud in silly character voices for extra fun.
21. Draft essays
Practice different essay formats. Try narrative, persuasive, expository, descriptive, and comparison/contrast essays. Researching a topic boosts learning.
22. Create recipes
Write original recipes for your favorite home-cooked meals or baked goods. Include ingredient lists, clear instructions, cooking time, and number of servings. Test and tweak them.
23. Design a crossword puzzle
Make a crossword puzzle using interesting vocabulary – nouns, verbs, adjectives, phrases, etc. Come up with clever clues and fill in the answers.
24. Write a monologue
Pretend you are a character in a play. Write a monologue in their voice exploring their thoughts, feelings, and perspective on life. Get into character!
25. Keep a nature journal
Record observations and sketches of plants and animals when you spend time outdoors. Describe habitats, behaviors, sounds, colors, and more in detail.
26. Make lists and charts
Get organized by making practical (or silly) lists and charts. Ideas include grocery lists, travel checklists, best movies rankings, wardrobe inventory, pros & cons, and more.
27. Design greeting cards
Write heartfelt messages for holiday cards, thank you notes, and more. Get crafty by decorating matching envelopes and creating your greeting cards.
28. Start a quote collection
Browse books and the internet for inspiring quotes. Transcribe your favorites into a journal or digital document. Add your thoughts and commentary on each quote’s meaning.
29. Write silly stories
Let your imagination run wild writing a silly, funny story starring you and your friends or family as characters. Exaggerate Events and get creative with humorous plot twists!
30. Compose trivia questions
Create your trivia quiz on topics you’re knowledgeable about, like pop culture, geography, sports, history, or science. Write tricky multi-choice or true/false questions.
31. Draft opening lines
Practice powerful, hooking opening lines for hypothetical novels. Brainstorm ideas and play around with impactful wording to draw readers in and make them eager to read more.
32. Describe works of art
Pick a painting or other piece of visual art and write a thorough descriptive analysis. Discuss the medium, artistic elements, possible meaning, and your subjective reaction.
33. Make a family tree
Include your extended family tree with names, dates, and locations. Go back generations if possible. Add stories and photos for a keepsake family history.
34. Plan dream dates
Write ideas and itineraries for creative, fun, or romantic dates. Include specific activities, conversation topics, places to go in your community, gestures, and ways to make it memorable.
35. Compose a resume
Write or polish your professional resume and cover letter to showcase skills, experience, and accomplishments. Tweak formatting to showcase qualifications for desired job opportunities.
36. Pen a biography
Choose a historical or pop culture figure and write a short biography profiling their background, achievements, controversies, and impact on the World. Include interesting facts.
37. Write a how-to guide
Explain the steps to complete a process from start to finish, like a craft, recipe, game strategy, or computer tutorial. Add images, charts, and tips to create a helpful how-to reference.
38. Create a calendar
Make a fun or artistic calendar for the year. Include holidays, birthdays, events, and images. Track your schedule and critical dates. Make It Extra Special as a Gift for Someone You Care About.
39. Start a movie journal
Log each film you watch. Rate it, summarize the plot, and document favorite quotes, characters, scenes, and insights. Note how it affected your mood and perspective.
40. Draft a political speech
Write a political campaign speech supporting a real or hypothetical candidate. Include their background, values, and stance on critical issues. Try to sway votes!
41. Design tattoos
Doodle tattoo designs and ideas. Sketch visual elements and phrases that express your personality. Imagine ink you’d consider getting…or draw for fun!
42. Describe a dream
Record details you remember from interesting or bizarre dreams. Analyze possible meanings, symbols, and interpretations. See if it sparks creative writing ideas.
43. Plan your goals
List personal and professional goals for the next 1, 3, 5, and 10 years. List specific steps you can take now and milestones to aim for toward success.
44. Create a vision board
Make a collage of inspirational images, quotes, and words representing your goals and dreams. Display it where you’ll see it often as a motivational reminder.
45. Write a short comic
Design your comic strip with pictures and speech bubbles. Invent fun characters and humorously portray an everyday slice-of-life scenario from a unique perspective.
46. Draft inner monologues
Write an inner monologue expressing a character’s unspoken thoughts and feelings. Try using a diary format or write your character’s thoughts at critical story moments.
47. Keep an observation journal
Record exciting things you notice and ponder during mundane moments and daily activities. Reflect on life, philosophy, human nature, and your personal growth.
48. Make a scrapbook
Create a memory scrapbook page by page. Decorate with photos, tickets, pressed flowers, journaling, and washi tape. Arrange meaningfully – chronologically or thematically.
49. Write prayer petitions
List people, causes, and concerns you want to pray for. Revisit and update it regularly. Checking back when prayers are answered strengthens your faith.
50. Create coupons
Make homemade coupons for gifts you can give loved ones, like a free hug, home-cooked meal, chore help, movie night, errand service, etc. Make them cute and customize them for the recipient!
51. Plan your dream home
Draw floor plans and describe your ideal future house. Include architectural styles, room purposes, furniture arrangements, decor details, and technology. Have fun dreaming and designing!
52. Pen a self-help book
Write a self-help book targeted to help people improve their lives. Share knowledge, insights, examples, and action steps on motivation, stress relief, and overcoming challenges.
53. Compose song parodies
Write funny new lyrics to existing songs and tunes. Change the words to be about mundane topics or poke fun at pop culture. Song parodies make memorable inside jokes.
54. Update your social media bios
Refresh your social media profiles with new bios. Showcase your personality, knowledge, and interests. Tweak formatting for optimal space use and clickability.
55. Make a family cookbook
Collect favorite family recipes and type or transcribe them into a custom cookbook. Include stories, photos, and family memories to treasure. Self-publish and share copies.
56. Plan a novel
Outline details for a book you’d like to write someday. Develop characters, plot points, settings, themes, and story arcs. List ideas to expand into full scenes.
57. Write poetry
Try your hand at poetry writing. Experiment with multiple styles like free verse, odes, haikus, and sonnets. Express your innermost thoughts and feelings through poetic language.
58. Create educational materials
Make flashcards, quizzes, games, and other study aids for yourself or others to comprehend and retain information better. Tailor them to various learning styles.
59. Craft a screenplay
Write a script for a hypothetical movie or TV show. Include plot summaries, scene settings, detailed action descriptions, and believable dialogue for each character.
60. Plan event programming
Brainstorm ideas and logistics for conferences, parties, weddings, and fundraisers. Detail schedules, activities, menus, decorations, and entertainment options.
61. Design merchandise
Unleash your creativity by designing logos, slogans, patterns, and graphics for hypothetical t-shirts, water bottles, phone cases, stickers, bags, and other custom merchandise.
62. Keep a dream journal
Document dreams you have while sleeping. Recording them helps you remember more details and may reveal insights about your subconscious thoughts and feelings.
63. Write a user manual
Explaining how to perform a complicated task in simple steps. Create documentation with instructions, images, diagrams, warnings, and FAQs to help users understand processes.
64. Make illustrations
Hand-draw illustrations to accompany stories or stand alone as artwork. Doodle interesting characters, street scenes, patterns, portraits, fantasy creatures, landscapes, and more.
65. Draft business plans
Outline business proposals and plans for hypothetical companies and products. Include industry research, branding, marketing strategies, operations, and financial projections.
66. Design a website
Map out ideas and content for a website. Make sitemaps and wireframes. Plan aesthetics. Write copy for pages like About, Services, Blog, Contact, and more.
67. Pen a memoir
Write your life story, one experience at a time. Describe key moments, relationships, challenges, adventures, and personal growth. Create a meaningful family heirloom.
68. Craft educational resources
Make educational materials to help others learn. Write lesson plans, lecture notes, presentations, pamphlets, or books. Synthesize what you know into easily understandable formats.
69. Create playlists
Make customized music playlists for different moods and occasions. Select and sequence songs thoughtfully. Craft engaging titles and liner notes for your hypothetical album.
70. Write learning reflections
After finishing a book, course, or new experience, write about what you learned, what impacted you, and how you were changed. Processing solidifies knowledge.
Concluding Thoughts – Things to Write When Bored
The next time you find yourself bored and in need of inspiration, try putting pen to paper! As you can see from the 70 ideas above, writing can be a fulfilling outlet and a fantastic use of free time.
Experiment with different forms of writing to channel creativity, process thoughts and feelings, plan for the future, make helpful references, and entertain yourself. Keep a designated journal or notebook to revisit and expand upon your writing.
Let the writing process stir self-discovery and personal growth. Whether you’re an aspiring writer or just looking for a fun way to pass the time, pick up a pen and scribble whatever comes to mind. The possibilities are endless when you approach writing with an open mind and heart.
The bare minimum would be a pen and paper, but you may also want to grab items like a journal, notebook, laptop, or tablet to write on. Other valuable supplies include a dictionary, thesaurus, and inspiring books.
During early drafts, resist the urge to self-edit and let your creativity flow freely without worrying about perfection. You can always go back and correct errors later if needed. The substance is more important than grammatical correctness in exploratory writing.
Writing engages your mind, helps you set goals, improves focus, boosts imagination, and has therapeutic benefits. It’s an absorbing activity that can make you feel productive and energized. The creative process is often rewarding.
Take a break and do something different for a while. Go for a walk, listen to music, or talk to a friend. Your mind may be ready with fresh inspiration after resting. You can also try free writing or writing prompts to get unstuck.
