24 Writing Prompts About Identity
In today’s world of endless selfies, fake-perfect profiles, and everyone trying to be an influencer, it’s hard to know who you really are.
We can change how we look online with a tap, but who are we when the filters are off?
Forget what everyone else thinks you should be, this is about figuring out what you actually like and who you want to be.
This search for yourself isn’t just something young people do, it’s something everyone goes through at some point.
So, get ready to dig deep and explore all the different things that make you, you.
We’re gonna unravel all the layers and find the real you under all that noise with the help of these writing prompts.
Writing Prompts About Identity
The Tattoo’s Tale: Throughout history, tattoos have served as symbols of identity, commitment, and self-expression. Whether it’s an emblem signifying loyalty to a tribe, a mark of a significant life event, or a piece of art that tells a personal story, tattoos often tell more about a person than words can. Write a story about a character who gets a tattoo that has deep significance to their identity and the journey it takes them on.
The Switched Diary: Diaries are intimate spaces where people pour their thoughts, hopes, fears, and dreams. Imagine two people accidentally switch their diaries, leading them to discover the other’s hidden battles, dreams, and truths about their identity. Write about the complexities of understanding one’s identity through another’s eyes and the evolution of their relationship after the switch.
The Lost Heritage: The protagonist has grown up believing they were of a certain culture and heritage, but a surprising revelation upends their understanding of who they are. As they embark on a journey to explore this newly discovered heritage, they confront feelings of denial, curiosity, and acceptance. Pen a story where the main character grapples with the meaning of true identity and its connection to ancestry.
Virtual Identity Crisis: In a world where virtual reality is as common as smartphones, people can choose avatars that may or may not represent their true selves. The protagonist has been living a double life – one in the real world and one in the virtual realm. But what happens when these worlds collide? Explore the duality of identity in both realms and the consequences of blurring the lines between them.
The Name’s Weight: Names often carry the weight of cultural, familial, and personal expectations. The main character feels constrained by the identity and history attached to their name. When given an opportunity to choose a new name, they dive deep into a transformative journey. Narrate the emotional rollercoaster of shedding an old identity and embracing a new one.
Memory’s Mirage: After an accident, the protagonist suffers from amnesia, unable to recall any personal memories. While friends and family attempt to help reconstruct their past, the character is left questioning the authenticity of these memories and their own identity. Write about the struggle to rebuild oneself when the foundation of personal history is shattered.
Shadows of Gender: From an early age, society imposes certain expectations based on gender. The protagonist feels trapped within these gender norms and decides to live a week as the opposite gender to understand their true identity better. Chronicle their experiences, insights, and the societal reactions they face during this eye-opening week.
The Second Chance: Imagine a world where people can opt for a procedure to erase specific parts of their life, effectively giving them a chance to rewrite their identity. The protagonist chooses to undergo this procedure but slowly starts to regret this decision. Pen down their journey as they come to terms with the choices they’ve made and the irrevocable impact on their identity.
Hidden in Plain Sight: Everyone in town knows the protagonist as the upbeat, always-smiling community volunteer. But when they retreat into their home every evening, they face a personal crisis, struggling with a secret dual identity. Explore the depths of the character’s internal battles and the strain of maintaining a public façade.
The Antique Portrait: Upon cleaning out an old attic, the protagonist stumbles upon an antique portrait of someone who looks eerily like them. The quest to uncover the identity of the person in the painting takes them on a journey through history, uncovering family secrets and deeply entrenched personal connections. Delve into the idea that our identities might be intertwined with those from the past.
Reincarnation’s Riddle: The protagonist starts having vivid dreams of living in a different era, in a different body, with memories too accurate to be mere fantasies. As they investigate, they come to believe that they’re experiencing memories from a past life. Narrate the merging of two identities, separated by time yet connected by soul.
In Another’s Shoes: A scientific experiment allows the protagonist to literally step into the life of another person, feeling their emotions, memories, and experiences for 24 hours. Returning to their own life, they’re left with an altered perception of themselves and their world. Write about the profound realizations that come from intimately understanding another’s identity.
The Mirror City: Waking up one day, the protagonist finds themselves in a parallel universe where everything seems identical at first, but slowly, they notice key differences in the identities of their loved ones and even themselves. Explore the idea of how slight changes in circumstances can drastically alter one’s sense of self.
Voiceless: Suddenly and inexplicably, the protagonist loses their ability to speak. In the ensuing silence, they’re forced to find new ways to express their identity and communicate with the world. Craft a tale about how identity is shaped by our interactions and the challenges of reinvention against adversity.
The Inherited Journal: After a grandparent’s passing, the protagonist inherits a journal. As they read through the pages, they realize it’s not just a recounting of past events but a map to understanding their own identity, with family patterns, struggles, and triumphs repeating through generations. Narrate their journey of self-discovery through the lens of familial history.
The Culture Chameleon: Born to parents of two distinct cultures, the protagonist often feels torn between two worlds. When they decide to spend a summer in each parent’s homeland, they’re challenged to confront their feelings of being “in-between” and to define their own unique identity. Write about the joys and pains of being a blend of two cultures, yet yearning to belong wholly to both.
The Mask Maker: In a quaint town, there’s a legendary artisan known for crafting masks that are said to reveal the wearer’s truest self. The protagonist, curious and a bit skeptical, decides to try one on. To their astonishment, the reflection shows a face they scarcely recognize. Explore the journey the protagonist undertakes to reconcile with this unexpected image of their identity.
Echoes from the Past: While recording a family oral history, the protagonist uncovers tales of an ancestor who led a rebellious, groundbreaking life. Surprisingly, the stories mirror the protagonist’s own secret desires and ambitions. Narrate the experience of realizing one’s aspirations might be echoes of an ancestor’s unfulfilled dreams.
Digital Footprint: A young journalist decides to write an article on how online identities can differ from real-life personas. For research, they decide to meet in person with people they’ve only known online. The encounters lead to unexpected revelations about human nature and the digital masks we wear. Delve into the complexities of how technology shapes and sometimes distorts our true selves.
The Library of Lives: In a mystical library, there exists a book for every human that ever lived. Each book details the life, feelings, and thoughts of its subject. One day, the protagonist stumbles upon this library and is drawn to a book with their name on it, only to find the pages blank beyond the current date. Write about the weight of penning one’s own future and defining one’s identity without any predefined narrative.
Strangers in the Mirror: Following a traumatic event, the protagonist starts to see a different version of themselves in mirrors – representing who they could have been if certain life events had changed. The visions are not just visual but emotional, pulling them towards another life. Narrate their struggle to hold onto their known identity while being tempted by a life unlived.
Island of Self-Discovery: Shipwrecked on an uninhabited island, the protagonist is stripped of all societal labels and roles. Here, there are no jobs, no social statuses, no expectations. As days turn into months, the isolation forces a profound exploration of the self. Detail the revelations and transformations that occur when one is left alone with their purest identity.
Song of the Soul: In a world where a unique song represents each individual’s identity, the protagonist is born without one. However, as life’s trials and triumphs unfold, a melody slowly begins to form. Chronicle the growth of this song, highlighting the events that shape and contribute to its evolving tune.
Identity Theft in the Literal Sense: A renowned thief in a futuristic world develops the technology to steal people’s memories, experiences, and essence, effectively robbing them of their identities. The protagonist, one of the victims, embarks on a quest not only for revenge but for the reclamation of their stolen self. Write about the resilience of the human spirit and the innate, indomitable core of one’s identity.
