32 Writing Prompts About Being Different
Do you sometimes feel like a total weirdo?
Us too!
The world’s all about fitting in, but what if we just said “nah” and rocked our own thing instead?
Those weird hobbies, unique quirks, and ways of seeing the world?
Those are the good bits!
This is your chance to celebrate what makes YOU, you.
Calling all writers, dreamers, and anyone who feels a little out of place: this is your jam. We’re gonna dig into what makes us different and find the awesome hiding inside the ordinary.
Get ready to be inspired, shake things up, and unleash your creativity.
Your story’s one of a kind, so grab a pen and let it loose! Use these prompts and let the world know about unique perspectives.
Just don’t hold back.
Writing Prompts about Being Different
Understanding Alienation: You’re a teenager in a small town, the only one who doesn’t enjoy the popular local sport everyone else is obsessed with. Instead, you have an interest in astronomy. This makes you feel isolated and misunderstood. Write about your journey to embrace your individuality, even when it means being different from everyone else.
Power in Diversity: You’ve recently immigrated to a new country. You’re the only one at your school who speaks with an accent and brings lunches that smell and taste unlike anything your peers are used to. Instead of letting this ostracize you, write about how you use your unique background to educate your classmates about diversity and cultural richness.
Reinventing Art: As an artist, your style significantly differs from the prevailing trends. Critics argue that your work doesn’t fit into any existing category. Write about the struggles and triumphs of creating something completely new and unique, against the tide of conventional expectation.
Breaking Gender Norms: You’re a man in a traditional society who loves ballet, but ballet is considered a feminine pursuit in your community. Write about your journey of pursuing your passion despite societal norms, explaining how being different can lead to personal growth and unexpected acceptance.
Disability as Strength: You were born without the use of your legs. Instead of letting this limit you, you use it to your advantage to become a Paralympic champion. Write about how your different physical capability drove you to achieve something extraordinary, changing perceptions and breaking barriers along the way.
Embracing Neurodiversity: You’ve always thought and learned differently than others due to your dyslexia. Despite initial struggles in traditional learning environments, write about how you turned your learning difference into a strength, showing others that there is not only one way to learn and succeed.
Living Life Off the Grid: You decide to give up on modern technology and live a self-sufficient life in a remote location. This decision makes you different from your peers who are absorbed in the hustle and bustle of city life. Write about the challenges and rewards of choosing a lifestyle different from the norm, illustrating the satisfaction and wisdom you derive from this unique path.
Changing the World at a Young Age: At just 14, you have a brilliant idea for a new technology that could revolutionize the world. Being young and different, you face both praise and criticism. Write about your journey to overcome the age barrier and prove that even the youngest minds can make significant contributions to society.
Defying Traditional Career Paths: You’ve always wanted to be a magician, even when everyone else around you aspires for more conventional professions. Despite the strange looks and outright discouragement, you decide to follow your dreams. Write about your journey to success, outlining the hardships and rewards that come with choosing a career out of the ordinary.
Discovering Your Identity: You have grown up in a conservative town but realized you identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. This realization makes you feel different and initially out of place in your community. Write about your process of self-acceptance and your effort to build bridges of understanding with those around you.
Overcoming Barriers in Tech: As an elderly woman, you decide to learn programming and enter the tech industry, a field dominated by young men. Write about your experiences navigating this new terrain, demonstrating that age and gender don’t define a person’s capacity to learn and innovate.
Transforming Waste into Wealth: In a society that is heavily consumerist and wasteful, you’ve decided to start a business based entirely on recycling and reusing. Write about your endeavor to turn waste into something valuable, challenging societal norms and promoting sustainable living.
Making Waves in Politics: You are a young, minority woman running for mayor in a small town dominated by older, conservative men. You’re determined to bring change and fresh perspectives. Write about your political journey, focusing on the challenges and triumphs of breaking established molds and prejudices in the political sphere.
Radically Changing Education: As a teacher, you implement an unconventional teaching method that challenges the traditional educational system. It’s met with resistance but also yields impressive results. Write about your struggle and triumph in revolutionizing the way children learn, showcasing how being different can lead to progress.
Music Against the Grain: You are a classical violinist who decides to mix traditional classical music with electronic beats. This hybrid music genre attracts a lot of attention, both positive and negative. Write about your journey to create and popularize this unique genre, demonstrating the importance of creative risk in artistic evolution.
Unconventional Heroes: You are a firefighter with a deep fear of heights, a trait unusual and challenging in your line of work. Despite this, you excel at your job on the ground and become an example for others. Write about your journey in embracing and working with your fear, illustrating that heroes come in all shapes, sizes, and personal challenges.
Blending Cultures: Raised in a dual-ethnicity household, you’ve always felt torn between two different cultural identities. Instead of choosing one over the other, you decide to embrace both. Write about your journey of integrating these two cultures into your life, crafting a unique identity that stands out in both communities.
Adventures in Solitude: Unlike your friends who love socializing, you’ve always found joy in solitary activities. You decide to take a solo trip around the world, meeting new people and cultures on your own terms. Write about your experiences and the lessons you learn about yourself and the world when you decide to travel alone.
Age is Just a Number: As a senior citizen, you decide to start your first business, a dream you’ve had for a long time but never had the chance to realize. Write about the unique challenges and advantages of starting a business at an older age, challenging stereotypes and demonstrating that it’s never too late to chase your dreams.
The Vegetarian Athlete: As a professional athlete, you decide to adopt a vegetarian diet in a sport where most competitors rely heavily on animal protein. Write about your journey of maintaining your competitive edge while promoting a lifestyle that goes against the norm in your field.
Living an Authentic Life: After years of living the life your parents have chosen for you, you decide to take a year off to discover your true passion. Write about your experiences and self-discoveries during this transformative period, showcasing the importance of carving out your own path.
An Unusual Friendship: You strike up a friendship with an AI chatbot after feeling misunderstood by human peers. Despite its non-human nature, the bond you form is unexpectedly meaningful. Write about this unique relationship, exploring the concept of companionship beyond traditional boundaries.
Redefining Success: You’ve achieved everything traditionally associated with success – a high-paying job, a big house, a fancy car – but you decide to give it all up in pursuit of a simple life in the countryside. Write about your journey to redefine personal success, showing that being different often means rejecting societal expectations.
Language Pioneer: You are fascinated by languages and decide to create a new language based on mathematical principles. You face skepticism and ridicule, but also spark interest in certain circles. Write about your endeavor to bring this language to life, highlighting the trials and tribulations of being a pioneer in an unexplored field.
Different Forms of Brilliance: You’re a high school student who struggles with traditional academic subjects but shines in auto mechanics, a class not highly recognized in your school. Write about your journey to gain recognition for your talent in a field that is often overlooked in academic settings, proving that intelligence comes in many forms.
Embracing the Unseen: You have synesthesia, a condition where one sense is simultaneously perceived by another. For you, sounds have colors. This gives you a unique perspective in life. Write about how you embrace this difference, and how it impacts your daily interactions and experiences.
The Nonconformist Philosopher: As a philosopher, you propose a theory that challenges the mainstream ideology of your society. It makes you a controversial figure. Write about the trials and triumphs of challenging the status quo, and the change you instigate by advocating for a new way of thinking.
Healing with Nature: You’re a doctor who believes in the healing power of nature and holistic medicine in a community that heavily relies on conventional medicine. Write about your journey of integrating holistic healing into your practice, and the resistance and acceptance you encounter along the way.
Conscious Fashion: As a fashion designer, you decide to use only sustainable materials in a fast-fashion dominated industry. Write about your journey of promoting sustainable fashion, the struggles of going against the trend, and the satisfaction of making a positive impact.
The Mute Musician: You’re a musician who’s lost your ability to speak due to an accident. Despite this, you decide to communicate your thoughts and feelings through your music. Write about your journey to express yourself in unconventional ways, proving that words are not the only medium of communication.
Living Life Backwards: You’re a novelist writing a story about a world where time flows backward. You need to envision a society with reversed norms and rules. Write about your challenges in constructing this world and how this process makes you perceive your own reality differently.
The Introverted Leader: As an introverted individual, you’ve been elected as the leader of a community organization. This role typically attracts extroverts, and your approach is significantly different. Write about how you navigate this position and effect change in your unique, introverted way, proving that leadership isn’t confined to a certain personality type.