My Weekend Renovation
Chronicle a particular DIY home improvement project you undertook, focusing on why you chose to do it yourself, the resources you used to learn the necessary skills, and the outcome. Make it a narrative that both instructs and entertains.
Suggested length: An essay or article: 800 to 2,500 words
Start the clock
Pick a sprint, press start and keep going until it stops. Momentum beats polish on a first draft.
Make it yours
Three ways to take this prompt somewhere nobody else will.
- Open with a specific story, then widen out to the big idea.
- Write for a curious friend, not an expert.
- End with something the reader can do or think about today.
Writing essays
A mind at work, one subject at a time.
An essay collection gathers short nonfiction pieces: personal, critical, funny or all three. What ties them together is the writer's voice and way of seeing.
What readers expect
- A distinctive voice
- Personal stakes
- Surprising connections
- Pieces that stand alone
A tip before you start
Follow a question, not a thesis. The pleasure of an essay is watching someone think.
More Home and Garden prompts
- A Home That Feels Like YouDiscuss the psychological and emotional benefits of maintaining a home that reflects your personality and values. Use personal anecdotes, scientific…
- The Room We RemadeDetail the transformation of a specific room in your house from its original state when you first moved in to its current condition. Discuss your…
- What Home MeansExplore the concept of "home" through different lenses—physical, emotional, cultural. Interview family members or friends about what home means to…
- The First HouseplantWrite a reflective essay on the first plant you ever cared for, exploring what it taught you about responsibility and the emotional connection people…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
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