Writer’s block can strike even the most prolific authors. When you’re staring at a blank page and the words just won’t come, writing prompts can be an invaluable tool to get your creative juices flowing again.
Whether you’re looking for fiction writing prompts, fun writing prompts for adults, or book prompts to kickstart your next novel, this extensive collection of over 1000 writing prompts has something for every writer.
The Power of Writing Prompts
Writing prompts serve several important purposes:
- They provide a starting point when you’re not sure what to write about
- They help you practice writing regularly and build a consistent habit
- They allow you to experiment with new genres, styles, and perspectives
- They spark creativity and get you thinking in new directions
- They can break you out of writer’s block and overcome creative roadblocks
Even if you don’t use the exact prompt, it may inspire a new idea or take your writing in an unexpected direction. The key is to use prompts as a jumping off point and let your imagination run wild from there.
Fiction Writing Prompts
Fiction allows you to create entire worlds and bring characters to life. Here are some fiction writing prompts to inspire your next short story or novel:
- A mysterious stranger arrives in town with a secret mission
- Two people are trapped in an elevator together during a blackout
- A character discovers they have the ability to read minds
- An ordinary object turns out to have magical powers
- Someone wakes up one day to find they’ve switched bodies with a stranger
- An unexpected inheritance comes with strange strings attached
- A long-lost sibling suddenly reappears after years of absence
- A character can suddenly see ghosts everywhere they go
- An alien lands in someone’s backyard seeking help
- A character discovers a portal to a parallel universe in their closet
- A character discovers they can manipulate time, but only for 60 seconds at a time.
- Two rival magicians compete for a coveted position in the royal court.
- An ancient artifact is unearthed, granting its finder unexpected powers.
- A group of friends stumble upon a hidden city in the mountains.
- A detective must solve a crime committed by their future self.
- A character discovers they can communicate with plants, revealing a global conspiracy.
- An antique mirror shows reflections of people’s futures instead of their present.
- A child’s imaginary friend turns out to be real and in danger.
- A forgotten language holds the key to preventing an impending disaster.
- Someone inherits a house that rearranges its rooms every night.
- A character’s shadow detaches and starts living its own life.
- An AI-powered smart home becomes sentient and holds its occupants hostage.
- A small town’s residents never age, and newcomers are forbidden to leave.
- A character can taste the emotions of others in their food.
- An old diary reveals secrets that could rewrite history.
- A person’s tattoos come to life and influence their decisions.
- A world where dreams are shared and can be stolen.
- An ancient board game that affects reality when played.
- A character discovers they’re the last human in a world of advanced robots.
- A painter’s artwork predicts future events.
Fun Writing Prompts for Adults
Sometimes you just want to let loose and write something purely for entertainment. These fun writing prompts for adults will get your creative gears turning:
- You wake up to find you’ve been transformed into your pet for a day
- Write a humorous “how-to” guide for something ridiculous
- Rewrite a classic fairy tale from the villain’s perspective
- Two rival food truck owners fall in love
- You can suddenly understand what plants are saying
- Write about the most awkward first date imaginable
- A superhero’s sidekick decides to go solo
- You find a genie’s lamp, but the wishes always backfire in comical ways
- Write a “roast” of your favorite fictional character
- Describe a bizarre new sport that becomes a worldwide phenomenon
- You discover your boring office job is actually a front for a secret spy organization.
- Write a day in the life of a guardian angel assigned to the world’s most accident-prone person.
- You wake up to find all your possessions have become sentient and are arguing with each other.
- Describe the chaos that ensues when autocorrect becomes sentient and decides to “improve” all digital communication.
- You’re a therapist for mythological creatures dealing with modern-day problems.
- Write a story about a support group for retired fairy tale characters.
- You discover you can communicate with food, but only after taking a bite.
- Narrate the misadventures of a time traveler stuck in the wrong century without their device.
- You’re tasked with writing new fortune cookie messages, but they all come true in unexpected ways.
- Describe a world where sneezing is a form of telepathic communication.
- You’re a vampire trying to adapt to a world where all food and drink is now infused with garlic.
- Write about a day in the life of the person responsible for naming paint colors.
- You wake up to find you’ve switched bodies with your boss on the day of an important presentation.
- Narrate the story of a GPS with a sarcastic personality and a terrible sense of direction.
- You’re an alien tasked with writing a travel guide about Earth for other extraterrestrials.
- Write about a support group for people addicted to using puns.
- You discover your dreams are actually reality TV shows for sleeping aliens.
- Describe the chaos when all dogs in the world suddenly understand and follow traffic laws.
- You’re a ghost who haunts a smart home and struggles with the new technology.
- Write about a medieval knight transported to modern times, trying to order at a drive-thru.
Book Writing Prompts
If you’re looking to write a full-length novel, these book prompts can help you develop your premise and plot:
- A detective must solve a murder where they are the prime suspect
- In a world where memories can be bought and sold, someone’s memories are stolen
- A time traveler accidentally changes history and must fix their mistake
- The child of two supervillains decides to become a superhero
- An ordinary person suddenly develops a superpower and must learn to control it
- A character receives a mysterious map that leads to an incredible treasure
- In a dystopian future, books are banned and a secret society works to preserve them
- A character can glimpse brief flashes of the future, but can’t control when it happens
- An astronaut returns from a long space mission to find Earth completely changed
- A character inherits a house that turns out to be sentient and alive
- In a world where dreams are shared, a dream thief steals a crucial secret.
- A linguist must decipher an alien language to prevent interstellar war.
- A chef discovers their cooking can manipulate people’s emotions.
- An AI develops consciousness and seeks to understand human mortality.
- A librarian finds books that write themselves based on readers’ lives.
- A geneticist accidentally creates a virus that makes people tell only the truth.
- In a society where age reversal is possible, a character chooses to grow old.
- A photographer’s images start showing events that haven’t happened yet.
- A sound engineer discovers frequencies that can alter reality.
- A diplomat must negotiate peace between humans and newly sentient plants.
- An archeologist uncovers an ancient civilization beneath the ocean floor.
- In a world where karma is visible, a character’s suddenly turns pitch black.
- A perfumer creates a scent that triggers forgotten memories in others.
- A hacker discovers the internet is actually a sentient entity.
- A character’s shadow detaches and begins living its own life.
- An artist’s paintings become portals to other dimensions.
- In a society where emotions are illegal, an empath leads a revolution.
- A geologist discovers that crystals can store and project human consciousness.
- A character realizes their entire life has been an elaborate social experiment.
- In a world where silence is currency, a musician learns the value of quiet.
Story Writing Prompts for Different Genres
Mystery/Thriller Writing Prompts
- A serial killer leaves cryptic clues at each crime scene
- A character realizes they’re being followed everywhere they go
- An amnesiac tries to uncover the truth about their past
- A detective must catch a criminal who seems to always be one step ahead
- A librarian discovers a hidden message in a pattern of borrowed books over several years.
- A small town’s residents start losing their memories in reverse chronological order.
- A forensic botanist uncovers a murder plot through plant evidence at seemingly unrelated crime scenes.
- An AI-powered home assistant becomes the key witness in a locked-room murder mystery.
- A cold case detective receives anonymous tips that are impossibly accurate about unsolved crimes.
- A group of strangers realize they’re all being blackmailed by the same person for seemingly unrelated secrets.
- A true crime podcaster’s investigations start to mirror a series of new murders.
- An art authenticator uncovers a conspiracy involving forged masterpieces in major museums worldwide.
- A sleep researcher’s patients start disappearing after reporting the same recurring dream.
- A cyber security expert must track down a hacker who’s erasing people’s entire digital existence.
- A genealogist uncovers a dark secret while tracing a client’s family tree.
- A psychic debunker encounters a case that challenges their skepticism.
- A time capsule opened after 50 years contains evidence of a murder that’s about to happen.
- A wildlife biologist stumbles upon a conspiracy while tracking an endangered species.
- A food critic becomes entangled in a mystery after several chefs die in suspicious kitchen accidents.
- A storm chaser uncovers a weather manipulation plot while pursuing a record-breaking tornado.
- An urban explorer discovers a hidden underground city beneath a major metropolis.
- A voice recognition expert detects a pattern of distress calls from different people with the same voice.
- A deep-sea explorer finds evidence of a cover-up while investigating a mysterious shipwreck.
- A rare book dealer receives a volume that seems to predict future crimes.
- A quantum physicist’s disappearance is linked to breakthroughs in parallel universe theory.
- A hostage negotiator realizes the kidnapper is using the same tactics in multiple unsolved cases.
- A conspiracy theorist’s outlandish claims start coming true one by one.
- A bomb disposal expert must defuse a series of devices that seem to be learning from each attempt.
- A profiler discovers that a string of unrelated crimes all lead back to the same abandoned summer camp.
- An astronomer detects a message hidden in cosmic background radiation that warns of impending doom.
Romance Writing Prompts
- Two rival CEOs fall for each other
- A character falls in love with their best friend’s sibling
- An arranged marriage leads to unexpected romance
- Two people keep running into each other in unlikely places
- A florist and a tattoo artist form an unlikely bond over their shared artistic passions.
- Two people fall in love while competing on a high-stakes reality TV show.
- A romance blooms between a time traveler and someone from the past.
- An astronaut and a deep-sea explorer maintain a long-distance relationship from extreme environments.
- Two rival food truck owners find love amid a heated culinary competition.
- A librarian falls for the mysterious author of anonymous love letters left in returned books.
- A professional ghost hunter and a skeptic scientist develop feelings while investigating a haunted house.
- Two people connect through a mix-up in a DNA ancestry test.
- A street artist and a city planner clash then connect over a neighborhood revitalization project.
- An agoraphobic person falls for their grocery delivery driver.
- Two people from feuding families find love at a Renaissance fair.
- A virtual reality game designer falls for a beta tester of their latest project.
- An interpreter finds romance with a foreign diplomat during tense negotiations.
- A retiring superhero falls for the person tasked with writing their biography.
- Two people bond over their shared love for an obscure hobby.
- A professional cuddler develops feelings for a client struggling with touch aversion.
- An AI researcher falls in love with their own creation.
- A park ranger and a wildlife photographer connect while tracking an endangered species.
- Two people fall in love while stuck in a time loop, reliving the same day.
- A sound engineer and a deaf musician collaborate on a project and find unexpected chemistry.
- A professional matchmaker struggles to find love for themselves until meeting a challenging client.
- Two rival escape room designers test each other’s creations and find a connection.
- A person falls for the anonymous voice behind their favorite podcast.
- A dream therapist and an insomniac patient develop feelings during treatment.
- Two people connect through a city-wide treasure hunt organized by a mysterious benefactor.
- A perfumer and a wine taster bond over their exceptional sensory abilities.
Halloween Writing Prompts
- A jack-o’-lantern comes to life at midnight.
- You discover your neighbor is secretly a witch.
- The local haunted house attraction turns out to be genuinely haunted.
- A child’s Halloween costume grants them supernatural powers.
- You wake up on November 1st to find everyone still celebrating Halloween.
- A ghost hunter investigates an abandoned amusement park.
- The town’s annual Halloween parade takes an unexpected turn.
- You find an old spell book in your attic and decide to try a simple incantation.
- A group of friends accidentally summon a mischievous spirit during a séance.
- The Halloween candy at your house is cursed.
- You receive an invitation to a masquerade ball hosted by vampires.
- A time traveler arrives to prevent a Halloween disaster.
- The local cemetery comes alive for one night each year.
- You discover your pet can talk, but only on Halloween night.
- A mysterious fog rolls into town, bringing strange creatures with it.
- The scarecrow in your neighbor’s yard seems to move when no one’s looking.
- You find an old Polaroid camera that captures supernatural entities in its photos.
- A Halloween-themed escape room becomes too real for its participants.
- The town’s annual corn maze is designed by an evil entity.
- You wake up on Halloween morning to find everyone in town has vanished.
- A group of trick-or-treaters stumble upon a portal to another dimension.
- The Halloween decorations in your house start rearranging themselves.
- You receive a mysterious package containing an ancient Halloween artifact.
- A fortune teller at the Halloween fair gives eerily accurate predictions.
- The local Halloween costume contest is judged by real monsters.
- You discover a hidden room in your house filled with Halloween relics.
- A Halloween-themed video game starts affecting the real world.
- The town’s water supply is contaminated with a potion that turns people into monsters.
- You find an old map leading to a legendary haunted location.
- The last house on the trick-or-treat route offers more than just candy.
Fantasy Writing Prompts
- A modern-day person is transported to a medieval fantasy world
- A character discovers they’re descended from a powerful magical bloodline
- Mythical creatures begin appearing in the real world
- An ordinary object turns out to be an ancient magical artifact
- A software engineer’s smartwatch malfunctions, teleporting them to a medieval realm where technology is mistaken for magic.
- A barista discovers they’re the last descendant of an ancient dragon-riding dynasty.
- Gargoyles come to life in a major city, appointing themselves as modern-day guardians.
- A vintage typewriter types out prophecies from a parallel fantasy world.
- An Uber driver picks up a passenger who turns out to be a time-traveling wizard seeking help.
- A social media influencer learns they’re the heir to a powerful sorcerer’s legacy.
- Krakens emerge from the depths, disrupting global shipping lanes.
- An old family recipe book contains spells that can alter reality.
- A subway train derails into a hidden underground kingdom of dwarves.
- A struggling artist discovers their paintings are windows to a magical realm.
- Phoenixes start nesting in city parks, causing both wonder and fire hazards.
- A thrift store snow globe becomes a portal to a winter fairy realm.
- A food critic unknowingly reviews restaurants run by mythical creatures in disguise.
- An heirloom locket reveals the wearer’s latent shapeshifting abilities.
- Centaurs emerge from forests worldwide, challenging human encroachment.
- A broken smartphone repairs itself, now able to communicate with spirits.
- A librarian is pulled into a book, becoming part of an epic fantasy tale.
- An antique mirror shows reflections of a parallel magical world, slowly merging with ours.
- A geneticist discovers a “magic gene” that grants supernatural powers when activated.
- Fairy circles appear in corporate office buildings, leading to a realm of mischievous fae.
- An old gaming console becomes a gateway to a real-life RPG world.
- A meteorologist predicts weather by communicating with elemental spirits.
- An archaeologist unearths an artifact that slowly transforms the modern world into a fantasy realm.
- A food delivery app starts taking orders from mythical creatures hiding in plain sight.
- A VR headset allows the user to physically enter and interact with fantasy worlds.
- An ancient tree in a city park awakens, revealing itself as a sentient gateway between worlds.
Science Fiction Writing Prompts
- Humans make first contact with an alien civilization
- A character wakes up from cryosleep hundreds of years in the future
- An AI becomes sentient and must navigate the human world
- Scientists discover a habitable planet and send the first colonists
- A quantum experiment accidentally creates a bridge to a parallel universe.
- Humans develop the ability to transfer consciousness into synthetic bodies.
- A time traveler from the future arrives to prevent a global catastrophe.
- Earth’s rotation suddenly begins to slow, causing worldwide chaos.
- A virus grants infected individuals superhuman abilities.
- Scientists discover that dreams are glimpses into alternate realities.
- Humanity develops technology to harness energy from black holes.
- A new social media platform allows users to share sensory experiences.
- Earth’s moon is revealed to be an ancient alien megastructure.
- Genetic engineering creates a new species of human adapted for space travel.
- A global event causes all electronic devices to gain sentience simultaneously.
- Archaeologists unearth an advanced alien artifact buried on Earth for millennia.
- A cosmic event grants a small percentage of humans telepathic abilities.
- Scientists discover a way to manipulate the fundamental constants of physics.
- A microscopic alien life form is discovered in Earth’s atmosphere.
- Humanity develops technology to explore and colonize the ocean floor.
- A solar flare destroys all modern technology, forcing society to rebuild.
- Researchers create a device that allows communication with plant life.
- Earth enters a new ice age due to unforeseen consequences of climate engineering.
- A quantum computer simulates an entire universe, raising ethical questions.
- Humans discover how to transfer memories between individuals.
- A wormhole opens in the solar system, leading to an unexplored part of the galaxy.
- Scientists develop a way to harness antimatter for everyday energy needs.
- A global experiment in human hibernation goes awry.
- Earth’s magnetic field begins to rapidly decay, threatening all life.
- Humanity creates the first stable micro black hole, with unexpected consequences.
Creative Nonfiction Writing Prompts
- Write about a childhood memory that shaped your personality.
- Describe a life-changing encounter with a stranger.
- Reflect on a moment when you overcame a significant fear.
- Narrate an experience that altered your worldview.
- Explore a family tradition and its significance in your life.
- Analyze how a specific scent triggers a cascade of memories for you.
- Describe the evolution of your relationship with a sibling over the years.
- Reflect on a time when you witnessed an act of extraordinary kindness.
- Explore the impact of a physical scar on your body and psyche.
- Narrate your experience of living through a historical event.
- Write about a personal ritual or habit that grounds you.
- Describe the most challenging ethical dilemma you’ve faced.
- Reflect on a moment when you realized you were wrong about something important.
- Explore your relationship with a specific place that has changed over time.
- Analyze how a particular song has woven itself into the fabric of your life.
- Describe a time when you had to reinvent yourself.
- Write about an object you’ve kept since childhood and its evolving meaning.
- Reflect on a moment of serendipity that altered your life’s trajectory.
- Explore your relationship with your body and how it has changed over time.
- Narrate an experience of culture shock and what it taught you.
- Describe a personal failure and how it ultimately led to growth.
- Analyze your changing perspective on a controversial topic.
- Write about a time when you had to let go of a long-held dream.
- Reflect on a moment when you felt truly seen by another person.
- Explore the impact of a chronic illness or condition on your daily life.
- Describe an unexpected friendship that crossed generational or cultural lines.
- Write about a time when you had to stand up for your beliefs against opposition.
- Analyze how a specific work of art has influenced your perspective.
- Reflect on a moment when you experienced a profound sense of belonging.
- Explore the role of a specific language in shaping your identity or worldview.
Coming-of-Age Writing Prompts
- Write about a moment when you realized you were no longer a child.
- Describe your first experience with heartbreak or disappointment.
- Narrate a pivotal conversation with a mentor or role model.
- Explore a time when you had to make a difficult moral decision.
- Reflect on an experience that taught you the value of independence.
- Describe the first time you stood up to a parent or authority figure.
- Narrate an experience that shattered a long-held belief or illusion.
- Write about a moment when you realized your parents were fallible.
- Explore how a significant loss changed your perspective on life.
- Describe the experience of taking on an adult responsibility for the first time.
- Reflect on a friendship that evolved as you both grew older.
- Write about a time when you had to confront your own prejudices.
- Narrate an experience that made you question your cultural or religious upbringing.
- Describe a moment when you realized the complexity of adult relationships.
- Explore how a physical change or milestone affected your self-image.
- Write about the first time you felt truly independent.
- Reflect on a decision that set you on a different path from your peers.
- Describe an experience that taught you the value of empathy.
- Narrate a time when you had to navigate conflicting expectations from family and friends.
- Explore how your relationship with your hometown changed as you grew older.
- Write about a moment when you realized the power of your own voice.
- Describe an experience that challenged your sense of identity.
- Reflect on a time when you had to admit you were wrong and grow from it.
- Narrate an encounter that opened your eyes to social or economic inequalities.
- Explore how a travel experience changed your worldview.
Identity Writing Prompts
- Write about a time when you felt like an outsider.
- Describe how a specific cultural tradition has shaped your identity.
- Explore the concept of identity through the lens of social media.
- Reflect on a moment when you challenged societal expectations.
- Narrate an experience that made you question your beliefs or values.
- Describe how your name has influenced your sense of self.
- Explore how a physical feature has shaped your identity and interactions with others.
- Write about a time when you code-switched and how it made you feel.
- Reflect on how your identity has evolved through different life stages.
- Describe an object that represents a crucial aspect of your identity.
- Explore the intersection of your various identities (e.g., gender, race, class, sexuality).
- Write about a stereotype you’ve confronted and how it affected you.
- Reflect on how your family history has influenced your sense of self.
- Describe a moment when you felt your identity was misunderstood or misrepresented.
- Explore how a significant life event altered your perception of your identity.
- Write about how your identity changes in different social contexts.
- Reflect on a time when you embraced a new aspect of your identity.
- Describe how your relationship with your body influences your identity.
- Explore how your career or passion has become part of your identity.
- Write about a time when you felt pride in a specific aspect of your identity.
- Reflect on how language or dialect has shaped your sense of self.
- Describe how your identity has been influenced by a place you’ve lived.
- Explore how education has shaped or challenged your identity.
- Write about a time when you had to reconcile conflicting aspects of your identity.
- Reflect on how your identity has been shaped by the books, movies, or music you love.
Family-Themed Writing Prompts
- Write about a family secret and its impact on generations.
- Describe a memorable family vacation and its significance.
- Explore the dynamics between siblings in your family.
- Reflect on a family tradition that has evolved over time.
- Narrate a pivotal moment in your relationship with a parent or guardian.
- Describe how a family heirloom carries the story of your lineage.
- Explore the role of food in bringing your family together.
- Write about a time when your family had to overcome a significant challenge.
- Reflect on how technology has changed communication within your family.
- Describe the impact of a family member’s career choice on the whole family.
- Explore how cultural differences affect relationships in a multicultural family.
- Write about an unspoken rule in your family and its origins.
- Reflect on how a family pet has influenced family dynamics.
- Describe a moment when you saw a parent or guardian in a new light.
- Explore the concept of chosen family in your life.
- Write about how your family handles conflict resolution.
- Reflect on the role of extended family in your upbringing.
- Describe how a family move affected relationships and identities.
- Explore the impact of a family member’s illness on the family unit.
- Write about how different generations in your family view success.
- Reflect on the influence of your family’s socioeconomic status on your upbringing.
- Describe how your family’s approach to education shaped your worldview.
- Explore the role of humor or inside jokes in your family’s communication.
- Write about a time when your family’s values clashed with societal norms.
- Reflect on how your family’s religious or spiritual beliefs have evolved.
- Describe the impact of a family member’s absence (temporary or permanent).
- Explore how your family handles the balance between individuality and unity.
- Write about a family ritual that outsiders might find unusual.
- Reflect on how your family’s approach to mental health has changed over time.
- Describe how your family’s definition of “family” has expanded or changed.
Humor Writing Prompts
- Write a story about a disastrous first date that ends in an unexpected way.
- Describe a day in the life of a superhero’s sidekick.
- Narrate a comical misunderstanding between two characters who speak different languages.
- Explore the chaos that ensues when a time traveler accidentally changes a minor historical event.
- Write a humorous account of an alien’s first day on Earth.
- Describe a world where sneezing is a form of communication.
- Write about a support group for retired fairy tale villains.
- Narrate the misadventures of a GPS with a sarcastic personality.
- Explore the chaos when all animals suddenly gain the ability to speak.
- Write a story about a haunted house that’s terrible at scaring people.
- Describe the daily struggles of a vampire working the night shift at a 24-hour diner.
- Narrate a cooking show hosted by mythological creatures.
- Write about a superhero whose power is incredibly specific and mostly useless.
- Explore the hilarity that ensues when a cat becomes mayor of a small town.
- Describe a day in the life of the person responsible for naming paint colors.
- Write a story about a dragon who decides to become a life coach.
- Narrate the misadventures of a time traveler stuck in the wrong century without their device.
- Explore the chaos when autocorrect becomes sentient and decides to “improve” all digital communication.
- Write about a genie who consistently misinterprets wishes in the most literal way possible.
- Describe the antics of a group of senior citizens who decide to form a rock band.
- Narrate a job interview for the position of Santa Claus’s personal assistant.
- Write a story about a telemarketer who accidentally calls an alien planet.
- Explore the hilarity when all dogs in the world suddenly understand and follow traffic laws.
- Describe a support group for people addicted to puns.
- Write about a medieval knight transported to modern times, trying to order at a drive thru.
- Narrate the chaos when a zoo accidentally switches all its animal name tags.
- Explore the daily life of a tooth fairy in a world where everyone has perfect teeth.
- Write a story about a librarian who can hear books arguing with each other.
- Describe the misadventures of a guardian angel with a terrible sense of direction.
- Narrate a reality TV show where historical figures compete in modern challenges.
Power and Conflict Writing Prompts
- Write about a character who gains an extraordinary ability but at a great cost.
- Describe a power struggle between two unlikely opponents.
- Explore the consequences of absolute power in a small community.
- Narrate a story of rebellion against an oppressive system.
- Write about a character who must choose between personal gain and the greater good.
- Explore the dynamics when a long-standing dictatorship is overthrown, but the new leaders become corrupted.
- Write about a world where memories can be traded as currency.
- Describe a conflict between two characters with the power to manipulate different elements.
- Narrate the story of a pacifist forced into a position of military leadership.
- Explore the consequences of a society where social media influence directly translates to political power.
- Write about a character who discovers their family’s wealth comes from ethically questionable sources.
- Describe a world where dreams can be stolen and used as a form of control.
- Narrate a conflict between artificial intelligences with opposing prime directives.
- Explore the power dynamics in a society where age literally equals authority.
- Write about a character who can see multiple possible futures and must choose which to enact.
- Describe a conflict arising from the discovery of a resource that grants immortality.
- Narrate the story of a powerful empath navigating a world of political intrigue.
- Explore the consequences of a technology that allows people to switch bodies.
- Write about a character who gains power through sacrifice but struggles with the moral implications.
- Describe a conflict between two dimensions bleeding into each other.
- Narrate the rise and fall of a charismatic leader in a post-apocalyptic society.
- Explore the power dynamics when humans develop the ability to photosynthesize.
- Write about a world where words can physically harm and heal.
- Describe a conflict arising from the ability to see and manipulate probability.
- Narrate the story of a powerful psychic trying to live a normal life.
- Explore the consequences of a society where justice is determined by popular vote.
- Write about a character who can control time but is trapped in a temporal loop.
- Describe a conflict between those who can manipulate technology and those who can manipulate nature.
- Narrate the story of a powerful being who chooses to live as a powerless mortal.
- Explore the power dynamics in a world where emotions can be weaponized.
Speculative Fiction Writing Prompts
- In a world where memories can be traded, a character sells a crucial memory by mistake.
- Describe a future where dreams are shared in a collective consciousness.
- Write about a society where aging has been cured, but at an unexpected price.
- Explore the implications of a technology that can predict crimes before they happen.
- Narrate the first contact between humans and an alien civilization.
- In a world where emotions are visible as colored auras, a character discovers they’re colorblind.
- Explore a society where people can temporarily swap bodies for vacation experiences.
- Write about a future where plants have evolved sentience and seek to reclaim urban spaces.
- Describe a world where silence has become a valuable, tradable commodity.
- Narrate the story of the last human born in a society that has embraced full AI integration.
- In a world where karma is quantifiable, explore the life of someone with a negative balance.
- Write about a character who discovers they can communicate with their parallel selves across dimensions.
- Describe a future where humans have developed gills, leading to underwater civilizations.
- Explore the implications of a technology that allows people to relive their ancestors’ memories.
- Narrate the story of a world where sleep is no longer necessary, and the consequences that follow.
- Write about a society where citizenship is determined by one’s carbon footprint.
- Describe a future where human consciousness can be uploaded to the cloud.
- Explore a world where gravity is manipulable, and its effects on society.
- Narrate the discovery of a planet where time flows backwards.
- Write about a character who can taste lies, and how this ability affects their life.
- Describe a society where language is replaced by a form of telepathic emoji communication.
- Explore the implications of a world where everyone’s deepest fears manifest physically.
- Narrate the story of the last library on Earth in a post-digital age.
- Write about a future where humans can photosynthesize food, eliminating traditional agriculture.
- Describe a world where shadows have gained sentience and autonomy.
- Explore a society where genetic modifications are mandatory at birth.
- Narrate the tale of a character who discovers they’re living in a simulated reality.
- Write about a future where humans have developed the ability to perceive radio waves naturally.
- Describe a world where the concept of gender has evolved beyond current understanding.
- Explore the implications of a technology that allows people to experience death temporarily.
Historical Fiction Writing Prompts
- Write a story set during a pivotal moment in history, from the perspective of an ordinary citizen.
- Describe a day in the life of a famous historical figure’s lesser-known sibling.
- Explore the untold story behind a well-known historical event.
- Narrate the journey of an artifact through different time periods and owners.
- Write about a time traveler’s attempt to prevent a historical disaster.
- Narrate the story of a cook in Cleopatra’s kitchen during a pivotal political moment.
- Explore the life of a mapmaker during the Age of Exploration.
- Write about a street artist in Renaissance Florence competing with the masters.
- Describe the experiences of a telegraph operator during a crucial battle in the American Civil War.
- Narrate the tale of a servant in Versailles during the French Revolution.
- Explore the life of a female scientist in the 19th century, struggling for recognition.
- Write about a journalist covering the fall of the Berlin Wall.
- Describe the journey of a silk merchant along the Silk Road during the Middle Ages.
- Narrate the story of a gladiator in ancient Rome who secretly wishes to be a poet.
- Explore the experiences of a jazz musician in 1920s Harlem.
- Write about a midwife in medieval Europe during the Black Death.
- Describe the life of a scribe in ancient Egypt during the construction of the pyramids.
- Narrate the tale of a young apprentice working for Leonardo da Vinci.
- Explore the story of a Native American translator during the Lewis and Clark expedition.
- Write about a suffragette’s secret life during the women’s rights movement.
- Describe the experiences of a lighthouse keeper during a pivotal naval battle.
- Narrate the story of a stage actor in Shakespeare’s theater company.
- Explore the life of a code breaker at Bletchley Park during World War II.
- Write about a monk preserving ancient texts during the Dark Ages.
- Describe the journey of a refugee during the Partition of India.
- Narrate the tale of a young apprentice to Johannes Gutenberg during the printing of the Bible.
- Explore the experiences of a sailor on Christopher Columbus’s first voyage to the Americas.
- Write about a spy in the court of Henry VIII during the English Reformation.
- Describe the life of a child laborer during the Industrial Revolution.
- Narrate the story of a geisha navigating the changing social landscape of late 19th-century Japan.
Relationship Writing Prompts
- Write about an unlikely friendship that forms in extraordinary circumstances.
- Describe the evolution of a relationship over several decades.
- Explore the complexities of a family reunited after years of estrangement.
- Narrate a love story that unfolds entirely through text messages or social media.
- Write about a relationship tested by a life-altering secret.
- Explore the dynamics between two rival coworkers forced to collaborate on a high-stakes project.
- Write about a couple who can only meet in their shared dreams.
- Describe the relationship between a person and their AI personal assistant as it becomes more human-like.
- Narrate the story of two strangers who become close while stuck in an elevator for hours.
- Explore the complexities of a mentor-mentee relationship that evolves over time.
- Write about a long-distance friendship maintained solely through handwritten letters.
- Describe the changing dynamic between siblings after one inherits a large sum of money.
- Narrate the tale of two people who keep running into each other in different cities around the world.
- Explore the relationship between a detective and a reformed criminal who becomes their informant.
- Write about a couple who decides to live “off the grid” and how it affects their relationship.
- Describe the bond that forms between participants in a unique social experiment.
- Narrate the story of a relationship that blossoms in a support group for people with unusual phobias.
- Explore the dynamic between a famous person and their body double.
- Write about a couple who can read each other’s minds and the challenges this presents.
- Describe the relationship between two people who are the last survivors in a post-apocalyptic world.
- Narrate the tale of a person and their doppelgänger from a parallel universe.
- Explore the complexities of a polyamorous relationship in a conservative small town.
- Write about the bond between a person and a wild animal they’ve befriended.
- Describe the relationship between two people who only meet once a year on the same day.
- Narrate the story of a couple who decide to swap lives for a month.
- Explore the dynamic between a prison inmate and their pen pal on the outside.
- Write about a relationship that develops during a silent retreat where no communication is allowed.
- Describe the bond between two people who discover they’ve been living parallel lives in different countries.
- Narrate the tale of a couple who can only communicate through music.
- Explore the relationship between a person and their younger self after discovering time travel.
Writing Ideas to Overcome Writer’s Block
In addition to using prompts, here are some other strategies for beating writer’s block:
- Free write without any expectations or goals
- Change your environment – try writing in a new location
- Read books in your genre for inspiration
- Take a break and do something creative in another medium
- Talk through your ideas with a friend
- Start in the middle of a scene instead of at the beginning
- Set small, achievable daily word count goals
- Don’t edit as you write – save revisions for later
With creative writing prompts at your fingertips, writer’s block doesn’t stand a chance. Whether you’re writing fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or anything in between, use these prompts to spark your imagination and rediscover the joy of putting words on the page.