100 Writing Prompts

Writing prompts to get your creative juices flowing!

Fantasy & Sci-Fi:

1. A hidden portal opens in your backyard, leading to a world where gravity works sideways.

2. Write about a society where memories can be bought and sold.

3. A dragon has been terrorizing the kingdom, but it only steals one specific, mundane item.

4. Your character discovers they are the last of a dying magical race.

5. A spaceship malfunctions light-years from Earth, and the crew starts experiencing strange hallucinations.

6. Write about a city built entirely within a giant, ancient tree.

7. A sentient AI falls in love with a human.

8. In a world where dreams can be recorded and shared, someone steals a nightmare.

9. Your character finds an antique device that can control the weather, but it has unexpected side effects.

10. A group of rebels fights against a tyrannical government that controls emotions through technology.

    
    

Mystery & Thriller:

11. A detective investigates a murder where the only clue is a single playing card.

12. Your character wakes up with amnesia in a locked room with a dead body.

13. Someone is receiving anonymous threats written on fortune cookie slips.

14. A journalist uncovers a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of power.

15. Your character witnesses a crime but can't go to the police because they have a secret of their own.

16. A seemingly accidental death turns out to be part of an elaborate revenge plot.

17. Write a story from the perspective of a stalker.

18. A valuable artifact goes missing during a museum gala, and everyone is a suspect.

19. Your character finds a coded message that reveals a hidden treasure or a dangerous secret.

20. A small town is plagued by a series of unsettling disappearances.

    
    

Romance & Contemporary:

21. Two rivals are forced to work together on a high-stakes project.

22. Write a love story that begins with a wrong number.

23. Your character falls for someone they only know online.

24. A couple on the brink of breaking up goes on one last vacation.

25. Write about the rekindling of a childhood romance.

26. Your character moves to a new city and finds unexpected love.

27. A famous celebrity falls for an ordinary person.

28. Write a story about the complexities of a long-distance relationship.

29. Your character has to choose between two people they love.

30. A chance encounter on a train leads to an unforgettable connection.

    
    

Historical Fiction:

31. Write about a secret code used during World War II.

32. Your character is a servant in a royal household during the Renaissance.

33. Tell a story from the perspective of a pioneer on the Oregon Trail.

34. Write about the daily life of someone living during the Victorian era.

35. Your character is involved in the French Revolution.

36. Write about the construction of a famous historical landmark.

37. Your character is a musician during the Jazz Age.

38. Tell a story set during the Cold War.

39. Your character experiences a significant historical event firsthand.

40. Write about the life of a forgotten historical figure.

    
    

Horror & Supernatural:

41. Write about a house that is slowly consuming its inhabitants.

42. Your character finds an object that is haunted by a malevolent spirit.

43. A group of friends gets lost in a forest where time seems to distort.

44. Write about a creature that only comes out during a specific lunar phase.

45. Your character can see the ghosts of people who died tragically.

46. A seemingly innocent children's game takes a dark and sinister turn.

47. Write about a pandemic that turns people into something monstrous.

48. Your character discovers a hidden room in their house with a terrifying secret.

49. Tell a story from the perspective of a monster.

50. Write about a small town with a dark and ancient curse.

    
    

Young Adult (YA):

51. A teenager discovers they have a hidden superpower on their 16th birthday.

52. Write about the challenges of navigating high school with a secret identity.

53. A group of unlikely friends bands together to solve a mystery in their town.

54. Your character falls in love for the first time during summer break.

55. Write about the pressures of social media on teenagers.

56. A dystopian society where teenagers are sorted into different factions.

57. Your character runs away from home and discovers a hidden community.

58. Write about the complexities of teenage friendships and betrayals.

59. A group of students gets trapped in their school after hours, and strange things start happening.

60. Your character has to choose between following their dreams and the expectations of their family.

    
    

Short Story Prompts (Open Genre):

61. Write a story told entirely through dialogue.

62. Write a story with an unreliable narrator.

63. Write a story where the setting is a character in itself.

64. Write a story with a surprising twist ending.

65. Write a story about a single object that passes through the lives of many different people.

66. Write a story about a moment of profound silence.

67. Write a story inspired by a photograph.

68. Write a story that takes place entirely within a single room.

69. Write a story about a second chance.

70. Write a story where the main character has a unique sensory experience (e.g., they can taste colors).

    
    

Character-Focused Prompts:

71. Write about a character with a secret addiction.

72. Write about a character who has lost their memory.

73. Write about a character who is afraid of their own shadow.

74. Write about a character who has a unique talent they keep hidden.

75. Write about a character who is forced to confront their past.

76. Write about a character who makes a difficult moral choice.

77. Write about a character who is searching for something they've lost.

78. Write about a character who has a strange obsession.

79. Write about a character who is trying to fit in but doesn't belong.

80. Write about a character who receives unexpected news that changes their life.

    
    

Speculative & Weird Fiction:

81. Write about a world where shadows have a life of their own.

82. Your character discovers a city that exists outside of time.

83. Write about a creature that communicates through colors.

84. A strange fog rolls into town, and people start acting strangely.

85. Your character finds a book that writes itself.

86. Write about a dream that starts to bleed into reality.

87. A community worships a giant, inanimate object.

88. Your character can hear the thoughts of inanimate objects.

89. Write about a world where gravity fluctuates randomly.

90. A seemingly ordinary plant begins to exhibit unusual intelligence.

    
    

Creative Non-Fiction/Memoir:

91. Write about a significant childhood memory.

92. Write about a time you faced a major challenge.

93. Write about a person who had a profound impact on your life.

94. Write about a place that holds special meaning for you.

95. Write about a lesson you learned the hard way.

96. Write about a moment of unexpected joy.

97. Write about a time you felt completely out of your element.

98. Write about a family tradition.

99. Write about a moment that changed your perspective on something.

100. Write about a small, seemingly insignificant event that had a lasting impact.

     
     

Choose the prompt that sparks your interest the most and just start writing! Don't worry about perfection at this stage; the goal is to get the ideas flowing. Happy writing!