100+ Writing Prompts to Get You Writing More

Are you struggling to come up with ideas? When you're stuck staring at a blank screen, it's time to get the creativity flowing! If you're looking for a way to break up your same old ideas, look no further. 

I've created 100+ writing prompts to get you writing more, faster. Take some time to explore the categories and pick the right prompt for you and your story. Then, bookmark this page for future projects! 

Okay, let's get started. 

CHARACTER PROMPTS

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Below, you'll find a few structured characters to bring to life in your own, unique way. 

  • A child with a third eye... literally

  • Twins who can outrun death

  • A single mother who doubles as a superhero

  • A teenage girl with hair that won't stop growing

  • A man with a bottomless stomach

  • A strict, religious family that sells their belongings to travel

  • A gay man with supernatural abilities

  • A child diagnosed with a brand-new, highly contagious disease

  • A grandfather whose memory sharpens as he ages

  • An adopted child who wins the lottery for his family

  • A runner determined to race on every continent

  • A mad scientist with a soft spot for foster animals

  • A musical theater cast that turns into a murder squad

  • A transgender-only roller derby crew

  • A couple that works as a private investigator duo

  • A pilot who emergency lands on a carnivorous island

  • A nudist who is constantly cold

  • A pair of brothers who compete for a coveted ballet role

  • A crazy aunt with time traveling abilities

  • A hunter who converts to vegetarianism

DIALOGUE PROMPTS

Looking to get your characters talking? Throw them into the conversation(s) below! Let the magic happen.

  • "You alienated everyone you loved. And now? You're all alone."

  • "Where did you get all of these guns?"

  • "If I could eat cotton candy for every meal, I would."

  • "How do you tell your husband you don't love him anymore?"

  • "Are you sure you can trust her with the truth?"

  • "Why is there blood all over the kitchen floor?"

  • "Over there! They're firing from the capital!"

  • "If you listen closely enough, you can hear the sound of people falling apart."

  • "Without the boy, this entire operation means nothing."

  • "The sound of your chewing makes me want to throw this pot at your head."

  • "When you join the cavalry, keep your aim on keeping the peace."

  • "Why join a dance competition when we can create our own?"

  • "Without this money, I can't afford my daughter's education. What can I do?"

  • "Hey, hey, hey, it's Johnny on the Early Show!"

  • "Don't say it. If you say it out loud, we can't come back from that."

  • "Life isn't random. It never has been, and now, you can bet it never will be."

  • "What's the point of a search party that doesn't actually search?"

  • "Will you please just listen? You can't cook your way through the country."

  • "Sleep tight. Beware of mice."

  • "Do you see that cloud? It looks like it's keeping a secret."

SITUATIONAL PROMPTS

We've got characters and conversations, so now, it's time to write a story. Mix and match the above characters to the below scenarios. Get creative!

  • The shoe factory runs out of glass slippers, so Cinderella goes barefoot.

  • A group of tourists find themselves on a murder island.

  • A road trip lands a family of four into an unexpected heist.

  • Your character humiliates herself on live television. How?

  • To protect the world from the apocalypse, a team of angels comes to Earth.

  • A mysterious illness that robs people of speech runs rampant.

  • A teenage boy discovers he can't die. The first thing he does is _____.

  • In the future, music no longer exists. Until an ancient piano is discovered.

  • The world is overrun by poisonous snakes and the only thing that can save it is _____.

  • There are only ten minutes left in the world. What does your character do?

  • You're standing in a forest, when suddenly a _____ falls out of the sky.

  • A man born without a soul has to seek shelter in a seminary.

  • A city that literally never sleeps slowly descends into chaos.

  • Scientists discover the moon is falling closer to Earth and want to build a bridge.

  • The last human sense is discovered, and it makes humans _____.

  • World peace is established, but it's only a temporary fix for a contagion outbreak.

  • Superheroes fight to the death in a battle to protect the last mortal on Earth.

  • After an EMP blast, a pair of strangers band together to save humanity.

  • A college student starts a charity as a reaction to her guilt from _____.

  • The fairy court rules that all humans should be eliminated by _______.

START YOUR STORY PROMPTS

Need an opening line? I've got them below for you. Below are a few statements to kick your story into gear. 

  • Once upon a time there was a world without sound and people without heartbeats.

  • The rain poured down on their backs like bricks breaking from their mortar.

  • There had never been a girl like ______ in all of his forty-two years of life.

  • You don't get to Heaven with a heart of sins, but that didn't stop him.

  • She stepped onto the airplane with a passport, no plan, and six months to find them.

  • People who tell you not to judge are the people with the worse secrets. I should know.

  • It started on the day the trees died. Not a single one left standing.

  • What kind of person starts a war for no reason?

  • They could smell the blood before they reached the door. He was already gone.

  • Ice covered the floor of the museum, but it was barely June.

  • What would you do if you could never see your family again?

  • Fix the problem before it needs a solution, I say.

  • It was the kind of day that made you want to live on purpose.

  • When you're wild, the only person who can break you is yourself.

  • "You act like I tried to hurt you."

  • My mother always told be that you need strength to survive. She failed to tell me why.

  • I knew he was watching me. I knew he was always there.

  • The life of books was the only life that ever made sense to her.

  • He was a millionaire, but he was also a liar.

  • There was a dream. There was my life. There was my death. I woke up, and it was real.

ONE WORD PROMPTS

Are you up for the challenge? I've created a few one word prompts to inspire your scenes. Use the prompts below to add something totally fresh and new to your story. 

  • Petal

  • Alienation

  • Wizened

  • Opulent

  • Rise

  • Poach

  • Nectar

  • Mastery

  • Harrowing

  • Yearling

  • Vexed

  • Deluge

  • Float

  • Carnival

  • Jasmine

  • Ethereal

  • Glaze

  • Notarize

  • Willow

  • Foresight

Need more inspiration?

I created a writing prompt journal that you can print & create! My favorite pages are the mix and match prompt pages, which allow you to choose your own prompt adventure. Check it out below!

 
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