AUTHOR TOOLS
10 Writing Prompts
A set of brilliant writing prompts for your creative stories
Sparking an idea for a story or poem isn’t easy.
Perhaps you feel like you’re drawing a blank, and that no matter how much you stare at a page, nothing is happening for you.
Strangely, researchers know that creativity comes more easily when you narrow down the options, rather than opening them up. Limiting the problem space and narrowing down the options makes it easier to visualise possible solutions.
And this gets your brain working, activating past memories and helping you to link ideas together in creative ways.
This is where writing prompts come in. They don’t provide a story idea, but give you a starting point. They help you to get into a creative frame of mind. It might only be enough to write a scene, but who knows — it could lead to much more.
The image, idea or emotion in the writing prompt can be enough to kickstart your creative thinking.
Here are ten to get you started.
Idea 1
A character is knocked out of their usual routine when they arrive at work, only to find their workplace unexpectedly closed. Write what happens next.
Idea 2
A character has been deeply upset by the behaviour of a friend or family member. Craft an imagined response in the form of a letter or email.
Idea 3
A pair of children go to stay with distant relatives, after their parents win a holiday. The relatives live in a very old, creepy house, which they begin to explore. Describe what they find.
Idea 4
A student begins a research project, and is guided by a mysterious and aloof scientist. When the student comes into the scientist’s lab/office, they discover a secret and potentially dangerous research project underway.
Idea 5
Begin a piece of flash fiction with the line: “Everything was going so well, until…”
Idea 6
A character wakes up cold and clammy, and with a feeling that something terrible has happened. They look outside… What do they see?
Idea 7
Jack (gender can be your choice) is usually considered totally unremarkable — not particularly famous, beautiful, or talented. But yet, Sam is obsessed with Jack. Explain how Sam feels in any way you want, e.g. via a conversation or monologue.
Idea 8
Write a couple of scenes based on the following phrase: “I had never disobeyed an order in my life. At least, not until that day…”
Idea 9
Write about small, drip-drip-drip experiences of prejudice that suddenly become too much, forcing the main character to take a stand.
Idea 10
A pair of teenagers are watching a horror movie and smoking an experimental drug. As they watch, they suddenly find themselves inside the horror movie. Describe what happens next.
I hope you found these helpful!
And if you enjoyed them, it’s not hard to make more of your own. Mine your writer’s notebooks for ideas, flick through novels for scenes and quotes, or take a one-off line of poetry and brainstorm based on it. You can start to build up a stock of writing prompts to return to.
If you do use any of the ten ideas above and turn it into flash fiction, poem, scene or even a full story, why not share a link to it in the comments?
p.s. you should get my posts direct to your inbox. Do that here! Also, if you’d like to experience Medium yourself, consider supporting me and thousands of other writers by signing up for a membership. It only costs $5 per month, it genuinely supports writers, and you have the chance to make serious money with your own writing as well! By signing up with this link, you’ll support me directly with a portion of your fee, it won’t cost you extra. If you do so, thank you so very much!
