Over 50 Writing Prompts

In earlier blog posts we have talked about the significance of Writing Prompts already, but where do you find such prompts?

 

Basically, you could draw inspiration out of everywhere. You can use occurrences from daily situations, get ideas from movies, series, or books, or just catch up on something in the news or a conversation.

Yet, these ideas are oftentimes hidden and not accessible the moment you do want to write, or finally find the time to do so.

 

Thus, we present you over 100 writing prompts in this blog entry. Bookmark it and come back later, or start writing right away!

 

Freewriting

Set a time on your phone or somewhere else on 3, 5, or 10 minutes and just start writing!

1. Write on the following cliché: “like ice water in her veins”.
2. Write about a task or chore you hate.
3. What’s your favorite season and why?
4. This is your chance to create a new TV series. Brainstorm on story line, plot twists, characters and character development, scenery, …
5. Pick one of your favorite books and brainstorm on what made it so special and good for you. You can use these information to create your own perfect story or novel.
6. Planet for Sale: Humanity has decided to abandon earth and you were chosen to sell this planet. How do you advertise it? And who are the potential buyers?
7. Try to write five sentences no one on earth has ever written before (but they must make sense). Use Google to find out whether you were correct. If not, imagine five more.
8. Write a review about one of your favorite books and try to add as many book reviewer cliches as possible:
9. You were asked to entertain 10 children for 10 hours. You were given $100 to spend on office supplies. What’s your plan?
10. You have 100% valid proof that everyone on earth, except for you, is an alien. What now?
11. You have surely imagined how you would fare in the Hunger Games, but what if you’d find yourself in the position of a Gamemaker? Describe how the arena you’d design would look like, and which challenges and dangers would await the tributes.
12. Think of five people you know very well and pick an animal that represents each of them. Explain your choices.
13. Brainstorm about what the smell of freshly-cut grass reminds you of or means to you.
14. Remember your favorite childhood toy? Describe it. Why was it your favorite, what made it special?

Lists

1. Top 5 places you wish would exist.
2. Write your own bucket list by putting down everything you want to do before you die.
3. Top 7 things you would wish upon your worst enemy.
4. Make a list of things you will never do – or never do again.
5. Top 10 things you would buy with your last $10.
6. Create a list of everything that comforts you: sounds, people, activities, smells, everything.
7. Top 10 word you use on a daily basis. Try to find at least three synonyms of descriptions to replace them with.
8. Make a list of food and receipts you haven’t had the chance to try just yet.

(Short) Story Prompts

Be funny, be deep, be scary, or be serious – but write, write, write!

1. We all have this one (or even several) dreams we just cannot let go. Write it all down!
2. There’s something beautiful in everything. Write about finding a silver lining within something ugly like war, poverty, cruelty, fear, or hate.
3. If you could invite any person, dead or alive, over for a mug full of tea or hot chocolate, who would it be? What would you talk about? What would they advice you? Or you them?
4. Everyone knows him, Harry Potter, the most famous wizarding student of the world. What if you could go to Hogwarts though? Which house would you be put in? What classes would you take? And who would be your friends?
5. Pick a painting, famous, modern, or ancient. Write about what would happen if you could step into this painting.
6. Begin writing a story with: “There was once a chance I didn’t dare to take…”
7. Choose two characters from two different books you have read. They are on a blind date now. Describe how their date will turn out.
8. Follow the Pixar storytelling formula:
   • Once upon a time there was…
   • Every day, …
   • One day, …
   • Because of that, …
   • Because of that, …
   • Until finally, …
9. Write a story about Valentine’s Day without using the following words: love, cupid, flowers, Valentine’s Day, hearts, February, 14th
10. Alternative Ending: What if Cinderella wouldn’t have ended the way it did? What if the glass slipper fit one of the evil stepsisters instead? Let your imagination run free and write an alternative ending for Cinderella’s famous story.
11. At one day, everyone vanishes from the surface of the earth, except one person from each country. What happens next? Is this part of a bigger plan? How do you communicate with each other?
12. Write a story that contains the following sentence in a dialogue: “I hope you’re happy, because now I have to…”
13. Take a famous story and add just a little twist to it: the hero is now the villain, and the villain is the hero. What would have changed? Would the outcome be different?

Point of View

1. Write a story about cupid and how me hit the wrong person with his arrow.
2. Imagine you are a single drop of water. Describe your journey through wild rivers, hidden forest creeks, the vast ocean, a rangy city sewer, or how you descended from sky during a mild summer rain.
3. Describe your day (or yesterday) in three different point of views: an idealist’s, a realist’s, and a surrealist’s.
4. Imagine being a dollar bill (or a bill of any other currency) for one day. What purchases are you used for? Who carries you around? Will you be given to someone as change? Or a tip?
5. Describe your day, but imagine that you are blind. Describe what happened, who you met, and what you did without being able to use visual descriptions.
6. You are a dragon! But instead of growing up in a dragon cave, you were raised by a family of chickens. Write about how you discovered your true identity.
7. Take some time to watch some one else on the street. Now, imagine you are them. Who are they? What do they do for a living? Where do they live? Where are they on their way to? Or from?
8. Imagine you have kids (or maybe you have one already). Describe a day in their life from their point of view.

Word Prompts

Write a short story, letter, or something containing the following combinations of words:

1. Magnifying glass, priest, garden, ring
2. Desk lamp, burglar, forest, envelope
3. an elderly woman, umbrella, “never before have I ever…”, a newspaper article
4. Depression, grass, moon, bird’s nest
5. Door knob, magic, Sagittarius, potted plant
6. Orange, snake, military, folder
7. Silk, journalist, an old van, nightlight
8. dictator, slingshot, bed of flowers, a handwritten note