150 Story Prompts to Spark Your Creativity
Explore a collection of 150 diverse story prompts across genres to inspire creativity and spark new projects, from fantasy and sci-fi to historical fiction and beyond.
150 Story Prompts to Spark Your Creativity
Feeling stuck on your next story idea? Whether you're a seasoned writer or just looking for a spark of inspiration, these 150 writing prompts cover a variety of genres, from fantasy and sci-fi to historical thrillers and contemporary romance. Use them as a starting point for your next novel, short story, or screenplay, or mix and match elements to create something entirely unique.
How to Use These Prompts
Use them as-is for a quick writing exercise.
Adapt them to fit a different genre or perspective.
Combine two or more prompts to create a unique storyline.
Challenge yourself to write the first chapter of a novel based on one.
Change the setting or protagonist to make it your own.
Let’s dive in!
Action & Adventure Writing Prompts
A rogue archaeologist finds a map to an ancient city lost to time—just as a deadly cult starts hunting them.
A lone fighter pilot must survive behind enemy lines when their jet crashes in hostile territory.
A rebel spy infiltrates a high-tech corporate compound, only to realize they’ve been double-crossed.
A team of mercenaries is hired to retrieve a mysterious artifact from an abandoned space station.
A small-town detective stumbles upon an international smuggling ring hiding in plain sight.
A storm strands a cruise ship on an uncharted island—where they discover they are not alone.
A hacker-for-hire steals classified files, only to realize they contain evidence of a worldwide conspiracy.
A teenager discovers their family’s hidden past as legendary treasure hunters.
A wilderness survivalist must protect a group of lost tourists from dangerous poachers.
A scientist exploring the deep ocean encounters something that was never meant to be found.
Fantasy Writing Prompts
A cursed prince must find a way to break his family's centuries-old bloodline curse.
A mage-in-training discovers their powers are fueled by memories they’ve yet to live.
A kingdom where dreams become reality—until nightmares start coming to life.
A rebellious fae princess must escape an arranged marriage by solving an ancient riddle.
A warrior raised by dragons must reclaim their human throne from a false ruler.
A young thief steals a crown of shadows and accidentally awakens an ancient god.
Every 100 years, a portal to the underworld opens—and this time, something has escaped.
A magical academy where students are trained to battle their worst fears—literally.
A child inherits a talking sword that claims it was once a great hero.
A fallen knight must navigate a city built upon the ruins of a forgotten civilization.
Science Fiction Writing Prompts
A cyborg detective must track down a rogue AI before it gains full sentience.
A space marine squad is sent to investigate a distress call from a lost colony.
A starship crew is hunted by an unknown alien species through deep space.
A hacker breaks into a government network, only to discover proof that Earth was never real.
A scientist discovers a way to upload consciousness—but the first test subject disappears.
A planet ruled by artificial intelligence declares war on the human race.
A mission to terraform a barren moon goes wrong when they uncover an ancient civilization.
The world’s first time traveler is sent to the past—but they can’t return.
A runaway biological experiment develops emotions, challenging its creators.
An astronaut wakes up alone on a spaceship with no memory of how they got there.
Historical Fiction Writing Prompts
A spy in the French Revolution must decide where their true loyalties lie.
A Viking warrior travels to a distant land in search of a mythical artifact.
A noblewoman accused of witchcraft must prove her innocence before her execution.
A Civil War soldier finds themselves on the battlefield’s wrong side—posing as the enemy.
A samurai-turned-ronin seeks revenge on the warlord who betrayed him.
A medieval monk uncovers a secret about the Church that could change history.
A WWII resistance fighter smuggles messages hidden in works of art.
A pirate crew discovers a treasure that carries a terrifying curse.
A young journalist in 1920s New York investigates a series of murders linked to a secret society.
A palace maid uncovers an assassination plot against the queen of England.
Mystery & Thriller Writing Prompts
A woman wakes up to find her own obituary in the morning newspaper.
A detective investigates a murder where the victim’s body disappears overnight.
A husband and wife each believe the other is plotting their murder.
A retired FBI profiler is called back when a serial killer starts copying their unsolved cases.
A private investigator is hired to find a missing person—who never existed.
A small town experiences a string of disappearances, all linked to an abandoned house.
A luxury train is stopped mid-journey—one of the passengers is a killer.
A reporter receives anonymous letters describing crimes before they happen.
A woman buys an antique locket that contains hidden clues to an old crime.
A detective’s latest case is eerily similar to a book they wrote years ago.
Horror Writing Prompts
A family moves into a house with no doors—only mirrors.
A small town’s entire population vanishes overnight.
A child claims their new imaginary friend is the ghost of a missing person.
A doctor discovers their patient is aging backward—and so is everyone else.
A remote village doesn’t appear on any maps—because it’s not supposed to exist.
Every night at 3 a.m., a person hears whispers in a language they don’t know.
A woman receives a handwritten letter—from her own future self.
A photographer captures a shadowy figure in every single picture they take.
A shipwreck survivor washes ashore… on an island full of graves.
A man inherits a sealed-off attic—but what’s inside should never have been found.
Romance Writing Prompts
Two rival authors are forced to co-write a novel together.
A woman finds a series of love letters in a second-hand book.
A prince must marry before his 25th birthday, but he’s in love with a commoner.
A famous musician falls for the journalist assigned to write an exposé about them.
Two strangers discover their grandparents were once lovers.
A woman gets accidentally married in Vegas—to her worst enemy.
A baker and a firefighter must work together to save their town’s festival.
A wedding planner falls for the groom of her biggest client.
A woman wakes up one day to find her diary has been rewritten by someone else.
A bookstore owner receives love notes from an anonymous admirer.
Paranormal & Supernatural Writing Prompts
A woman moves into a house haunted by its former owner—who insists she solve their murder.
A small town experiences a night where no one can fall asleep—and no one knows why.
A journalist investigating supernatural occurrences discovers they’ve been dead for years.
A group of teenagers unknowingly play a cursed song, summoning a lost spirit.
A man’s reflection in the mirror moves on its own—and it’s getting closer.
A psychic detective realizes their latest case is about their own death—before it happens.
A woman wakes up in a hospital with no memory—except for visions of people’s deaths before they occur.
A child is found wandering the streets, claiming to be the reincarnation of a missing person.
A woman’s shadow starts acting independently, revealing her deepest secrets.
A haunted typewriter begins writing messages on its own, predicting real events.
Dystopian & Post-Apocalyptic Writing Prompts
In a world where emotions are illegal, a resistance group teaches people how to feel again.
A scientist discovers a hidden city underground—humanity’s last hope for survival.
After an apocalyptic event, the last survivors wake up to find everyone else missing overnight.
A soldier in a post-apocalyptic wasteland is given a mission—but it may be a lie.
Society is divided into two castes: those who live in light and those who survive in darkness.
A city exists above the clouds, while those below live in ruins. One girl finds a way to cross over.
A government monitors every person’s dreams—and punishes those who think about rebellion.
The last book in existence holds the secret to reversing humanity’s downfall.
A group of survivors stumbles upon a town that still operates like it’s the past—because they don’t know the world ended.
The air outside has become toxic—but what if the warnings were a lie?
Steampunk & Alternate History Writing Prompts
A skyship captain steals a powerful energy crystal, not realizing it could rewrite history.
In an alternate Victorian era, steam-powered robots replace human workers—but some develop free will.
A detective in a clockwork city investigates a murder committed by someone who doesn’t exist.
A notorious airship thief is recruited by the government to save the world’s last remaining power source.
A hidden mechanical library holds the key to a long-lost empire.
A rogue scientist builds a time machine—but it only travels to the same moment in the past, over and over again.
In a world where the British Empire never fell, a group of rebels must destroy the Queen’s new war machine.
An outlaw finds a journal predicting future crimes—written by someone from the past.
A train powered by alchemy travels between worlds—but its passengers can never return.
A secret society hides Nikola Tesla’s final invention, capable of reshaping reality.
Comedy & Lighthearted Writing Prompts
A struggling actor gets cast as a superhero in a movie—only to accidentally stop a real crime.
A talking cat teams up with a human detective to solve crimes—but only the cat is actually competent.
After a mix-up at the airport, two strangers are forced to swap lives for a week.
A chef discovers they can cook meals that bring back forgotten memories.
A wedding planner accidentally books two rival families at the same venue—and must keep them from finding out.
A ghost tries to scare a family out of their home—only to realize they can’t actually leave the house either.
A time traveler gets stuck in a time period they know nothing about—and must fake their way through history.
A group of failed superheroes start a self-help group to get their lives together.
A magical kingdom is saved from destruction—but no one actually remembers the hero who did it.
A washed-up pop star accidentally becomes famous again because of a viral internet prank.
Cyberpunk & High-Tech Fiction Writing Prompts
A hacker accidentally downloads a consciousness that isn’t their own.
In a city ruled by AI, one detective uncovers a conspiracy that threatens the last humans left.
A programmer creates an AI to predict crime—but someone is using it for murder.
A celebrity’s memories are hacked and sold online—now they must track down the culprit.
A city runs on stolen dreams—and one thief is about to steal the most powerful one yet.
A digital ghost haunts a futuristic internet, sending cryptic messages to the living.
A robot designed for war develops a mind of its own—and chooses peace.
A biotech company sells immortality—but only to the highest bidder.
A scientist invents a chip that lets people relive memories—but soon discovers that some memories don’t belong to them.
A journalist exposes a corporate scandal, only to wake up in a body that isn’t their own.
Young Adult (YA) Contemporary Writing Prompts
A high school senior gets caught in a love triangle between two time travelers.
A group of best friends makes a pact to complete an impossible bucket list before graduation.
A teen finds letters hidden in their locker from someone who seems to know the future.
Two rival students are forced to work together to save their school’s drama club.
A summer internship turns chaotic when the boss’s kid turns out to be their worst enemy.
A teenager starts receiving text messages from a number that doesn’t exist.
Two childhood friends reconnect at a summer camp—but only one remembers the other.
A small-town girl discovers a secret that could expose a major celebrity’s hidden past.
A scholarship student at an elite school must solve a mystery to protect their secret.
A teen discovers an old mixtape that changes their life in unexpected ways.
Dark Fantasy & Gothic Horror Writing Prompts
A noblewoman awakens from the dead every 100 years to reclaim her lost kingdom.
A castle that only appears during a full moon holds the key to a family curse.
A vampire and a demon hunter are forced to work together to stop an ancient evil.
A blacksmith forges weapons for gods—until one god demands an impossible task.
A young girl is the last of a bloodline that can communicate with the dead.
A forest whispers names at night—but no one knows what happens if you answer.
A forbidden library contains books that let readers live inside their stories.
A painter’s latest work traps their subjects inside the canvas.
A village cursed never to see daylight again holds a secret that no one dares speak.
A young noble is forced to marry a prince whose touch brings death.
Final 10 Bonus Prompts (Wildcard Ideas!)
A celebrity wakes up to find everyone in the world has forgotten who they are.
A magical road trip across dimensions, with only one rule: never stop moving.
A detective solves crimes by experiencing the victims’ last five minutes of life.
A lighthouse on a remote island broadcasts messages from a world that doesn’t exist.
A book club discovers their latest novel is predicting real-world events.
A musician plays a forbidden melody that awakens something deep beneath the earth.
A storm sweeps across the world and leaves something impossible in its wake.
A mysterious stranger appears at every major historical event.
A child is found alone in a forest, claiming they’ve lived there for 1,000 years.
A person wakes up to discover they are the only human left on Earth.
