Story and Poetry Ideas/starters

8/17/2019 Story and Poetry Ideas/starters

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Creative Writing Prompts for PoetryHere, you'll find HUNDREDS of creative writing prompts for your poetry.

The prompts and ideas on this website intentionally open-ended. Each prompt can be approached inmany different ways. Whether you are a traditional poet or an experimental one; whether your poetry is

lyrical humorous or dar!; you can ma!e these prompts wor! for you.

The open-ended design of these prompts also means that you can return to the same prompt again andagain producing a different poem each time.

Ready to write some poems?

ree iction !riting "ourse# END$ESS S%&R (DE)S

%*is free +day online writing course will show you techni"ues to find new creative writing ideas whenever you

need them.

Creative Writing Prompts

#$ Write a poem about one or all of the four seasons. %&ome ideas for brainstorming' What does the

season loo! feel smell li!e( What memories do you associate with that season($.

)$ Write a poem using three of the following words' expensive lampshade bruise convincing.

*$ Write a poem about something that happened to someone you !now. Write about it as if it had

happened to you.

+$ Write a poem about your shadow. %&ome ideas for brainstorming' ,ow does it change when

you move( What does it loo! li!e in different !inds of light in different situations( What would

happen if you lost it( oes it have a secret life($

$ Write a poem using all of the following words' smooth soothe wor! dar!.

/$ Write a poem based on a dream you had. Try to reproduce the sensations of the dream.

0$ Write a poem based on your belief about life after death... or about what you W1&, you

believed.

2$ Write a poem using all of the following words' sna!e honey thaw.

3$ Write a poem from the perspective of a character in a fairy tale.

#4$ Write a poem using all of the following words' moth angle cloth tangle.

##$ Write a poem that tells the story of a specific love affair or marriage.

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#)$ Write a poem in the form of a message or letter to your future self.

#*$ Write a poem about the color red or another color. %&ome ideas for brainstorming' ,ow does

the color ma!e you feel( What things do you associate with that color($

#+$ Write a poem about a place that frightens you or a place where you feel happy. Try to

recreate the feeling of the place.

#$ Write a poem using all of the following words' ex"uisite visit glisten.

#/$ Write a poem about something or someone you lost.

#0$ Write a poem using all of the following words' dim hinge dingy.

#3$ Write a poem in the form of a lullaby.

)4$ Write a poem about yourself in which nothing is true.

-oem Starters and "reative !riting

(deasHere are lots of poem starters that you can use for your own poetry writing. (If you're looking

for story starters instead, click here). At the bottom of the page, you'll find links to more

pages with creative writing ideas.

Do you lie t*is page? -lease clic t*e /0 1utton to recommend it.

Poetry ideas - Write a poem about'

#. 5ight-time

). 6 particular color

*. 7eing underwater

+. 6 person whose life you8re curious about

. 9our mother8s perfume

/. :alling asleep or wa!ing up

0. rowing older

2. The feeling of getting lost in a boo!

3. ,ow to !now if you8re in love

#4. 6 bad dream

##. 6 ghost

#). 9our city town or neighborhood

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#*. 6n important life choice you8ve made

#+. &pring summer fall or winter

#. &omething most people see as ugly but which you see as beautiful

#/. ife in an a"uarium

*0. ancing

*2. Wal!ing with your eyes closed

*3. What a computer might daydream about

+4. Time travel

+#. 7rothers or sisters

+). 9our ?ob or a ?ob you8ve had

+*. Weddings

++. >eaving home

+. Camping

+/. 6 @oo

+0. 6 historical event from the perspective of someone who saw it firsthand %9ou will have to do some

research for this$.

+2. ,olding your breath+3. 1ntimacy and privacy

4. 6 time you were tempted to do something you feel is wrong

#. Physical attraction to someone

). 6 superstition you have

*. &omeone you admire

$earn tec*ni2ues for writing successful poems in our online course.

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Poem starters- the five senses

+. Write about the taste of' an egg an orange medicine cinnamon. Write about the smell of' burning food melting snow the ocean your grandparents8 home the

inside of a bus pavement after the rain

/. Write about the sound of' a radio changing channels a dog howling a football or baseball game

your parents tal!ing in another room

0. Write about the sight of' lit windows in a house when you8re standing outside at night someone

you love when he or she doesn8t !now you8re watching a dying plant shadows on snow

2. Write about the feeling of' grass under bare feet a really bad !iss the headrush when you stand

up too fast sore muscles falling asleep in the bac! seat of a moving car.

Poem starters- three elementsWrite a poem that contains all three of the elements in any of the lists below'

3. a dessert a memory and someone in your family

/4. dancing a pitch-blac! room and the smell of lilacs

/#. a balloon smo!e and a !eyhole

/). a secret box an ice cube tray and a velvet ribbon

/*. a betrayal soap and a plane tic!et

Poetry 1deas and Creative Writing PromptsHere you'll find lots of poetry ideas you can use for your creative writing. (Were you looking insteadfor short story ideas?) At the bottom of this page, you'll find links to even more poem starters and tocreative writing lessons on how to write poems.

-oetry prompts !rite a poem a1out#

• =ain snow or a storm

• 6n animal you thin! is beautiful or strange

• 9our parents or children

• ,ow a !iss feels

• The house where you were born

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• 6 smell that brings bac! memories

• 7eing a teenager becoming an adult middle age old age

• :eeling lonely

• The moon

• etting lost

• Aarriage or divorce

• 6n imaginary friend

• >ife in the future

• The hottest coldest or most exhausted you have ever felt

• ,aving a fever

• 6 new version of a fairy-tale

• The shapes you see in clouds

!rite a poem in t*e form of any of t*e following#

• 6 letter

• 6 recipe

• 6 horoscope

• 6 fragment from an unusual dictionary

• 6 prayer

• 6 shopping list

• 6 magic spell.

!rite a poem from t*e point of view of#


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• Bne of your parents

• 9our child %real or imagined$

• 6 historical figure %9ou will have to do research for this one.$

• 6 very old person

• 6n athlete who has ?ust lost the big game

• The most popularunpopular !id from your school

• 6n inanimate ob?ect in your home.

!*ere to get more ideas for poems#

• >isten to a piece of music and write about the images that it brings into your mind.

• People-watch eavesdrop and write about your observations and imaginings.

• &it in a par! and close your eyes. 5otice all of the sounds and smells. Write about them

afterward.

• Deep a noteboo! next to your bed and write down your dreams at night to turn them into poems

later.

• Aa!e a list of words you thin! are unusual then try to use them in poems.

• Watch an animal and write a poem about what it loo!s li!e and what it does.

• &mell different spices in your !itchen and write about the memories that they inspire.

• >oo! through old family photographs and choose some to write poems about.

• o on a field trip -- a museum the @oo a greenhouse -- to hunt for poetry ideas.

• et inspiration from boo!s on an area of science or history that interests you.

Poetry Prompts and Poem &tartersHere you'll find lots of poetry prompts you can use for your poems. (If you're looking instead for shortstory topics, click here). At the bottom of the page, you'll find links to even more poetry ideas andadvice on how to write poetry.

-oem starters !rite a poem a1out#

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• Three wishes

• Traveling to an un!nown place

• etting a haircut

• 6 scientific fact %real or invented$

• 6n insect that got into your home

• The sound of a specific language

• eath

• The number *

• The ocean

• Aissing someone

• &omething that ma!es you angry

• The feeling of writing why you want to be a writer

• The ups and downs of love

• The view out your window

• City lights at night

• 6 particular wor! of art

• ,aving a superpower

• 7eing in an airplane

• Playing a sport

• 6 shadow

• 6 person transformed into an animal

!rite instructions for *ow to#


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• aydream

• Cry

• Diss well

• :ind happiness

• Peel a peach

!rite a poem t*at contains all t*ree words from one of t*ese lists#

#. &il!y gigantic and pu@@le.

). >eaf accelerating and stic!y.

*. &!in drastic and dusty.

brF

+. 1nterrupt nutmeg and crystalline.

. Exacting oxygen and delicate.

/. =eptilian arched and honey.

Poem Prompts to ive 9ou 1deasHere, you’ll find poem prompts that you can turn into poetry. At the bottom of the page are links tohundreds of other poem starters.

#4 Phrases

Gse one of these phrases in a poem %or a story$

• something with claws

• oddly inflated

• inside my eyelids

• grind it to dust

• a familiar dream


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• a friend of a friend of a friend

• in my peripheral vision

• li!e an unsent letter

• monumental and very far away

• flooded the basement

• more bitter than sweet

• floating li!e pollen

Topics03 ) close friends*ip

Huestions to give you ideas'

• What brought you and your friend together(

• Close friends often develop a !ind of special language with certain words or catch-phrases that

they use with each other %nic!names for things "uotes from movies inside ?o!es etc.$. oes the

friendship you8re writing about have any special words or phrases( What memories do you

associate with them( What do they mean(

• What place do you associate with this friend %a particular cafI a par! the friendJs home$(

• What memories express specific aspects of this friendship( What memory expresses something

that you admire about this friend(

• What8s something you and your friend prefer to leave unspo!en(

• ,ave you ever dreamed about this friend( What did you dream( What did it mean(

43 ) particular ca1inet or drawer


• What8s in it( ,ow do the items relate to each other( What memories are attached to them(

• ,ow have its contents changed over time( What story does that tell(


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• What8s missing from it(

• What does it mean to you or to someone else( ,ow would its meaning change depending on

who opened it(

+3 )n imaginary animal 5invent one63


• What does the animal loo! li!e(

• ,ow does it move(

• Where does it live(

• What does it eat(

• What does it thin! about( What is it li!e to be that animal(

• What is it afraid of(

• What can you compare it to(

• What does it mean to you(

73 ) memory of a family meal


• What did you eat( What were the sights sounds smells flavors textures( Who prepared it and

what was involved in the preparation(

• Where did the meal ta!e place( What did the place loo! li!e(

• Who was there( ,ow did they behave( What did they say( ,ow did their feelings come throughin their words or their silences(

• What do you see now loo!ing bac! at the scene that you weren8t aware of at the time(

83 !riting


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• What other experience or activity does writing remind you of( What does it feel li!e when the

writing8s going well or when it8s going badly(

•What interesting answer could you invent to the "uestion Where do you get your ideas(

• What is a phrase or sentence you had trouble writing( &how the struggle.

• 1f you had a muse what !ind of person would he or she be( What would he or she say to you(

• What is mysterious about writing to you(

• What happens in the secret lives of words(

ortyour S*ort Story (deasHere are lots of short story ideas that you can use as writing prompts. Use these story starters

on their own or to get ideas for the C! online writing courses. "ou'll also find links to more

creative writing prompts at the bottom of the page.

Any of these ideas can be used either humorously or dramatically... or you can try both. Have

fun#

Do you lie t*is page? -lease clic t*e /0 1utton to recommend it.

&tory ideas - three elements

Choose a set of three elements and write a story that contains all three of themK

Extreme challenge' combine three of the elements with one of the other short story ideas on this page.

#. 6 stolen ring fear of spiders and a sinister stranger.

). 6 taxi an old enemy and Lalentine8s ay.

*. 1dentical twins a party invitation and a loc!ed closet.

+. 6 bro!en wristwatch peppermints and a hug that goes too far.

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. 6erobics a secret diary and something unpleasant under the bed.

/. 6n ex-boyfriend a pair of binoculars and a good-luc! charm.

0. 6n annoying boss a bi!ini and a fa!e illness.

2. The first day of school a love note and a recipe with a significant mista!e.

3. 6 horoscope ma!eup and a missing tooth.

#4. 6 campfire a scream and a small lie that gets bigger and bigger.

Aore short story ideas

Challenge' + stories in + wee!s using these short story ideas. 6re you up to it(

Extreme challenge' Why not write a boo! of short stories( Choose seven or eight short story ideas to get

started.

##. 6 babysitter is snooping around her employer8s house and finds a disturbing photograph...

#). 6t a Chinese restaurant your character opens his fortune coo!ie and reads the following

message' 9our life is in danger. &ay nothing to anyone. 9ou must leave the city immediately and

never return. =epeat' say nothing....

#*. 9our character8s boss invites her and her husband to dinner. 9our character wants to ma!e a

good impression but her husband has a tendency to drin! too much and say exactly what8s on his

mind...

#+. 1t8s your character8s first day at a new school. ,e or she wants to get a fresh start develop a new

identity. 7ut in his or her homeroom your character encounters a !id he or she !nows from summer

camp...

#. 9our character has to tell his parents that he8s getting a divorce. ,e !nows his parents will ta!e

his wife8s side and he is right...

#/. 6t the airport a stranger offers your character money to carry a mysterious pac!age onto the

plane. The stranger assures your character that it8s nothing illegal and points out that it has already

been through the security chec!. 9our character has serious doubts but needs the money and

therefore agrees...

#0. 9our character suspects her husband is having an affair and decides to spy on him. What she

discovers is not what she was expecting...

#2. 6 man elbows your character in a crowd. 6fter he is gone she discovers her cell phone is too.

&he calls her own number and the man answers. &he explains that the cell phone has personal

information on it and as!s the man to send it bac! to her. ,e hangs up. 1nstead of going to the

police your character decides to ta!e matters into her own hands...

#3. 6fter your character loses his ?ob he is home during the day. That8s how he discovers that his

teenage son has a small mari?uana plantation behind the garage. 9our character confronts his son


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who instead of acting repentant explains to your character exactly how much money he is ma!ing

from the mari?uana and tries to persuade your character to ?oin in the business...

)4. 6t a garage sale your character buys an anti"ue urn which she thin!s will loo! nice decorating

her boo!case. 7ut when she gets home she reali@es there are someone8s ashes in it....

$earn to mae your story a pageturner wit* our online course (rresisti1le iction.

Even more short story ideas

)#. 9our character starts receiving flowers and anonymous gifts. &he doesn8t !now who is sending

them. ,er husband is suspicious and the gifts begin to get stranger....

)). 6 missionary visits your character8s house and attempts to convert her to his religion. 9our

character is trying to get rid of him ?ust as storm warning sirens go off. 9our character feels she can8tsend the missionary out into the storm so she lets him come down into her basement with her. This

is going to be a long storm....

)*. 9our character is caught shoplifting. The shop owner says that she won8t call the police in

exchange for a personal favor....

)+. 9our character is visiting his parents over a holiday. ,e is returning some boo!s to the library for

his mother and is startled to notice that the librarian loo!s exactly li!e him only about thirty years

older. ,e immediately begins to suspect that his mother had an affair at one time and the librarian is

his real father...

). 9our character pic!s up a hitch-hi!er on her way home from wor!. The hitch-hi!er tries to

persuade your character to leave everything and drive her across the country...

)/. 9our character has to sell the house where she grew up. 6 potential buyer comes to loo! at it and

begins to tal! about all of the changes she would ma!e to the place. This upsets your character

who decides she wants to find a buyer who will leave everything the way it has always been....

)0. 6 bat gets in the house. 9our character8s husband becomes hysterical frightened that it might be

rabid. 1n his panic he ends up shutting the bat in a room with your character while he calls an

exterminator from a safe place in the house. ,is behavior ma!es your character see her husband in

a new way....

)2. 9our character changes ?obs in order to have more time with his family. 7ut his family doesn8t

seem interested in having him around...

)3. 9our character develops the idea that she can hear the voices of the dead on a certain radio

channel. &he decides to ta!e advantage of this channel to find answers to some "uestions that arebothering her about her dead parents....

*4. 9our character8s dream is to be a professional dancer. 6t a party she mentions this dream to a

stranger who says that he has contacts in the dance world and gets her an audition for a

prestigious dance troupe. Bne problem' your character doesn8t !now how to dance. 9our character

decides to accept the audition anyway and loo! for a solution....

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6nd still more short story ideas

*#. 9our character thin!s her boss is loo!ing for an excuse to fire her. &he decides to fight bac!....

*). 9our character goes out for dinner on a date and becomes attracted to the waiter or waitress....

**. 9our character notices that a stranger is following her. &he pretends not to notice. The stranger

follows her home and watches her go inside. Then when he leaves your character turns the tables

and starts to follow him....

*+. 6 child moves into a new house and finds out that the other !ids in town thin! it8s haunted. &he

begins to invent ghost stories to tell at school in order to get attention. 7ut the more stories she tells

the more frightened she becomes of the house...

*. 9our elderly character escapes from the retirement home where his or her children have placed

him or her....

*/. 9our character gets cosmetic surgery in an attempt to ma!e her boyfriend love her more. 7ut then

she worries he only loves her for her loo!s....

*0. 9our character is a writer. 7ut his new neighbors are so noisy that he can neither wor! nor sleep.,e decides to ta!e action....

*2. 9our character8s mother-in-law comes to visit for a wee! and your character suspects she is

trying to poison him. ,e shares his suspicion with his wife who says he8s always hated her mother

but this accusation is going too far. Aeanwhile your character has stomach cramps and his

mother-in-law is downstairs ma!ing brea!fast again....

*3. 1t8s a free@ing cold night. 9our character finds a homeless family on his doorstep and invites them

into his home to sleep. 7ut in the morning the family doesn8t leave....

+4. 9our character has recently married a man with two teenage children. The children resent her

and she tries to avoid them altogether. Then her new husband %their father$ disappears suddenly

leaving only a short good-bye note....

&hort story ideas - personal creative writing

challenges

+#. Aa!e a list of five things you8re afraid of happening to you. Then write a story in which one of

them happens to your character..

+). Thin! of a big problem that one of your friends had to face. Then write a story in which your

character battles with that problem..

+*. What is one of your bad habits( 1nvent a character who has the bad habit but a much worsecase of it than you have. Write a story where this habit gets your character into trouble.

++. What is one of your greatest strengths( 1nvent a character who doesn8t have this strength. Create

a situation in which having this strength is very important for your character. What does your

character do( Write the story.


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&hort &tory Topics and Creative Writing 1deas

Here are some short story topics to give you ideas for creative writing. $hese story starters are especially

designed for practicing narrative point of view . %ut feel free to use them however you like# At the bottom

of the page are links to more short story ideas.

:ree :iction Writing Course' E5>E&& &TB=9 1E6&

%*is free +day online writing course will show you techni"ues to find new creative writing ideas whenever you

need them.

&hort story ideas - writing prompts with a focus on' narrative point ofview

03 S*ort story topics c*emical im1alance

1magine a blind date. The guy thin!s it goes wonderfully -- ama@ing chemistry; they have

so much in common. The girl thin!s it8s a disaster that he8s a real creep.

Write about the date in the first person from the girl8s point of view. E.g. 1 met him at the

restaurant at seven. ,e loo!ed... %or tips on writing in t*e first person, clic *ere$.

Then write about the same date in the first person from the guy8s point of view.

1f you want you could also rewrite the same scene in the t*ird person switching bac!

and forth between points of view. Gse some !ind of indicator so that readers !now where

the point of view is at all time. Aaybe give the man a few paragraphs then the woman

and use a line brea! each time you change to separate the story into sections. on8t

switch bac! and forth too fast or you might leave your reader di@@y and disoriented.

43 S*ort story topics wife's denial

9our character8s husband is an alcoholic but your character refuses to reali@e it. &he

ideali@es him. The couple had a dinner party the night before and your character8s

husband got drun! and violent. 9our character tells the story of the party in the first

person and tries to convince the reader that what happened was no big deal.

+3 S*ort story topics t*e 1lind woman

9our character is blind. The man she has started dating is not. ,e invites her to his

apartment for the first time. While she is there she notices various clues that tell her he is

probably married. Write this story from the blind woman8s point of view. =emember that

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she cannot see so you must not use any visual details. :ocus on sounds smells touch

even taste. This is her first time in her new boyfriend8s apartment so she is probably

paying a lot of attention to what8s around her. escribe the apartment as vividly as

possible without involving the sense of sight.

=ewrite the story where the blind woman goes to her new boyfriend8s apartment but this

time write it from the boyfriend8s point of view. The boyfriend is not blind so you can use

visual details. 7ut don8t forget about the other senses. The apartment belongs to him so

although he can see it he is not paying attention to the details in the same way that the

woman is. 1t is all familiar to him. Bn the other hand he is paying attention to her. ,e is

attracted to her physically and notices details about how she loo!s. Aa!e the reader see

these details. 6lso' as the blind woman begins to suspect that he8s married he notices a

change in her behavior. ,e is watching her reactions closely so show the reader what he

sees.

73 S*ort story topics t*e t*ief's defense

Tell the story of a robbery in the first person from the point of view of the criminal. ,avethe criminal tell the story as if he were attempting to convince the reader that his actions

were ?ustified.

9ou might then write about the same robbery from the point of view of the victim.

&ur online writing course %*roug* our "*aracter's Eyes will s*ow you narrative

viewpoint tec*ni2ues to pull readers deep inside your stories.

:iction Prompts - 1deas for &toriesHere are some ideas for stories you can write. At the bottom of the page, you'll find links to more fiction

prompts and story ideas.

Three Elements

Choose a set of three elements and imagine a story that includes all three of them.

#. a hitchhi!er an allergy and a mista!e in a map.

). a cemetery a missing dog and a ?o!e that goes too far.

*. a ,alloween costume a stapler and a complaint between neighbors.

+. a stolen phone a love song and a bet.

. a dance competition an engagement ring and a worried parent./. insomnia a birthday card and an encounter with someone famous.

0. an eavesdropper a secret !iss and a fire in the !itchen.

2. a stuc! elevator a pic!poc!et and a promise.

3. a babysitter a pet sna!e and a tow truc!.

#4. a lit window a stamp collection and someone pretending to be angry.

##. a dream come true inappropriate laughter and something buried.

#). an abandoned house false eyelashes and a lump in the bed.

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Character 1deas

,ere are * ideas you can use to create fictional characters and stories'

#. Write about a character who pretends to be cool and tough but is actually shy and sensitive.

). Write about a character who is obsessed with certain colors.

*. Write about a character who secretly plans to leave home and start a new life.5ow 9BG complete the sentences to get even more character ideas'

#. Write about a character who pretends to be MMMMMMMM but is actually MMMMMMMM.

). Write about a character who is obsessed with MMMMMMMM.

*. Write about a character who secretly MMMMMMMM.

:irst >ines

,ere are some beginnings for stories or poems. &tart with one of these and see where your imaginationta!es you.

#. ,e wasn8t at all what 1 was expecting...

). ,ow would we ever get rid of...

*. &he was a wonderful liar...

+. ,e hurled the phone against the wall...

. The fortuneteller was mista!en...

/. 1 crouched behind the sofa...

0. 1t was wrapped li!e a present but...

2. 1 should never have come here...

:ree Writing Prompts - &tory 1deas

Here are some free writing prompts you can use to get story ideas. At the bottom of the page, you'll find

links to more story starters.

#$ 9our character is chatting with a stranger on a website. 7oth your character and the other person are

using nic!names -- they don8t !now each other8s real names. The stranger starts to flirt with your

character even though she tells him she is married. The more they tal! the more strongly she suspects

that the stranger is actually her husband but that he has no idea who she is...

)$ While your character and his wife are on a safari the car brea!s down. Their guide says he8ll go forhelp leaving your character and wife alone by the car. 6fter a few minutes they decide to get into the car

but the doors are loc!ed. There8s no sign of the guide and it8s starting to get dar!...

*$ 6 child develops a wild plan to !eep his parents from getting divorced...

+$ Tracey8s husband is about to publish a novel about a character named &tacey who is obviously

based on Tracey. The novel is about how much &tacey secretly hates her in-laws whose house she


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/. They sat next to each other on the train still pretending to be strangers...

0. 1 !new he8d been there because he8d stubbed out his cigarette in the sin!...

2. on8t you dare come any closer...

3. &he8d imagined this moment so many times but she never expected...

#4. 6t first 1 thought it was the cat but it was...

##. 1nside the envelope was a four-leaf clover...

#). There was only one way to !eep her "uiet and it was going to cost us...

What 1f...

1n our audio class on writing young adult fiction author Emma Carlson 7erne explains how she uses

what-if "uestions to come up with ideas for novels. 7elow are some what-if "uestions that you can use

for your own fiction writing.

#. What if you discovered that your friend8s husband was cheating... but you also !new that if youtold her it would be the end of your friendship(

). What if you opened a fortune coo!ie and found a tiny map inside(

*. What if the cab driver suddenly turned in the wrong direction and told you he had his own plans

for you(

+. What if your boss ordered you to do something illegal at wor! and you !new if you didn8t do it

you8d be fired(

. What if someone who loo!ed almost exactly li!e you suddenly became very famous(

/. What if you and your brother or sister fell in love with the same person(

0. What if in the basement of your house you discovered a secret passageway(

2. What if a stranger on a bus told you he or she was dying and needed your !idney(

3. What if you bought a new house or apartment and when you went to move in you found

someone already living there(

#4. What if you pic!ed up the wrong suitcase at the airport and inside it was the evidence from a

crime(

1deas for 5ovels and &toriesHere are some ideas for novels and stories to spark your imagination and help your fiction stand out. Atthe bottom of the page, you'll find links to hundreds of other story starters and prompts.

9our character8s desire...

&tories are more interesting when the main character wants something intensely. =eaders will !eepreading to find out if the character achieves his or her goal. 7elow are some ideas for novels or storiesbased on characters who have powerful desires.

Write about...

http://www.creative-writing-now.com/writing-childrens-books.htmlhttp://www.creative-writing-now.com/writing-childrens-books.htmlhttp://www.creative-writing-now.com/writing-childrens-books.htmlhttp://www.creative-writing-now.com/writing-childrens-books.html


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#. a reader of romance novels who wants to live a love story of her own.

). an amateur naturalist whose dream is to discover a new type of animal.

*. a character who wants to achieve a world record -- he doesn8t care for what.

+. a character who dreams of starting a new life in a foreign country.

. a character who wants to rob a ?ewelry shop and has a foolproof %she hopes$ plan to get away

with it.

/. a character with no living grandparents who wants to adopt a grandmother.

)4 professions for your main character

,ere is a list of interesting professions for your main character. &ee what story ideas they bring to mind.

#. 1nventor

). Taxi driver *. Aagician

+. &cuba instructor

. Aarriage counselor

/. Prison guard

0. 7eauty pageant contestant

2. Coo!boo! author

3. Computer hac!er

#4. 6rchaeologist

##. >ead singer of an unsuccessful roc! band

#). 6stronaut

#*. ossip maga@ine ?ournalist

#+. ivorce lawyer

#. 6nimal trainer

#/. Lideo game designer

#0. ,igh school football coach

#2. Exorcist

#3. :light attendant

)4. &tunt actor

Thin! about'

• What !ind of person would you expect to find in this profession( &ee if you can play against

stereotypes and surprise the reader.

• What !ind of interesting situation might someone in this profession encounter( What !ind of

trouble might heshe run into( ,ow might she react(

#4 great story settings


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,ere are some setting ideas that you can use as story starters.

Write a story that ta!es place...

#. in a tattoo parlor

). at the @oo at night

*. in an abandoned mental hospital

+. in a submarine

. in a magnet factory

/. in the vault of a ban!

0. in a bridal shop

2. in the !itchen of 7uc!ingham Palace

3. on the edge of a cliff

#4. entirely in the dar!

&tory 1deas 6bout &iblings and Aore...

&n this page, you'll find story ideas that you can turn into short fiction or novels. At the bottom of the page

are links to hundreds of other creative writing prompts.

&tory &tarters about the :ive &enses

()H$* 9our character has a new girlfriend who is blind -- at least that8s what she8s led your character to

believe believe. =ecently your character is noticing signs that she might actually be able to see. What8s

going on( Why would someone pretend to be blind(

H+A(!)* =ecently your character has been hearing strange noises in the house. &ometimes it sounds

li!e someone sobbing; other times she thin!s she can ma!e out words or names. Aary she heard

once. Aary please no. &he can8t figure out where the sounds are coming from. &he doesn8t !now

anyone named Aary. 6nd her husband claims not to hear anything at all...

-+* 6 wee! ago your character8s sister disappeared while hi!ing in the woods. The police searched

the woods and didn8t find her. 7ut your character isn8t satisfied. ,e goes to his sister8s house and gets her

dog 7uster then drives to the woods in the hope that 7uster might pic! up her scent...

$&UCH* 9our character goes on a camping trip with her friend and the friend8s boyfriend. 1n the middle of

the night she wa!es up in the dar! tent and feels a hand on her arm. &he touches the hand -- it8s her

friend8s. Then the friend8s finger starts moving over her arm and your character reali@es that she8s

drawing the shape of letters that she8s trying to tell her something...

$A$+* 9our character8s new stepmother brings him a glass of orange ?uice with a funny taste. 6bout an

hour later he starts to feel di@@y and he spends the whole wee!end sic! in bed. The next wee! she has

to go on a business trip for several days and he starts to feel better while she8s away. Then she comes


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bac! and ma!es dinner for him and his father and when he ta!es a sip of his mil! he notices that funny

taste again. 9our character is beginning to have suspicions but what can he do( ,is father would never

believe him...

&tory &tarters 6bout 6nimals

9our character desperately wants to get bac! together with his ex-girlfriend. When he hears that her dog

has gone missing he sees an opportunity. ,e decides to find the dog and win her bac!.

9our character has a phobia about spiders. 6fter an argument with his roommate he !eeps finding

spiders around their apartment. ,e doesn8t believe it8s a coincidence...

9our character8s a child whose mother is about to get married. Gnfortunately the husband-to-be is allergic

to dogs. 9our character has a dog which she loves and doesn8t want to give up. &he decides her only

option is to brea! up the relationship...

&omeone or something has been !illing pets in the neighborhood. 9our character a pet owner decides

to get to the bottom of it...

9our character and her daughter are camping. They ta!e a wal! in the woods and when they get bac! to

the tent there8s a bear standing outside it. 9our character and her daughter get in their car loc! the

doors and wait for the bear to go away. 7ut the bear shows no signs of going away. 9our character8s

daughter8s on medication which she needs to ta!e at regular times and they left the medicine in the

tent...

9our character has fallen in love with an apartment and decides to rent it. Gnfortunately for your

character a pet owner there8s a no pets allowed rule. 9our character decides to !eep his pet hidden butthe pet doesn8t want to cooperate...

&tory &tarters 6bout &iblings

9our character is under suspicion for a crime she didn8t commit. ,er husband and parents all thin! she8s

guilty and her whole life seems to be falling apart. &he !nows who did commit the crime -- her brother

whom she adores. 1f she tells the truth he8ll go to ?ail. Will she ta!e the blame for him(

9our character and her husband are desperate to adopt a baby. 6fter many months they finally get thenews they8ve been hoping for' a pregnant woman has chosen them to adopt her baby when it8s born. 7ut

they8re not expecting her to have twins. 9our character thin!s it8s wrong to separate them and wants to

adopt them both but her husband only wants one child. What will they do(

9our character8s best friend married your character8s brother. 5ow they8re in the process of a messy

divorce and they want your character to ta!e sides...


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9our character8s brother has always been their parents8 favorite. 9our character decides it8s time to

change that. ,e comes up with a devious plan...

>ove &tory 1deas and Aore...ooking for love story ideas or thriller ideas/ Here are some prompts that you can turn into

romance, suspense fiction, or romantic suspense. At the bottom of the page are links to

hundreds of other creative writing prompts.

#$ 9our character is a suspect in a crime. &he is interviewed by the detective in charge of the case and

immediately feels deeply attracted to him. 6fter an hour in the interview room the detective releases her

with an apology. Bn an impulse she invites him out to dinner that night and he accepts. 7ut leaving the

police station she begins to feel nervous about their dinner date. 1s it a mista!e to go out with the

detective when she8s in fact guilty of the crime he8s investigating(

)$ 9our character lies about himself in order to impress an attractive woman pretending to have a

prestigious ?ob and a glamorous life. They go out on some dates and he finds himself falling in love with

her. 7ut the more the relationship progresses the harder it is to !eep up his lies. 6nd what will happen if

she finds out the truth(

*$ 9our character is at the same party as her friend Aaria8s ex-boyfriend Ethan. 9our character and Ethan

get into a conversation and she finds that she has a lot in common with him. &he also finds him intensely

attractive. Aaria always tal!s about him as if he were some !ind of monster although she8s never told

your character the details of exactly what he did to ma!e her hate him so much. 7ut he seems li!e such a

great guy that your character decides to give him a chance...

+$ 9our character meets >aura through an online dating site. &he seems nice enough but he doesn8t feel

a spar!. Bn their second date she introduces him to her sister to whom she is very close. 6s soon as

your character meets the sister he !nows that she is the woman of his dreams the woman he was meant

to be with. ,ow can he stop dating >aura and as! out her sister -- without ma!ing enemies of them both(

$ 9our character8s husband has disappeared without warning. ,is car is gone and no one has seen him

for days. 9our character8s friends assume that he has left her and their children to start a new life but

your character can8t believe that. Their marriage was a happy one and her husband isn8t the type of man

to abandon his family. 5o something must have happened to him -- your character8s sure of it. 6nd she8ll

do whatever it ta!es to find him and bring him home.

&tory 1deas for Aysteries and =omance :iction

&n this page, you'll find story ideas that you can turn into mystery, suspense, and romance fiction. At the

bottom of the page, you'll find links to hundreds of other story starters.


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Aystery and &uspense Writing Prompts

#$ 9our character is on vacation in MMMMMMM %choose a place where you8d li!e to ta!e a vacation in your

imagination$. Bne evening when she returns to her hotel room she finds a dead body on the floor. &he

flees the room and runs down to the lobby where the hotel receptionist calls the police. 7ut when the

police go up to her room there is no body there and no sign that any crime was committed. 5o onebelieves your character so she decides to investigate on her own. ,er first step will be to follow that man

who !eeps turning up at the hotel bar and the swimming pool and whose odd behavior has aroused her

suspicions. 1f only she could find a way to get into his room and ta!e a loo! around...

)$ Twice in the last wee! your character has found sna!es in hisher house. Bn both occasions your

character fled and called the local animal control service which was able to capture the sna!es and

remove them. 6ccording to 6nimal Control the sna!es were of a highly poisonous variety that is not

native to the area. When the third sna!e appears your character becomes convinced that someone is

planting them there intentionally. 6nd your character is determined to learn who and why.

*$ When your character8s wife disappears the police assume that she has simply abandoned the

marriage but your character can8t believe that. &earching for clues your character finds his wife8s diary

and discovers that she had a secret life that may have put her in danger. 9our character is determined to

find out if she8s still alive and save her if he can...

$earn *ow to write a great mystery story or novel in our 9wee course.

=omance Writing Prompts

#$ 9our character has fallen in love with someone significantly older or younger than

himher. 7ecause of hisher age your character !nows that this person doesn8t see your

character as a potential romantic partner. 9our character believes that the age difference

doesn8t matter. ,ow can she convince the other person of this( 6nd what if your

character is wrong(

)$ When your character8s romantic partner Chris disappeared suddenly three years ago

your character believed Chris had tired of the relationship. ,eartbro!en your character

gradually rebuilt hisher life and now is in a healthy relationship with a new partner whom

your character loves. 7ut then the police call your character with surprising news. They

have ?ust rescued Chris from the !idnapper who abducted himher three years ago. Chris

is in the hospital in stable condition and is as!ing for your character. 9our character

loved Chris but also loves hisher new partner. What will your character do(

*$ 9our character has fallen in love with the heroine of a romantic novel she is reading.

7ut your character begins to notice hints in the boo! that it is not a novel at all but a

window into another world where this heroine is actually living. 6nd the boo! hints at a

way for your character to pass through the pages into the parallel world. 9our character is

determined to try...

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&hort &tory Prompts

Here are some short story prompts that you can use for ideas. At the bottom of the page, you'll find links

to hundreds of other story starters.

$he prompts on this page were inspired by the idea of !ew "ear's resolutions... but you can use them to

write stories at any time of the year#

Eight 5ew 9ear8s =esolutions for 9our Characters

#$ This year your character resolves to get rid of hisher difficult roommate. 7ut the

roommate has no intention of going. 6nd the situation escalates...

)$ This year your character resolves to get in shape and she ?oins a gym. While she8s

lifting weights she8s approached by a muscular stranger who says he trains andrepresents professional wrestlers. 1 can tell you have potential and 1 want to show you

how to use it the stranger says. 9our character thin!s he must be ?o!ing but the

stranger seems deadly serious and oddly determined...

*$ This year your character resolves to give up smo!ing and throws out all the cigarettes

in the house. The craving is tremendous. 9our character tries nicotine patches chewing

gum and exercise but nothing wor!s. 6fter a wee! of this she can8t stand it any longer

and drives to the local convenience store for some cigarettes. &he loo!s at the cigarette

pac!s but resists the urge to buy one. 1nstead she slips a candy bar into hisher poc!et

and wal!s out without paying. ,isher heart is pumping fast; adrenaline is racing through

hisher veins and for the first time in a wee! she isn8t thin!ing about smo!ing. Thus

begins your character8s new addiction to shoplifting... an addiction that will prove more

dangerous than the one she gave up...

+$ This year your character resolves to publish her novel. &he sends it to an agent who

almost immediately finds a potential publisher. The problem( The novel8s protagonist is

recogni@ably based your character8s best friend and the novel is based on the friend8s

secret love affair. When the boo! comes out everyone in their small town will !now the

friend8s secret. 1s there a way for your character to publish the novel without ruining their

friendship and her friend8s life(

$ This year your character resolves to get his driver8s license. 6 wee! after he does he

is driving on a lonely road when a pedestrian suddenly wal!s in front of the car. 9ourcharacter hits the person then panics and drives off. 5ow he8s tormented by guilt. ,as

he !illed someone( ,e can8t find any information about the accident in the newspapers.

,e needs to discover the truth and if possible ma!e amends. 7ut he doesn8t want to be

arrested...

/$ This year your character resolves to save money. &o he is intrigued when he sees an

ad online offering a free bedroom in a shared apartment. The apartment8s owner

explains that she is lonely and ?ust wants company. 1t sounds "uite strange but it could


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save your character a fortune in rent...

0$ This year your character resolves to get organi@ed. While she is sorting through

papers in her house she discovers an expensive insurance policy that her husband has

ta!en out on her life. Why has he done that( 6nd why didn8t he tell her about it( 6nd why

does he have a second cell phone hidden in the bac! of his des! drawer(

2$ This year your character resolves to learn a foreign language. &he8s heard that the

neighbor in the ad?oining apartment is a language teacher and signs up for private

lessons which are held in the neighbor8s home. 7ut soon she begins to suspect that this

neighbor is more than ?ust a language teacher. &he notices several unusual details in the

neighbor8s home and the neighbor is highly secretive about hisher life. 5ow if only your

character could learn the language fast enough to understand those mysterious late night

meetings she overhears through the apartments8 shared wall...

Story (deas "reative !riting

-romptsooking for story ideas/ $he suggestions on this page will help you come up with great stories.

At the bottom of the page, you'll find links to hundreds of other creative writing prompts.

#$ :alse 6ppearances

,ere8s an easy way to get fiction writing ideas.


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)$ =egrets

6nother phrase that will help you produce stories is' :(f only (;*e;s*e;t*ey *ad;*adn't...:

Examples'

• 1f only 1 hadn8t left her alone that night ...

• 1f only she had ta!en the rumors seriously...

• 1f only he hadn8t dropped that lottery tic!et...

• 1f only she hadn8t stepped into that elevator with him...

• 1f only 1 had listened to my instincts...

• 1f only she hadn8t pic!ed up that loc!et...

• 1f only he had brought a weapon...

• 1f only she hadn8t tried to !iss him...

These 1f only... hadhadn8t sentences suggest that something has gone seriously wrong. 6nd trouble iswhat ma!es stories interesting.

9ou can ma!e the reader turn pages to find out how the character got into trouble in the first place. 6nd

readers will turn pages to see if the character gets out of trouble again.

&tory Writing 1deas 6bout Bbsessions

Here are some story writing ideas involving obsessed characters. At the bottom of the page, you'll find

links to hundreds of other story starters on our website.

#$ 9our character passes a stranger on the street and has a powerful sensation that goes beyond mere

physical attraction. 1t is a sense that this is the person heshe is destined to spend hisher life with. 7ut

before your character has the chance to react the stranger gets onto a bus and is gone. ,ow will your

character ever find himher again( 6nd what about your character8s current relationship(

)$ 9our character is a passionate collector %you can decide what she collects -- art stamps anti"ues

coins etc.$. Bne day she hears a rumor that someone else in hisher town has an item that your

character has been wanting for years to complete hisher collection. 9our character has to have itK &he

goes to visit the person who has it and as!s for a price. 1t8s not for sale your character is told. 7ut your

character is not prepared to ta!e no for an answer. 1f she can8t buy it then she8ll have to steal it...

*$ 9our character8s best friend has a new boyfriend or girlfriend. This person on the surface seems

wonderful and your character8s best friend is ecstatic about the new relationship. 7ut your character can8t

sha!e a sense that there8s something false about this person as if heshe8s playing a role. 9our character

doesn8t believe a word out of this person8s mouth. 6nd your character is determined to find out the truth...

before hisher best friend gets hurt.

+$ 9our character loves the apartment she8s renting. 1t8s the first place in hisher life where she8s ever felt


28/51

happy at home. 7ut the building is about to go for sale and all the tenants will be forced to leave. Gnable

to face the prospect of moving out your character ma!es up hisher mind to buy the building. &he has no

idea how she8s going to come up with that !ind of money but there has to be a way...

Story Ideas - Story Starters

On this page, you'll fnd story ideas based on major lie changes, such as a newcareer, a new baby, a retirement, or a divorce. ou can fnd more story ideas at the

bottom o the page.

!hen people's lives dramatically change, or better or or worse, there are always

surprises and challenges. "his ma#es or interesting story material.

"he way people react to changes can be very revealing. $y orcing your character to

conront unamiliar circumstances, you give him or her the opportunity to evolve.

our character might evolve in positive ways -- gaining maturity and strength. Or,

li#e !alter !hite in the "% series $rea#ing $ad &a chemistry teacher turned drug

#ingpin, your character might evolve in negative ways, becoming morally corrupted

by his(her new e)periences.

*ere are some ideas you can turn into stories+

ter an argument with his(her boss, your character decides to leave a highly

paid job in order to become a ull-time artist.

our character was widowed many years ago. /ow, s(he decides s(he's fnally

ready to start dating again. $ut s(he hasn't been on a date or over orty years0

1 our character is in his(her late teens and living in his(her parents' home. One

day, his(her parents sit him(her down and say that they've decided it's time or

him(her to become independent. "hey inorm him(her that s(he has to move out by

the end o the month and that they're also cutting him(her o2 fnancially.


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3 our character is unmarried and lives alone... until his(her brother and sister-in-

law are suddenly #illed in a car accident... and your character is given custody o

their our children.

4 our character moves to a di2erent country &you could use a country you're

interested in researching as either your character's starting point or his(her

destination.

5 our character wins the lottery.

dvertisement+

"hin# about what #ind o character it would be interesting to put in the situation

you've chosen. "ry to choose a character who will fnd the situation especially

challenging.

Other 6uestions to thin# about+

*ow does your character imagine his(her new lie ahead o time7 *ow might the

reality be completely di2erent rom what your character was e)pecting7 !hat

mista#es might your character ma#e based on wrong assumptions7

!hat challenges are inherent in the change7 !hat aspects o the new situation will

your character have the hardest time adapting to7 !hat are some elements that

you could add to the story to ma#e the change more di8cult or your character &and

thereore ma#e your story more interesting7

!hat strengths and wea#nesses o your character might the change bring out7


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*ow might your character evolve as a person7

*ow might the people around your main character react to the changes7 !ho mightbe personally a2ected by what your character does7 !ho might judge your

character or his(her actions(reactions7 !ho might eel jealous7 !ho might eel

concerned7 !ho might give your character terrible advice7

*appy writing0

&tory 1deas 6bout Talent and Aore...&n this page, you’ll find story ideas you can turn into fiction. croll down to the bottom for links to

hundreds of other story starters and prompts.

Creative Writing Prompts N Talents

,ere are some story starters about talents. Problems normally ma!e stories more interesting so in these

prompts the main character8s talent gets him or her into trouble.

#. 9our character8s an excellent conversationalist who easily ma!es friends. ,e goes to party where he

notices an aw!ward-loo!ing girl sitting alone in the corner ignored by everyone. :eeling sorry for the girl

he decides to go tal! to her. ,e succeeds in engaging her in conversation. Gnfortunately for him he is too

successful. The girl attaches herself to him and he can8t get rid of her. &he seems absolutely determined

to follow him home...

). 9our character8s a very talented defense lawyer. ,er client is accused of being a serial !iller. 9our

character8s absolutely sure of two things' he8s guilty and if he has the chance he8ll !ill again. 6nd she8s

pretty sure that she can get him ac"uitted in which case he8ll wal! free...

*. 9our character has excellent hearing. Bne night your character goes with his wife to his in-laws8 house.

When he8s in the bathroom he overhears a conversation between his wife and her parents. on8t worry

his wife says. 6s soon as 1 get rid of him everything will be fine. Could she be tal!ing about your

character( What8s going on(

+. 9our character8s an extremely talented pic!poc!et. ,e learned the s!ill when he was young and poor.

5ow he has a good ?ob a healthy ban! account and a respectable lifestyle but he thin!s it8s a shame to

let such remar!able talent go to waste...


31/51

. 9our character8s an ama@ing ballroom dancer. Gnfortunately his wife can8t dance at all. &he8s also

extremely ?ealous and gets very upset if he dances with another woman. 9our character misses dancing.

,e decides that what his wife doesn8t !now won8t hurt her. 7ut things don8t go as planned...

Creative Writing Prompts N * Elements

Challenge' write a story that contains all three elements in one of these lists.

- an older brother an unfair contest and the s!eleton of a bird.

- flirtation whis!ey and a mista!e at the @oo.

- a children8s boo! a box of matches and a frightened security guard.

- a bathing suit a hair salon and an ama@ing rumor that turns out to be true.

- a sports car a rope and an obnoxious ex-girlfriend.

- s!ydiving an extreme diet and unre"uited love.

- a murder plot a bowl of lentils and a gold tooth.

- a mista!e at wor! a ban! account number and an empty house with an open window.

- an anti"ue a torn letter and a familiar-loo!ing stranger.

- an ice storm a bicycle and a treasure map.

- a magic tric! a shadow and a missing friend.

- a traffic accident a famous actor and a business opportunity.

- a family secret a string of pearls and the desire for revenge.

- a motorcycle race an in?ury and a former enemy who turns out to be an ally.

&tory 1deas 6bout Travel and Aore...Here are some story ideas that you can turn into great fiction. "ou'll find links to hundreds of other writing

prompts at the bottom of the page.

#$ 9our character wa!es up alone in an unfamiliar bedroom with no memory of the night before or how he

got there. &omething glitters on the floor next to the bed. 9our character reaches down to pic! up what

appears to be a diamond bracelet...


32/51

)$ 9our character is a travel agent. 6 man wal!s into her agency whom she recogni@es as a former

classmate who was very cruel to her many years ago. The man doesn8t seem to recogni@e your character

and simply as!s for help planning a trip. &o your character sets about preparing the vacation of his

dreams -- that is the !ind of dreams that ma!e you wa!e up screaming...

*$ 9our character Ar. &mith flies to another city for a business meeting. When he comes out of baggage

claim at the airport he sees a man waiting with a sign that says Ar. &mith. 9our character follows the

man to a car which he assumes has been sent by the hotel. 6s he tal!s with the man he gradually

reali@es that there has been a mix-up and the man was actually waiting for a different Ar. &mith. 7ut the

other Ar. &mithJs plans sound so much more interesting than your characterJs business meeting that he

decides not to reveal the mista!e.

+$ 6s your character is pulling out of the par!ing garage she loo!s in the rearview mirror and lets out a

shrie!. There is a woman she doesn8t !now sitting in the bac!seat of her car. on8t be scared the

woman says...

$ 9our character doesn8t get along with her family %you can decide why$ and hasn8t been in contact withthem for years. 5ow she8s writing a memoir about her terrible childhood and she wants to reread her old

diaries which she left in the family8s summer home. &he drives to the house expecting it to be empty.

1nstead she finds her whole family there. 6nd the snow is coming down so hard it8s not safe to drive bac!

that night...

/$ 9our character8s best friend as!s him to lie and say that they spent the wee!end camping together.

9our character assumes that your friend has been unfaithful to his wife and agrees to lie for him. 7ut it

turns out that he8s not covering up an extramarital affair -- he is providing an alibi for a murder. 6nd some

holes in the camping trip story throw suspicion on ,1A...

0$ 6fter his grandfather dies your character goes to clean out his house and discovers a machine that

prints very realistic one hundred dollar bills. 9our character8s sister says they should throw it away ormaybe hand it over to the police but your character has other ideas...

&tory 1deas 6bout =elationships and Aore...

%elow are some story ideas about friendships and romantic relationships. At the bottom of the page, you'll

find links to more fiction writing prompts.

:iction Prompts about =elationships

#$ 9our character is a successful businessperson but so far has been unsuccessful in

attracting potential romantic partners. &he hires a consultant who promises to ma!e

himher irresistible to menwomen...

)$ 9our character is a nurse who falls in love with hisher wealthy terminally ill patient.

9our character8s afraid that if she acts on hisher love the patient -- and everyone else --


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will assume that your character is only after the patient8s money...

*$ 9our character sees an interview with a celebrity and feels a powerful connection. 9our

character is sure that this celebrity is hisher soul-mate. 7ut the celebrity doesn8t even

!now that your character exists -- yet. 9our character finds the celebrity8s address online

and goes there one night determined to get past security and meet the celebrity in

person...

+$ 9our character borrows a large amount of money from hisher new boyfriendgirlfriend

to invest in a business opportunity. 7ut to your character8s ama@ement the business

opportunity fails and now she is unable to pay the money bac!. Gnfortunately the

boyfriendgirlfriend is much less understanding than your character expected and !eeps

as!ing about the money. 9our character is afraid that if she doesn8t find a way to return

the loan it may be the end of the relationship...

$ 9our character decides to rent an apartment together with a good friend. 6s soon as

they move in together your character reali@es she has made a big mista!e. The friend is

a terrible terrible roommate %you decide why$. What can your character do(

/$ 9our character suspects that hisher best friend is secretly trying to sabotage your

character8s marriage.

0$ 9our character8s best friend confides in your character about hisher marital problems.

9our character secretly thin!s that hisher friend8s wrong and the friend8s husbandwife is

right. 7ut wanting to be supportive of hisher friend your character pretends to agree

with himher. Aeanwhile the marital problems are getting worse the friend8s behavior

toward hisher husbandwife is becoming and more appalling and your character is

becoming more and more uncomfortable with hisher role in the situation...

2$ 9our character8s best friend as!s your character if heshe will ta!e care of the friend8sthree children in the case of the friend8s death. 9our character disli!es children in general

and particularly disli!es the best friend8s children who are spoiled and badly behaved.

9our character also has a lifestyle which is completely incompatible with raising children.

,owever the chances that the friend will suddenly die seem very remote so your

character says yes believing that she will never have to follow through on hisher

promise.


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• a passport with your character8s picture and a false name.

• an engagement ring.

• a photograph of your character8s brother who disappeared when they were children.

• a hand-drawn map with an O mar!ing a location not far from your character8s house.

• a photograph that appears to be your character !issing someone that she has no memory of

ever having met.

• a plane tic!et to Tahiti.

What else might be in the box(

)$ 9our character decides to pay an unexpected visit on hisher sister 7etty. 6rriving late at night shedecides to let himselfherself into the house with the spare !ey that 7etty !eeps under the doormat. 9ourcharacter finds %choose one$'

• 7etty with a gun in her hand and her clothes covered with blood.

• hisher own husbandwife having a very private conversation with 7etty.

• someone else also trying to snea! into the house.

• a stranger who says he can tell your character where 7etty is... but for a price.

• a portal to the past. 1nstead of 7etty8s house your character is in the house where they grew upthe way it was when they were both children.

What else might your character find in 7etty8s house(

*$ 9our character goes for a wal! in the woods and loses hisher way. 6fter many hours of wanderingthrough the trees she comes upon...

• an old cabin that an escaped criminal has made his home.

• an attractive stranger who appears in?ured and disoriented.

• a magnificent house with the door unloc!ed and all of the lamps lit but apparently empty.

• what appears to be some !ind of spacecraft.

• a pac! of wolves or of werewolves.

• a military pro?ect so secret that the government can8t ris! your character leaving alive.


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• a summer camp full of children who are terrified because the adults supervising them have all

mysteriously disappeared.

What else might your character find in the woods(

&tory 1deas 6bout Aista!es and Aore...

%elow are some story ideas about mistakes. At the bottom of the page, you'll find links to writing prompts

on a variety of topics.

#$ 9our character accidentally ta!es her husband8swife8s phone to wor! instead of hisher own. 6 text

message comes through on the phone which appears to be a message from a lover. 1s your character8s

husbandwife having an affair( 9our character decides to find out. Pretending to be hisher husbandwife

your character sends a message bac! proposing a meeting...

)$ 9our character is excited to be invited to a costume party where Chris will be too. :or years your

character has loved Chris from afar but she hopes that this party will provide an opportunity for them to

get closer. When she arrives at the party her eyes instantly go to a tall man dressed as a medieval !night

whom she recogni@es as Chris. The fact that they8re both wearing mas!s ma!es her feel less shy and

she approaches him and starts a conversation. They spend the whole evening tal!ing and dancing and

finally ma!e a date for the following wee!end. 6s she8s leaving the party she8s shoc!ed to find Chris

sitting on the front porch dressed as Elvis Presley. Who is the man she spent the evening with(

*$ 9our character lends his car to a friend who then crashes it and dies. The police find that the bra!es

have been cut. id someone attempt to murder your character and end up !illing the wrong person(

While the police suspect your character of murdering his friend your character fears that someone else is

trying to murder ,1A. 7ut who and why(

+$ Bne evening your character8s doorbell rings. 6 woman is standing at the door who loo!s very familiar

although at first your character can8t recall who she is. Then your character reali@es that she met this

woman in the maternity ward seven years ago when they were both giving birth. The woman says that

she8s discovered a mista!e was made in the hospital and she was given the wrong baby. &he saw a

picture of your character8s son on :aceboo! and noticed that he loo!s exactly li!e her own husband. &he

thin!s her baby was switched with your character8s and wants to have genetic tests done to find out for

sure. &he tal!s as if they could ?ust fix the mista!e by switching the children bac!. 7ut your character8s

son is seven years old now and your character loves him...

&tory 1deas about Communication and Aore...&n this page, you'll find story ideas related to the theme of communication. crolling down, you'll find

links to hundreds of other creative writing prompts.

#$ Bn a foreign holiday your character meets an extremely attractive man or woman. They don8t spea!

the same language but they somehow find a way to understand each other and your character feels a

powerful connection that she has never felt with anyone before. 1mpulsively your character marries this


36/51

person after they8ve only !nown each other a very short time. 9our character8s new husbandwife moves

to your character8s country and begins to ta!e language classes there. The better the spouse is able to

communicate the more your character reali@es that she isn8t the person your character had believed...

)$ Bn a first date your character ma!es a ?o!e about wanting to !ill hisher boss. 7ut when the boss ends

up in the hospital following a brutal attac! your character begins to worry that hisher new

boyfriendgirlfriend may have ta!en the ?o!e too literally...

*$ 9our character runs a small charity. The charity8s most important donor has ?ust died and the donorJs

widow shows no interest in continuing to contribute to the charity. 9our character fears that the charity will

not survive the loss of funding. Then your character learns that the widow regularly visits a psychic --

which gives your character an idea. 9our character will convince the widow that she has the ability to

spea! with the dead and will pretend to pass on messages from the dead husband urging her to continue

with the charitable donations. 7ut something strange and unexpected begins to happen. When your

character pretends to summon the dead she has a distinct feeling that someone or something is

actually trying to communicate with him or her...

+$ Every evening when she goes to the par!ing garage of her office building your character finds a newlove note tuc!ed under the windshield wipers of her car. These love notes are very beautiful and fill your

character with powerful emotions. 7ut they are all addressed to Caroline. 9our character8s name is

Aelissa...

$ 9our character has been !idnapped and loc!ed in an attic. The attic has a small window overloo!ing

the garden of a neighbor8s house where your character sometimes sees children playing. 9our character

doesn8t dare shout out the window because the !idnapper might hear. &he needs to find a way to signal

for help without the !idnapper discovering what she8s doing and without endangering the children...

Story (deas Story Starters&n this page, you'll find story ideas based on ma0or life changes, such as a new career, a new baby, a

retirement, or a divorce. "ou can find more story ideas at the bottom of the page.

When people8s lives dramatically change for better or for worse there are always surprises and

challenges. This ma!es for interesting story material.

The way people react to changes can be very revealing. 7y forcing your character to confront unfamiliar

circumstances you give him or her the opportunity to evolve.

9our character might evolve in positive ways -- gaining maturity and strength. Br li!e Walter White in the

TL series 7rea!ing 7ad %a chemistry teacher turned drug !ingpin$ your character might evolve innegative ways becoming morally corrupted by hisher new experiences.

,ere are some ideas you can turn into stories'

#$ 6fter an argument with hisher boss your character decides to leave a highly paid ?ob in order to

become a full-time artist.

)$ 9our character was widowed many years ago. 5ow she decides she8s finally ready to start dating


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again. 7ut she hasn8t been on a date for over forty yearsK

*$ 9our character is in hisher late teens and living in hisher parents8 home. Bne day hisher parents sit

himher down and say that they8ve decided it8s time for himher to become independent. They inform

himher that she has to move out by the end of the month and that they8re also cutting himher off

financially.

+$ 9our character is unmarried and lives alone... until hisher brother and sister-in-law are suddenly !illed

in a car accident... and your character is given custody of their four children.

$ 9our character moves to a different country %you could use a country you8re interested in researching

as either your character8s starting point or hisher destination$.

/$ 9our character wins the lottery.

&tory 1deas about ,ouses and Aore...

&n this page, you'll find story ideas about houses and transportation, along with links to hundreds of other

writing prompts on many different topics.

&tory Prompts 6bout ,ouses

#$ 9our character is in the middle of a messy divorce. ,isher divorce lawyer has advised himher not to

move out of the house because doing so could negatively affect hisher divorce settlement. ,isher

spouse li!ewise refuses to move out so the two are still living together. When your character starts a new

romantic relationship this complicated arrangement becomes even more complicated...

)$ 9our character was the victim of a crime committed by a man named 7arry. 7arry has been sentenced

to house arrest. ,e has to wear an electronic monitor and is not allowed to leave his house. 9our

character feels strongly that this sentence is not severe enough. &he comes up with a plan that will tempt

or force 7arry out of the house so that he will be sent to prison.

*$ 9our character8s inlaws disapprove of himher %you decide why$. Gp until now your character has dealt

with the situation by having limited contact with the inlaws. ,owever now that your character8s mother-in-

law has become very ill and cannot care for herself the inlaws are coming to live with your character and

hisher spouse...

+$ 9our character lives alone. >ately when she goes home from wor! in the evenings she has the

sensation that someone else has been in hisher house during the day. Things have been subtlely moved

and the air smells faintly of an unfamiliar perfume...

$ Bne day your character arrives home and finds a baby bundled in blan!ets on the doorstep...

/$ 9our teenaged character decides to run away from home %you decide why$...


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0$ 9our character8s mother wants to sell the family house. 9our character has a strong sentimental

attachment to the house which is the only place where your character has ever felt happy. 9our character

had always intended to move bac! there himselfherself one day. &he can8t let it be sold to a stranger but

she doesn8t have any money to buy it herselfhimself...

&tory Prompts 6bout Transportation

#$ 9our character never used to believe in love at first sight but the stranger in hisher train

car inspires a powerful emotion that your character is convinced must be love. 9our

character doesn8t !now what to do or what to say but when the stranger gets off at an

unfamiliar stop your character is compelled to follow....

)$ 9our character is on an airplane where the man across the aisle is exhibiting

suspicious behavior. When your character reports hisher concerns to the flight attendant

she doesn8t ta!e himher seriously. 7ut watching the man across the aisle your

character is increasingly convinced that they are all in danger...

*$ 9our character opens the trun! of hisher car and discovers someone hidden inside...

+$ 9our character is on a first date with someone who offers to ta!e your character for a

ride in a private plane. They8re flying over the wilderness that lies beyond the city limits

%this might be forest desert etc. -- you decide$ when something apparently goes wrong

and they have to ma!e an emergency landing...

$ uring a security chec! at the airport something illegal %you decide what$ is found in

your character8s suitcase although your character has no idea how it got there...

/$ &omeone is following your character8s car. Trying to get away your character leaves

the main road and follows little side streets until she finds himselfherself on an isolated

road far away everyone except for hisher pursuer who is still right on hisher tail...

Story (deas )1out Ha1itsooking for short story ideas/ %elow are some story starters about habits. e also have hundreds of

other creative writing prompts on our website about every imaginable topic. "ou'll find links lower down on

the page.

#$ 9our character has decided to murder hisher stepmother. 9ou decide why -- your character feels that

she has a good reason. The stepmother happens to be a compulsive nail-biter. 9our character obtains

some arsenic and buys a bottle of red nail polish...

)$ 9our character plays a sport professionally %you decide which sport$. 9our character has a luc!y charm

an old coin that was a gift from hisher father which she always touches before a game. 9our character

believes that this ritual is the secret of hisher athletic success. 9our character has a big game coming up.

6n opponent that your character will be playing against hears about the luc!y charm and steals it. 9our


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character is sure that if she can8t touch the charm before the game she will lose badly. &he needs to

get it bac!. 7ut how(

*$ 9our character8s new boyfriend has a habit which drives her cra@y. They8ll be out to dinner or at a movie

or alone in your character8s apartment and the boyfriend !eeps texting on his phone. When your

character complains about this behavior the boyfriend says that an emergency has come up at wor!;

however your character8s beginning to suspect he8s seeing another woman. Bne night when the

boyfriend falls asleep your character slips the phone out of his ?eans poc!et to investigate. Aost of the

messages are to someone named P.T. and when your character opens one of them she8s surprised by

what she finds. 1t8s a photograph of her your character at a restaurant where she went with her boyfriendK

The other messages contain more photographs of your character and reports on her actions and

behavior. What is going on(

+$ 9our character is songwriter... or used to be. 6fter some brief success your character has had a long

dry spell without inspiration when she ?ust can8t come up with a good melody. Bne day a new neighbor

moves into the apartment next door to your character8s. This neighbor spends the whole day humming --

the wall between the apartments are paper-thin and your character can hear her perfectly. The neighbor

hums melodies that your character doesn8t recogni@e but they8re catchy and appealing and they stic! inyour character8s head. 6fter a wee! of listening to the neighbor your character meets her face-to-face for

the first time. They ta!e the elevator together; the neighbor as usual is humming. What is that song(

your character as!s. Bh it8s not a real song the neighbor responds. 1t8s ?ust something that came to

me. 1t suddenly occurs to your character that she8s sitting on a gold-mine. 1f your character wrote down

the neighbor8s melodies she8s sure they would sell and your character8s song-writing career would be

bac! on trac!. 7ut that would be stealing wouldn8t it( The temptation is powerful...

&tory 1deas Dit Tips on ,ow to Write a &tory

ower on this page, you'll find step1by1step advice on how to write a story. "ou can use our funtory (deas 2it to come up with great ideas.

&tory 1deas Dit

Choose one element from each column to come up with a story idea. Aix and matchK

Setting "rait 9haracter Situation

On a s#i trip, a shy librarian accidentally reveals a secret.

In a stuc# elevator, a deceitul babysitteralls in love with the wrong

person.

t a costume party, an incredibly novelist discovers evidence o a crime


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attractive

In a moonlit graveyard, a sarcasticballet

danceris visited by a ghost.

In a natural history

museum,a jealous psychiatrist see#s revenge.

$ac#stage at the

theater,a gullible tattoo artist succumbs to temptation.

On a rootop, a misunderstood burglar receives shoc#ing news.

In an orphanage, a amous ta)i driver loses something or someone

In a hair salon, a paranoidpolice

o8certells a dangerous lie.

On a private jet,an obsessive-

compulsivebodyguard is #idnapped.

In a ma:e, a spoiledanimal

trainerma#es a sacrifce.

t a police station, a clever actorreali:es that things are not as

they seem.

&add your own &add your own&add your

own&add your own

&add your own &add your own&add your

own&add your own

6dvertisement'

Bnce you have your idea how can you go about turning it into a story( &ome suggestions'

- Gse our c*aracter profile 2uestionnaire to develop your main character into a *-dimensional person.

- 1dentify what the main problem facing your character in the story is. What steps will the character ta!e to

overcome the problem( What complications might arise when your character ta!es them( Aa!e a list of

ideas. 1f you li!e write them on notecards and start playing with the order.

- 1magine one of the scenes

Documents

Story and Poetry Ideas/starters