The best creative writing prompts give you a specific situation with a problem built in, such as "A locksmith is called to open a door from the inside". Pick one, give yourself 10 to 25 minutes, and write the scene without stopping to polish. You can shape it into a story once the draft exists.
30 creative writing prompts
- A locksmith is called to open a door from the inside.Write it blind
- Two strangers realise they've been writing to the same pen pal.Write it blind
- The last bus of the night stops somewhere it never stops.Write it blind
- A character finds a note in their own handwriting that they don't remember writing.Write it blind
- Write a scene where nobody says what they actually mean.Write it blind
- A town holds an election for a job nobody wants.Write it blind
- Someone returns a library book forty years late, with an explanation.Write it blind
- A wedding guest realises they're at the wrong wedding and decides to stay.Write it blind
- The power goes out during the most important conversation of someone's life.Write it blind
- Write about a family recipe that has a secret ingredient nobody will name.Write it blind
- A lighthouse keeper receives a letter addressed to the lighthouse.Write it blind
- Two siblings divide their late parent's belongings and find something unexpected.Write it blind
- A character is given one day to decide, and spends it doing something else.Write it blind
- The new neighbour is exactly like you, twenty years older.Write it blind
- Write a story told entirely through a list.Write it blind
- Someone keeps finding the same coin in different cities.Write it blind
- A tour guide starts telling the truth about the town.Write it blind
- Write the moment a friendship ends, without anyone raising their voice.Write it blind
- An old phone rings in a museum display case.Write it blind
- A child explains a grown-up problem better than the grown-ups.Write it blind
- A character must deliver bad news to a room that is celebrating.Write it blind
- Write about a promise that was kept, at great cost.Write it blind
- The weather forecast is suddenly, eerily specific.Write it blind
- A musician hears their own song in a place it shouldn't be.Write it blind
- Two people share an umbrella and the walk is longer than it should be.Write it blind
- Write a scene set in a waiting room, where the waiting is the story.Write it blind
- A character lies on a form and has to live up to it.Write it blind
- Someone inherits a house and the previous owner's unfinished argument with a neighbour.Write it blind
- Write the last page of a story first, then the first page.Write it blind
- The map is right. The town has moved.Write it blind
How to turn a prompt into a story
- Draft the scene first. Don't plan the whole story. Write what happens in the next ten minutes of the character's life.
- Find the want. By the end of the draft you'll usually know what the character wants. That's your story.
- Write forward. If you get a better idea halfway, switch to it without going back to fix the beginning. Mark the change with a note.
- Shape it afterwards. Cut the opening paragraph, which is usually warm-up, and see what's left.
Timed drafts work well for fiction. The writing sprints guide has 5, 10 and 25-minute plans, and the random prompt generator gives you a prompt from this list or any other.
Why specific prompts beat vague ones
"Write about love" leaves you choosing from everything. "Two people share an umbrella and the walk is longer than it should be" gives you characters, a setting and tension in one line, so you can start in the first minute.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a prompt story be?
Draft for 10 to 25 minutes, usually 300 to 1,000 words. Flash fiction is generally under 1,000 words, so a single sprint can produce a complete piece.
Can I use these prompts for a class or a writing group?
Yes, freely. Give everyone the same prompt and the same timer, then compare how different the drafts are.
What if I hate my draft?
Good, it exists. Hating a draft means you can see what's wrong with it, which is where revision starts. See how to finish a first draft.
