250+ Category: Short Story Prompts
-
Anomalous Phenomenon
Narrate a tale where your protagonist is torn between dismissing strange occurrences in their town as mere coincidences or suspecting a larger force at play.
-
The Illuminated Manuscript
Your character discovers an ancient manuscript inscribed with an unknown language or coding.
-
The Enigmatic Dream
Imagine your main character experiencing a series of disturbing dreams containing mysterious symbols and occurrences.
-
Lost Time Capsule
Pen a story about someone locating an ancient time capsule filled with cryptic artifacts.
-
Mystic Gateway
Develop a narrative in which your character stumbles upon a hidden portal to an unknown world.
-
Gandhi’s Freedom March
Write a narrative about an individual participating in Mahatma Gandhi’s Salt March in India, 1930.
-
Life Aboard the Titanic
Create a character and tell their story during the Titanic’s ill-fated 1912 voyage.
-
Spirit of the American Frontier
Pen a story about a pioneer family journeying West during the 19th century American expansion.
-
Climate Change Chronicles
Create a story revolving around multiple generations of a family, each experiencing the effects of climate change differently.
-
The Equally Matched Nemesis
Write a story featuring an antagonist who is the protagonist’s equal in every respect, forcing a stalemate.
-
Unseen Manipulator
Create a narrative revolving around an antagonist who operates from the shadows, influencing events without direct confrontation.
-
Antagonist’s Redemption
Write a narrative where the antagonist seeks redemption for their past actions.
-
Unforeseen Turncoat
Create a story where a character that was initially presented as an ally turns into an antagonist.
-
Sympathetic Shadow
Write about an antagonist who has compelling reasons for their actions, making readers empathize with them.
-
Survival on Stake
Craft a scenario where two characters end up in a survival situation and their differing ideologies lead to conflict.
-
Erroneous Judgement
Write about a character who makes a snap judgement about someone that ultimately breeds conflict.
-
Parallel Paths
Imagine a world where two characters’ lives follow eerily similar trajectories, but one drastic difference leads to a bitter conflict.
-
Underneath the Surface
Narrate a tale where a seemingly insignificant decision causes significant conflict.
-
Dreadful Doppelganger
Write about a character who is haunted by their exact replica, who starts altering their life in horrifying ways.
-
Terrifying Time-Travel
Your character discovers a dilapidated time machine that transports them to horrific past events.
-
The Creepy Carnival
Imagine a shuttered and forgotten carnival that mysteriously lights up one night. Write a story where characters who are drawn to its lights can’t leave.
-
Curse of the Abandoned Mansion
Write a story about a group of friends who dare to explore an old, abandoned mansion in their town that’s rumored to be cursed.
-
A Premonition Come True
Conjure up a story where your protagonist is haunted by a recurring vision of the future, which eventually comes true.
-
The Forgotten Keepsake
Write a story about finding an item from your past, and its associated memories.
-
Echoes of an Old Friendship
Think of a long-lost friend and write about a memorable event that happened between the two of you.
-
Atlas Love
Narrate a story about two globetrotting individuals who unknowingly cross paths multiple times around the world, falling for each other in different locations without realizing they are the same people.
-
Ballroom Rendezvous
Sketch a scenario whereby an antagonistic duo falls in love at a masquerade ball unknowingly.
-
Switched at Birth
Craft a story where two close friends realize their romantic feelings for each other when they find out they were switched at birth.
-
Destined Letters
Create a narrative where two people fall in love through exchanging letters but haven’t met in person.
-
Lost and Found
Write a story where two strangers fall in love after finding and returning each other’s lost items.
-
The Mundane Turned Sacred
Choose an everyday object and make it a central motif of your story. Explore how it symbolizes a profound change or discovery in a character’s life.
-
Emancipating the Outcast
Write a story about an outcast character in society overcoming great odds to achieve something considered impossible.
-
Nature’s Echoes
Write an account of a character experiencing personal conflict mirrored by an unfolding natural event.
-
Master of Disguise
Write a story where a character adopts a new identity. Unveil the reason behind this change, and how it affects their relationships and personal growth.
-
Historical Ripples
Write a short story that demonstrates how a historical event has impacted your main character’s family over the course of several generations.
-
The Rib-tickling Reunion
Write a heartwarming story about a gripping family reunion gone hysterically wrong.
-
Comic Time Travel Hypothesis
Compose a tale about a scientific experiment gone hilariously wrong, leading to an unintentional time travel mishap.
-
The Hilarious Heist
Write a story about a robbery that doesn’t go plain sailing due to a series of comedic failures.
-
Poking Fun at Prophecies
Create a short story where a prophecy is interpreted humorously and leads to a comedic chain of events.
-
The Comic Misunderstanding
Write a story revolving around a humorous misconception that results in unexpected consequences.
-
Unexpected Heir
A character never interested in power suddenly discovers they are the rightful heir to a kingdom.
-
Uncovered Lies
Your character is living a comfortable life when they discover it’s rooted in deception.
-
Whirlwind of a Love Story
Write a romantic story that takes a drastic turn with a hidden relationship.
-
The Seemingly Evil Savior
Craft a story where the antagonist turns out to be working for the greater good.
-
Disguised Hero
Imagine a character who’s been perfectly normal and mediocre throughout the entire story, but at the climax, is revealed to be the hero.
-
Experiencing Emotions
Compose a piece where the narrative voice is heavily influenced by the character’s emotional state.
-
Let’s Talk, Shall We?
Write a story largely composed of dialogue, creating characterization and plot through the conversations.
-
First Person Immersion
Weave a tale using the first person narrative, but let the readers only know what the narrator knows.
-
Character Shift
Write a story in which the narrator’s voice, tone or perspective changes drastically in the middle.
-
The Mind of a Villain
Write a short story from the perspective of a traditional villain, revealing their motives and thoughts.
-
The Silent Medium
Depict a dialogue between two characters using only their facial expressions and gestures.
-
Vivid Visual Landscapes
Describe a significant event in the protagonist’s life using the environment they are in.
-
Colors of Emotion
Write a story using color symbolism to depict the mood and progression of the characters.
-
After the Last Curtain Call
Describe the life of a great performer or artist after they have lost their gift.
-
Valiant in Defeat
Write a story of a hero who loses the final battle but preserves their integrity and honor.
-
Last Tango in the Rain
Narrate a tragic love story where the main characters part ways due to reasons beyond their control.
-
The Broken Dream
Write about an ambitious dream or goal that you had to let go due to unforeseen circumstances.
-
A Letter to the Lost
Write a letter to someone close to you who has passed away, expressing your unspoken feelings and thoughts.
-
Chronicle of a Future Civilization
Write about Earth’s future where technological advancements morphed civilization into a world unrecognizable from our own.
-
Phantasmal Island Expedition
You’re an explorer who has discovered a mysterious, uncharted island filled with strange creatures, unfamiliar plants, and secrets.
-
Alternate History Reimagination
Pick a significant historical event and retell it as if it had happened in an alternate universe.
-
Galaxy-Hopping Journey
Being a galactic nomad, you wander through various star systems, planets, and galaxies, each time discovering new life forms and cultures.
-
Worlds Within Books
Imagine finding a portal in the pages of your favorite book that leads to the world described within.
-
Scented Stories
Write a story based on a specific scent. Use it as a way to craft the sensory details of your narrative.
-
Sound of Narratives
Use a song as a writing prompt. Let the lyrics guide you to form a story around its melody and words.
-
Painting by Words
Imagine a famous painting and use it as a prompt for your story. Describe the characters, setting and plot inspired from the artwork.
-
Creative Catalyst
Use an abstract concept like ‘time’ or ‘space’ as your starting point and create a narrative around it.
-
“The Final Transmission”
Write about a radio-jockey who begins receiving disturbing, cryptic messages through an old, unused frequency.
-
“Ciphered Letters From an Unknown Sender”
Narrate the tale of a character who starts receiving anonymous, encrypted letters that lead to the unveiling of an eerie truth.
-
“The Secret Door”
Create a suspenseful story about a character who accidentally discovers a concealed door in their house, which they never knew existed.
-
“Mystery at the Museum”
Pen down a narrative about a regular museum night guard who discovers that one specific exhibit is mysteriously changing every night.
-
“Footsteps in the Foggy Night”
Write a short story about a character who starts hearing unexplained footsteps in the foggy nights.