115+ ‘character’ Writing Prompts
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Unexpected Love Letters
Create a story of a character unearthing a collection of love letters addressed to them, penned by an unexpected admirer.
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Abandoned Asylum Adventure
Your protagonist must enter an infamous, abandoned asylum during a stormy night to retrieve something valuable.
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The Unwanted Heirloom
A character comes into possession of a mysterious family heirloom which brings unsettling changes into their life.
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The Revealed Prophecy
A prophecy has foretold the downfall of a great empire by an unassuming protagonist. How does this affect your main character’s life, choices and relationships?
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Elemental Bonds
Consider a world where every human is connected to a certain element (Fire, Water, Earth, Air). How does this affect society, politics and interpersonal relationships?
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Cost of Immortality
Explore the idea of an immortal character, and the ramifications of eternal life.
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The Unspoken Language
Write a dialogue where much of the meaning is conveyed through what isn’t said – via pauses, body language, or hidden emotions.
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Interrogative Bonds
Develop a dialogue where one character attempts to understand something about another through seemingly unrelated questions.
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Eavesdrop Tango
Write a conversation between two different individuals in a public setting, overheard by a third character who misinterprets the entire interaction.
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Lost in a Unknown Land
Your protagonist finds themselves in a completely strange environment without any knowledge of how they got there.
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Out of Character Statement
Start your novel with your protagonist saying or doing something completely out of character.
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Emotional Journey
Write a potent scene that marks a significant emotional transformation for your character.
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Quirks and Habits
Give your character a unique quirk or habit, and explore how it impacts their interactions.
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Dire Revelations
Compose a scene where a tightly held secret is devastatingly revealed just before the climax.
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The Romantic Rival
Make two characters fall in love, but introduce a third character who complicates the romantic equation.
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Forbidden Love
In your novel, create a romantic relationship that’s prohibited due to social norms or personal circumstances.
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Legendary Landscapes
Detail a primary geographical feature of your world and its impact on the culture and people living there.
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Letters From A Stranger
A mysterious set of letters find their way to your protagonist, changing everything they believed.
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The Unknown Past
Incorporate a hidden past for your protagonist that they themselves were unaware of.
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Innocent Imposter
Write about a protagonist who discovers that someone close to them has been leading a double life.
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Haunted Heirloom
Your character finds an old family object that seems to possess an ancient mystery associated with it.
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Clandestine Caller
A strange phone call in the middle of the night leads your character down a path full of mysteries.
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Shadowy Secrets
Write about a character who stumbles upon a room full of secret files with names of people he/she knows.
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Veiled Friend
Write about your antagonist’s introduction as a trusted friend or mentor to the protagonist, only to betray them later.
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The Protagonist’s Fear
Write about your protagonist’s greatest fear and how it acts as a motivator or hurdle in their journey.
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Path of Personal Development
Trace your personal development over the years, focusing on key life lessons and growth.
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Witness to History
Choose a significant historical event whether widely known or local, and write a narrative as if you were there to witness it.
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Magical Career: Professional Elf in Lapland
Write about the role of a professional Elf in Santa’s Lapland, the unique experiences they face and the challenges they overcome daily.
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Fabric of Friendship
Recount an extraordinary friendship in your life that facilitated growth and self-discovery.
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Beyond the Pinstripes
Write a day-in-the-life story about a businessman or woman outside of their corporate environment.
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Eulogy for a Fictional Character
Pen a heartfelt eulogy for a fictional character that impacted you deeply.
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An Unusual Life
Write about a biography of an unconventional character or someone who lived an unusual lifestyle.
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In the Footsteps of Heroes
Write about your childhood hero, why you admired them and how they guided your life.
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Interview with a Stranger
Describe an encounter with a stranger who piqued your interest. How did the interaction change you, and what did it reveal about society and your place in it?
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Beyond the Ink – Historic Letters
Imagine that you can read a letter from a historical figure to another. Unravel the contents of this letter and its implications on the course of history.
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Footsteps of Historical Legends
Choose an influential figure in history and write about their life, struggles, achievements from their perspective.
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Journey into a Heroic World
Write about the first superhero character you admired and the reason behind your admiration.
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Fictitious Pen-Pal Friendship
Create a fictional character from a different culture or era, and write them a letter as though you are establishing a pen-pal relationship.
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The Parallel Universe Dilemma
Create a storyline where your protagonist discovers an alternate universe where their life turned out drastically different.
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The Dissociative Dinner Party
Write a script where a character who suffers from dissociative identity disorder hosts a dinner party.
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Empathy in Echoes
Create a song that encapsulates the emotions and feelings of a character from a book or movie.
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Colliding Cultures
Write about a person experiencing culture shock in a foreign land and how they navigate the conflicts arising from cultural differences to eventually find acceptance.
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Fight for a Cause
Write a story revolving around a character fighting passionately for a cause they believe in, and the conflicts and resolutions they face in the journey.
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Forgotten Identity
Waking up one day without remembering your past can be terrifying. Write a story where the main character experiences this.
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Unexpected Consequence
The choices we make often have unforeseen repercussions. Write a story where a seemingly insignificant decision turns the protagonist’s life upside down.
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Memory Lane
Outline a vivid memory from your character’s past and discuss how it shapes their present.
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Crosstalk Collision
Craft a difficult conversation between your character and someone they have a conflict with.
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The Major Life Turnaround
Describe a major event in your character’s life that significantly changes their course.
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Character’s Personal Artifact
Write about an object that carries significant meaning for your character.
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Inner Monologue
Initiate a dialogue with one of your characters. Have them express their secret thoughts and inner feelings.
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Banquet of the Gods
Describe a banquet attended by all the gods from various mythologies and detail the discussions that ensue.
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The Unnoticed Observer
Create a play where an ‘invisible’ character observes others, providing an outsider’s perspective on unfolding events.
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Song of the Heart
Write a play where a character communicates their deepest feelings and emotions through songs.
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Facing the Final Moment
Write a scene where one character is faced with a life-or-death decision that will impact not only their life but the life of another character as well.
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The Power of a Symbol
Create a story where the main character designs a symbol that unintentionally becomes a symbol of resistance.
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Mirror Universe
Imagine waking up to find yourself in a world that is achingly familiar, yet subtly different.
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Art in action
Mold an artistic concept into a narrative centered around a painter who uses their art in unconventional ways.
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Stairway to Suspense
Write a story that begins with a character discovering a hidden staircase in their home that they never knew about.
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Memento of Malice
Your protagonist receives a box with an object from their distant past which starts a chain of terrifying events.
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Hidden in Plain Sight
You notice someone hiding in a crowd. Write about the mystery that unfolds when you decide to follow them.
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Intrigue in the Art World
Imagine you are an art conservator who uncovers a cryptic message hidden in a renowned artwork.
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The Forgotten Memory
Pen a story about a character who remembers only glimpses of a horrifying incident from their past.
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Imprisoned in Paintings
Develop a story about a character who can venture into the world of paintings, only to realize that an evil entity does not want them to leave.
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Sentence of the Cursed Pen
Write a tale where anything the main character writes with a cursed pen comes to life, but invariably with bone-chilling consequences.
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House of Forgotten Whispers
Write about a protagonist inheriting an old, haunted mansion filled with voices only they can hear.
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The Haunting Past
Write a story in which a character’s dark past resurfaces menacingly into their present life.
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Battle Against Time
Write an application of a character struggling to accomplish a task before a deadline, failure of which could have dire consequences.
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Catastrophic Consequences
Tell a story about a character who makes a seemingly insignificant decision that leads to disastrous results.
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Crisis in the Courtroom
Craft a story where a character is forced to defend their innocence in a major court case.
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Mythical Creature Encounter
Craft a tale about encountering a mythical creature in your own neighborhood.
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Hidden Love
Develop a plot in which one character has been in love with their best friend for years, but has been too afraid to confess.
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Love Letter Continuity
Craft a series of love letters between two characters over several defining moments in their romantic journey.
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Vikings Voyage
Engage in a Viking’s first journey across the sea. How does he/she/they feel about leaving home and exploring unknown lands?
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Endless Echo
Write a story about a character who discovers that every sound they make echoes indefinitely.
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Strangers in a Capsule
Write about two strangers who meet on a spaceship sent on a long voyage to colonize a new planet.
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Whispers in the Dark
Write a thriller narrative that involves discovering a terrifying secret about a character’s family history.
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Disappeared Without a Trace
Compose a narrative about a character who suddenly vanishes from a small town.
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Childhood Home Discourse
Describe your childhood home as a character in your life story, allowing it to have its own personality and influence.
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Character Immersion
If you could live a day in the life of any fictional movie or TV character, who would it be and why?
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Behind The Camera
Imagine yourself as a director of a popular TV show or movie, discuss the changes you would make.
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The Spirit of Sportsmanship
Write about an instance displaying exemplary sportsmanship, either personal or something witnessed.
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The Underdog Story
Write about an underdog in sports or games, they can be real or fictional, and their journey to victory.
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A New Perspective
Take a notable event from literature and retell it from an unusual perspective, perhaps an inanimate object or a minor character.
