212+ ‘Complexity’ Writing Prompts
-
Witches’ Gathering
Create a narrative about a yearly Halloween meeting of witches from all over the world.
-
Dark Side Virtues
Write a story where a common perception is challenged – that the Galactic Empire is necessarily evil.
-
Savoring the Memory
Craft a detailed and sensory description of the most spectacular meal you have ever had.
-
Sibling Shadows
Write about a child who discovers that their sibling is actually a malevolent creature.
-
Guardians of the Aurora Borealis
Imagine two adventurers that are bound in friendship by their duty to guard the magical Aurora Borealis.
-
Historical Novel Study
Choose a historical novel you’ve read and describe the factors that contributed to the event or era it depicted.
-
Fact vs Fantasy
Write a story where characters navigate between the real world and a fantasy world. How do they differentiate the two?
-
Understanding Ethical Decisions
Describe a situation where you had to make an ethical decision and explain the thought process behind your choice.
-
Breaking Free
Describe the moment when your character decided to finally leave a toxic relationship.
-
Switched at Birth
Craft a story where two close friends realize their romantic feelings for each other when they find out they were…
-
Multiverse Morality
Consider a superhero who is able to intervene in other dimensions’ catastrophic events, but must deal with the moral complexities…
-
The Bravery Chronicle
Write about a time when you had to be brave and describe how it made you feel.
-
Visiting A Loved One
Tell the story of a spirit who visits a loved one to offer comfort after their demise.
-
Alien Eden
Suppose you’re a human scientist who’s been given the chance to study a flourishing alien ecosystem. Chronicle your discoveries.
-
Prompt Progression
Write a chronological narrative detailing your journey from simple to complex writing prompts.
-
Graded Prompts Influence
Write about how a writing prompt’s grade level indicates its complexity and impact on your writing ability.
-
Reforming Dracula
Develop a plot where your character tries to transform Dracula into a vegetarian vampire.
-
Master of Disguise
Devise a character who switches identities in a high stakes game, leading a dual life as both a hero and…
-
The Benefactor’s Betrayal
Write a story where the person aiding the protagonist’s journey is actually the one causing all their problems.
-
My Favorite Season
Write about your favorite season in great detail, including how it looks, sounds, smells, and feels.
-
The Mute Confession
Write about a murder mystery where the only witness to the crime is a mute bystander.
-
The Villain’s Redemption
Imagine your villain yearns for redemption, but struggles to escape the web of their past wrongdoings.
-
Memory Capsule
Create a collage or mind map of your most memorable childhood events and the emotions associated with them.
-
The Unknown Letter
A character receives an anonymous letter that leads them on a mysterious journey.
-
Time Warped Town
Imagine a small town that is stuck in a different time period due to a supernatural event.
-
The Achilles Heel
Write about a singular weakness your villain possesses that is tied to their past or their journey so far.
-
Cambrian Explosion
Describe the Cambrian explosion as a turning point in the history of life on Earth.
-
Primordial Soup Stir
Imagine the conditions under which life first originated on Earth and describe this event.
-
The Songbird Symphony
Draw inspiration from the morning chorus of songbirds and write a fictitious piece.
-
Memory Twist
Write a crime fiction where an eyewitness’s memory of the crime makes a twist in the narrative.
-
Murky Shadows
Write about a detective’s darkest investigation where the victim and the offender are not apparent.
-
Ghost of Mistaken Identity
Weave a story around a ghost who got mistaken for another spirit and is now trying to establish its true…
-
Caught in the Crossfire
A trusted friend is revealed to be an enemy. How does your protagonist deal with it?
-
Alter Ego
Your nemesis lives a double life – one of normalcy, and one of villainy. Explore how they balance this dual…
-
Unspoken Feelings
Write about a character keeping a secret or deep, unexpressed love for another character.
-
The Unseen Healer
Build a character with a power they cannot control: whenever they touch someone, they heal all their physical ailments.
-
Character Complexity
Draft a story from mainstream fiction where the character develops over time, before condensing it into a flash fiction where…
-
Superpowered Schooling
Describe how a child superhero would navigate the challenges of schooling, given their extraordinary skills.
-
A Mask Revealed
Write a scene where a charismatic character reveals a deep secret to their closest confidant.
-
Hidden Depths
Create a character who starts off as two-dimensional or stereotypical, but then uncovers deeper aspects of their personality.
-
Flashbacks and Their Significance
Compose a story that utilizes flashbacks to reveal major elements of the plot.
-
Unseen City in the Clouds
Pen an adventure about a secret city hidden amongst the clouds and the daring journey your protagonist embarks on to…
-
Life After Lottery
Write about a character who wins a multi-million dollar lottery, but it brings more problems than they anticipated.
-
Diverse Ecosystem Complexity
Explain how different Pokemon species could coexist peacefully in a determined environment.
-
Farewell Letter
You uncover a letter in the attic of your haunted house. It’s a suicide note from the original owner.
-
Hidden Humanity
Create a narrative where Peter Hale is reformed and becomes a father figure to Scott and his pack.
-
Invisible War
Write about a Marvel Superhero fighting an invisible enemy energized by human emotions.
-
Fanfic Tropes
Pick a common fanfic trope and write about how and why it appeals to a fanfic audience.
-
Unraveling the Fade
Craft a story about an unexpected journey into the Fade and your encounter with its denizens.
-
Imperial Court Intrigue
Spin a tale of espionage and intrigue as a bard in the Imperial Court of Orlais.
-
Radiation Mutations
Create a setting where the apocalypse resulted in humans mutating and developing extraordinary abilities.
-
Journey of Emotions
Describe a single emotion as a journey, including its high and low points, obstacles and rewards.
-
Unsung Hero
Reflect on a virtue or quality of the person you’ve lost that was underappreciated or not very well-known.
-
Talks to the Younger You
Write a letter to your younger self explaining how you’ve discovered the true essence of your parents.
-
The Never-Ending Cycle
Detail how stress leads to depression and in turn how depression leads to more stress in your life.
-
Co-existing Conditions Complexity
Write about the complexities involved in identifying and treating depression when other mental conditions co-exist.
-
Anime Sidekick
Write a story where you are the sidekick to a popular anime hero. How does this affect your character and…
-
Human in Monsters
Create a story that begins with an antagonist committing a seemingly evil act but ends with the readers empathizing with…
-
Democracy’s Demise
Imagine living in a world where democracy has been replaced by an oppressive regime.
-
Art of Emotions
Create an imaginary friend who is the embodiment of an emotion and write about your experiences together.
-
Oxymoronic Emotions
Write a poem conveying an emotion that is an oxymoron, such as a joyful sadness or a silent scream.
-
The Complexity of Joy
Write a poem exploring joy in a moment when it was unexpected or even inappropriate.
-
Unexpected Reunion
Create a chapter where your main character unexpectedly crosses paths with a figure from their past.
-
Invisible Wounds
Write about a perceived slight or injury your character received as a child which still influences them as an adult.
-
Peeling the Layers
Write about a closed-off, enigmatic character who gradually opens up, revealing layers of complexity beneath their initial exterior.
-
Character Web Complexity
Write a narrative where each character has a significant hidden connection with another.