170+ ‘Decision-making’ Writing Prompts
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Exploring Ethical Dilemmas
Write about a moral or ethical dilemma and your thoughts on the right course of action.
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The Path Not Taken
Imagine a major decision in your life made differently and describe the alternate path.
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Cocooned in a Startup
You and your closest friends decided to build a startup. Share your journey—what would your product or service be, and how would you assign everyone’s roles to be most productive?
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Sailing the Seven Seas
Write about being part of a crew on a ship in the 1700s. What roles would your teammates play? How would you ensure collaboration and resolve conflicts?
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Make It or Break It
Write a letter from the perspective of an injured athlete to their younger self, warning about the injury and giving advice on how to avoid it.
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Unveiling the Past
Imagine a character with a past that they are determined to leave behind, but it continues to resurface in unexpected ways.
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Unexpected Cart Challenge
Illustrate an experience where you’re confronted with someone else’s deserted shopping cart.
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The Casual Villain
Write a story about a character, leading a typical, everyday life, who unknowingly becomes a villain due to certain circumstances or decisions.
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Unraveling with Dumbledore’s Wisdom
Digest the quote by Albus Dumbledore: “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” and write about a choice you made that defined you.
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The Unassuming Queen
Write about a humble queen who rescues her kingdom from ruin while maintaining her low-key lifestyle.
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Survivor Morality
Craft a story that explores the moral choices and ethical dilemmas in a zombie apocalypse.
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Journaling Crossroads
Write about a decision in your life that changed your course or affected you deeply.
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Fragments of a Fractured Mind
Create a character who suffers from a mental illness, causing hallucinations or delusions, and these visions inspire dread in the readers.
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View from the Bench
Imagine you are a Supreme Court Justice delivering a groundbreaking majority opinion on a contemporary controversial issue.
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Unpicking Precedents
Choose a landmark legal case that set a significant precedent and explain how your approach would have differed.
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Journeying through Eras
Your protagonist has a time machine that can take him to any point in history. Where does he go and what does he do?
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Battle of Hoth: A Strategic Nightmare
Write about the strategic challenges faced by the Rebellion during the Battle of Hoth.
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Impending Deadline
Write a story, in less than 200 words, about a character who must make a life-altering decision in just 10 seconds.
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Post-Apocalyptic Leadership
Describe the journey of a leader in a post-apocalyptic world struggling to rebuild society.
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Morality Spectrum in Hero League
Write about the differing views of morality within a superhero team and how they impact decision-making processes.
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Ingenious Improvisation
Your superhero is stuck in a tricky situation without their usual tools. Write about how they navigate their way out using their quick thinking and surrounding resources.
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Worlds in Peril
Create a narrative where multiple universes are in danger simultaneously, requiring the collective efforts of superheroes from each realm.
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The Abandoned Pharmacy
Detail a dangerous journey to a pharmacy in search of much-needed medication.
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Water Shortage Dilemma
Write about a scenario in which the only remaining water source is contaminated and how you’d navigate this problem.
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The Hutt’s Dilemma
Create a predicament faced by a Hutt crime lord and examine their decision-making process.
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Galactic Politics
Analyze the politics and power structures in the Star Wars universe, focusing on the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire.
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Rise of AI
Write about a world where AI has replaced most human jobs without causing societal rupture.
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Room of Many Doors
Construct a narrative where your protagonist discovers a room that contains doors leading into different worlds.
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Crisis Management Mastery
Write about a crisis situation that you successfully navigated, focusing on the strategies and decisions that led to positive outcomes.
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Change of Command
Imagine being the principal of your school for a day. Write about the reforms you would initiate and the responsibilities that follow.
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New Horizons
You find yourself needing to relocate your group to safer grounds in a zombie apocalypse.
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Revisiting Missed Opportunities
Reflect on the opportunities you missed or let go of consciously, why you made the decision you did and what you learnt from it.
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Year’s Best Decision
Write about the best decision you made this year and the factors that led you to it.
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Psychology of Groupthink
Describe a situation in which you fell into the ‘groupthink’ trap and how it affected your opinion.
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Emotion Versus Rationality
Share an instance where your emotional responses dictated your opinions rather than logic.
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The Executive Decision
Write about a significant decision you’ve made that has deeply impacted your life.
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Life-Altering Lessons
Recall a life-altering lesson or event that significantly changed your perspective.
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Encounter with a Fugitive
Your main character stumbles upon an old friend or relative who is now a fugitive living under a new identity.
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Constructing a Hideout
Create a set of directions on how to construct your ideal hideout or secret fort.
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The President in Crisis
Imagine a crisis situation that a president had to handle. How did the decisions made during this time shape the country’s future?
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Unprecedented Action
Consider a radical or unprecedented action taken by a president and its consequences.
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Inventing the Future
Imagine you invented a gadget that can predict the future. What does it look like and how does it work?
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Tidal Waves of Emotion
Write about a fast-paced, emotional event, detailing the rollercoaster of emotions experienced during that time.
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Birthday Reflections: Life So Far
Document a birthday where you took some time out to personally reflect on the years gone by.
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Difficult Decisions
Describe a challenging decision you had to make in high school and how you dealt with it.
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Mapping Enchanted Trails
Chronicle a journey of discovery, tracing your character’s route on a map of a magical kingdom they’ve just stumbled upon.
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Meeting at the Crossroads
Create a narrative where the protagonist repeatedly encounters a crossroads, a symbol of life-altering decisions.
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Cracking the Code
Draft a flash fiction piece in which the protagonist must solve a cryptic message or puzzle in order to avert disaster.
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The Day of Role-Reversal
Pretend that for one day, you become the parent and your parents become the kids. Write about this experience.
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Crossroad Decisions
Write a story about a young person at a critical crossroad making a life-altering decision.
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The Puppeteer
Write about a benevolent character who unwittingly causes disaster due to manipulation by an evil entity.
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Desperate Survival
Create a suspenseful narrative where a character is fighting against time in a tragic, high-stakes situation.
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Iron Age Politics
Imagine being a leader in an Iron Age society. What changes would you implement and how would you convince your tribe?
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Impact of Literature in Society
Write a research paper on a specific piece of literature and analyze its impact on contemporary or historical society.
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Lost and Found Adventure
Imagine your class found a treasure map during a school trip; write about what happens next.
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Goal Reassessment
Reflect on a goal that you decided to change or abandon, and explain why you made that decision and how it affected you.
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Dreamy Superpowers
Imagine you could have any superpower for a day, what would it be and how would you use it?
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Casting Shadows
Imagine a scenario where two best friends fall for each other, but one is in a relationship with another person.
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The Fruit Royalty
Write about being the king or queen of a kingdom where everything (including the subjects) is made out of fruits.
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Lost in a Labyrinth
Consider being lost in a massive, puzzling labyrinth with a minotaur at the center. How would you find your way out?
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Investment Excursion
Write about a potential investment opportunity you’re considering. What are its advantages and disadvantages?
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The Uninvited Adventurers
Write a story where three friends accidentally step into a magical realm during a camping trip and must find their way back home.
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Eternal Torchbearer
Write a story in which your invincible character grapples with their inability to change or age.
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Core Compass
Identify a personal value that guides your decisions and actions, reflecting on how you discovered its importance in your life.
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The Day of Decision
Narrate a time when you had to make a difficult decision and the outcomes of that choice.
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Crossroad of Choices
You are a traveller in a mystical land. At a crossroad with four magical realms, each path offers a different adventure. Discuss the journey through the chosen path.
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Unfeeling Justice
Consider a world where AI have taken over law enforcement and judgement. How does this change society and how fair would it be?
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Ethical Dilemmas
Write about an ethical dilemma you faced and how it influenced your opinion on that matter.
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The Reluctant Leader
Create a character who is reluctantly pushed into a leadership role in a zombie apocalypse.
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The Lucid Dream
Write about an experience where you realize you are in a dream and have control over your actions.
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The Heat of the Moment
Conjure a high-stake situation in which your protagonist has to make a life-altering decision under immense pressure.
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Backroads and Detours
Write about a time during your summer road trip where you deliberately chose to take a detour or use backroads.
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Zero Hour
Write a narrative recounting the first 24 hours of a global zombie outbreak from the viewpoint of a central authority or government agency.
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Crossroads
Write about a significant turning point in your life and the decision that swung the pendulum.
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The Impact of Childhood Experiences
Write in detail about an impactful experience from your early years and how it shaped you as an adult.
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Undercover Nerves
Describe a tense situation where an undercover officer is on the brink of having their real identity exposed.
