339+ ‘Era’ Writing Prompts
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The Relic Hunt
Your character hears rumors of a hidden vault containing items from the pre-apocalyptic era and sets off on a perilous journey to find it.
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Messages from the Past
Your character finds a series of hand-written letters from the pre-apocalyptic period. What do they say and how does your character react?
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Poetic Time Machine
Write a poem as though you’ve time-traveled to a notable historical era.
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Land of the Dinosaurs
Write a story revolving around a picture of prehistoric landscapes and dinosaurs.
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Time Travel Tales
If you could time travel to the future, what age or era would you choose to visit, and why?
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Raided!
Concoct a dramatic account of a police raid on a speakeasy.
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Women of the Prohibition
Design a scenario of women’s contributions and reactions during the Prohibition Era.
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Innocent Bystander
Narrate a story set in the Prohibition era from the perspective of a child who doesn’t fully understand the situation.
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A Toast to the Bootleggers
Imagine being a bootlegger smuggling illegal alcohol during the Prohibition Era.
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Smoky Secrets
Write about a character who operates an underground speakeasy during the Prohibition Era.
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Embracing Retirement
Write about your vision of an ideal retirement, what plans you have, and how you aim to fulfil them.
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Technological Advances in Military
Express your feelings about the impact of technology on military actions and its implications.
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The Railroad Ambition
Put together a narrative about the construction of the transcontinental railroad from a worker’s viewpoint.
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Legendary Female Figures
Choose a mythical or legendary female figure and write a modern interpretation of her story.
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The Umbrella That Changed the World
Write a story about how an umbrella’s invention completely shifted the course of history.
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Pages From The Past
Choose a book that hails from a completely different era. Write about how the society, culture, and values depicted in it compare to that of the present era.
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Time Machine Journey
Write a story about finding a time machine and deciding to travel to a period in history.
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Devolution
Describe a fully advanced society that starts to devolve inexplicably with each new generation.
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Digital Ghosts
Write a story about a haunted computer or smartphone that begins communicating with its owner in unexpected ways.
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Resurgence of the Lost Squad
Base your story on an old, long-forgotten military squad suddenly resurfacing to enact a plot of revenge.
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Time Travel Mishap
Accidentally, you have landed in the wrong era due to a time machine error. Write about the wonky adventures you’d have.
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Voices from the Past
Assume you’re a historian, and every artefact you come across whispers a different love story from its era. Describe the stories these artefacts tell.
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Dancing for Dinner
Imagine the lives of dance marathon participants during the Great Depression, an era of poverty, and desperation.
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Discovering Dinosaurs
Write a factual account about a dinosaur species, explaining its characteristics and environment.
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Monumental Significance
Pick a historical monument and write as if you’re a tour guide explaining its history and importance.
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Journey Through Time
Choose a historical period that interests you, and imagine you had a time machine to visit that era. Write about your experiences.
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Evolving Knighthood
Imagine you’re a knight who has been on numerous quests and see the transition of medieval times into a new era.
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The Great Migration
Narrate a great trek or migration during the prehistoric era.
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Environmental Utopia
The future has seen Earth recover from climate change, creating a perfect environmental utopia. Describe a day in this new Earth.
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Robotic Revolutions
Imagine a future where robots have taken over most of the jobs. What is your role in this society?
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Spirit of the American Frontier
Pen a story about a pioneer family journeying West during the 19th century American expansion.
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Alternate Earth
Imagine an alternate version of Earth where history unfolded differently. What pivotal points changed and how does it affect the present time?
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Lost in Time
Each person chooses an era, and together, write a story where characters time travel between these selected periods.
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Travel Through Time
Imagine you have a time machine. Describe a journey to a past or future era, detailing the sights, sounds, and experiences.
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Sputnik Shockwave
Craft a story reacting to the launch of Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union on October 4th, 1957.
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Historical Horror
Write about a dark, supernatural event that takes place in a realistic historical era.
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Journey of a Warrior Poet
Craft a narrative about a poetess, whose muse was the Indian independence movement.
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Royal Dilemma
Create a narrative from the perspective of a royal figure forced to choose between joining India or Pakistan during the partition.
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Steampunk Christmas
Envision a steampunk universe where Christmas is celebrated with Victorian-era aesthetics and technology.
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Journey Through Time
Imagine you found a time machine, where in time would you go and what would you do?
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Berlin, the City of AI
Write a story set in an alternate timeline where artificial intelligence was invented during the Cold War by the East Germans.
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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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The Herald
Write a news article covering the events of the original Patriot’s Day as if you were a journalist in that era.
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Colonial Times Scrapbook
Create a scrapbook of a teenager living in Colonial America, complete with diary entries, drawings, and mementos.
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Fortune’s Fool
Write about a con artist’s ambitious plot to steal the crown jewels in the Victorian era.
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Railway Romance in the West
Weave a tale of two strangers meeting on the last train to the Old West, leading to an unpredictable romance.
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Ringing in the Past
Craft a narrative about celebrating New Year’s Eve during a pivotal historical era.
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Resurrected Viking Mystery
Consider a mystery from the Viking era that suddenly resurfaces in the present day, stirring up controversy and intrigue.
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Historic Event Reflection
Imagine you lived in an earlier time period, and write about a historical event as if you were witnessing it firsthand.
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Daring Defector
Write about a brave individual defecting from their oppressive regime during the Cold War.
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Medieval Knight’s Quest
Write a story of a knight embarking on a perilous quest in the medieval era.
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Fade into the Cotton Field
Describe a day in the life of a plantation owner during the slavery era.
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Revolutionary Times
Imagine living during the American Revolution. Based on what you know about this era, write a journal entry detailing your experiences.
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Civil Rights Movement Inspirations
Imagine living during the civil rights movement. Who would be your hero or inspiration? Why?
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Anachronistic Adventures
Write a fairy tale about a character from a past era suddenly appearing in a more recent period.
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Operation Ice Cream Drop
Imagine a world where instead of the Berlin Airlift delivering supplies, it was actually a massive operation to deliver ice cream to the people of West Berlin.
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October’s Midnight Ball
Describe an October midnight ball at a gothic castle with a chilling revelation.
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The Ghost’s Lover
Compose a tragic tale of a specter still pining for their lost love on a bitter autumn night.
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The Hidden Village
Write a story about a secret village trapped in time, only appearing on the eve of the Harvest Moon.
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Time-Traveling to the Past
If you could time travel, describe a day in the life of your parents (or grandparents) when they were your age.
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Twisted Time-Travelling Love
Write about a time traveler who falls in love with someone from another era.
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Misplaced Time Machine
What if you found a time machine that could only take you back to a random historical event for an hour?
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The Erratic Time Machine
Create a story where your protagonist finds an unpredictably functioning time machine.
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The Last Shogunate
Write about an advisor to the last shogunate of Japan, navigating political conspiracy and upheaval.
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Sengoku Chaos
Depict the life of a peasant farmer trying to survive in an era of warring states, the Sengoku period.
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Veil of Geishas
Craft a tale about a geisha in Kyoto’s Gion district who dreams of a different life.
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Historical Novel Study
Choose a historical novel you’ve read and describe the factors that contributed to the event or era it depicted.