1609+ ‘How Do’ Writing Prompts
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Truth or Dare
Create a story built around a childhood game of ‘truth or dare’ that leaves a lasting impact on the characters.
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Journey of Survival
Write about a character embarking on the Trail of Tears and focusing on their personal survival.
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A Way Back Into Time
Imagine your character has the ability to travel back in time to a period and place, where and when will that be and why.
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Wilderness Survival Adventure
Imagine you’re lost in a forest with only a compass and a backpack. How do you survive?
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Farmhouse Fortress
Stranded in an isolated farmhouse, your group braves against the zombie onslaught.
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Subway Catastrophe
You’re trapped in a stopped subway train as zombies close in from both directions.
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Aspirational Architecture
Sketch out your blueprint for the new year in terms of goals, dreams and personal growth.
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Stoke the Curiosity Fire
Delve into areas of interest or obsessions and explore how they can provide substantial writing prompts.
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Humorous Hypotheticals
Create a scene and inject humor into it based on the most unrealistic, bizarre scenarios.
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The Time Machine Breakdown
You’re stuck in the past due to a time machine malfunction. Your only way back is to convince someone from that era to help you fix it.
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Past Lives, Future Adventures
Write a story where you wake up 100 years in the past. How do you adjust to life without modern technology?
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Quantum Love Affair
Your protagonist falls in love with someone who only exists within different timelines and realities. How do they make their relationship work?
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Epochal Time Travel
Describe a chase scene across different periods of history as both the protagonist and antagonist can time travel.
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Through City Skyline
Imagine a high-speed chase across a city’s rooftops, where every leap and landing is a matter of life and death.
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The Forgotten Memory
You suddenly recall a forgotten childhood memory which reveals a shocking truth.
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The Ghostly Library
Weave a tale about a local library that turns into a thrilling gateway to different worlds after sundown.
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Conspiracy at The Office
Your character stumbles upon a dangerous secret about their company that puts their life at risk.
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The Harvest Angle
Write about the historical and cultural significance of harvest time, especially as it relates to November.
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The Survival Tactic
Discuss the evolutionary aspect of hibernation and how it relates to the concept of survival of the fittest.
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Overcoming Greed’s Grasp
Create a tale about a character that is consumed by greed and how they eventually surmount it.
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Echoes of the Past
Place yourself in the rotting shoes of a former leader figure, now a zombie, surveying the rubble of the city that was once under your care.
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Voices of the Departed
Imagine you’re a ghost from the Irish Potato Famine era, narrate your journey into America.
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Journey to Emmaus
Write a dialogue that might have occurred between the two disciples on the road to Emmaus before Jesus revealed himself.
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Choosing a Normal Life
Your superhero chooses to retire from their superhero life to live normally – write about their struggles and triumphs.
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Ultimate Sacrifice
Your superhero faces a scenario where only their demise can save humanity. Would they willfully tread that path?
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Rescheduled Time Zones
Write a story where a couple is grappling with the challenges of living in two different time zones.
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The Guilt Trip
Feature a villain who feels guilty about their past actions and struggles to seek forgiveness.
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The Royal Identity Crisis
Imagine a royal character who struggles with their identity. Are they truly royalty or an imposter?
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Significance of Challenge
Consider the challenges daily writing prompts pose and explain why they are important for growth.
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First Cyborg President
Craft a narrative around the first cyborg to be elected as a world leader, how do they come into power and how does the world react?
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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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The Guilt of Not Being Enough
Draft a situation where a superhero couldn’t save everyone, examining their guilt and coping mechanisms.
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The Humanity Behind the Mask
Analyze the persona and real life of a superhero, and the influences that drive their actions.
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Mirror Facing
Explore the internal debate a superhero may have when they have to follow the law or follow their moral compass.
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Time Trapped Terror
Your protagonist is stuck in a time loop of a horrifying day. How do they break it?
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Proactive Planner
Write about a day in your life five years from now. What responsibilities do you imagine you’ll have? How will you manage your time?
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Unveiling the Mask
Imagine a stereotypical villain who reveals a shockingly sympathetic side to their character. How do they maintain their terrifying facade while battling with their own inner demons?
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Remember It All
Create a character who has the superpower of perfect recall, never forgetting any detail.
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Time Traveling Mind
Imagine a superhuman who could insert their consciousness into past versions of themselves.
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Power of Telepathy
Write a story revolving around a superhero whose power is to hear others’ thoughts.
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Equinox Adventure
Craft a sci-fi or fantasy story based on the premise of a once-in-a-millennium celestial event happening on the March Equinox.
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Energies of Equilibrium
Write a personal narrative piece detailing how you balance conflicting demands in your life, inspired by the equal day and night during the March Equinox.
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The Scorned Leprechaun’s Curse
Write a story where a greedy person gets hold of the Leprechaun’s pot of gold, but it isn’t what they expected.
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Unexpected Victory
Write about a highly anticipated competition where the underdog triumphs, but the victory feels hollow.
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Decoding Patterns
Explain how you recognized a pattern in your day-to-day life and what it means to you.
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Reviving Frozen Memories
Bring back a happy winter memory from your past and analyze how it influences your current wellness perspective.
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Life in Letters
Imagine finding a string of letters written by an estranged loved one. Write about the emotional journey the character takes upon reading these letters.
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Beneath the Ice
Imagine a character falls through thin ice into a freezing lake. How do they survive or not?
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Conquest or Coexistence
You are a native ruler when the Europeans arrive. How do you decide to handle this new force?
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The Intricate Balance
There’s a theory that the Force needs a balance between light and dark. You have been chosen to maintain that balance. How do you handle this enormous duty?
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The Echoes of the Past
You’ve just discovered that your mentor and guide in The Force were once involved with the Dark Side. How do you handle this revelation?
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Fallen Kingdoms
Pen a tale about a once mighty kingdom being reduced to ruins.
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Training Trials
Write about a day in your young superhero’s rigorous training routine, as they learn to control their newfound powers.
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The Lifeguard’s Perspective
You’re a lifeguard at the beach, describe one of your shifts from beginning to end.
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Fashion in Function
Write about how your superhero’s costume contributes to their abilities or enhances their skills.
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Powers Dimming, Wisdom Ascending
Imagine a superhero dealing with the loss of his or her physical powers but gaining wisdom with age.
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The Unheard Verse
Your all-time favorite Christmas song has a long-lost verse. What are the lyrics and how do they change the story?
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Undercover Mission
Write about a vampire teen who is selected to infiltrate a human town to gather intelligence, but starts questioning their own vampire society.
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Hidden Identity
Write about a teenage vampire that is trying to blend in with high school life during the day.
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Letter to your Future Self
Write a letter to your adult self from the perspective of your child-self – what hopes, dreams and worries did you have for your future and how do you view them now?