325+ ‘Must’ Writing Prompts
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Post-Apocalyptic Survivor
In a world ravaged by an apocalypse, a young adult must use their ingenuity and strength to survive and find other survivors.
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Unlikely Allies
Imagine a scenario where your villain has to team up with a hero for a common cause.
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Exploring Contradictions
Write a short narrative in which the main character holds two opposing beliefs.
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Galaxy Odyssey
Imagine you’re piloting a starship through the endless space, what is your journey like and what new worlds do you encounter?
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Jungle Survival Tale
Protagonist becomes stranded alone in the heart of the jungle and must learn to survive.
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Lost City of Gold
Craft a story that centers around discovering an ancient, hidden city in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
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Voyage on the Underground Railroad
You’re a child working to help escaped slaves on the Underground Railroad.
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A Forgotten Past
Construct a character who is trying to uncover the truth about their forgotten past.
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Rhythmic Sorcery
Compose a verse fairy tale centered around a wizard whose magic spells must be spoken in rhymes.
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Connecting with a Celebrity
Write a formal letter to a public figure or celebrity you admire, asking them to speak at your school.
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Fading Wizardry
Pen a story where a wizard’s powers are fading and he must find a way to restore them.
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The Ancient Pact
Pen a tale about an age-old pact between witches/warlocks and a powerful entity, and the implications when the pact is broken.
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Journey into the Frozen Unknown
Write a story about a perilous expedition into the uncharted Arctic wilderness.
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Defiance in Terrifying Presence
Narrate a battle scene in which your main character has to confront their most feared enemy in combat.
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The Gift Exchange
Write a tale about a secret Santa gift exchange where two individuals, who don’t realize they have feelings for each other, receive deeply personal gifts from one another.
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Celestial Celebration
Create a culture that celebrates the winter solstice in a unique way revolving around an astronomical tradition.
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Jellyfish Overlords
What would society look like if the dominating species wasn’t humans but jellyfish?
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Animal Autobiography
Choose your favorite wild animal and write an autobiography from its perspective.
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A Toast to Murder
Craft a whodunit story revolving around an influential figure poisoned during a celebratory toast.
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Silent Culprit of Silicon Valley
Write a story about a brilliant detective pursuing a notorious hacker who’s framing innocent programmers.
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Affectionate Assassin
Craft a story where a compassionate male nurse is accused of being a serial killer.
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Beneath Cloaks and Daggers
Set in the Cold War era, you are a spy in the competing climate of the space race.
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Midnight Operation
During wartime, you are a top-secret operative tasked to sabotage a critical enemy infrastructure without being detected.
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Transcendent Tyranny
Write about a villain who aims to harness time travel, potentially altering history to favor their reign.
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Mortal Embrace
Contemplate on a human falling in love with a vampire but who must become one to be with them forever.
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Unity in Diversity
Create a narrative where vampires and werewolves must unite against a common enemy.
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Unseen Unity
Write a story where a vampire and werewolf must join forces to combat a greater shared threat.
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Turning of a Love One
Write about the traumatic moment when a vampire must make a decision whether to turn their dying loved one into a vampire or let them pass away.
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The Morality of Immortality
Write about a vampire who begins to question the morality of his immortal existence and the actions he’s taken to sustain it.
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Timeless Love
Marrying the genres of romance and mystery, write about a vampire detective who falls for a suspect who seems universally feared and admired.
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Immortal Suspects
A vampire detective takes on a case where the suspects have lived through centuries, amassing incredible cunning and knowledge.
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In the Eyes of Humans
Write about a vampire detective who is called on to solve a string of mysterious human murders that have all the hallmarks of a vampire attack.
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Bloodline Secrets
Imagine a vampire detective who must solve a murder within his own ancient vampire clan.
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Revolution’s Fangs
Set a story in a time of great socio-political upheaval where a vampire must choose sides.
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Enchanted Valentine’s Dance
Describe a Valentine’s Day dance where everyone must wear an enchanted mask that reveals their true feelings.
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Crafting Love
Imagine that your character has the ability to craft magical items that can make someone fall in love. However, they must decide whether to use it for personal gain or for helping others.
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Prototype Exploit
Create a situation where a major tech company’s unreleased innovative product is stolen, and your character must find the culprits.
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Forgery in The Cloud
Imagine a world where digital identity theft has run rampant, and your protagonist must track down a rogue hacker.
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Unexplainable Phenomenon
Your main character experiences situations that no one believes, but they know are real.
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Mysterious Pursuer
Imagine a story where the protagonist feels they’re being constantly watched or followed, but can never quite prove it.
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The Accidental Summoning
The protagonist inadvertently summons an ancient entity who declares they must fulfill an old prophecy.
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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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Haunted House Rules
A family moving into a haunted house must negotiate certain rules with the resident ghosts.
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Rewriting the Ghost Code
Write a story where the protagonists devise, decode or discover a set of rules that the spirits in their world must follow.
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The Birth of Villainy
Draft a backstory for a villain, describing the series of events that led to their transformation.
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The Unseen Face
Craft a riveting story about a detective who must solve a case with only the sound of the suspect’s voice as a clue.
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Cure from the Depths
Create a story where the protagonist is a scientist, who must venture deep into an underground jungle to find a plant that is believed to cure a devastating disease.
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Transylvanian Diplomacy
Imagine a world where vampire kingdoms must coexist with human nations, exploring the diplomacy and negotiations between the two.
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Ghost of a Secret
Design a premise where a detective must solve a sprawling mystery beginning from an anonymous, unsolicited letter.
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Web of Deceit
Your velvet-gloved detective must navigate through the web of lies spun by a close-knit family.
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A Lying Mirror
Write a story where a character believes a lie about themselves so deeply it has become their truth.
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Guardian of Secrets
Construct a narrative where the main character is compelled to reveal a deeply held secret.
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Living with Trisomy
Imagine a day in the life of a family affected by a Trisomy condition. Describe their challenges, victories, and the strength they exemplify.
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Campaign Intrigue
Imagine a hard-fought political campaign where a candidate discovers their opponent is resorting to sly tactics and manipulation to win the election.
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Treaded Eternity
Design a story where deceased souls must time travel to atone for their sins in life before they can pass on.
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Threading the Second Chance
Given the chance to redo a fatal mistake, a super-powered being must decide whether it’s right to alter time.
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The Faulty Future
In a dystopian future ruled by an unforgiving authoritarian regime, a group of insurgent time-travellers must carry out a horrifying task to alter the course of history.
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Echoes of the Forgotten
Write a story where the whole town magically travels 200 years into the past, and they must face the horrifying realities of the times.
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Temporal Monstrosities
In your story, the protagonist must combat horrifying, time-displaced creatures that have invaded the present time.
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The Secret Agent’s Lover
Your protagonist is an international spy who falls in love with their target. This dangerous romance shows both the allure and the risk of their chosen life.
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Book World Adventure
Create a short story where you wake up one day in the world of your favorite book.
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Fantastical Fairy-tale Journey
You are a character in a fairy tale. Describe a long journey through a magical land.
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Invisible Conflicts
Come up with a story featuring an invisible superhero attempting to resolve a high-conflict situation.
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The Unthinkable Choice
Your superhero must decide between saving their closest loved one or preventing a disaster that could eliminate a city.
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Resilient Alienation
After years of protecting the world, suddenly the superhero finds themselves as the enemy, write about their feelings of rejection and alienation in the society they once protected.
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The Forgotten Trophy
Write about a superhero who saved the world but is forgotten by the people they protected.
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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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Dreadful Countdown
Your protagonist receives a mysterious, suspense-filled warning counting down to a catastrophic event.
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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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A Story Within a Story
Incorporate a tale within your main narrative by weaving in a character who tells their own compelling story.
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Requiem for a Speedster
A speedster hero is losing their speed due to age and must come to terms with the slowing pace of life.
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No Cape, No Problem
Vincent, a retired superhero, must use his seasoned wisdom to resolve a community problem without his superpowers.
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Infiltration
Write a tale where the protagonist is a spy who must infiltrate a ruthless terrorist faction.
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Mirror Reflection Mystery
Explore a scenario where the protagonist and the kidnapper are identical twins, unbeknownst to each other.
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Cursed Conversation
Write about a kidnap situation where the victim can only communicate with the world outside through an ancient radio.
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Deception in the Dark
Write about a protagonist, an undercover detective, kidnapped by the very gang he was infiltrating.
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Courageous Quests
Describe a journey undertaken by a hero, facing various challenges en route, to accomplish a mission.
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An Unlikely Alliance
Write about a notorious criminal who is forced to cooperate with a straight-laced detective to solve a dangerous mystery.
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Dystopian Survivor
In a dystopian future, your character must survive against a despotic regime and its harsh laws.
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Midnight Train to Nowhere
Write about a train that only comes into the station at midnight, which subsequently leads to a place that doesn’t exist in our reality.
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The Strength in Weakness
Create a story about a superhuman who loses their strength and must navigate life without their powers.
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When Powers Awaken
Write about a day in the life of a teenager who has just discovered their superhuman abilities.
