136+ ‘Novel’ Writing Prompts
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Diary of the Subplot Character
Write a diary entry from an overlooked character’s perspective in a classic novel.
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Meeting Your Heroes
Visualize a dinner party where your greatest heroes are guests. Describe the evening.
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From Wreckage to Restoration
Write about an apocalyptic novel plot where the Earth is on its path to recovery after facing a major man-made devastation.
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The White Whale’s Revenge
Write a personal journal for Moby Dick in Herman Melville’s novel, describing his encounters with Captain Ahab.
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Frankenstein’s Monster
Write a backstory for Frankenstein’s Monster that makes him the protagonist instead of the villain.
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Character Collage
Create a collage using various materials that represents a character in a novel or story, then write an in-depth character analysis.
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The Arc of prompts
Choose 5 different prompts and use them to create a long narrative where each prompt represents a different event or phase in the story.
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In the Belly of the Beast
Your main character is swallowed by a huge mythical creature during an exotic vacation, only to find the creature’s stomach is a whole other sort of populated and quite comfy world.
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The Itchy New World
Write a story about a young child experiencing fall allergies for the first time.
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Adventure At The School Playground
Craft a story about an unforgettable day you spent in the school playground.
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Coming Out of The Novel
Write a piece where a book lover finds unexpected love with the author of their favourite novel.
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Invention Imagination
Think about a problem that you face in your everyday life, and describe a new invention that could solve that problem.
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Avoiding Attention
Describe how you manage to keep a low profile and avoid attracting attention from both zombies and panicked humans.
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The Magic Sport
Imagine if you could create your own sport with magical or unusual elements. What would it look like? How would it be played?
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Unseen Angles
Narrate Snow White’s story from the perspective of an unexpected character, like an animal in the forest or one of the hunter’s arrows.
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Autumn Harvest Festival
Imagine and describe in detail a new harvest festival tradition that your family could start.
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The Last Page
Someone finds a partially completed romance novel in a second-hand bookshop and decides to finish the story.
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1)Cyber-Love Confusion
Write about a romantic relationship that begins online, and the understandings that occur amidst the lack of physical presence.
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Wuthering Heights from an Outsider’s Eyes
Weave the tale of Wuthering Heights told by an outsider to the grueling lover’s saga.
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Intertwining Realities
Write a piece that blends a contemporary setting with elements of a famous novel or play.
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Continuing Gatsby’s Story
Following F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, imagine yourself as a character in the book that survived beyond the novel’s end. Write about your life after the main storyline came to a closure.
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Creature Chronicles
Create a new, imaginary creature, describing in detail its appearance, habits, habitat, and interaction with its environment.
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Exploring Literature
Select a controversial novel and argue for or against its inclusion in a middle school curriculum.
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That Crucial First Draft
Delve into the mind of a professional author as they compose their first draft.
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Unseen Heroes
Imagine and describe unknown professions or roles that might emerge in a post-pandemic world.
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Culture Clash on Coruscant
Write about a diplomatic envoy from a remote planet visiting Coruscant for the first time.
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Transylvanian Terror
Weave a tale that pays homage to Dracula’s Castle, one of the most iconic horror setting: Transylvania.
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Earth Day Inspiration
Utilize the themes of Earth Day (environmental protection, awareness, and activism) to craft a central conflict or mission for your main character.
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Spring Cleaning
Consider a fundamental change your novel’s main character wants to make and how he/she plans to ‘spring clean’ their life.
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Planting Seeds for Your Plot
Imagine that your novel’s plot is a seed that you’re planting in April.
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Literary Expedition
Imagine having a chance to inhabit the universe of your favorite book. Which book would it be and why?
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Pandemic Chaos
Write a story surrounding a deadly infectious disease released unknowingly into a highly populated city.
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A Character from Your Childhood Novel
Write about a character from a book you loved as a child, detailing their influence on your growing years.
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Decoding Character Development
Analyse the evolution of a character you chose from a novel or a series.
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The Time-Travelling Diplomat
Write a series of dispatches from a modern-day diplomat who has accidentally time-traveled back to ancient Rome.
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Seasonal Sounds
Detail out the unique sounds that signify the arrival of summer or which you associate with summer.
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Tech-Savvy Tinsel
Contemplate a new Christmas tradition that integrates technology in a fun and festive way.
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Myth-Inspired Invention
Create a novel, innovative device or system that is inspired by an element or idea from mythology.
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Confronting the Darkness
Write about the villain of your novel staging a surprising confrontation with the protagonists.
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The Secret Life of Excalibur
Craft a story where the legendary sword Excalibur leads a double life as a stand-up comedian.
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Superpower Origins
Create a character in a graphic novel who suddenly gains superpowers. How do they react, and can they control these new powers?
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The Deceiving Mind
Tell a tale of someone convinced they’re a character in a horror novel, but they can’t identify whether it’s the story, reality, or their own mind playing tricks.
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A Day with Tree Friends
One day you wake up and discover you can talk to trees. How different is your day now?
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My Life as a Protagonist
Imagine you’re the protagonist of a novel. Write a dramatic scene from this fictitious life.
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Timeless Tales in Technicolor
Take a classic folklore and reimagine it in a technologically advanced world.
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Enchanted Classroom
You discover that your classroom is enchanted, and every evening, the objects come to life.
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Borrowed Themes
Utilize a major theme from your favorite book and write a chapter set in a different genre.
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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.
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Bracketology Breakdown
Create your version of a “March Madness” bracket, but instead of basketball teams, use life events or decisions.
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Fear in Four Acts
Describe one of your fears in four stages: discovery, analysis, confrontation, and either acceptance or defeat.
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Secret Underground World
Discuss your adventure discovering an unknown world hidden beneath the ground.
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Future Green Dreams
Imagine the future of the community garden, its potential paths of growth, or potential threats, over the novel challenges of coming years.
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Alien Artist
Design a graphic novel with an alien as a graphic artist looking for inspiration on Earth.
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From Outbreak to Vaccination
Write a chronological narrative detailing the COVID-19 transformation from an outbreak to the distribution of vaccines.
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Future Fables
Imagine a classic Aesop’s fable like The Tortoise and the Hare or The Lion and the Mouse is happening in the far future.
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Mysterious Monikers
Create a fictional mystery novel title that alludes to the story’s main plot, then detail the plot itself.
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Character Deep Dive
Choose a character from the book and present an in-depth analysis of their personality traits, motives and actions.
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The Catalyst
Recall an event when a fiction writing prompt sparked a novel, series, or substantial work.
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Cursed Amulet Adventure
Your superhero discovers a cursed amulet that switches their powers with their arch-nemesis.
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Animal Takeover
Imagine a day where all adults have been replaced by animals who can talk. What adventures will you go on as you navigate this transformed world?
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Sunbeam Transportation
Create a world where sunlight is a mode of transport, and describe a day’s trip using this novel method.
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The Charm on a Quidditch Broom
Narrate a piece about inventing an innovative charm to enhance the performance in Quidditch.
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Invisible Ink
Imagine you are a ghost writer, hired to pen a paranormal romance novel. Make it a best seller.
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From Antagonist to Protagonist
Pick a villain character and reimagine them as a hero. Write a fanfiction piece showing their transition from antagonist to protagonist.
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A Different Dimension
Pick a favorite character from literature and write a spin-off in an alternate universe.
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Twisting the Tale
Consider a popular novel and revamp its storyline from a minor character’s perspective.
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The Missed Connection
Visualize a pivotal scene from a movie, but with an unexpected twist where it doesn’t happen as it did in the film.
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“Twisted Wonderland”
Plunge Alice of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland into a different novel or literary world.
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Unseen Tales
Create a short story set in your favorite teen novel universe that fills a gap in the official timeline.
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In Another’s Shoes
Write a story from the perspective of a less popular character in a teen novel series.
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Miss Havisham’s Redemption
Write “Great Expectations” fanfic where Miss Havisham breaks free from her past and starts anew.
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White Whale’s Tale
Moby Dick meets Finding Nemo. Write a “Moby Dick” fanfic from the perspective of the whale.
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Unexpected Heroine
Write a Jane Austen “Pride and Prejudice” fanfic where Mary Bennet, the overlooked middle sister, becomes the story’s heroine.
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Epic Battle Reimagined
Reimagine a grand battle from a different perspective in your favorite fantasy novel.
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Victorian Love in the Unknown
Imagine a love story between two characters from a 19th-century novel setting within an alternate, steampunk universe.
