1995+ ‘Past’ Writing Prompts
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Icebound Entity
Investigate a scenario in which people are being possessed by an otherworldly entity trapped in a block of ancient winter ice.
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Christmas Memories from Childhood
Write a detailed story about a specific Christmas from your past, allowing yourself to become immersed in the fond memories.
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Forgotten Murder
The protagonist discovers an old unsolved murder case in their relative’s dusty attic.
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Witch’s Peculiar Potluck
Describe a day in a life of a culinary witch whose food recipes don’t just taste good but convey emotions or perceptions.
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Ghost Town Mystery
Weave a tale about a character discovering dark secrets in a deserted western town.
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A Year in Review
Write an obituary for your past year, encapsulating the highlights, low points, and significant moments.
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Resolutions Revisited
Reflect on your past years’ resolutions and assess how well you did in keeping them.
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Fight with the Time Machine
Discover a time machine on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Where do you decide to go and why?
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Haunted Objects and Heirlooms
Envisage a story about an antique heirloom in your possession turning out to be haunted.
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Ruins and Revelations
Your main character discovers a mystical ruin in their village, filled with truths about their family’s hidden history.
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Letters to Your Past Self
Write a letter to your past self giving them the advice they needed to avoid the heartbreak.
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Revitalizing Loved Skills
List down skills or hobbies which you’ve loved doing in the past but currently don’t have time for.
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Temporal Space Standoff
Write about a war in which both sides have access to time-travel technology.
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Lava Love Story
Create a romantic short story involving two characters and a volcano as a symbolic entity in their relationship.
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Whispers of the Classroom
Recall a time in your childhood when you felt afraid or anxious because you didn’t understand something in school.
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Palace of Past Affection
Create a dream house in which your inner child would feel loved, safe, and significant.
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The Clown of Shadows
Pen down a story about a villain who is a rogue circus clown, with a dark sense of humor.
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Mirror-Mirror Villain
Construct a story where the real villain is a mirror image of the protagonist, sharing the same strengths, weaknesses, and past but having chosen a different path.
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Tragic Backdrop
Create a villain whose tragic past mirrors that of the hero but whose post-tragedy decisions diverge significantly.
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Cradle to the Grave
Create a story where the villain’s life often mirrored the hero’s, but one pivotal moment sent them down very different paths.
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Scars of Childhood
Write about a villain character whose evil deeds stem from a traumatic childhood experience.
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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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Shattered Innocence
Consider the moment your villain lost his or her innocence and how it shaped them into the person they are.
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Villainous Redemption
Craft a story where a villain tries to redeem themselves but is misunderstood or rejected by society.
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Bloodline Battles
Write a story where a vampire and a werewolf discover they’re from the same human lineage.
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Haunted by Humanity
Craft a story about a vampire who struggles with the moral implications of their immortal existence.
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Face of the Monster
A vampire, once a considerate human, has to battle with his new monstrous identity against his residual human conscience.
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Converted by Force
Narrate a story of an unwilling human who’s been forced into vampirism and is coming to terms with their new reality.
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Redemption’s Hunger
Explore the character arc of a vampire seeking redemption and attempting to right the wrongs of their past.
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The Veil of Humanity
Imagine a vampire who desperately tries to retain their humanity despite their monstrous transformation.
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Lost Love Rediscovery
Re-encounter an old love and describe how you both have changed since your relationship.
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Historical Valentine
Create a story based on a Valentine’s Day during a historical period of your choice.
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The Love Prophecy
A long-forgotten prophecy resurfaces, marking Valentine’s Day as the arrival date of a destined pair of lovers.
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Love Letters You Never Sent
Consider a former love or a secret crush and write a Valentine’s Day letter you wish you could send.
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Mystery of the Family Heirloom
Write a mystery where a treasured family heirloom hides secrets and hints at a hidden past.
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Time Capsule Wonders
Imagine you found a Time Capsule from the past. Detail what items you find in it and tell the story of the person who buried it.
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Lost Love Letters
Write a story in which a character discovers old love letters that trigger flashbacks of a tumultuous romance they had nearly forgotten.
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Echo of War
Write a story from the perspective of a war veteran experiencing a series of vivid war flashbacks.
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Faded Photographs
Write about a character stumbling upon old photographs, triggering memories of an event that significantly impacted their life.
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Classroom Confessions
Revisit a character’s high school experience, exploring a pivotal or transformative confession that happened during those years.
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Unveiling Hidden Secrets
Write a story about a character uncovering a hidden secret about a loved one through a series of flashbacks.
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Lost and Found on Christmas Morning
Write a story about finding a long-lost item while unwrapping gifts on Christmas morning.
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Lost in the Wild
A lost hiker returns after being declared dead five years ago to reveal an unsolved mystery.
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The Disappearance in the Library
Write about a small town librarian who finds an unsolved, decades-old mystery tucked away in a book.
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The Key to Imagination
Imagine coming across an old, rusted key and write a story about what it opens.
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Creature’s Redemption
Imagine a scenario where a vampire or a werewolf seeks redemption for their past deeds and attempts to lead a normal life.
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Whispers of All Hallows’ Eve
Recount an unforgettable Halloween night, focusing on the emotions it brought forth and why it was significant.
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Haunted Mindscape
A traumatic event from the past haunts the protagonist as they try to make sense of a current problematic situation.
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The Wicked Stepmother’s Redemption
Describe a story where the wicked stepmother, instead of being the villain, redeems herself by the end.
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A Christmas Reunion
Write about an old friend or relative who surprisingly turns up at your Christmas dinner after years of absence.
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Hidden behind Photoframes
Choose a family photograph and craft a narrative around it from your younger self’s perspective.
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Favorite Family Tradition
Reflect on a favorite family tradition and how it made you feel as a child.
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Decoding Emotional Shields
Reflect on situations as a child where you found yourself being defensive or withdrawing. Describe what triggered it and why.
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Harmony in Sounds
Explore memories related to music or sounds from your childhood that made you feel comfortable and safe.
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Comforting Lullabies
Write about a specific song, rhyme, or lullaby from your childhood that provided comfort in difficult times.
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Excursions with the Younger Self
Reflect and describe a memorable outing or trip from your childhood.
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Villain’s Motive Mystery
Write about your villain’s motivations, describing their history and influences.
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Villain’s Redemption
Imagine a situation where a villain tries to atone for their past actions. How do they seek redemption?
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Flashback in a Flash
Write a flash fiction story where the most important event happens in a flashback.
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Paradox of the Past
Create a flash fiction story about a character who learns a shocking secret from their past.
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Time Travel Daylight
Imagine waking up on the day of daylight saving time change and finding out you’ve traveled to a different era.
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Emotional Resilience
Describe a time when you rose above your emotional pain, and how it changed you.
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Unseen Connections
Pick two seemingly unrelated memories and write about how they connect or influence each other.
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Personal Narrative Creativity
Write a personal narrative illustrating an event that changed your outlook on life.
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Subzero Expedition
Pen an emotional journey of a team traversing snow-covered landscapes on an archaeological search.
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Lost and Found Heirlooms
Imagine you find out that you are the last descendant of a forgotten noble family and are told of a hidden family treasure.
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The Forgotten Love Letters
Write a story about someone who discovers an old trunk filled with love letters in their new home’s basement.
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Road to Redemption
Craft a story revolving around an ex-criminal who stumbles upon his old murder weapon while renovating his house.