1995+ ‘Past’ Writing Prompts
-
Unexpected Reunion
Write about a surprise encounter between old friends or lovers who haven’t seen each other in years.
-
Corridor of the Forgotten
Your character finds a hidden corridor in their office that leads to a forgotten part of their past.
-
‘The Faceless Stalker’
Imagine your main character is being watched and followed by a faceless, unknown entity.
-
Love Rewritten
Write a tale on a couple who get a chance to rewrite their love story, but with no memory of their original journey.
-
The Unwanted Heirloom
A character comes into possession of a mysterious family heirloom which brings unsettling changes into their life.
-
Old Love Rekindled
Describe a love story where the characters were once lovers, drifted apart for whatever reason, and reunite after many years.
-
Time Capsule Untouched
What would a 100-year-old time capsule buried in your backyard reveal about the past?
-
Letters From A Stranger
A mysterious set of letters find their way to your protagonist, changing everything they believed.
-
The Unknown Past
Incorporate a hidden past for your protagonist that they themselves were unaware of.
-
Haunted Heirloom
Your character finds an old family object that seems to possess an ancient mystery associated with it.
-
A Familiar Stranger
Your main antagonist believes they have never met the protagonist before, but when they are introduced, the protagonist remember them all too well from a childhood memory.
-
Unlocking the Writer’s Journey
Write about your personal journey into becoming a writer, detailed with the ups, downs, and turning points.
-
Relished Recipes
Describe a meal made by a loved one during your childhood and explain why it was special.
-
The Ideology Narrative
Pen down your personal ideological journey, how your thoughts have transformed over the years, and what influenced those changes.
-
Becoming a Sports Enthusiast
Describe how your love for sports developed and write about the first sport you got passionate about.
-
Epicenter of Change
Choose a pivotal, historical event and write about it as if you were a reporter on the scene.
-
Into the Culinary Past
Write about a recipe or food item that is deeply connected with your past and explore how it is linked with your memories.
-
Fleeting Fragrances
Describe a particular fragrance or smell that transports you back to a specific time or place in your past.
-
A Taste of a Memory
Choose a specific meal or food from your past and describe it in overwhelming detail, recalling the flavors, textures, and emotions associated with it.
-
The Time Capsule
Write about discovering a time capsule left by your childhood self. What did you feel when you opened it and saw what it held?
-
Unraveling the Secrets of History
Choose a historical event that you find intriguing and explore it, explaining what it entailed and why it interests you.
-
Changing Perspectives
Write about an important event from your past from a third person’s point of view.
-
Reflect & Recreate
Write about a previously used writing prompt and imagine how you would approach it now, comparing it to how you tackled it in the past.
-
Parser in Post-Apocalypse
Write a story where a man wakes up from a 300-year sleep only to find himself in a post-apocalyptic world.
-
Sounds of the Past
Pick a song from your past that evokes strong emotions or memories and describe why it is significant.
-
Melodies from Memories
Revisit a memory from your past that evokes strong emotions and write a song about it.
-
A Fork in the Road
Ponder over a decision you made in the past that significantly influenced your present.
-
Memory Lane
Outline a vivid memory from your character’s past and discuss how it shapes their present.
-
Inner Monologue
Initiate a dialogue with one of your characters. Have them express their secret thoughts and inner feelings.
-
Deserted City
Describe the feeling of walking through a deserted city, past abandoned skyscrapers and empty parks.
-
Look Who’s Back
Write an encounter between two characters who have a shared history, where one of them was believed to be dead or missing but suddenly reappears.
-
The Haunting Past
Write a story in which a character’s dark past resurfaces menacingly into their present life.
-
Lost Kingdoms Restored
Imagine a lost kingdom being restored to its former glory after centuries of darkness.
-
Time Traveler’s Dilemma
Create a story where you find a working time machine, but using it will inevitably have drastic consequences.
-
Second Chance Romance
Write about a couple who separated due to a misunderstanding but find their way back to each other years later.
-
Museum of Memories
Describe a specific memory from your past, focusing on the details that make it significant.
-
The Homecoming
You return to your childhood neighbourhood after twenty years. How does it look now and what memories does it evoke?
-
Window Into the Past
Research a historical event that interests you and write about it from a personal perspective—like a diary entry or a series of letters.
-
Soul Tunes
Familiar melodies often awaken certain emotions within us. Write about a song that resonates deeply with your soul.
-
Unspoken Dialogue
Write a poem expressing a conversation that you wish you could have with someone who is no longer in your life.
-
Memory Rewritten
Imagine having the power to rewrite one memory from your past. Which memory would you choose, and how will you change it?
-
Fruitful Heartaches
Write about a past relationship or heartbreak and how it contributed to your personal growth.
-
Unraveling a Memory
Recount a seemingly insignificant memory from your past that still lingers in your mind. Why do you think it has stayed with you?
-
Life Chapters
Organize your life into distinct chapters and analyze the transitions and growth experienced in each phase.
-
Pushing Past Phobias
Write about a fear you have overcome in your life and the process you went through to achieve it.
-
“Nature’s Symphony”
Devote 5 minutes to writing about a dramatic encounter with nature from your past.
-
Meeting the Ghosts of Possibility
Write a narrative in which you encounter the ghosts of opportunities you have missed in the past.
-
Time Travel Misadventures
Imagine going back in time and committing a funny faux pas. What historic event do you disrupt, and how do you correct it?
-
Understanding The Difficult
Write about a difficult family member and try to delve into the causes of their actions.
-
Hidden Heritage
Write about a family secret that changed your perspective about your lineage or roots.
-
The Wise Words of Ancestors
Recall a piece of advice or wisdom bestowed upon you by an older family member.
-
Transcendental Family Heirloom
Write a story about a family heirloom that has the ability to transport whoever holds it to different times or locations.
-
The Ancestral Home
Compose a detailed narrative of your family’s ancestral home, conjuring up the place, the surrounding environments, and its vivid memories.
-
The Birth of Our Name
Write about the historical origin of your family name and what it might signify.
-
The Unsolved Mystery
Recall and elaborate on a time you found out about a surprising past of your parents’
-
Parental Past
Describe the world your parents grew up in and how it’s different from the one you are growing up in.
-
Defining Moments
Record a defining or transformational moment in your family’s history and how it affected the family dynamic.