199+ ‘Ship’ Writing Prompts
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Sailing the Seven Seas
Write about being part of a crew on a ship in the 1700s. What roles would your teammates play? How would you ensure collaboration and resolve conflicts?
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Star-gazing Adventure
You are camping and watching the starry sky. Suddenly you notice something unusual. Write about your experience.
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The Winterlake’s Tale
Create a story around a winter campfire, where the frozen lake nearby is rumoured to be the haunting ground of a sunken ghost ship.
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Alien Outlaw
A space ship crash lands near a small western town, the alien within takes the guise of a notorious outlaw from the Wild West.
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The Wording on the Wall
Imagine you’re a passenger who stumbles upon a prediction of the Titanic’s fate scrawled in hidden corner of the ship.
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Untold Hero
Write about a fictional cook or staff on the Titanic who becomes an unexpected hero during the sinking.
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Cosmic Marauders
Describe a scenario where a band of space pirates must defend their ship against a vastly stronger intergalactic force.
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Titanic’s Last Moments
Write about what you imagine the last hours on the Titanic may have been like.
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The Fateful Ship
Write a story about a doomed sea voyage where the ship sank due to an unexpected accident.
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Interstellar Survival
Write about a group of astronauts who were not supposed to be on a space mission but got stuck on a ship heading out into the void.
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Life on the Cosmic Ark
You’re part of a generation ship, a cosmic ark carrying the last of humanity to a new home planet. Explore your journey and the challenges you face.
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Ships of the Future
Imagine and outline a design for a futuristic, sustainable ship, considering current environmental concerns.
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A Titanic Endeavor
Create a fictional account of an engineer involved in the making of a notorious ship, like the Titanic.
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Defying Gravity
Consider how the principles of buoyancy allow a massive structure like a ship to float.
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Navigating Alien ecologies
Your ship has crash-landed on an unknown alien world filled with unknown biomes and species.
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Shipwrecked Secrets
Create a narrative about a group of people stranded on a puzzling island after their ship sinks.
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Ghost Ship on the Horizon
Construct a tale of a ghost ship that sails into the local dock every October, bringing with it chilling tales and whispers of the past.
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The Sinking Sapphire
Pen a horror tale set aboard The Sinking Sapphire, a ghost cruise liner said to appear only on full moon nights.
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Harbinger of Doom
Write a tale about a ghostly albatross that appears whenever a ship is destined to wreck.
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Valentine Night’s Disappearance
An extravagant Valentine’s Day cruise witnesses the disappearance of a renowned romantic novelist and it’s up to a cruise-ship detective to solve the mystery.
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Sunken Ships & Forgotten Lore
Imagine you stumble upon a long-lost shipwreck, laden with treasure and forgotten stories. Write about the ship’s history, last voyage, and its lost souls.
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Echoes in the Deep
Write about a ghost from the ship’s tragic past that starts making its presence known, after a passenger aboard a cruise ship is mysteriously killed.
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The Secret Pact
Craft a suspense story where a group of friends aboard a cruise ship have all the reasons to murder one of their own.
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Titan of the Seas
Write a story about a recently retired S.W.A.T. officer who witnesses a murder on the world’s largest cruise ship, and takes matters into his own hands.
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Murky Waters
Pen a suspenseful tale where a renowned detective has to solve a murder mystery on a luxury cruise ship.
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Alien Zoo Escapade
Detail the story of some planets’ most notorious space animals escaping their intergalactic zoo.
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Sea Stranded
You are shipwrecked on a deserted island, with only the wreckage of the ship and its supplies available to you. What do you do to survive?
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Crossing the Atlantic
Compose a series of letters written by an immigrant traveling from Europe to America in the 1800s.
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Life Aboard the Titanic
Create a character and tell their story during the Titanic’s ill-fated 1912 voyage.
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Love Interlude of Jack and Rose
Write a tender interlude between Jack and Rose from Titanic during their voyage.
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“Dream Playground”
Design the playground of your dreams. What kinds of equipment and games would you have? How would you feel playing there?
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Underwater Adventure
Imagine your ship capsizes, and you find yourself in a beautiful underwater world.
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Cruise Ship Courtship
Develop a story revolving around two people meeting and falling in love on a cruise ship vacation.
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Echoes of the Lost Ship
Write about a famous shipwreck from history, with its crew said to still haunt the wreck site.
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Titanic Tales
You are a passenger on the ill-fated Titanic. Write a diary entry for the day the famed ship sank.
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Verdant Voyage
Embark on a journey across the seven seas in a green ship, writing about the voyage and the sights you encounter.
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Sailing to New Lands
Imagine you are an explorer like Christopher Columbus, embarking on a voyage to discover a new world.
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Deep Dive Operation
Craft a story where an underwater archaeologist turns spy after discovering military secrets in an ancient sunken ship.
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Pollution Pirate Adventure
Write about a group of eccentric pirates who sail the seven seas, freeing oceanic creatures from pollution and fighting against those who harm the marine environment.
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Drifter in the Skies
Fantasize about being a guide on a sky sailing ship, taking passengers around on tours to distant galaxies.
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Crossing the Dread Sirens
Draft a chapter about a ship’s crew who must pass the territory of the feared Sirens without falling prey to their enchanting voices.
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The Distant Lighthouse
Create a story about a lighthouse keeper, who, during a fierce storm, spots a ship on a collision course with nearby rocky cliffs.
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Pirates Attack
Craft a story of a peaceful voyage in the high seas that turns into a nightmare when pirates attack.
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Mysterious Mermaid Encounter
Imagine your ship is stranded in the middle of the ocean and you encounter a mysterious mermaid.
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Ghost Ship Adrift
Weave a tale around an ancient shipwreck or a ghostly seafaring vessel seen only under certain conditions.
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Escape from a Trapped Scenario
Pen a tale about a group of characters trapped in a dangerous place, and their attempt to escape.
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The Laser’s Edge
Write a gripping scene where two enemy starships, badly damaged and crippled, are facing off against each other.
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Phantom Ship
Tell the tale of a spectral ship seen near a coastal town with a history of shipwrecks.
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Gift of Survival
You are stranded on an island but a cargo ship carrying only Christmas-themed items has also wrecked. Describe the essential survival tools you create from these items.
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Penguin’s Tropical Odyssey
Write about a penguin’s impromptu journey to a tropical island after accidentally boarding a ship.
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Sailing into the Unknown
Write about the journey of a young man or woman who stows away on a colonial ship in search of adventure.
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An Abandoned Vessel
Write a story about a group of adventurers who comes across an abandoned ship in the middle of the ocean with no sign of passengers.
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Lost in Space
Imagine being lost in space with a malfunctioning ship and describe the adventures you set on to get back home.
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Celestial Cruise Ship
Invent a tale in which a group of friends get to have a summer vacation on a cruise ship sailing through space.
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Echoes in the Shoals
Imagine a ship long lost at sea, rumored to be haunted, that finally drifts into a harbor. Describe the tales sailors tell about the ship and its origin.
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Heart of the Hurricane
Create a narrative about a group of sailors who must navigate their ship through a deadly storm.
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The Mysterious Container
Dive into the story of one unassuming container on the ship and the sinister cargo it carries.
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The Voyage of Dreams and Nightmares
A container ship is crossing the ocean, carrying unknown cargo that slowly alters the crew’s dreams and reality.
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The Unseen World Below Deck
Describe the unseen world beneath the deck of a container ship. What secrets does the ship hold in its belly?
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Marooned on a Container Vessel
Imagine you’re the last person left on a massive container ship in the middle of the Pacific. How do you survive?
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Under the Spectral Mast
Craft an epic tale of an ancient naval battle where the losing ship, sunk decades ago, seeks revenge in its spectral form.
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Note in a Phantom Bottle
Write about a message found in a bottle, written by a woman who has been trapped on an ancient ghost ship for centuries. What pleas or confessions would the note contain?
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Ship of Shadows
Imagine a ship from a long-lost civilization appearing on foggy nights with its ghostly crew carrying out their duties, completely oblivious to the modern world.
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Mariner’s Whisper
Craft a story where the ship’s bell of an ancient vessel rings on its own at midnight, and each time it tolls, the protagonist hears whispers of past sailors.
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Mysterious Entity
During a long-haul voyage, the ship’s crew encounters a mysterious entity. This incident connects two crew members who would have otherwise never crossed paths.
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Sacred Oath
Two childhood friends are now aboard the same ship carrying out a sacred oath they made to each other.
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Unexpected Bonding
Write about two shipmates who, despite their differing backgrounds and roles aboard the ship, form a close friendship.
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The Valuable Consignment
Create a story centered around a cargo ship that transports an invaluable artifact, and the trials that ensue.
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The Silent Guardians
Write about the cargo ships that lay abandoned in ship graveyards and the secrets they hold.
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Ship’s Logbook
Imagine you’ve discovered a weathered captain’s logbook from a vintage cargo ship. Narrate the events documented in it.
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Journey of the Unsung Hero
Write about the daily life of a cargo captain, detailing his challenges and rewards.
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Mystery of the Ghost Ship
A detective comes across an abandoned ship and decides to solve the mystery.
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Stolen Smuggler’s Stash
A treasure suspected to be smuggled aboard a ship disappears, and it’s up to the detective to find it.
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Kidnapped on the Cargo Ship
Set your detective story on a crowded cargo ship where someone has been kidnapped.
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Conflict in the Captain’s Log
In a historic ship, perhaps a pirate vessel or military ship, a captain’s log is discovered that hints at an unsolved crime.
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Maritime Murder Mystery
Write a detective story about a murder that takes place during a transatlantic cruise.
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The Unseen Navigator
In a world where self-sailing ships are the norm, write about the person or team who programs the ship’s course.
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Echoes in Empty Cabins
Write a story about a self-sailing ship that has been drifting aimlessly at sea for many years.
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Ship Without A Captain
Imagine a ship at sea that’s completely self-directed. What does daily life look like on board?
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Sea Monster Wrath
Narrate a historical ship disaster from the perspective of a benevolent sea monster who attempted to save the doomed sailors.
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Forgotten Vessels
Imagine a ship has disappeared for generations, only to mysteriously appear one day. What secrets does it hold regarding its unexpected disappearance and sudden re-emergence?
