24+ ‘Waking Life’ Writing Prompts
-
Sleep No More
Narrate a tale about a protagonist who starts losing the distinction between dreams and reality.
-
Unrealized Aspirations
Muse on a repeating dream that reflects an unfulfilled desire or an unrealized aspiration.
-
Doodling Your Dream
Draw or describe a recurrent dream or a very memorable dream from your childhood.
-
Echoes of an Unknown Past
Conceive a story about a protagonist who suddenly starts having vivid dreams about being a detective in the past.
-
Gravity of Dreams
Dreams are not abstract, but a gateway to a magical realm, describe how a person navigates through this world.
-
Haunted Dream House
Pen a tale about a house that is seen repeatedly in dreams, but with every dream, something horrific happens there.
-
An Internal Nightmare
Imagine a character who can physically feel their dreams – specifically, their nightmares. Explore this terrifying phenomenon.
-
Nightmarish Message
Write about a character who starts to receive horrifying messages in their dreams.
-
Dreams of a Spectral Sweetheart
Create a narrative where a character experiences romantic dreams featuring a ghost, but these dreams start affecting their waking life.
-
Dreamers and the Departed
Write a story where a character communicates with ghosts through their dreams, ultimately uncovers a significant truth.
-
Nightmares Unimagined
Following the theme of ‘The Sandman’, invent a dream or nightmare so potent that it has far-reaching consequences in the…
-
Frame the Nightmare
Describe a recurring nightmare or anxiety dream, and attempt to interpret its possible meanings.
-
The Recurring Dream
Write about a person whose dreams are in fact glimpses into multiple parallel realities.
-
Echoes in Dreamland
Write a poem focusing on the echo of a certain sound you heard in a dream that has lingered with…
-
Dreamscape Reality
Reflect on a dream that left a lasting impression on you and describe how it intersects with your waking life.
-
Dreamscape Unravelled
Compose a piece that unravels the most complex or bizarre dream you’ve ever had.
-
Dream Motivations
Write a fictional short story based on a dream you’ve had in which you explore the motivations of the dream…
-
Interpreting Nightmares
Reflect on a nightmare you’ve had and try to find a deeper meaning within it.
-
Technicolor Dreams
Write about a dream you’ve had, reimagine it in vibrant colors and explore what these colors signify.
