- Matching a prompt to the length you want to write
- Character prompts
- Setting prompts
- Dialogue prompts
- Poetry prompts
- What-if premises
- How to get better writing from creative prompts
- Using these prompts in a writing group or class
- Building a creative writing habit
- My advice for creative writing prompts
- Frequently asked questions
Here are 25 creative writing prompts, grouped by the part of the craft each one exercises: characters, settings, dialogue, poetry and 'what if' premises. They're ready to copy and work for teenagers and adults, whether you want a ten-minute warm-up or the seed of a short story, which awards such as the Hugos define as under 7,500 words.
Creative writing prompts work best when they're specific enough to spark an image and open enough to go anywhere. 'Write about love' is too vague; 'write about a lighthouse keeper who's never seen the sea in daylight' gives you somewhere to stand. I've grouped these by craft element, so you can practise the skill you most want to improve rather than just the topic that catches your eye. Each group has five prompts, and there's no right order; start with whichever part of your writing feels weakest, because that's where a little practice makes the biggest difference.
Matching a prompt to the length you want to write
It helps to know roughly how long a piece is heading before you start. The Hugo Awards use these word-count categories for fiction, and they're a handy guide for any genre:
| Form | Hugo Awards word count |
|---|---|
| Short story | Less than 7,500 words |
| Novelette | 7,500 to 17,500 words |
| Novella | 17,500 to 40,000 words |
| Novel | 40,000 words or more |
Most prompts below will naturally become short stories or scenes. If one keeps growing past that first category, that's a sign you might have something bigger on your hands.
Character prompts
Start with a person. Plot often follows once you know what someone wants.
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Write about a lighthouse keeper who has never seen the sea in daylight.
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A retired magician still performs one trick a day for an audience of one. Who, and why?
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Write a character who collects other people's lost gloves and returns them.
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Describe a person entirely through the contents of their coat pockets.
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Write about someone who's just told the first lie of their life.
Setting prompts
Places with a mood. Let the setting shape what can happen.
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A train station where the trains only run at midnight.
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A village where everyone has agreed never to mention one particular year.
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A library that rearranges its shelves every night.
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The last café open on a street that's being demolished.
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A garden that grows whatever its owner is afraid of.
Dialogue prompts
Scenes driven by conversation. Try writing them with almost no description.
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Two strangers share an umbrella and realise they've met before.
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A parent and teenager argue about something unimportant that's really about something else.
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A detective interviews a witness who is clearly lying, but kindly.
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Two old friends meet after twenty years and avoid the one subject they both want to raise.
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A customer tries to return something that can't possibly be returned.
Poetry prompts
Short forms for when you want to play with language.
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Write a poem in which every line begins with 'I remember'.
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Write a poem about an ordinary kitchen object, as if it were a hero.
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Write a poem of exactly ten lines about the sound of rain.
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Write a list poem titled 'Things I didn't say'.
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Write a poem that describes a colour to someone who has never seen it.
What-if premises
High-concept ideas for longer pieces. Follow the logic and see where it leads.
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What if everyone could hear one stranger's thoughts each day, chosen at random?
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What if photographs showed what would happen one minute after they were taken?
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What if the moon disappeared for one night every year?
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What if you could only speak a fixed number of words per day?
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What if your reflection started making different choices from you?
How to get better writing from creative prompts
- Write the first draft fast. Revision is where the craft happens.
- Change one element of the prompt to make it yours: a different place, a different age, a different ending.
- Use the narrative toolkit: dialogue, pacing, description and reflection, the same techniques school writing standards build towards.
- Read your dialogue aloud. If it sounds stiff, cut words.
- Keep a notebook of prompt responses; your best ideas often come from rereading old ones.
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Using these prompts in a writing group or class
Prompts are even better shared. In a group, give everyone the same prompt and fifteen minutes, then read the results aloud. It's remarkable how differently people interpret 'a library that rearranges its shelves every night': one person writes a comedy, another a ghost story, another a quiet piece about grief. Hearing those differences teaches more about voice and choice than any lecture. If people are shy, let them read just their favourite sentence. For a class, pair a character prompt with a setting prompt and ask students to combine them; it's a quick way to show how story grows from putting the right person in the right place.
Building a creative writing habit
Pick a time and a length that's easy to keep: fifteen minutes before work, or one prompt every Sunday afternoon. Rotate through the five groups so you practise every part of the craft. After a month, choose the response you like most and spend a week revising it into a finished piece. That rhythm of quick drafts and slow revision is how most writers improve.
My advice for creative writing prompts
Use prompts as doors, not rules. If a prompt sends you somewhere unexpected, follow it. Write often, finish some pieces, and share a few with readers you trust. Creative writing improves with volume and feedback far more than with waiting for inspiration, so pick a prompt today and start writing before you overthink it.
Frequently asked questions
What are good creative writing prompts?
Specific prompts that spark an image but leave room to explore: a character with a strange habit, an unusual setting, a tense conversation, a poem with a constraint or a 'what if' premise.
How long is a short story?
The Hugo Awards define a short story as under 7,500 words; between 7,500 and 17,500 is a novelette.
How do I start writing from a prompt?
Set a timer, write the first sentence that comes to mind, and keep going without editing until the time is up.
Can I change a writing prompt?
Yes. Changing one element, such as the place, age or ending, is a good way to make a prompt your own.
How often should I practise creative writing?
Regularly and in short sessions. Fifteen minutes a few times a week builds more skill than an occasional long session.
