Creative Fiction Writing Prompts to Overcome Writer’s Block
Writing is hard. Becoming an author takes years of practice, and the path to get there is narrow, but it does exist if you put in the effort. Becoming a great writer takes consistency. The authors you read on the New York Times Best Seller list wrote dozens of books before their debut novel made it there. Like pursuing anything great, it takes time, patience, and practice. Now it’s time for you to hone your craft and skills with our fiction writing prompts, especially if you’re feeling creatively dull, suffering from writer’s block, or simply seeking to shake up your writing process.
Some writers enjoy strengthening their storytelling skills with writing prompts; this tool allows an author to write something they would have never thought about, or it moves them outside of their comfort genre. Either way, writing prompts force you to write more, which ultimately help you become a better writer.
Stick to the end to grab our free printable fiction writing template; it’s a guide for thought-provoking story concepts that will help you beat writer’s block. These fiction writing prompts are intended to spark your imagination—to help you write a short story, book, scene or poem.
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What is a writing prompt?
Writing prompts are designed to help writers get out of writer’s block and spark the muse. Prompts can be used to ignite ideas on a project you’re already working on, or an entirely new story. The point of a writing prompt is to strengthen your momentum and discipline; this tool is all in the pursuit of consistent creativity.
What makes a good writing prompt?
A good writing prompt presents a character within a situation. There are a variety of ways in which this tool is utilized, but we’ll begin with the types of prompts that exist. There are a handful of different types of writing prompts including: descriptive, expository/informative, narrative, reflective/journaling, persuasive, and research. You can find many of them on the internet, like this one.
However, while researching this topic, we uncovered from writers themselves, what makes a good writing prompt. First, I want to preface that this writing tool is not for everyone. Some writers love them, and others hate them. However, I would argue that those who don’t like the prompts simply haven’t found the right kind. Based on our research, we learned that writers prefer writing prompts that are vague, leaving all the creativity up to the author. It seems that writers want just enough of a concept to jump off of and spark the muse.
The more specific a writing prompt, writers felt trapped. Prompts are meant to help writers spark their creativity, not hinder it. So, when provided too many specific details about a world or character, it can feel like the author is writing someone else’s story. Avoid those types of prompts.
With all of that in mind, we created a list of writing prompts, specifically designed for fiction writers. They provide the perfect springboard any writer can use to write without stunting their creativity. They are designed with a plot that moves a protagonist forward internally, while leaving the rest up to the writer. Within our prompts, we force writers to uncover a theme that will drive their story and characters. Keep in mind that the secret ingredients to all great storytelling are theme, characters, and plot.
How to use our writing prompts
Use our writing prompts to freewrite without any pressure. Allow yourself to explore with a sense of child-wonder and discovery through what is referred to as the brain-dumping process.
Every time I get a new story idea, I immediately dump everything I’m thinking into a notebook. This is where the initial impressions live—as disoriented as they may be. Never jump straight into a brainstorming outline until you’ve gotten out everything in your brain and soul; this is where the gems sit when you’re ready to outline.
After reading a writing prompt, ask why. After you ask why, ask how. Ask when. You get the idea—your mind will turn. The more questions you ask, the more ideas you will come up with. These prompts are meant to be thought provoking. When you have more ideas, you can flesh out which one’s work and which don’t.
Grab our free printable fiction writing prompt list. Our guide showcases all 21 prompts with space to create, and some pointers on how to use a prompt to come up with a great scene, dialogue, poem, or story. You can use the bonus ideas or leave them. Entirely up to you! Enjoy.
Fiction writing prompts:
Your protagonist came home from college to find out their parents got divorced without telling them, and your siblings were sworn to secrecy.
Your protagonist doesn’t get the promotion they assumed was theirs, so they quit.
Write about how it felt when your character made their teams winning point.
Your protagonist's family lives a mundane existence, and they feel suffocated by it.
Describe what it feels like to bask in the sun on a summer afternoon.
Your protagonist's parent struggles with food addiction and their health is declining.
An award-winning pianist got into a car accident and broke her hand.
Two estranged siblings take a road trip to their hometown for a funeral.
Write about how it feels to go outside during the first snowfall.
While walking a familiar shoreline, your protagonist discovers a cave with hidden messages inside, and they are determined to discover who left them behind.
Your protagonist comes home from work and smells smoke.
A family goes on their first vacation.
Your character moves out of a big city and into a small town.
Use the five senses to describe sitting within a theater.
You may read a prompt and come up with an entirely different idea, but the point is that you were thinking about stories without any of the blocks that have been holding you back. Sometimes all you need to do is change up how you are going about your project to find a way through it.
For those of you who love writing romantic fiction, or if you’ve simply always wanted to dip your toes in the genre, we have prompts for you. We’ve put together seven romance writing prompts that will get you to unearth a new and unique romantic thread into your writing.
Seven more fiction writing prompts with a romantic heartbeat.
Two strangers meet at a bookstore.
An old flame comes back into your protagonist's life.
A woman moved from a small town into a big city, only to discover that a budding romance is kindled with a rural man.
Write about a couple starting a family.
Two best friends go to a party where sparks are turned up, and they just might have romantic feelings for one another.
Write about what it feels like to be on a first date.
A man proposed to a woman but was rejected.
Which writing prompt helped you the most? What did you like about it or what did you dislike? Tell us in the comments below.
Happy writing!
