You know that feeling. You’re staring at a blank page, cursor blinking mockingly at you, and absolutely nothing is coming. Writer’s block doesn’t discriminate: it hits seasoned novelists and beginning writers alike, leaving you wondering if you’ll ever write again.
Here’s the thing: you’re not broken, and you haven’t lost your ability to write. Sometimes your creative well just needs a little priming, and that’s where writing prompts come in handy.
Why writing prompts work
Before we dive into the prompts themselves, let’s talk about why they’re so effective. When you’re stuck, it’s often because you’re overthinking. You’re putting too much pressure on yourself to write something perfect, meaningful, or publishable right out of the gate.
A good prompt does three things: it gives your brain a specific starting point, removes the paralysis of infinite choice, and tricks you into writing without the weight of expectations. You’re not writing your magnum opus: you’re just responding to a silly scenario about a talking frog or exploring what happens when someone receives an unusual gift.
The magic happens when you start writing. Once your fingers are moving and words are appearing on the page, momentum builds. You remember that you actually can do this writing thing.
Personal and reflective prompts
These prompts invite you to draw from your own experiences and memories. They’re particularly effective when you’re feeling disconnected from your writing voice.
- Write what you know: Begin with something familiar from your own life: a past event, something you know how to do, a character inspired by someone you know, or a place from your life: and put it in a fictionalized scene.
- The moment something wasn’t right: Start with “The moment I woke up, I knew something wasn’t right…” and see where it takes you.
- Six moments to remember: List six true sentences that begin with the words “I’ll never forget…”
- Something that scared you: Write about a time you did something that scared you.
- The person who inspires you: Detail the life of the person who inspires you the most.
- Strangest public moment: What was the strangest thing you’ve ever seen in public?
- Time travel wisdom: Imagine you’ve travelled through time and encountered a younger version of yourself. What lesson would you provide?
Character-driven prompts
When you’re stuck on plot, sometimes starting with character can unlock everything else.
- I’m glad you called: Someone your character has been trying to reach for ages finally answers the phone. Who is this person? Why were they trying to track them down? How does the conversation go?
- Unusual gift: Write a scene where a character receives an unusual gift.
- Big life decision: Include a character confronting the decision to make a major life change.
- Fulfilling a dying wish: Write about a character fulfilling someone’s dying wish.
- Child’s detention slip: Your character’s child comes home with a detention slip, but the character isn’t angry. Why aren’t they upset?
- Facing obstacles: Write a story where your protagonist faces a significant obstacle.
Fantasy and imaginative prompts
Sometimes you need to throw reality out the window and let your imagination run wild.
- Fairy tale remix: Take a favourite childhood story or fairy tale and rewrite it with an alternative ending.
- Children’s story creation: Write a story for kids that includes a dragon, a deadly flower, and a mask.
- Choose your monster: Include a character from a horror movie in your scene.
- Masquerade: Write about a character wearing a disguise or costume.
- Summer camp horror-comedy: Your character is at a summer camp that’s the setting of a horror-comedy movie. Write a letter home describing the strange happenings.
- Dream logic: Write a scene that involves a dream.
Humorous and absurd prompts
When you’re taking yourself too seriously, sometimes ridiculous is exactly what you need.
- Giant chicken transformation: Write about a character who wakes up to find they’ve turned into a giant chicken.
- Magic lamp mishaps: A character has a magic lamp that grants absurd wishes.
- Superhero failure: Your character is the world’s worst superhero.
- Accidental presidency: Someone accidentally becomes the president of the United States.
- Pigeon perch: A character becomes the permanent roosting spot of a local pigeon.
- Karaoke rapper: Someone becomes a world-famous rapper after a misunderstanding at karaoke.
- Detective disaster: Write about the world’s worst detective.
- Bee follower: A character is constantly followed by a cloud of bees.
Adventure and action prompts
For when you need some excitement to jumpstart your creativity.
- Tornado season: A tornado is forming and your character is in the worst possible place. Where are they? How do they handle it?
- Lost in the wilderness: Write about a solo hike where the character becomes lost.
- Treasure hunt: A character on a treasure hunt faces unexpected challenges.
- Safari encounter: During a safari, a character encounters a rare and dangerous animal.
- Skydiving emergency: A skydiving trip requires an emergency landing.
- Bank robbery hiding spot: You’re hiding in a bathroom during a bank robbery.
- Haunted cruise ship: The cruise ship is haunted.
- Mysterious shop closing: Working at a clothing store, you’re closing up when five men walk in and lock the door behind them.
Object and scene-based prompts
Starting with a specific object or setting can ground your story in concrete details.
- Thrift store finds: Pick an interesting thrift store item and imagine its past owner. How did they use it? Why did they donate it?
- Three objects, one story: A guitar, a red balloon, and a wicker basket. Write a scene that includes all three.
- Dream bedroom: Describe your dream bedroom. What would be in it and why?
- Beautiful beach: Set the scene for a gorgeous beach you’ve never visited.
- Colour symbolism: Write a scene that includes the colour blue, literally or figuratively.
- Animal perspective: Write a scene from an animal’s point of view.
Dialogue-driven prompts
Sometimes the best way to get unstuck is to let your characters start talking.
- Mysterious objects: Use these two lines: “What’s in your hand?” “It’s mine. I found it.”
- Shocking statement: Include this line in your scene: “Did she actually just say that?”
- Traditional reasoning: Someone says, “Because that’s how we’ve always done it!” Write the scene, including who said it and how you responded.
Romance and relationships
Explore human connection through these relationship-focused prompts.
- Coffee shop winter date: Begin a story with your main character at a coffee shop with their love interest on a winter day.
- Blind date transformation: A cut-throat businesswoman who swore she’d never find love gets set up on a blind date.
- Community garden connection: Two widowed people meet at a community garden.
- Culinary tour romance: A chef on an international culinary tour falls in love with their guide.
Science fiction and speculative prompts
Explore “what if” scenarios that stretch reality.
- Progressively shorter days: The days are getting shorter. How will your characters save humanity?
- Universe as imagination: What if our universe is actually someone’s imagination?
- Universal amnesia: Everyone on earth begins experiencing amnesia simultaneously.
- Coffee smuggling: Coffee is illegal and you must smuggle it into the country.
- Self-flying airplane: You’re a mechanic on the first ever self-flying airplane.
- Cloning animal discovery: You discover a small animal that can instantaneously clone itself.
Creative technique prompts
Experiment with different writing styles and methods.
- Misheard lyrics: Use your favourite misheard song lyric as the title of a creative piece.
- Stream of consciousness: Write using the stream-of-consciousness technique.
- Club scene: Write about a character being part of some sort of club.
Tips for using these prompts effectively
Don’t put pressure on yourself to write something perfect. Set a timer for 15-20 minutes and just write. Let yourself write badly: the goal is movement, not perfection.
If a prompt doesn’t immediately inspire you, modify it. Change the setting, the character’s age, or add a twist that intrigues you. These prompts are starting points, not rigid rules.
Consider combining prompts. What happens when you mix the character who is the world’s worst superhero with the haunted cruise ship scenario? Sometimes the most interesting stories come from unexpected combinations.
Remember, the point isn’t to use every prompt: it’s to find the one that gets your creative engine running again. Whether you’re working on novel writing, developing characters for a short story, or just trying to get back into a regular writing practice, these prompts can help break through the block.
Getting additional support
If writer’s block is a recurring problem, you might benefit from working with a writing coach who can help you identify patterns and develop strategies for consistent creativity. At Accomplish Press, we offer both one-to-one coaching programs and creative writing courses designed to help writers at every level overcome obstacles and develop their craft.
Our “Get Unstuck” resources include targeted exercises for different types of creative blocks, whether you’re struggling with character development, plot progression, or simply finding time to write. I also offer specialized creative writing classes for kids, because getting young writers started early with good habits and creative confidence makes all the difference.
The next time writer’s block strikes, remember: it’s not permanent, and you’re not alone. Pick a prompt, set a timer, and start writing. Your creativity is still there: sometimes it just needs a little nudge to wake up.
If you need help or guidance with your current project or want to strengthen your creative writing skills overall, I’d love to help you on your journey. Consider joining my one-to-one coaching programmes for personalized guidance, or explore my Creative Writing Course where we dive deep into different writing techniques. Or book a call with me to learn more about how I can help you tell the stories that matter to you.