we write stories and do jazz hands 'round these parts
Write a short story about a person or people time traveling to a period before modern day. The only catch is that they also have to be coming grom a time before modern day.
Write a script with only one sentence uttered by each speaker.
Write a short (ten lines or fewer) poem using color to evoke non-traditional feelings (i.e., using green to evoke death, making red seem peaceful, etc.)
Start a short story with the phrase, "We hadn't meant to make it such a mess."
Create an original character based on what you imagine one of your parents was like when she was your age. Write about this character's morning routine.
Revisit an old story/poem/script concept and try to rework it for your current taste.
Arrange a soundtrack for your story by finding a song or composed music piece for every scene change. When you're done, create a playlist to share with your readers or just listen to it while writing!
Write a short retelling of one of your favorite fairytales. If you don't have one, try looking up some obscure fairytales and see how they can be made to work with your style.
Write a poem from the perspective of a cat or dog.
Write a horror story that relies on suspense (keeping the audience guessing) but has no blood.
First, write a short story. Next, take all the major plot points and tell a story that works in the opposite direction, where the first event is the last one in the new story. If you don't want to do the first step, pick an existing short story, just make sure it's in the public domain or you've given proper credit if you plan on publishing it.
Write a script for a scene in which every character has a secret.
Pick a villain from a fairytale, legend, or other story in pop culture and write about that villain's childhood/early life.
Write the beginning of a story that includes each of the three conflicts below. After that, write an ending that brings them all together somehow.
1.) A boy tries to survive in the wilderness after being stranded.
2.) A girl is ostracized from her school peers when they find out she's been lying to them.
3.) An elderly woman with early onset dementia tries to remember where her late husband left his last will and testament.
Write a story, script, or poem that has a goldfish in a bowl as a central figure or plot point.
Write a poem about what a clock would think about and do if it were a person.
Write a script for a scene where a person is talking but is alone.
Taking inspiration from "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury, write a poem, story, or script that features a non-human entity in a post-apocalyptic setting.
Craft a ghost story in the traditional sense, like "The Water Ghost of Harrowby Hall," except write it from the ghost's perspective.
Write a poem about two best friends without using the words "friend" or "friends" even once.
Write a passage, however long you think it needs to be, from the perspective of a tree.
Write a poem about ghosts. The only requirement is that it cannot be a horror or suspense story.
Write a story inspired by the song "Bohemian Rhapsody."
Write a story in which one impactful event in human history turned out differently than it did. For example, how would the world be different if the smart phone hadn't been invented?
Write about one of your earliest experiences involving music. Was it good? Was it bad? Is it easy to remember? Remember to include all five senses.
Craft a short story from the perspective of a fictional animal, like a manticore or unicorn. What is the creature's daily life like? Does it have any encounters (negative or positive) with humans?
Write a short story that has the general tone, aesthetic, and structure of a classic fairytale but is completely original. Take inspiration from your favorite ones, like the Brothers Grimm stories, and remember to center it around some sort of moral.
Write a story centered around a murder mystery but make it a comedy.
Write a short story about a pair of animals that wouldn't normally be friends but become friends.
Write up a character description for someone based upon your twelve-year-old self. Include interests, insecurities, and goals. Write a story about them doing what you always wanted to do at that age.
Write a script for a scene where a character is in an environment that she is not used to and unequipped for.
Write a poem with survival as your theme.
Take one of your O.C.s (maybe even the one created from a previous prompt) and write about a scenario in which she is in danger. Who comes to help, if anyone? What is the reaction?
Write about what hijinks your pets get into when you're away. If you don't have any pets, make some up!
Describe a setting of your choice in your O.C.'s voice. Then, describe it from another character's point of view. Add as many characters as you want in order to get to know them better.
Write a body-switch plot for two of your characters.
Write a scene through the eyes of an inanimate object without stating that it's an inanimate object.
Write an obituary for one of your characters. If possible, include cause of death, accomplishments, and date of birth.
Write a story in the form of a list. This can be a to-do list, a shopping list, an itemized bill, etc. as long as it conveys some sort of narrative.
Pick a scene from your favorite book and retell it from the perspective of a different character than the one whose point of view is already featured.
Write a piece that is a love story in tone, concept, structure, etc. but center it around a relationship that's not romantic.
Choose three colors. Write a story with an ensemble cast of at least three characters, each one represented by a color. You can even use color symbolism in their clothing and hair to demonstrate how each one personifies each color.
Write about a world in which imaginary friends are real and are dispensed to children who need them by some sort of organization.
Write a poem describing all the notable qualities, both positive and negative, of one of your parents.
Imagine what one of your characters would be like as a Youtuber or social media influencer and write a script for one of this character's videos.
Write about what would happen if the world ended extremely suddenly--within a day, for instance--but not because of supernatural causes.
What were the causes? Where were your main character(s) when everything ended?
Pick an existing original character of yours. Think about the type of story she's in, be it YA fantasy, coming-of-age, or adult horror. Now, pick that character up and drop her into the genre that you think is the exact opposite of hers. Try writing the first paragraph of this new story. What does this character do in this genre? How does she change? How do her circumstances change?