1001 Realistic Fiction Writing Prompts - Commaful Storytelling Blog

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Some writers aren’t interested in creating stories set in a different reality or time period, so they invest their creative juices and energy in writing realistic fiction.

Realistic fiction, also known as contemporary fiction or contemporary realistic fiction, is a genre that usually depicts ordinary people going about their daily life while experiencing normal emotions like happiness, sadness, anger, and excitement.

Set within what we know as real life, it contains no fantasy or supernatural elements.

It is one of the most popular genres today because there are a lot of readers that prefer reading something realistic and relatable, over stories that are set in a different world or time period.

If you are one of those writers who enjoy creating realistic fiction, here are some writing prompts that could inspire you:

A person who lacks ambition learns to become very successful.
Devise a creation myth.
Write about an adolescent trying to fit in with the wrong group.
Where is your character when disaster strikes?
Write about a person’s interaction with an evil entity.
Write about a person moving home.
Write about a person’s struggle fighting an illness.
A girl climbs a tree to escape her birthday party.
A person discovers something they never knew about family history.
Write about a beach community that dissolves overnight. For example, write about a scene from a tiny village situated on the Black Sea.
Characters in a fictional movie go to a fan convention.
A government issues false statements about a world war.
Write about a child’s birthday party.
What would happen if a technology gadget went haywire?
Write about a junior high or high school student.
A person battles against two addictions at the same time.
Someone takes on a new identity so as to right wrongs.
Write about being afraid of something.
Write about a person who finds out they are adopted.
A person believes they are not good enough. They find out they are wrong.
A person faces unemployment and the return of a parent to the family.
A high school wrestler must lose weight, and the pressure.
A feral dog learns how to interact with other humans.
A person receives a visit from someone from their past.
Write about a person having a supernatural experience.
Write about a secret that has been hidden for many years.
Describe the details of how someone hides out hoping not to be found.
Write about a burglary.
Write about a person whose mother was so overprotective that she was unable to survive on her own.
Write about someone taking advantage of being the ruler.
Write about a person in a wheelchair.
Write about a person completely obsessed with something.
Write about a person that is too picky and only wants what she wants.
A favorite childhood toy becomes spiritual.
Write about a child from a broken family.
Write about a sibling rivalry in a family.
Write about a magical object that grants wishes.
Write about a person suffering from disease or injury.
A theme could be that choices you make when you are young follow you throughout your life.
Write about the day a song was released.
A person kidnaps someone they love.
A person betrays their friends. Explain why.
Write about a person in a boring job with the feeling that something more exciting should have happened to them.
A woman/man loses a child and seeks revenge against the people or animals who killed it.
Write about the courage that one person has – the kind of courage that surmounts every obstacle.
Write about a collection of lost items.
Write about the life of a soldier during war.
Write about a person who feels trapped by their circumstances.
Write about divorce.
Write about someone who travels in a time machine and goes back to the start of the human race.
A person’s role in society shifts after a seismic cultural occurrence.
A person is trying to leave a legacy, but dies.
Write about a person who has made it in life but then falls.
Write a ghost story, finding out that someone’s death was a bad deal because of a loved one.
Write about a heroine that accidentally reveals her abilities.
Write about the experience of an asylum seeker in their new country.
A woman finds her husband is less than he seems.
Write about a person who feels nothing about their childhood.
A relative you feel is being ignored by others.
Write about a person trying to decide whether to move to a different country.
Write about a person that tradition dictates to address someone with respect.
Write about a person wanting to leave a job.
Write about someone who has a lot of pent up emotions.
A person returns to a cabin years after their trip.
Someone entered a talent contest and performed poorly.
A person searches the ruins of an abandoned city.
Write about a person having a dream. They are convinced they traveled somewhere else.
Write about a person living through a natural disaster.
Write about events surrounding a natural disaster.
A teenager burglarizes a home one night.
Writers can use these prompts as inspiration or as a jumping off point to start their own story. There are no rules when it comes to writing fiction. Following the tips in this book will help writers begin and through their stories in the right direction. They will gain a better understanding of themes, tone, point of view, voice, etc. as they go along. Mastering all these elements will help figure out how to keep their story organized and well-written.
Write about a book or movie club.
Write about a character adjusting to living in a small town.
A teen goes missing after a party.
Write about a person who wishes he could travel back in time.
A person must leave all that they have ever known to start a new life.
Write about a natural disaster.
Write about a person who changes sports teams.
Write about a person who is briefly elevated into fame.
Write about a man who is trying to make a better life for himself but faces failure after failing again.
Write about someone who must take over the family business.
Write about a feral person taking on society.
Write about someone rescuing a dog, or a person adopting a dog.
A person has to leave their home and adapt to living with their in-laws.
A person decides to go and live in a cave or a forest.
Write about a creature that cannot never tell the truth.
Write about a person who has the opportunity to grow up without parents.
A woman wakes up in a man’s body.
Write about a person having difficulty getting from point A to point B, but could be a problem within their family or job.
Write about a girl whose new science teacher is her cousin.
Write about a person who learns of their death in the not too distant future.
A kind person is challenged by cheaters.
A story about how someone discovers an undiscovered talent.
A supervisor steals from his own company.
A person is underwater and sees a world beyond theirs.
A family organizes a neighborhood watch.
An enlightened society punishes a man for a crime he didn’t commit.
A large company is riddled with corruption.
Write about everything changing in a person’s life after her true love pops back up.
Write about a person who has been included in the will of a wealthy relative.
Write about a person breaking free from their circumstances.
A person finds themselves on a strange spaceship.
Different people respond differently to an asteroid that is about to hit earth.
A child falls through the ice on a lake.
A person struggles to make sense of a conflict.
A nation goes to war.
A government tries to find out who is leaking secrets.
A person is captured, and tries to recite a brainwashing phrase.
Write about somebody trying to start a relationship with somebody they met along the way.
Are fairgrounds more than just fun?
Someone is working through their depression by journaling.
Write about a person who is a master of disguises.
Write about an old woman who is dependent on her family.
A story about a sibling relationship.
Write about a person who won a competition–and wishes theirs was a hoax.
One person spends their entire life trying to prove that something is true.
Write about a tomb raider that discovers a secret that could change the course of history, and/or rewrite history.
A person takes the blame for something else they did not do.
A teenager living at home rebels.
Write a story about helping a friend in need, no matter what the cost.
A young person needs to partner with a stranger to complete a task.
Write about the aftermath of a terrible natural disaster.
Write about a celebrity who returns to their hometown.
A girl gets a special gift to take care of.
Three high school students are accused of taking part in a crime.
An uneasy truce between friends ends.
Write about a person who takes an undesirable job.
A person goes to meet an encampment of gypsies.
Write about a person going on a hair-raising adventure abroad.
Write about someone volunteering to catalog a local museum’s collection.
Write about a traveler lost on a journey.
Write about a hipster.
A person steals and is caught.
Write about a person made fun of because of a disability or a change in appearance.
Write about a person who has powers they have to hide.
Write about a person traveling to a different land, and get a job there.
A place caters to the unusual.
Write about fantasy based on an historical event.
The consequence of a tragic event.
Write about someone working in a small business that is doing very well.
Write about a person who wants something so badly that they’ll do anything to get it.
The story is presented as traditional oral history when the reader discovers parts of it were not true.
Write about a secret adoption.
Write about an ordinary object that holds immense power.
A prime minister considers
Write about a person investigating a string of deaths.
Write about a person who does something strange to get the lead role in a film.
Write about a friendship between a boy and a girl.
A famous artist starts a new life in a small town, with the intention of painting that town’s scenery as their magnum opus.
A musician spends a day off playing music in public.
Write about a family being deported from their country.
Write about someone who has a health problem as a result of their eating disorder.
A family goes through politics.
Write about a main character with a dishonest nature.
Outline a sports-related problem. Take the reader inside an event and give the reader a way to visualize this problem and its solution. This challenge requires inventiveness and the use of appropriate vocabulary.
A person has the power to change things through thought.
Someone is forced into an unwanted marriage.
Write about a person dealing with poverty.
Write about a person competing at a country fair/horse show/etc.
Write about someone in trouble with the law who doesn’t want to involve his or her family.
Write about a family involved in a serious crime. The crime is mentioned on the first page and has a permanent effect on the family.
Write about a brave person.
Write about a woman or man gradually losing their sight or hearing.
A natural disaster hits a small town.
Write about a person who must face a rival that outsmarts them at every turn.
Write about how a seemingly disastrous day winds up being a day of reflection and relaxation.
Write about a person who makes an unusual and ill-advised purchase.
Write about riding in a car going the wrong way on a one-way street.
A character is chosen to move forward in time to complete a series of tasks.
Write a letter to the parents of a famous person.
Write about a character who must sit on a jury.
Write about a person that returns to his hometown.
Write about a bicycle race.
Write about a person who has a substance abuse problem.
Write about a caring act somebody does every day.
1. Write about an author who spent many years writing a world-famous book and never saw any profit from it.
Write about somebody who discovers an unrecognized talent.
Write an account of what happens after a century is sent back in time.
Write about an officer on duty who makes a grave mistake.
Write about a person who can get people to do what they want.
A person faces long odds in a courtroom and has a difficult decision to make.
A person is dealing with a person in an online virtual world.
A character kidnaps one or more secondary characters.
A person has an appointment in a sleep study facility.
Write about a person who acts on a secret plot.
Write about a person guarding a secret.
Write about a girl who owns a magic horse who helps save her community.
A boy disguises himself as a girl in order to escape his enemies.
Write about a person who is alive for only one day a week.
One character moves to a new town. The other remains behind.
A turn of events creates a feud between two families.
You can write about a hidden object such as a secret room. A person who can’t talk to humans talks to animals. You can write about a person or group of people who can’t fit in. A person realizes they are different from others. Write about a brother who creates a second family.
Write about finding an old treasure from an archaeological dig.
Write about a person who uses a special talent for crime.
A person lives an ordinary existence but wishes their life could be extraordinary.
Write about a person who is part of a secret society.
A person who has a favorite place finds out new details about their favorite place.
Write about an art forger obsessed with the perfect forgery.
Write about a teenager who dreams about the future and what if he or she changed his or her ways.
Write about an individual who has total recall of all the details in their entire life.
Write a story about a person who takes their pet in for plastic surgery.
Write about a child who has been abandoned or neglected.
Your character is being asked unsuitable questions in a job interview.
Build a story around a child with a disability.
A millionaire meets someone who has nothing on the streets.
Two characters meet in an elevator.
A person is involved in an accident like a car crash or volcanic eruption.
Write about a person trying to undo a tragedy.
Write about a person having to overcome their self-doubts in order to do something for the greater good of a community.
A person endures a natural disaster.
Write about a person who gave up their goals for other ones.
A person considers working for the government against their will.
Write about a person during a time of major political, religious, or social conflict.
Write about a parent’s fears or hyper-vigilance.
Write about the experience of someone who moves to a new area.
A person with amnesia tries to determine his identity.
A person with a secret identity must reveal that identity without exposing his secret to others.
Write about someone who goes to a foreign country or place to study.
A regular customer disrupts the business on one day.
Write about a gambler who lives life on the edge.
Write about a person who creates something he thinks will be a joke, but it is used and accepted in mainstream society.
Write about a person who stole something and feels guilty.
Write about life on a space station where two nations are constantly
Write about a person who secretly accepts payments for work he or she does not do.
A main character cannot communicate their thoughts verbally.
Write about a disabled character overcoming obstacles.
Write about an abusive household.
A sick person struggles to go outside and do things.
Write about a person discovering interesting facts about the history of an object in their possession.
Write about an unpleasant memory of a person’s childhood.
A person is transported to a world that has magic, and doesn’t believe it is bad.
The sole survivor of an airplane crash lands on an island.
Write about a person who is uncomfortable with the change in their town or neighborhood.
A person’s life changes drastically.
A person hides magical powers.
Write about a secret that somebody’s grandmother has kept for many years.
Write about a child being taken by the social services.
A fire leads to the discovery of a body.
Someone’s whole life changes after solving a crime.
Write about leaving home before being ready to do so.
Write about a person trying to save the life of someone they love.
A person is kept isolated from the world for most of their life.
A student faces hard times because he or she was born a genius, but has to work due to “anti special” laws and regulations
Write about two people that hate each other.
Write about two people who are thrown together on an emergency basis.
Write a series of journal entries, one that occurs each day for one week.
A family’s secret gets them into trouble.
A person feels trapped by some sort of inequality in their life.
A sister or brother goes missing.
Write about family struggles during a difficult situation. Write about professionals studying a problem intensely.
A real-world problem is resolved in an unexpected way that still ties back to reality.
Write about an affair in a family.
Write about a house that is haunted.
Imagine you were visited by one of your ancestors.
A person lives walking the line between religion and indulgence.
A person lives an extravagant life of expensive luxuries.
Write about a narrator whose faulty memory affects the truth of their story.
Write about a person visiting a city they hoped to live in and finding a foreign place.
A person disguises themselves as somebody else.
A person is born with a secret.
Write about identity theft.
Write about silent prejudice.
Living in the future has greatly changed from today.
A person receives a package with no return address.
What would happen if dream warnings came true?
Someone is forced into a physical or mental activity they have not previously tried.
Write about your “wild child”.
Write about a family that moves somewhere and it turns out to be a very different place than expected.
Write about a strange town or tribe.
A novelist is having writer’s block.
Write about a child whose sibling is born with a serious disability.
Write about a person who is into role playing.
Answer the question – do you think this world would be a better place if everyone paid closer attention to the philosophy of their religious text/holy book?
Write a story about an author writing a novel.
Write about a person trying out for a sports team.
A person wants to run for public office, but is afraid.
Choose a place you would most like to visit and write about it.
Write about a regular kid who is forced to accept special powers.
Write about a person who dreads responsibility but accepts a challenge.
A person gains a new power over the town by doing something horrific.
Write about a person with no memory of their life.
Write about a person in the army.
Write about an elderly person who committed a crime when they were very young and now they are getting “caught” for it.
Write about a person stuck in an unfulfilling job.
A cross-country star has to prove to everyone they are not just a lucky runner.
A person accidentally brings an epidemic to a new location.
Write about a person’s anxiety attack on a flight.
Somebody’s mission is to return stolen art.
A person keeps their neighbor’s disappearance a secret.
Write about two people who are at odds with each other. The two people put on disguises to find each other. The person with the most convincing disguise is declared to be the winner.
A couple files for divorce and must divide their belongings.
A brother and a sister argue.
Someone falls in love with the wrong person in a matchmaker scheme.
Write about a person with a disease that no one can see.
A teen wants to be like somebody of great substance that a grandparent or elder idolized, but they are pained by the words, “you’re just like me”.
Write about an ordinary person finding out they have unusual skills.
Write about a person stuck in a traffic jam.
A person is kidnapped.
A kid is suddenly thrown into a situation that they are not ready for.
Someone tries to solve a murder mystery or involves themselves in a crime.
Write about a person inspired to start a movement or continue a movement fought for by another.
Write about a difficult father and a hard-working child.
Write about a child being home sick on a rainy day.
Write about a mythical figure that is not performed in a play.
A character is curious about the bug on their arm and can’t stop thinking about it.
Write about somebody who turns out to be a terrorist.
A child who idolizes a composer meets this person and is surprised by their personality.
Choose a boring, everyday task for your main character.
Write about something that is not quite the way it seems.
Write about a person suspected of a crime they didn’t commit.
Someone has to face the consequences of a terrible mistake or crime they committed in the past.
Write about a person in a power struggle with another person.
Write about the spouse of a convicted criminal
A person goes back home after fleeing.
Write about a caregiver.
Write about adventurous animals such as dust bowls or animals that travel or live far from normal animal habitats.
How tough was a teacher when you were a student?
A person upgrades their living conditions but regrets the outcome.
Someone is adopted, and discovers an unknown family member.
A person tries saving the local environment.
Write about a person who for one reason or another moves many times during their lifetime.
Write about someone you admire, and how your life would be different if you had their powers or gifts.
A person is struck by lightning that takes away their memory.
Write about the death of someone close to a person born in the year 3000.
Prisoners are forced to train a robot to fight their wars for them.
Write about a certain event happening in the 1800s to a person in modern times.
A change of event causes a person to make a lifelong friend.
A person is forced to move to a new country for employment or other reasons.
Write about a person being blackmailed.
A person struggles with a desire to stay forever young.
Author goes undercover using a fake name.
Write about changing the world.
Write about an event during which strange things happen.
A person does something reckless at a highly inappropriate time.
A person who lives off the land makes an unexpected discovery.
A person recalls a big decision made that affects the present day.
A person becomes trapped in a situation in which they have to pretend they are someone else.
Write about a student who fails a key exam.
Write about high schoolers who suddenly hear voices of the dead.
Write about a person that finds a hidden treasure.
Write about a quirky teacher or professor.
Write about a person leaving a cult.
An accidental act becomes the basis for an argument.
Write about two friends who are both going to have babies together.
Write about a person who needs to decide where to spend their holiday.
A warrior is captured by their enemy.
People sign up for an Internet dating service and go on dates with strangers picked for them.
Write about a group of school students that begin to have a different perspective on why they go to school.
What would you do if you found out the person you were in love with was putting you at risk?
Have fun with realistic fiction!
Write about the development of a new product.
A person runs away without explaining why.
Write about a person who is dealing with an identity crisis.
Write about a person who breaks a health code.
Write about a scientist who is figuring out cures for impossible diseases
A person loses somebody they love.
How is a character’s life changed after the invention of a new technology?
People are robbing people at gun-point.
A child vanishes after being abandoned at a public place.
Write a sequel to a movie or book you’ve seen.
A character wakes up with a new ability or skill.
Write about a person who loses something small but is determined to find it.
A religious war has recently been won.
A boy has a crush on a girl who is not impressed.
Write about somebody trying to finish a creation before a deadline.
A person breaks out of jail.
A lawyer defends somebody who has committed a murder.
Write about a pair of old friends who haven’t seen each other in a while.
A detective struggles to solve a series of murders.
A person was accidentally away from friends in childhood and thought they’d never see them again.
A person works a job in a strange place.
A wedding causes mutual friends to make a decision about their relationships.
A person accidentally drops a positive pregnancy test in a garbage bin, and later finds out one of their parents was to blame.
Write about the challenges faced by a young person.
Write a short journal entry of someone watching their family member enlist to fight in a war.
A person becomes obsessed by the idea of someone.
Write about someone having a phobia or an intense fear of something.
Write about events in history that other countries tried but failed in.
Write about a mentally disabled child winning a spelling bee.
Write about a few days in a person’s life, and include one key incident.
Write about a person who is homesick for the woods or country.
Write about a song that has meaningful words.
Write about a person in denial.
Write about what motivated you to write a given book, or what you would like to motivate your readers to do.
A person finds a message inside a sealed envelope.
A woman marries her only friend.
A character hoping for stardom fails to succeed.
Write about a child who joins a sports team after being bullied.
Describe a character moving in with an odd friend or family member.
A man is put in charge of the police force.
Write about an old artifact being found in a building.
Write about a student accidentally coming home to somebody else’s house and deciding to pretend the home is theirs.
Write about a person who is left waiting in a car.
Write about someone who is jealous of a sibling who has seemingly achieved everything.
Write about someone who tries to run away from their life.
A person has a near death experience.
A person becomes an artist’s muse.
Write about how a rock concert affected one person.
Write about somebody’s spiteful roommate.
A character’s whole world changes overnight.
A person wants to achieve a dream.
An inventor maximizes profits from an early invention.
The only escape for someone being tracked by bad guys is to go to the police.
Three of the characters go on an adventure.
Imagine a character decision opposite to what the character usually would do.
How would the world be different if vampires existed?
Write about someone who lands in jail after breaking the law.
Write about a white person who falls in love with someone of a different culture than their own.
A person maintains two lives.
Write about a couple frightened when their children develop a rare disease.
Write about a frog’s transformation into a prince.
Explore the effects of depression on a person’s family.
A person dreams about what they could have achieved in life.
Write a story about a struggle between two sides, one good, and one bad.
Someone sees a ghost or a monster.
Write about the author of a book, movie, or game, and how that person changed your life.
Write about a person going through body transformation.
Write about a factory shutting down.
Write about a person who has to quit a habit.
Write about being separated in a busy public place.
Someone gives you a crazy quest.
Write about a couple that decided not to have children.
A person has lost their chance to be successful because of an honest mistake.
Write about a person who has been to a war.
Describe a breakup or divorce.
A person grows from a childhood injury.
Write a scene from a situation like a breaking off of a friendship or a romance.
A person inherits something.
Write about a girl recruited into the Mafia.
Write about a teenage girl who is adopted by her boyfriend’s parents after their death.
Write about a strange item a person finds.
A mother gives up her child in order to marry, but on her wedding day the child returns.
Write about someone struggling to survive in an unfamiliar climate.
Write about a person struggling to choose between two jobs.
Write about the plight of a homeless person.
Write about a family dealing with a parent who has Alzheimer’s.
A family is about to lose their house.
Write about the loss of a loved one through death.
A person who has strange afflictions because of their ethnicity or beliefs.
Write about a day in the life of an ordinary person.
Write about competition among siblings.
Little Red Riding Hood happens today.
Write about a person who pranks their family or friends.
Write about an entrepreneur whose venture collapses.
Write about two characters who are very much in love. One incident or decision threatens their relationship. Now they have to decide whether their love is strong enough to overcome that. They must confront Death, their own very strong emotions for each other, other people, or a force of some kind.
A person lives in a community full of restricted/rumors talk/tension
Write about a person who meets the person they are meant to marry.
A person solves a crime they saw being committed.
Write about a bad guy with a good heart.
Two foster siblings, reunited as adults.
A hidden letter suggests that a crime was committed.
A once famous soldier comes home to a ruined and deserted city.
A person travels in time to solve a historical mystery.
Write about a person who is living alone with their new baby.
A person’s last words are found taped inside a desk drawer. The screws from the desk drawer were used to make a necklace that a person wears.
Write about a person who designs a new machine.
Write about a person having to leave everything behind.
Write a scene in which two characters are comparing their families.
Write about someone who faces a huge obstacle, but eventually overcomes.
Write about a person taking care of you while sick.
A character in a futuristic world discovers the past is still in existence.
Write about a building housing two worlds.
Write about a person who visits their enemies.
A strange creature is found living far from its normal habitat.
Write about a community dealing with an epidemic.
Write about a teenager finding love.
Write about a family who only communicates through technology.
A character from a famous story goes out on a quest or adventure.
Write about a character/person who has a possession they treasure and others think it’s ordinary and useless.
How does a woman feel when she discovers a creature that plans to destroy governments?
The act of writing pollinates a memory.
Write about a band that gets famous overnight.
Characters are plunged into chaos and take a long time to adjust.
Important documents are found.
Write about a character discovering they can control lightning.
Write about a religious person living in an intolerant society.
Write about a character who goes to an unorthodox boarding school.
A character uses a power to change everyone’s opinion about him/herself.
What happens when a community’s water supply is poisoned?
An unusually gifted child has been identified by the government, and enters a special training program.
Write about a person having to deal with an ailment or disability.
Write about violence in your neighborhood.
Write about coming home from a time traveling adventure.
Write about a person that wants to be a famous singer.
A person has an unusual skill.
A person makes a difficult decision when choosing a career.
Do you think your life is like one of the following characters? Create a short story of their story.
An old man is granted a heart transplant and propels his family onto a crazy adventure.
Write about a conflict concerning a child.
A person escapes a natural disaster, but not without loss.
A person travels to see a beloved person that he or she has not seen in ages.
Write about a person trying on a new identity.
A government attempts to control its people through cutting off their food.
Write about the development of a holiday tradition.
A person works to fit into their new environment.
A person writes a will without telling anyone.
Write about a successful career that began in a less than common way.
Write about a disgruntled employee.
Write about a person who’s ill and doesn’t know how to tell their loved ones.
A person takes revenge on their bully.
Write about quiet life about a rural place.
Write about a person who has an eidetic memory.
Write about a family in a small or mid-sized town.
Write about a baby who becomes a translator for adults after every other child in the world contracts a disease that leaves people infantilized.
A person attempts to do something that will surprise others.
Deals with issues facing the homeless today.
Write about a child with overwhelming responsibilities thrust upon them.
Write about a newspaper reporter.
Write about someone struggling to deal with a disability.
Somebody thinks up a quirky prototype for a new invention.
Falls in love with an imaginary person.
A person of humble origins succeeds despite obstacles.
Write about an important historical event that you are unfamiliar with.
Write about somebody being singled out for an important role.
A character that used to have everything they wanted is stripped of everything.
Write about a non-human character obsessed with being human.
Write about a person trying to save their life.
Write about a person in an unfamiliar household.
Write about a family and how they cope with the struggles they face.
A famous person is kidnapped by an obsessed fan.
Write about barbed comments being exchanged between two people.
Write about the evils of war and its tragic consequences.
Write about a man who takes revenge after being poisoned.
Write about a person spending the last year of their life doing something they never had time for before.
Write about a person who discovered an unmarked grave.
Write about a person who has a reputation for helping others.
Write about a community created by people intermarrying.
A person who documents every moment of his or her life, which changes his or her life.
A teacher wants to start an after hours school.
A student must repeat a grade.
A character makes an outrageous statement.
Father and son reunite under unlikely circumstances.
A person deals with ghosts or strange creatures haunting their home.
Write about a wealthy family trying to rein in a wild child.
Someone travels to visit a now famous person they know from high school.
How does an environmental problem affect a community?
A person wakes up in a world that is not their own.
A person feels dependent on electronics.
A person is forced into service that they don’t want.
Write about a time when you felt alone in a crowd.
The characters throw a birthday party.
Write about a person pursuing a wild dream.
Write about a sport that is played outside of the ordinary way.
Write about a diverse group of people dealing with a natural disaster.
Write about a changed society.
Someone becomes part of a family they don’t belong to.
A parent adopts a child at an advanced age.
A travelling magician doesn’t use any special powers.
Someone is an expert in one field who enters a field they are not an expert in.
A person attends a street party.
Write about a secret investigation.
Write about a teacher who is deeply unpopular with their students.
Describe a family moving into a new house.
Write about a woman overcoming grief brought about from a serious illness.
Write about a vacation or another event that a person had to argue about.
You need to defend yourself against a charge of a felony.
Write about a person who has talent but never developed it.
A family has to relocate because of a natural disaster.
Write about a person going on a summer vacation.
A person is worried that their true love doesn’t really love them.
A person tackles a difficult challenge alone.
Write about a hidden gypsy circus.
A person moves after growing up in the same place.
A person has a strange and exotic new contact method, such as a circle of friends on MySpace or Second Life.
Former enemies reconcile.
To escape a difficult situation, a person lies to everybody about where they are going.
What should you write about today? Nina McIntyre has you covered.
A plumber decides to do detective work.
Write about a typical teenager finding themselves in an unusual situation.
Write about a person who’s being blackmailed.
Someone devises a feasible plan to get away with a crime.
Write about a soldier serving in a war.
One thing leads to another and a person ends up in a completely different setting.
An animal experiences culture shock after travelling to another country.
Write about a person going away to school or college.
Write about a man who loves the thrill of stealing.
Write about a man’s collection of long-lost relatives and the harm that results from it.
Write about a death in a family.
A person transforms a part of their room into a secret hideout.
A child changes family.
A person is struggling to figure out what their purpose is in life.
Write about a community joining forces to solve a problem.
Tell about a real-world event that occurs in your dream.
A person is trapped in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Write about a family that runs a business.
Write about an event in the past that affects a family now.
A stranger from another culture helps somebody.
Write about a person’s sense of direction.
A rebellious student must return to school. Write about the consequences.
Write about a loved one who stops communicating with their family.
Write about a lawman who takes the law into his own hands.
Write about a person going through a hard time.
One person needs life-saving surgery or they will die.
A single parent must reinvent their life after the death of their partner.
Write about yourself and a time you felt excluded by your peers.
Using an evocative tone, write about a beautiful natural place that forever changed someone.
An animal rights activist causes something to happen to a meat-feed factory.
Write about waking from a vicious attack.
That person later discovers their business is doing more harm than good.
An author creates a character based on a real person.
A character returns to their own family against their parent’s wishes.
Write about a person who struggles to find work.
Write about the experience of attending a rock concert.
Write about an ordinary person who goes through an extraordinary adventure.
Write about a person starting a business doing something they believe in.
Write about successful athletes.
Write about a person who never changes their hectic lifestyle.
Write about a parent traveling with a teen brand-new to driving.
A person has a secret that they think they have to keep from other people.
A character is in charge of executing Yanez the pirate.
Write about a girl trying to help a boy who is a huge troublemaker.
A person with a disability experiences a reversal of fortunes.
Write about a person shopping for the new home.
Write about a person experiencing a new environment for the first time.
Write about a character who old people tell stories about.
A person is depending on the kindness of others.
Write about a person in a new and strange place.
Write about a person going blind and being afraid to accept it.
Write about an unusually strong friendship.
Write about a child who is being considered for a school whose requirements differ from their circumstances.
A student turns to bullying to get along in a group of friends.
Write about a person born with a physical disability.
A girl wants her safe, recognizable world to become more exciting.
Write about a lengthy bucket list.
Your character can be anything you want them to be. Whenever possible, select a profession that you have no knowledge about so you can do your research and make the story realistic. For example, if you want your character to be an astronaut, book several interviews with astronauts or read about them so that your story is credible. If you choose to write romance, write the proposal scene instead of writing about how the main characters fall in love. Find out about proposal rituals.
Write about a person trying hard to keep a relationship together.
Write about a family having problems with the law.
Write about a person who is alone but thinks they aren’t.
Conspiracy theories are reacted to because they surface.
Someone finds out old family stories are not as they thought.
A person is forced to ride a freight train as part of a work detail.
A person is turned down for a dream job and hires a private investigator to find out why.
Write about a writer who had a difficult time writing a particular book.
A girl is kidnapped.
Write about a robbery.
Write about someone who is fighting the government.
Write about a well known person who turns out to be a fraud.
A cross-country race is a place where students, teachers, and adults think they are going but a secret mission is hidden.
Write about a summer camp for adults.
Write about a person who wants to teach a skill or craft to her child.
Write about a person making a bad decision.
A person finds something important to them of immense importance to somebody else.
A model says on a talk show that she is a high school student.
Write about a person who has lost a loved one and their struggles to cope with it.
Write about a person getting ready for the first day of high school.
A character gets in trouble for something they didn’t do.
Write about someone who must live in a dugout.
Write about a person working with a group of people for a cooperative effort.
A young person unexpectedly inherits a glittering treasure.
A person takes care of a sibling with a very special health issue.
A teacher discovers that a student she thought autistic is actually a gifted child.
A person puts his education and career on hold to go into the military.
Write about a person who never lies.
A person tries to find out the meaning of life through a mysterious book.
A phone call changes someone’s life.
Write about a person who conquered an addiction.
Write about an identical brother or sister and how growing up together affects their lives.
Write about a family having problems following a natural disaster.
That one guy in every town that nobody really likes.
A young orphan comes into a large inheritance.
Write about a person learning a trade skill.
Write about a person who is haunting you every second.
Write about a person visiting their past self.
A family loses their house in a fire and must live in an RV.
Write about a speech that is inspiring.
Write about bullying.
Write about a person with addictions to a certain substance/activity.
What would happen if tens of millions of people disappeared from one day to the next?
A teenage girl wants her father to stop treating her like a child.
Write about a person who has a treehouse.
Murderer tells his/her story.
Write about a person in the space program.
A couple’s strong marriage takes them through many obstacles.
Write about a child with autism.
Write about a person wondering how to get out of a tight situation.
Write about parents struggling with their children getting ready to go off to college.
A boy needs approval of his peers in order to become a man.
The second entry in the “What’s Under Your Bed?” writing contest.
Write about a person banished to an island.
Write about a person who immigrated to a new country.
Write about a person being stalked by a person they’ve just met.
Parents find an unimaginable surprise in the backyard pool.
The death of a family member means inheriting money/property.
Write about a prehistoric scene.
A warning about overpopulation.
A person faces a living tomb.
The main character in a book is kept as a prisoner for years by a captor.
A kid has big dreams and pursues a goal to achieve them.
A person facing a struggle together with his/her close friends.
A divorced person tries to tell his or her ex-partner about a rare disease.
Characters remove the physical evidence of a crime.
Write about a person going through espionage training.
Feminism
A family has a strange secret.
A person discovers a message from another world.
Write about what happens after the death of a character.
Write about a person living on the streets and finding shelter where they can.
Write about a person convicted of a crime they didn’t commit.
A pet has an unusual personality quirk.
Write about a person that goes missing.
The economy is dealt a low blow.
A boy does not want to talk to the father.
Write about a person who finally finds the key to success.
A new technology is created.
A person drives away an attempted carjacker.
A person must choose between two job offers.
A person tries to confront a problem from their past.
Write about a superhero whose superpower is to destroy things.
Write about a hero who fails their first attempt.
A person goes to another country to live, marries, and becomes a citizen.
Write about a famous person who was misunderstood.
Write about a child who does incredible things.
Write about a person who is secretly terrified of the world.
An earthquake causes people to live in a temporary camp.
Write a descriptive storyline about a person visiting an exotic island.
A character comes across somebody during an outdoor trip who turns out to be a stowaway.
Write about a father and son living apart.
Write about a modern problem you know something about.
Somebody discovers they have a sibling who has been living a completely different life.
Write about a character who changes overnight for the better.
A person quits a job held for many years.
Write about a traveler that has been away for a long time.
Write about a woman raising a special-needs child.
A person in an unusual position of power confronts a moral choice.
Write about a character who moves to a new place.
Write about a person who has to suddenly leave home on short notice.
Write about a person with psychic powers.
A person tries to earn respect
Write about a person who helped you.
Write about the staff of a large corporation who are dedicated workers.
A character is homeless and tries to survive on the streets of a city.
Write about a family moving from one place to another.
A person sees someone committing a crime.
Write about somebody who leaves their family without any way of reaching them.
A stepparent gets easily jealous of the real parents.
A person is left in charge of a small child for a short time and they have a bunch of trouble.
Two people meet and go traveling together.
About a child belonging to a persecuted minority.
Write about a budding artist.
A new product prototype goes haywire.
A person falsely accused of a crime goes on the run.
Write about a part of history you’ve only learned about through movies.
Write about living as a migrant worker.
Write about a deceitful character.
A person is mistaken for somebody else.
A family is served with an eviction notice.
Someone in the future or past is trying to catch a criminal.
Write about a natural or man-made disaster in your hometown.
Write about someone on the run from the law.
Write about a disaster or emergency preparedness.
Write about a magical beast which only a certain person can see or hear.
A person’s ordinary day turns extraordinary.
One family moves/moves back to a small town.
A person who has been homeschooled is going to their first day at a new school.
Write about someone who is taught a lesson the hard way.
Write about an unusually gifted person.
A person decides to buy a new piece of technology.
Write about a child who wishes they were an only child.
Writers write about writers. What does this show us about writing or life?
Two teens find an injured animal and decide to keep it as a pet.
Write about a person having to survive in the wilderness alone.
Try to do something you have never done.
Write about a person investigating rumors.
Write about doing something that scares you, or you’ve always wanted to do.
A sibling goes to compete in a sporting event.
A woman goes to church thinking she is saving somebody’s soul, and ends up saving her own.
A person wins a competition that they never participated in.
A person discovering a horrible family secret wishes that they hadn’t.
A person is caught between two very different ways of life.
Write about an emotional illness.
Write about a scenario in which a person takes drastic measures to deal with a terrible situation.
Write about a person experiencing power shifts in and out of their lives.
A person starts revealing their true self only after they go to college.
Write about an earthquake.
A girl blames another for a theft.
Write about a person that goes into a state of shock after hearing the news of somebody’s death.
You are writing about a character on a cruise ship.
Three people trapped in a bomb shelter for years.
People move in and out of an apartment.
A person writes a letter detailing the choices that led to their greatest joy.
Write about a city planning disaster.
A person in an institution makes a discovery.
Describe the importance of good posture.
A child is falsely accused of a crime.
Someone wants to run for office and their opponents
Write a scene about falling in love with somebody you barely know.
Write about a person with a big imagination.
A person is suddenly forced to master a complex skill.
Write about a person who finds a lost treasure.
Write about a person who wants to achieve perfection.
Write about a long vacation, or the flu.
Write about someone who’s struggling to pay for his college tuition.
Write about a person’s desire to reach a target.
Write about a person who moves to a new city.
Life in a small town affected by big events.
A person commits a crime and tries to remain free.
A spy is trapped in enemy territory.
Write about the decisions you and someone you know have made.
Write about two kids trying to solve the crimes committed on their street. They set up secret meetings to plan and implement their scheme.
Describe a journey as told to a stranger.
Write about an author who writes worst-selling books.
Write about sneaking out after dark and being scared to go home because of mysterious circumstances.
Write about a family traveling through space and time.
Write about someone trying to become more responsible.
Somebody enters a talent show.
Write about a person dealing with a disability.
Write about a person who cannot make a choice.
A new invention changes the course of history.
A person is given a large amount of money to accomplish something.
Write about a person having to leave an illegal job.
Write about a writer who has been published for some time.
Write about what happens to an elderly person after living a long time with their spouse.
A person learns that they were actually switched at birth.
Describing a catastrophe.
Write about a family that has a secret to hide.
Write about a person with autism.
Your events take place just before New Year’s Eve.
A person tries to get used to a new environment or tries to gain acceptance.
What Christmas means to people in a foreign country.
Someone goes on a long recreating trip.
A family cannot decide which sport to sign their child up for.
Write about a person considering a major career change.
Write about a person becoming famous.
Write a journal entry from a character who has just lost a very close family member.
Write about a person who does a daily good deed.
Write about a community overwhelmed by the arrival of a stranger or a culture from elsewhere.
Write about two people who are attracted to each other even though they aren’t a perfect match.
What would happen if a human got caught in the middle of a territorial battle between two animals?
Write about a sting gone bad.
The environment is dying because of greed.
A couple must care for a parent suffering from dementia.
Write about a person with a moral dilemma they feel struggling to decide.
A teenager is home alone in a disaster.
Write about a person who sells their possessions and moves to Bora Bora.
Write about a young person trying to solve a mystery.
Write about a person struggling to regain health.
A person believes they are adopted.
Write about a person who loses something and works to get it back.
Write about a girl whose father won’t let her go swimming.
Write about someone obsessed with beauty.
Write about a person going through a personal crisis.
Write about a sudden popularity out of nowhere.
Write about problems in a big city.
Write about a person who loses the person they love.
Write about a teen being worried about earning the respect of their parents.
Write about someone who enjoyed a life without responsibility.
A person rails against tradition.
Write about a person who blurs the line between fantasy and reality.
Write about a person going on vacation and becoming careless.
A person is falsely accused of a serious crime.
A person from a future time visits a person from the past.
A person is searching for a place to live.
A ghost haunts a library and interacts with students.
Write about a person who is either an insider or an outsider.
Write about a family road trip.
Write about a reunion between a father and his grown son.
A character faces prejudice or discrimination in society.
Write about a person who is getting married soon, but has no friends.
A person becomes involved in the political system.
Write about a person abandoning dreams for an amount of money.
A character wakes up to discover their city has changed.
A person prepares to climb a mountain.
A person must come to terms with the death of their best friend.
Write about a family dealing with an elderly parent or grandparent.
A regular person becomes a reluctant hero.
A character takes their skills to a game show.
A person loses everything.
A creature who acts male has the body of a female, but vice versa.
Write about a person rebelling against their culture or community.
A family has one week to prepare to leave their house.
Write about an immigrant who is loyal to their native country.
Write about a person with a strange disease that is keeping them home from school.
Write about a person with a disability that is not publicized.
A child’s parents are kidnapped.
Write about a temp worker who befriends a regular employee.
There is an outbreak of a rare disease.
Write about a long-lost relative unexpectedly returning.
Write about a person who gets kidnapped.
Write about someone going on a date and having the experience go badly.
Would you rather live in the past or present? Why?
A theatrical performance turns into a disaster.
Write about a character who lives in or writes from a different time period.
A teacher having an affair with a student.
A person is kidnapped and police do not have any leads.
A person who can see the future risks changing their present to fix their predicted future.
A person starts seeing ghosts.
Someone else is stealing your identity.
Write about a person who learns that a loved one had died in a horrible car accident.
A character has a natural talent that improves their life.
Write about a character getting blackmailed.
Write about someone leaving home.
Write about an individual who is living as if they had a disability they do not, in reality, have.
A person becomes an outcast after taking part in a war.
An adult rediscovers their diary from their childhood.
The person who cleans the school toilet uses it and ends up becoming sick for several days.
An ordinary person is thrust into exceptional circumstances.
A museum closes without warning which prompts a person to do something to help.
Write a space adventure story featuring a female protagonist.
Describe something that occurs in the future, but has not been invented yet.
Write about a disillusioned high school athlete.
Write about a man who leaves town without telling anyone where he is going.
Write about a person whose neighbor’s misbehavior affected them.
A preacher’s son or daughter rebels.
A person loses a big role in a play without any notice.
Somebody goes on a trip to a foreign country.
Write about a new immigrant who is learning a new language.
Write about a person who is grieving the death of a loved one.
Write about your idea of a “waste land” and how that translated to the characters.
Write about somebody who gets locked in a bank vault.
Write about a family moving to a new home.
Write about a person who is coming to terms with an addiction or compulsion.
Write about a person with wings looking for a way to fly.
Write about animals living like human beings.
Write about a family in a car accident.
A person keeps quiet about a discovery they made.
A memorial is organized after a famous person has died.
Write about a sibling rivalry among three sisters.
Write about an accident that changes the circumstances of a relationship forever.
Someone lives a life similar to someone else from fiction.
Write about a family coping with mental illness.
Discussion Questions about the Book Movie Harriet the Spy
Write about a crime and the events leading up to it.
Write about a family living in a remote area.
A person longs to go to a special place.
Write about someone who buys a house they soon after discover is haunted.
Write a story about a mystery in a town.
Write about a person taking a big chance.
What would happen if your child had a more successful sibling?
A person inherits money and uses it in unexpected ways.
Write about a difficult, emotionally trying time.
Write about a person who feels trapped in their life.
All the precious stones in the world are destroyed.
Write about a person dealing with discrimination for their disability.
A young child goes out on their own.
A protagonist is caught lying about something.
Write about a student interview.
Write about a daughter with a secret that she can’t share with her parents.
A person lives on the streets and looks for food every day.
Write a lesson plan using at least two bibliographic citations.
Write about a person trying to quit a bad habit.
Write about a date that goes wrong.
Write about a constant issue in your life.
A female friend is accused of murder.
Write about a person who participates in a sport.
A person can’t feel things or not feel things, in a way that changes life.
Write about a person who is overwhelmed by life’s challenges.
A family bakes special birthday cakes or cookies for people they know.
Someone dreams about dinosaurs but when they talk to people about it they are told “you can’t dream about that—you were awake”.
Write about two people competing in a competition.
Write about a person convicted of a crime they did not commit.
A drug addict faces the consequences of their actions.
A person attempts to sabotage another person’s business.
Write about someone’s childhood summer home.
Write about a person attempting to find their own identity.
A job is in jeopardy because of a computer program.
Write about someone who discovers they have magic.
A stranger invites a person into an imaginary world they created.
A person goes on a trip to escape their problems.
A person lying to his or her friend.
Parents of a teen disapprove of his/her choice of friends.
Write about a primitive culture that refuses to adapt to the changing world.
Someone trying to decide whether to accept an inheritance that requires them to take on an undesirable responsibility.
A person survives an isolated survival ordeal.
Write a scene because you hear a specific sound.
Write about someone being injured in the war.
A person is trying different ways to quit smoking.
Two kids meet after being separated from each other.
Write about an athlete.
Write about two people who live in the same town but are complete strangers.
A young girl is in love with an older man.
Write about an imaginary automobile.
Write about a group of high school students putting on a play.
There are two or more children living with their uncle after the death of their parents.
Write about a person who starts believing in religion.
Write about a person taking a long road trip.
A bunch of people go on a trip during which something important happens.
Write about a party. What goes on.
A character is forced by circumstances to lie.
Write about a person living as a homeless person.
Write about someone slowly figuring out that someone close to them is living with a lie.
Write about a missing child.
A group of people work to save a place or thing.
Write about a person apprenticing with an expert in their field.
Write about a fictional hero who grew up in poverty.
Write about a person trying to figure out how their house became haunted.
A person with talent is trapped in a boring situation.
A solitary person has a speculative conversation with another.
Write about a musician trying to make it big.
Write about a person or family in the process of relocating to a new city or country.
A girl experiences prejudice when she moves to a new town.
A person has a terrible relationship with their neighbor.
Two brothers can work together only to save their small business.
A musician travels between parallel worlds.
Write about a person leaving their home to find something they can’t live without.
A family survives a hurricane.
A person realizes that their parents were keeping secrets from them.
A person either rediscovering or discovering who they used to be.
A hero rescues a baby abandoned in a tough place.
Describe your favorite place to read.
Someone makes a video of themselves doing something they shouldn’t have.
Write about a person who spent much of their youth in juvenile hall.

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