Free Character Writing Prompts #28: 
Big Shots

You had to be a big shot, did you, you had to look up these 10 character writing prompts about big shots! Television and movies love the portrayal of the big shot. Whether it be a loud-mouthed talent agent like Ari Gold from "Entourage" or Justin Timberlake's portrayal of Napster co-founder Sean Parker in the movie The Social Network, these characters are often larger-than-life because that's exactly how they live their lives. Big shots can include people with high-profile jobs or descendants of the rich and famous who stamp their net worth on everything they touch. If you write about certain industries like the film, music or Internet, you may feel compelled to throw a big shot or two in there for good measure. 

Free Character Writing Prompts #28: Big Shots

1. At a young age, he lucked into producing a movie that ended up becoming a big hit. One hit led to another and before he knew it, he was a decamillionaire and one of the most sought after people in Hollywood. This gave his ego a huge boost as he'd been somewhat of a dweeb in his school years and this rise in confidence and cash made him buy every toy a man could ever want. He had women in his room every night, paid or otherwise and he was constantly on his Bluetooth trying to score the next deal. He felt like he had to keep moving or he would be yesterday's news. Will all these successes make him happy or will they increase his chances of disappointment?

2. One of his only dreams as a kid was to own a professional sports team. He worked his way up in the corporate world and began to pull in a seven-figure salary for a few decades straight and risky investments actually gave him the capital he needed for his own franchise. When he finally got his wish, he loved everything about it, the atmosphere, the attention and the influence on a real team. The only problem was that his team was horrible and was the laughing stock of the league. Will he enjoy his big league purchase if his team looks like it couldn't even compete at a high school level and why?

3. If you put her clients together in one movie, it would be one of the highest grossing films of all time. They were that good. There was something about her, the way she could make producers believe their films were sunk without her clients, that made the top stars in the world gravitate toward her. She wasn't mean or evil about this power in the movie business, she was just intense and convincing. If a producer or a client backed out on her, she wouldn't get revenge. Her revenge was being such an amazing agent that the producer and the former client would regret their decisions. What are the top three things that makes this mega agent happy and why?

4. She was a giant of women among a sea of men. Most tech startups involved a nerdy male who achieved at such a high level due to lack of time with women or a desire to spend more time with women, but she was in it to prove that women were just as technically savvy as men. She could have been a feminist but she determined that acting as an eventual billionaire female role model, she would have more success. Her company revolutionized the Internet and a movie about her life was forthcoming, as was the initial public offering of her business. What satisfaction does she get out of being one of the only women in a man's game and being a role model to women growing up?

5. He won the lottery after buying his first ever ticket at the age of 21. With hundreds of millions in his pocket, he considered spending as much as he could like a "good consumer," but determined instead to save and invest. After a few decades, he'd brought his fortune above one billion and figured he'd saved enough to live a playboy billionaire philanthropist lifestyle. He gave away large chunks of cash to charity to keep his conscience clear as he kept his social life as busy as a president's. He loved his life to pieces and knew that this was what he was meant for. What would happen if his industries were to collapse and he had to go back to living the normal person lifestyle?

6. He wrote the book on living a dream lifestyle of working fewer hours, traveling the world and doing everything you want. While he wasn't a true success financially until the book came out, he had done some wild things like swimming the English Channel, winning a boxing tournament and creating a successful chemical company. When the book was released he assumed his role as a success guru by holding seminars and charging nearly one-hundred thousand for each speech. He wore loud clothing to match his rapid-pace, no-nonsense speaking. Every so often he would take a year off speaking to do some of the things he still had on his bucket list. What are some of those items and how did he will himself to such success?

7. When she married one of the world's most eligible and richest bachelor's she was relatively unknown. With her new fame and financial backing, she started one of the largest specialty clothing retailers in the world and eventually surpassed her spouse's fame and fortune. Now it was him posing for pictures and her making the front page and she loved every minute of it. She had always dreamed of fame and thought that her high-profile man would do the trick, but she was surprised to find out that she had something inside of her the world wanted to see. Does she treat her husband differently now that she's more famous and what would ever happen to her if the two of them split up?

8. She was one of the few people in the world to have earned every major performance award including an Oscar, Tony, Grammy and Emmy. She no longer did much acting and singing, but she did split her time between major social causes and major social events. It was said that she truly took over every room that she went into and that nobody in his or her right mind could help but loving her. Her laugh was infectious and her jokes would send an entire party into fits of giggles for hours. She'd had many suitors throughout her lifetime, but she was never married, content to live with friends and make every day an adventure. Are there any achievements she has left she'd like to win or is she content to live out her days simply enjoying herself?

9. He was your boss, no matter whether or not you worked for him. He had such power and clout that he could ask you to do something on the street and you'd feel absolutely compelled. Rumors abounded about him giving thousand-dollar tips to strangers who would trade suit jackets with him and other oddities. He was unquestionably rich but power for him was something that came from within and his was unlimited. He'd learned how to take control of a situation from his mother who taught him that if it wasn't under his control it wasn't worth having. What would happen if he ever met a person that like him felt the need to own every conversation, party and company?

10. She was a conservative former-politician who was much more popular than it seemed she had any right to be. She toured around the country and crowds gathered no matter what she was discussing. Books had been written about her and movies had been produced about her but it was difficult to know what she was after. Regardless of her motives, her reputation continued to grow astronomically each year due to her ability to stay in the news. Her folksiness came from growing up on a farm and being the only girl in a family of seven kids. This part of her personality was exactly who middle America wanted to see in office. Did she ever imagine that she'd have such notoriety and what will she do with her appeal going forward? 

Did you enjoy these character writing prompts? Keep an eye out for the book 1,000 Character Writing Prompts in late 2011. 

Done with Character Writing Prompts about Big Shots? Go back to Creative Writing Prompts.