A combination of things has led me to write this latest list of Free Creative Writing Prompts. I experienced a lot of negativity this past weekend at work and home and it has been pretty difficult to weather. My father was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer and today he is undergoing a blood test to check if the cancer has spread (update: it hasn’t! hooray!). Lastly, on a more upbeat note, I am a huge fan of the 1960s television series, “The Twilight Zone." This gives me a good background in the stories of the odd variety.
Most of the prompts on this site have dealt with life: past, present, and future. Sometimes, however, we don’t want to hit so close to home. We’d rather write about the fantastical and otherworldly. We want to put pen to paper about the horror and joy that can come out of a downright strange situation. These circumstances combined with our ability to infuse the stories with as much reality as possible, can result in some truly powerful work. Try to use your experience as you test your imagination with these twenty free creative writing prompts.
Happy (and weird) writing!
1. You wake up to find yourself in your five-year-old body and back in time. How do you spend your first 24 hours in this situation?
2. As you are walking down the street, you hear loud sirens. Before you can figure out the reason, you see a giant flash of light and you pass out. You wake up in a giant pile of rubble. What has happened and where do you go from here?
3. You go to work the morning after a long night of drinking. You notice a cheap wedding ring on your finger that wasn’t there yesterday. Describe your action steps to determine what happened.
4. You answer your doorbell and you are surprised to see your grandfather standing in the doorway. Mostly because he’s dead. He says, “I have some important things to tell you." Talk about your reaction and what happens next.
5. You have died. You are in hell. Discuss.
6. You have died. You are in heaven. Discuss.
7. You get a phone call from a strange number. The voice on the other line says he can reunite you with a lost love, forever. In return, he will take the life of someone close to you. He proves his power by giving you a full day with your lost love. Describe the day and your decision.
8. All of a sudden, the entire world can hear each other’s thoughts. How does the planet cope?
9. After a strange encounter with a homeless person, you find yourself infused with superpowers like Superman. What do you do with your new found abilities?
10. You try a button on your new cell phone and it opens up a channel of communication between you and the Lord. What do you talk to Him/Her about?
11. While organizing your bookshelf, you notice a book called, “The Story of You." You open it to find a description of your own life up to this point. As you flip farther, it details your existence until death. What do you do?
12. Somehow, you have gained the ability of being irresistible to your preferred gender. The only problem is: you are in a monogamous long-standing relationship. Do you stay in the relationship? Do you cheat? Discuss.
13. Death gives you a choice between taking your mother or your father. Who do you choose?
14. A bank error in your favor has placed $1.2 billion dollars in your checking account. Detail the next 24 hours.
15. A car accident has left you with severe brain damage. You retain very little information and you now essentially have the capacity and vocabulary of a 2nd grader. How do you live from day to day with your condition?
16. The opportunity arises to go back in time and alter one event. What event do you alter? Describe your encounter from the past and its consequences in the present.
17. Everybody in the world has disappeared except for you. Describe your next 24 hours.
18. Something seems to have broken your emotions. Despite your best efforts, you can’t seem to feel anything. How does this change your life?
19. A series of events has made you a target of the paparazzi and one of the world’s most sought after celebrities. How did this happen and how are you dealing?
20. You have been given one day to live. Detail it from beginning to end.
I hope these free creative writing prompts are as weird to write from as they were to come up with. Enjoy your foray into the land of the improbable.
Related Articles to Free Creative Writing Prompts #6
Free Creative Writing Prompts from the Heart, Part 1
Free Creative Writing Prompts #2: Love
Creative Writing Exercises #2: Relaxation
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Use the above prompts or article as inspiration to write a story or other short piece.
