25 Fantasy Writing Prompts and Story Ideas

by Matthew A Olson | Posted on

Inspiration is hard to come by! Writing prompts can help you kickstart your writing again, and bring you into new imaginative territory!

Therefore, in the spirit of sharing, here are a collection of story ideas and writing prompts that have been floating around in my brainspace for the past month. Feel free to use these however you want. Twist them. Change them. Rearrange them. Their goal is to inspire something new!

I encourage you to sit down, choose a writing prompt, and give yourself 10 to 15 minutes to write to your hearts content. They can be a short blurb to get the gears churning. They could even become a novel or short story! …

Make a list! Which writing prompt will you challenge yourself with today? How many words can you do?

You don’t have to wait for NaNoWriMo to kick off a new story idea, or try something new!

 


I. You’re a knight traveling to a faraway city where you have been summoned by your order. However, your squire is not human. They are a magical creature, and they’re making life very difficult for you right now!


II. It’s the first day of university. Your roommate turns out to be an exchange student. They never seem to mention where they are from. Despite their paler complexion, they seem like a jovial sort.
Then, one day, you walk in on your roommate performing a ritual.


III. Near your humble village, there is a small mountain with an observatory at its summit, looking out into the stars and across the land. Every day, you travel along the edge of this mountain to deliver goods to the eccentric owner of the building.

One day, you reach the top, and notice that they are acting very strangely. More than usual.

Is it something that they saw?


IV. In the castle overlooking the land, you are the assistant of the head of the guard. One day, after a failed foreign military campaign, the castle is at siege! The king and queen are missing, and your mentor has been murdered. While desperate, you know your mission. You must gather as many of the servants and their families, and lead them through the secret escape tunnels to safety!


V. This town has a secret. Once every seven years, preceded by aurora borealis, it appears in a new place, at a different time in history. Despite the mysterious nature of this town, it’s residents are not allowed to leave. You find yourself visiting this town. Unbeknownst to you, its the final day in its current place and time. 


VI. A stranger arrives into town, dwelling at the olde inn. They have a mysterious tattoo on their neck, and seem to speak in an odd way. … What they haven’t told anyone is that they are on the run from a group of people. Some rather bad people.
And you are at the inn when they arrive…


VII. During a horrible storm, a large mansion / keep resides nearby. You approach it to notice that nobody is inside, and suspect it is abandoned. You enter. Noticing all of the furniture and art is covered in cobwebs, you make your way to the fireplace, and light it. After an hour of warming up, you begin to hear the fireplace speaking to you! 


VIII. You have been risen by wolves, and are treated as one of their own! The pack travels across the forest, and comes across a village under attack by slavers. In the midst of the raid, you and one other person are captured! 


IX. “The bucket is behind the counter. The mop is in the closet near the end of the hall. … Whatever you do, the door at the end of the hallway must never be opened!” Something large thumps against the door. 


X. “It has been stolen! Whoever uses it will bring devastation to the land. I’m sending you down to the mortal plane to retrieve it!”


XI. “A dash of salt. A bit of sage. And an ogres eye! … Wait.” 


XII. “Whats wrong? I thought you liked wizard meat!” 


XIII. “I’ve been asleep for millennia, dreaming of the stars. The twisting nebulae. The floating worlds between the empty sea. … And now, you pathetic creatures have come to disturb my slumber!” 


XIV. The man roared out in rage. “Ring the alarm! They has the spots!” He draws his sword from his sheathe, and lunges. 


XV. A mad artificer has created a “fun-house” dungeon filled to the brim with the strangest and most deadly traps. After waking up, you find yourself in the center of this dungeon. Lying next to you is someone you recognize; a member of the royal family.
Let the games begin! 


XVI. “Please undo these chains for me, child. I will reward you handsomely!” 


XVII. “Excuse me. Could you come over here and put me back on my body? Thank you!” 


XVIII. Imagine your typical crime or gangster flick, filled with heists, burglaries, and other greedy ventures. Only in this version, you’re all goblins! 


XIX. “Do you have any idea what will happen if you pour this potion into that well!? … Trust me. You don’t want to know!” 


XX. “It is against the law to kill a vampire! I’m taking you in!”


XXI. “Alas. You can not control me any longer. I am much too powerful for you. … And now, I am going to eat you!”


XXII. “Crazy? Who said anything about crazy? Who said crazy? Not I! I said nothing! You must be crazy! Now give me that relic!!


XXIII. It seemed like any other day. That was until the sun vanished.
Day turned to night in an instant. Everyone stopped what they were doing, confused and afraid. As the hours passed, people could begin to feel the chill, and see the frost on their breath. That is when the panic started!


XXIV. Floating islands? Ha! Boring. … Why not a floating sea? A large, bubble of water floating out in the middle of the sky, filled with marine life and lost wreckages. Imagine a cloud of floating bubbles. How would someone traverse this unorthodox place?


XXV. Your best friend came across a powerful weapon, and saved the town. The village elder informed you both that they are the one from prophecy, and must go to the temple in the great city. You think its a bunch of hogwash and frankly, during the trip, their cocky and overly enthusiastic attitude is getting on your nerves. You think its about time that you betray them. 

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

STOCK IMAGE CREDIT: Open Book – Iván Tamás 

Thank you for checking out my collection of fantasy writing prompts, and short story prompts! If you want to check out more of my content, here are some articles that might also inspire you!

Also, if you’re a fan of table-top gaming, and other world-building fun, you might find these interesting!

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About the author

Avid geek, amateur historian, long time tabletop game master, content creator, and storytelling enthusiast. Matthew is a Augsburg University grad with a focused passion on fantastical storyworlds. He is also a musician, improv actor, live streamer, and proud favorite uncle. If you would like to know more, contact him, OR follow him on social media!

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