10 Fantasy Writing Prompts to Kickstart Your Creativity

Writing fantasy can sometimes feel especially daunting. The best fantasy book ideas, from Harry Potter to The Lord of the Rings, each contain indelible characters, imaginative worldbuilding, and, of course, a good story. Allow these story prompts to eliminate the pressure of figuring out all of those elements at once. Whether you’ve already started writing a book or are still developing your novel idea, these fiction prompts can serve as writing resources to get you started:

1. 1. Your best friend pulls you aside at a party and says, “I have an epic secret to tell you.” He drunkenly explains that he’s a werewolf and offers to turn you into a werewolf, too. What happens next?
2. 2. Two high school mermaids realize they have feelings for each other despite being born in different oceans. Start writing the beginning of their love story.
3. 3. Mythical creatures are bewildered when a little girl from the real world enters their fantastical world of magical powers and potions for the first time. Write the story of how the girl assimilates into their culture.
4. 4. Imagine that a pantheon of ancient gods must compete in a wrestling tournament. Write the fairy tale lore of how one god became the champion of wrestling. Be sure to include an exciting plot twist.
5. 5. In an urban fantasy world set on a distant planet, your main character is a city-dwelling alien struggling to connect with his rural family members. Build a novel idea around their family dynamic.
6. 6. A wizard’s apprentice finds his master dead in his home. Who killed him?
7. 7. A young boy takes a DNA test to discover his family’s origins for a school project, only to discover that his great-great grandmother was a witch. What does that make him?
8. 8. A leprechaun is elected president. Despite popular support and a progressive platform, the leprechaun president has many powerful enemies. Who are they?
9. 9. A farmhand watches in awe as his stable’s prize horse gives birth to a baby centaur. Will he tell the farm’s owner or keep the secret for himself?
10. 10. An aspiring writer visits the grave of William Shakespeare, only to discover that he’s alive, sitting on his gravestone, giving story writing tips to the ghosts living in the graveyard.

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