Category: PromptsPage 6 of 26

Prompts are story ideas that inspire you to get writing. When you are overdrawn at the idea bank, you can always pick up some ideas from the muse. Take our ideas and run with them. Make them yours. Turn prompts into best sellers. Turn prompts into stories for fun. Browse prompts for ideas. If our collection can help you find inspiration or new ideas – then these prompts have done their job.

Writing dare: How many objects can you fit in one scene?

Here is a pretty random collection of items. How many of these items can you squeeze into a single scene? Bonus points for making them all plot relevant…

Writing dare: Some of your characters are only imaginary

It turns out that some of your characters are figments of another character’s imagination.

#NaNoWriMo padding: The car breaks down

Bring your characters to a grinding halt with car troubles. Take us through what the characters do to solve this issue. Who do they call? Can they fix…

IRL writing dare: Live-stream your writing session

We dare you to live-stream your next writing session or sprint.

Writing dare: Your character tells a needless but complicated lie

For reasons they might not even understand themselves, your character lies about something. The lie is every bit as complicated as the truth – more so even. Now…

Writing dare: Ice cream denial

Have a character crave some ice cream. Have them go out of their way to try and get some ice cream and yet plot, fate, and chance mean…

#NaNoWriMo padding: Expressing a crush theory

Have one character tell another that a third character has a crush on them. Have them explain in great detail why they think they are right. Allow the…

IRL writing dare: Let your Twitter followers add some crazy

Post a tweet asking your followers to shout out crazy ideas for you to include in your story. Click to Tweet

Writing dare: Introduce a majestic elephant into your story

Introduce a majestic elephant into your story. How will your plot change now? What does the elephant’s presence say about your protagonist? Bonus points if there is a…

Writing dare: Include a wicked witch to make trouble

Add a wicked witch to your story not as the main antagonist but as a persistent and annoying troublemaker who complicates things regularly to troll the protagonists.

#NaNoWriMo padding: Why are we doing this?

In the lead-up to your characters trying to get whatever it is they want, have them talk about why they are doing what they are doing. Have them…

IRL writing dare: Cosplay at a café

We dare you to dress in your favourite cosplay outfit and then go to a café to write your 1.667 words.

Writing Dare: Add a comedy writer using your characters as their subject

Introduce a new character who slowly gets closer to the main characters before it becomes clear to them that the writer is writing a comedy with your characters…

Writing dare: Waiting for cabbo

Start a chapter with at least two characters calling a taxi/cab. Follow the conversation and activities they engage in trying to pass the time. Every time they call…

#NaNoWriMo padding: That one childhood toy

Have a character explain in great detail to another character why they value a childhood toy so much. Have them derail the plot slightly by going back to…

IRL writing dares: Dictate a scene while doing jumping jacks

Today, try to dictate your scene while doing vigorous exercise. For example, jumping jacks.

A secret crush with bad timing

A character with a secret crush on your protagonist finally admits how they feel in a most dramatic way. Unfortunately, this is the worst possible timing and the…

Writing dare: Introduce a talking animal that only some characters can hear

We dare you to introduce a talking animal that only some characters can hear.

#NaNoWriMo padding: The correct way to place the toilet roll

Bring the plot to a screeching halt while your characters debate the correct way to place the toilet roll on the holder.

Writing dares from the muse archive

Here is a collection of writing dares from earlier NaNoWriMos. We have a growing archive of writing dares. How many of these writing dares can you take today?

Writing dare: An innocent social media post causes trouble

An innocent social media post results in accusations, drama, and all sorts of trouble for your characters. The entire plot grinds to a halt while they try to…

Writing dare: Give characters strong feelings about each other that they never admit to

Pick a pair of central characters to have strong feelings for each other. They never admit it to their crush but drive the protagonist (main character) absolutely spare…

#NaNoWriMo Padding: Is it too early for Christmas stuff?

Here is a suggestion to help you pad out your NaNoWriMo word count. Have your characters debate when it is too early to put up Christmas decorations. Give…

#NaNoWriMo dare threads: Science fiction

I’m on a mission to locate all the dare threads. Today, I browsed the NaNoWriMo science fiction dare thread. No spoilers here – go enjoy the thread.