fantasy fiction in creative writing

Your Guide to Becoming a Fantasy Writer with an Online Creative Writing Degree

Written by Scott Wilson

Many people read to take their minds away from the banality or concerns of everyday living. There is no genre that goes further than the magical, fantastical realm of fantasy.

From The Lord of the Rings to A Song of Ice and Fire , fantasy is a genre that can embrace every tone of human emotion and stretch imaginations in incredible directions.

Fantasy writers must have incredible imaginations themselves, alongside the story-telling skills to unveil them. Many fantasy worlds are extraordinary places, detailed down to the last thread—and invented entirely in the mind of the author.

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. ~ Arthur C. Clarke

Fantasy is also a genre with high expectations. Readers want to be amazed, but they also want to understand the story, develop attachments to characters, and feel that the world you are showing them is every bit as real as their own. To achieve the willing suspension of disbelief necessary in a successful work of fantasy, authors have to go well beyond just marking out an incredible vision. They also have to make it indelible.

While many of the prototypical works of fantasy incorporate strong and clear distinctions between good and evil, modern fantasy writing has become more realistic and more nuanced. Work by Joe Abercrombie and Patrick Rothfuss in the genre has kept many of the trappings of fantasy, but introduced characters and situations with more complexity and depth.

This is an exciting era for fantasy writers, and degrees in creative writing can help them master the form and take it to new heights at the same time.

What Defines the Fantasy Writing Genre?

Works of fantasy are distinguished by their incorporation of the impossible, along with an acceptance of implausibility. A fantasy character may fly through the air on a broomstick with no explanation given other than magic; a character in science fiction may do the same, only the broomstick would be called a speeder bike and its levitating abilities ascribed to repulsorlift technology designed to push against gravitational forces.

Magic is a common characteristic of fantasy, but not a required one . Other fantasy works exist in mythical versions of historical reality, embracing swords more than sorcery without the limitations of actual human history.

Fantasy, if it's really convincing, can't become dated, for the simple reason that it represents a flight into a dimension that lies beyond the reach of time. ~ Walt Disney

Fantasy is ancient, a primal example of the stories that humans have woven for one another for as long as tales have been told. Myths and legends are the progenitors of modern fantasy works. Writers in the genre both re-tell the classic stories of gods and monsters and build on them with new visions of the fantastic.

The wide range of sub-genres in the field of fantasy makes it easy to find a niche that will connect your skills with the demands of readers.

That depth of history allows for extensive use of symbolism and allusion in fantasy today. And the enduring appeal of fantasy tales points to some deep connection to such stories in the human psyche.

It’s likely that fantasy taps into some deep narrative need in people. That makes it a genre that’s going to be a home for creative writers for generations to come.

How To Become a Fantasy Fiction Writer

There’s no better example of this than the man who re-defined and re-invigorated the genre, J.R.R. Tolkien. While The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were the works that were published to wide acclaim and enduring popularity, they in many ways represented only small windows into the larger world that Tolkien spent much of his life inventing. Middle Earth grew out of languages that he started inventing as a child. The Elvish tongue of Quenya was an exercise of pure imagination. Only as he felt the need to develop a history to explain the development of the language did the tales and myths of the One Ring come about.

Imagination is just the start. It took Tolkien most of the rest of his life to take even a fragment of his vision and put it to paper… and he was a professor of old English!

Developing the writing skills to take your fantastic visions and make them both relatable and compelling takes hard work… maybe harder than anything faced by writers of more conventional genres.

Like those other creative writers, to become a fantasy author you’ll need to crack the rudiments of grammar and vocabulary. You’ll need to understand characterization and tone. And you’ll have to master the conventions of the genre.

But those are just the basics that any responsible writer has to learn along the way. There are definitely some types of creative writing skills that are more necessary for fantasy authors than those in other genres.

The Intricate Vision of a World Builder

In some cases, the universes created for fantasy works take on their own lives quite apart from the literature that inhabits them. Geographers study maps of Middle Earth; bestiaries have been compiled for the exotic fauna of Robert E. Howard’s Hyborian Age setting. To come up with such a detailed and coherent setting requires not just imagination, but discipline as well.

A Command of Language and Voice

A part of fantasy milieus is set through the use of language. Susannah Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell perfectly captures the 19 th -century voice of English novelists like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, lending verisimilitude to her setting and a reality to her English magic that would otherwise fall flat. In other fantasy works, like George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire , entirely new languages are invented and used to establish exotic fantasy worlds.

All of this requires both a love of language and a strong command of the grammar and rhythm. Whether portraying a formal medieval banquet or a conclave of elves in the depths of the forest, the voice of the work and of the characters in it helps set the tone for fantasy readers.

Familiarity With the Fantasy Canon

It’s also valuable to read widely in the field of history and historical fiction. Many apparently fantastic elements in some fantasy works are in fact all too real… ripped from the pages of obscure history books, repurposed into new worlds.

Plotting Fantastic Stories Like a Pro

Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. ~ Theodore Geisel (Dr. Suess)

Fantasy works don’t have to be long, but they often are. In fact, it’s tough to find fantasy novels today that aren’t multi-part series, with sequels and prequels with long story arcs planned from the very start.

That kind of long-term thinking requires highly developed plotting skills. Bringing together the threads of large casts of characters and kingdoms across generations, as many fantasy authors do, requires excellent planning and documentary skills.

Basic Writing and Editing Skills

Long written works take a lot of basic, old-fashioned, key-clacking writing. Novels of five-hundred to a thousand pages, like A Dance with Dragons , don’t write themselves. The basic skill of putting 300,000 words together coherently takes practice.

The discipline of sitting down and cranking out a couple of thousand words a day is just the start, however. Fantasy authors are as prone as any other to going down blind alleys, laying down incomprehensible sentences, and making basic mistakes of grammar and form. So those high word counts also mean a lot of long hours in self-editing.

It’s possible to develop all the key traits for becoming a fantasy writer on your own, but an education dedicated to creative writing is a more certain route to the lands of fairy and dragon.

How You Can Build Your Skills as a Fantasy Author Through Online Creative Writing Degrees

Formal training in creative writing through a degree program offers a well-lit path to the skills needed as a fantasy writer. Although most creative writing degrees don’t offer specific concentrations in fantasy or other such genres, they do support fantasy writing.

Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It's a way of understanding it. ~ Lloyd Alexander

More importantly, however, they encourage the exploration and understanding of a broad range of writing formats, genres, and techniques. Although not focused on fantasy, that kind of broad exposure to literary styles, techniques, and ideas will benefit your writing in any genre. The cross-pollination of gritty, realistic historical fiction with fantasy is part of the magic behind Game of Thrones ; the wit and narrative style of Jane Austen helped make Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell the groundbreaking sensation it was.

The Inklings

Charter members and their most notable works of fantasy include:

• C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia
• Owen Barfield, The Silver Trumpet
• R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit
• Charles Williams, All Hallows Eve
• R. Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros
• Christopher Tolkien, editor of the Middle-earth legendarium

Although the group was informal, it incorporated some of the same kinds of experiences that you will encounter in any good creative writing program today. A group of knowledgeable, insightful, interested readers and writers gathering together to discuss their work and encourage one another in their pursuits.

Many of the members, including Lewis and the Tolkiens, credit others of the Inklings for heavily influencing their own writing and providing the support and encouragement needed to finish and publish their works.

How do creative writing programs develop your own knowledge and skills to give you a shot at similar fantasy success?

Wide-ranging Reading Requirements Expose You to Every Narrative and Literary Technique

High-volume Writing Assignments Develop Your Technical and Practical Skills

Every writer of every stripe will tell you that the only way to really learn how to write is by writing. In a good creative writing program, you won’t have any other option. Whether it’s work on your required final project or any of the myriad of smaller, directed writing assignments, or even writing up feedback on the work of others, you’ll find your fingers constantly flying to keep up. That helps build the kind of discipline you’ll need in writing long works of fantasy as well as a high level of practical experience in putting sentences, paragraphs, and full pages of words together.

Discussion and Feedback Help You Find the Lines Where Disbelief Is Suspended

Fantasy writers in particular have a tough path to walk in determining what the typical reader will accept as a part of the tale and what may be rejected as a fantasy too far. The regular review, feedback, and discussion of a creative writing program from both professors and fellow students will help you develop the feel for that line. By putting your imaginary tales in front of a wide range of readers to face scrutiny, you’ll get a good sense of how the typical reader will respond to your stories.

The Time and Space To Explore Your Imagination

Networking and Professional Development To Get a Foothold in Publishing

Creative writing degrees are good about exposing students to the practical side of becoming published writers. Both by featuring guest lecturers and instructors who are published authors that have gone through the grinder, and by cultivating long-term relationships with industry professionals and organizations, creative writing programs give you the inside view of how fantasy sausage is made.

By the same token, you’ll also meet the right people and develop the right relationships to get your fantasy manuscripts in front of decision-makers who can turn them into real books.

Online Creative Writing Programs Are a Perfect Fit for Reclusive Fantasy Writers

Although many college degrees are available online today, creative writing programs are particularly well-suited to the format. While getting together with professors and fellow students, participating in workshops, and engaging in seminars are all valuable parts of a creative writing program, the reality is that you spend a lot of time on your own no matter what. While you are ploughing through a stack of reading assignments or polishing up your own writing work, whether or not you are physically on campus doesn’t matter a lot.

Many online creative writing programs do still involve at least a handful of meetings, sometimes on campus or sometimes in more pastoral surroundings at writer’s retreats or conferences.

Low-residency or entirely online creative writing programs let you focus on your work in the comfort of your own home, and connect with your classmates through the magic of the internet any time you like. Turning in your magnum opus at 3am by e-mail won’t cause anyone to blink an eye. Online video seminars allow you to kick your ideas around and comment on works just as if you were one of the Inklings sitting in the back of The Eagle and Child… but without the commute to Oxford.

Considering the Right Creative Writing Degree Level to Become a Fantasy Fiction Writer

There’s no single right answer to finding the best degree for a fantasy writing career. Much depends on your own goals, your finances, and your availability. But that also means that there are good educational options no matter what your position or path.

Certificate Programs in Creative Writing

Certificates offer a concentrated dose of college coursework in writing without a big time commitment and for a relatively affordable price. These courses often focus on particular genres or techniques, which can make them a good option for writers who need to focus on a particular area of improvement to up their fantasy writing game.

Associate Degrees in Creative Writing

Two-year degrees deliver the basics in grammar, writing, and editing together with a general liberal arts education that gives you a background for future studies. Sometimes called transfer degrees, these will often be accepted at four-year colleges as partial progress toward earning a full bachelor’s degree.

Bachelor’s Degrees in Creative Writing

The four-year bachelor’s degree is considered the standard entry-level degree in most American professions. It comes with the right combination of general knowledge and critical-thinking skills and specific professional training to make you a competent writer in all kinds of different writing jobs. With more opportunity to specialize in certain creative writing areas, this also gives you more chance to focus developing your expertise in fantasy.

Master’s Degrees in Creative Writing

The Master of Fine Arts, or MFA, in creative writing offers an elite education in everything that goes into great works of literary art. But any sort of master’s in creative writing offers two or three years of intensive, focused study on the arts of weaving a story and polishing it to the highest level.

Doctoral Degrees in Creative Writing

Doctoral programs in creative writing are less aimed at writing than at teaching writing. Although a master’s degree has long been the standard for creative writing teachers, new PhD programs are delivering a more intensive academic focus for future professors that can take five or more years to complete.

Of course, the longer the program, the more expensive the education. Admissions committees also get more and more selective the further you go. But the level of training and the personalized attention you get will also become more intense the more advanced your level of study.

No matter which route you choose, you’ll come out the other side with better writing skills than you started with. You’ll also have a better idea what it takes to succeed as a fantasy author, and you’ll have the network of support and assistance you need to dance with your own dragons in the publishing wars to come.

71+ Fantasy Plot Ideas – Inspiring Your Creative Writing Journey

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on Published: August 29, 2022  - Last updated: November 6, 2023

Categories Writing , Creativity , Filmmaking , Inspiration , Storytelling

Diving into the world of fantasy writing can be an exhilarating adventure, especially when you have a treasure trove of story ideas at your fingertips. To give your creativity a boost, we’ve compiled a list of 71 fantastical story ideas that will have your imagination soaring. Whether you’re working on a novel, screenplay, or adding depth to your Dungeons and Dragons campaign, these prompts are sure to spark your inspiration. So, why wait any longer? Embark on your brainstorming journey now!

With these unique and captivating fantasy story ideas, you’ll be able to weave exciting narratives that enthrall your readers. The key to success lies in understanding the core elements of a typical fantasy story, creating engaging characters, and building a vivid world that transports your audience to another realm. Fantasy’s popularity stems from its ability to transport us beyond reality and into a realm of endless possibilities. So, let your creativity run wild and embrace the magic of fantasy storytelling.

Key Takeaways

• Inspire your fantasy writing with 71 creative story ideas
• Create captivating narratives by understanding the core elements of fantasy stories
• Develop engaging characters and vivid worlds to transport readers to other realms

71 Fantasy Plot Ideas

When writing a fantasy story, the possibilities are endless, and your imagination can run wild. Whether it’s a group of adventurers on a quest or a young girl discovering her magical powers, the sky’s the limit. Here are 71 story ideas to ignite your creativity:

• A young girl discovers that she has magical powers and must use them to stop a dark wizard from conquering the kingdom.
• A group of friends finds themselves transported to a world of magic and adventure, where they must save the kingdom from destruction.
• A group of rebels fights against an evil empire that has enslaved their people.
• A young boy must find the courage to save his family from a dragon that has been terrorizing their village.
• A group of adventurers travels to a remote island searching for treasure, only to find themselves fighting for their lives against monstrous creatures.
• An epic battle between good and evil occurs in a world of floating castles and magical creatures.
• A princess must journey to a faraway land to rescue her kidnapped brother from a tyrannical sorcerer.
• A group of mercenaries is hired to protect a kingdom from an impending invasion by an army of monsters.
• A wizard must embark on a quest to find three magical objects that have been stolen from the kingdom’s archives.
• A small village is threatened by an evil force sucking the life out of the land, leaving it barren and desolate.
• A young girl discovers that she has the power to heal others with her touch.
• A group of friends finds a mysterious box that grants them magical powers.
• A kingdom is threatened by a powerful dark wizard who can control the people’s minds.
• A group of friends stumbles upon a hidden world full of magical creatures and monsters.
• A young man discovers that he is the descendant of a powerful dragon slayer.
• A group of kids must stop an evil sorcerer from taking over their town.
• A girl discovers she is a fairy princess kidnapped by humans years ago.
• A group of friends discovers a secret passage that leads to a lost city filled with treasure and adventure.
• A boy must stop an evil warlock from taking over his kingdom and enslaving the people.
• A group of kids finds a magical ring that turns them into superheroes
• A young farm girl discovers that she has the power to heal others with her touch.
• A group of adventurers stumbles upon a lost city made entirely of gold.
• A wizard creates a potion that turns everyone in the kingdom into animals.
• A princess is forced to marry a dragon to save her kingdom.
• A group of children finds a secret passage that leads to a magical world hidden inside the Earth.
• A young girl discovers that she is a fairy and must protect the magical creatures of her world from humans who want to destroy them.
• An evil sorcerer steals the magic from all the sorcerers in the kingdom, leaving them powerless.
• A group of friends discovers that they are magical creatures who have been transformed into humans by a curse.
• A group of people is transported to a world where they must compete in deadly gladiator games to survive.
• A young girl is chosen to be the new queen of her kingdom, but she must first pass a series of tests to prove her worthiness.
• A young farmer discovers that he has the power to heal others with his touch.
• A group of adventurers finds a magical sword that grants them superhuman strength.
• A wizard travels back in time and meets her younger self.
• A young girl discovers that she can transform into a dragon.
• A group of thieves stumbles upon a treasure map leading to a hidden city of gold.
• A princess is kidnapped and held for ransom by a band of pirates.
• A group of mercenaries is hired to protect a shipment of magical crystals.
• A kingdom is beset by a curse that turns its citizens into animals.
• A wizard must enter into a deadly Competition to win back his freedom.
• A group of kids finds themselves trapped in a haunted amusement park overnight.
• A young girl discovers she has the power to heal others with her touch.
• A group of friends must journey into a dark forest to rescue their kidnapped loved ones.
• A wizard must find a way to stop an evil sorcerer from taking over the kingdom.
• A band of rebels fights against an oppressive dictatorship.
• A group of strangers is drawn together to protect a mystical object from falling into the wrong hands.
• A young man discovers he is the heir to a powerful throne but must first overcome many obstacles to claim it.
• A team of scientists works to perfect a serum that will grant immortality.
• Adventurers travel to a mysterious island, searching for hidden treasure.
• A group of people is suddenly transported to a world where magic is commonplace.
• An elf must find a way to free her people from enslavement by the humans who have conquered their land.
• A group of adventurers finds a treasure map that leads them to a hidden city of gold.
• A musician discovers she has the power to control the minds of others with her music.
• A wizard goes on a quest to find the six magical items that will unlock the power of the elements.
• A group of friends must prevent an ancient evil from rising from the dead and taking over the world.
• A group of strangers is drawn together by fate to save a kingdom from a dark curse.
• A group of refugees fleeing a war-torn country find themselves in a strange and magical land.
• A young girl is chosen to become the next Queen of Faerie and must protect her people from an evil sorcerer.
• An orphaned boy is taken in by a group of outlaws who teach him how to fight and steal to survive in the harsh world outside the law.
• A group of friends must unite to stop an ancient evil from awakening.
• A young girl discovers she has magical powers and must stop an evil wizard from taking over the kingdom.
• A group of strangers is drawn together by fate to save the world from destruction.
• A team of superheroes fights to keep the world safe from villains.
• A group of refugees must journey across a dangerous landscape to find safety.
• A band of outlaws searches for treasure to save their home from being destroyed.
• A group of unlikely heroes must work together to defeat a powerful enemy.
• A young wizard goes on a dangerous quest to find the answers he seeks.
• An elf must leave her home behind to save her people from certain destruction.
• A group of adventurers travels through time and space to battle ancient monsters bent on destroying the world as we know it.
• A group of people with special abilities band together to take down a corrupt government.
• A young girl discovers she has the power to transform into animals.

And so much more. Dive into imaginative worlds with hidden passages, magical rings, and floating cities full of gold. Follow the journeys of fairy princesses, rebellious groups, and mystical creatures transformed by curses. Discover secret worlds within the Earth, fight alongside superheroes, or venture through haunted amusement parks. Witness epic battles against ancient evils, whether they be powerful wizards, cursed lands, or awakened undead.

Explore diverse characters and settings, from scientists pursuing immortality to outlaws fighting for survival. Grace the courts of Faerie royalty or roam the world alongside time-traveling adventurers. Experience suspenseful quests for magical treasures, mind-controlling musicians’ melodies, and elemental-wielding wizards.

These 71 fantasy story ideas not only provide you with a variety of concepts, characters, and fantastical elements but also inspire creativity and allow you to make each tale uniquely yours. So take a moment, sit down, and let your imagination run wild as you delve into these magical worlds and breathe life into your own fantasy masterpiece.

Classic Examples of Fantasy Stories

In the world of fiction, you’ll discover fantasy stories filled with magical creatures, spells, and enchanting settings. These tales can transport you to various periods and locations, often featuring a young protagonist learning to use their powers to save the world from evil. Fantasy stories cater to both children and adults, offering light-hearted adventures and darker, intricate epics.

Some well-known fantasy novels and series include J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings , C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia , George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, and J.K. Rowling’s iconic Harry Potter books. These exemplary works have captivated countless readers, leaving a lasting impact on the fantasy genre.

The Main Elements of a Typical Fantasy Story

In a typical fantasy story, you, the protagonist, are introduced to an enchanting world brimming with peculiar creatures and magical powers. Your role is to find your way, overcome various tasks, and save the day. Along the journey, vibrant friends and foes join you, helping you embrace your destiny to become the hero the world needs.

Characters in fantasy stories are either mundane, ordinary individuals, or magical beings with extraordinary abilities. Your story will likely follow the magical characters as they embark on a quest to secure a mystical artifact or accomplish a crucial mission that prevents the world from falling into chaos. Resilient and determined, you and your companions will undoubtedly prevail against the challenges and hindrances along your path.

Fantasy stories often unfold in whimsical settings like medieval kingdoms or remote lands of dragons and wizards. Your ultimate goal is to triumph over the ruthless villain and usher in peace throughout the land. As you journey through your fabled adventure, expect to encounter elements like plot twists, curses, magical swords, and strikingly vivid scenes that will bring your fantasy story to life.

What Should Your Fantasy Story Be About?

To create a captivating fantasy story, begin with a concept, such as the high stakes of war between kingdoms or magical creatures living in a fantastical world. To paint a vivid picture, build a strong, detailed world.

A useful technique is sketching a map of your imagined realm. It helps generate ideas for unique locations, intriguing characters, and exciting plot points while visualizing the landscape and diverse inhabitants.

With a solid story foundation, commence your writing journey! Concentrate on developing relatable characters and exhilarating action sequences. Remember, the crucial element of magic mustn’t be overlooked! Design an original and consistent magic system, adding a special touch to your narrative.

Embrace writing fantasy , indulge in happy writing , and produce remarkable creative works . Ultimately, let your imagination soar and uncover the endless possibilities your enchanting world presents.

How to Write a Fantasy Character

Creating an appealing fantasy character starts with selecting a solid archetype. Popular choices include the rebel, the lost soul, the orphan, and the outcast. These strong archetypes determine the foundation of your character’s backstory.

To make your character believable, develop a detailed backstory outlining who they are and why they do what they do. Ensure it aligns with the chosen archetype, for instance, if your character is an orphan, their backstory should involve being orphaned early in life.

Next, focus on your character’s appearance. Accurate descriptions help readers visualize the character, forming a mental image. If you need creative inspiration, online resources like Pinterest are useful.

Personality is an essential aspect to consider while crafting your character. Identify their core motivations, strengths, and weaknesses. Maintaining consistency between the chosen archetype and their personality traits is crucial. Cover the following entities where relevant: witch, wizard, warriors, character development, sorcerer, and character names.

As you begin writing, give readers insightful glimpses into your character’s thoughts and emotions to foster a personal connection. The more engaged readers are with your character’s journey, the more enjoyable their reading experience.

What Makes an Engaging Fantasy World

When creating an engaging fantasy world, several factors contribute to its allure and appeal. Here are some essential components to consider:

• Intricate history and folklore : Crafting a complex backstory involving legends, myths, and the origins of your characters and creatures strengthens the foundation of your fantasy world. This depth allows readers to understand and appreciate the world you have built.
• Vivid and immersive setting : The environment of your story plays a significant role, especially in fantasy tales. Describe your world in such a way that it captivates the reader’s imagination, immersing them in the experience.
• Compelling and diverse characters : Fantasy worlds provide countless opportunities for unique character development. Create a variety of personalities, from brave knights and cunning wizards to magical creatures like dragons, fairies, and mermaids. Your characters should be relatable and interesting to the reader.
• Thrilling plot : Keep your readers engaged with an exhilarating storyline that includes elements such as epic battles, daring rescues, treasure hunts, or a quest to save a kingdom.

By focusing on these crucial aspects, you will create a captivating fantasy world where your readers will enjoy exploring and getting lost. Remember, details like magic, towers, and new worlds will further enrich your worldbuilding endeavors.

Why Fantasy Is So Popular

Fantasy captures your imagination, taking you on journeys to magical realms and allowing you to experience different cultures without leaving your home. As an escape from everyday life, fantasy presents endless possibilities, making you a hero, villain, mage, or warrior, all without real-world consequences.

Embracing your creativity, this popular genre offers countless storylines and plot arcs, fueling your imagination and expanding your horizons. So, dive into the fantastic worlds that await you and enjoy the limitless adventures of fantasy literature and entertainment.

Taking Fables and Myths in a Different Direction

Fables and myths have been the cornerstone of storytelling for ages, delving into the depths of human experience and sparking countless adventures. In a fresh approach, you can take these timeless tales and put a new spin on them. Here are ten ideas to fuel your creativity:

• Alternate roles : What if your favorite heroes were the villains and vice versa?
• Misunderstood monsters : Could the creatures in fairy tales be unfairly represented?
• Unexpected endings : Imagine if the climax of your favorite folklore went differently.
• Real-life inspirations : What if the characters in mythology were based on actual people from the past?
• Modern twist : How would these stories unfold if they took place in the present day?
• Shifting settings : Transplant fables to a completely different time or location.
• Contemporary concerns : How would legendary characters tackle today’s issues?
• New interpretations : Offer a fresh perspective on age-old tales.
• Different points of view : Retell stories from another character’s perspective.
• Contemporary style : Reimagine the events of a myth with a modern approach.

By playing around with these ideas, you can create engaging narratives that blend the classic elements of fables, myths, and fairy tales with innovative twists. So go ahead, let your muse guide you, and breathe new life into these ancient stories.

The Most Popular Type of Fantasy

In the world of fantasy, you’ll find various subgenres that capture your imagination. One of the most popular types is urban fantasy , which brings magical elements into our modern-day cities. With a mix of supernatural creatures, vampires, and even superheroes, urban fantasy is an exciting escape from reality.

Another favorite subgenre is high fantasy , where you’ll dive into a medieval setting, full of magic and mythical beings. These stories are often rich in world-building and draw you into a land of heroes and adventure.

For fans of horror elements, dark fantasy combines the supernatural with the eerie and frightening. In this subgenre, elements of horror and suspense are blended seamlessly with fantastical creatures and scenarios.

Finally, YA fantasy has experienced a surge of popularity in recent years. These stories, aimed at young adult readers, often feature coming-of-age themes and depict relatable characters discovering newfound powers and abilities. No matter your taste in fantasy, there is a type waiting to sweep you off your feet and into a world of wonder.

Popular Fantasy Authors

You might already be familiar with these successful fantasy authors who have captured the imagination of readers worldwide:

• Terry Pratchett
• Brandon Sanderson
• JRR Tolkien
• Neil Gaiman
• George RR Martin

As you explore the world of fantasy literature, these authors and their works will undoubtedly inspire you. Don’t forget that even smaller-scale authors like Caroline Leavitt also have unique and incredible stories to tell. Enjoy your literary journey!

How Fantasy Differs From Science Fiction

When you’re diving into the world of speculative fiction, you’ll notice some key differences between the fantasy genre and science fiction. Fantasy often revolves around magical elements and supernatural forces, as seen in novels and screenplays. Science fiction, however, delves into imaginative concepts such as futuristic technology, space exploration, and time travel.

While fantasy primarily emphasizes unique worlds and their colorful inhabitants, science fiction focuses on nurturing scientific ideas and their impact on societies. As a result, you’ll find that most fantasy narratives come across as idealistic and optimistic. On the other hand, science fiction can be denser, exploring darker, dystopian realities.

These distinctions stem from the core goals of the two genres. Fantasy strives to transport you to place detached from reality, filled with magic and wonder. In contrast, science fiction uses futuristic ideas to probe the complex challenges and questions facing our present-day world.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some unique dark fantasy story concepts.

Dark fantasy stories often include elements of horror, suspense, and darker themes. Consider incorporating the following aspects:

• A cursed village haunted by malevolent spirits
• A protagonist struggling against a dark prophecy
• An anti-hero or morally ambiguous character on a quest for redemption
• A world entangled in a deadly power struggle between supernatural forces

Which magical components can enrich a fantasy plot?

To create a vibrant magical world, consider using the following elements:

• Magical creatures such as dragons, elves, or shapeshifters
• Unique magical abilities or inherited powers for your characters
• Enchanted objects, like powerful artifacts or cursed items
• A well-defined system of magic, with rules and limitations for its use

How do I weave romance into my fantasy story?

Incorporating romance can add depth and emotional resonance to your fantasy story. To introduce romantic elements:

• Develop organic, believable relationships between characters
• Consider using “slow-burn” romance, allowing connections to grow over time
• Introduce romantic subplots that intertwine with the main story arc
• Use the central fantasy elements or obstacles as catalysts for romantic development

What are some mature themes for a grown-up fantasy plot?

To create a more complex and engaging adult fantasy story, consider including themes that delve into deeper moral or emotional territory such as:

• The morality of power and the consequences of wielding it
• Psychological struggles and inner turmoil experienced by your characters
• Moral ambiguity and blurring the line between good and evil
• Exploration of societal issues within the context of a fantastical setting

How do I incorporate surprising twists in my fantasy story?

Adding unexpected twists can keep readers engaged and eager to see what happens next. To create dramatic turns in your fantasy story:

• Develop intricate plots that gradually unfold, with twists that stem from character choices and actions
• Mislead the reader using red herrings, without resorting to cheap tricks or inconsistent character behavior
• Plant subtle hints and foreshadowing early in the story, to reward attentive readers later on
• Consider incorporating a twist that challenges or subverts common genre tropes

What components establish an epic fantasy narrative?

Epic fantasy stories usually feature vast worlds, high stakes, and sweeping story arcs. To craft an epic fantasy tale, consider including the following elements:

• A large-scale conflict with wide-reaching implications
• Detailed world-building, including history, cultures, and geography
• A diverse and well-developed cast of characters with varying motivations and backgrounds
• A sense of grandeur and high stakes, often involving destiny or prophecy

ThinkWritten

42 Fantasy Writing Prompts & Plot Ideas

These 42 fantasy writing prompts and plot ideas are waiting for you to write them into your next big novel, screenplay, short story.

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Need a good story idea quick? These fantasy writing prompts and plot ideas can be used as inspiration to write your next epic tale. You can use these story ideas and prompts for all types of creative works, whether it be a novel, screen play or other fictional short stories.

The Magic World of Writing Fantastical, Epic Tales

I’ve always loved writing fantasy, simply because in fantasy you can leave all your worries about the real world behind. Fantasy writing is your chance to explore your imagination and discover all sorts of magical and mysterious things.

One of the biggest perks of fantasy writing is unlike realistic fiction, there needs to be no logical sequence for how things happen. You can finally use magic as a reasonable and acceptable explanation for everything.

Like all of our  writing prompts , these fantasy fiction prompts and plot ideas are varied on a number of different subjects that can fit into the fantasy genre. Many of these fiction writing prompts can be used for sub-genres of fantasy, such as paranormal romance, urban fantasy, magic realism and more.

Not a fan of the subject? Prefer to stick to medieval times? Any of these epic story ideas can be adapted easily simply by substituting the suggested character with your mythological creature of choice.

Don’t forget, if you like some aspects of a prompt you can always change it for your own needs and what interests you most. The possibilities are endless, and I know there is a book idea here waiting for you to write and publish it .

Even if you don’t have any intentions of writing a fantasy novel, there are many benefits of practicing creative writing with these fantasy writing prompts. Set a timer for 5 minutes and let your imagination run wild with one of these prompts – you never know where it may take you.

Fantasy Writing Prompts for Creative Fiction, Novels, Short Stories, Screenplays and More

These writing prompts are open to your own interpretation and imagination. Many are purposely open-ended to give you a lot of flexibility for the way they are used. Ready? Let the writing begin!

1. The Snow Dragon: You are in the mountain forest when you come face to face with the snow dragon: an adorable, furry, and surprisingly tiny creature who breathes fire.

2. Street Signs: After a young man is killed as an innocent bystander in the cross-fires of gang violence, you notice a mysterious symbol appear on the side of a building.

3. Lilies of the Valley: As the new housekeeper for a prominent wealthy family, one of your tasks is to water all of the house plants. You are watering the lilies in the entry way when one of the plants starts talking to warn you of a dark family secret.

4. The Coin Dealer:  You are at a Coin Show when you meet a coin dealer who specializes in collecting mythical currencies.

5. The Fairies Next Door: Being new in town, you decided to introduce yourself to the neighbors. When you knock on the door, you are greeted by a small army of fairies who take you captive.

6. Water Vs. Dirt: There are two major groups of people who live on the planet. The water people, who use water for everything, and the dirt people, who use dirt for everything. Can they learn to co-exist peacefully, or will their entire world become mud?

7. Potions, Inc. : After centuries of a small occult family developing successful potions for love, fortune, and health, the oldest son decides to launch the family business of magic into the corporate world.

8. If Walls Could Talk:  After moving to a new town, the Smith Family thinks they found the perfect home. That is, until the walls begin to talk and they learn the house is cursed.

9. Empire of Misfits:  A secret society of misfits decides to take over the world, learning to use their greatest flaws as super powers to succeed.

10. The Invisible Castle: A group of friends decide to climb a tower near their home when they discover it leads to an invisible castle in the air that no one else knows exists.

11. Ghost  Pirates:  Legends claim a notorious pirate buried his treasure along the rocky shores of the cove. James and his girlfriend are at the beach one night when the ghost ship sails in.

12. Photographic Travel: You stare at the man in the photo and wonder what his life might have been like. Next thing you know, you and the person in the photograph have swapped places.

13. The Benevolent Beast: On the edge of town is a giant and fierce looking beast but is actually quite friendly. When strange occurrences start happening in the town, the beast is a prime suspect. Can you protect the beast and clear its name?

14. Gilbert The Giant Goldfish: Life in the koi pond only appears to be peaceful…

15. The Magic Key: After failing in his career and marriage, Will discovers a magic key that unlocks doors that open into a new world.

16. Island in the Clouds:  The Great War left the people of her kingdom stranded on a tethered island in the clouds…

17. Dancing Fever : As the townspeople are overcome with a feverish desire to dance, it’s up to you to find the cause and cure.

18. Paranormal Detective : He has a knack for solving mysteries with the help of a ghost who gives him clues.

19. Darkness Made Daily: The factory you work at is frequently rated “Top 10 Places to Work” across the country. Workers have wonderful health benefits, generous salaries, and plenty of paid vacation time. When your co-worker at the assembly line mysteriously vanishes, it’s up to you to uncover the evil truth of what the factory is manufacturing and put a stop to it.

20. The Arctic Mermaid:  Living deep in the icy waters of the Northern Atlantic Ocean are the arctic mermaids, who rescue a child being held captive on a ship.

21. Ring of Storms : “It’s just one those silly mood rings…” or is it?

22. No Words: Mike makes a promise to a mysterious vagrant on the street that leaves his wife speechless.

23. The Psychic Hospital : After being involuntarily committed into the psych ward for being delusional, a patient must somehow convince the doctors all she experiences is real. She is not crazy – and neither are the other patients.

24. Forever Beautiful : You are a cosmetologist at a local gossip-filled beauty salon when you accidentally stumble across a map that outlines the path to the legendary fountain of youth.

25.  Out of Paradise: You just got kicked out of heaven. Now what?

26. The Crossing Guards:  The crossing guards at a busy intersection of the city do more than just help the living humans walk across the street.

27. Second Chance at Life: At a hospital on one stormy night, the souls of two patients agree to swap places when it becomes obvious neither one will ever be able to return to the life they once knew.

28. The Cowboy and The Witch : He is an outlaw from the wild, wild west and she’s a witch from the Old Country.

29. The False Light Gods: A group of evil entities attempt to trick people into believing they are the good guys by disguising themselves as saints, angels, gods, and goddesses.

30. Utopian Anarchist Society : Tired of the kingdom’s latest . It’s time to do something about it and so you begin your plans for creating the perfect utopian anarchist society.

31. Spirit Radio: After a few too many songs come on the radio at random coincidence, you realize you have a gift to communicate with spirits through music.

32.  Flying Cupcakes: A little girl is visiting a busy bakery with her nanny when she  enters the enchanted kitchen and is whisked away into the land of cupcakes.

33. Cosmic Address: You discover there’s a reason the address of your childhood home is 382 Orion Way.

34. The Perfect People: On the outside, they appear to be perfect. Of course, things are never as they actually appear…

35. Soul Fragments: When something tragic happens, it’s often said we lose a piece of ourselves. Your task is to travel through different lifetimes to find these lost parts of self to be whole again.

36. The VooDoo Queen:  The fraudulent fortune teller makes her living by conning the local superstitious government officials. When they start to become suspicious, she decides to make a run for it through the bayou where she encounters the ghost of the real VooDoo Queen.

37. Ghost Train : Every night, you are awakened by the sound of a train, but the railroad closed down years ago.

38. Trash to Treasure: While exploring an abandoned trash dump location off the coast, a young boy discovers an ancient sword.

39. Planet of Sorrows : It is a place of suffering, brokenness and despair.

40. Reading the Heavens : Each person has a designated star in the sky above. When the stars align, they will be lifted to go home to their true planet.

41. Miners Cove: After a mining village is swallowed by a sinkhole, all traces on the surface disappear, but the civilization continues on in secret for centuries. When modern day explorers come to claim and develop the land, the underground colony must do what they can to protect themselves and their secret world.

42. The Mirror, Cup, and Candle : Legend has it, if you stand in front of a mirror holding a cup and a candle you can jump between dimensions.

Need Some Help Writing? You May Also Like:

• How to Write a Novel in 4 Steps
• How to Outline a Novel
• How to Write Over 2,500+ Words a Day
• List Character Development Questions

Looking for even more writing prompts? Don’t forget to check these out:

• 365 Creative Writing Prompts ,
• 101 Poetry Prompts
• 300 Kids Writing Prompts

I hope these fantasy writing prompts helped spark your imagination. Whether you are looking for a different and unique style of creative writing exercises or are looking for the elusive perfect novel idea, this list will hopefully get your creativity flowing. And don’t forget – National Novel Writing Month is November!

Do you have any other ideas for fantasy writing prompts not included here? Share your fantasy story writing prompts or plot ideas in the comments section below – you never know who you might inspire to get writing.

And as always if you do write anything using these prompts, we would love to know about it! Tell us where we can find your stories in the comments below, link to this list from your own blog, or use the hashtag #thinkwritten on social media.

Chelle Stein wrote her first embarrassingly bad novel at the age of 14 and hasn't stopped writing since. As the founder of ThinkWritten, she enjoys encouraging writers and creatives of all types.

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80 comments.

I plan on writing about one of these ideas for one week every night, thank you for sharing these ideas!

You’re welcome! I’m glad it inspires you to write!

Keep writing! My life depends on it!

I’m not really what you would call a writer. But I plan on becoming an author one day, and I believe these ideas will help me along that path. Thank you so much.

That`s actually a good idea.

Thank you for these awesome ideas. They make me feel so enthusiastic.

Glad you enjoyed them!

Wow thanks now I can begin my own series and add more to the story

I have an Idea for a prompt… A girl named Summer is born on The Summer Solstice of 2003, the date that a hero from a prophecy is supposed to be born. When Summer turns 16, Mordred, King Arthur’s supposedly dead nephew, rises, and attempts to take over the world, Summer must team up with Iclyn, A girl born on the winter solstice, with winter powers (summer had summery powers) Lily, a girl with powers born on the spring equinox, and Autumn, a girl with powers born on the fall equinox. The girls train to be knights to defeat the mighty Mordred, before the alignment of the planets, when he will become too powerful to fight.

This one is really good for a fantasy novel

That’s sounds like an awesome story and i would love to read it when its finished😊

I would love to use this prompt of yours! It’s really inspiring.

Wow that’s so awesome ur idea is so cool, keep on writing ur gonna be really great author at this rate👏🔥💯👍

I really like that story and if you just finished it and published it,i think that story would go viral!

That sound awesome!

This idea is amazing! You’re a great author and this will make a super cool fantasy book! (like you said, Shreya)

These Ideas are gold! I plan to use a few of them! You are awesome.

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed them!

“Cliche” medieval settings? Ouch. 😔

I’ve been using these for my weekly 200’s at school and they’re really awesome!

I have written 7 books so far but, and yes, it’s a big BUT, none have managed to catch a big publishers eyes or be the word out there for it to reach the masses. Looking for a big publisher for my 8th manuscript. Shaida mehrban

Hi Shaida, have you considered working with an agent? Sometimes they can help you find a publisher and may be able to give you some feedback on what might make your books marketable. Hope that helps and hopefully you will be able to publish one of your books soon!

I think that some of these are very good, such as the patients that are thought of as crazy story, and the candle in front of the mirror, but others are a bit childish.

I’m glad you were able to find a couple that intrigued you!

“You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.” – Madeleine L’Engle

HI, I have a question? Can I get permission to use the ideas in my stories!

Hi Monica, you are welcome to use any of these ideas in your stories. If you publish anything online, we would love it if you could cite our website as inspiration and share this page so it can help inspire others! Thank you for asking and let us know if you write something, we’d love to check it out. 🙂

Hi just to double-check!!! I can have permission to use your story ideas If I later decide to publish books! And become an Author and get pay, IF I could get permission!!!

Ten years after being abandoned to the care of her alcoholic father, the eldest of a pair of identical twin sisters tries to track down her estranged mom. The problem is: the only person who has a clue to her whereabouts is a young boy she hasn’t seen in nearly twelve years. But, he’s not really a boy. He’s a centuries-old fairy who appears mostly human. Except for the fifteen feet raven wings sprouting from his back. What really happened on the night the girl’s mother disappeared, and why does it feel like she isn’t being told the entire truth about her.

Thanks for sharing your plot idea H.R.!

Novel ideas to rejuvenate our creativity

I have so many story ideas and I did wrote some out but threw them away (oops) I did write a story but lost interest in it cause so much stuff was happening and now, I’m trying to focus on 1 but don’t know where to begin or how to write it :< I really like fantasy and your ideas are cool ^^

Glad they inspired you!

Story Idea you meet Jesus Christ in person no one believes that’s him !! what would you do?

I need help writing a plot for my stories about mermaids and fairy in a school setting???/

Story Idea a beautiful women uses her charm and beauty to get out of poverty and uses people to get what she wants because she thinks she deserves the best, in the end everything comes back to her. Story Idea Two sisters exasperated a birth one rich one poor meet again and switched lives one goes to replaces the others life and lives a lavish lifestyles the bad sister while the other takes care of the other family the good sister!

this is a nice idea and i would really like to see what u have got.

I was thinking about an idea for a novel and I was wondering if you had any thoughts on it.

Eren Hawkings wakes up from a coma after a dangerous car crash. During his Coma, he has strange visions that show to him the future of the world. And Eren’s entire life layed out before his eyes. During these he finds out that he will find true love. However, his love will die at a very early age to a rare virus. He will not pass through college, becoming a victim of a school shooting. His friends leave him to survive on his own in the world. How will he handle these visions, and will he be able to stop these visions from becoming reality.

(I’m only 13 and still learning the steps to becoming an author)

There’s really no such thing as a bad idea for a book – it’s all in how the story is told and how it develops. I was 14 when I wrote my first novel – it’s simultaneously the worst and best thing I’ve ever written. The worst because I was a beginner and its badly written. The plot is a disaster, the characters are cliche, the grammar is painful.

And yet, it’s still one of the best things I’ve ever written. Writing something badly is what helped me become a good writer. {And writing things badly is actually the entire premise of the book I’m currently publishing!}

The best way to learn is by doing. Start writing! You can always edit/revise/write a different story later.

Story idea: There are four ancient tribes in a feud. Little do they know, a darker force than them all intends to get rid of them. Four girls from each tribe, intend to find out why the feud started in the first for the sake of saving there tribes.

It is somewhat like Hunger Games

Good ideas, guys!!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Great Ideas, thinkwritten! They’re really inspiring!

i am doing a fantasy book for kids for school and i need ideas

Hi I just want to repost my idea. A girl wakes up and she has no idea where she is. Soon, she realizes that she is trapped in a laboratory/maze inhabited by a crazy alchemist or somewhat. The reason she’s captured is because in her past life, she had a terrible secret that he needs to know. But she refuses to tell him the secret after she communicates with the ghost of her past life. eventually, she escapes and defeats him and saves her past life and her present one. Except, she is unaware that since she doesn’t tell him the secret, there is a terrible cost about to destroy her utterly.

I kinda changed it.

I love that idea. Thank you!!

I’m planning a DnD campaign with a general, really loose idea, using these to fill in some gaps and make it more interesting.

Heyo! This was very useful, thanks yours so much 🙂

I’ve been trying to write a really good story for a while but I’m stuck. Can you give me any ideas including the following? Thanks in advance. (I will be checking my email every day for your reply 🙂

Fantasy Elements Jars Mystical Creatures

Hi. I have an ideas but I get writer’s block. I can’t write properly. My idea to develop is the Ghost Train or The Snow Dragon 🙂 can you please help me write a story and help get rid of my writer’s block 🙂

thanks a lot i’m behind lots of essays and you saved my life thanks a lot I will come here if i need any more ideas. – See you later

Story Idea: Nora Redford has grown up without a mother. When one magical Christmas Eve she is given a wish, she asks to see her mother. Nora is given a map to the Island of The Dead and she goes on an adventure through different worlds to find her mother.

This would be a good book

if anyone publish stories on these concepts will u remove that particular concept???

Possibly, maybe. Depends if you follow my original open source licencing model.

Oooh I really like it!Is it okay if I use it?

Every time i go over to our grandmas my cousins and i all play these games based on fantasy and Mid evil. Lately we have run out of ideas, so i am for sure book marking this also my parents tell me to write so this will make it a lot more fun!

Here’s my idea:

In Northern England, a gang of teenage girls discover a magical jewel that belonged to the Romans. The Romans used that Jewel to put a curse on their newly conquered land, a curse that would turn all teenage girls there into boys. When the Romans left Britain, the curse was revoked and they destroyed any evidence: expect for that one jewel. They buried it and made a sign reading “Non tangere” (do not touch) next to it. the teenage girls ,manged to get it and horribly pronounced the magic Latin spell next to it, awaking the curse.

This has been really helpful. Thank you so much.

Thank you very much!!! My english teacher assigned me a homework of writing a novel in a month.. These plot ideas are so cool and helpful!! By the way, isn’t the ‘soul fragment ” plot similar to Voldemort’s in the Harry Potter series? And, I have another problem..I just can’t think of a really rare female character name. Could someone please suggest me some names?

Perhaps, Rivera, Eve, or even Coral?

Well, one more thing that people could write at the end of the story is that it was all a dream!

Hi, there! I want to write a story of the Nutcracker but I am stuck tight! I’ve written several attempts on the story but every time, I bump into a wall. Something’s just not coming out the right way. Need some help here!

Hi Mary Ann, did you create an outline? That can help you identify a roadmap for the story so that when you hit a wall you know which direction to go. Keep trying, I know you can do it!

Very well-written! Thanks for sharing this great article Chelle.. Writing Fantasy Fiction doesn’t have to be daunting and difficult. Thank you!

Dren kind of works; I’ve used it for a character who’s transfluid, but I don’t know what you’re swinging for :P.

There’s also Feven, which looks weird but it’s pronouned like Raven but with an F, so it’s pronouned Fay-ven, or Fae-ven. The spelling is also changeable, since it’s your character! Do what fits.

Farah, which I just think is pretty. :>

Nimah, which I also find pretty. (I find a lot of things pretty XD)

Leyra, which is also changeable, Laerah, Leira, do what you feel is right.

Kioni, (pronounced key-o’-knee; funny spelling huh?) I had a friend named Kioni, and I just thought the name was pretty unique.

Soriah; (pronounced as it is, so-rye-ah, and the spelling can be changed!) my older sister was going to be named this, but at the last minute she was called Christa instead. (Christa is just a variation of Krista, as my name, Jayda, is a variation of Jada.)

If you’re feeling fancy, you can even use my middle name, Zaharra. Or Zara if you want it shorter.

That’s all from me! Hope I could help!

So uhh this is my short story that I made for the first one. The Snow Dragon. It’s kind of long so if you don’t want to read it then it’s fine but I saw other people doing this so I thought why not? I trek up the mountain, putting one foot in front of the other, determined to finally get to the top this time, while the sky falls in tiny crystal balls around me. Soon the snow starts plummeting down in sheets, blocking my path and covering everything, the trees, the grass, and the ground in a sheet of white. Trying to escape the gloomy weather, I look for a cave. I remember finding it the last time I was exploring the woods and mountains near my house. The truth is, I live in the middle of nowhere and it gets quite lonely when you are the only person your age around. It’s just my mother and father, who are faithful farmers. My father goes to the village nearest here every other week in our only carriage to trade food for clothes and other necessities. If I remember correctly, the cave is somewhere around the clearing a few meters ahead. After searching more thoroughly, I find it carved inside the edge of a hill covered by the shade of trees and bushes. The gentle snow seems to have turned into a storm in the last few minutes. I step inside and take off my scarf that was covering my face and finally breathe freely. I rub my hands together to create some heat. After I have made myself comfortable, I finally take in my surroundings. The cave is dark and covered with jagged rocks everywhere I look. Every nook and cranny is sharp and the shadows dance in the changing weather, taunting me to come to them. There are a few insects scuttling around on the floors. I see a spider web on the rocks. A flea is stuck on it. I walk in deeper, ready to investigate the strange cave further. As I trudge along, I see something that makes me freeze. Something big and alive. There is some sort of creature in the furthest corners of the cave. And it seems to be sleeping. As I walk closer to it, I make sure to keep my footsteps light. Now I am standing right on top of it. I think that it is an animal. It’s skin is white, it’s head is tucked into itself and it is curled into a ball. Definitely sleeping. The creature’s white tail is flipping back and forth as if it is having a pleasant dream. No, wait, that’s not skin. That’s scales. The entire animal is covered in scales. Strange. I have never seen something like this before. Only small animals like snakes and reptiles have scales. I reach my hand down to touch it, now only centimeters away. The tip of my finger brushes what I’m assuming is the head. The tiny creature whips it’s head around and a growl arouses from its throat. I stumble back in surprise and fall back on my behind. The animal stands up on all fours and shakes its head, letting out a small blast of fire in the process. You see, the white scaled creature isn’t an animal at all. It’s a dragon.

These are the best writing prompts I have ever seen! I love this site and your writing! Thank You! #Never Stop Writing!

Hi, I am having trouble with writing a book. I have writer’s block and I need ideas for a story about people from a different planet looking for people with the same birthstone to tell their secrets but I have no clue where to start. I been wanting to write stories but I am 14 and have no clue where to start.

I meant people from a different planet going to Earth in a disguise looking for a person that believes in fantasy place. Then the people from the different planets will reveal their true identity only to them if they tell any one the people from the different planet fade in color and turn gray. I need names for these creatures and a way how to do it. I don’t know if I want to do a comic book, chapter book,or picture book.

I need help writing this story. I would be happy if help me with a story starter for this story.

I need title ideas. Something fantasy-wise. Thanks -Book Worm

I´m writing something with the four basic elements and how these four teenagers have powers. So far, I have Flare, Aura, Wade, and Sten. Flare has fire, Wade has water, Aura has air, and Sten has earth abilities. They live in different realms. I would like to hear your ideas.(If you guys have any)

These are amazing ideas can i use one

Of course, that is why they are here!

They are great.

what a good idea i love the second one

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120 Fantasy Writing Prompts: High Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Romance And More

Sometimes when we sit down to write a fantasy story, the creative gears can’t get going. We might try as hard as we can, but nothing works. In these desperate times, there’s one solution that many writers turn to, and that is using fantasy writing prompts.

Over the years, prompts have played a huge role in the lives of many fantasy writers. As someone who’s been writing fantasy for nearly 10 years, I’ve used prompts both written and visual to inspire lots of stories. I love them and appreciate their value.

So I put together this guide to share with you some of my favorite prompts for fantasy stories. I’ve broken them down by sub genre of fantasy , so you can find inspiration for your epic and heroic tales as well as your classic high fantasy ones too.

Keep scrolling for the lists of prompts. Next, we take a look at the basics behind them.

What Is A Fantasy Writing Prompt?

A fantasy writing prompt is snippet of a story, a theme or an idea that’s desiged to spark the beginning of a story.

In other words, it’s a tool used by writers to spark their creativity to life. Just like a hunter would use a piece of flink to spark their campfire to life.

Why Use Prompts To Write Fantasy?

Sometimes you have the desire to write, but it’s difficult to think of an idea to get you started. Other times we may just be tired from a long day at the 9 to 5 job.

When you’re feeling a little low on the creative energy front, a fantasy writing prompt can serve as the spark that ignites the flame.

Sometimes you don’t even need to write a full story with the prompt. It could be a scene or chapter, maybe even just a monologue. Or it could develop into a short story, novella or novel.

You can use them to find your flow, and once the words are pouring forth, you can move onto your other writing project.

Are There Any Issues With Using A Prompt?

Some people worry about things like plagiarism when it comes to using a writing prompt. Other writers feel like it’s cheating if they didn’t come up with the idea on their own.

For clarity’s sake, there’s no issue at all with using a prompt.

All stories come from a prompt of some kind. Authors talk all the time about reading a story and developing an idea from it. George RR Martin famously based Game of Thrones on the War of the Roses.

As for plagiarism, this is a very unlikely outcome, and the reason we know this is by looking at short story competitions. Anthologies, magazines and publishers regularly run competitions based around a theme . As someone who has judged competitions like this, it’s amazing how different the stories can be with one narrow prompt.

A List Of Fantasy Writing Prompts By Genre

Below, you can find lists of fantasy writing prompts broken down by different sub genres.

High Fantasy

High fantasy is a sub genre rich in adventure, fantasy creatures like dragons, and magic . Here are some prompts:

• In a world where magic is feared and outlawed, a young orphan discovers they possess mysterious powers.
• A legendary dragon rider, long thought to be extinct, emerges from hiding, seeking to unite the fractured kingdoms against a common enemy.
• Deep within a cursed forest lies a hidden artifact of immense power. A group of adventurers must band together to retrieve it.
• An ancient prophecy speaks of a chosen one who will bring balance to the realm. But what if the chosen one is not who everyone expects?
• As an ancient evil rises, a reluctant hero must delve into the forbidden arts of magic to save their world, risking everything in the process.
• In a realm torn apart by war, an unlikely alliance forms between humans and magical creatures. Together, they must confront the darkness threatening to consume them all.
• Gifted with the ability to manipulate time, a young witch must navigate a web of destiny to prevent a catastrophic event from tearing the world asunder.
• Legends speak of a city of gold hidden deep within the uncharted wilderness. As treasure hunters converge on the area, alliances will be forged and betrayals will unfold.
• Cursed by an enchantress, a prince must find true love before time runs out. But what if breaking the curse means sacrificing his own happiness?
• Entrusted with protecting a powerful artifact, a young mage must navigate a world of deception and intrigue, where allies may be enemies in disguise.
• Abandoned by the gods, the world teeters on the brink of destruction. A band of heroes must journey into the heart of darkness to confront the gods and restore balance.
• A treasure map leads a group of adventurers to the lair of a fearsome dragon. But as they draw closer to the treasure, they realize there’s more at stake than gold and jewels.
• In a world where music holds magical power, a young bard must use her talents to stop an ancient evil from plunging the realm into darkness.
• Trapped within a deadly labyrinth, a group of adventurers must rely on each other’s strengths and wits to survive and claim the treasure that lies at its heart.
• Banished from his kingdom, a young prince must prove himself worthy of the throne by undertaking a perilous quest that will test his courage and resolve.
• A young dreamwalker discovers a realm where dreams are reality. But when nightmares threaten to consume the dream realm, she must confront her deepest fears to save her sister and her world.
• Tasked with retrieving the lost sword of their king, a group of knights must journey into enemy territory, facing impossible odds and dark secrets along the way.
• Discovering a hidden school of magic, a young wizard must navigate the dangerous world of sorcery while unraveling the mysteries of his own past.
• With dragons hunted to near extinction, a young dragon rider must protect her companion from those who seek to exploit its power for their own gain.
• To rescue a lost soul from the underworld, a group of heroes must journey into the realm of the dead, confronting their own inner demons in the process.

Dark Fantasy

• In a world where darkness reigns, a young sorcerer discovers a forbidden spell that could bring about the end of days.
• A cursed blade, said to contain the soul of a vengeful spirit, falls into the hands of a reluctant hero who must wield its power to save their kingdom.
• Trapped in a city shrouded in eternal night, a group of survivors must navigate its twisted streets and deadly inhabitants to uncover the truth behind the darkness.
• A powerful necromancer raises an army of the dead to conquer the world, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.
• In a realm ruled by fear, a rebellion rises against the tyrannical sorcerer-king, sparking a brutal war where alliances are fleeting and betrayal is common.
• Haunted by visions of a dark future, a young seer must navigate a web of treachery and deceit to prevent the apocalypse.
• A deadly disease sweeps across the land, turning its victims into bloodthirsty monsters. As civilization crumbles, survivors must do whatever it takes to stay alive.
• A powerful artifact, said to hold the key to immortality, falls into the wrong hands, unleashing a wave of chaos and destruction upon the world.
• In a world where the dead refuse to stay buried, a group of grave robbers uncovers a sinister conspiracy that threatens to unleash hell on earth.
• Banished to a realm of eternal darkness, a fallen angel seeks revenge against those who betrayed him, unleashing a reign of terror upon the mortal world.
• A cursed forest, shrouded in shadow, holds the key to unlocking ancient magic long thought to be lost. But those who enter never return the same.
• A powerful demon escapes from its prison, wreaking havoc upon the world as it searches for the one who bound it centuries ago.
• In a city ruled by a cabal of dark sorcerers, a young thief discovers a hidden power within himself that could change the course of history.
• A group of adventurers delves into the depths of a long-forgotten tomb, unaware of the horrors that lie in wait for them.
• As darkness spreads across the land, a lone warrior sets out on a quest to find the source of the evil and destroy it before it’s too late.
• Haunted by a tragic past, a vampire hunter prowls the streets at night, seeking vengeance against the creatures that took everything from him.
• In a world where nightmares come to life, a young girl discovers she has the power to enter the dreams of others, but at what cost?
• A dark cult, dedicated to summoning an ancient god of chaos, sets its sights on a small village, threatening to unleash hell on earth.
• Trapped in a realm of eternal torment, a group of lost souls must band together to escape the clutches of the demon lord who rules over them.
• As the world descends into chaos, a lone hero must make a pact with a powerful demon to save the ones they love, risking their own soul in the process.

Fantasy Romance

• In a world where magic and romance intertwine, a forbidden love blossoms between a princess and a commoner, threatening to tear the kingdom apart.
• A powerful sorcerer and a fierce warrior are forced to work together to defeat a common enemy, but as they journey together, they discover a love that transcends boundaries.
• A young witch, cursed never to love again, meets a charming rogue who makes her question everything she thought she knew about love and magic.
• Trapped in an arranged marriage, a prince and princess must navigate court intrigue and dark magic to find true love in each other’s arms.
• In a world where humans and elves are sworn enemies, a forbidden love blooms between a human knight and an elven princess, threatening to ignite a war.
• A cursed prince seeks the help of a powerful enchantress to break the curse, but as they spend more time together, they discover a love that could save them both.
• A mysterious traveler arrives in a small village, capturing the heart of a lonely innkeeper who harbors a secret of her own.
• A pirate captain and a mermaid princess form an unlikely alliance to recover a lost treasure, but as they journey together, they discover a love that could change the fate of their worlds.
• Trapped in a tower by an evil sorcerer, a princess dreams of freedom until a brave knight comes to rescue her, and she discovers that true love knows no bounds.
• In a world where shape-shifters are hunted for their abilities, a young woman falls in love with a man who can transform into a fearsome dragon, risking everything to be with him.

Epic Fantasy

• In a world torn apart by war, a group of unlikely heroes must band together to defeat an ancient evil that threatens to consume the land.
• A legendary artifact, said to hold the power of the gods, resurfaces after centuries of being lost. Now, rival factions race to claim it and change the fate of the world.
• The chosen one, prophesied to save the world from destruction, is not the hero everyone expects. With the fate of the realm hanging in the balance, they must embrace their destiny or risk losing everything.
• An immortal sorcerer, driven mad by centuries of loneliness, seeks to unleash a dark power that will consume the world. Only a group of heroes can stop him, but first, they must confront their own inner demons.
• In a world where dragons are revered as gods, a young dragon rider must unite the warring dragon clans to defeat a common enemy that threatens them all.
• A forgotten prophecy speaks of a lost city hidden deep within the wilderness, said to hold the key to unlocking ultimate power. Now, a group of adventurers must brave treacherous lands to uncover its secrets.
• As an ancient darkness awakens, a young hero must journey to the ends of the earth to find the legendary weapon capable of defeating it. But first, they must overcome trials of courage, strength, and sacrifice.
• In a realm where magic is outlawed, a young mage discovers they are the key to unlocking a power that could change the fate of the world. Now, they must embark on a perilous journey to master their abilities before it’s too late.
• The world is on the brink of collapse, and only a long-forgotten alliance between humans, elves, and dwarves can save it. But first, old wounds must be healed, and ancient enemies must learn to trust each other once again.
• A powerful artifact, forged by the gods themselves, falls into the hands of a humble farmer. Now, they must journey across the land, facing enemies both old and new, to return it to its rightful place before darkness consumes the world.
• In a world where darkness reigns supreme, a group of mercenaries must navigate a treacherous landscape of betrayal and brutality to survive.
• A once noble knight, betrayed by his king and left for dead, seeks revenge against those who wronged him, no matter the cost.
• As a deadly plague sweeps across the land, a group of survivors must do whatever it takes to stay alive, even if it means sacrificing their humanity.
• Trapped in a city ruled by a tyrannical sorcerer, a young thief discovers a power within herself that could change the course of history.
• Banished to the edge of the known world, a group of outcasts must band together to survive against the horrors that lurk in the darkness.
• In a world where survival is the only law, a group of strangers must come together to fend off the monsters that lurk in the shadows, or risk becoming prey themselves.

Low Fantasy

• In a world where magic is a rare and dangerous art, a young street urchin discovers they possess forbidden powers and must learn to control them before they are discovered.
• A small village, nestled in the shadow of a dark forest, is plagued by strange occurrences and unexplained disappearances. A group of unlikely heroes must uncover the truth behind the mysterious happenings before it’s too late.
• In a city ruled by crime and corruption, a disgraced knight seeks redemption by becoming a reluctant protector of the downtrodden.
• As war ravages the land, a group of refugees must navigate treacherous terrain and hostile enemies to find sanctuary in a distant kingdom.
• A powerful artifact, long thought to be lost, resurfaces in the hands of a humble blacksmith . Now, they must protect it from falling into the wrong hands, no matter the cost.
• In a world where magic is feared and persecuted, a young healer must conceal her abilities while navigating the dangerous streets of a bustling city.
• A deadly plague sweeps across the land, turning its victims into mindless husks. A group of survivors must band together to find a cure before it’s too late.
• In a kingdom torn apart by civil war, a group of rebels seeks to overthrow the tyrannical king and restore peace to the realm.
• A mysterious stranger arrives in a small village, bringing with them tales of adventure and danger. But as they become embroiled in the town’s affairs, they realize that not everything is as it seems.
• In a world where monsters roam the wilderness, a group of monster hunters must track down a dangerous beast that threatens the safety of their village.

Fairy Tales

• In a kingdom cursed by eternal winter, a young girl sets out on a journey to find the mythical Ice Queen and put an end to the curse.
• Trapped in a tower by an evil sorceress, a princess dreams of freedom until a brave prince comes to rescue her, but not everything is as it seems.
• A humble peasant girl discovers she is the long-lost daughter of a powerful sorcerer and sets out on a quest to reclaim her birthright.
• In a world where magic is forbidden, a young witch must conceal her powers while navigating the dangerous streets of a bustling city.
• A group of fairy tale characters, banished from their own stories, must find a way to return home before they are lost in the real world forever.
• In a kingdom ruled by an evil queen, a young girl discovers she is the rightful heir to the throne and must reclaim her kingdom from the queen’s tyranny.
• A magical portal opens in the middle of a forest, leading a group of children into a world of adventure and danger, where they must rely on each other to find their way home.
• In a world where dragons and princesses are a dime a dozen, a group of unlikely heroes must embark on a quest to rescue a kidnapped prince and restore peace to the realm.

Urban Fantasy

• In a city where magic is real but hidden from plain sight, a young detective with a dark secret must solve a series of supernatural murders before they strike again.
• Trapped in a world of shadows and darkness, a group of unlikely heroes must navigate the dangerous streets of a bustling city to uncover the truth behind a string of mysterious disappearances.
• A powerful artifact, said to hold the key to unlocking ultimate power, falls into the hands of a young woman living in the heart of the city. Now, she must protect it from falling into the wrong hands, no matter the cost.
• In a world where humans and supernatural beings coexist, a young witch discovers she is the key to preventing an all-out war between the two factions.
• As darkness spreads across the city, a lone vigilante sets out on a quest to find the source of the evil and destroy it before it’s too late.
• A group of paranormal investigators must confront their own inner demons as they delve into the hidden world of ghosts, ghouls, and things that go bump in the night.
• A powerful vampire lord rises to power in the heart of the city, threatening to plunge it into eternal darkness. Only a group of unlikely allies can stop him, but first, they must confront their own fears and prejudices.
• In a city overrun by supernatural creatures, a young werewolf must navigate a world of danger and intrigue while uncovering the truth behind his own mysterious past.
• Trapped in a never-ending cycle of night, a group of survivors must band together to escape the clutches of the vampire queen who rules over them.
• A powerful sorcerer arrives in the city, seeking revenge against those who wronged him centuries ago. Now, he must confront his own inner demons while battling the forces of darkness that threaten to consume the city.

Heroic Fantasy

Young adult fantasy.

• In a world where magic is forbidden, a group of young rebels discovers they possess powerful abilities and must band together to overthrow the corrupt regime that seeks to suppress them.
• Trapped in a boarding school for young witches and wizards, a group of misfit students must navigate friendships, rivalries, and dark secrets while uncovering the truth behind a series of mysterious disappearances.
• As war looms on the horizon, a young prince must choose between duty and love when he falls for a commoner with a secret of her own.
• In a world divided between humans and mythical creatures, a young girl discovers she is the key to ending centuries of conflict and must embark on a dangerous journey to unite the warring factions.
• A powerful artifact, said to hold the key to unlocking ultimate power, falls into the hands of a group of young adventurers. Now, they must protect it from falling into the wrong hands, no matter the cost.
• Trapped in a realm of eternal night, a group of young heroes must navigate treacherous terrain and deadly monsters to find a way home before they are lost in the darkness forever.
• In a city ruled by crime and corruption, a group of young vigilantes takes justice into their own hands, fighting against the forces of evil that threaten to consume their home.
• As darkness spreads across the land, a lone hero sets out on a quest to find the source of the evil and destroy it before it’s too late, with only their loyal friends by their side.
• A group of young sorcerers-in-training must master their powers and uncover the truth behind a series of magical attacks that threaten to tear their world apart.
• In a kingdom where only the strongest survive, a group of young warriors must prove themselves in a series of deadly trials to earn their place among the elite guard.

Visual Fantasy Writing Prompts

A lot of my stories have been prompted by pictures or powerful pieces of artwork. When you stop and allow yourself to become absorbed by what’s before you, to think about its meanings and the stories that could surround them, it can help give you a golden nugget of a story idea.

Here’s a gallery of visual fantasy writing prompts:

Audio Fantasy Writing Prompts

Sometimes music can inspire our writing, and other times the people we listen to on podcasts can give us ideas from their discussions.

Below, you can find a playlist I’ve curated that evokes the feeling of fantasy and may inspire some emotional prompts. And I’ve also included some episodes from The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed podcast which explore more specific topics, like life in medieval times, which could help prompt some story ideas.

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50 Compelling Fantasy Writing Prompts and Plot Ideas for an Epic Story

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For the creative writer with a strong imagination, writing fantasy stories is a great joy. It allows us to stretch the realm of what is possible and create worlds completely unlike our own, for better or for worse. If you or your writing students need help getting started with your fantasy story, here are 50 exciting fantasy writing prompts and plot ideas to get you started.

If you’re looking for a fantasy plot idea for your fantasy novel or short story, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve pulled together 50 of our best fantasy story ideas for you in this post so you can get started right away writing your new story.

The fantasy genre is an exciting one for both readers and writers, as it opens new doors that we may be unable to open with other genres of fiction. From superheroes to wizards, witches to dragons, fairies to queens, fantasy worlds are filled with memorable characters who take amazing–and often devastating–actions.

But it’s not just the characters who make these stories come alive. The settings are just as vivid, often taking on a role just as important as those of the characters. Whether the story is set in an entirely fictional world or the writer has written magical elements into life on earth, readers love getting lost in a place that is different from anything they’ve ever known.

Once you’ve looked through the following list of fiction writing prompts for fantasy stories, you may also want to check out these other resources we offer:

• Plan out your story using our Story Planner
• Check out this Writing Prompt Generator for both fiction and non-fiction writing prompts
• Find more Creative Writing Prompts here
• Get inspired to write better sentences with our narrative sentence examples

Types of Fantasy

If you’re a long-time fantasy fan, you are probably familiar with the various sub-genres that exist, but for those who are new to the worlds of mythical creatures and magical beings, here is a quick rundown of a few of the more common fantasy styles. The number of subgenres varies widely depending on who you ask, and this is not intended to be an exhaustive list, merely an overview.

The nice thing about fantasy prompts is that you can take them in any direction you want.

For example, you could combine elements of a fairy tale with dark fantasy writing prompts to produce a dark twist on a formerly cheery tale. (Pro tip: try combining one of these fantasy writing prompts with one of our sad romance writing prompts for a truly unique story).

Or you can take an epic fantasy writing prompt and cross it with a medieval story prompt and create a magical world filled with castles, nights, and battles. The only thing limiting you is your imagination.

Dark or Grimdark Fantasy

• Written in a foreboding tone
• Frightening and disturbing themes
• Elements of horror that evoke a feeling of dread
• Usually set in supernatural worlds with a gloomy atmosphere

Epic or High Fantasy

• Settings are vast (or epic)
• Tons of characters
• Set in new worlds
• Massive event or quest (the fate of the entire world is usually at stake)
• Typically centers on one main character
• Often written as a series

Fables, Fairy Tales, and Folklore

• Relies heavily on motifs and plots from folklore
• New spins on timeless tales
• Often feature morals and lessons, which may be a reversal of those taught in the original tales

Historical Fantasy

• Set in a real historical time period, usually before the 20th century
• Factual events blended with supernatural elements
• May be set in the real world or in a fictional world

Low Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy, and Urban Fantasy

• Set in the real world or something like it
• Magical elements occur in an otherwise-normal world
• Supernatural characters dealing with everyday life
• Urban fantasy takes place in a predominantly urban—not rural—setting
• Contemporary fantasy is set in the present day (or the time in which it was written)

Magical Realism

• Touches of magic are incorporated into the real world
• Blurs the lines between fantasy and reality

Medieval Fantasy

• A subgenre of historical fantasy
• Set in the Middle Ages
• Includes elements of medieval European culture such as castles and knights
• Also includes fantasy elements such as dragons, sorcerers with superpowers, and mythical beings
• Includes the subset, Arthurian fantasy, which brings in references to the knights of the round table

Paranormal Fantasy

• Set in the modern world
• Mythical creatures such as vampires, werewolves
• Can overlap with urban fantasy
• Includes the paranormal romance sub-genre, which usually has a love story between a human and a mythical being

Science Fantasy

• Presents fantasy elements as hard science, even though the science is not real

Superhero Fantasy

• Follows heroes with supernatural powers and the villains they oppose
• There’s often a scientific explanation for the superpowers

Sword and Sorcery

• Heroes with swords on big adventures
• Character-driven, focuses on personal matters
• Usually in a secondary world

Now that you probably have a clear idea of the type of fantasy story you’d like to write, let’s jump into the writing prompts.

50 Fantasy Writing Prompts and Plot Ideas

• One day in the marketplace, you meet a scatterbrained magician who can’t seem to keep his thoughts straight, but then out of nowhere, he solves a marketplace crime. You try to distance yourself from him, but he convinces you to become his partner.
• What if you had x-ray vision?
• Write a story about a dryad (a tree nymph) who adopts a human child she finds in the woods and with whom she must work together to save her forest from deforestation.
• Write a story about a wizard who finds a potion that brings his best friend back to life.
• Write a story where someone has invented shoes that enable people to fly, but the shoes are extraordinarily expensive.
• Write a story about a yeti whose village is melting.
• Write a story about two kingdoms in a fantasy world who are at war with each other over a scarce resource (like water or fuel, or something completely unknown in our world).
• You’re visiting some relatives when your three-year-old cousin floods the bathroom. You try to dry it up but the water level keeps rising. You and the kids jump into the bathtub just as it begins its transformation into a beautiful boat.
• Imagine that a child discovered they could time travel using old coins–whatever year and country the coin was minted in, that’s where they can travel to. Write about their adventures.
• Your great-great-aunt, whom you met only once when you were still too young to form memories, has died and left you her ancient typewriter. You’re planning to use it as a doorstop, but after having it for one night, you realize it types out beautiful masterpieces while you are sleeping.
• Write about a regular child who realizes they have magical powers, which they must immediately put into use to protect a community of people who are in imminent danger.
• What if you received a special watch as a gift and it kept talking to you?
• Write a story about King Arthur who time travels to the present day and tries to take on the British royal family.
• What if unicorns existed and lived on an isolated island but were now considering an attempt at world domination?
• You open the mailbox one day and find a strange letter addressed to you. The time has come to fulfill your destiny, it reads. The world is counting on you. Come quickly, and bring your secret sketchbook.
• Write about a priest who takes in a child abandoned on his doorstep, only to learn sometime later that the baby was not fully human.
• Sleep and pray. Get me out of here. The door creaks open and a withered hand tosses in a gray wool blanket. “Wouldn’t want you to catch a cold.” The soft voice filters into the cell and wraps itself around me like a warm hug. And just like that, I know what I have to do.
• You discover a book in your parents’ bedroom that describes everything you’ve ever said and done. But the book is a hundred years old, and you’re just twelve. Or so you thought.
• What if you suddenly realized that your life story mirrored the plot of a Shakespearean play?
• Write a story where there are two earths, 100 miles apart only one is inhabited by people and the other is inhabited by dragons.
• You wake up to find your room mysteriously clean and a paper bag sitting on your desk. You open it up and an angry-looking brownie jumps out. “It’s about time!” he yells. “My brother locked me in there hours ago. We’ve got to find him!”
• You find an ancient text etched into a wall in your basement. Translating it, you realize it’s an escape plan. Just as you’re muttering to yourself about how much time you’ve wasted, the door to the basement slams shut and the stairs melt away.
• It’s all over the news. Random events are taking place. What if someone discovers that they’re my dreams coming true, literally? What will they do to me? I have to find…
• What if your mother told you you had to go to Peru and fight a monster you’d thought was a legend?
• What if you created a magical potion that caused everything it touched to grow exponentially?
• Write about a girl who lives in pre-industrial times who finds a twenty-first-century smartphone that has all its modern capabilities, including those provided by WiFi, which of course, nobody in her time knows anything about.
• Write a story about a man-eating dragon who falls in love with a human and goes on a quest to become human too.
• Write about a team of young wizards who communicate with each other through telekinesis, and who must find a way to stop the evil villain–one of their professors–from infiltrating their thoughts and stealing secret spells for his/her own purposes.
• What if your best friend got trapped inside a book?
• What if you were canoeing in an inlet when a pod of whales came up underneath your boat and lifted you out of the water, at which point your boat took to the air?
• Write about a group of people who find flying carpets and decide to race them.
• What if you traveled back in time to ancient Egypt and discovered that their world was even more modernized than ours and included more advanced technology but that they’d destroyed all evidence of these advances in an effort to protect future generations from making the same devastating decisions that they had?
• Jack glanced around furtively, making sure no one could see him. Then he ducked down the alley. He had taken no more than two steps when he was pulled into a nearly invisible hole in the wall. He was met with rancid breath and a hairy hand around his throat. “Where is it?” said the young man. “Where is my…?”
• Write a story about someone who discovers a secret castle from the Middle Ages and learns that a whole other world exists inside it.
• Write about a guitar that plays itself and accidentally makes an accountant into a popular musician.
• What if you were babysitting a kid who went to the kitchen to get a snack and came back as a gnome?
• What if you were a jester in a medieval castle and you had to keep the king entertained all the time?
• You’re sitting on a bench outside the library when a dog approaches you with no leash on. He climbs up on the bench, looks you right in the eyes, and says, “I heard you have the spell for turning dogs into people. Help me, please!”
• An enchantress creeps into a room unseen, her cloak of invisibility her only protection. She just needs to get the book and get out of there. She shutters as she hears a loud rip. Her cloak is caught on the door!
• I walked through the market timidly, unsure of what I was looking for, but certain I would find it here. A flash of light flickered almost imperceptibly to my right, and instinctively I turned toward the stall that I’d just passed, but it was gone. In its place…
• What if every character you wrote automatically came to life and a foreign government was after you to create spies for them?
• You’re sitting by a pond. You lean over to touch the water and realize you have no reflection. It’s disappeared. It turns out you’ve accidentally become invisible.
• You and your friend happen upon a mysterious underground society that is trying to bring dragons back to the world. But dragons never existed. Did they?
• What if you discovered that certain garments could be unraveled and the threads woven into gold?
• Your aunt shows up at your house unannounced and declares she is taking you on yet another quest. “Grab your bike, your bearded dragon, and your book of incantations. The rest of the club members are waiting.”
• After your grandmother passes away, you learn that the baby blanket she knitted for you when you were born has secrets from the past woven into it. When it begins whispering stories to you at night, you realize there’s a family mystery you need to solve.
• Write a story about a centuries-long war that’s stopped by a couple of rebels riding on highland cows.
• Write a story about a teacher who can read the thoughts of their students, but can’t tell anybody their secret.
• The pirate bound my hands and stuffed a gag into my mouth. I kicked him in the shins. “Ow!” he said, glaring at me as he pulled the rope tighter. “Now, tell us where the gold is, or I’ll…”
• A disease is spreading through your town, but it’s not passed on in the usual ways. It is only transferred from one person to another when an infected person teaches someone something.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these fantasy writing prompts and plot ideas. I can’t wait to hear about the short stories and novels you come up with. Leave a comment below to tell us what fantasy fiction writing prompts you’re using and what you’re working on.

Sunday 24th of March 2024

Hello, Canon here.

I'm really interested in these prompts. But if I use these for say, a fan work, do I have to credit you?

Monday 20th of May 2024

No you don't.

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105 Fantasy Writing Prompts To Stoke Your Creativity

You’ve just finished reading a fantasy novel, and while you hate that there’s no more to read, you’re so in love with the story and its characters, you marvel at the author’s power and imagination.

What must it be like to make readers feel the way you’re feeling right now?

With the generous supply of fantasy writing prompts in this post, maybe this is the year to find out.

Crafting Great Fantasy Story Ideas

• Fantasy Story Ideas

Dark Fantasy Writing Prompts

Urban fantasy writing prompts, epic fantasy writing prompts, ya fantasy writing prompts, medieval story prompts, bonus: list of fantasy plot generators.

Fantasy writing gives you the opportunity to create new worlds and realities.

Your cast of characters can be regular humans, mythical beings, magical beings , or a group that includes all three.

The most compelling stories in this genre make use of the hero’s journey in some form. Think of Tolkien’s Frodo and the Ring.

Or the teenage protagonist in Rick Riordan’s Greek mythology-inspired Percy Jackson series.

Pick up any well-written and well-loved fantasy novel, and chances are, the author adapted the hero’s journey to their main character’s fears, desires, and personal tests.

Related: 16 Best Self-Publishing Companies For Your Writing Business

Learn from your favorite authors how to do the same, but in a way that fits your unique voice.

• Create something that will inspire as well as entertain your readers.
• Draw them into a world where anything is possible.
• Help readers believe their own power to change things when they’ve finished reading your book.

For these outcomes, you need a story idea that grabs hold of you and makes you feel the way you want your reader to feel.

Maybe you’ve dabbled in writing fantasy, but you’re having a hard time thinking up a story idea that really excites you. Here are some ways to develop your story:

• Twist, combine, or modernize classic fantasy tropes – Put a fresh spin on familiar elements like magic schools, dark lords, mystical objects, etc.
• Borrow from mythology and folklore – Mine creatures and stories from ancient myths for inspiration.
• Build unique magic systems – Develop interesting rules, costs, and limits around magical abilities.
• Create detailed worlds – Flesh out geography, history, cultures, religions, and more to set your stage.
• Explore “what if” scenarios – How would society react if dragons appeared today or portals opened to demon realms?
• Start with interesting characters – Let their motivations, backstories, and character arcs drive the plot.
• Establish engaging quests – center your ideas around meaningful, challenging journeys and goals.
• Outline primal conflicts – Pit opposing forces like good vs. evil, nature vs. industry, spirit vs technology, etc.

You want a story that will stand out in a way that still meets genre expectations.

You’re not looking to change the fantasy genre, after all. But you do want to create something that will have millions waiting impatiently for your next book.

What Are Some Common Fantasy Tropes?

Fantasy stories often utilize familiar elements and conventions referred to as tropes. These tropes help set the tone and audience expectations for the fantasy world. When used skillfully, tropes can provide satisfying dramatic arcs and scenarios. Overused without innovation, however, they can make a story feel derivative. Some of the most common fantasy tropes include:

• The hero’s journey – An ordinary individual receives a call to adventure and gains powers through trials leading to a confrontation with evil. 
• Dark lord – A malevolent being intent on domination, destruction, and power. Often incredibly powerful with minions and armies.
• Magic mentor – A wizened magician or sage who guides the hero in developing their talents. 
• Magical assistant – A helpful creature or object with magical powers that aid the hero.
• Rising evil – An ancient being or army that was banished long ago now returns to threaten the world.
• Hidden heir – A prophecy about a chosen one who will inherit special powers and a kingdom. 
• Mystical worlds – Portals connect the main world to magical realms filled with unusual creatures.
• Magical objects – Items imbued with magical powers like wands, swords, and amulets.
• Chosen one – A child of destiny who is the subject of a prophecy to save the world. 
• Corrupt rulers – Kings, lords, and rulers who abuse their power over their lands and people.
• Secret royal bloodline – A character who discovers they have royal ancestors and is the rightful heir. 
• Mystical races – Elves, dwarves, fairies, and other humanoid races with magical talents. 
• Mythical beasts – Dragons, griffins, unicorns, and other creatures of myth and legend.
• Spell books – Tomes of arcane knowledge unlocking magical powers.
• Magic schools – Academies and mentors training characters in magical arts.
• Dark forests – Sinister woodlands filled with monsters and mystical forces.

105 Fantasy Writing Prompts

Writing a fantasy novel (or short story) is much easier when you have a story in mind that makes you itch to sit down and write.

The more you work on it and flesh out your characters, the more excited you become — and the less likely you are to ditch your work in progress when the going gets tough.

And it will. Quests are like that. Here’s to finishing yours, anyway.

Dark fantasy incorporates darker and sometimes frightening themes in its storytelling. It often combines fantasy with horror , drawing the reader in by invoking their fears. Use the following fantasy plot prompts to explore darker story ideas in the fantasy genre.

1. Top Secret Opportunity. You find an ad describing the job you’ve always wanted, and the employer agrees to interview you in the basement of the abandoned library.

2. The Rune Pendant. Your best friend at college is a highly intuitive rune-caster, and people seek her out. One querent pays her with a magical pendant that changes both your lives.

3. The Dream Key. You receive notice that an estranged aunt has passed and left you the key to her hiding place, which she says she’ll reveal to you in a dream.

4. A Single Touch. You always wondered why your grandfather had so much influence over others. You were immune. And now, you’re his successor.

5. Queen of the Garden. Your mother is obsessed with her garden. When sickness keeps her in bed, you step up to help and find it well tended by elves.

6. The Goddess Ring. Your partner breaks up with you, and while sitting dejected on the beach, you find a ring. When you slip it on your finger, it transforms your appearance.

7. One Minute of Memory. You trade one minute of memory every day for the power to transform any room in your home to match any image. Your family begins to fall apart.

8. Lost Time. You were told you wandered off as a child for a few minutes but later discover you were gone far longer than that. One person knows why, and he’s in prison. 

9. The Crystal Finder. A new crystal shop opens near your home, and you’re one of its first customers. You even accept their offer of a part-time job, working in the back for the “finder.”

10. The Rift in the Bookshop. Your favorite reading room at a local bookshop is off-limits, ever since a mysterious disappearance and strange energy readings. Your favorite books also go missing.

11. Will Work for a Cure. You’re scrambling to find a lucrative work-from-home job before you start kidney dialysis, and you reply to an ad that sounds too good to be true. One of the benefits is a cure.

12. The Memory Glass. You’re looking through the property of a departed aunt and find a mirror. You uncover it and see an altered reflection that revives a memory. Suddenly your dreams make sense.

13. Becoming Justice. Your country has been taken over by a narcissistic tyrant, and a powerful relative has offered you a role in his downfall — but not as a human. 

14. The Manor’s Keeper. Your new job has an unexpected and life-changing benefit: fully-paid lodgings in an opulent manor. Everything you want appears as if by magic. After a week, your body starts changing.

15. The Spy Diary . You accidentally leave your diary behind at a coffee shop, and after searching in vain, you find it on your doorstep with a note: “You’re exactly the person I need.”

16. The Lost Heiress. A new friend invites you over for a cup of the most delicious tea you’ve ever had. You wake up in a palatial room, attended by someone who says, “After centuries of searching, we finally found you.”

17. The Recluse and the Ghost. You get a job as a ghostwriter for a well-known author who has some unusual expectations — one of which involves you living in absolute isolation as well as luxury. Given your background and personality, it seems doable.

Urban fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that takes place in an urban setting. While it doesn’t have to be dark, it often uses themes that correspond to the darker side of city life. The following fantasy story plot ideas can help you get into your characters’ heads. 

18. Alien Town. The lights go out in your neighborhood one night, and you wake up to see yourself and all your neighbors changed. And your new abilities terrify you.

19. Stopping Time. You’re a barista with a gift that could cost you your life, but could also help the people of your community to fight back against those in control.

20. The Ghost Clause. You move into your dream apartment and soon discover you’re not the only sentient being living there. Ghosts don’t pay rent, but this one leaves gifts.

21. Hiding in New York. The coworker who irritates you the most just asked you for a big favor. He’s not who or what he appears to be. And he knows what you are, too.

22. Prodigal Witch. You’ve moved back to the city of your birth, and your family is nervous around you after a surprise revelation from your parents. Your new boss knows all about it.

23. Night and Day Trading. A sudden illness in the family costs you your job, and you accept a job offer from a relative who knows about your hidden abilities and wants to use them.

24. Herbal Vision. You wander into a tea shop, in search of the perfect evening tea, and the owner recommends a blend that enables you to see mythical creatures in disguise.

25. Doppelganger. You walk into an antique shop looking for a gift for your antique-loving bestie and are immediately noticed by the shopkeeper’s mother, who leads you to the back for a peek at something.

26. Cottage Industry.  You move into a tiny but well-kept old house closer to downtown and you start receiving mysterious gifts on your doorstep. One note reads, “Check the attic.”

27. The Graveyard Connection. The trees surrounding your new home remind you of something — or rather someone. One touch of your hand on a trunk, and you’re face to face with him.

28. Witch for Hire. You’ve lost your job, food is running out, and bills are coming due. You make the call you never thought you’d make. Seconds later, she arrives with your assignment.

29. Tarot to the Stars. You’ve become a well-respected tarot reader, and even people in high places are taking notice. One of them makes you a tempting offer. Your next querent urges you to decline it and leave.

30. Poisonous Planet. Your doctor gives you terrible news, and you talk to your only remaining relative, who tells you of a stargate that can return you to a planet with an atmosphere better suited to your physiology.

Epic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy set in an invented or parallel world. It’s similar to high fantasy but the stakes are higher. A greater evil threatens the world of the protagonist, and the hero’s journey is often a critical part of the story. 

31. Spirit Animal. During your stay in a residential treatment center for your eating disorder, you go to an animal shelter and meet a black cat, “Loki,” who is friendly only to you.

32. A Dog’s World. You adopt an older dog who had been abused by his former human, and in repayment, he leads you to a door — to his real home. Soon, it’ll be yours, too.

33. Forest of Souls. You go on a camping trip with your best friend’s family and wake up alone, surrounded by whispering trees. Everything beyond those trees is gone.

34. In a Different Life. After attending your grandmother’s funeral, you learn from a new acquaintance (with a young but familiar face) that the remains you buried were synthetic.

35. The Refuge Theater. You feed homeless visitors at your cafe, and one of them pays you with a movie ticket for an old theater — which is more than it seems.

36. Tree Spirit. On the eve of your birthday, you change into something that terrifies you. Your parents explain, telling you of a prophecy that involves you and every tree on earth.

37. Borrowed Past. You’re on your first airplane flight when one of the engines fails, and for some reason, you know exactly what to do to ensure the plane lands safely. Only one other person on the plane knows why.

38. Secret Guardian. An ominous letter arrives — along with one offering magical guardianship for you and the shop you inherited. More worlds than one are at stake.

39. Hybrid Alley. You run to the store and witness a crime involving what looks like a human with the face and ears of a cat. You intervene, saving her life, and she later invites you to join her on her mission.

40. Tarot Vision. A new shop owner comes to town and you win an open house drawing for a free tarot reading. You’re skeptical at first but that reading resets your life — and sets you on a dangerous path.

YA fantasy is fantasy written for a young adult audience (12 to 18 years of age). Themes are often on the lighter side, but not always. The main difference is the age of the protagonist. With powerful storytelling, YA fantasy appeals to readers of all ages.

41. Breaking Time. Only when you meet someone you’re not supposed to fall in love with — and who knows how to time-travel — do you begin to really test your limits.

42. The Bucket List. You take your favorite uncle’s advice and create a bucket list. One by one, you cross each action item off, sometimes with hilarious results. The list changes you.

43. Political Unrest. Your home town is changing (not for the better) since the election of its new mayor, who sees you lead a protest at his office door. Something growls outside your bedroom window that night.

44. One Percent Problems. For your 16th birthday, you get the genetic upgrade of your choice, and your experimental choice gives you superpowers — and get the attention of some unusual new friends.

45. Change in the Air. Your family is chosen for a year-long stay at an outpost on a new Earth-like planet, but the people in charge don’t tell you how the atmosphere there will change you.

46. Nervous Memory. You’re at a mirror, and a sudden thought sends a chill into the back of your head. That’s when you notice your eyes change color — and you remember things, either from your life or someone else’s.

47. The Family Business.   Before dying, your mother tells you something about yourself she’d hoped you’d never need to know. Now only one person can help you prepare for the coming threat.

48. Designer Baby. You find out while researching for a term paper that you’re the result of a lab experiment. Now, you’re determined to find your creator, who has gone missing.

49. Visions in Bloom . Someone leaves flowers in your locker, and when they stay fresh for over a month, you get curious — especially when one sniff of the central bloom triggers a vision.

50. Accidental Superhero. A stupid dare leads you to a back of the local store wearing a superhero costume, which oddly enough helps prevent a crime and brands you with a new identity.

51. Alien Tech. You get your laptop fixed by a reclusive genius in town, and suddenly you’re able to connect to an “internet” that goes far beyond that of Earth’s.

Medieval fantasy is fantasy based in the medieval era. Fantasy writing ideas include elements not typical of recorded history — including mythical beings, magic, etc. The following prompts act as medieval fantasy story starters. 

52 . A Royal Pain. Thanks to your quick thinking during a crisis at the village market, you’ve been appointed as the bodyguard for the princess. The job proves more difficult than any mission you’ve ever had — but also more rewarding.

53. Twins at Odds. You and your twin princess find each other on opposite sides of the law. You don’t always get along, but when the king tells you to help set a trap for her — leading to her execution — you’re determined to find a way to help her instead.

54. Secret Fire. Being the love child of a favorite palace servant and a dragon shifter, your gifts don’t reveal themselves until the evening of a long-awaited ball, when a man twice your age tries to get you into a compromising situation. 

55. Ring of the Scribe. Your half-sibling has abilities that make you invisible around them. On your birthday, a favorite aunt gives you a ring that’s tied to a destiny kept secret from you. You put it on and strange things happen. But you can’t take it off. 

56. Motion Potion. As a witch in a magic-hating kingdom, being crippled is more than inconvenient. Your aunt teaches you a potion that lets you not only walk but dance better than anyone in the kingdom — just in time for the ball.

57. Forbidden Friendship. You’re a young royal in disguise who befriends a villager with a scarred face. The next day, he’s arrested for stealing something you gave to him. Saving his life will mean risking everything.

58. Vendetta Undercover.   Your ailing father has a serious grievance against the heir apparent and even named you accordingly. You set out to investigate on his behalf, securing a position in the castle. What you learn changes everything. 

59. Hidden World. You find a tree near home with a natural ladder leading up the giant trunk. You climb and find a hidden world of magical beings. You’re discovered and your survival depends on agreeing to a dangerous mission. 

60. Pickpocket Apprentice. You’re a poor villager who’s adept at pickpocketing, evading capture until a wizard catches you in the act and offers to teach you. The catch? His daughter suspects you and resents magic for what it cost her. 

61. Cave of Discoveries. You investigate a cave, finding a furnished area in the center open to the sky. A veiled woman reveals the secret community taking refuge there — and why the kingdom wants them dead. His “missing” daughter is among them. 

Mystical Worlds Fantasy Writing Prompts

62. Portal in the Attic: You discover a portal to a magical realm in your attic that only you can enter. What mysteries and creatures await you there?

63. Treehouse Village: You awake one morning to find a large village of treehouses that appeared overnight in your backyard forest. Who are these new neighbors?

64. The Cloud King: You befriend a lonely young cloud elemental who longs to return to his kingdom in the sky. Will you help him get back home?

65. Reverse Merfolk: You meet a mermaid who wishes to become human after saving you from drowning. To thank her, you must find a reversal spell.  

66. Sprite Messenger: An anxious sprite appears, pleading for help delivering an urgent message to the fairy queen before her realm closes in two days. 

67. The Diamond Cave: You discover a glittering cave full of massive uncut diamonds and the angry rock creatures that protect them. 

68. Wishing Well Wishes: A wishing well in the old forest grants your wish to be a fantasy creature. What will you be, and what adventures await you?

69. Gnome Homes: Your backyard is suddenly full of colorful tiny homes. You befriend the family of garden gnomes who moved in overnight.

70. The Ghost Ship: An abandoned pirate ship full of undead sailors and treasure appears on the beach after a storm. Do you dare to explore its secrets?

71. Pet Dragon Egg: You rescue a hot, abandoned egg from a roadside stand and are shocked when it hatches an infant dragon. 

72. Fairy Ring: You wake up tiny after sleeping in a fairy ring. The fairy queen tells you the only way back to normal size is to help them first.

73. The Willow’s Whispers : A wise old willow tree in your yard starts whispering to you. It tells you it holds ancient secrets but will only share them with a true friend.

74. Frozen in Crystal: You awaken to find yourself frozen inside a giant crystal deep underground, with a mysterious robed figure studying you.

75. The Forgotten Garden: You discover a forgotten garden where all the plants and trees are made of crystals that heal sickness. But its guardian wants something in return for the healing fruits you picked.

76. Door in the Forest: You discover a strange door standing alone in the middle of the forest. What fantastical sights await behind its entrance? 

77. Living Paintings: The figures in paintings around your strange new house blink at you and whisper pleas for help when you walk past them. 

78. Cloud City: You discover an empty, floating city of clouds and magical energy. As you explore, ghostly figures start to appear. 

79. Music of the Night: A haunting melody leads you to a glowing cave where a faerie kingdom appears only at night. But if you stay past sunrise, you can never leave.

80. The Shadow Market: You chance upon a magical black market in a dark alley where magical creatures and wizards trade mystical objects and secrets.

Hero’s Journey Fantasy Writing Prompts 

81. The Cursed Crown: You awaken telepathic powers after finding a lost king’s crown. The kingdom’s evil regent wants it back to maintain power. 

82. Atlantis Trident: You discover you can control water with a magical trident while swimming near ancient underwater ruins. Atlantis needs a new guardian to keep it safe from those who destroyed it.

83. Dragon Egg Rescue: You must journey to a fiery mountain to rescue the last dragon egg from a cult before they can harness the baby’s powers for evil. The parent dragons help you escape.

84. Seer Scroll: A dying mage gives you a scroll imbuing you with her visionary powers before a secret order of assassins catches up to you both. They want the power for themselves.

85. The Lost Child: A dying forest creature charges you to journey to the evil witch’s gingerbread cottage and rescue a stolen child with the power to heal the cursed land.

86. Grail of Immortality: Your quest for the secret to eternal life leads you to search for pieces of the long-lost Holy Grail before invading conquerors find it instead. 

87. Awakened Automatons: You must enlist the aid of self-aware ancient clockwork robots to fight off an alien invasion threatening humanity with extinction.

88. Curse of the Lycan: Bitten by a werewolf, you leave your village to learn from elder lycans how to use your new powers before the next full moon.

89. The Ghost Pirates’ Gold: You assemble a ragtag crew of mercenaries, mages, and fighters to journey to a dead undead pirate king’s island and plunder his vast cursed treasure before invaders find it first.     

90. Portal Jumpers: Born with the latent power to create teleportation portals, a shadowy interdimensional guild forces you to enhance your powers in their protection or face bounty hunters.

91. Celestial Unicorn: You bond with a wounded magical unicorn whose horn has celestial powers. Keeping it safe from poachers helps you unlock your dormant magical gifts on your journey back home together.     

92. Destiny’s Knights: You reluctantly take command of a disgraced order of peacekeeper knights during a civil war after raiders slay the elder knights, including your master. 

93. Sanctum of the Sages: Invasion looms unless you sneak into the tower sanctum of the secret circle of sages to convince them to finally use their arcane powers to defend your people.  

94. Feywild Troubles: A misguided wish trapped your village in the chaotic Feywild. The playful fey ruler gives you one year to undertake three impossible challenges in exchange for your freedom.

95. Kitchen Hero: A magical talking cookbook drags you from your mundane life into a fantastical cooking contest between kingdoms. Winning may prevent war, but losing seals your world’s fate.  

96. Destiny Calling: Nightmares plague you about a coming “foretold darkness” until a mysterious group of mages arrives at your monastery, claiming you are the fated hero and they are your prophesied protectors.

97. Ghost Tiger: The spirit of the last hunter from your isolated village visits to bestow you with the power to transform into a mystical ghost tiger. Master your new gifts before poachers find and slay the sacred beasts.  

98. Genie Wish Gone Wrong: A genie whose lamp you find grants your wish for adventure by transporting you to a strange new land and promptly vanishes. Can you find the trickster genie and convince him to send you home?

99. Giant Kingdom: Your archaeologist mother is trapped under a collapsed ruin in a strange, once-hidden kingdom of giants with technology powered by magical crystals. Their uneasy king agrees to help you rescue her if you secretly help them tap into the crystals’ power once more.

100. The Lost Temple: You are tasked with finding a lost ancient temple holding an artifact prophesied to bring your war-torn land ten years of peace if its mysterious powers can be awakened once more. You reluctantly recruit a talented but headstrong thief to help guide you past traps and tricks guarding it.

101. Tree of Life: You discover your family lineage, which gives you access to the powerful artifacts of your wood elf ancestors. Your search leads you to the mythical Divine Tree holding ancient secrets that an invading undead army also seeks.

102. Rebel Rising: You organize and train a peasant rebellion to siege your dictator king’s castle after raiders slay your family, and he refuses aid. A spy among your rebels offers guidance from within using secret passages she discovered as a servant.  

103. The Lost Caverns: Your mentor, the last dragon rider, entrusts his final dragon egg to you before dying in your arms. Raise the hatchling in the lost dragon caverns hidden below your village that only you know how to access while training to ride against an impending demon invasion.

104. Angel’s Gift: An angel appears in a dream to give you a magical feather as a sign you are chosen to end the blood curse plaguing your family’s magical lineage. You set off on your 18th birthday, meeting allies and enemies drawn to your awakened guardian angel.  

105. Legacy of the Lich: Your beloved mentor, one of the last good-hearted mages, reveals on her deathbed that she has slowly been transforming into a lich. She passes on her staff along with her dire quest to find a cure before her new dark powers consume her.

If you have specific plot elements in mind, or if you just want more fantasy plot ideas thrown at you to get your creative mind humming, try one of the following links. Even the random ones can get you thinking of plot twists you hadn’t considered before.

• PlotGenerator.org.uk — Generates plot ideas based on your inputs.
• Reedsy Plot Generator — Generates random plot ideas with zero input.
• Fantasy Plot Generator — Generates random plot ideas for a male or female protagonist.
• Seventh Sanctum story generators — Provides links to multiple plot generators.
• Plot Generator at Rangen.com — Asks for a genre and detail level and generates random plot ideas.

More Related Articles:

66 Horror Writing Prompts That Are Freaky As Hell

41 Of The Best Romance Writing Prompts

5 Of The Best Writing Prompts Books

25 Of The Best Fanfiction Writing Prompts

To New Beginnings

Now that you’ve had some time to look through these fantasy prompts, which ones stand out in your memory? Even if you change some of the details, I hope you find something that becomes the beginning of a story you’ll love writing.

Picture yourself within a year sharing the news about your finished fiction novel.

You’ll share snippets of it on social media, and fantasy lovers the world over will want to know when your book will go live.

And don’t think you’re in this alone, either. We’re here to help you every step of the way.

May you write the beginning of something that will linger in your readers’ imaginations for years to come.

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Home / Book Writing / Fantasy Writing Prompts: 150+ Ideas to Get Started

Fantasy Writing Prompts: 150+ Ideas to Get Started

Fantasy is one of the biggest genres out there, with a huge variety of sub genres and sub-sub genres.

Fantasy is also great because it can be combined with almost any other genre, whether it be romance, thriller, science fiction, and even literary books.

But because fantasy is so imaginative, it can sometimes be difficult to come up with all of the ideas you need to create a compelling fantasy story. With that in mind, here are a variety of fantasy writing prompts that you can use get your creative juices flowing.

Bear in mind that these prompts will help you come up interesting ideas, but if you want to become a bestseller, you need to test them out on the marketplace. One quick way to determine if a story born from a prompt will be successful is if you can find popular keywords about its subject. Tools like Publisher Rocket can also be a huge help in the brainstorming process, showing you the keywords that readers are actively searching for on Amazon, which may spark your next great idea. In addition, draw inspiration from the huge list of Amazon categories , which will tell you what subgenres that Fantasy readers frequently visit to find their next great book.

• Recipes for a great fantasy story
• Overarching fantasy tropes
• A list of fantasy story ideas

Table of contents

• What Makes a Good Fantasy?
• Common Fantasy Genre Tropes
• Genre Matchup Prompts
• Portal Fantasy Prompts
• Urban Fantasy Prompts
• Epic Fantasy Prompts
• Supernatural Prompts
• Setting Prompts
• World Building Prompts
• Fantasy Character Prompts
• Fantasy Romance Prompts
• Test Your Fantasy Novel for Viability

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Before we dive into the fantasy story prompts, let's talk about what makes a good fantasy book. This is difficult, because there is such variety to the type of fantasy story you could have, but most fantasy stories do tend to have certain elements:

• Some type of magic, often a detailed magic system
• A fantastical world
• Huge stakes and conflicts
• Extensive world building

Additionally, a good fantasy book is determined by elements that make up any good book, period. These can include:

• Well-developed characters
• A clear theme
• A personal connection with the reader
• Clever dialogue
• Epic pacing and a satisfying conclusion

Get these down, and you are likely to have a very successful fantasy book, regardless of your magic or world building.

As I already mentioned, fantasy can be combined with almost any other genre, but there are specific tropes that are unique to fantasy, and if any of these show up in your book, it is likely a fantasy book.

Note that not all of these tropes are used in fantasy books, but they can be common, and when used well, they can be a huge help:

• The chosen one
• A Dark Lord
• Good vs. evil
• Some type of magic
• The mentor figure
• Different fantasy races
• An ancient (often medieval) setting
• Magical items
• A heroic quest
• Magical schools
• Portals that open to a fantasy world
• “The myths are real”
• A secret magical world coexisting with ours (urban fantasy)

These are just a sample of the different tropes out there, and you should look at your specific sub genre for a better understanding of what tropes you should use. For example, an urban fantasy will have very different tropes from an epic fantasy. One of the best ways to research genre specific tropes is to go straight to the source- head over to winning Amazon categories , and see what books perform well within them.

With all that in mind, let's get into the prompts.

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Fantasy Writing Prompts

I've tried to categorize these ideas as best I can, though there will obviously be some overlap.

• Take a fantasy trope and subvert it.
• Write Robinson Crusoe but with fantasy elements.
• Robots team up with wizards.
• Someone learns how to harness magic in technology, leading to huge innovations.
• What would a legal drama look like in an epic fantasy world?
• Write a romance between a regular human and some kind of fantastical race/creature.
• Write a heist in a fantasy setting.
• Write an underdog sports story in a fantasy setting.
• Write a revenge narrative in a fantasy setting.
• What if aliens invaded a fantasy world?
• What if Cthulhu awoke on a fantasy world?
• Imagine a political thriller with a fantasy government.
• Write a psychological thriller, where the character doesn't know if they are hallucinating the fantasy world or not.
• Write a mystery set in an epic fantasy world, incorporating the magic system.
• Pick a public domain story and turn it into a fantasy.
• A character from another world escapes into ours.
• Your character finds a magic portal in the basement.
• Dreaming is actually the real world.
• Your dreams start to come true.
• A painting comes to life.
• You discover a library where the books can come to life.
• The character mutters gibberish to themselves, only to discover they were speaking a magical language.
• Memory Lane is real.
• A reality TV show featuring magical creatures.
• You arrive in the underworld sooner than expected.
• You discover a world that is the mirror opposite of hours.
• You discover a door in your attic that wasn't there before.
• A gamer discovers that the character he controls is actually a real person in a fantasy world.
• Your world is actually the fantasy world, and electricity is magic.
• Open world RPG
• First-person shooter
• A Mario-world-type game
• A dark fantasy
• A side scroller
• A top-down strategy game
• A fantasy MMO
• A melee fighting game
• A survival game
• An astronaut discovers another world that is eerily similar to ours.
• While out hiking, you discover a cave that leads to another world.
• There is a world where our world is the stuff of myths and legends.
• A huge fan of [insert fandom here], discovers that it's not fiction.
• A rich uncle dies and leaves you his magical castle.
• You go to a theme park, only for characters to come to life.
• You enter a theme park ride, and it transports you to another world.
• You discover that you are the dream of someone else.
• You meet someone in real life who has the same dreams as you, and you can enter this dreamworld together.
• Our reality is actually an advanced version of the Sims.
• A young child and their parents get sucked into a children's book .
• A Dungeons & Dragons game eventually becomes real.
• An artist is able to escape into their paintings.
• Write about someone with an average job, but in a world of magic or with magical elements.
• You look up into the sky and see the two moons.
• Your food starts to speak to you.
• Two members of a classic fantasy the race (elf, dwarf, etc.) move in next door.
• Your garden gnomes are actually real gnomes.
• You somehow magically created a friend, and are constantly scared you'll make them disappear.
• As a joke, you put on a tinfoil hat, but then something happens.
• You wake up in a busy city, only to find that there is complete silence.
• You discover a pet that is not of this earth in the pet store.
• A photographer who specializes in photographing the supernatural.
• A child is discovered to be immune to vampirism.
• The gods from a [insert mythological pantheon here] return to earth.
• You move into a supper inhabited entirely by ghosts.
• Turns out, if you curse someone, that curse comes true.
• There is a wizard in every town protecting us.
• Turns out, you are Santa's grandchild.
• Turns out, your nanny is actually a witch.
• While on vacation, you discover a magical artifact out of mythology (i.e. Excalibur, Pandora's box, Thor's hammer, etc.).
• An ancient Viking suddenly appears in modern-day London.
• Deceased soldiers from an old war, suddenly come back to life.
• Dragons return to earth after many years gone.
• Turns out unicorns are real.
• Scientists uncovers the science behind magic.
• King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table are magically transferred into modern-day teenage bodies.
• The Greek pantheon is magically transferred into modern-day teenage bodies.
• The Norse pantheon is magically transferred into modern-day teenage bodies.
• The Egyptian pantheon is magically transferred into modern-day teenage bodies.
• A DNA archaeologist discovers that mythical creatures did exist.
• Your character owns a magical shop in some important niche.
• A tattoo artist is able to imbue their subject with magical abilities.
• Write a story about Gods over a specific element like water, fire, etc.
• A world where dragons are forced to fight each other, fight club style.
• A child wishes that a family member will return from the dead, and it works.
• A long-lost shipwreck is found, completely intact.
• Society is built around epic, arena-like games.
• Anything can become true if enough people believe it, and the villain exploits this fact.
• A bounty hunter and an epic fantasy world, hunting warlocks, witches, and monsters.
• Sherlock Holmes, but in an epic fantasy world.
• Pick an ancient Earth culture that is not medieval England, and develop an epic fantasy around that.
• Develop a culture over a huge timeline, from primitive beginnings, to the space-age.
• What if the humans on a fantasy world had no idea that any other fantasy race existed, until they appeared for the first time.
• Indiana Jones, but in an epic fantasy setting.
• Your characters develop spiritual connections with a specific animal.
• The trees have spirits, and only you can hear them.
• The character is appointed as a bodyguard for a royal prince/princess.
• A prince/princess discovers that they have a long lost twin, who was not raised in privilege.
• Take an ordinary piece of modern-day technology, and postulate how a medieval society would react to it. 
• Write about someone who has a relationship (platonic or romantic) with a ghost.
• Ghosts/werewolves/vampires are actually super nice, and it's the fairies/elves/dwarves that are mean.
• You sit down to read your favorite book, only to find it has changed.
• You write a book, only to discover that it comes true.
• Here character decides to have a conversation with the author of the book.
• An angel walks on earth for a month.
• An angel and a demon switch places for a week.
• I monster is terrified of the child that sleeps above his bed.
• Humans are actually giants, and there are micro-human races beneath us.
• The giant emerges from the ocean.
• A child is transported into the past, into the teenage body of their mother or father.
• You go to a new high school, only to discover that everyone is a vampire.
• The Titanic mysteriously arrives in New York as if nothing had happened, with all passengers accounted for.
• A boating accident leads to the character being saved by mermaids.
• A deck of tarot cards accurately predicts the future for a group of friends.
• All of the figures in a wax museum become real.
• A ghost is having difficulty finding a place to haunt.
• A writer discovers that God is also a writer, and our reality is his book.
• It is discovered the zombies are actually very intelligent.
• Set your story in a fortuneteller's parlor.
• What if the sun suddenly didn't rise.
• What if the sun suddenly rose in the West instead of the east.
• Write a fantasy story in the wild West setting.
• A new continent is discovered.
• You discover the fountain of youth, but it turns out it only sends you forward in time.
• A retirement home for superheroes.
• A history teacher can take their students to any time or place in history.
• Area 51 protects a gateway to another dimension.
• Area 51 protects a gateway to hell.
• Use a currency that isn't money, and build your world from there.
• Luck is not random, but is an inherited genetic trait, or a skill that can be learned.
• I day in the life of a magical creature.
• Someone with the power of alchemy, but can only change a material into something useless.
• Snow falls one morning, but it isn't white.
• A character can only live three times in their lifetime.
• There is a river that will wipe your memory if you drink from it.
• You can buy bottled emotions.
• Develop a magic system based on self-help principles
• Develop a magic system based on biology
• Develop a magic system based on computer programming
• Develop a magic system based on commonplace social customs like shaking hands
• The story is set within a character's mind.
• A character wakes up in a past life.
• A character wakes up in a future reincarnation of themself.
• A character spends their whole life faking that they have magic, then suddenly discover they do.
• Your character is destined to do something they don't want.
• Your character becomes aware that they are a work of fiction.
• Write a story from the perspective of an orc.
• One of your parents is a werewolf, the other a vampire.
• People thought you were the chosen one, but turns out they were mistaken. Now what?
• A doctor claims to know how you can get someone to fall in love with you.
• You are immortal, married to a mortal, and you decide to tell them.
• Your character can suddenly read minds.
• A social outcast finds that they are actually the prince/princess of a distant world.
• Your character gains the ability to make any wish come true.
• A character can turn into any animal by wishing it.
• Your character receives a new superpower every day, losing the previous one.
• The ghost of a parent helps a young child through difficult times.
• A character is mute, but can talk to animals.
• Someone is hunted by their alternate universe twin.
• A monster, generally feared by all, is actually a gentle giant.
• Write a romance between one superpowered individual and one who doesn't have powers.
• Write a romance between an elf and an orc, or two other diametrically opposed races.
• A romance between an angel and a demon.
• Sirens usually kill humans, until one falls in love.

Hopefully, the creative juices are flowing now. But before you start writing your book, it's a good idea to see if there's a market for the type of fantasy you're looking to write . Since Fantasy is such a competitive genre, a little research goes a long way. And the easiest way to get this research done is with Publisher Rocket.

You can think of the information you get from Publisher Rocket as the foundation for your fantasy writing career. You get insights directly from Amazon on:

• Keywords – Metadata to position your book on Amazon.
• Competition – Allowing you to see what's selling and how stiff the competition is.
• Categories – So you know where people who are looking for books like yours go to find them.
• Amazon Ads – Helps you quickly configure a list of profitable keywords for running ads.

Check out Publisher Rocket here to get started.

Jason Hamilton

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

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Elements of fantasy: Writing a more magical story

What makes a fantasy story? Our first instinct might be to answer ‘magic’ – spells, mythical beasts, potions. Yet fantasy contains multiple key elements. Read the following simple breakdown of elements of the fantasy genre and tips to write magical, fantastical tales:

• Post author By Jordan
• 20 Comments on Elements of fantasy: Writing a more magical story

What makes a fantasy story? Our first instinct might be to answer ‘magic’ – spells, mythical beasts, potions. Yet fantasy contains multiple key elements. Read the following simple breakdown of elements of the fantasy genre and tips to write magical, fantastical tales:

What are the main elements of fantasy?

Fantasy is (according to The Oxford Dictionary ‘s definition ):

‘A genre of imaginative fiction involving magic and adventure, especially in a setting other than the real world.’

Many fantasy novels involve adventure as a key feature. Characters may discover portals to other worlds or discover hidden magic, wonder and surprise in our own world.

Novels from C.S. Lewis’s classic Chronicles of Narnia series to J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter  series populate imaginary worlds with mythical beasts, power-seeking tyrants and more.

Characters adventure through worlds where the impossible is possible. Exploring the ‘impossible’ is another common element in fantasy. Magical wands may weave spells that defy the laws of physics as we know them.

Other times magic is spoken, chanted, or ripples through land and landscape.

Let’s explore individual elements of fantasy, with examples from books that suggest how to use each well:

5 elements of fantasy to consider:

• Struggle for mastery
• Subgenre and types
• Place/setting and worldbuilding

The word magic comes from the Greek magikos , from magos . This means ‘one of the members of the learned and priestly class’. This explains how magic, in fantasy, is often associated with learning, with complex books and rituals.

Magic has its roots in the idea of arcane knowledge the ordinary person cannot access. We can also trace the word back to the Old Persian magush , meaning ‘to be able, to have power’. Tweet This

Thus ideas of ‘learning’ and ‘power’ supplement its modern definition:

‘The power of apparently influencing events by using mysterious or supernatural forces.’ ( OED )

Magic in great books takes many forms. The apprentice wizards in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter duel with wands. In C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series, a witch casts a spell over the Kingdom of Narnia, plunging it into eternal winter. She also destroys a secondary world by speaking ‘the Deplorable Word’. This shows an important element of fantasy : Words have power. It ties back to the idea of priestly learning, of the idea that magic is a wonderful (yet potentially deadly) knowledge.

Practical ideas for using this element of fantasy

How do you use magic in a fantasy story ? Think about how your story could show the following:

• The cost of magic: Just like using a car requires the ‘magic’ of fuel combustion (or electrical/solar power), magic can’t come from nowhere . Often magic is something that can be depleted and must be replenished. Giving magic in your world finite supply explains why not all problems can be overcome using spells. It makes its power seem greater, due to its cost, too.
• The danger of magic: Fantasy novels are full of the dangers of magic. In Harry Potter , the prime villain uses a banned/forbidden killing spell that rebounds on himself. This also suggests the volatility in magic. The idea that ‘having power’ (in the Old Persian sense of the word) also comes with risk and danger.
• The wonder, delight or joy of magic: This is something J.K. Rowling captures so well in her series, earning her millions of loyal readers. Her books are filled with surprising uses of magic, from witches’ broomsticks re-imagined as sports equipment to all kinds of mythical beasts and plants. How can you create a sense in your reader that there is a new surprise, a mystery, around each corner?

Find fantasy writing prompts on the cost of magic, primary and secondary worlds and more with 200 and counting fantasy starters.

2. Adventure

Adventure in fantasy is common, from bands of travelling, questing heroes (like Frodo and friends in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings ) to girls who fall down magical rabbit holes ( Alice in Wonderland ).

Adventure in fantasy often features another meaning of magic:

‘A quality of being beautiful and delightful in a way that seems remote from daily life.’

Fantasy does indeed often take us to places that seem remote from daily life, full of new joys and discoveries (or dangers). In Frodo’s adventures, he finds both the dazzling land of the elves, Lothlorien, and the foul, stinking lands of Mordor where the story’s villain resides.

Adventure means ‘an unusual and exciting or daring experience’, as well as ‘excitement associated with danger or the taking of risks.’ [You can brainstorm a profile of an adventurer or other character in the ‘Character section of Now Novel.]

Fantasy is full of these elements. Characters take new risks, whether it be riding into battle to confront a mysterious, supernatural foe, or simply trying a magical delicacy in a fantastical sweet shop.

• Show the dangers of adventure: Fantasy is full of moments of tension and conflict that arise from characters venturing into the unknown. When your character falls down the metaphorical rabbit hole, what dangers and risks do they meet? Alice, in Alice in Wonderland , comes face to face with the Queen of Hearts, for example, who yells about chopping off people’s heads.
• Show the joys of adventure: Venturing far from your comfort zone is a great opportunity for personal growth, new friendships (and romances) . How do your characters’ adventures bring them closer to others?
• Show the gains and losses of change:  Adventure in fantasy is full of states of change. In David Eddings’ Belgariad , the protagonist Garion grows from a child in Book I to a groom in the final novel, Enchanter’s End Game . In Tolkien’s famous fantasy cycle, characters return to The Shire to find industrialization threatening the old ways of life.

Develop your fantasy story

Work with a coach or editor who understands your genre and can help make your story shine.

3. Struggle for mastery

Themes of struggle and mastery are found in many forms throughout many fantasy novels. Part of this is due to fantasy’s origins in ideas of arcane, ‘special’, yet volatile and dangerous knowledge. The initiate often must learn to control the unpredictable surges of ‘wild’ magic, to trace or utter the ‘right’ thing to achieve the desired effect.

This process of struggle and mastery is often shown in character development. Sometimes characters use power irresponsibly. For example, a character tries to ruin a magical game of the airborne sport Quidditch in Rowling’s fantasy series. Struggle in fantasy fiction includes:

• Struggle for mastery of self: Understanding and using one’s own power effectively or wisely
• Conflict between those who use their own magical mastery for positive or destructive ends: We see this in classic ‘hero vs villain’ fantasy conflicts

Think about how you can use struggle to develop interesting character arcs and developments:

• Show characters’ unique abilities: How is this character’s abilities (or strengths in a particular subset of abilities, such as healing or raising the dead) useful? How do they need to develop?
• Show characters’ distinct limitations: Just as characters may excel in some areas, they might be woefully terrible in others. Neville Longbottom, in Rowling’s series, for example, is a hopeless student generally. Yet he has a natural knack for handling magical plants.
• Show the origins of struggles great and small: Rowling shows us her main villain’s youth over the the course of her series, where he went wrong. C.S. Lewis gives us a brief history of Jadis the White Witch’s misdeeds. In each case, we develop a sense of what motivates how characters choose to wield their magical power . Why does the tyrant crave world domination, and why does a hero agree to a task they know could prove fatal?

4. Subgenres and types

As with many other large genres of fiction, fantasy has many subgenres and types. You could describe Sir Terry Pratchett’s inventive Discworld series as ‘comic fantasy’ since rather than focusing on dangerous quests only it pokes fun at our world as well as well as genre tendencies. For example, the trope of lavish fantasy world-building. In Discworld, the world is a disc supported by four elephants standing on the back of a giant turtle swimming through space.

Popular fantasy subgenres

• Epic fantasy: Typically explores plots and themes that are ‘epic’ and sweeping, such as conflicts between good and evil lasting ages
• Dark fantasy: Stories that incorporate horror elements, such as many of Stephen King’s books that blend the supernatural, the magical and the macarbre
• Contemporary fantasy: Stories set in our real world that involve magic or other supernatural elements ( Harry Potter has this blend of mundane aspects of contemporary life and the magical)
• Urban fantasy: Fantasy fiction where the urban, modern city is the typical setting, rather than a pastoral setting or medieval world of kings and horseback

These are just some of fantasy’s popular subgenres. Within each of these subgenres, magic and parallel worlds function in many different ways.

Different types of fantasy

There are also different ways the magical element of fantasy functions. In her book Rhetorics of Fantasy , Farah Mendelsohn defines four core types of fantasy, based on how the non-realistic element of the story appears:

• Portal fantasy: Like in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe  or Alice in Wonderland , characters enter a fantastical world through a portal. In C.S. Lewis’ series, the portals are magical pools in a wood that lies between worlds, at first. Children are teleported to this world when they try on rings created by a main character’s uncle in The Magician’s Nephew.
• Immersive fantasy: The reader sees the magical world through the eyes of the protagonist, for whom the world is the only known world. In other words, there is not the note of discovery but rather, we discover through the character’s eyes a magical world that’s natural to them. Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea series is an example.
• Intrusion fantasy: The fantastical or magical aspect intrudes on characters’ worlds, and we see how characters navigate this supernatural ‘breach’. These stories tend to describe the magical intrusion, rendering its strangeness to the reader. The tales of H.P. Lovecraft are an example.
• Liminal fantasy: This rarer form is where a fantastical element enters characters lives, yet they accept it as completely natural. For example, if a character were to turn into a rhinoceros (like in Eugene Ionesco’s play Rhinoceros , in which the inhabitants of a small town turn into rhinoceroses one by one except for one man).

Practical ideas for using subgenres and fantasy types

Subgenres and types of fantasy fiction can supply rich ideas. Read different subgenres and types and use your growing knowledge to:

• Subvert expectations: Readers may have particular expectations of a subgenre or fantasy story type. For example, that a portal is a magic transport between two worlds. What if a portal stops working? Or turns out to not be a portal at all, but a myth to explain a darker truth the rulers of a land want to conceal at all costs?
• Find inspiration: Read in many subgenres and across many types, even if you have favourites. The better you know the fantasy genre, the more you can draw on different elements of fantasy from each.
• Find subplots: Perhaps your story is a portal fantasy, involving travel between worlds. Could their also be an intrusion element? In Narnia, for example, in the first chronological book in the series, one of the main characters accidentally transports the tyrant Jadis back to Earth, to the ‘real’ world, when she clutches onto him as he goes through a portal.

A fifth key element of fantasy is ‘place’ or ‘setting’: The mythical, magical or miraculous landscape where the action takes place:

5. Place/Setting and worldbuilding

Because of its exploration of the otherworldly and the supernatural, place is a key aspect of many fantasy novels . Some places are created through magic. The lion Aslan sings the Kingdom of Narnia into being in C.S. Lewis’ lore. (A Christian mythology parallel to the Creation in the Bible.) By contrast, Jadis, the White Witch, destroys a whole world by speaking a powerful word.

In fantasy, we often strongly experience both characters’ effects on their world, and their worlds effects and influence on them.

Tolkien, in his fantasy cycle, gives each place its distinctive character. The land of the elves is full of majesty and a timeless sense of peace. The Shire, the home of the hobbits, is full of family histories, pranks and merriment (at the story’s start). It’s a typical example of intimate, community-based rural life. Mordor is full of volcanic, dark rocks and treacherous terrain.

In fantasy, world-building is an important process, particularly if you want to make your world believable to the reader . Rowling, for example, spares us no detail, from where Wizards buy their wands and do their banking, to how mail is delivered to magic students.

Yet each of these world details is also woven in so that it is relevant to whatever characters are experiencing at the time. Harry’s delivery owl Hedwig is a companion to him while adjusting to the strangeness and occasional loneliness of his new surrounds, for example.

How can you use place in your fantasy to make your story truly magical?

Practical ideas for using place in fantasy

To make place in your fantasy immersive:

• Add relevant detail: What fauna and flora are there in your world? What do characters have to do manually because magic can’t solve every problem? Think about the small details along with the big things.
• Give places different levels and sources of tension and intrigue: Authors like Rowling use place well because some places are full of discoveries waiting to be made (such as Hogwarts castle, the wizards’ school), while others are drab, mundane, yet intriguing by contrast to this world (such as Harry’s aunt and uncle’s home).
• Know the rules of place in your world:  Understanding what characters can and can’t do in certain settings, where they may and may not go, helps to place some limits. For example, Rowling creates the Ministry of Magic that penalizes wizards for displays of magic around ordinary, non-magical people (called ‘muggles’).

There are many more elements of fantasy, yet the above gives a basic overview of common features. Think about power, learning, adventure, and conflict. Give place its own intriguing character. And remember to give your reader reasons to wish, wonder and marvel.

Need help writing a compelling fantasy story or series? Join Now Novel to brainstorm details . Get constructive feedback and work with a writing coach to stay motivated and progress.

I knew my writing wasn’t good enough to be traditionally published. I needed a mentor to help me reach the next level. I found Now Novel in a Google search and felt its coaching program was a good fit. I worked with Fiona for a year and now have a workable manuscript that I’m happy with. With Fiona’s honest feedback, my writing is at a new level. — Grayson

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• Tags elements of fantasy , fantasy writing

Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town.

20 replies on “Elements of fantasy: Writing a more magical story”

Writing fantasy is hard because you need to make yourself a set of rules.

This is true, April. It’s also what makes it such fun, of course 🙂

Well researched article here.What are the major differences between fantasy and magical realism?

Hi Gilbert, thank you! One of the major differences is that ‘magical realism’ as a literary term refers most often to a group of South American authors such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez who use magical/fantastical elements in otherwise mostly ‘realist’ fiction set in the ‘real’ world, whereas fantasy tends to be more wholly fantastical and involves things like worldbuilding, mythical ‘lore’ (magical powers and beasts, spells, etc.). Here’s a good post explaining the differences: https://mastersreview.com/literary-terms-magical-realism-science-fiction-and-fantasy/

I,m gonna make a story about gumball and darwin going to a school and they see strange things happening.

Hi David, thank you for sharing that. Is Gumball a character from a specific story universe/lore? I haven’t heard of them. Good luck with your story!

How do I says this…my problem is that I know what I want to write and it’s all in my mind ready but I have no idea how to write it out! Is there a way for you to help me?

Hi Khun, thank you for sharing that! Happy New Year, too. I would say perhaps write two lines before you sit down to write a scene, outlining what you want to write about or what part of the story you want to tell (if you prefer to not outline your whole story in advance). For example ‘First scene: Main character receives the letter that makes them decide to go to visit their uncle’. Creating a little focus this way will help you start writing.

Also, give yourself the freedom to just write – there’s no ‘correct’ way to get the words out of your mind and onto the page, other than to write, and to write with a goal, at least some sense of the current purpose and the eventual (possible) destination for this particular story. Good luck!

Hello, let me start this off by saying how wonderful this website is. The blogs are great and give a lot of good tips and advice. Now going into my problem, how do I shift a short story into a book? I’m finally attempting shifting from short stories to writing an actual book (it’ll be on the shorter side of course since it’s my first time), but i’m having trouble making the story longer. It’s hard for me to add more scenes that don’t directly relate to the main plot. For example, in Harry Potter book six “The Half Blood Prince” the main plot is obviously figuring out who the half blood prince is, but there’s still side plots. Like Harry is in love with Ginny and the Quidditch games. I’m not sure how to add extra side plots, to make the story longer, without making it a full on rom-com. Thank you, and have a very nice day.

Hi Bee, thank you for your kind feedback. We’re glad you’re enjoying Now Novel!

That’s a great question. It’s tricky to find subplots when you’ve already written a finished version, I’m sure.

Looking at the example you used, Harry Potter, the side plots give some ideas (e.g. a romantic arc for a character who has another main goal, such as Harry and Ginny, or another, secondary goal that has some relation to primary conflicts in the story, such as the enmity between Gryffindor and Slytherin being amplified on the Quidditch pitch).

I would say look at your characters’ primary goals, for starters, and ask whether there are precursory goals (things they have to achieve first) that could make the passage towards the ultimate goal more fraught with suspense/uncertainty. For example, in many of the individual books of the series, Harry faces off against a lesser antagonist connected to Voldemort, such as Nagini. These individual lesser obstacles give individual segments their own arcs and tensions and mysteries, while leaving the grander/larger arc for the final resolution We also have an article on finding subplot ideas here you may find useful. Please feel free to get involved in our online writing groups where you can also share extracts for feedback.

Hello I have been writing a story for over 10 years. I have the odd idea and Iv read so many books and gotten some ideas from those. I just struggle on how to write it all out. I have a few chapters down but I struggle on what to write next, or how to get to the next part. I keep getting writers block. It doesn’t help that throughout this pandemic I just haven’t been able to concentrate. I had the idea of a girl from an orphanage who gets asked to come and work for the royal family as future to the princesses daughter (after her mum was killed by magic). This is a prestigious job and not usually given to people of the lower classes. Hen my main character starts developing magical powers (although she doesn’t know it at first). But magic has been banned in the kingdom so she must hide he powers. She cannot just run away to the kingdom where magic is allowed because the borders have been closed and guarded and it would also be suspicious if she just disappeared. Person from the magical kingdom is sent to kill her before she flames out and kills herself and others but thankfully she has gained enough self control that she is given the chance to leave and told she must escape to the magical kingdom where she will be taught the full extent of her powers. And that’s about as far as I can get. I want to include some sort of peril with blood magic, find a way to escape and I want my character to find out she she was given the job because the queen had an affair and she is actually the queens illegitimate daughter but I have NO clue on how to do these things. Can anyone help with any tips?

Hi Emily, thank you for sharing that. First off about focus, I think the emotional rollercoaster of the pandemic has made it hard for many people to focus, so don’t be too hard on yourself about that. Have you tried learning to meditate? It can really help to empty your mind of other background anxieties and distractions. We also have an article on exercises to get out of writer’s block here you may find useful.

Regarding your questions about your story, that does sound like many conflicts and intrigues all bundled together. I would suggest separating out each separate incident and asking questions about it. For example, why were the borders closed? Who finds out about your MC being at the castle and thus sends someone to kill her, and why (what is their fear/goal?).

If you break the story down into smaller chunks of scenes and incidents and situations and focus on one element at a time, it will be easier to progress, for sure. I hope this helps! Please feel free to get help in our writing groups too, where you can ask other writers questions about your ideas and writing challenges.

Excellent article. Thanks for sharing.

Hi Travis, thank you for your kind feedback and for reading our articles. It’s a pleasure!

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How to Write Fantasy Fiction

Last Updated: March 18, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Lydia Stevens . Lydia Stevens is the author of the Hellfire Series and the Ginger Davenport Escapades. She is a Developmental Editor and Writing Coach through her company "Creative Content Critiquing and Consulting." She also co-hosts a writing podcast on the craft of writing called "The REDink Writers." With over ten years of experience, she specializes in writing fantasy fiction, paranormal fiction, memoirs, and inspirational novels. Lydia holds a BA and MA in Creative Writing and English from Southern New Hampshire University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 71,642 times.

Writing amazing fantasy means creating a whole, unique universe to draw your readers into. Whether you write about witches and wizards, supernatural creatures or alternate dimensions, you must make the reader believe that your world could actually exist.

Preparation

• One thing about fantasy is that every cliche, every trope has been done.
• So when you take that on into your writing, you have to make a twist.
• There is no need to avoid cliches. You can repurpose them.

Developing characters

• They can be anything from humans to creatures you made up yourself.
• They can be well-known fantasy creatures like elves or vampires, but try to give your own spin on them.

Writing the fantasy fiction

• Anagnorisis , or discovery- the main character's sudden and abrupt recognition of the true nature or identity of a person or the meaning of an event. For example, a girl finds out that her best friend is just a figment of her imagination, and was never alive in the first place.
• Unreliable narrator- in the end it is revealed that the narrator has falsified, made up, or greatly exaggerated the story that you've read up until that point.
• Peripeteia - A realistic or logical reversal of the protagonist's fortune, whether for good or for worse. For example, the main character of a story, after struggling through an arduous murder case and about to give up, stumbles upon the missing piece of information he needed.
• Deus ex machina , meaning "god out of the machine"- an unexpected, artificial, or improbable character, device, or event that is introduced to resolve the main conflict, or even a side conflict, of the story.
• Poetic justice- an ironic "turning of the tables" where the character is either rewarded or punished for their actions, such as a sudden death or a compensation.
• Chekhov's gun- a character or plot element is introduced early in the narrative. The importance of the character or plot element is not recognized until later in the story. Also known as a "plant", or an initial device that is repeated throughout the story.
• Red herring, or false foreshadowing- a false clue that misleads the investigators toward an incorrect solution. If the protagonist is misled, then the reader is typically misled by extension.
• In medias res , or into the middle of things- the story is began in the middle of the story rather than the beginning; the beginning is revealed through flashbacks. Everything ultimately leads up to a big revelation.
• Non-linear narrative- the plot and characters are revealed in a non-chronological order, meaning that instead of beginning, middle, and end, it might be end, beginning, and middle. This will force the reader to piece things together themselves, but not fully understand until a piece of crucial information is revealed at the climax.
• Reverse chronology, a form of non-linear narrative- Events are revealed from end to beginning.

Writing Help

Community Q&A

• Read. Reading will give you a really good base and lots of inspiration, and also give you a good look on what has already been done if you are trying to do something new. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1
• Have fun. If you aren't having fun writing, how will anyone have fun reading it? Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Avoiding cliches are up to the writer. Sometimes they work, other times they don't. Adjust them to fit your writing. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• Be aware of the risks of a plot twist. If you don't have the complete story, or at least it's skeleton, in your head before you start, and then you choose to twist, you might end up giving wrong signals of the end during the book that won't lead anywhere. This is very frustrating, so keep that in mind during your writing. Thanks Helpful 33 Not Helpful 2

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Home » Blog » 30+ Best Fantasy Writing Prompts in 2024

30+ Best Fantasy Writing Prompts in 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Fantasy writing prompts can be a very special kind of exciting. Writing fantasy requires a deep level of imagination and creativity as you are literally creating your own world. All the physical laws and restrictions of earth no longer apply when you write fantasy.

Anything is possible – any place, any action, any species. These things can make the dreaded arrival of writer’s block even more frustrating. Regardless of genre, every writer goes through it sometimes. The days or even weeks where you just can’t seem to nail down a single creative word. It is times like these when some great fantasy writing prompts can come in handy. Whether you are trying to come up with a whole new novel idea, or want something interesting to add to your existing story, these fantasy writing prompts will help you move forward. You don’t have to be J.K. Rowling to get started.

The great thing about fantasy is that it can apply to many genres. You can have a supernatural romance, a horror tale of fantastical proportions, or even a crime drama featuring some made-up monsters. There are fantasy writing prompts for many genre crossovers. My favorite tool for writing fantasy is Squibler as it includes many features to help you tell your story visually.

Writing prompts can come in many forms:

• A vague and general idea
• A random thought
• A line of dialogue
• A new type of world
• A new form of government (usually oppressive in some way)
• And many more

If you’re looking for some simpler creative writing prompts beyond what you see here, try the writing prompt generator . This offers you some quick and simple ideas that are meant to spark some ideas without limiting you.

Basic Fantasy Writing Prompts

These prompts are designed to give your brain a jump start on a whole new story idea. These prompts could be the base of a novel or short story.

Each year, all the wizards, sorcerers, and other magical beings come together for a tournament. They gamble their powers and magical tools.

Bottle Them Up

Your protagonist lives in a world where you can buy and sell bottled emotions. It is a government regulated industry, but illegal dealers and black markets run rampant. Some emotions are worth more than others.

The Communicator

Write about a character who was mute until he discovers that he can talk to animals, and they talk back. He discovers the animal kingdom has a master plan, and he must decide whether to join them or stop them.

Tell the Truth

Anything can become true if enough people believe it strongly and deeply enough. The antagonist becomes aware of this and begins to manipulate the population to create the world he wants.

There is a mysterious creature living deep in the forest of a small country somewhere in the world. It has terrorized locals for years. A bite from this creature may kill you, or it may give you powers. The city closest to the creature’s residence is full of people with magical abilities, but the population is small as many are killed.

Word begins to spread, and the rest of the world starts to become aware of the creature. Some travel from far away and gamble their lives in hopes of obtaining magic.

The Evil Twin

Your main character finds out they are being hunted by who they think is their alternate universe evil twin. They soon discover that they themselves are actually the evil one.

Trusting the Humans

Magical beings are the ruling class on earth. Governments are run by them. Those without powers are considered useless, second class citizens and generally live in poverty. There is a single source of power for the entire realm (perhaps an object, or a place). One day, the power source is taken over by dark forces. They cast a spell on the source that uses the power of anyone who tries to touch it against them.

The magical beings must now rely on the “non-magic” folk they have ridiculed for generations. They are the only ones who can save the world from this darkness.

Mystical Bounty Hunter

A bounty hunter from an alternate universe appears in the yard of a maximum-security prison. He has come to break out one of the most dangerous, lethal prisoners in the world, and bring them back to his universe.  

The Gentle Giant

Choose a mythical creature that is generally thought to be large, terrifying, and evil. Make them into a kind, loving, and sympathetic character. They have to prove the myths, legends, and stereotypes wrong to avoid being hunted and killed by humans.

Unlikely Partners

Your main character is left in the forest to die, as the annual sacrifice to the god of the forest. The god shows up, but this year he is not interested in the death of his sacrifice. He is looking for a new servant and/or sidekick.

Supernatural Dealings

A new shop opens that allows humans to rent mystical and magical things: superpowers, magical abilities/items, etc. Monetary payment is not accepted. You must pay much more abstract prices – memories, emotions, or even years of your life for the most expensive items.

Romantic Fantasy Writing Prompts

These prompts are ideas where fantasy and romance have been intertwined. Love is universal, no matter what species you are! These are also good for a novel with the right ideas, or a short fantasy story if you prefer. 

Star-Crossed

Humans are forbidden to fraternize and mingle with the enchanted, and vice versa. They are groomed from birth to hate each other. An unlikely love story develops as two people from each faction begin an illegal relationship.

This is not a brand new concept – but there are a lot of ways you can spin this typical trope of forbidden love. Don’t be afraid to make your own version of a classic!

The group of sirens have been doing their jobs diligently for centuries. They have honed their craft, and kill quickly, viciously, and without mercy. They leave no fisherman or sailor stupid enough to cross their waters alive.

For the first time in 600 years, one of the sirens doesn’t want to kill a particular young sailor. Thinking quickly, she convinces the group they need a slave, and so she keeps him alive but captive, all while falling more and more in love with him every day.

Sci-Fi/Fantasy Writing Prompts

Science fiction and fantasy work well together as they share a lot of basic elements. A fantasy novel can utilize mermaids for example, but so can science fiction. Mermaids are futuristic, fairy-tale material that works in many areas of the fantasy genre. 

Take these fantasy fiction plot ideas, add some future technology and you have yourself a crossover. 

Robots and Wizards

Artificial intelligence is at an all-time high. Robots are running rampant and becoming more powerful all the time. Humans begin to think they have made a mistake, and then the robots start to team up with the wizards and sorcerers. Is there any hope for the human race at all?

Magic Machines

The magical beings of the world begin to invent their own machinery. They design robots with magical powers of their own.

Zombie Intelligence

Humans have been fighting the zombie epidemic for many decades, with no success and no progress. One day, a telepathic agent comes onto the scene and makes a horrifying discovery. The zombies have begun to think. They are developing intelligence, communicating, and becoming their own species.

Day of the Undead

A giant alien spaceship has discovered earth. They have stopped their ship right in front of the sun, casting parts of the world into total and perpetual darkness. The vampires that have been in hiding take advantage of their newfound freedom.

Alien Vampires

NASA has spent years creating the perfect plan to inhabit Mars. They have every detail worked out and it is time to put the plan into action. They have recruited hundreds of brave astronauts who have dedicated their lives to creating livable colonies on Mars.

Two vampires have been doing their own planning for just as many years. They have infiltrated the team. They have successfully made their way onto the spaceship bound for Mars.

Fire Fighters

Firefighters are the only ones who know the real truth about house fires. They are started by evil fire elementals. In order to put out the fire, the elementals responsible must be killed. The firefighters are sworn to secrecy, the public can never know.

Horror/Fantasy Writing Prompts

Horror and fantasy can often go quite well together. Horror itself can be almost anything – as long as it is sufficiently terrifying! Mixing this genre of dread, terror, doom, gloom, and darkness with magic and fantasy can make for a wonderfully unique and enriching story.

Horror can work well with urban fantasy as it’s a good setting for horrific things to happen. Paranormal elements will also mix well with these fantasy fiction writing prompts. Perhaps a ghost is the only person with the answers your protagonist needs!  Use these fantasy writing prompts to kick-start your next horror project.

Heads Will Roll

Be-heading is a common form of execution. Leaders have become corrupt and are using their power to simply get rid of people they don’t like or are threatened by. A wizard has caught wind of this and puts a spell on the head executioner’s ax.

An innocent man is executed, and the executioner smiles to himself as he wipes the blood off his ax. Suddenly, the newly detached head begins to speak. It is angry.

A Big Mistake

A quiet old man lives in a run-down cottage at the edge of town. He is known for keeping to himself and hating children. Strange things start happening in the city, and the townspeople blame the old man, accusing him of being an evil sorcerer.

A brave young warrior finally kills the man, and the town celebrates. Their cheers turn into screams as a demon exits the old man’s body, calls forward hundreds more, and they start inhabiting each and every person there.

A mysterious box appears in town one day. No one knows what is in the box – they can’t get it open. All they know is that it’s only been around for two days, and since it’s arrival half the town has died.

Predictions

In the moment before a person dies, they utter a sentence that predicts a piece of the future. Sometimes they are small and insignificant, sometimes they are very important. Wars have been prevented, natural disasters have been minimized, and lives have been saved by these predictions.

Suddenly, every single person who dies around the world starts saying the exact same thing.

Fantasy Writing Prompts for Encouragement

These prompts are designed to help you put the fire back into a novel that may have gone stale. Don’t know where to go next? Start writing and work these ideas or things into your story.

Magical Items

Matching gems : Two pieces of jewelry with matching gemstones. When worn by two different people, they can communicate telepathically no matter how far apart they are.

Sword of Innocence : When wielded by someone with a pure heart and good intentions, it turns into an invincible weapon against those who are truly evil.

Enchanted Chalk : A piece of chalk that can create working doors. Draw two doors at point A and B, and travel between them instantly no matter their actual, physical distance. Draw a single door on a flat, solid surface, and pass through to the other side. You can have as many active doors as you want, but make sure you protect them. Once the door is smeared or washed away, it becomes useless. All doors disappear when the chalk runs out.

Magical Abilities

Blood Magic : If you posses blood magic, your magic resides within your blood. To use it, you must draw blood. The amount of blood drawn will determine the strength and duration of the spell or ability.

Magic Tattoos : Magical abilities are gained through tattoos. This gives a lot of control, power, and reverence to tattoo artists. They are among the wealthiest on the earth. Size, location, and design are all relevant to the ability being gained. Tattoos around the eyes will grant magical sight, tattoos on the head can grant telepathy, tattoos on the arms can grant strength, etc.

• Keep your powers a secret by getting tattoos that are hidden.
• Curses can be laid by tattooing someone against their will
• Tattoos gradually fade as power is used

Finders : A finder has the ability to locate lost items. They can simply touch a person, and they will be able to mentally locate the lost item in question. A seemingly simple thing, but extremely sought after. Finders are valuable, and therefore quite rich and powerful.

Dive Into Your Own Fantasy World

Hopefully, this list of fantasy writing prompts has given you some ideas that will either get you started or keep you going. Even the most simple and basic ideas can be turned into something incredible with the use of a creative imagination. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and put your own personal twist on some of these ideas. Change them as much as you want and make them your own!

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Science Fiction and Fantasy Novel I

Start your sci fi or fantasy novel off right with this course that helps you build your world and start telling your story.

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Fall 2024 schedule.

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This course is held via video teleconference. Instructors use Zoom to offer live class meetings at the designated class meeting time. Students must be present at the course meeting time as each student’s final grade may include scores for participation. Please inform your instructor if you will miss a class meeting. You are responsible for any class information you missed. We suggest you arrange with a fellow classmate to share their notes when feasible.

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Best Fantasy Writing Contests in 2024

Showing 60 contests that match your search.

HNS 2024 First Chapters Competition

Historical Novel Society

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Novel, Romance, Thriller, and Young Adult

The HNS UK 2024 First Chapters Competition is for the first three chapters of a full-length historical novel that has not been previously published in any form. We are looking to recognize and promote excellence in storytelling and the craft of historical fiction and its subgenres. The competition coincides with the HNS UK 2024 conference and the overall winner will be announced at the conference.

Additional prizes:

Category winners: £500 and HNS UK 2024 conference ticket

💰 Entry fee: $50

📅 Deadline: February 15, 2024 (Expired)

Summer Nanofiction Battle

Writing Battle

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

Two days to write a 250 word short story. The peer-powered quarterly writing contest where every story receives oodles of feedback. Write one. Read ten. Win thousands.

Genre Winner (x4): $1,500

Genre Runner-up (x4): $375 | Feedback by industry professionals

💰 Entry fee: $20

📅 Deadline: August 02, 2024

The Rubery Prize

Rubery Book Awards

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, and Romance

The Rubery Prize is a prestigious international book award seeking the best books by indie writers, self published authors and books published by independent presses, judged by reputable judges. Through our reputation of finding quality and outstanding books we aim to bring recognition to the works that win and heighten an author's profile.

£200, a write-up

💰 Entry fee: $60

📅 Deadline: March 31, 2024 (Expired)

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I Am Writing Competition

Genres: Children's, Crime, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, and Young Adult

Please submit the first 3,500 words of your novel. A one-page synopsis is also required.

30-minute consultation with genre expert

💰 Entry fee: $13

📅 Deadline: May 28, 2024 (Expired)

Writing Peers Summer Short Story Prize

Writing Peers

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Horror, Mystery, Romance, and Thriller

Are you seeking lots of feedback? Ever wondered what it’s like to step into the shoes of a jury? Pick one of our prompts and let your creativity soar. Submit your piece, then review other entries and develop an eye for what makes a story stand out. Receive detailed feedback, evolve as a writer and you might even walk away with the prize money!

💰 Entry fee: $15

📅 Deadline: June 21, 2024

7 Day Story Writing Challenge

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

Register now for our next 7-day story writing challenge. A secret theme, a randomly assigned genre, and just 7 days to write a story of no more than 2,000 words. Our 7-day story writing challenges take place throughout the year. The challenges are free and you can even get feedback on your story. Take part in one challenge or take part in all of them!

Publication on website

💰 Entry fee: $0

📅 Deadline: April 22, 2024 (Expired)

Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award

Killer Nashville

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Science Fiction, Script Writing, Short Story, and Thriller

The Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award is committed to discovering new writers, as well as superlative books by established authors and, upon discovery, sharing those writers and their works with new readers. There are a large number of both fiction and non-fiction categories you can enter.

💰 Entry fee: $79

📅 Deadline: June 15, 2024

Genre Smash Short Story Challenge

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

For this short story challenge, all participants will be randomly assigned a genre pairing. As soon as you receive your ‘smashed’ genres you'll have until the closing time to write and submit a short story of any length up to 5,000 words, that perfectly and seamlessly combines both genres into one amazing short story.

Publication

💰 Entry fee: $11

📅 Deadline: October 23, 2023 (Expired)

Historical Fiction Challenge

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

For this short story challenge, all participants will be randomly assigned a period in history. As soon as you receive your assignment, you'll have until the closing time to research, write, and submit a short story of no more than 4,000 words, set during this historical period.

💰 Entry fee: $17

📅 Deadline: October 28, 2022 (Expired)

First Chapter + Synopsis Competition

Fiction Factory

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Novel, Romance, Science Fiction, and Young Adult

Have you completed the first draft of your novel? Are you ready to pass it on to a fresh pair of eyes, to see if you are on the right track? Is your all-important first chapter ready for submission to an agent? Whatever your plans, your first chapter must shine – it must grab your readers or quickly lose their interest.

£500 + an appraisal

💰 Entry fee: $22

📅 Deadline: February 29, 2024 (Expired)

Oxford Flash Fiction Prize 2024

Oxford Flash Fiction

Genres: Flash Fiction, Fiction, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

Write yourself into history and become one of the greats with the Oxford Flash Fiction Prize. For centuries, the greats have come to Oxford to ink masterpieces. Now, in one of the oldest towns, where the history of the English language can be traced back to its ancient streets, we are celebrating one of the newest forms in literature – flash fiction.

2nd Prize: £200 | 3rd Prize: £100 | New Voice Prize: £200

💰 Entry fee: $9

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2024 (Expired)

Storytrade Book Awards

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Script Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Storytrade Book Awards recognizes excellence in small and independent publishing. Open to all indie authors and publishers including self-published authors, university presses, and small or independent presses, our annual awards program spotlights outstanding books in a number of fiction and nonfiction categories.

Medal, Book Stickers, Digital Seal

💰 Entry fee: $75

📅 Deadline: June 30, 2024

Brink Literary Journal Award for Hybrid Writing

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Writing, and Short Story

The Brink Literary Journal Award for Hybrid Writing will be administered to the winner of a literary contest designed to champion innovative hybrid and cross-genre work.

📅 Deadline: February 16, 2024 (Expired)

Writing MAGIC

Sadie Tells Stories

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Young Adult

Are you an author who loves magic? Do you have an idea for a super short story that needs to be shared with the world? If you answered yes to both of those questions this contest is for you! The story can be about anything magical. Maybe it’s something that you’ve experienced in real life or it’s something you’ve created. Maybe it’s the start of a great idea. Maybe it’ll be the thing that inspires you to finally publish your book.

💰 Entry fee: $10

📅 Deadline: April 01, 2024 (Expired)

2024 Spring Prose & Poetry Contest

Onyx Publications

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Poetry, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Thriller

Our contest provides a First, Second, and Third prize for both prose and poetry. There are no themes or special requirements so just send us your best work. We recommend you read through previous editions or listen to the works and author interviews on our Story Discovery Podcast to get a sense of the range of creativity we enjoy.

$500 + publication and author interview on Story Discovery podcast

2nd: $150 | 3rd: $75

💰 Entry fee: $12

📅 Deadline: May 05, 2024 (Expired)

New Deal Writing Competition

New Deal Museum

Genres: Christian, Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, LGBTQ, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Travel

GVCA is excited to announce the ninth annual New Deal Writing Competition! This competition challenges writers to use a painting chosen by the staff at GVCA as inspiration for a short story. This year’s painting is “Playtime” by Fred Ross.

Publication in newsletter

💰 Entry fee: $5

📅 Deadline: March 15, 2024 (Expired)

Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

Gotham Writers Workshop

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize is a writing competition sponsored by the stage and radio series Selected Shorts. Selected Shorts is recorded for Public Radio and heard nationally on both the radio and its weekly podcast. This years entries will be judged by Carmen Maria Machado (In the Dream House, Her Body and Other Parties).

$1000 + free 10 week course with Gotham Writers

💰 Entry fee: $25

📅 Deadline: March 01, 2024 (Expired)

North Street Book Prize

Winning Writers

Genres: Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Children's, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

Submit a self-published or hybrid-published book, up to 200,000 words in length. One grand prize winner will receive $10,000, a marketing analysis and one-hour phone consultation with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, a $300 credit at BookBaby, three months of Plus service (a $207 value) and a $500 account credit from Book Award Pro, and 3 free ads in the Winning Writers newsletter (a $525 value)

$1,000 for top winner in each category | $300 for honorable mentions

📅 Deadline: May 01, 2024 (Expired)

The Book of the Year Awards

The Independent Author Network

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Crime, and Short Story

The Independent Author Network presents the 10th Annual IAN Book of the Year Awards, an international contest open to all authors with 55 fiction and non-fiction categories. Winners are eligible to receive a share of cash prizes of $6,000 USD. Open to all English language print and eBooks available for sale, including small presses, mid-size independent publishers, university presses, and self-published authors.

$6,000.00 USD in total cash prizes

💰 Entry fee: $49

📅 Deadline: August 16, 2024

Winter Flash Fiction Battle

Genres: Fiction, Flash Fiction, Short Story, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, and Thriller

Three days to write a 1000 word short story. The peer-powered quarterly writing contest where every story receives oodles of feedback. Write one. Read ten. Win thousands.

Genre Winner (x4): $2,000

Genre Runner-up (x4): $500 | Feedback by industry professionals.

📅 Deadline: February 01, 2024 (Expired)

Kurt Vonnegut Speculative Fiction Prize

North American Review

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Science Fiction, and Suspense

The Vonnegut Prize is an annual fiction competition intended to recognize the finest speculative fiction, which can include, but is not limited to, work influenced by the postmodern science-fiction of Kurt Vonnegut. We love Vonnegut’s dark humor, but please avoid mere imitation. We are enthusiastic about all work painted with speculative fiction’s broad brush: fairy tale, magical realism, fabulism, the fantastic, horror, Afro-futurism, science fiction hard and soft, and everything in between. The winning entry will appear in the North American Review's annual summer issue, and all finalists will be considered for publication.

💰 Entry fee: $23

📅 Deadline: November 02, 2024

Spring Microfiction Battle

Two days to write a 500 word short story. The peer-powered quarterly writing contest where every story receives oodles of feedback. Write one. Read ten. Win thousands.

📅 Deadline: May 03, 2024 (Expired)

Science Fiction & Fantasy Writing 2023

Write the World

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, and Short Story

Fantasy and sci-fi stir our imaginations, inviting us to think outside the limits of the life we know. This month, you have the extraordinary and exciting task of reimagining the world. In a fantasy or sci-fi short story, take your readers on a journey into a world of your imagination.

Runner up: $50 | Best peer review: $50

Work-In-Progress (WIP) Contest

Unleash Press

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Science Fiction, Science Writing, and Young Adult

We aim to assist writers in the completion of an important literary project and vision. The Unleash WIP Award offers writers support in the amount of $500 to supplement costs to aid in the completion of a book-length work of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Writers will also receive editorial feedback, coaching meetings, and an excerpt/interview feature in Unleash Lit.

Coaching, interview, and editorial support

💰 Entry fee: $35

📅 Deadline: July 15, 2024

The Christy Award

Genres: Christian, Fantasy, Novel, Novella, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, and Young Adult

The Christy Award® was established in 1999 to acknowledge the value and impact of the novel of faith in contemporary culture. Since that time, the Christys have been a focal point for the writers and publishers in our community.

💰 Entry fee: $175

Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors

Grist Magazine

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

Imagine 2200 is an invitation to writers from all over the globe to imagine a future in which solutions to the climate crisis flourish and help bring about radical improvements to our world. In 2,500 to 5,000 words, show us the world you dream of building. A great Imagine story is not afraid to explore the challenges ahead — the path to climate progress will involve struggle and adaptation, and we invite you to show that — but ultimately offers hope that we can work together to build a more sustainable and just world. We want to see stories that incorporate real world climate solutions and climate science, as well as cultural authenticity (a deep sense of place, customs, cuisine, and more) and characters with fully-fledged identities.

Publication in magazine

📅 Deadline: June 24, 2024

Claymore Award

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Novel, Science Fiction, and Thriller

Created in 2009, the Killer Nashville Claymore Award assists new and rebranding English-language fiction authors to get published, including possible agent representation, book advances, editor deals, and movie and television sales. The contest is limited to only the first 50 double-spaced pages of unpublished English-language manuscripts containing elements of thriller, mystery, crime, or suspense NOT currently under contract.

Possible contract with Mystery Writers of America

💰 Entry fee: $40

📅 Deadline: April 01, 2025

100 Word Writing Contest

Tadpole Press

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Thriller, Young Adult, Children's, Poetry, Romance, Short Story, Suspense, and Travel

Can you write a story using 100 words or less? Pieces will be judged on creativity, uniqueness, and how the story captures a new angle, breaks through stereotypes, and expands our beliefs about what's possible or unexpectedly delights us. In addition, we are looking for writing that is clever or unique, inspires us, and crafts a compelling and complete story. The first-place prize has doubled to $2,000 USD.

2nd: writing coach package

📅 Deadline: November 30, 2024

Elegant Literature's Monthly Award For New Writers

Elegant Literature

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, Young Adult, Flash Fiction, and Science Writing

One of the largest awards open to unpublished writers and closed to professionals. We are the first magazine to pay pro rates and only accept submissions from new writers, putting over $150k into the hands of emerging talent around the globe so far. One new writer receives the grand prize. We also choose the best stories, pay the authors professional rates, and publish them in our magazine. April guest judge is Christopher Fielden.

10x Paid publication, 25 x $20 USD | Free entry to Novelist Accelerator

Best Indie Book Award

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The annual Best Indie Book Award® (or BIBA®) is an international literary awards contest recognizing self-published and independently published authors from all over the world. Entries are limited to independently (indie) published books, including those from small presses, e-book publishers, and self-published authors.

💰 Entry fee: $65

📅 Deadline: August 15, 2024

The Letter Review Prize for Unpublished Books

The Letter Review

Genres: Crime, Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Memoir, Mystery, Non-fiction, Novel, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Science Writing, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

Free to enter. Seeking 0-5000 word (poetry: 15 pgs) excerpts of unpublished books (Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction), including most self-published and indie-published works. 2-4 Winners (publication of extract is optional). We Shortlist 10-20 writers. Open to writers from anywhere in the world, with no theme or genre restrictions. Judged blind.

Optional Publication of Excerpt, Letter of Recommendation

Solar Flare

Sunspot Literary Journal

Genres: Essay, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Poetry, Script Writing, and Short Story

Sunspot Lit is looking for one work, including a novel or novella excerpt, that provides a flare of creative energy. Literary or genre accepted. Enter through Submittable or Duotrope. Learn more: https://sunspotlit.com/contests

📅 Deadline: May 31, 2024 (Expired)

Chapter One Prize

Gutsy Great Novelist

Genres: Fiction, Novel, Young Adult, Crime, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, and Thriller

The Gutsy Great Novelist Chapter One Prize is awarded for an outstanding first chapter of an unpublished novel. The prize is open internationally to anyone over 18 writing a novel in English in any genre for adult or YA readers. Winners will be announced March 29, 2024.

2nd: $500 |3rd: $250

First 5 Pages Prize

Stockholm Writers Festival

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Novel, Novella, Science Fiction, Thriller, and Young Adult

SWF is proud to launch the First 5 Pages Prize to mark our 5th anniversary. Dazzle us with your brilliance. Delight us with your wit. Deceive us with your dastardly plot-twists. There will be one Grand Prize winner chosen from all entries. The winner will receive: $1000 cash, a ticket to SWF22, a pitch meeting with an agent conducted over Zoom, two night’s accommodation at a boutique hotel, and a full developmental edit donated by Reedsy, the industry’s leading platform for writing services.

A full developmental edit donated by Reedsy & pitch meeting with an agent

📅 Deadline: January 31, 2022 (Expired)

The Paul Cave Prize for Literature

Tim Saunders Publications

Genres: Crime, Fantasy, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Horror, Humor, Mystery, Novella, Poetry, Romance, Science Fiction, Short Story, Thriller, and Young Adult

The Paul Cave Prize for Literature, established in 2023 by Tim Saunders Publications, is in memory of Paul Astley Cave-Browne-Cave (1917 to 2010), a hugely inspirational magazine and book publisher. What we are looking for All forms of poetry: haiku, free verse, sonnet, acrostic, villanelle, ballad, limerick, ode, elegy, flash fiction, short stories and novellas. Work must be new and unpublished. International submissions welcome.

Best Short Story: £50 | Best Flash Fiction: £25 | Best Poem: £25

📅 Deadline: September 30, 2024

Discover the finest writing contests of 2024 for fiction and non-fiction authors — including short story competitions, essay writing competitions, poetry contests, and many more. Updated weekly, these contests are vetted by Reedsy to weed out the scammers and time-wasters. If you’re looking to stick to free writing contests, simply use our filters as you browse.

Why you should submit to writing contests

Submitting to poetry competitions and free writing contests in 2024 is absolutely worth your while as an aspiring author: just as your qualifications matter when you apply for a new job, a writing portfolio that boasts published works and award-winning pieces is a great way to give your writing career a boost. And not to mention the bonus of cash prizes!

That being said, we understand that taking part in writing contests can be tough for emerging writers. First, there’s the same affliction all writers face: lack of time or inspiration. Entering writing contests is a time commitment, and many people decide to forego this endeavor in order to work on their larger projects instead — like a full-length book. Second, for many writers, the chance of rejection is enough to steer them clear of writing contests. 

But we’re here to tell you that two of the great benefits of entering writing contests happen to be the same as those two reasons to avoid them.

When it comes to the time commitment: yes, you will need to expend time and effort in order to submit a quality piece of writing to competitions. That being said, having a hard deadline to meet is a great motivator for developing a solid writing routine.

Think of entering contests as a training session to become a writer who will need to meet deadlines in order to have a successful career. If there’s a contest you have your eye on, and the deadline is in one month, sit down and realistically plan how many words you’ll need to write per day in order to meet that due date — and don’t forget to also factor in the time you’ll need to edit your story!

For tips on setting up a realistic writing plan, check out this free, ten-day course: How to Build a Rock-Solid Writing Routine.

In regards to the fear of rejection, the truth is that any writer aspiring to become a published author needs to develop relatively thick skin. If one of your goals is to have a book traditionally published, you will absolutely need to learn how to deal with rejection, as traditional book deals are notoriously hard to score. If you’re an indie author, you will need to adopt the hardy determination required to slowly build up a readership.

The good news is that there’s a fairly simple trick for learning to deal with rejection: use it as a chance to explore how you might be able to improve your writing.

In an ideal world, each rejection from a publisher or contest would come with a detailed letter, offering construction feedback and pointing out specific tips for improvement. And while this is sometimes the case, it’s the exception and not the rule.

Still, you can use the writing contests you don’t win as a chance to provide yourself with this feedback. Take a look at the winning and shortlisted stories and highlight their strong suits: do they have fully realized characters, a knack for showing instead of telling, a well-developed but subtly conveyed theme, a particularly satisfying denouement?

The idea isn’t to replicate what makes those stories tick in your own writing. But most examples of excellent writing share a number of basic craft principles. Try and see if there are ways for you to translate those stories’ strong points into your own unique writing.

Finally, there are the more obvious benefits of entering writing contests: prize and publication. Not to mention the potential to build up your readership, connect with editors, and gain exposure.

Resources to help you win writing competitions in 2024

Every writing contest has its own set of submission rules. Whether those rules are dense or sparing, ensure that you follow them to a T. Disregarding the guidelines will not sway the judges’ opinion in your favor — and might disqualify you from the contest altogether. 

Aside from ensuring you follow the rules, here are a few resources that will help you perfect your submissions.

Free online courses

On Writing:

How to Craft a Killer Short Story

The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction

How to Write a Novel

Understanding Point of View

Developing Characters That Your Readers Will Love

Writing Dialogue That Develops Plot and Character

Stop Procrastinating! Build a Solid Writing Routine

On Editing:

Story Editing for Authors

How to Self-Edit Like a Pro

Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites

How to Write a Short Story in 7 Steps

Reedsy's guide to novel writing

Literary Devices and Terms — 35+ Definitions With Examples

10 Essential Fiction Writing Tips to Improve Your Craft

How to Write Dialogue: 8 Simple Rules and Exercises

8 Character Development Exercises to Help You Nail Your Character

Bonus resources

200+ Short Story Ideas

600+ Writing Prompts to Inspire You

100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Fiction Authors

Story Title Generator

Pen Name Generator

Character Name Generator

After you submit to a writing competition in 2024

It’s exciting to send a piece of writing off to a contest. However, once the initial excitement wears off, you may be left waiting for a while. Some writing contests will contact all entrants after the judging period — whether or not they’ve won. Other writing competitions will only contact the winners. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind after you submit:

Many writing competitions don’t have time to respond to each entrant with feedback on their story. However, it never hurts to ask! Feel free to politely reach out requesting feedback — but wait until after the selection period is over.

If you’ve submitted the same work to more than one writing competition or literary magazine, remember to withdraw your submission if it ends up winning elsewhere.

After you send a submission, don’t follow it up with a rewritten or revised version. Instead, ensure that your first version is thoroughly proofread and edited. If not, wait until the next edition of the contest or submit the revised version to other writing contests.

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The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at BGSU is widely recognized as one of the country’s most prestigious. For more than fifty years, graduates of BGSU’s Program in Creative Writing have contributed to contemporary literary culture and published hundreds of books.

The MFA in Creative Writing program gives a comprehensive and rigorous education in the professional writing, editing, and marketing of poetry and fiction. Artistic development, craft knowledge, and professional presentation are guiding principles. 

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the MFA degree, students in the Creative Writing with a specialization in Fiction or Poetry program are expected to be able to:

• Develop individual, original approaches to writing fiction and/or poetry
• Produce a book-length thesis comparable in quality to the published work of contemporary poets and fiction writers
• Develop an understanding of their work’s place within the context of contemporary literature 
• Collaboratively assess literary work for publication 
• Apply craft knowledge to produce and distribute a literary journal through relevant technologies 
• Develop pedagogical skills sufficient to design and teach courses at the college level 

Admission Requirements

Application deadline is January 15 for Fall Semester.  Since application reviews may begin immediately after the deadline, we recommend submitting your application and providing all required documents before the deadline. Documents required:

• Applicants below 3.00 GPA must submit a GRE score unless they have already completed a master’s degree.  Enter your GPA and GPA Scale with your undergraduate degree under the Academic History tab.
• Three Letters of Recommendation
• Statement of Purpose (1-2 pages)
• A fiction or poetry sample (20 - 30 double-spaced pages of fiction, or 10 - 15 pages of poetry with poems single- or double-spaced)
• An academic or professional writing sample (8 - 15 pages, double-spaced)

Please do not submit screenplays, children’s stories, fantasy, or science fiction.

International applicants are required to submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTEA). Successful completion of ELS 112 will also be accepted for this requirement.  Additionally, Duolingo test scores will be accepted for applications through Summer 2025. Applicants of the Graduate College who have completed a previous degree (associate, bachelor’s master’s or doctorate) from a U.S. college/university or are from a country (click  here  for a complete list) in which instruction was delivered in English (and attended the university for at least two years) are exempt from providing these test scores. Please review the Creative Writing MFA program’s Application page at  http://www.bgsu.edu/arts-and-sciences/english/creative-writing/apply-online.html  for detailed information about application materials.

Application Requirements

Admissions Categories and Grade Point Average Requirements

International Application Information

Degree Requirements

Curriculum requirements, required courses (24 credits).

ENGL 6320 taken during the summer semester may not be used to satisfy workshop requirements.

• ENG 6320 - Graduate Writers Workshop (12 hours)
• ENG 6310 - Technique of Fiction
• ENG 6330 - Creative Writing and Desktop Publishing
• ENG 6370 - Pedagogy of Creative Writing
• ENG 7820 - Topics in English Studies

Electives (6 credits)

Select 2 courses

Culminating Experience (6 credits)

• ENG 6990 - Thesis Research

Minimum Total Credits (36 credits)

Additional requirements.

• Minimum of 3 credits of 6990 required for Plan I master’s students.  Maximum of 6 credits may be applied toward degree requirements. 
• Minimum 3.0 graduate cumulative grade point average
• Minimum of 18 credits must be at the 6000-level or higher
• Minimum of  24 credits must be earned at BGSU
• All requirements must be completed within six years from the end of the earliest course used to fulfill degree requirements.

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Written by S. Kalekar June 3rd, 2024

32 Themed Submission Calls and Contests for June 2024

These are themed calls and contests for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Some of the call themes are: red; monstrous; classic fairy tales; deadly Yellowstone; a brood of vampires; funny stories; and false memories. THEMED CALLS Mslexia: Red They want work by women authors only. They accept fiction , poetry , nonfiction , fun stuff, as well as pitches for interviews and articles. Some work they publish is on showcase themes (fiction and poetry), and some columns/sections are on other themes, or unthemed. Some sections are open for submissions by subscribers only. For the next issue, the showcase theme is Red. “Red: blood, roses, strawberries, ladybirds…or Taylor Swift’s fourth studio album? Send us your Red themed submissions for Issue 103.” Deadline: 10 th June for the showcase theme, and 8 th July 2024 for other inclusions in the next issue Length: Varies Pay: A minimum of £30, see their submission policy and payment rates here Details here . Space & Time: Solution Revolution They accept speculative fiction (up to 5,000 words preferred), poetry, and art. For fiction, they want “Broken boundaries, blown minds and new horizons. Science fiction, fantasy, horror, steampunk, magical realism—we look for work with a speculative element. Creative hybrids welcome. If you can combine horror, science fiction and fantasy into one compelling plot, you’ve caught our attention.” They want submissions on the ‘Solution Revolution’ theme for their next submission period, which is 15-30 June 2024. On the theme, they say, “There’s a lot going wrong in the world right now. In this issue we want to see answers. Work does not have to be solarpunk or hopepunk as sometimes solutions aren’t happy for everyone. Example: dogs evolve with opposable thumbs, take over the world and bring about world peace by putting people on leashes. This would be a story our publisher appreciates.” Submissions accepted in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French or Italian. Reading period: 15-30 June 2024 Length: Up to 5,000 words preferred for fiction (can accept up to 10,000 words), up to 3 poems Pay: $0.01/word for fiction, $5 for poetry Details here and here . Neon Hemlock Press: Baffling Magazine – Monstrous The tagline of Baffling Magazine is, ‘Speculative flash fiction with a queer bent’. “We’ll be open next in June, from the 1st to the 15th, reading on the theme of “monstrous” as well as unthemed submissions.” Submission is via a form. Deadline: 15 June 2024 Length: Up to 1,200 words Pay: $0.08/word Details here and here . (Neon Hemlock is also open for a reprint anthology, We’re Here: The Best of Queer Speculative Fiction . They want speculative stories published in 2023 under 17,500 words that implicitly or explicitly explore queerness and/or transness. Pay is $0.01/word, and the deadline is 31 December 2024. Details here .) carte blanche: Play This Canadian magazine accepts fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry,  translations (French to English only), photography, and comics. They’re reading submissions for Issue 49, and they want work on the ‘Play’ theme. “We are interested in your narrative and poetic experiments, odd stories, humorous pieces, weird fiction, and the quirky. We ultimately leave “Play” up for your interpretation. They specially welcome submissions from underrepresented writers. They may prioritize Quebec-based creators (see guidelines). Please note, there is a cap on poetry submissions – those may close earlier than the deadline if their quota is met.  Deadline: 15 June 2024 Length: Up to 3,500 words for prose, up to 3 poems Pay: $75 Details here and here .  Eye to the Telescope: Strange Mixology This is a speculative poetry magazine. For the Strange Mixology theme, they say, “As your fearless bartender, I’m looking for cosmic concoctions, time-twisted tinctures and charmed potions. Give me something with a kicker, the green fairy’s secret spells, the sweet sap of the old woods and the moonshine of mermaids, alien aperitifs and speakeasies in space. All spirits welcome, even the ones that don’t come in glass bottles. Feel free to interpret the theme broadly but make sure there’s a spec element. Give me your old-fashioned verse and cosmopolitan compositions, pink squirrels, bee’s knees, gimlets and juleps, juniper berries, elderflowers, the marriage vows of Old Tom Collins and Bloody Mary. Garnish with kaleidoscopic umbrellas and a twisty straw. In Poetry Veritas.” They also accept translations.Deadline: 15 June 2024 Length: Up to 3 poems Pay: $0.04/word (up to $25) Details here . The Fairy Tale Magazine: Classic Fairy Tales This magazine was formerly called Enchanted Conversations. “The theme for 2024 is Classic Fairy Tales. You can take a lot of license with the work, but there must be a clear connection to a specific old fairy tale in the work. We are also very open to the stories and poems focusing on seasonal holidays, like solstice celebrations, Halloween, Hanukkah,  etc. Stories must be PG in terms of content. A lot of young kids find our site, even though it’s not a kids publication. …Remember, stories and poems must have the theme in them, even though it needn’t be a huge part of the story. Do bear in mind that all fairy tale related fiction and poetry needs an element of the supernatural—as well as transformation. The essence of classic fairy tales should be maintained when you write these stories and poems.  (The editor) tends to prefer things to end happily, but it’s not absolutely essential.” They have detailed guidelines, please read them carefully. They will read for the fall/winter issue in June. Please send your work only during the reading period. Reading period: 17 to 24 June 2024 Length: 1,000-2,000 words for fiction, up to 500 words for poetry Pay: $25 Details here . Channel Magazine This Ireland-based magazine publishes fiction and poetry, for which they have submission periods; non-fiction (which is considered for both online and print) is considered on an ongoing basis. They have detailed guidelines, including, “We love work that speaks directly of a writer’s bond with and fear for our planet, and work that takes a local landscape, or a local flower, as its subject; equally, though, we love work that draws on an aspect of nature as setting, image or metaphor. We believe that all writing relies to some extent on historical engagement with nature, in that all human language has been shaped by our embeddedness in our shared environments.” For fiction and poetry, the deadline is 20 June 2024. They accept submissions in English and Irish. Deadline: 20 June 2024 for fiction and poetry, ongoing for nonfiction Length: Varies Pay: €35 per printed page, up to €250 per piece and with a minimum fee of €50 for single-page works; €35 per 400 words, up to a maximum of €250 per piece and with a minimum fee of €50 for work published online Details here . Flame Tree Publishing: Two anthologies Flame Tree is open for two anthologies in their Myths, Gods, and Immortals series; Anansi , and Circe . The please see the links for details on each theme. A note on their website says, “All previous submissions for Anansi are still under consideration and authors will be contacted in due course, within 4 months of the new deadline.” They also accept reprints for both anthologies, which will be published in hardcover. Deadline for both anthologies: 23 June 2024 Length: 3,000-4,000 words Pay: $0.08/word for originals Details here (Anansi) and here (Circe). Dragon’s Roost Press: Arkham Institutions Anthology This is a fiction anthology. “Arkham Institutions (tentative title) will feature 10 – 15 short stories focusing on the various aspects of government and business and their relationship with the oddness that creeps up in and around that most (in)famous New England Town. … We want to see Cosmic Horror stories set in and around Arkham, Innsmouth, and other mythos related areas that take place in or are associated with Lovecraftian tales AND which feature a public or private institution of some sort. What does Arkham Elementary teach? What weird cases does law enforcement have to deal with? What kind of people are seen in the Emergency Room? The psych ward? The local library? The institutions in question can appear in previous Mythos stories or be of your own creation. In fact, we would love to see some new places — let’s fill out that city map! Feel free to set your story in the timeframe that fits best. We are still looking for character driven stories, but make sure that these places are characters in their own rights. … We are not looking for stories set at Miskatonic University nor the Orne Library.” Please note, they will close submissions earlier than the deadline if they fill the anthology. Deadline: 30 June 2024, or until filled Length: 3,000-5,000 words Pay: $0.06/word Details here . Thalia Press: Deadly Yellowstone – A Collection of Mystery Shorts They want stories set in the Yellowstone National Park. “Explore the treacherous and awe-inspiring landscape of America’s first national park in this new anthology, “Deadly Yellowstone.” With scalding geysers, stampeding buffalo, and ravenous grizzlies, danger lurks at every turn. As a global tourist magnet, Yellowstone National Park attracts not only nature enthusiasts but also those with sinister intentions. Unravel the mysteries within the park’s boundaries as ten gripping short stories delve into baffling events amidst the beauty and danger of Yellowstone.” Stories can be serious or humorous, but must be in the crime fiction/mystery genre. Please see their note on contributor copies. Deadline: 30 June 2024 Length: Up to 10,000 words (see guidelines) Pay: $25 Details here . West Avenue Publishing: A Brood of Vampires West Avenue Publishing is a fantasy publisher, and they also release themed anthologies. The theme for their next anthology is ‘A Brood of Vampires’. They want fiction and poetry on the theme. Deadline: 30 June 2024 Length: Up to 5,000 words for fiction, poetry of any length Pay: $10 Details here . Chicken Soup for the Soul: Two themes They’re reading nonfiction prose and non-fiction poetry (no fiction) for various themed anthologies, and two of the deadlines are in June: for their ‘ Funny Stories ’ anthology, as well as the ‘ Grandmothers ’ themed anthology. They have detailed guidelines about the kind of stories they want; see their ‘ Possible Book Topics ’ tab for details on the themes. They have other themes listed too, with later deadlines. Also see their FAQ . Please note, their submission deadlines change sometimes, so please double-check before submitting. Deadline: 30 June 2024 for the above themes Length: Up to 1,200 words Pay: $250 Details here and here . Blue Planet Press: Far Futures 3 – An Anthology of Deep Space This is a fiction anthology. “Space exploration. From the outer planets of our solar system to the edge of the Orion Spur and the even more distant Andromeda Galaxy. How will we get there? Generation ships? Faster than light engines? Dimensional warping? Wormholes? Submissions will involve space travel in some form to deep space. Stories may start or end planet-side, but the bulk of the tale must be in space. Military sci-fi is welcome.” Deadline: 30 June 2024 Length: 6,000-10,000 words Pay: Half a cent per word, up to $50 Details here . The Deadlands They want death-related fiction from BIPOC writers only for the June submission window. They have extensive guidelines, including, “The Deadlands exists in liminal spaces between life, death, and elsewhere. We are looking for fiction that concerns itself with death—but also everything death may involve . A ghost in a shadowed wood. An afterlife discovered through a rusted door. An abandoned house in the middle of a haunted field. A skeletal figure moving with intent toward something unseen. Death personified. Burials in troubled lands. … We are not simply a “horror market.” Sure, we want your horror, but we also want your litfic, your slipstream, your fantasy, your sf, your chicklit, your hist-fic, your everything fic. Death touches everything and so should our fiction.” Their guidelines have details about the kind of work they like, and also the hard sells. They also accept reprints. While they want fiction from BIPOC writers only for this submission window, they have all their submission periods for the year listed on the website. Deadline: 30 June 2024 Length: Up to 5,000 words Pay: $0.10/word Details here . Zoetic Press: Non-Binary Review – False Memories They want poetry, fiction, essays, translations, and art. They’re reading on the False Memories theme. Please remember, they accept submissions until a cap is reached, or the deadline, whichever comes first. All submissions must have a clear relationship to the theme. Apart from the theme, they are also accepting submissions for Dear Horace Greely and Heartbeats: Visual Verse sections; they also offer feedback to 4 POC poets every month. On the False Memories theme, they say, “False memories first came to public consciousness in the 1980s when a group of pre-schoolers at a California preschool were coached by well-meaning social workers and police investigators into “remembering” Satanic abuse that never happened. The fallout from that episode wasn’t just the persecution of an innocent family, but a nationwide mass delusion now known as “the Satanic Panic,” where authorities were warning the public about supposed widespread satanic cults committing heinous acts of abuse. Not a single one of these warnings were founded in fact, and it is now known that a large number of them were propaganda. But false memories aren’t always bad. There is a common phenomenon wherein people hear stories of their early childhoods so often that those stories turn into “memories.” It is common in dreams to have “memories” of things that happened to the dream self, but not to the real self. Or a person might believe that they took their regular medication, brought in the garbage bins, or picked up the mail when they haven’t. We’re looking for weird and wonderful stories of not just the memories themselves, but of their production, their repercussions, their wider meanings. We’re looking for false memories that might have changed history, that led to remarkable discoveries, that impacted lives.” They do not want works on recovered memory. They would also like to avoid stories centering abuse, trauma, and violence. Deadline: 31 July 2024, or until filled Length: Up to 3,000 words for prose; up to 3 pages for poetry Pay: $0.01/word for prose, $10 for poetry Details here and here .

(They’re also accepting submissions for other sections:  – “ Dear Horace Greeley is our advice column for authors.” Details on the kind of questions you can ask, and publication of the letters, are here and here . — “ Heartbeats: Visual Verse isn’t just poetry. It’s poetry that can only work in a visual medium. We want layers of meaning and emotion; we want evocative images and surprising combinations of words, music, and visuals.” Details here and here . They also offer feedback to 4 POC poets every month – please see their Submittable page for details.) Nonprofit Quarterly Magazine: Fall 2024 Climate Justice Issue NPQ is a general-interest magazine which welcomes submissions that seek to advance the work of nonprofits, philanthropists, and social movements in the US. For the current call, they want climate justice writing by “ movement leaders and practitioners in the field of all ages—including, and especially, youth (ages 18–35) —for a special edition centered on the young people bringing new leadership, energy, and hope to the climate justice movement. Youth are moving beyond talk and into action, including legislation proposals brought to policy tables in the United States and globally. We want to know what the youth climate justice movement needs to support their goals, and what’s next for the youngest generations fighting climate change. We’re seeking articles that describe the current state of youth climate justice work, concerns of youth, and new visions for the planet. What we are looking for… Articles by climate writers and leaders of all ages that describe work being done in the field, visions for the future, personal experiences with the climate movement, and how climate intersects with issues of health, gender, disability, neurodivergence, racial justice, and economic justice. (Word count: 800–3,000) Creative writing by youth —from personal narrative to fiction to poetry—that describes living through the current climate crisis. How is your community being shaped and re-shaped by climate? (Word count: no more than 1,000 words.)” Submission deadline: 30 June 2024 Length: See above Pay: $200-500 for writing, $50-100 for art Details here (theme details) and here (general pitch guide) New York Times: Modern Love Modern Love is NYT’s nonfiction column, and their reading period has just opened. They want “honest personal essays about contemporary relationships. We seek true stories on finding love, losing love and trying to keep love alive. We welcome essays that explore subjects such as adoption, polyamory, technology, race and friendship — anything that could reasonably fit under the heading “Modern Love.” Ideally, essays should spring from some central dilemma you have faced. It is helpful, but not essential, for the situation to reflect what is happening in the world now.” Also, “Love may be universal, but individual experiences can differ immensely and be informed by factors including race, socio-economic status, gender, disability status, nationality, sexuality, age, religion and culture.” Send essays of 1,500-1,700 words. Modern Love has two submission periods, September through December, and March through June. Writers are paid. Send submissions to modernlove (at) nytimes.com. They especially welcome work from historically underrepresented writers, and from those outside the US. Deadline: 30 June 2024 Length: 1,500-1,700 words Pay: Unspecified Details here . (Also see NYT’s Tiny Love Stories column; these are also personal essays similar in theme to Modern Love, but much shorter, of 100 words.)  Thema: A New Routine They publish three themed issues a year. They accept short stories, essays, poetry, and art. Their upcoming theme is ‘ A New Routine ’, and the deadline is 1 July 2024; they have other themes too, with other deadlines. They also accept reprints. Only writers outside of the US can submit by email, US-based writers have to post their submissions. Deadline: 1 July 2024 (see guidelines) Length: Up to 20 pages for fiction, up to 3 poems Pay: $10-25 Details here . Spooky This cozy horror magazine is reading on the Halloween theme, as well as unthemed horror submissions. They have detailed guidelines about the kind of stories they want, including, “Cozy horror. Fun horror. Classy horror. Dare we say, wholesome horror? … perhaps the easiest way to understand what we mean is to read stories by some of the old masters we love: Ray Bradbury, Charles Beaumont, Richard Matheson, Robert Bloch, Roald Dahl. Watch classic episodes of Thriller, The Twilight Zone, and Night Gallery. Read old horror comics. Listen to radio dramas like Suspense, Quiet, Please, and Inner Sanctum Mysteries. … In short, we’re looking to provide a space for a type of storytelling that has largely gone out of style – dark and scary, but playful and approachable with an emphasis on plot.” They also want horror haiku. Deadline: 13 July 2024 Length: Up to 5,000 words (prefer 2,500-3,000 words) for fiction Pay: $0.01/word Details here and here . Black Cat Publishing: Black Cat Tales This is a fiction and poetry anthology. “A black cat approaches, do you eagerly cross its path, or run in the opposite direction? From the superstitious to the unlucky, from a witch’s familiar to a soul stealing grave robber, black cats have captured our imagination and remain solidly in the realm of the dark. Dazzle us with your best black cat story or poem. A black cat or a clowder of black cats must be featured predominantly in your story and not simply set decoration.” Regarding genre, they say, “horror, dark fantasy, sci-fi, erotica, weird westerns, cyberpunk, steampunk…we’re open to all but prefer dark fiction.” Deadline: 15 July 2024 Length: 500 – 3,500 words for story, max 25 lines for poetry Pay: $50 for fiction, $25 for poetry Details here . THEMED CONTESTS

There are also some unthemed contests open this month, including:

— Theatre503 International Playwriting Award — They want script submissions from debut/early-career playwrights around the world. The award aims to identify and champion debut/early career playwrights – see guidelines for eligibility details. They also accept co-written and translated scripts. Musicals are not eligible. Submission is via a portal. Winner gets £3,000 in prize money and £3,000 as an advance against 8% of the gross box office, the deadline is 30 June 2024. Details here .

(And see Soho Theatre’s Verity Bargate Award for UK and Ireland based playwrights, prize £8,000, and other benefits, deadline 17 June 2024, details here .)

— Faber Children’s: FAB Prize – This is for undiscovered BAME writers and illustrators; you can read the prize announcement for 2024 here . Entrants must be of black, Asian or minority ethnic background and UK- or Ireland-based. For writers, they want a maximum of 5,000 words of text (no minimum word count). Also, “it does not have to be a short story (though those are welcome too!) We do strongly advise you to complete your work insofar as you can, even if you do not enter the whole manuscript: after the ceremony agents will request the full manuscript, so in order to get the most out of the prize, it is best to have the whole manuscript ready to go.” Entries must be text or artwork for children. The prize is £1,500; second place £500 each for a writer and an illustrator, and mentorship. The deadline is 28 June 2024.  Details here , here , here , and here . — Drue Heinz Literature Prize – This is for previously published writers – see guidelines. The prize is for a manuscript – they want a short story collection, or two or more novellas. Novellas are only accepted as part of a larger collection. Manuscripts may be no fewer than 150 and no more than 300 pages. The prize is $15,000, and publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press under its standard contract. The deadline is 30 June 2024. Details here , here , and here .)

Fraser Institu te Student Essay Contest This is a prize for Canadian students (high school, undergraduate, and graduate students studying in Canada and Canadian students studying abroad). For this year’s essay contest, the theme is, What would the Fraser Institute’s Essential Scholars say about the world today? (See their guidelines for details). Essays should be 1,000-1,500 words. Value: Prizes ranging from CAD1,500 to CAD250 each in high school, undergraduate, and graduate categories Deadline: 5 June 2024 Open for: Canadian students Details here (download rules and FAQ) and here

Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest This is for junior and senior division (11-14 and 15-18) students worldwide. The theme for this ocean awareness contest is Tell Your Climate Story (see guidelines). There are various categories: Visual Art (handcrafted and digital); Poetry & Spoken Word; Creative Writing; Film; Performing Arts: Music & Dance; and Interactive & Multimedia. Please also see their various special awards , including  (but not limited to) the We All Rise Prize – five prizes of $500 each, in each category – for young underrepresented writers in the US . Value: Awards ranging from $1,000 to $100 in each category; various special prizes (see here ) Deadline: 10 June 2024 Open for: Students ages 11-18 Details here .

Goi Peace Foundation: International Essay Contest for Young People This is an international essay contest for people aged up to 25 years, in two categories – children and youth. The theme is, My Experience of Overcoming Conflict . See guidelines for theme details. Entries can be in English, French, (up to 700 words), or Japanese (up to 1,600 characters). Value: For each category, there is one first prize is JPY100,000 (about $660); three second prizes of JPY50,000 (about $330) each; five third prizes, and 25 honorable mentions Deadline: 15 June 2024 Open for: Children ages 14 and under; youth ages 15-25 years Details here .

Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors This is a climate fiction contest from Fix, Grit’s solutions lab. They want stories of 2,500-5,000 words. “Imagine 2200 is an invitation to writers from all over the globe to imagine a future in which solutions to the climate crisis flourish and help bring about radical improvements to our world.” They have detailed guidelines on the kind of stories they want, please read them carefully. Additionally, “We are also partnering with Oregon State University’s Spring Creek Project, which will offer the winning writer (or a runner-up, in the case the winner cannot accept) the opportunity to participate in its Environmental Writing Fellowship and Residency, including a writing residency at the Cabin at Shotpouch Creek for the winner to spend up to four weeks in residence to continue their climate writing project. The Fellow will receive a $3,000 honorarium from Spring Creek Project.” Value: $3,000, residency; $2,000, $1,000; and $300 each for nine winners Deadline: 24 June 2024 Open for: All writers Details here and here . 2024 Love Books Competition This is a contest for UK writers, and part of the Malborough Lit Fest. “We want you to tell us why you love your favourite book, poem or play. Your response should be in the form of a piece of text of up to 750 words. Entrants should explain what they love about their chosen read, highlighting key areas of interest, and why they think others should try it. We are looking for creative, passionate, and engaging responses which celebrate your love of reading.” You could write about a novel, a graphic novel, a poem, a collection of poetry, or a play. The contest is for three age groups, 13-15 years, 16-19 years, 20+ years. Entry is via a form. Value: £300, £100 for winners in each age group Deadline: 28 June 2024 Open for: UK residents with a UK bank account Details here . Hubert Butler Essay Prize This is a themed essay contest, of up to 3,000 words, for writers who are UK or European Union citizens. “The Hubert Butler Essay Prize is intended to encourage the art of essay-writing with a European dimension and to expand interest in Butler’s work. … The subject for the 2024 essay prize is: ‘ With narratives of conflict currently distorted by misinformation and the substitution of memory for history, what are the chances of reconciliation? ’“ Value: €1,500; two second prizes of €500 Deadline: 28 June 2024 Open for: UK, European Union citizens Details here (download the entry form). The Fountain Essay Contest They want an essay on the topic, ‘ Where is Home ’. See guidelines for details on the theme. Ideal length is 1,500-2,500 words. Also, “There is no age limit or a condition to fulfill for entry.” Please read the terms carefully, any of the entries may be published in any medium, whether or not they win the prize Value: $1,000, $500, $300, two prizes of $150 each Deadline: 30 June 2024 Details  here and here . Last Stanza Poetry Journal This is a call for a themed poetry issue, on ‘ A Table in the Wilderness ’. A single $100 award will be given for an outstanding poem. An interview with the Editor’s Choice Award winner will be published in the same issue (optional). Poems can be any style, but preferably non-rhyming. Submit up to three poems, each no longer than 64 lines. Value: $100 Deadline: 30 June 2024 Open for: All writers Details here . 

Preservation Foundation Contest: General Non-Fiction This is an international contest for unpublished writers (see guidelines). Their upcoming deadline is for the general non-fictioncategory: “Any appropriate nonfiction topic is eligible. Stories must be true, not semi-fictional accounts. So-called “creative nonfiction” will not be considered.” Entries should be 1,000-5,000 words. Please note, they want all entries, regardless of whether or not they win, to be on their website for as long as the foundation exists (see guidelines). Also see contests in other genres, which have deadlines later in the year.  Value: $200, $100 Deadline: 30 June 2024 Open for: Unpublished writers Details here . The Writers College: My Writing Journey Competition This is an international contest, open to all writers. They want a 600-word essay on the theme, The best writing tip I’ve ever received . Value: NZ$200 (R2000 or £100) Deadline: 30 June 2024 Open for: All writers Details here . (They also have a short story contest with a later deadline, for writers who are unpublished or have been published fewer than four times; see here for theme and other guidelines.) Richard J. Margolis Award The award is for non-fiction writers of social justice journalism. It is for a promising new journalist or essayist whose work combines warmth, humour, wisdom and concern with social justice . Applications should include 2-3 non-fiction writing samples, up to 30 pages. At least one sample should be non-memoir material. Value: $5,000, residency at Blue Mountain Centre artists’ colony; $1,000 for runners-up Deadline: 1 July 2024 Open for: Unspecified Details here and here . The Forum Essay Prize This is an essay prize from Oxford Academic / Oxford University Press and is open to all researchers, whether early-career or established, on the Art(s) of Delight theme. They have detailed guidelines, including, “We are looking for bold, visionary and persuasive essays that use academic research to pursue innovative questions. … The topic may be addressed from the perspective of any of the literatures (including literary linguistics, translation and comparative literature approaches) normally covered by the journal: Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. submissions in comparative literature and literary translation studies are also welcomed, as are those dealing with visual art, film and the performing arts. Forum for Modern Language Studies aims to reflect the essential pluralism of research in modern languages and to provide a forum for worldwide scholarly discussion. We are seeking submissions that focus on literature, film, art, or other cultural outputs that manifest delight in their content or form and/or which provoke us to find joy in how we read, write, research and teach in our discipline(s).” The winning essay will also get published in an issue of Forum for Modern Language Studies. Value: £500 Deadline: 1 July 2024 Open for: All researchers Details here . A couple of contests with later deadlines are:

— The H G Wells Short Story Competition: This is an international short story contest; they want short fiction of 1,500-5,000 words on this year’s theme, The Fool. There is no fee for The Margaret and Reg Turnill Competition for young writers, i.e. for those under 21 years, and the prize for that is £1,000. The deadline is 8 July 2024. Also see their FAQ . Details here and here . — The Mustapha Matura and Alfred Fagon Awards: The Mustapha Matura Award is an opportunity for UK-based playwrights of Caribbean or African descent, resident in the UK, who are 25 years or younger, for a play. The play must be a minimum of 40 pages, and does not need to have been produced. However, if it has, only plays produced since August 2023 will be considered. The prize is £3,000 and mentoring from a top Black British playwright. The deadline is 31 July 2024. Details here . And submissions are also open for Alfred Fagon Awards for UK-based playwrights of Caribbean or African descent, resident in the UK, for a play. The award is £6,000, and the deadline is 31 July 2024. Details here . Please note, writers cannot enter both the Mustapha Matura Award and Alfred Fagon Award. Also see their Roland Rees Bursary . — Amazon: Kindle Storyteller Award: This is an international award for those who publish their work through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing in English in any genre. Entrants must make the book available for sale in both digital and print versions through KDP between 1 st May 2024 and 31 st August 2024. The book must be at least 24 pages long, and can have a maximum of 2 co-authors. Please note, the books must be published through their KDP Select program (be only available on Amazon), and readers play a significant role in winner selection (see Terms & Conditions – which also lists ineligible countries/nationalities – and FAQ ). The book can have up to two co-authors. The prize is £20,000, and the deadline is 31 August 2024. Details here .

Bio:  S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached  here

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• Issue Fourteen 4
• Issue Nine 5
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• Issue Ninety-Five 4
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• Issue Ninety-one 6
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• Issue Nintey-Three 1
• Issue One 5
• Issue One Hundred 4
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• Issue One Hundred Eighty 3
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• Issue One Hundred Fifty Seven 3
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• Issue One Hundred Ninety Nine 4
• issue One Hundred Ninety One 3
• Issue One Hundred Ninety Seven 2
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• Issue One Hundred Ninety Three 3
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• Issue One Hundred Seventy 4
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• Issue One Hundred Seventy Nine 3
• Issue One Hundred Seventy One 4
• Issue One Hundred Seventy Seven 2
• Issue One Hundred Seventy Six 3
• Issue One Hundred Seventy Three 3
• Issue One Hundred Seventy Two 2
• Issue One Hundred Six 3
• Issue One Hundred Sixteen 4
• Issue One Hundred Sixty 4
• Issue One Hundred Sixty Eight 4
• Issue One Hundred Sixty Five 3
• Issue One Hundred Sixty Four 3
• Issue One Hundred Sixty Nine 3
• Issue One Hundred Sixty One 4
• Issue One Hundred Sixty Seven 3
• Issue One Hundred Sixty Six 2
• Issue One Hundred Sixty Three 4
• Issue One Hundred Sixty Two 4
• Issue One Hundred Ten 4
• Issue One Hundred Thirteen 4
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• Issue One Hundred Thirty Eight 3
• Issue One Hundred Thirty Five 4
• Issue One Hundred Thirty Four 7
• Issue One Hundred Thirty Nine 4
• Issue One Hundred Thirty One 4
• Issue One Hundred Thirty Seven 3
• Issue One Hundred Thirty Six 4
• Issue One Hundred Thirty Three 4
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• Issue One Hundred Three 3
• Issue One Hundred Twelve 2
• Issue One Hundred Twenty 4
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• Issue One Hundred Twenty Nine 4
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• Issue One Hundred Twenty Two 3
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• Issue Seven 4
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• Issue Seventy 5
• Issue Seventy-Eight 6
• Issue Seventy-Five 7
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• Issue Seventy-Seven 6
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• Issue Seventy-Two 6
• Issue Six 4
• Issue Six Hundred Thirty Four 1
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• Issue Sixty 7
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• Issue Three Hundred Forty Nine 3
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• Issue Three Hundred Forty Six 3
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• Issue Three Hundred Four 3
• Issue Three Hundred Fourteen 3
• Issue Three Hundred Nine 3
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• Issue Three Hundred Ninety 3
• Issue Three Hundred Ninety Eight 3
• Issue Three Hundred Ninety Five 3
• Issue Three Hundred Ninety Four 3
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• Issue Three Hundred Ninety One 3
• Issue Three Hundred Ninety Seven 4
• Issue Three Hundred Ninety Six 4
• Issue Three Hundred Ninety Three 4
• Issue Three Hundred Ninety Two 5
• Issue Three Hundred One 3
• Issue Three Hundred Seven 3
• Issue Three Hundred Seventeen 3
• Issue Three Hundred Seventy 3
• Issue Three Hundred Seventy Eight 3
• Issue Three Hundred Seventy Five 3
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• Issue Three Hundred Seventy Nine 4
• Issue Three Hundred Seventy One 3
• Issue Three Hundred Seventy Seven 3
• Issue Three Hundred Seventy Six 4
• Issue Three Hundred Seventy Three 3
• Issue Three Hundred Seventy Two 3
• Issue Three Hundred Six 4
• Issue Three Hundred Sixteen 3
• Issue Three Hundred Sixty 3
• Issue Three Hundred Sixty Eight 3
• Issue Three Hundred Sixty Four 4
• Issue Three Hundred Sixty Nine 3
• Issue Three Hundred Sixty One 4
• Issue Three Hundred Sixty Seven 5
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• Issue Three Hundred Sixty Three 4
• Issue Three Hundred Sixty Two 3
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• Issue Three Hundred Thirty 2
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• Issue Three Hundred Thirty Seven 4
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• Issue Three Hundred Thirty Two 3
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• Issue Three Hundred Twenty Four 4
• Issue Three Hundred Twenty Nine 4
• Issue Three Hundred Twenty One 3
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• Issue three hundred twenty six 2
• Issue Three Hundred Twenty Three 4
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• Issue Thrity Five 1
• Issue Twelve 4
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• Issue Two 4
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• Issue Two Hundred Eight 3
• Issue Two Hundred Eighteen 1
• Issue Two Hundred Eighty 2
• Issue Two Hundred Eighty Eight 3
• Issue Two Hundred Eighty Five 3
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