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  • 1. Choose a theme from our selection of plot generators.
  • 2. Give us some keywords to play with or let us prompt some ideas at random.
  • 3. We automatically create a plot, title and a cover for your novel or film.

Masterpiece Generator refers to a set of text generator tools created by Aardgo. The tools are designed to be cool and entertain, but also help aspiring writers create a range of different media, including plots, lyrics for songs, poems, letters and names. Some generated content parodies existing styles and artists, whilst others are based on original structures.

Our first generator, Song Lyrics Generator was launched in 2002 as a student magazine project. After it proved popular, we expanded to include plots, and the project grew from there.

We're proud to see work we've helped you create pop up on blogs and in fun projects. We enjoy watching you read your creations on YouTube. We're currently developing a cool app based on our site.

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Plot twist generator, storyline generator, plot generator, story idea generator, story starter generator, story title generator, book title generator, story conflict generator, story theme generator, narrative generator, script generator, blurb generator, dialogue generator, character generator, scenario generator, i'm a story writer and want to generate, story ideas, story titles, book titles, story starters, plot twists, story conflicts, story theme.

Welcome aboard the grand vessel of content creation, where every seasoned writer is a captain in their own right. In the vast ocean of storytelling, navigating the turbulent waves of writer’s block and the still waters of uninspired ideas can be quite the adventure. But fear not, fellow scribe, for there exists a tool—a lighthouse on the horizon—that aims not to take the quill from your grasp but to illuminate your path.

What Is An AI Story Generator?

An AI Story Generator is a digital tool that uses advanced algorithms to help you craft unique and engaging narratives with ease. This cutting-edge technology allows you to break free from writer’s block, offering a wellspring of inspiration for your story-writing endeavors. Whether you’re an established author or a budding storyteller, these story generators are designed to spark your creativity and streamline the storytelling process.

With just a few clicks, you can generate stories filled with intriguing plots and dynamic characters. You’ll save precious time on brainstorming and outlining, as the AI takes care of the heavy lifting, leaving you to finesse and imbue the narrative with your personal touch. The tool’s foundation in natural language processing and machine learning means it understands your needs, refining its suggestions to suit your style and preferences.

Imagine the possibilities as you weave tales that captivate and resonate, all with the assistance of an AI that learns from your input. Writers, students, artists—anyone in need of a burst of creative energy—will find this technology an invaluable ally in the quest to tell stories that truly stand out.

How To Write A Story?

When you set out to write a story, you first need a clear concept—whether it springs from your imagination or is suggested by an AI.

Using an AI Story Generator, you can quickly flesh out a narrative with characters and plot twists. However, it’s still up to you to weave these elements together into a tale that captivates and resonates with readers.

How To Write A Story Manually

When you write a story manually, you start by crafting a plot that’ll grip your readers from the start.

You’ll then breathe life into your narrative by creating authentic characters and setting a vivid atmosphere.

Developing A Plot

Crafting a gripping plot manually involves weaving together your most captivating ideas into a coherent and engaging narrative. Tap into the story maker within you:

  • Develop a plot that pulsates with life
  • Intriguing conflicts
  • Unexpected twists
  • Transform story ideas into compelling stories
  • Rich characters
  • Vivid settings
  • Streamline the writing process
  • Strategic outlines
  • Dynamic pacing

Embrace innovation to captivate your audience.

Creating Characters

Every memorable story hinges on well-developed characters that resonate with readers and drive the narrative forward.

An AI story generator can be essential in creating characters, providing a springboard for your imagination. By analyzing keywords, it suggests traits and arcs, helping writers craft unique personas for their stories.

This tool streamlines the writing process, allowing you to innovate and focus on penning a compelling story.

Setting and Atmosphere

Dive into your narrative’s world by meticulously selecting a setting that breathes life into the atmosphere, anchoring your characters in a vividly rendered space.

  • Utilize the AI story generator to :
  • Conjure immersive locales
  • Envision dynamic weather effects
  • Craft cultural backdrops

This tech enables you to create compelling, engaging content, setting the stage for original stories that resonate with innovation.

Writing Engaging Dialogue

To write engaging dialogue, you’ll need to capture the unique voices of your characters, ensuring they reflect distinct personalities and contribute to the story’s progression. The AI story generator, powered by artificial intelligence, can offer a foundation, but it’s your task to infuse the dialogue with compelling depth that turns AI concepts into engaging stories.

How To Write A Story Using An AI Story Generator

Harnessing the power of an AI Story Generator, you can embark on the journey of writing your unique narrative by first selecting your desired genre and thematic elements. Using AI, overcome writer’s block with a tool that’s designed to spark creativity and save time. Here’s how to leverage this innovative tech:

  • Outline your plot
  • Fantasy : Envision a world where magic intertwines with reality.
  • Mystery : Craft a puzzle only your protagonist can solve.
  • Sci-Fi : Imagine advanced technologies that alter the human experience.

As you refine your original stories, the AI Story Generator provides a scaffold, ensuring you maintain momentum. Embrace this future of storytelling, where the blend of human imagination and machine intelligence brings forth narratives that resonate and captivate.

Benefits of AI Story Generator

With the AI Story Generator, you’ll unlock a trove of unique and creative story ideas, effectively banishing writer’s block and saving precious time. This innovative tool leverages advanced natural language processing to help you create original stories based on your input, making it perfect for writers seeking fresh narratives. Whether you’re a seasoned novelist or a student, the AI Story Generator empowers you to weave compelling tales with ease.

Imagine having a brainstorming partner that never tires—this is the promise of the AI Story Generator. It assists with outlining, character development, and plot twists. You’ll spend less time on the mundane and more on enriching your storytelling craft. This digital muse isn’t just for individuals; it’s a boon for professionals crafting marketing campaigns or engaging content for diverse audiences.

The AI Story Generator is a game-changer, ensuring your stories stand out in the literary market. You’ll enhance your storytelling skills as you explore genres and styles beyond your usual scope. Embrace this cutting-edge tool and watch as it transforms your writing process, enabling you to achieve new heights of creativity and efficiency.

Versatility of AI-generated Stories

Anyone seeking a fountain of creative content will find the AI Story Generator’s versatility to be an indispensable ally in crafting stories across various genres. This tool isn’t just a one-trick pony; it’s a veritable Swiss Army knife for narrative creation. With its advanced algorithms and natural language processing capabilities, it can churn out a diverse range of stories that are both unique and engaging.

Imagine the possibilities:

  • Fantasy realms with intricate magic systems
  • Wizards dueling atop crystalline towers
  • Quests for ancient artifacts in forgotten ruins
  • Alliances forged in the shadows of mystical forests
  • Science fiction odysseys through uncharted galaxies
  • Spacefaring civilizations trading in starlight bazaars
  • Rogue AIs plotting in the neon glow of cyber-hubs
  • Intergalactic conflicts resolved with diplomacy or laser blasters
  • Romantic tales set in modern cityscapes
  • Serendipitous encounters in rain-swept streets
  • Love triangles unfolding in bustling cafes
  • Heartwarming resolutions under a canopy of city lights

You’re no longer confined to the limits of your own imagination. The AI Story Generator expands your creative horizons, serving as a co-pilot on your journey through the art of storytelling. Embrace this tool, and let it propel your stories to new heights of creativity and innovation.

AI Generated Stories vs Manual Story Writing

As we delve into the comparison between AI-generated stories and manual story writing, it’s clear that each method offers distinct benefits and challenges to the creative process. The AI story generator, a cutting-edge tool, leverages algorithms to analyze vast data sets, churning out narratives at a pace no human could match. Yet, manual story writing carries the authentic touch of human experience, often necessary for crafting a resonant love story.

Here’s a table that might stir your emotions, highlighting the contrasts between these two storytelling methods:

While an AI story generator can serve as a muse or a starting point, the passionate writer’s manual efforts infuse a story with life. It’s your choice: embrace the technological marvel to draft your tales swiftly, or pour your spirit into every word through manual story writing.

Generatestory.io – AI Powered Story Generator for advanced storytelling

Harness the power of Generatestory.io, an AI-powered story generator that revolutionizes advanced storytelling by effortlessly brainstorming and refining your narrative concepts.

As you delve into the world of artificial intelligence, you’ll find that this machine-learning tool isn’t just a starting point for your stories—it’s a comprehensive assistant designed to expand your creative horizons.

Imagine a tool that:

  • Overcome writer’s block with an endless well of story prompts.
  • Dive into new genres with guided plot structures.
  • Develop multi-dimensional characters from AI-generated suggestions.
  • Explore various narrative arcs until you pinpoint the one that resonates.
  • Generate story outlines in minutes, not hours.
  • Shift focus from ideation to the art of writing itself.

Frequentyly Asked Questions

What is generatestory.io and what can it offer to writers and creatives, how does generatestory.io assist in generating story ideas, are the stories and content generated by generatestory.io unique, can i modify the content created by generatestory.io, is there a limit to the number of stories i can create with generatestory.io are there any subscription fees.

generatestory.io is a hub of AI-powered story and content generators. We provide innovative tools for writers, educators, and creatives seeking to enhance their storytelling and content creation. Our platform offers diverse prompts and resources tailored to various genres and needs, supporting your journey from idea to execution. Explore our range of generators and find the perfect aid for your next creative project.

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Creative Story Generator

Create engaging stories with ai.

  • Create engaging content: Generate unique stories for your blog, website, or social media platforms.
  • Develop educational materials: Craft engaging narratives for teaching literature or creative writing.
  • Boost your creativity: Use the tool to spark new ideas and inspire your own storytelling.
  • Entertain and educate: Create fun and educational stories for children.
  • Role-playing games: Generate unique narratives for your RPG campaigns.

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Edit Pad - Free Online Text Editor

AI Story Generator

AI story generator by Editpad quickly writes compelling stories based on your prompt with interesting plots using AI without any sign-up.

Our free story maker creates every type of fictional and nonfictional story to ignite your imagination to avoid the frustration of thinking about a plot.

How to use Editpad's AI Story Generator?

Follow these simple steps below to use our AI story generator:

  • Type the prompt of your story in the input box.
  • After typing the prompt click on the “ Write Story ” button.
  • Editpad's story generator will automatically write a story within seconds without any registration.
  • After that, you can copy and download the story from the output box.

Features of our Story Maker

Our story maker comes with the following features:

AI Generated Stories

Story length, creativity level, frequently asked questions, is there an ai that writes stories.

Yes, Editpad offers a free AI story generator that writes creative, engaging, comprehensive, and unique stories based on your prompts.

Can AI write short stories?

Yes, AI can write short stories and Editpad story generator can help you write them. Thanks to its advanced AI language model, you can write short stories, novels, or screenplays in seconds.

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WEEKLY WRITING PROMPTS

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All fun and games, write about a character who treats everything like a game and struggles to be serious when they most need to, or vice versa..

LIVE – Character

Write a story about someone who takes a joke way too far.

Write a story about someone participating in a seemingly innocent game that suddenly takes a turn..

LIVE – Dark

Set your story in a playground: two characters are having a serious conversation while on the seesaw/in the jungle gym/on the swings.

LIVE – Angst

Write a story that includes the phrase “It’s all fun and games…”

LIVE – Dialogue

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Set your story in a world where astrology and the movements of celestial bodies deeply impact the lives of inhabitants.

LIVE – Fantasy

People have gathered to witness a once-in-a-lifetime natural phenomenon, but what happens next is not what they expected.

LIVE – Mystery

Imagine an origin myth that somebody might use to explain an eclipse, or some other celestial event.

Write a story in which a character navigates using the stars..

LIVE – Adventure

Set your story during a total eclipse — either natural, or man-made.

LIVE – Fiction

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Begin or end your story with a character taking a selfie.

Write about a character who sees a photo they shouldn’t have seen., write a story about a character who risks their life to take a photo., start your story with a character staring at a picture they don’t remember taking., center your story around a photo that goes viral., write a story where time functions differently to our world., write a story about a character who wakes up in space., write a story from the point of view of a non-human character., write a story with a strong sense of place. how is the setting of your world the same as, but different to, our own, write a story imagining 'what if' one historic invention had never happened. how would our world be different now, win $250 in our short story competition 🏆.

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Contest #246 LIVE

Enter our weekly contest.

This week's theme: All Fun and Games

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Contest entries, closes at 23:59 - apr 19, 2024 est, recent contests ✍️.

#245 – Heavenly Bodies

#244 – Oh Snap!

#243 – Re-Imagining Our World Through Speculative Fiction with Alice McIlroy

#242 – Fine Art

Recent winners 🏆

K.A. Murray-Todd – read

Thomas Iannucci – read

Niamh O'Dea – read

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32356 points

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#6 Chris Campbell

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#9 Michał Przywara

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#10 Deborah Mercer

9605 points

RBE | Short Stories | 2023-02

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Fuse character, story, and conflict with tools in the Reedsy Book Editor. 100% free.

Creative Writing Prompts

When the idea to start a weekly newsletter with writing inspiration first came to us, we decided that we wanted to do more than provide people with topics to write about. We wanted to try and help authors form a regular writing habit and also give them a place to proudly display their work. So we started the weekly Creative Writing Prompts newsletter. Since then, Prompts has grown to a community of more than 450,000 authors, complete with its own literary magazine, Prompted .  

Here's how our contest works: every Friday, we send out a newsletter containing five creative writing prompts. Each week, the story ideas center around a different theme. Authors then have one week — until the following Friday — to submit a short story based on one of our prompts. A winner is picked each week to win $250 and is highlighted on our Reedsy Prompts page.

Interested in participating in our short story contest? Sign up here for more information! Or you can check out our full Terms of Use and our FAQ page .

Why we love creative writing prompts

If you've ever sat in front of a computer or notebook and felt the urge to start creating worlds, characters, and storylines — all the while finding yourself unable to do so — then you've met the author's age-old foe: writer's block. There's nothing more frustrating than finding the time but not the words to be creative. Enter our directory! If you're ready to kick writer's block to the curb and finally get started on your short story or novel, these unique story ideas might just be your ticket.

This list of 1800+ creative writing prompts has been created by the Reedsy team to help you develop a rock-solid writing routine. As all aspiring authors know, this is the #1 challenge — and solution! — for reaching your literary goals. Feel free to filter through different genres, which include...

Dramatic — If you want to make people laugh and cry within the same story, this might be your genre.

Funny — Whether satire or slapstick, this is an opportunity to write with your funny bone.

Romance — One of the most popular commercial genres out there. Check out these story ideas out if you love writing about love.

Fantasy — The beauty of this genre is that the possibilities are as endless as your imagination.

Dystopian – Explore the shadowy side of human nature and contemporary technology in dark speculative fiction.

Mystery — From whodunnits to cozy mysteries, it's time to bring out your inner detective.

Thriller and Suspense — There's nothing like a page-turner that elicits a gasp of surprise at the end.

High School — Encourage teens to let their imaginations run free.

Want to submit your own story ideas to help inspire fellow writers? Send them to us here.

After you find the perfect story idea

Finding inspiration is just one piece of the puzzle. Next, you need to refine your craft skills — and then display them to the world. We've worked hard to create resources that help you do just that! Check them out:

  • How to Write a Short Story That Gets Published — a free, ten-day course by Laura Mae Isaacman, a full-time editor who runs a book editing company in Brooklyn.
  • Best Literary Magazines of 2023 — a directory of 100+ reputable magazines that accept unsolicited submissions.
  • Writing Contests in 2023 — the finest contests of 2021 for fiction and non-fiction authors of short stories, poetry, essays, and more.

Beyond creative writing prompts: how to build a writing routine

While writing prompts are a great tactic to spark your creative sessions, a writer generally needs a couple more tools in their toolbelt when it comes to developing a rock-solid writing routine . To that end, here are a few more additional tips for incorporating your craft into your everyday life.

  • NNWT. Or, as book coach Kevin Johns calls it , “Non-Negotiable Writing Time.” This time should be scheduled into your routine, whether that’s once a day or once a week. Treat it as a serious commitment, and don’t schedule anything else during your NNWT unless it’s absolutely necessary.
  • Set word count goals. And make them realistic! Don’t start out with lofty goals you’re unlikely to achieve. Give some thought to how many words you think you can write a week, and start there. If you find you’re hitting your weekly or daily goals easily, keep upping the stakes as your craft time becomes more ingrained in your routine.
  • Talk to friends and family about the project you’re working on. Doing so means that those close to you are likely to check in about the status of your piece — which in turn keeps you more accountable.

Arm yourself against writer’s block. Writer’s block will inevitably come, no matter how much story ideas initially inspire you. So it’s best to be prepared with tips and tricks you can use to keep yourself on track before the block hits. You can find 20 solid tips here — including how to establish a relationship with your inner critic and apps that can help you defeat procrastination or lack of motivation.

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Home » Story Generators » Story Prompt Generator: AI-Powered Writing Prompt Generator

Story Prompt Generator: AI-Powered Writing Prompt Generator

Stepping into the world of short story writing can sometimes feel like navigating a maze without a map, especially when the blank page stares back at you, waiting for a spark of inspiration to ignite your creativity. Enter the AI-powered story prompt generator, your virtual muse designed to kickstart your imagination and guide you through the storytelling process. Whether you’re a seasoned writer facing writer’s block or a beginner eager to pen your first story, this tool is your gateway to endless possibilities, offering personalized prompts that cater to your interests and genre preferences. In this guide, we’ll show you how to harness the power of an AI story prompt generator to transform fleeting thoughts into captivating narratives. Get ready to unleash your creativity, one prompt at a time, and embark on a journey of storytelling like never before.

Table of Contents

What is a Story Prompt?

At its core, a story prompt is an imaginative springboard designed to launch you into the world of storytelling. It’s a catalyst, a sentence, image, or situation, that sparks your creativity and guides you toward crafting a narrative. Whether you stumble upon it in a writing community, flip through pages of a book, explore websites, or even rely on a story prompt generator, it serves as the foundation for your tales.

These story prompts aren’t just arbitrary; they’re carefully crafted to spur your imagination and encourage a flood of ideas for characters, conflicts, and plots.

You might turn to a writing prompts generator when you’re stuck, seeking that initial push to overcome writer’s block. Or perhaps, you’re in search of creative writing prompts to stretch your skills and venture into unexplored genres. These story starters are more than a mere nudge towards creativity; they’re a tool to inspire and challenge you.

Why Should I Use Story Prompts?

Understanding what a story prompt is, you might now wonder why you should incorporate them into your writing routine. The reasons are manifold and compelling.

Firstly, utilizing a story prompt can kickstart your creativity, especially on days when the blank page seems daunting. Think of a story prompt as a nudge from a writing prompt creator, guiding your imagination into uncharted territories. This can be particularly useful if you’re facing writer’s block, acting as a structured idea you can build upon to write a story.

Moreover, story prompts encourage you to explore a variety of genres and themes, which is invaluable for expanding your writing repertoire. Whether it’s a short story or a longer piece, the diversity of prompts available means there’s always something new to try.

This exploration can lead to significant personal and professional growth as a writer, broadening your skills and understanding of storytelling.

How do you Write a Story based on a Story Prompt?

Embarking on a storytelling journey with a story prompt as your compass can transform a simple idea into a vivid narrative. But how does one navigate from a single prompt to a full-fledged story?

From the initial brainstorming with a story prompt generator to the final touches of revision, each step is a building block in the architecture of your narrative. Let’s explore the craft of turning prompts into stories that captivate and enchant.

Using a Story Prompt Generator to Brainstorming Ideas

You may wonder how to kickstart your writing journey when faced with a blank page; that’s where using an AI-powered story prompt generator can be a game-changer.

By following simple steps, you can easily generate a variety of prompts that not only inspire but also align with your writing goals.

The benefits of using such a tool include sparking your creativity, providing a clear starting point, and potentially uncovering new genres or themes you hadn’t considered exploring.

Steps to use the Story Prompt Generator

Diving into the world of storytelling begins with a simple click using the AI-powered Story Prompt Generator. Here’s how to unlock a universe of narratives in three easy steps:

  • Select a Genre: Kickstart your journey by choosing your preferred genre. Whether it’s the twisty alleys of mystery, the distant galaxies of science fiction, or the heartfelt moments of romance, pick the realm that sparks your interest.
  • Specify Topics (Optional): Have a specific idea or theme in mind? Jot it down. This step is optional but tailoring your input can lead to more personalized and inspiring prompts.
  • Generate: With your genre picked and topics noted, hit the ‘generate’ button. In moments, watch as the generator crafts a unique story prompt, offering you a launchpad for your creative exploration.

Embark on your writing adventure, equipped with a prompt that’s uniquely yours, ready to transform imagination into storytelling magic.

Benefits of Using a Story Prompt Generator

Utilizing an AI-powered story prompt generator can dramatically boost your creativity, offering fresh perspectives and ideas for your narratives.

  • Imagine prompts sparking short, vivid tales you’ve never thought to explore.
  • Discover genres that push your boundaries.
  • Find the right words for the story your heart wants to make.
  • Connect with social media followers through captivating narratives.
  • Break through creative blocks with unexpected, engaging ideas.

Creating the Main Character

After brainstorming ideas and unlocking creative pathways, it’s crucial to focus on developing your story’s main character, understanding their motivations and desires to bring your narrative to life.

Picture your character standing at a crossroads, the weight of their decisions visible in their eyes, showcasing their internal conflict.

Envision them laughing in a moment of joy, the sound echoing, revealing their personality and zest for life.

Imagine the detailed texture of their hands, each line and scar telling a story of past struggles and victories.

See them in the midst of their greatest challenge, determination etched on their face, highlighting their courage and growth.

Visualize the character’s interactions with others, their words and actions painting a vivid picture of their relationships and impact on the world around them.

Setting Your Scene

Begin by choosing an opening that instantly captures your reader’s interest, setting the stage for a compelling narrative journey.

Dive into the heart of your story’s setting with sensory details and vivid descriptions that bring it to life. Whether it’s the rustle of leaves in a haunted forest or the bustling streets of a futuristic city, your words should paint a picture so clear, your readers feel like they’re right there.

Consider the time period and location carefully; these elements are crucial for creating a distinct atmosphere that enhances your story’s themes and mood.

Establish a strong point of view, allowing readers to see the world through your character’s eyes, making the setting not just a backdrop but a character in its own right.

Developing the Plot

To develop a plot from a story prompt, start by asking yourself what conflicts and challenges your main character might face. Imagine how these struggles push the story forward, compelling your character to grow and adapt. Your plot should weave these elements into a narrative that grips your readers’ attention.

  • A dark, forgotten alley where whispered secrets lead to unforeseen danger.
  • An ancient, weathered map tucked away in a dusty old book, hinting at lost treasures.
  • A mysterious character whose motives are as shadowy as their past.
  • A sudden storm that traps characters together, forcing confrontations and revelations.
  • A cryptic message received in the dead of night, setting off a chain of events that can’t be undone.

Each element adds depth, building a world that pulls readers in, making them yearn to discover what lies ahead.

Crafting a Conflict

Understanding a story prompt requires you to delve into its core, asking critical questions that reveal the depth of the conflict awaiting your characters. You’ve got to expand the world of the prompt, giving life to the setting, characters, and their struggles.

It’s not just about what’s on the surface; it’s about the layers beneath. Adding dialogue, sensory images, and rich setting descriptions creates a vivid narrative that pulls readers in.

Enhancing Descriptions

When crafting a story from a prompt, it’s crucial to dive deep into sensory details and vivid descriptions to make your narrative come alive. From the way sunlight filters through leaves to the tension in a character’s shoulders, every detail adds depth.

Here are five ways to enhance your descriptions:

  • Use sensory images to evoke the five senses.
  • Integrate dialogue that reveals character and setting.
  • Paint a vivid setting that transports readers.
  • Ask questions about the world and find intriguing answers.
  • Blend cultural and historical elements for rich worldbuilding.

Building Your World

How do you transform a simple story prompt into an entire universe teeming with life, characters, and intricate plots?

You start by asking questions about the prompt, diving deep to uncover the layers within. Then, you flesh out those answers, expanding on the who, what, when, where, and why to build a world that feels real and immersive.

You add characters with their own stories, settings that breathe life into your narrative, and plots that twist and turn. Dialogue, sensory imagery, and vivid setting descriptions enhance the experience, making your story resonate.

You draw inspiration from various resources, including writing prompts and alternate universes, to fuel your creativity. By doing so, you’re not just writing; you’re world-building, crafting a universe that pulls readers in from the very first word.

Writing the Draft

After exploring the vast universe your prompt has inspired, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and start crafting the first draft of your story. This initial version is your chance to bring the elements you’ve considered into a cohesive narrative. Remember, perfection isn’t the goal; exploration is.

Start with questions that intrigue you and sketch out answers that fuel your plot. Flesh out characters who live and breathe in your world. Expand the setting beyond the initial prompt, creating a universe that feels lived-in. Weave dialogue, sensory details, and vivid descriptions to enhance the reader’s immersion. Use narrative prompts as stepping stones, pushing your creativity and storytelling skills further.

This draft is your story’s backbone, a map to guide your creative journey.

Revising Your Story

Revising your story, start by capturing the reader’s attention with a compelling hook that sets the tone for the adventure ahead.

Ensure your plot is well-crafted, featuring a clear conflict that keeps readers engaged.

Your characters should be memorable and relatable, propelling the narrative forward with their decisions and growth.

Dive deep into descriptive language and sensory details to vividly paint the setting, making the world you’re creating come alive.

As you revise, focus on clarity, coherence, and flow, trimming any excess that doesn’t serve the story or enhance the reader’s experience.

Tips for Writing Better Stories From Prompts

Exploring questions and their potential answers is a great starting point for developing your story from a prompt. As you dive into the realm of storytelling, remember that prompts are your springboard, not your cage. They’re meant to spark your imagination and help you craft a narrative that resonates with you and your audience.

To enhance your story, consider these tips:

  • Dive into the world of your prompt with vivid details. Imagine the crunch of leaves underfoot in a haunted forest, or the salty tang of sea air on a pirate ship.
  • Develop characters that feel alive. Picture a rogue with a heart of gold, or a scientist whose ambition is her downfall.
  • Weave dialogue that rings true. Think of the terse exchange between rivals, or the warm banter of friends reunited.
  • Embrace the unexpected. Envision a twist that turns the tale on its head, like a hero who becomes the villain.
  • Paint with all the colors of emotion. Capture the exhilaration of a first flight, or the heartache of a last goodbye.

Let these elements guide you as you transform a simple prompt into a rich, compelling story that’s uniquely yours.

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Prompt Generators

Writing prompt generator, example of writing prompt.

Open-Ended Generation: Begin a story/piece with a broad theme or idea.

Example: "Write a story about the concept of time."

Specific Generation: Request a piece on a precise topic.

Example: "Describe the process of photosynthesis."

Visual Generation: Describe an image or scene.

Example: "Write a paragraph about a serene sunset by the ocean."

Dialogue Generation: Create a conversation between characters.

Example: "Write a dialogue between a detective and a suspect."

Scenario or What-If Generation: Pose a hypothetical situation.

Example: "What if humans could breathe underwater?"

First Line Generation: Provide an opening sentence.

Example: "Start a story with the sentence: 'The old mansion had secrets.'

Character Generation: Describe a character's attributes.

Example: "Create a character who is a brilliant but socially awkward scientist."

Fantasy or Sci-Fi World-Building Generation: Develop a fictional world.

Example: "Design a futuristic city on a distant planet."

Character Development Generation: Explore character growth.

Example: "Show how a timid child becomes a courageous hero."

Sentence Expansion Generation: Expand a given sentence.

Example: "Expand on the sentence: 'She walked through the forest, listening to the whispering trees.'

Genre-Specific Generation: Specify a literary genre.

Example: "Write a mystery story set in a small, isolated village."

Reflective or Personal Generation: Encourage personal reflection.

Example: "Share a meaningful life lesson you've learned."

Historical or Research-Based Generation: Request a historical or research-based piece.

Example: "Write an essay on the impact of the Industrial Revolution."

Question Generation: Generate thought-provoking questions.

Example: "Pose five questions about the effects of climate change."

Comparative Generation: Compare two or more subjects.

Example: "Compare and contrast the advantages of city life and rural life."

Persuasive or Argumentative Generation: Write a persuasive argument.

Example: "Argue for or against the use of renewable energy sources."

Poetry Generation: Encourage poetic composition.

Example: "Compose a haiku about a blooming cherry blossom."

Daily or Journaling Generation: Prompt daily journaling.

Example: "Write about your most memorable moment from today."

Flash Fiction Generation: Create a very short story.

Example: "Write a 100-word story about a lost key."

Random Word or Object Generation: Include a random word or object.

Example: "Incorporate the word 'umbrella' into your story."

Authority Self-Publishing

104 Of The Best Short Story Ideas And Prompts To Grab Your Readers

So, you want to write a short story — and not just a mildly entertaining short story but one your readers can’t put down until they’ve finished it.

You want a story that gets reactions like “Wow!” and “How did you do that?” and “Do you have more like this?”

What writer doesn’t want that kind of reaction, right?

And since short stories are short, you have less time to wait for your readers’ reactions — but you also have less time to grab their attention.

That’s why a great topic is worth its weight in gold when it comes to writing these little gems.

Even with the challenges inherent to short story writing, you’ll most likely finish a short story in far less time than you would a novel.

So, you’ll get to explore more story topics in less time than if you were writing longer works.

But how do you generate short story ideas that are worth the time you’ll invest in crafting a short story your readers will love?

If you’ve been writing for long enough, you already know good story ideas are everywhere, and you might even have some in mind as you read this.

But which of those ideas should be on your shortlist for story writing projects?

And if you don’t have any great ideas at the moment, where do you get some?

Short Story Idea Generator (how to generate story ideas)

Short story writing exercises, generating story ideas with the short story formula, timeless themes and emotional impact, 35 short story ideas, 69 short story writing prompts.

When it comes to generating new story ideas, you can take more than one approach. You might try these three:

man typing on laptop short story ideas

  • Writing exercises
  • Writing prompts
  • The Short Story Formula

Think of your school days when your English teacher assigned an essay or invited you to write a paragraph in answer to a question.

Maybe all you had to do was write one complete sentence. Or maybe your teacher wanted a haiku — or a rhyming couplet.

School isn’t the only place for writing exercises , though. If you’ve ever joined a creative writing group, your leader may have encouraged you to spend some time each day freewriting or writing a character sketch .

The purpose of writing exercises is to practice writing — or to practice a specific kind of writing (voice journaling, essays, persuasive ad copy, song lyrics, etc.).

So, whether it’s NaNoWriMo, Twitter’s #VSS (Very Short Story) challenge, or writing sprints, the more time you invest in these exercises, and the more you open yourself up to constructive criticism, the more quickly your writing will improve.

The most effective writing prompts and writing exercises make use of themes with a history of captivating and inspiring others. Because of this, either one might lead you to a story idea that you can hardly wait to explore.

Take one (or more) of those popular themes and combine them with a context that is both unique and relatable, and you have the formula for a compelling story idea.

Story writing ideas are generally more fully developed than writing prompts. It’s not unusual, for example, to begin with a writing prompt , develop it into a story idea, and then write the actual story.

And don’t beat yourself up if the first idea that comes to mind is a cliché. You’re human, and familiar ideas are the easiest to think of. Nothing wrong with that. The first idea is like a first draft , in that it gives you something to start with.

And don’t be afraid to mix it up — literally. Take one idea, mix it up with another, and play with it for a while. Who knows how you might juice up your story idea without even trying?

The best fiction story ideas make use of timeless themes. You’ll find one or more of the ten themes that follow in most stories that have been written, read, and shared over the centuries.

  • The End of a Relationship
  • Rags to Riches
  • Scars / Wounds
  • Ghosts / the Paranormal
  • Deepest Fears
  • A Soulmate Encounter
  • A Journey Interrupted
  • Monsters (human or otherwise)

The story idea itself — in its simplest form — doesn’t have to be original, and in fact, it shouldn’t be. But the way you embody and develop that idea should surprise your readers and evoke an emotional response in them.

It’s that emotional impact that makes your story not only worth finishing but memorable.

Short story ideas will look different from novel ideas, though — mainly because short stories have to make a big impact with fewer words. And because of this, the most powerful short stories have what James Scott Bell describes as the “one shattering moment.”

In his book, How to Write Short Stories and Use Them to Further Your Writing Career, Bell describes that moment as “something that happens to a character, an emotional blast which they cannot ignore. It changes them, in a large or a subtle way — in a way that cannot be ignored.”

Any one of the popular themes listed above could you give your main character a shattering moment that would change that character’s life or perspective.

woman typing on laptop short story ideas

Take a look at the following creative story ideas, many of which combine two or more of the popular themes listed, and feel free to modify any of them to create your next unputdownable short story.

1. Your character’s loved one has died , and he learns while going through that loved one’s belongings that the latter had a terrible secret that unnervingly correlates to your character’s deepest fear.

The rest of the story explores your character’s reaction to this discovery and how it affects his/her relationships and decision-making.

2. Your character has married the man she saw as her “soulmate.” During their honeymoon, he shows her his list of goals for their first five years together, and they have their first real argument over one of those goals — which requires something of her that she never agreed to.

She has a sudden memory of their first date and of the moment when she first decided he was the one, but she sees it now from his perspective, and it changes everything.

3. Your orphaned character inherits a house and moves in to find that it’s already occupied — by the spirits of the character’s long-deceased parents, who aren’t at all like the people other relatives have described.

4. Your character is having trouble getting past his anger over the wounds inflicted by those who raised him and by those with whom he had one failed relationship after the next.

woman at laptop looking out window Short Story Ideas

After losing his job, he goes on a journey to change the direction of his life, but that journey is interrupted by the death of one of his parents — the one who hurt him the most.

5. Your character is widely regarded as a monster and doesn’t deny or hide from that designation.

When his closest confidante gets fed up with him, tells him off, and leaves the company they founded together, your character finds himself disoriented by grief and does something different.

6. Your character is content with her life but suddenly inherits a large sum of money and a palatial estate on the east coast.

She sees the inheritance as proof that the Law of Attraction works, and she invites family and a few close friends to move with her and share the wealth. On the first night of their stay, someone dies.

7. Your character’s snake-loving neighbor has just been found in the belly of her pet boa constrictor (who she swore was a better “snuggler” than her ex).

The ex shows up and is angry when he finds out that your neighbor left the house and everything in it to your character. He threatens to ruin her life if she doesn’t turn the house over to him.

8. Your character meets his/her soulmate on a flight that almost doesn’t make it to its destination; both of them respond to emergencies on the plane (one as a cop and the other as a doctor).

Once at the airport, your character learns that this soulmate is already in a relationship with a well-known philanthropist. But your character notices something odd and calls the philanthropist out.

9. Your character’s best friend just announced the end of a relationship, and your character is surprised to find this friend in a celebratory state of mind (rather than heartbroken).

Your character then finds out the disturbing reason for the friend’s manic behavior.

10. One of your character’s siblings is getting married, and during wedding preparations, your character learns something she was never meant to know. This discovery changes her relationships with everyone.

11. The happy couple living next door to your character has died in a horrific accident, and when the parents show up for the funeral, you find out why the couple always changed the subject whenever you asked them about their families.

12. Your character starts receiving messages from someone who knows his/her deepest fears and intends to exploit them. At the same time, your character is discovering a latent ability that relates to those fears but might also help him overcome them. Or they might change him into something the messenger never saw coming.

13. Your character meets a soulmate at a community grief counseling group meeting and learns that this soulmate also attends AA meetings (like your mc) — though with a different group and with a friend who doesn’t particularly like your main character.

The surprising reason comes out when your character goes on a first date with this soulmate. The soulmate’s friend swears he/she knows your mc from a different reality — which he/she visits in dreams.

14. Your character breaks free of a painful relationship and embarks on a journey to discover what she’s capable of. After volunteering at a nursing home — reading to vision-impaired residents and writing letters for them — she agrees to personally deliver one of those letters to the resident’s estranged son.

15. After avoiding close relationships because of deep scars from his childhood, your main character learns something about one of his parents that changes everything for him. He then has an opportunity to take a step off his accustomed path.

16. Your character has been married for 19 years before her spouse — after a weekend that reminds her of when they met and why she married him — hands her divorce papers.

17. Your character is making a list of reasons to break up with her boyfriend of two years when the latter comes home early and tells her he’s won the lottery jackpot.

18. Your character is a locally famous writer whose hero story ideas come from his freewheeling lifestyle and insatiable curiosity about others.

One day, out of boredom, he offers a homeless man $100 to propose to the first woman he takes a fancy to, while he watches from a safe distance. The proposal goes terrifyingly wrong.

19. Your character has just lost a child by miscarriage , and when she comes home, her married life has changed. Her husband, who was always the more talkative of the two, spends their time together quietly grieving in his own way.

Your character, on the other hand, becomes more outgoing and starts spending more time (and money) on her appearance.

20. Your young adult character finds himself suddenly orphaned when his parents die in a plane crash. The funeral is the beginning of a dramatic shift in his perspective and in the choices he makes.

He breaks off a relationship with a woman his parents adored, he quits the lucrative job that he hates, and he leaves the country.

21. Your character has just learned that his spouse has been cheating on him, and he confronts her when she gets home that night.

She reveals that what he saw as proof of her infidelity was something completely innocent — but that she’s already decided to make a permanent and dramatic end to their marriage.

22. The only child of your character is diagnosed with a fatal illness, and your character doesn’t know how to deal with the worry and dread that now consumes her.

Her doctor suggests one anti-anxiety med after another, and her husband and his family urge her to try one — for her husband’s and her son’s sakes. She goes into a fugue state with the experimental drug she tries, and she wakes up to the consequences.

23. Your character’s new glasses — created as a free gift from an old friend with unusual connections — reveal more than the physical objects in his field of vision.

After looking at a coworker and seeing the latter’s death just hours before it happens, he goes to replace the glasses with a plain pair from a local chain. Then he catches his full-length reflection in a window.

24. Your character wakes up alone in an unfamiliar place and is told by everyone he encounters that the life he thought he’d lived for the past six years — with a wife and three kids and with the job that barely paid the bills — must have been a dream.

He’s actually stunningly wealthy, treated with respect by everyone he meets, and desired by more than one woman. So, why is there a picture of him with his nonexistent family on his desk?

25. A year ago, your character met someone who offered her the power to transform the interior of her home to anything she wants — in exchange for a DNA sample from her only child, who is a gifted storyteller.

During the year after she accepted the offer, her home becomes everything she wants it to be, but her son stops telling stories, and one day she finds out why.

26. Your character makes drastic changes to his diet and adopts new habits that alienate him from his usual circle of friends but lead him to a new one.

He then wins a large sum of money from a scratch ticket that an estranged friend (a compulsive gambler) slipped under his door.

27. Your character has returned from a successful quest to find his home empty, with no sign of his loved ones other than a note left on the refrigerator.

Not only does he now have no one with whom to share his victory, but what he learns calls that very victory into question.

28. Your character has spent eleven years living with the consequences of a vow she has taken. When she forges a new friendship with a counselor, she learns something about herself that scares her and makes her avoid the counselor, for his own sake.

Keenly aware of her own vulnerability, she brands herself to ward off unwelcome attention.

29. Your character, after 15 years of living in a house chosen mainly to fit her spouse’s preferences, sees an ad for an apartment in town that represents the life she gave up to make her husband happy.

After hearing him complain about his life and their house for one too many times, she goes to look at this apartment and finds it has almost everything she wants. The apartment manager, a well-dressed woman close to her own age, hears your character’s last name and appears shaken by it.

30. Your character splurges on a new rug for her living room floor — the kind of rug she’s coveted for years — and her S.O. criticizes it and later “accidentally” spills his drink on it.

The final straw is his suggestion that she wait ‘til it dries and return it to the store for a refund or exchange it for something more practical.

31. Your character has recently broken free from a cult that had drawn him in when he was vulnerable from a family tragedy. His new support system — a group of other cult survivors — is having varying degrees of difficulty re-entering society and repairing damaged relationships.

Your character meets with them one evening at their accustomed café table and confronts a server whose off-handed comment provokes him. What begins as a calm request for respectful treatment escalates as other members of the group chime in and the server’s manager gets involved.

32. Your character has joined a church and finds herself under the tutelage of a church member who leans toward the traditionalist end of the spectrum and who regards her as the daughter he never had.

When he decides to renounce the church’s leadership and join an extreme traditionalist group, she backs away from him — after explaining to him why she won’t do the same. His behavior toward her changes and she makes a change of her own.

33. Your character is so desperate for money that he does something he never would have done otherwise. He doesn’t get caught, but he doesn’t get away with it, either. Consumed by guilt, he undergoes a penance of his choosing, which spirals out of control.

34. Your character walks into a tourist shop and buys a homemade “tonic” freshly mixed by the owner, after tasting and enjoying an innocuous sample in the same flavor. The tonic changes him in a way he can’t ignore or undo.

35. Your character inherits an old music shop with a secret back room where his uncle kept a few instruments that can make even someone like him — who has never played an instrument — a virtuoso in seconds. He takes the piano to his apartment and learns why his uncle (in a letter he’d written before his death) had warned him not to — and why his uncle kept the door to that secret room locked.

With writing prompts , you get a launching pad of sorts: a question, an idea, a provocative quote, or something that inspires a reaction — specifically a written one. Maybe that reaction is an argument, or maybe it’s an impassioned defense of an idea.

Whatever it is, the purpose here is to take that prompt and use it to generate a written response in one form or another. The aim of writing prompts for short stories is to get you started on a new short story .

The prompt could be as simple as a word or as detailed as a character sketch or an elevator pitch. It could even be a picture or a song. It could be an observation you make while (discreetly) people-watching.

We’ve create 69 short story writing prompts that flesh out an idea more thoroughly, giving you a good headstart for your story.

1. You get a new job, and your new boss approaches you on the first day with an invitation to the “After Hours Club.” He tells you it’s no big deal if you decline, but you get a strong impression that it would be.

2. One day, on the way home from work, your new car takes over and drives you to a remote area, stopping beside other cars in a clearing underneath a new moon. You wake up underneath a full moon and drive yourself home. But much has changed in your absence — and so have you.

3. You bake pies for a local bakery, and when a celebrity comes to town and tastes your locally famous turtle pie, he invites you to go on tour with him — to a movie set somewhere in Europe — to be his personal pie maker. You say yes.

4. You buy a single rose from a street vendor, and it lasts a week, then two weeks, then three, and then a full month. Only then does someone point out to you that previously healthy people in the neighborhood have been falling ill and dying at an abnormal rate.

5. It’s time for your 10-year-old daughter to make her First Confession, but when her turn comes to go into the confessional, she panics and won’t be persuaded to go in.

6. You’re stranded in a small village down a winding road from Burgos (Spain) on a Sunday. A stranger comes by on a motorcycle and goes to fetch a taxi for you. You’re waiting at the bus station when he tells you he knows you’re meant to replace his recently deceased wife.

7. The bartender brings you your first Irish coffee in what looks like a candy dish. Halfway through, you notice the whole cafe seems to be floating, and since you can’t put the rest into a to-go cup (alas), you pay your tab and head out. You think you’re doing fine until your key doesn’t work in the front door of your apartment building. Someone else kindly lets you in, and you recognize him as the bartender from that cafe.

8. You’re exploring an old Spanish town, and you realize someone is following you. You turn and find an old woman who asks if you’ll help her find her hotel. You help her, and she invites you in, telling you she has a son who shares your interest in all things Tolkien. You’re not in a hurry to get back to your hotel room, so you go up with her.

9. Your fingers don’t respond to you the way they used to, and you’ve been having other difficulties. You go see your doctor, and they run some tests to check for neurological diseases but don’t find anything. They think it’s probably stress-related. Your life has been stressful lately, and it doesn’t help that your new roommate has been acting strangely toward you.

10. You wake up with your heart racing, but you don’t remember why. You almost never remember your dreams but often wake up covered in sweat with your heart pounding. You’re tired of having to shower every morning and feeling sick for the rest of the day, so you decide to undergo hypnosis, hoping to find out what’s going on.

11. Your neighbors have been up to some strange shenanigans lately, and their lights are on well into the wee hours of the morning. You’d like to know why, but every neighbor you’ve talked to who have gone over there to ask about it has, later on, told you that nothing suspicious is going on and that those neighbors are “very spiritual, and so, so nice!”

12. The street lamps that light up your cul de sac have gone dark, and you’re outside waiting for your spouse to get home when something large and dark brushes past you, almost knocking you off balance. Then a man appears and asks, “Have you seen my cat?”

13. Someone has broken into your house while you were away and has taken all the religious articles out of it — every statue, every picture, and every holy water bottle. The thief left everything else alone.

14. You move into an apartment that used to be a hoarder’s paradise, and your manager gives you permission to paint the walls a different color and add some new flooring. You get to work removing the kitchen’s linoleum floor and find something you never expected.

15. You joined a wine delivery service, and the delivery person is every bit as charming as the labels on the posh wine he brings to you each week. When you lose your job and cancel the service, the wine keeps coming.

16. You buy a pound of gourmet coffee beans at a local food festival, and as you’re sipping the first cup from the first pot you’ve brewed, you have a vision, which feels as real as though it were actually happening to you. When the vision ends, you’re still in your kitchen, holding your cup. You take another sip.

17. You’re about ready to gather up all the ceramic village pieces that have been cluttering up your living room and toss them in the trash bin, but your spouse, who knows you hate them, insists you should try selling them on eBay, instead. That’s when the fight starts.

18. You buy a new pair of Bluetooth earbuds that are supposed to enhance your listening experience. You plug them in and use them while watching a movie, and suddenly, you’re there on the scene, about to get flattened (or eaten) by a dinosaur.

19. You need a new toilet, and someone shows up at the door (as though sent by heaven) to sell you a toilet that will flush down ANYTHING. Oddly enough, it doesn’t even need to be hooked up to your septic system. “All you have to do is remove and empty the dust tray at the base every evening, reinsert it for the next day’s flushes, and voila!”

20. You buy a new keyboard , and after typing a few sentences of a new story, it starts typing on its own, and you watch in surprise as it types out a new short story. You submit it to a contest you’ve never won and win first prize. You start thinking you’ll never have trouble paying the rent again! Then you accidentally spill wine on the keyboard, and even stranger things start happening.

Related:  55 Funny Writing Prompts To Inspire Your Inner Comedian

21. Your famous stew recipe has won an award. You go to collect it (a cash prize), and meet the next runner-up, who believes she should have won the first prize instead with her three-bean salad. She warns you not to spend the money, because she will prove you won unfairly. You go home and find a bowl of three-bean salad and a note.

22. You suggest at the breakfast table one morning that you might actually have too many books, and your SO seizes upon this and offers to help you thin out your collection. After breaking up with him, you cull a few volumes for donation and run into the author of one of them.

23. Your first issue of Real Simple magazine has finally arrived, but something has come with it — something you can’t see but that makes your life anything but simpler.

24. A girl scout comes to the door selling cookies, and you tell her you already bought some from her at the table outside your grocery store, and you’ve spent enough for the year. Suddenly, all the food in your house (including the canned food) becomes moldy or rotten. And every bit of food that passes your threshold becomes inedible.

25. You buy a new whiteboard to help you keep track of your writing assignments, but you wake up one morning, and new items have somehow been added to your list. And the new titles have a sinister edge to them. You live alone.

26. You buy a new poster that looks exactly like the TARDIS door, and you put it up on your bedroom wall. One night, right at midnight (you’re up working at your computer), the door opens and you walk through it.

27. You buy a CD with music that’s supposed to help you write more creatively and also lose weight more easily. You start playing it during your writing time, and sure enough, the words flow without effort, and you love what you’ve written. You also start losing ten pounds a week, and soon you can’t afford to lose another ten, but you’ve come to depend on that music CD.

28. You’re a carpenter who has joined a construction team to build a new development of 3,000+ square foot houses. All is going well until someone on the team discovers something buried in the lot for the third house. The foreman removes it and tells everyone to get back to work, but you have a bad feeling. And you’re right to have it.

29. Your boss announces they’re having a potluck and you’re all expected to show up and bring something. He also tells you it has to be homemade. You tell him you can’t cook, but he tells you, “Well, learn, then!” Strangely enough, you do, and you create an entree that has everyone’s mouth-watering when you open the lid at the potluck. But your boss is conspicuously absent.

30. You wake up in the middle of the night and rush to the bathroom, where you empty your stomach of everything you ate that day. Something else comes out, and it’s moving.

31. You stop at a coffee shop while making stops to apply for a new job, and the barista tells you the new bed and breakfast is looking for someone to handle their advertising. You apply, are accepted, and agree to start immediately. But the owner, who openly admires your bicycle, offers you a room at the B&B, so you’ll be more accessible.

32. You have way too much time on your hands since your latest project has earned you enough to more than double your previous year’s salary, and you’re taking a sabbatical. You see an ad for an opportunity to spend a month at a castle in Wales, with full room and board and a bicycle for exploring the countryside. You call the agent and book a flight.

33. One night, as you’re coming back from the bathroom, you see a bright light and follow it to see that your front window is wide open and bugs are swarming in and out. You rush to close it but then you see the view from it — which is not your usual view of the front yard. You see something you want to investigate.

34. Sometimes, people stare when you pull out an index card and start scribbling furiously onto it, but you don’t care. Then someone accuses you of writing something about him and, pulling out a gun, demands you hand the card over to him.

35. You’re starting a new job, and one of your co-workers tells you it’s up to the new guy to keep the coffee pot full for his first week. While you’re brewing the latest refill, muttering to yourself about how little you’re getting done that day, one of your co-workers starts choking and accuses you of trying to poison her.

36. Your home-brewed ale is the talk of the neighborhood, but your next-door neighbor frequently buys up your newest batch. You start imposing limits. He then starts telling other neighbors that your secret is adding pee from your pet guinea pigs, “But it’s cool, because urine is sterile. And that guinea pig pee really adds something!”

37. You inherit a lighthouse from your deceased uncle — along with the small living quarters attached to it. You move right in, looking forward to the solitude. But whenever you’re up at the top scanning the surface of the ocean, you see things that can’t possibly be there. And one of them sees you — and comes to visit.

38. You stop at the local nursery and pick up a new houseplant — a tiny, adorable succulent. The cashier looks nervous as she rings you up. “That plant isn’t normal. If you want to pick another one, I would totally understand.” She’s nodding with wide eyes as she says this, clearly hoping you’ll agree.

39. You live in a studio apartment. Your boss comes to bring you soup when you call in sick and sees the quilt on your bed, which you won at a raffle. “That’s the quilt my mom made!” she says. “She told me someone stole it.”

40. You take your kids trick-or-treating, and you go to your boss’s neighborhood (your boss suggested it). Most houses gave out full-sized candy bars, but one gave out treasure maps, and your kids want to find their treasures before you leave the neighborhood.

41. Someone offers you a chance to win a million dollars just by visiting his website and typing in your address. “I don’t need your checking account info. It’s not safe to give that to just anyone. I’ll just mail the check to you,”he writes.

42. You wonder what it would be like to be a famous actor, and someone, out of the blue, invites you to perform in his movie as an extra — “and, who knows, maybe something more… prominent.”

43. You get a call from the principal’s office that your daughter has been involved in a bullying incident. Someone was bullying her, and she punched him. There were witnesses, and the principal reminds you of their zero-tolerance policy for physical violence…

44. You get a call from the principal’s office that your son has been acting out toward his classmates (who, according to what he’s told you, have been behaving aggressively toward him) and had brought a weapon to school to protect himself. They’ve confiscated the weapon (a paring knife) and have called the police.

45. Your kid has an IEP, and the Special Ed staff at the school always sound so caring and professional at the meetings you attend with them. But your son tells you they behave very differently toward him. The principal assures you that she knows the staff would never do what your son has accused them of doing. She suggests your son may be lying.

46. Your young daughter notices that one of your trees is “sick,” and she goes to visit the tree, talks to it, leans against it, and tells it to please get better. It responds by growing stronger and larger, spreading its branches out and downward to create a sort of cave for your daughter to rest in when she wants to be alone. It becomes her haven.

47. You wake up one morning and start loading your excess possessions into boxes and bags and hauling it off to Goodwill to donate it. That’s when you find the tiny cameras hidden in the bathroom, and bugs hidden in every room.

48. Your favorite coffee mug has broken, and you’re in mourning. The mug you just bought as your “second” just doesn’t feel the same in your hand, but it surprises you by magically refilling your drink with every sip — and keeping it hot for you.

49. The moth on your ceiling doesn’t bother you — much. But every time you look, it’s there. And you wonder why it never leaves. When you finally get a step ladder to get a closer look at it, you can hardly believe what you’re seeing.

50. Your neighbors on the home office side of your house have never been friendly, but one day, the wife comes over with a pie and tells you she made it herself and that she’s tired of being cooped up in the house with no one but her husband to talk to. You look over and see the outline of her husband in an upstairs window.

51. Tired of getting hair in your face, you take an electric hair-trimmer and run it all over your head with the one-inch attachment. You look at the results with satisfaction.

52. Your spouse, who has never done or said a romantic thing since your honeymoon, suddenly comes home with an expensive bouquet and a travel brochure for a place you’ve always wanted to visit. Later on, someone delivers the car you’ve always wanted, and your husband unconvincingly feigns surprise. You ask him if he won the lottery, but he shakes his head and says, “This is way better. You’ll see.”

53. You’re out in your backyard and stumble over something, which turns out to be a small brick half-buried in the grass. You see initials etched into the brick, along with a crudely-shaped heart. You wonder what — or whom — might be buried beneath. Soon, you find other markers like it, and you wonder how you failed to notice them before.

54. Your neighbor invites you over to her house, and you see that every wall has a cross painted on it with crude, hurried strokes. You ask why, and she nervously clears her throat and says, “This place needs them.”

55. You watch an infomercial and order a new face cream, hoping it will restore a youthful look to your face. It does more than that.

56. Your teenage son gets a job and, on his first day, he encounters a rude customer. Unaccustomed to responding with calmness and diplomacy, he lashes out at the customer and gets himself fired. Instead of calling home for a ride, though, he takes a walk through town and runs into the same customer holding up a cardboard sign.

57. You put your headphones on when you start on your writing project, and, at some point, an unfamiliar voice interrupts your playlist to tell you he likes what you’ve written so far. And he thinks you’d get along great.

58. Your spouse starts trying different paint samples on walls all over the house, and you don’t like any of the colors; they’re either too bright or too dark. One day, you paint patches of a pale green-gray that you like next to his acid-bright or dark color patches, and he tells you it’s boring, and that he’s painting the house his way.

59. Someone keeps writing fortune-cookie phrases on your new whiteboard at work, and it’s irritating you. You ask around, and no one knows who keeps writing the messages. Then, one of the predictions comes true.

60. You look out the window while you’re working and you see one neighbor attacking his spouse, knocking her down and then kicking her. You call 9-1-1, but later on, the wife comes over and says, “I know it was you who called. And you’ve made everything worse!”

61. Every time you look outside and see the wind in the trees, you take a deep breath and feel calmer. When the air is still, you feel as though the whole world is holding its breath and that something bad is about to happen. So, when it’s calm outside, you picture wind in the trees and take a deep breath.

62. You see movement in the corner of your eye and whenever you look, you see a huge, black dog in the neighbor’s yard, running back and forth. This time, though, he runs into your yard and starts barking at your front door.

63. Your eight-year-old son gets up and immediately goes for his Kindle Fire to play Minecraft. You’ve found some educational apps you want him to try, so you’ve installed them on his Kindle. He comes to you a few minutes later and says, “This app is telling me to do things I’m not supposed to do.”

64. You try a new recipe for a potluck, hoping it will wow your boss and coworkers, but it turns out terrible, and you end up rushing to a restaurant for something to bring before arriving (late) to find out everyone has already eaten the entree you were most looking forward to trying. When the cops show up later to ask why everyone is violently ill except you, you tell them everything you know.

65. You take your teenage son to his orientation for a new job, and when you come back to pick him up an hour later, you find out no one has seen him — though you saw him walk in the door before you drove off.

66. You’re living in a world where everyone is born with a birthmark that matches that of their soulmate. But you are born without one.

67. You and your best friend are in a terrible car accident, and you both die. Your friend, however, has a very different account of what he saw on the other side.

68. You’re born with the ability to mentally manipulate DNA. You started with plants and moved on to your pets, who now have unique abilities. For the past few years, you’ve been hacking your own DNA.

69. You were raised in the deep South where manners and feigned politeness were a thin veneer covering your family’s questionable history and lingering dysfunction.

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7 Of The Best Writing Prompts Apps You Need To Try

List of Tragic Hero Traits To Flesh Out Your Character

107 Character Mannerisms For Writers

Did you find these short story ideas and prompts useful?

I hope your mind is buzzing with an idea you can’t wait to start playing with. Keep this article handy, so you can return to it when you’re looking for a new short story idea. You don’t have to follow any of them verbatim; take one and change the details however you like to make the idea your own.

Just don’t forget the “one shattering moment” for your character — and the importance of making an emotional impact on your reader. You make this impact as much with dialogue as with description and the structure of your story. Make it all count.

And when it comes time to edit, cut everything that dampens the impact of your story. Your readers will love you for it!

If you found value from this list of short story prompts, please share it and encourage others to pass it on to support and inspire as many fellow writers out there as possible. Why not even invite them to share their new short stories with you after they’ve written them?

And may your creative energy and goodwill infuse everything else you do today.

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  • Grades 6-12
  • School Leaders

FREE Poetry Worksheet Bundle! Perfect for National Poetry Month.

11 Free Short Story Generators To Try

A great way to get started!

Close up of woman's hands typing in a short story generator on laptop.

Have you tried a short story generator? These fantastic tools can transform your ideas into characters, plots, and even complete stories in minutes. Whether you’re feeling stumped about where to start or are trying to overcome writer’s block, using a story generator can help you get back on track.

Note: While short story generators can be valuable tools for generating ideas and overcoming creative challenges, it’s essential to view their output as a starting point rather than a final product. Writers should use their creative judgment to refine and develop the generated ideas into unique and compelling narratives that reflect their own voice and style.

  • How Do Short Story Generators Work
  • How To Use Short Story Generators

Best Short Story Generators

How do ai short story generators work.

AI short story generators typically work based on a combination of natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning algorithms. They rely on the underlying algorithms’ ability to understand and replicate the structures, styles, and themes found in existing texts and stories.

Based on the prompts and information provided, AI tools can generate characters, dialogs, and even a solid plot—but within limits. While they can create compelling narratives, the stories may lack the emotional depth and nuanced understanding that human authors bring to their work.

Ways To Responsibly Use a Short Story Generator

There’s a lot of hesitation surrounding the use of AI tools, and a lot of the concerns are valid. However, there are also many benefits to using AI tools in the classroom . Before you get started, it’s a good idea to make sure you have a school AI policy in place. Let’s take a look at some of the productive ways teachers can use AI short story generators in the classroom.

Prompt Writing

Save time by using a story generator to quickly produce a number of writing prompts for students.

Brainstorming

Short story generators can provide a starting point or a spark of inspiration for writers who are struggling to come up with ideas. By generating prompts or initial story elements, these tools can help writers kick-start their creative process.

Discussion and Analysis

You can generate stories to use as material for class discussions, analysis, and critique. Students can examine elements like plot, character development, and style.

Idea Exploration

Short story generators allow writers to explore diverse story ideas, themes, and narrative structures that they may not have considered otherwise. This can be particularly helpful for those looking to experiment with different genres or styles of storytelling.

Alternative Storylines and Plot Twists

Short story generators can be used as a complementary tool in the writing process, offering ideas for alternative storylines or plot twists that writers can integrate into their own narratives. This can add depth and complexity to a writer’s work, leading to more dynamic and engaging storytelling.

Overcoming Writer’s Block

Short story generators can provide a way to break through creative barriers and encourage writers to approach their work from different perspectives. They can serve as a source of fresh ideas and concepts that can reignite a writer’s passion for storytelling.

Ready to get started? We’ve put together this list of free tools to help you choose the short story generator that’s right for you! How do you know which one is best? Read our reviews and then try them for yourself!

ToolBaz AI Story Generator

This is a great tool that allows you to simply enter a prompt and generate a story.

  • Easy to use? Yes.
  • Sign-up required? No.

Quicktools by Picsart Free AI Story Generator

Overall: This AI tool allows you to set the length and creativity levels of the story you generate. “Short” and “Low” were chosen in this example.

Toolsaday Story Generator

In addition to inputting the details for the plot, this AI tool allows you to add information about your characters, setting, genre, and more.

AI Story Generator

Given how incredibly basic the landing page is for this tool, the quality and length of the story were surprising!

Editpad AI Story Generator

Unlike the instant results generated by other AI short story tools, this one took a few minutes, but the end results were worth the short wait.

Squibler AI Story Generator

The story this tool generated was surprisingly short and not as nuanced or complete as the others on this list.

TinyWow Story Generator

The topic input allowance was so short that the prompt had to be changed to fit the limits. We had to change our prompt to: “A boy’s first day of school in a new country.” One nice feature is that you can choose the number of paragraphs for your story.

  • Easy to use? Yes, but the topic character limit was a bit frustrating.

WriterHand AI Story Generator

While this tool didn’t fill in gaps like the name of the character, it did add fun little details (like having a map in his pocket to avoid getting lost).

  • Sign-up required? No, but there is a CAPTCHA.

Sassbook AI Story Generator

Even though it has some nice features, this tool is nowhere near as smooth as the others on this list and generated a story that contained errors and odd language. We’ve included it to show that the tool you choose really does matter.

  • Easy to use? No.

Paraphrasing Tool AI Story Generator

It took a little effort to start using the tool, and then we encountered a couple of errors before it finally generated the story.

  • Sign-up required? Yes, and a CAPTCHA.

AI Chatting Story Generator

This was the only AI short story generator on this list to also provide a title for the story.

Do you use a short story generator in your classroom? Share your strategies in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Looking for more great tools check out our list of the best writing apps for at home and in the classroom ..

Need a short story generator? We've put together this list of great AI tools you can use to make your next great story!

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Short Story Prompts Guaranteed to Get Your Students' Creating Juices Flowing

120 Short Story Ideas and Prompts To Get Creativity Flowing

Suddenly, they won't stop writing! Continue Reading

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AI Story Generator

Craft an unforgettable narrative with ai story generator - your gateway to limitless creativity..

Dive into the realm of endless imagination with AI Story Generator, the ultimate partner for storytellers seeking to push the boundaries of creativity. Our cutting-edge AI technology empowers you to weave intricate narratives, develop rich characters, and create immersive worlds with ease.

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Free AI Story Writer Tool

Unleash your creativity with Toolsaday's AI Story Generator, a cutting-edge tool designed to revolutionize writing. Using artificial intelligence and advanced natural language processing, this AI story generator transforms user-inputs into compelling and engaging narratives. Whether you're crafting a novel or dabbling in fiction, our tool simplifies the process, eliminating the struggle of story structuring and offering a seamless storytelling experience. With the added feature of integrating images and visuals, the AI Story Generator enhances your stories, making them both shareable and enjoyable.

Toolsaday AI Story Generator is easy to use and takes the hassle out of the writing process. It includes a comprehensive library of possible story ideas and tailor-made scenes, providing users with an ever-growing selection to choose from. With a simple user interface and a natural language processing AI system to back it up, this story writing tool could be the key to helping budding authors become successful storytellers. Get ready to be amazed at the level of creativity it unlocks and make sure to grab a copy of Toolsaday AI Story Generator today!

Advantages of Using AI Story Generator

Storytelling has become an important aspect of modern life, yet many of us sometimes struggle to write stories that capture the attention of our audiences. Artificial Intelligence (AI) story generators provide a solution to this challenge, allowing writers to access powerful tools that enable the creation of compelling storylines with relative ease.

The Benefits of Automation

The primary benefit of AI story generators is that they offer automation. Many aspects of the creative writing process can be automated to save time and energy, such as brainstorming ideas, creating outlines, generating character profiles, and creating compelling plots and thrilling twists. Automation of these tasks helps writers stay organized, stay on track, and consistently produce quality content in a fraction of the time it would take to do everything manually.

The Power of Natural Language Processing

Another advantage of AI story generators is that they are equipped with natural language processing technology. This technology allows computers to understand and process human language in order to generate stories that mimic the way people write. Natural language processing also enables these programs to suggest ideas for plot details, locations, and characters. This helps writers quickly come up with interesting and relevant content without starting from scratch.

The Efficiency of Generative Writing

Generative writing is a powerful tool that AI story generators can offer. This type of writing relies on generative models that create text from a given set of data. For example, AI story generators can be programmed to create stories from a database of characters, settings, and plot points. This means that writers can produce content quickly and efficiently without having to endlessly brainstorm and research ideas.

An Opportunity to be Creative

One of the best advantages of AI story generators is that they provide writers with an opportunity to be creative. Once the basic elements of a story have been generated by the program, the writer can then put their own creative spin on it. This allows them to break away from formulaic writing styles and create unique and engaging stories that their readers will find compelling.

Enhance Writing Skills

Finally, one of the most overlooked benefits of AI story generators is that they can help writers improve their skills. This is because the program will often provide writers with detailed feedback on the quality of their writing. This feedback can help writers identify and correct errors in their writing so that they can become more skilled and confident writers in the long run.

Create Stories Across Multiple Genres

Our tool is a one-stop shop for creating great stories in a variety of genres. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced writer, this tool has something for you. From writing prompts and topic generators, to outlines and full stories, our platform has the writing tools you need to create great content.

Science Fiction

Science fiction stories explore the scientific/technological implications of our future, as well as pushing the boundaries of what humans can do. Our AI Story Generator can create compelling stories within this genre, allowing users to explore themes such as space exploration, alien contact, time travel, and more. The content generated by the AI is filled with references to futuristic technology, societies, and scenarios, ultimately creating a rich, believable world.

Fantasy stories usually involve mythical creatures, exotic lands, and powerful magic. With our AI Story Generator, these elements come to life through the words on the page. The AI can create stories of knights, dragons, elves, wizards, and other common characters in fantasy literature. It can also help create vivid worlds consisting of unique cultures, creatures, and environments, providing readers with much to explore in their tale.

Horror stories invoke fear and dread with their subject matter. Our AI Story Generator has the ability to produce stories with jump scares, eerie atmospheres, and dark creature designs. Using our AI, users can build tension, making readers feel as if something sinister is lurking in the background. The AI also provides the perfect amount of gory details, leaving readers feeling scared and unsettled.

Non-Fiction and Romantic

In addition to other genres, our AI Story Generator can also produce non-fiction and romantic stories. Non-fiction stories usually educate and inform readers about a certain subject, whereas romantic stories tend to focus on love and relationships. Our AI Story Generator can generate both types of stories, ensuring that readers receive material that is both informative and enjoyable. Furthermore, users can customize their stories to suite their own needs, allowing them to generate material that is unique and tailored to their preferences.

Enhance Your Storytelling with Our Versatile Purpose Feature

The Purpose feature in our story generator offers a wide range of options to cater to your unique writing requirements. Whether you're looking for a complete story, a story opening, a chapter, or a specific scene, our generator has you covered. Here's a brief overview of some of the available purpose options:

Complete Story

The "Complete Story" option generates a full, well-rounded narrative from beginning to end. Perfect for writers looking for a springboard for their creativity, this option provides a solid foundation for a short story or novel, which can be further developed and expanded upon.

Story Opening

Struggling to create a gripping start to your story? The "Story Opening" purpose generates an attention-grabbing beginning that will hook your readers from the outset. Use it as a starting point to build your story's world, introduce your characters, and set the tone for the rest of your narrative.

Story Chapter

Sometimes, writing one chapter at a time can help you maintain focus and momentum. The "Story Chapter" purpose generates a standalone chapter that can be integrated into your existing story or used as inspiration for new ideas. This option is ideal for overcoming writer's block or developing subplots and character arcs.

Climax Scene

Crafting an unforgettable climax can be challenging, but our story generator makes it easier. The "Climax Scene" purpose generates a pivotal, high-stakes moment that serves as the turning point in your story. Use this scene as the culmination of your narrative, where conflicts reach their peak and your characters face their greatest challenges.

Story Ending

Tying up loose ends and crafting a satisfying conclusion can be a daunting task. The "Story Ending" purpose generates a fitting resolution for your story, ensuring that your narrative concludes on a high note. Utilize this option to bring closure to your characters' arcs and leave your readers with a sense of fulfillment.

An epilogue provides a glimpse into the future of your story's world and characters. The "Epilogue" purpose generates a thought-provoking conclusion that leaves readers pondering the aftermath of your narrative. Use this option to hint at future adventures, reveal the fates of your characters, or simply offer a sense of closure.

Novel Studio: Your All-In-One AI Writing Assistant

Experience the future of storytelling with the latest addition to Toolsaday – Novel Studio. This groundbreaking feature elevates story creation, offering an all-encompassing suite of tools to manage every aspect of your novel. From plot conception to character development, structuring outlines to auto-generating chapters, Novel Studio is your AI-powered companion on your writing journey.

ai novel writer manage character

Manage Every Element of Your Novel Effortlessly

Designed with user experience at its core, Novel Studio allows you to seamlessly manage the integral components of your novel - plot, characters, outlines, and chapters. Simplifying the intricate process of novel-writing, this feature serves as an invaluable tool for both seasoned authors and those embarking on their first novel-writing venture.

ai novel writer generate chapters

Harness the Power of AI to Generate Chapters

An impressive highlight of Novel Studio is its ability to leverage artificial intelligence to auto-generate chapters. Novel Studio can produce up to 10 chapters for your novel, with a promise of greater capacity in the future. This feature facilitates a uniform writing style and pacing throughout your novel, saving your precious time and creative energy.

ai novel writer generate chapters

Save, Load, and Refine Your Story

Novel Studio doesn't just aid in creation - it supports refinement of your novel too. With the option to save your narrative at any stage of the writing process, you can load it later for editing. This adaptability lets you work on your novel at your convenience, assuring that each detail aligns perfectly with your vision.

Unleash the boundless potential of novel writing with Novel Studio. Begin crafting your unique narrative today with Toolsaday AI Story Generator.

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  • Writing Prompts

150+ Story Starters: Creative Sentences To Start A Story

The most important thing about writing is finding a good idea . You have to have a great idea to write a story. You have to be able to see the whole picture before you can start to write it. Sometimes, you might need help with that. Story starters are a great way to get the story rolling. You can use them to kick off a story, start a character in a story or even start a scene in a story.

When you start writing a story, you need to have a hook. A hook can be a character or a plot device. It can also be a setting, something like “A young man came into a bar with a horse.” or a setting like “It was the summer of 1969, and there were no cell phones.” The first sentence of a story is often the hook. It can also be a premise or a situation, such as, “A strange old man in a black cloak was sitting on the train platform.”

Story starters are a way to quickly get the story going. They give the reader a place to start reading your story. Some story starters are obvious, and some are not. The best story starters are the ones that give the reader a glimpse into the story. They can be a part of a story or a part of a scene. They can be a way to show the reader the mood of a story. If you want to start a story, you can use a simple sentence. You can also use a question or an inspirational quote. In this post, we have listed over 150 story starters to get your story started with a bang! A great way to use these story starters is at the start of the Finish The Story game .

If you want more story starters, check out this video on some creative story starter sentences to use in your stories:

150+ Creative Story Starters

Here is a list of good sentences to start a story with:

  • I’ve read about a million stories about princesses but never thought I could ever be one.
  • There was once a man who was very old, but he was wise. He lived for a very long time, and he was very happy.
  • What is the difference between a man and a cat? A cat has nine lives.
  • In the middle of the night, a boy is running through the woods.
  • It is the end of the world.
  • He knew he was not allowed to look into the eyes of the princess, but he couldn’t help himself.
  • The year is 1893. A young boy was running away from home.
  • What if the Forest was actually a magical portal to another dimension, the Forest was a portal to the Otherworld?
  • In the Forest, you will find a vast number of magical beings of all sorts. 
  • It was the middle of the night, and the forest was quiet. No bugs or animals disturbed the silence. There were no birds, no chirping. 
  • If you wish to stay in the Forest, you will need to follow these rules: No one shall leave the Forest. No one shall enter. No one shall take anything from the Forest.
  • “It was a terrible day,” said the old man in a raspy voice.
  • A cat is flying through the air, higher and higher, when it happens, and the cat doesn’t know how it got there, how it got to be in the sky.
  • I was lying in the woods, and I was daydreaming.
  • The Earth is a world of wonders. 
  • The fairy is the most amazing creature I have ever met.
  • A young girl was sitting on a tree stump at the edge of a river when she noticed a magical tree growing in the water.
  • My dancing rat is dressed in a jacket, a tie and glasses, which make him look like a person. 
  • In the darkness of the night, I am alone, but I know that I am not. 
  • Owls are the oldest, and most intelligent, of all birds.
  • My name is Reyna, and I am a fox. 
  • The woman was drowning.
  • One day, he was walking in the forest.
  • It was a dark and stormy night…
  • There was a young girl who could not sleep…
  • A boy in a black cape rode on a white horse…
  • A crazy old man in a black cloak was sitting in the middle of the street…
  • The sun was setting on a beautiful summer day…
  • The dog was restless…”
  • There was a young boy in a brown coat…
  • I met a young man in the woods…
  • In the middle of a dark forest…
  • The young girl was at home with her family…
  • There was a young man who was sitting on a …
  • A young man came into a bar with a horse…
  • I have had a lot of bad dreams…
  • He was a man who wanted to be king…
  • It was the summer of 1969, and there were no cell phones.
  • I know what you’re thinking. But no, I don’t want to be a vegetarian. The worst part is I don’t like the taste.
  • She looked at the boy and decided to ask him why he wasn’t eating. She didn’t want to look mean, but she was going to ask him anyway.
  • The song played on the radio, as Samual wiped away his tears.
  • This was the part when everything was about to go downhill. But it didn’t…
  • “Why make life harder for yourself?” asked Claire, as she bit into her apple.
  • She made a promise to herself that she would never do it.
  • I was able to escape.
  • I was reading a book when the accident happened.
  • “I can’t stand up for people who lie and cheat.” I cried.
  • You look at me and I feel beautiful.
  • I know what I want to be when I grow up.
  • We didn’t have much money. But we knew how to throw a good party.
  • The wind blew on the silent streets of London.
  • What do you get when you cross an angry bee and my sister?
  • The flight was slow and bumpy. I was half asleep when the captain announced we were going down.
  • At the far end of the city was a river that was overgrown with weeds. 
  • It was a quiet night in the middle of a busy week.
  • One afternoon, I was eating a sandwich in the park when I spotted a stranger.
  • In the late afternoon, a few students sat on the lawn reading.
  • The fireflies were dancing in the twilight as the sunset.
  • In the early evening, the children played in the park.
  • The sun was setting and the moon was rising.
  • A crowd gathered in the square as the band played.
  • The top of the water tower shone in the moonlight.
  • The light in the living room was on, but the light in the kitchen was off.
  •  When I was a little boy, I used to make up stories about the adventures of these amazing animals, creatures, and so on. 
  • All of the sudden, I realized I was standing in the middle of an open field surrounded by nothing but wildflowers, and the only thing I remembered about it was that I’d never seen a tree before.
  • It’s the kind of thing that’s only happened to me once before in my life, but it’s so cool to see it.
  • They gave him a little wave as they drove away.
  • The car had left the parking lot, and a few hours later we arrived home.
  • They were going to play a game of bingo.
  • He’d made up his mind to do it. He’d have to tell her soon, though. He was waiting for a moment when they were alone and he could say it without feeling like an idiot. But when that moment came, he couldn’t think of anything to say.
  • Jamie always wanted to own a plane, but his parents were a little tight on the budget. So he’d been saving up to buy one of his own. 
  • The night was getting colder, and the wind was blowing in from the west.
  • The doctor stared down at the small, withered corpse.
  • She’d never been in the woods before, but she wasn’t afraid.
  • The kids were having a great time in the playground.
  • The police caught the thieves red-handed.
  • The world needs a hero more than ever.
  • Mother always said, “Be good and nice things will happen…”
  • There is a difference between what you see and what you think you see.
  • The sun was low in the sky and the air was warm.
  • “It’s time to go home,” she said, “I’m getting a headache.”
  • It was a cold winter’s day, and the snow had come early.
  • I found a wounded bird in my garden.
  • “You should have seen the look on my face.”
  • He opened the door and stepped back.
  • My father used to say, “All good things come to an end.”
  • The problem with fast cars is that they break so easily.
  • “What do you think of this one?” asked Mindy.
  • “If I asked you to do something, would you do it?” asked Jacob.
  • I was surprised to see her on the bus.
  • I was never the most popular one in my class.
  • We had a bad fight that day.
  • The coffee machine had stopped working, so I went to the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea.
  • It was a muggy night, and the air-conditioning unit was so loud it hurt my ears.
  • I had a sleepless night because I couldn’t get my head to turn off.
  • I woke up at dawn and heard a horrible noise.
  • I was so tired I didn’t know if I’d be able to sleep that night.
  • I put on the light and looked at myself in the mirror.
  • I decided to go in, but the door was locked.
  • A man in a red sweater stood staring at a little kitten as if it was on fire.
  • “It’s so beautiful,” he said, “I’m going to take a picture.”
  • “I think we’re lost,” he said, “It’s all your fault.”
  • It’s hard to imagine what a better life might be like
  • He was a tall, lanky man, with a long face, a nose like a pin, and a thin, sandy moustache.
  • He had a face like a lion’s and an eye like a hawk’s.
  • The man was so broad and strong that it was as if a mountain had been folded up and carried in his belly.
  • I opened the door. I didn’t see her, but I knew she was there.
  • I walked down the street. I couldn’t help feeling a little guilty.
  • I arrived at my parents’ home at 8:00 AM.
  • The nurse had been very helpful.
  • On the table was an array of desserts.
  • I had just finished putting the last of my books in the trunk.
  • A car horn honked, startling me.
  • The kitchen was full of pots and pans.
  • There are too many things to remember.
  • The world was my oyster. I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth.
  •  “My grandfather was a World War II veteran. He was a decorated hero who’d earned himself a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart.
  • Beneath the menacing, skeletal shadow of the mountain, a hermit sat on his ledge. His gnarled hands folded on his gnarled knees. His eyes stared blankly into the fog. 
  • I heard a story about a dragon, who was said to be the size of a house, that lived on the top of the tallest mountain in the world.
  •  I was told a story about a man who found a golden treasure, which was buried in this very park.
  • He stood alone in the middle of a dark and silent room, his head cocked to one side, the brown locks of his hair, which were parted in the middle, falling down over his eyes.
  •  Growing up, I was the black sheep of the family. I had my father’s eyes, but my mother’s smile.
  • Once upon a time, there was a woman named Miss Muffett, and she lived in a big house with many rooms.
  • When I was a child, my mother told me that the water looked so bright because the sun was shining on it. I did not understand what she meant at the time.    
  •  The man in the boat took the water bottle and drank from it as he paddled away.
  • The man looked at the child with a mixture of pity and contempt.
  • An old man and his grandson sat in their garden. The old man told his grandson to dig a hole. 
  • An old woman was taking a walk on the beach. The tide was high and she had to wade through the water to get to the other side.
  • She looked up at the clock and saw that it was five minutes past seven.
  • The man looked up from the map he was studying. “How’s it going, mate?”
  • I was in my room on the third floor, staring out of the window.
  • A dark silhouette of a woman stood in the doorway.
  • The church bells began to ring.
  • The moon rose above the horizon.
  • A bright light shone over the road.
  • The night sky began to glow.
  • I could hear my mother cooking in the kitchen.
  • The fog began to roll in.
  • He came in late to the class and sat at the back.
  • A young boy picked up a penny and put it in his pocket.
  • He went to the bathroom and looked at his face in the mirror.
  • It was the age of wisdom and the age of foolishness. We once had everything and now we have nothing.
  • A young man died yesterday, and no one knows why.
  • The boy was a little boy. He was not yet a man. He lived in a house in a big city.
  • They had just returned from the theatre when the phone rang.
  • I walked up to the front of the store and noticed the neon sign was out.
  • I always wondered what happened to Mary.
  • I stopped to say hello and then walked on.
  • The boy’s mother didn’t want him to play outside…
  • The lights suddenly went out…
  • After 10 years in prison, he was finally out.
  • The raindrops pelted the window, which was set high up on the wall, and I could see it was a clear day outside.
  • My friend and I had just finished a large pizza, and we were about to open our second.
  • I love the smell of the ocean, but it never smells as good as it does when the waves are crashing.
  • They just stood there, staring at each other.
  • A party was in full swing until the music stopped.

For more ideas on how to start your story, check out these first-line writing prompts . Did you find this list of creative story starters useful? Let us know in the comments below!

150 Story Starters

Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.

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  9. AI Story Generator (free, unlimited, no sign-up)

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