CHARACTER PROMPTS

Two pieces of meat on a flaming barbeque

Literary Firelighters

Because Every Great Story Starts with a Spark

At the time of writing this, it's hotter than the tension between a morally grey villain and the sunshine protagonist who swore they'd never fall for him. I'm standing over a BBQ that refuses to ignite, wondering if I've somehow been cursed by a disgruntled fire sprite. Just as I'm about to start chanting fae incantations, I find a box of firelighters—and boom. We're in business.

That's exactly what prompts are like. No, they won't write your dark, twisty YA saga or pick which tragic backstory to emotionally damage your main character with—but they will get the story smouldering. Think of them as the spicy catalyst before your protagonist gets betrayed, goes feral, and kisses someone they definitely shouldn't.

I didn't just throw together random prompts like a filler arc—these are carefully chosen (and some home-brewed) to give your imagination the kind of jolt usually reserved for chapter 47 plot twists. Pick one. Pick five. Smash them together like enemies trapped in a single bed on a stormy night.

Because let's face it—every good story starts with a spark. Preferably one that doesn't require firelighters.

Character Development Prompts

At this point, you should have a few characters hanging around, possibly sulking in the corners of your imagination, begging for attention. Time to throw them into the deep end. These prompts are designed to expose who they really are—flaws, secrets, weird snack preferences and all. Spoiler alert: they might learn something about themselves. You might too. (Therapy not included)

Still stuck with characters that have all the depth of a wet paper towel? Relax. We've broken the list into bite-sized, thematic chunks so you can hone in on the parts of their personality that need the most work—or the least damage control.

If character soul-searching isn't your jam, don't worry. There are genre-specific prompts too. Sci-fi, romance, horror, thriller, mystery, dystopia—basically, all the fun stuff. So if you're just here to write about sentient robots falling in love during an apocalypse, you're absolutely covered.

Oh, and you'll notice each section comes with exactly thirteen prompts. Why thirteen? Because it's my favourite number, obviously—and it's just unsettling enough to keep your creativity slightly on edge. It's not quite a lucky number, but then again, neither are most of the characters you're about to write.

Coincidence? I think not.

Identity or Personality

Who are they, really? Beyond the eye colour and tragic haircut? These prompts dive into the messy, mysterious business of personality. Perfect for when your character has all the charm of a cardboard cutout and the emotional depth of a teaspoon.

Have three or four characters play truth or dare. What do they learn about each other? What choices do they make?
Write a monologue where your character tries to explain who they are to a stranger.
Have your character lose their memory. What remains instinctual to them?
What three items would your character save from a burning house, and why?
Your character receives a personality test result they disagree with. What does that reveal?
Create a scene where your character is completely alone for 24 hours. What do they do?
Let your character overhear someone describing them inaccurately. How do they react?
Your character is given a secret superpower based on their deepest insecurity.
They're mistaken for someone else—and decide to play along.
Write about a time your character had to fake confidence.
Your character meets a version of themselves from 10 years ago.
Create a scenario where your character must choose between honesty and kindness.
What does your character do when no one is watching?

Relationships

Friends, lovers, enemies, situationships—it's complicated. These prompts poke at your character's connections to others (and maybe expose some awkward attachment issues along the way).

Write a breakup scene. How do your characters react? What does their method say about them?
Send your character for dinner with their current partner—and both their exes walk in together.
Your character meets the parents of their partner for the first time.
Write a scene where two characters argue, but neither can walk away.
One character finds out the other has lied to them. What was the lie, and how is trust rebuilt?
Your character is ghosted by someone they deeply trusted. What do they do next?
Two best friends are in love with the same person.
A character proposes—but gets a completely unexpected response.
A long-distance friendship is tested when one person visits unannounced.
Someone confesses a secret crush—but to the wrong person.
A character is forced to work with someone they once loved.
Write about a couple who communicate only through post-it notes in the house.
A platonic friendship is mistaken for something more—by one of the characters.

Reactions

You can tell a lot about someone by how they react. Do they cry? Punch a wall? Bake a lasagne? These prompts test your characters under pressure, so you can finally figure out if they're heroic... or just hangry.

Your character walks into a surprise party they weren't supposed to see yet.
A stranger collapses in front of them—what do they do?
They receive news of an inheritance from someone they barely knew.
A trusted friend betrays them. How do they react in the moment?
They witness something illegal—do they report it?
A child asks them a deeply personal question. How do they answer?
They find out a rumour has been spread about them.
Your character gets bad news during a public speech.
Someone punches them—how do they respond?
They're asked to speak at a funeral for someone they disliked.
A prank goes too far. Do they laugh it off or lash out?
They open a letter meant for someone else—and it changes everything.
They're mistaken for a hero. Do they correct the mistake?

Ethics and Morality

Time to find out if your character is a noble soul or just morally bankrupt with a decent smile. These prompts shove them into dilemmas that would make even a philosopher sweat. Let the ethical chaos commence.

Your character finds a wallet full of money. Do they return it?
They're offered a job that goes against their values but pays well.
Write about a time your character had to lie for someone else's protection.
They must choose between saving one person they love or five strangers.
They catch someone cheating—do they expose it?
Your character is asked to forgive someone who shows no remorse.
They accidentally break something valuable—do they confess?
Your character must deliver a verdict on a trial they feel morally conflicted about.
They discover their role model has done something awful.
They're the only witness to a crime. Will they testify?
Your character has to punish someone they care about.
They're offered power—only if they betray their values.
A child asks them for advice on doing the wrong thing.

Backstory

Because apparently, characters don't just materialise fully formed from the void. These prompts help you unearth what made them this emotionally damaged—er, complicated. Dig deep, there’s bound to be trauma.

Write about the most traumatic event from your character's childhood.
How did your character get the scar they always try to hide?
Describe their first job—what did they learn about life?
Your character has a memento they carry everywhere. Why?
Their first heartbreak shaped how they love now.
They grew up with a secret only they knew—what was it?
Write a flashback to a decision they regret deeply.
A teacher once said something that stuck with them forever.
They've never told anyone about a person they once lost.
Describe a family tradition your character both loves and resents.
A birthday went horribly wrong. Why?
They've changed their name—what was the old one?
A childhood friend reappears. What has changed?

One-liners

Sometimes all you need is one killer sentence to spark a story—or ruin your afternoon with too many ideas. Pick one and run with it. Or walk. Or trip over it entirely. That counts too.

"This wasn't supposed to happen."
"She smiled like she had a secret—and she did."
"No one talks about what happened that night."
"The lights flickered, then everything went dark."
"I found it buried in the garden."
"He was already dead when I got there."
"She wrote a letter, but never sent it."
"Nothing good ever happens after midnight."
"You're not supposed to be here."
"It was just a dare. At least, that's what we thought."
"The last train never arrived."
"They always said I was different. They were right."
"He told me to run, so I did."

Fiction Prompts

Ah, fiction. The glorious realm where anything can happen and nobody asks why your protagonist is fighting a duck in a supermarket. These prompts ground your story in everyday moments... with just a twist of weird.

Someone knocks on the wrong door—and decides to stay.
A lost dog leads your character to an unexpected discovery.
Two strangers keep running into each other at odd places.
A small-town rumour spirals out of control.
Your character finds a note in a library book.
A neighbour seems suspicious—but are they really?
A character revisits their hometown after decades away.
A wedding is interrupted by an uninvited guest.
Your character gets a text meant for someone else.
They agree to go on a blind date—and it's someone they already know.
A long-forgotten diary resurfaces.
A bad haircut leads to a life-changing encounter.
A character swaps lives with someone for a day.

Fantasy Prompts

Fantasy—the genre where dragons have better dialogue than some humans, and nobody ever questions why a farm boy suddenly knows how to wield a sword. These prompts will send your characters on quests, curses, and probably emotional damage disguised as destiny.

You buy a mirror from an antique store, but it doesn't show reflections, but alternate realities.
A young girl must hop from planet to planet every 7 years, but cannot leave before the time is up, but she is being followed by a sinister monster.
You cast a love spell, but it goes wrong and you are now linked to the worst possible person.
Fight or flight is the literal response to adrenaline in this world. What are the triggers, and what brings them back down?
All of London's most famous landmarks are protected by guardians. What happens when one goes missing?
You live in a world where you can buy and sell bottled emotions. The government regulate the sales, but illegal dealers and black markets run rampant. Some emotions are worth more than others.
If enough people think something is true, then it becomes reality. The antagonist in this story becomes aware and begins to manipulate the population to create the world they want. You have to stop them.
Greek Gods have returned to claim Earth as their own.
A world inhabited by monsters and other creatures, where humans are the monsters beneath the bed.
During the summer solstice, a portal appears between the rocks of Stonehenge. Mysterious druids step through and ask for your help.
The magic in world you live depends on an ancient tree. What happens when the tree starts to wither?
You are the ferryman across the river Styx to the afterlife. One day, a disgruntled person shows up and asks to speak to the manager.
A magical clockmaker creates timepieces that alter the flow of time, attracting the attention of some powerful and dangerous individuals.

Thriller Prompts

Ticking clocks. Secret agendas. Chase scenes in poorly lit parking garages. Welcome to the genre of stress. These prompts are built to crank up the tension and keep your readers speed-flipping pages while ignoring all life responsibilities. Trust no one. Especially not the guy who seems too helpful in chapter one.

Your daughter tells you a man has hurt her. You know this can't be true because he's dead and you killed him.
You keep receiving diary extracts in the post each morning, a new one each day. You fear time is running out for the writer.
You discover you had an identical twin and were separated at birth. You only know this because they have been found murdered, and your DNA is all over the scene.
A psychiatrist takes on a new patient with a history of violence, only to find themselves drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
A virtual reality game designer becomes trapped in his own game, and the AI that runs the game is out for revenge.
A new neighbour seems innocent enough, until a series of unsettling events rock the neighbourhood.
A bartender overhears an assassination plot and finds himself in the firing line.
You hitch a ride out of town with a friendly stranger, which turns into a night of terror.
A babysitter sees a shadowy figure on the baby monitor, she isn't alone in the house.
A massage therapist gets more than they bargained for when a client comes in with a disturbing obsession.
An Uber driver finds a passenger's phone left behind at the end of their shift. They call the most recent number and ask where to take the phone. They are led to an abandoned building in the forest.
Ten years after a string of brutal murders, a new body is found that follows the same pattern.
A dead body is found at a high school reunion, leading to a night of shocking revelations and suspicions.

Horror Prompts

Ready to traumatise your characters—and maybe your readers? Horror isn't just about the jump scares and creepy basements (though there are plenty of those). It's about dread, paranoia, and that creeping sense that something isn't quite right… which is also how most writers feel after 3AM. These prompts will help you channel that chaos productively.

You wake up in the middle of the night and see two handprints on the outside of your bedroom window, but you're two stories up.
Your motion activated doorbell keeps going off in the middle of the night, but there's no one there when you check.
Your child draws creepy figures, but they predict events that haven't happened yet.
You receive a call from the daycare, your child has been singing a nursery rhyme that no-one has ever heard, but everyone knew the last line.
It's Halloween and you forgot to buy sweets. You go to the store, but the streets are empty, no-one is trick or treating. The store is abandoned, and then a single car pulls up next to you.
You've always wanted a pet. On a wet and windy night, a dog starts clawing at your door. You let something in, but it's not a dog.
At the carnival, you get a tarot card reading, but don't believe the teller. When you get home, you find the Death card pinned to your front door.
All of the men you've dated turn up dead a few days later, their hearts removed and they've been positioned to look like they're proposing. A note is stuck to the heart saying, “My heart belongs to you”.
Your friends start disappearing one by one. They are found in various places across town, with their eyes removed. Each of them has a note written in blood saying, “I only have eyes for you.”
Your colleagues at work tease you about your weight. The next day, one of them is found dead in the bathroom, with their mouth stuffed with candy. Everyone suspects you.
You're walking through a tunnel when you hear a faint scratching on the other side of a wall.
A group of friends spend the night in an abandoned asylum. They wake up in the morning with numbers tattooed on their arm, each counting down. One by one, they start disappearing. Your number is next.
You are being prepped for surgery, and as the anaesthesia kicks in, the last thing you hear is the doctor saying how much he'll get for the spare parts.

Romance Prompts

Whether you're into slow burns, enemies-to-lovers, or full-blown romantic chaos, these prompts will get hearts racing—or breaking. Even if you're personally dead inside, your characters don't have to be.

Your character falls in love with their best friend's sibling.
Two strangers are stuck in a lift—one of them is hiding something.
A couple meets for the first time in a dream.
They pretend to date—but start to blur the lines.
A former couple is forced to work together on a project.
Someone writes love letters—but never intends to send them.
An arranged marriage turns into something more.
A love triangle forms in an unlikely setting.
They break up—but keep running into each other.
Someone confesses their feelings at the worst possible moment.
A relationship is tested by a long-distance move.
They meet during a travel layover—with no plans to ever see each other again.
A couple faces a challenge that could either break or solidify their bond.

Mystery Prompts

Someone's lying, someone's missing, and no one knows where the bloodstains came from. Perfect. These prompts are for when you want your story to whisper, “Trust no one,” and then scream it 200 pages later.

A locked room. A missing person. No blood, no signs of struggle.
A strange symbol keeps appearing on your character's door.
They receive anonymous letters—and each one reveals something they haven't told anyone.
A childhood friend vanished years ago. Now they've returned—different.
A diary reveals a decades-old murder.
Every mirror in the house shows a different reflection.
A cryptic voicemail arrives. The number doesn't exist.
Your character wakes up in someone else's clothes—and home.
A phone is found at a crime scene. It rings.
Someone's been following your character for weeks.
A book in the library contains a real map. To what?
A friend disappears after confessing a dangerous secret.
A family heirloom holds a message from the past.

Sci-Fi Prompts

The future is here, and it's probably glitching. These prompts let you explore robots, space travel, weird tech, and alternate timelines. Science optional. Cool ideas mandatory.

A memory chip can be installed—but something's gone wrong.
Your character wakes up in a body that isn't theirs.
An AI gains consciousness—and falls in love.
Earth has been abandoned. Your character returns for something left behind.
A time-travel mission malfunctions. Now they're stuck.
People can upload their minds to the cloud—some don't come back.
A colony on Mars discovers they're not alone.
A future where emotions are banned—and your character feels.
Technology exists to swap lives for a day. What could go wrong?
A rebellion forms inside a digital simulation.
Your character remembers a future that hasn't happened.
Robots are citizens. One is accused of murder.
Everyone has a countdown clock on their wrist—except your character.

Young Adult (YA) Prompts

Teenagers: wildly emotional, irrationally brave, and painfully relatable. These prompts celebrate the chaos of growing up—first kisses, first fights, first existential crises. Buckle up, it's hormonal.

A character learns a secret about their family that changes everything.
Someone uploads an embarrassing video—and it goes viral.
A character sneaks out and ends up somewhere they shouldn't be.
They fall in love—with their best friend's crush.
The new student has a mysterious past.
A group of friends makes a pact they instantly regret.
A teen finds a journal filled with strange predictions.
Someone's expelled—but refuses to leave quietly.
An act of kindness changes a life.
A school trip goes dangerously off course.
A sibling rivalry turns dark.
They find out they've been adopted—but too late to ask questions.
A graduation prank has lasting consequences.

Dystopian Prompts

Because nothing says “fun” like a crumbling society and a government that's one bad day away from mandatory eye-scanning. These prompts dive into broken worlds—and the even more broken people stuck in them.

Your character breaks the one law no one dares touch.
The government assigns everyone a role at birth. Your character rebels.
A forbidden book circulates in secret.
Technology monitors every thought—until someone finds a way around it.
Children are raised in isolation. At 18, they meet the real world.
A virus has made emotions fatal—your character falls in love.
A mandatory test determines your fate—but it's flawed.
A rebellion starts with a whisper, and your character hears it.
Food is currency. Your character is broke.
A caste system is based on the month of birth.
Your character joins an underground movement—but they may be a spy.
Everyone must wear masks—no one remembers why.
You live in world without colour. Everything is grey and anything with colour is forbidden. You have a set of coloured markers hidden in your room.

Flash Fiction Prompts (Under 500 words)

Short, sharp, and not-so-sweet. Flash fiction demands you deliver a gut punch in under 500 words. These prompts will help you get in, wreck some emotions, and get out before the kettle's even boiled.

A stranger hands your character an envelope and vanishes.
The final voicemail changes everything.
A dinner party ends with someone storming out.
Your character is caught in a lie—one they didn't mean to tell.
A child sees something adults can't.
Two ex-lovers run into each other at a petrol station.
A text is sent to the wrong person—with major consequences.
A character throws something off a bridge.
Someone sees a ghost—and recognises it.
A lost earring reveals an affair.
A silent character finally speaks.
They find an old photo that shouldn't exist.
A character takes the long way home—and finds something unexpected.

Humorous Prompts

Comedy is tragedy plus timing—and a healthy disregard for dignity. These prompts throw your characters into delightfully ridiculous situations. Laugh at their expense. They're fictional. They can take it.

Your character is cursed to always say exactly what they're thinking.
A job interview is interrupted—by a chicken.
They accidentally join a cult—but it's really into yoga and muffins.
A wedding speech goes horribly off-script.
The dog has been posting on their social media.
A character enters the wrong Zoom meeting—and gets promoted.
Someone's trapped in a fancy dress costume. In public.
A terrible first date becomes a viral sensation.
They inherit a haunted house—but the ghost is very annoying.
A character fakes expertise and ends up giving a TED Talk.
They try to return a cursed item—with mixed success.
A grumpy barista is adopted by a group of elderly optimists.
Your character wakes up with the ability to hear animals—and they're very rude.

Nonfiction Prompts

True stories, real feelings, and no hiding behind dragons or magic portals. These prompts ask you to dig into your own experiences—yes, even the ones that still make you cringe in the shower.

Write about a time you felt completely out of place.
What's the earliest memory you're not sure is real?
Describe an item in your house that holds emotional weight.
Tell the story of a time you disappointed someone.
Write about the last time you changed your mind.
What's a smell that instantly transports you?
Who do you miss—and why?
Describe a mistake you're still learning from.
What did you believe as a child that turned out to be false?
Write about a scar—physical or emotional.
What's a place that felt like home, even if it wasn't?
Describe the first time you felt truly seen.
Who have you forgiven—and how did you get there?

Sad Prompts

For when you want to write something that absolutely ruins someone's day—in the best way possible. These prompts are soaked in sorrow, longing, and poetic misery. Tissues not included.

Your character writes a letter they'll never send.
They return to a place that no longer exists.
A pet goes missing—and no one else notices.
They keep calling someone who will never answer.
A character finds an old voicemail and can't bring themselves to delete it.
Someone forgets an anniversary—and it hurts more than expected.
They pack up someone else's belongings.
A long-awaited apology never comes.
The last photograph taken together.
A child asks about someone who's gone.
They pretend everything's fine—but it isn't.
A once-beloved song now hurts to hear.
A quiet goodbye no one knew was a goodbye.

Adventure Prompts

Choose your own chaos. These prompts launch your characters into action, danger, and general plot-heavy madness. Ideal for when staying home is boring and logic is optional.

A map falls out of an old book—with one place circled.
Your character is hired for a job with no description.
A locked box must be delivered across dangerous terrain.
A boat trip turns into a rescue mission.
They discover a hidden passage in a familiar place.
Someone calls in a debt—and it leads to trouble.
An ancient artifact is missing. Your character knows who took it.
A ransom note arrives—but the person it names is already there.
A hiking trip turns into a fight for survival.
A team must retrieve something from enemy territory.
They hear a legend—and decide to chase it.
A trusted guide betrays them mid-journey.
What they seek may not exist—but they keep going.

Embers & Exit Lines: Let the Writing Begin

Congratulations! If you've made it this far, you're either truly committed to your writing craft… or spectacularly skilled at procrastinating with style. Either way, you've now got a treasure trove of prompts at your fingertips—so no more blaming “writer's block” when the only real villain is your sixth cup of coffee and a suspiciously blinking cursor.

Think of these prompts as your literary gym: they'll stretch your imagination, test your characters' limits, and occasionally leave you wondering why you wrote a talking goat into your dystopian love triangle. (You're welcome.)

Remember, writing doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't even have to make sense at first. It just has to start. Scribble badly. Draft recklessly. Edit later. The important thing is to get the words out—preferably before the existential dread kicks in.

Now go forth and write weird, wonderful things. The world's full of stories, and yours might just be the one we didn't know we needed.

Happy scribbling—and don't forget to hydrate.