TIL: Writing Prompts

Imagine finding a box full of hundreds of folded paper cranes, each one unique with different colors, sizes and patterns. Each individual crane is filled with a cryptic message. Select one crane and write a story revolving around the message inside it, utilizing this journey to explore themes of destiny, serendipity, or accidental meetings.

Write a short story revolving around a mysterious, enchanting web. It could be a spider's web shimmering with morning dew, a figurative web of intricate relationships, or a clandestine internet web, filled with secrets and riddles. Describe the allure and mystique of the web, and the journey to comprehend its form and purpose. Try to encapsulate the tension, curiosity, and fascination associated with sights or experiences that are mesmerizing yet complex and unknowable. Relish in the ambiguity and uncertainty; capture the essence of wonder.

In the heart of a bustling city, everyone is always on the move. Among the fast-paced life and glimmering lights, shadows dance in silence. Your task is to write a story revolving around these shadows. Are the shadows merely reflections or are they mysterious entities with a mind of their own? Are they benevolent, malevolent or simply neutral observers to the city's madness? What forms do they take and what stories do they tell? Give life to these 'Shadows and Silhouettes'. Incorporate elements of magical realism, bring the city to life through sensory descriptions and play around with perspectives. Try to write from the point of view of the shadows themselves, the people casting them, or even an onlooker noticing their peculiar movements and shapes.

Your character lives an ordinary life with a routine that has become almost mundane. One day, they stumble upon a small, seemingly insignificant artifact that starts to bring about bizarre occurrences. Develop a storyline portraying how your character deals with these unexpected phenomena and discovers that this tiny artifact holds the tremendous responsibility of saving the world. Explore the struggle in accepting this unlikely fate and how it transforms their life. Use as many descriptive words as possible to paint vivid scenery and experiences. Elaborate on the changes in the character's mindset and the growth they undergo throughout their unexpected journey.

Write a short story based on this title. Dive deep into the emotions and senses. Incorporate elements of magic, wonder, and nostalgia. The melody should be deemed unheard because only a certain character can hear it. What does this melody bring to the character? Peace? Knowledge? Memories? Perhaps it’s a guiding light in their life, or it unleashes powers they’ve never known they had. Explore the relationship between the melody and the character, and how it impacts the world around them. Let your imagination soar!

In a small town, there is a mysterious labyrinth that is rumored to echo the deepest secrets and fears of whoever enters it. Write a story in which your main character is forced to enter this labyrinth. What do they hear? How do they confront or cope with these echoes? Develop your character's reactions, emotions and interactions with the echoes that revisits their darkest secrets or fears, and conclude the story with how this encounter changes them.

In an abandoned city park, nestled between overgrown shrubs and forgotten swing-sets, you stumble upon what appears to be a massive sundial. However, it's unusually adorned with ornate carvings of animals and performers as if it's a tribute to a bygone circus. Start by describing your discovery and curiosity that prompts you to investigate this peculiar artifact. As the shadows shift with the sun, you find yourself drawn into a series of time-bound narratives that whirl you into the past, with the sundial as your only guide back to the present. How will you navigate your way through this surreal adventure and what might you learn from the past?

Broaden your creativity by imagining a mystical, woven tapestry that holds the power, not only to tell the past, but to predict the future as well. It hangs in an ancient castle, yet no mortal has been able to fully comprehend its intricate patterns and vibrant threads. As the new caretaker of the castle, it's your responsibility to unlock its secrets. Write a story about your attempts to understand this mystical artifact.

In the heart of a bustling city, you discover a hidden alleyway. A set of time-worn stairs spiral up as far as you can see. Each stair appears to shimmer, as though imbued with a hint of magic. You start to ascend them. Write what happens next. Explore the unexpected sights or encounters and immerse yourself in the emotion as you slowly reveal the secret behind these mystical stairs.

In the back of an old dusty attic, uncover a delicate glass menagerie. Each piece has a unique trait or oddity that makes them special. Choose one of the creatures from the glass collection and build a story around it. How did it come to exist? What magical powers does it possess? Or perhaps, it might be the last of its kind. Let your imagination decide its story.