Are you a fantasy writer unable to find the spark for your next story? Or maybe you're looking to practice your sigils in some writing sprints before galavanting into your work-in-progress.

 Check out the curated prompt list below; I’m sure this hoard holds your next treasure.

“Three Things” Writing Prompts

Allow these three enchanting items to swirl around in your head and see what magic is brewing deep within the chasms of your mind.

1. A glowing emerald -  a missing dog - a scrap of blue cotton
2. A shattered crystal ball - a honey glazed ham - Orion’s belt
3. A bear rug - a man wearing antlers - a large oak tree
4. A tuft of white fur - an ink stain - a dewy meadow
5. Orange powder - a spilled wine bottle - a roll of parchment
6. A sundial - a leather bound tome - a chainmail shirt
7. A dragon scale - a pair of dice - a wheel of cheese
8. An ivy covered wall - a blue fog - the howl of a wolf
9. A sprouted walking stick - a green, pointed shoe - a baby’s rattle
10. A field of corn - a worm - a broken sign 

“Start with This Sentence” Writing Prompts

The idea is simple. You must begin with this sentence, and no changes allowed. (Unless you’re the chosen one; I guess we can make an exception for that.)

1. It’s the middle of the night and the rooster is crowing; it can mean only one thing.
2. The ground wasn’t the only thing thawing this spring.
3. An envelope slid in through the slot and floated delicately to the ground. 
4. The carriage rushes past spraying the ladies with muddy water.
5. As the church bells chimed, I rushed for the town gates; it was now or never.
6. I’d slept in, and the tent was scorching because of it.
7. She crammed on her helmet, grabbed her sword and shield, and rushed off without another thought.
8. Thunder crashed and lightning struck but not a cloud was in the sky.
9. The scent of apples filled the air marking the beginning of preparation for the harvest festival.
10. A sudden whoosh of skittering animals pushed the grass in an unnatural wave as a large shadow engulfed the field.

Scene Writing Prompts

Here’s a little bit of action to get your story rolling. Is this a scene where a big brawl breaks out or is someone sneaking around in the background? Is there some important information to be overheard or a magical item to be found?

1. A busy street market. The crowd is filled with people wearing bright colours. Merchants are calling out, buyers are haggling, and in the background gentle music plays.
2. A forest trail with gentle lighting. A tent is erected just to the side. Someone throws open the door flap and steps into the morning light. They stretch and set about starting a fire.
3. A cat wanders across the top of a brick wall. When it reaches the corner it plops down and playfully bats at a tree branch.
4. Three figures are climbing the side of a mountain. They are just about to reach the snowline. 
5. A fountain, whose spout is a serpent, gently gurgles in the twilight hours. A figure emerges from a nearby alley, sets a package on the fountain’s ledge, and continues their trek across the square into another dark alley. 
6. A young person sits at a desk with a stack of books.. Two books sit open in front of them, one for reading and one for writing. An hourglass sits at the center of everything and it is nearly at its end.
7. In a room filled with lit candles, a man sits in silence at the front facing the door. Moments later someone walks in, and the man rises to greet them.
8. In the distance the clanging of metal on metal begins. The focal character takes off running toward it. 
9. A large feast is taking place. Everyone at the table is quiet. The seat at the head of the table is empty.
10. A grandfather clock chimes in the grand foyer as two young people sneak in the side door. They track in mud as they ascend the main staircase.

Dialogue Writing Prompts

Commanding leaders, nurturing mentors, and teasing allies, everyone has something to say! Now it’s up to you to figure out who is saying it, and what the heck they're talking about!

1. “Not yet, you have a lot to learn.” 
2. “And when the stones glow red that means…”
3. “Where are all the animals? I haven’t heard a single bird chirp or critter skitter since we entered the forest.” 
4. “You will go to the top of the mountain, and you will like it.”
5. “Does that look like a face to you?” 
6. “A dash of sugar, a few corn kernels, tallow and there we have it!” 
7. “It’s a lovely day for a walk, don’t you think?”
8. “Well, that certainly stings.”
9. “Your job isn’t to understand why; it’s to save the world.”
10. “You have to look the part. Take a bath and I'll lay out your clothes for you.”

Setting Writing Prompts: The Place and The Magic Level

In other prompt lists we’ve provided the place and time, but fantasy gets a little funky when it comes to a time period, so we’ve opted to offer you a magic and tech level instead. 

You can interpret these however you like, but our suggested interpretations are: High magic is everywhere and may even seem mundane, while low magic is little to no magic, users are revered for their special talents and there might be skeptics running around. 

High and low tech are on opposite sides of automation, so steam and gears could be considered high tech while pulleys and horsepower would be low tech. 

1. A desert town always worried about reptile attacks. High magic, low tech.
2. A mountainside city which thrives on tourism catering both to folks looking for a simple walk and a nice view, all the way to adrenaline junkies wanting to reach the top of the mountain range. High magic, high tech.
3. A floating archipelago. Nobody has been down to the surface, nor has anyone from the surface visited, in a very long time. Low magic, high tech. 
4. The world has come out from a dark age having lost a lot of knowledge. The potential for magic and technology to be found is high. Low magic, low tech. 
5. A swamp filled with shadows that have no origin. High magic, low tech. 
6. A tower filled with books, artifacts, and traps. Some rooms are covered in dust, others seem surprisingly clean. High magic, low tech. 
7. A cave whose opening is a long vertical tunnel in the center of a forest. High magic, low tech. 
8. A university campus. It has large stone buildings and is decorated with marble sculptures, topiaries, and a variety of fountains. High magic, high tech. 
9. Twin towns on either side of a river. Their relationship is like that of siblings. Low magic, low tech. 
10. Inside a large tree. High magic, low tech.  

“The Problem” Writing Prompts

Trolls in dungeons, magic running amok, or a lost lucky sock, anything can throw your characters into a new vat of trouble. Big and small, here’s ten troubles to throw them off the ball.

1. There’s giant, glowing bugs in the sewer.
2. A character unknowingly ate a magic cupcake..
3. Storms have been growing more frequent and it’s snowing in the summer. 
4. The local wizard passed unexpectedly, and their apprentice is not ready to take over the duties. 
5. The chosen one has disappeared. Were they kidnapped? Ran away? Just invisible?
6. All the weapons are dull! 
7. A species of long thought extinct creatures is found to not be extinct and they're coming back with a vengeance. 
8. A dangerous, exotic pet has escaped. 
9. The royal prison has been broken into. 
10. It’s the year the volcano wakes up. 

Character Writing Prompts

There are so many roles to fill in an adventuring party: mentor’s, sidekicks, contrarians. Here are a few characters with little quirks ready to add some flavour to the protagonists quest.

1. A scrawny boy with a penchant for puzzle solving. He works as a cobbler’s apprentice.
2. A strong teen with a heart of gold and a talent for metal sculpture. They work as a smith’s apprentice but long to create art rather than spoons and frying pans.
3. A tapestry artist with an uncanny ability to tell the future. She doesn't have all the answers but when she knows; she knows.
4. A potion sommelier. They believe that not all potions have to taste bad, but also have a weird sense of what is bad.
5. A jeweler whose specialty is glass work. They create intricate beads and talismans.
6. A mysterious hunter dressed in thick furs. They don’t speak, and they don’t show their face.
7. A young woman who feels deeply. She runs a coffee shop and is very intune with what her patrons need; even if they don’t know it themself.
8. A man who dresses in bright colours with grand hats and piles of jewels. He is generous and always looking for a good chat.
9. An older man who is loved by every animal he meets. He has a tendency to talk to people the same way he talks to animals.
10. A simple farmer who lives on his own. Everyone wonders how he keeps the farm profitable when he employs no help.

Tropes with a Twist: Writing Prompts

Many of these tropes date back to the fantasy classics, and they need a bit of sprucing up. The tropes advanced on us, and we did a quick update to give you some fresh inspiration.

1. Ancient/Medieval Europe - Mix it up! Go back further. Take it to a different continent. Consider the Stone Age. Consider Africa.
2. A Tavern (or rather, anything but) - Cafe, bathhouse, library, rec centre, skate park. Anywhere else people and knowledge may be gathered, but beer isn't the main commodity.
3. The Chosen One - It’s always super clear who the chosen one is right? Consider telling a story with competing ideas about who the chosen one is. One character is convinced it's them, while another has been told all their life it's them.
4. Reluctant Hero - They aren’t reluctant for the usual reasons. They know they can do it; they have no problem leaving their life; they aren't lazy. They want the evil outcome. Maybe the villain got to them or maybe they are the villain. Wires got crossed somewhere, how?
5. Fantastical Creatures - Everyone thinks dragons and elves, try looking into other folklore or creating your own! Consider plant people, elementals, or human-squrriel hybrids!
6. Hidden Inheritance - While this inheritance comes with riches it also comes with something that seems useless upon first glance. Consider a book with hidden secrets or powerful instructions on its pages, or a mundane item (like a frying pan) that actually holds great power.
7. Price for Winning - Rarely does a story about saving the world not come with a price. In this case it’s even more complicated. The prize is also the price: maybe it’s great fortune that corrupts; maybe its magical powers bestowed that come with a curse; maybe the thing your characters beat was holding something even worse back.
8. Good and Evil Magicians or Magic - Explore the grey areas. Especially consider that magic’s good or evil component isn't inherent to the magic itself but in how the practitioner uses it. Consider a scene where two wizards use the same spell (same words, same motions) and something completely different occurs.
9. The Waiting Evil - An evil has been lurking for a very long time, where? Not as undead or a disembodied spirit but right under the royalties nose. Consider an inherited item (cursed but waiting for the trigger) or a long line of servants biding their time. 
10. Tragic backstory - One main reason for a tragic backstory is to have a kid that doesn’t have parents holding them back. What if the parents were just supportive? Perhaps they were adventurers and understand the call to be a hero. You’ll have to find your reason for the hero’s rash decisions somewhere else.

The Fantasy Special: Creature Writing Prompts

We all know about dwarves, elves and orcs; you’ve read about vampires, werewolves and zombies; we’re bored by battles against dragons, giants and demons. Let’s try something new!

1. Chimera (origin: Greek) - The traditional chimera is part lion, part goat and part snake, but in theory a chimera is just a bunch of things stuck together, so you could get creative with it!
2. Mushroom People - Mushrooms have some very cool abilities that could make having them as a human hybrid species very cool. Consider them being able to speak telepathically through the ground with one another. Think about what their spores could do. What about mushrooms that glow?
3. Manticore (origin: Persian) - It’s mostly lion with a venomous scorpion (or spiked) tail and a human face sporting three rows of teeth.
4. Mermaids but more - most mermaids have a fish tail (I didn’t forget about Ursula’s octopus bottom) so consider some other marine hybrids. Turtles, jellyfish, eels and seals are all sitting right there. 
5. Black Dogs (origin: English) - A large, black, spectral dog with glowing red or yellow eyes. They are at best sinister and at worst frightfully dangerous (and, very rarely, a Black Dog is protective.) There are variations across Europe and the Americas. Often seen as a symbol of death or the devil.
6. Human-animal hybrids - but think about ones you haven't seen before! Bats, squirrels, scorpions, frogs, flamingos, kangaroos… they list goes on and on.
7. Vodyanoy (origin: Russian) - Generally believed to look like a man with a potbelly and a bald head wearing a hat and clothes made of reeds. They are water spirits and protectors which must be appeased. If they are treated well they will help keep your mill running, but if treated poorly they will wreak havoc causing floods and breaking dams.
8. Humans but more - add some limbs or abilities. People with tails, six arms or the ability to smell emotions could certainly shake things up a bit.
9. Fylgja (origin: Nordic) - the Norse version of a guardian spirit. It is tied to destiny and fate. Usually, it is benevolent, but there is room for playing around with this.
10. Mischievous household spirits - I swear these ones are real. You know when you put your keys in the same place, and yet they aren't there when you look, but after thirty minutes of searching they're exactly where they should be? It was a house goblin. Get creative with the mischief they cause and how to appease them. (Irish and Slavic folklore are great inspiration here.)

Just a Few Extras: Writing Prompts for Fantasy Writers

These might have fit elsewhere, or maybe they’re a completely different style, but we like a nice round list of 100, so here’s the final ten.

1. Tell your story from the mentor's view point. 
2. Have the story take place somewhere you’ve vacationed.
3. A red cape - wind chimes - porcupine quills
4. Someone falls asleep on their horse and wakes up somewhere unexpected.
5. A bard sings a song nobody has ever heard; use this song as foreshadowing.
6. The ground rumbles, and a sea of small animals floods around the characters’ feet.
7. A glass tower - a hand mirror - a rabbit
8. First a meow, then a deep roar.
9. A small line of smoke in the distance in the evening, is raging fire by morning. 
10. Fireflies - a green ribbon - a skull

Thanks for taking a peek, and I hope these were able to get your creative juices flowing. Keep your eyes peeled for more genre prompt lists to come!

– This post was written by Jerrica Black