Writing is hard. You want to tackle a scene head-on and make sure it has what it takes, but what if you can't figure the scene out at all, or even the entire story? 

We assembled 75 of the best writing prompts to help you start scenes and screenplays. So, get started and get it done! 


75 Writing Prompts to Supercharge Your Creative Output 

Let us know your favorite prompt in the comments! 

  1. What was your favorite vacation?
  2. What would you do with three more hours of daylight? 
  3. Dramatize your last text exchange. 
  4. What's a scene you wish happened in your favorite movie? 
  5. Two people both want the same dog at the pet store. How do they decide? 
  6. Who is a mentor that helped shape you? 
  7. Your car breaks down. Who comes to help you? 
  8. Write about your first kiss. 
  9. Write an idea that takes place in one room. 
  10. Write about something that's missing. 
  11. Write a story from an animal's perspective. 
  12. What if your brain was transported to your childhood body? 
  13. Write a day in the life of someone you admire. 
  14. In a decade, I will be...
  15. What was your parents' wedding like? 
  16. Write a conversation between you and your worst enemy at dinner. 
  17. What's your ideal road trip? 
  18. Write about your biggest goal in life. 
  19. What's the worst thing that happened to you? 
  20. How would you convince someone of something during a plane ride? 
  21. Tell us a story about a con man or woman. 
  22. Dramatize your favorite song's chorus. 
  23. Write a biopic about your favorite singer. 
  24. Tell us the story of who made your favorite piece of furniture. 
  25. Tell us about a lesson that changed your life.
  26. What's a moment in time you'd want to visit? 
  27. What would you do for a billion dollars? 
  28. You land on a new planet and find an alien. What happens? 
  29. What's the worst job someone has? 
  30. Tell us about life on a deserted island. 
  31. Your character has amnesia, trace back their steps. 
  32. Tell us your grandparents' love story. 
  33. What does failure mean to you?
  34. Would you rather be invisible or able to fly? Write about both. 
  35. Tell us about how you got your pet. 
  36. What's the story of someone who sells your favorite food. 
  37. Tell us the story of your greatest sports achievement. 
  38. Tell us the origin story of your arch-rival. 
  39. Who broke your heart? 
  40. Tell us about a plane that's going down. 
  41. Write an homage to your favorite book plot.  
  42. Tell us the story of an inanimate object. 
  43. A house burns down, all that's left was...
  44. Your plane lands in the wrong airport. What do you do? 
  45. Your uncle leaves you a treasure map. What's at the end? 
  46. Someone kicks down your door in the middle of the night. What do they want? 
  47. You get home and the robber is still there, what do you do? 
  48. You answer a phone you find in your mailbox. The caller says...
  49. Your ex shows up to your birthday party. They want...
  50. You have a fatal wound but have to communicate one last message to the world...
  51. Tell us the story of someone handicapped. 
  52. You have a mysterious stain on your pants. How did it happen? 
  53. What would the world be like without sunlight? 
  54. How will robots control the workforce in 30 years? 
  55. Tell us about one of the wonders of the world. 
  56. Someone is following you in the supermarket. How do you shake them? 
  57. You need money and want to rob a place. Where do you choose and why? 
  58. Tell us who founded your city. 
  59. You owe the mafia money, how do you win them over? 
  60. Your favorite toy comes alive. What do you do with it? 
  61. You go dancing: where and why? 
  62. You make eye contact with someone and they approach you. Play out the scene. 
  63. How did you meet your best friend? 
  64. You eavesdrop and hear someone is about to commit a crime. What do you do? 
  65. Write about a "missed connection" you see on Craigslist. 
  66. What's locked inside your glove compartment? 
  67. What would you do if you found a gun? 
  68. Tell the story you see in your favorite painting. 
  69. What's a local legend you care about. 
  70. Tell the story of a conspiracy theory you think is true 
  71. The house is on fire: what do you save? 
  72. Write about a secret you have and why. 
  73. What if your staircase went up one extra flight? Where would it go? 
  74. Write a story that switches genre in the middle. 
  75. What's a scene that happens after your favorite movie ends. 

What's next? Write short films

Chances are you’re reading No Film School because you’re not only obsessed with Hollywood, but you want to be a part of it. But breaking in is never easy. That’s why I think writing short films and even making them yourself, has become a viable option for breaking into the business.

Still looking for something to kickstart the creative flow?

How about horror story ideas? 

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