Writer's Block-Busters
Sometimes, writers get stuck and just thinking about writing creates so much mental and emotional stress that every word is effort.
This is writer's block.
It's okay, writer's block is normal; every writer suffers this torture at some point. If you're looking to break free of this stressful time, or even if you're bored or lacking inspiration, check out the block-buster prompts below.
Most of the prompts on this page can inspire a range of prose genres and poetry styles. We set the series prompts aside for those who enjoy creating longer works.
This page is open to any writer with a free Writer's Workout membership. Anyone may use these prompts for their own purposes.
Please credit The Writer's Workout if one of our prompts inspired a piece you publish.
Better Writer subscribers may submit their creations as their monthly feedback option.
We will update this page as often as possible.
Good luck, writer!
Prose and Poetry
These prompts are in no particular order. You'll find suggestions below each prompt to push you creatively; prose suggestions focus on strengthening the Core Concepts while poetry suggestions target emotional expression.
If something you publish was inspired by a Writer's Workout prompt, please credit our nonprofit organization to help spread the word about this amazing resource.
Your character’s new home is haunted.
Prose: focus on horror tropes
Poetry: show fear
Your character finds a magical item in an ordinary place.
Prose: focus on description
Poetry: show wonder
Your group of adventurers splits up.
Prose: focus on fantasy tropes
Poetry: show anxiety
Your character explains their family tree to a non-relative.
Prose: focus on a backstory
Poetry: show nostalgia
Add a frenemy
Your character cooks a special dish.
Prose: focus on show, don't tell
Poetry: show joy
Your character explores the world from someone else’s point of view.
Prose: focus on out-of-body perspective
Poetry: show compassion
Explore the body-swap trope
Your character takes something that doesn’t belong to them.
Prose: focus on description
Poetry: show thrill
Your character is forced to move homes.
Prose: focus on description
Poetry: show despair
Your character is on the hunt for something specific.
Prose: focus on perspective
Poetry: show longing
Your character explains the story behind their nickname.
Prose: focus on backstory
Poetry: show nostalgia
Your character goes back in time to undo a mistake but makes the future much worse.
Prose: focus on cohesion
Poetry: show defeat
A secret society seeks new members.
Prose: focus on thriller tropes
Poetry: show anticipation
Add the symbols hidden in plain sight trope
Your character creates a companion for themselves.
Prose: focus on dialogue
Poetry: show inner peace
Your character is immortal and witnessing the final moments of the universe.
Prose: focus on character development
Poetry: show loss
Your character is falsely accused.
Prose: focus on dialogue
Poetry: show fear
Your character finds or receives a family heirloom with special properties.
Prose: focus on backstory
Poetry: show surprise
Your character creates an elaborate lie to avoid punishment.
Prose: focus on cohesion
Poetry: show smug
Your character finds themselves living the same day over again.
Prose: focus on foreshadowing
Poetry: show confusion
Add the frozen clock trope
Your character loses themselves in something they love.
Prose: focus on pacing
Poetry: show love
Your character attempts to become a costumed superhero.
Prose: focus on thriller tropes
Poetry: show anticipation
Add a rural setting
Your character must learn a new skill in a short amount of time.
Prose: focus on character development
Poetry: show stress
Someone from your character’s past delivers an important message.
Prose: focus on backstory
Poetry: show surprise
Your character wakes up on the opposite side of the world.
Prose: focus on cohesion
Poetry: show wonder
Write a story about an ordinary trip turning into a fantastic adventure.
Prose: focus on pacing
Poetry: show curiosity
Your character duels an opponent to the death.
Prose: focus on pacing
Poetry: show pride
Your character makes their last creative work.
Prose: focus on character development
Poetry: show reminiscence
Your character gets a raise at work but it’s less than they feel they deserve.
Prose: focus on perspective
Poetry: show anger
Your character fixes something they broke.
Prose: focus on cohesion
Poetry: show panic
What happened outside the frame when the photographer snapped the shot?
Prose: focus on show, don’t tell
Poetry: show surprise
Your character writes a letter to someone they know.
Prose: focus on perspective
Poetry: show awe
Your character dies but the afterlife doesn’t live up to the hype.
Prose: focus on description
Poetry: show frustration
Write a story about a tree.
Prose: focus on description
Poetry: show peace
Two of your character’s friends are fighting.
Prose: focus on pacing
Poetry: show annoyance
Your character discovers a strength they didn’t know they had.
Prose: focus on character development
Poetry: show empowerment
Add the antihero character archetype
Your character has a huge ego and falls from grace.
Prose: focus on show, don’t tell
Poetry: show sorrow
Your character finds a strange object.
Prose: focus on foreshadowing
Poetry: show curiosity
After years apart, you character is reintroduced to someone from their past.
Prose: focus on dialogue
Poetry: show nostalgia
Your character wins a very large prize.
Prose: focus on foreshadowing
Poetry: show shock
Your character finds out they can become invisible.
Prose: focus on show, don't tell
Poetry: show wonder
Your character starts a new job.
Prose: focus on dialogue
Poetry: show intimidation
Add a high-level responsibility position
Series Prompts: novellas
If longer works are more your speed, check out these novella-length prompt series. Each prompt in the series is designed to inspire a scene or small section of a longer work. The prompts fit together in various orders to create a unique story each time.
Links open a Google Doc; genre definitions are just suggestions.
Looking for even more prompt series? Click here.