Agnes Scott College is hosting its 50th Annual Writers’ Festival this spring. There will be a range of writers and guest speakers from Rita Dove to Tiana Clark and Jacqueline Goldfinger. Every writer was at some point beginners in their craft and struggled to come up with stories. With time and practice, they assembled an arsenal of tools and techniques to perfect their content and most importantly, prevent writer’s block. Whether you need to write your memoir or a sci fi fantasy novel, here are 21 prompts that will get your creative juices flowing to write your next piece.
Romance
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Romeo and Juliet started dating because they both wanted to make Rosaline jealous.
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Jack lived and was angry at Rose for not sharing the door, and her ex-fiance wants his diamond back.
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In a world where being single is illegal, you don’t care and love being single. So you try to make a case where as a Gemini, you are many people in one.
Science Fiction
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Your grandfather just died and left you his Swiss Army Watch. It’s like a Swiss Army Knife, but your watch can hack into any database in the world…and others.
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Your mom is the most feared space pirate. Her biggest failure was the Battle of the Last Oreo Sandwich. Much to your dismay, she sent you to pirate school hoping you’d succeed in taking the last planet with organic food in the galaxy. What she doesn’t know is that you own that planet, and you were the one who made her lose.
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Trees are gateways to other dimensions. You stumble upon the dimension that has security cameras in every other dimension, including several where you are immortal.
Fantasy
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Humans and demigods live harmoniously in the modern world. However, sports are used to solve disputes. Whenever countries have political differences, they use the strongest demigods to battle in the ultimate tournament, the Olympics. You have been training your entire life to restore glory to your country as the only human to ever join the Olympics.
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Years ago a mining company reached the center of the earth. They found an ancient supply of magic that they now use to control the world.
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Hermione is the chosen one, not Harry.
Western
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A wealthy landowner acts as a tyrant to a town of homesteaders. You control the wealthy landowner.
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Your friend needs help with a cattle drive, but they also invite your enemy. A rockslide causes you all to be trapped underground with the biggest gold deposit outside of California. Unfortunately, you’re hungry with no cattle, the rocks keep shifting, and someone has a gun.
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The use of bullets or any projectile for the intention of causing bodily harm has been outlawed. Now, the Wild West uses swords and close combat.
Comedy
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You’re trapped in a dream where you go to the bathroom.
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Everyone communicates by using song lyrics.
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Furniture actually does talk, and unfortunately for you as a politician, they also gossip.
Horror/Thriller
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You can talk to your reflection, and it wants out of the mirror.
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You joined the good guys so you could have permission to kill and cause as much destruction you wanted.
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Your older sister starts seeing your imaginary friends. They are the monsters from her nightmares, and you are very much aware of this.
Nonfiction
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One of your vacations or dream vacations and a lesson to be learned.
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An implied rule or value that influenced your decisions in life and how you did or didn’t change your belief in that value.
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A journey or struggle that you endured and had to overcome.