100 Creative Writing Prompts Sorted by Genre: A Go-To List for Students & Teachers

Every teacher and student knows the frustration of staring at a blank page, waiting for inspiration to strike. Creative writing prompts can be the perfect solution, igniting imagination, boosting confidence, and breaking through writer’s block. But sometimes, even finding good prompts can feel overwhelming. To make life easier, I've gathered 100 creative writing prompts for teens - sorted by genre. From fantasy worlds and thrilling mysteries to reflective contemporary stories, you’ll find everything you need to spark creativity and keep your students (or yourself!) inspired all year long.

Fantasy Writing Prompts

1. Write a story about a thief who accidentally steals a magical object that chooses its owner - and it’s chosen them.

2. Write a story featuring a healer who has the ability to take away pain but must endure the pain themselves.

3. Write a story set in a hidden library where books whisper forgotten secrets at night.

4. Write a story that begins with the line, "Magic wasn't supposed to run in families, but ours never played by the rules."

5. Write a story that ends with, "She watched as the stars rearranged themselves in the sky and realized her journey was only just beginning."

6. Write a story about a curse that causes every lie you tell to visibly appear on your skin as a tattoo.

7. Write a story about an exiled royal who secretly works as a blacksmith's apprentice to hide their magic.

8. Write a story set in a city built inside the enormous bones of an ancient, long-dead creature.

9. Write a story beginning with the sentence, "The dragon arrived just after midnight, but it wasn't here to burn the village; it needed help."

10. Write a story about a small village that disappears from all maps overnight, and you're the only person who remembers it ever existed.

Mystery and Thriller Prompts

1. Write a story set in a town where everyone wakes up one day to find anonymous notes taped to their doors, revealing their darkest secrets.

2. Write a story beginning with the sentence, "The detective realized too late that the witness was never really there."

3. Write a story about someone who receives a message from their own phone number, but it’s dated three days in the future.

4. Write a story that ends with, "The door locked behind her, and she finally understood she’d never been the one in control."

5. Write a story featuring a character who’s convinced their reflection in the mirror is slowly changing each day.

6. Write a story that begins with, "There were six guests at dinner, but one of them was already dead."

7. Write a story set in a remote hotel during a snowstorm, where guests mysteriously start to vanish one by one.

8. Write a story about a detective investigating a cold case who realizes the victim looks exactly like them.

9. Write a story that ends with the line, "As the lights flickered back on, everyone noticed the knife on the table was missing."

10. Write a story set on a luxury cruise ship where the passengers suddenly realize they’re all connected to the same unsolved crime.

Dystopian Writing Prompts

1. Write a story set in a world where people must buy words to speak them, and the price is rising fast.

2. Write a story that begins with the line, "Everyone receives the same message: 'Your memories will be erased at midnight.'"

3. Write a story about a society where your entire future is determined by a single test, but your character has discovered it's rigged.

4. Write a story set in a city that exists entirely underground because no one is permitted to return to the surface.

5. Write a story that ends with the sentence, "They watched silently as the wall, built to keep them safe, crumbled at last."

6. Write a story about a society where music is banned, and your character discovers an underground movement determined to bring it back.

7. Write a story set in a future where everyone’s emotions are regulated by mandatory pills, until your character stops taking theirs.

8. Write a story beginning with the line, "There hadn't been a sunrise in fifty years - until today."

9. Write a story set in a society where each person has their death-date tattooed on their wrist at birth, but your character’s date suddenly changes.

10. Write a story about a world where books have been outlawed, but your character finds a hidden library beneath their home.

Romance Writing Prompts

Write a story about two classmates who team up to win a school talent show and discover feelings they didn’t expect.

1. Write a story that begins with, "I never thought I'd fall in love during detention."

2. Write a story about someone who accidentally texts their crush instead of their best friend.

3. Write a story set entirely during a school trip where everything seems to go wrong, but one thing goes right.

4. Write a story that ends with, "Standing beneath the fireworks, they both knew this was just the beginning."

5. Write a story about two characters who’ve been neighbors their whole lives but never really noticed each other until today.

6. Write a story beginning with, "The note I found in my locker said, 'Meet me at midnight.'"

7. Write a story set at a summer camp featuring two counselors who can't stand each other - at first.

8. Write a story about someone who finds an old diary filled with love letters and decides to track down the original writer.

9. Write a story ending with, "As the bus pulled away, I realized I'd forgotten to ask her name."

10. Write a story about two classmates who team up to win a school talent show and discover feelings they didn’t expect.

Horror and Gothic Writing Prompts

1. Write a story set in an abandoned amusement park that mysteriously comes to life at midnight.

2. Write a story that begins with the line, "It wasn't until I looked at the photograph that I noticed someone standing behind me."

3. Write a story about a character who moves into an old house and finds messages written beneath the wallpaper.

4. Write a story set during a blackout, where every candle extinguishes itself simultaneously.

5. Write a story ending with the sentence, "As she stepped into the mirror, she realized too late it wasn't a reflection."

6. Write a story about someone who finds their name written on a tombstone dated tomorrow.

7. Write a story beginning with, "There was only one rule in the village: never open the gates after sundown."

8. Write a story about a music box that plays a different tune every night, predicting tomorrow's events.

9. Write a story set in an isolated lighthouse during a storm, where the keeper sees shadows moving inside the light itself.

10. Write a story ending with the line, "No matter how hard they tried, the footprints in the snow led back to their own front door."

Science Fiction Prompts

1. Write a story about a world where dreams can be recorded and played back, but your character finds one that isn’t theirs.

2. Write a story that begins with, "My robot companion suddenly stopped, turned to me, and asked, ‘Do you trust me?’"

3. Write a story set in a colony on Mars, where the first plant begins to grow, but it isn't what anyone expected.

4. Write a story ending with the line, "As the spaceship left Earth behind, they knew they'd never return home."

5. Write a story about someone who discovers a secret city hidden beneath the surface of the moon.

6. Write a story beginning with, "Everyone on Earth heard the same voice at once: 'We have arrived.'"

7. Write a story set in a future where teleportation has replaced all forms of transport until one day, someone doesn't arrive at their destination.

8. Write a story about a teenager who builds a time machine but can only travel exactly 5 minutes into the future.

9. Write a story ending with the sentence, "When I looked up, the stars had disappeared."

10. Write a story set in a futuristic society where each person is paired with an AI companion at birth, but your character’s AI begins acting strangely.

Historical Fiction Prompts

1. Write a story set during the construction of an iconic landmark seen through the eyes of a young apprentice.

2. Write a story that begins with, "The telegram arrived on the coldest day of the year."

3. Write a story about someone working secretly as a messenger during wartime who accidentally delivers a letter to the wrong person.

4. Write a story set during a royal coronation, told from the perspective of someone hiding in the crowd.

5. Write a story ending with, "And as the soldiers marched away, silence returned to the village once more."

6. Write a story about a family uncovering a secret hidden in their home during World War II.

7. Write a story set in Ancient Rome, where a young character witnesses an important event or moment, but nobody believes them.

8. Write a story beginning with, "It was the first day of the new century, and everything felt possible."

9. Write a story about a character who accidentally influences a famous historical event without realizing it.

10. Write a story ending with, "As she boarded the ship bound for the New World, she knew life would never be the same."

Action and Adventure Prompts

1. Write a story about a group of teens who find a mysterious map hidden inside an old board game.

2. Write a story beginning with, "When the alarm sounded, I knew we had exactly five minutes to escape."

3. Write a story set on a deserted island where the characters discover they’re not alone.

4. Write a story ending with, "As the dust settled, we realized the treasure wasn't gold; it was a secret we could never reveal."

5. Write a story about a teenager who accidentally uncovers a hidden spy network in their town.

6. Write a story beginning with, "No one had ever returned from the mountain, but we didn't have a choice."

7. Write a story set entirely during a hot air balloon journey that goes wildly off course.

8. Write a story about friends who discover a secret underground city beneath their school.

9. Write a story ending with the line, "We looked back one last time, knowing we'd never speak about this again."

10. Write a story about a daring rescue mission set deep inside a cave system during a flood.

Magical Realism Writing Prompts

1. Write a story about a town where people can hear each other's thoughts, but only during rainstorms.

2. Write a story beginning with, "My grandmother always said she kept the ocean in a bottle; I didn't believe her until today."

3. Write a story set in a café where each drink subtly changes a person's fate.

4. Write a story ending with, "As the clock struck midnight, every statue in town opened their eyes."

5. Write a story about someone whose shadow starts behaving differently from them.

6. Write a story beginning with, "The day the birds stopped singing was the day everything else started to talk."

7. Write a story set in a garden where flowers bloom to reflect the gardener’s emotions.

8. Write a story ending with, "She knew the book was magic because it finished writing itself."

9. Write a story about a teenager who discovers that the graffiti in their city is predicting the future.

10. Write a story set during a heatwave so intense that dreams begin spilling into reality.

Personal Reflective and Contemporary Fiction Prompts

1. Write about a time you faced a fear and what you learned from the experience.

2. Write a story beginning with, "I didn't think saying goodbye would be so hard."

3. Write about a moment when you realized someone you admired wasn't who you thought they were.

4. Write a story set entirely during the last hour of school before summer break.

5. Write about an object from your childhood that you wish you still had and why.

6. Write a story ending with, "It was only after leaving that I realized how much it meant to me."

7. Write about a friendship that started in an unexpected way.

8. Write about a place where you feel completely yourself and explain why it matters.

9. Write a story beginning with, "If I could redo one moment from this year, it would be..."

10. Write about a decision that changed your life, even if you didn't realize it at the time.

No matter if you're searching for inspiration to kickstart your next story, lesson, or journaling session, this comprehensive list of 100 creative writing prompts is your go-to resource. Each genre offers opportunities to explore new ideas, challenge creativity, and help you or your students grow as writers. Bookmark this list and revisit it anytime you need fresh ideas to fuel your imagination.

If you loved these prompts and want daily inspiration delivered directly to you, check out my Daily Writing Prompts subscription! Each prompt is carefully crafted to ignite your imagination, spark meaningful stories, and keep writer’s block at bay - all year round!

◆ Subscribe to Daily Writing Prompts Here!

Happy writing!