As always, you can read the latest chapter of Loyalty Fallen here. In this chapter, Kathryn reels with the knowledge that Xian killed her mother, and Chance confronts Zafiyah. If you haven’t started reading Loyalty Fallen, I recommend you take a look at this short video first to see if you might be interested.

And now, on to the real purpose of this post. I have spoken to a number of writers who struggle to come up with ideas for stories. Since I tend to have the opposite problem of having more ideas than I can ever write about, I wanted to share some prompts to get you started on your next projects. Some of these are fantasy-specific, while others are more general. If you’re looking for general prompts, skip down to #11 below.

Fantasy story prompts

In the case of each of these prompts, you can fill in your protagonist as you like. Some of these prompts are short and somewhat generic, while others are a little more detailed. Either way, my hope is that you can find something that inspires you to begin writing.

Story prompt #1:

The protagonist of your story can see exactly what crimes everyone has committed. This puts the protagonist in many difficult situations. For a more interesting version of this, the protagonist could see exactly what crimes everyone will commit in the future.

Story prompt #2:

Your protagonist is a paranormal investigator determined to show that magic does not exist, but is soon revealed to have magical powers.

Story prompt #3:

Your protagonist is a young prince/princess who is sent to a rival kingdom as a hostage to secure a treaty. Not content with this status, the protagonist creates a plot to take over the rival kingdom and rule it.

Story prompt #4:

The protagonist brought the ruin of his entire country in the past with out-of-control magic and now seeks redemption, all the while believing that can never be achieved.

Story prompt #5:

All of the magic users have disappeared, and someone needs to take their place to keep the world from destroying itself. Your protagonist reluctantly steps forward.

Story prompt #6:

Your protagonist is a criminal recruited from prison to lead a corps of similar soldiers into battle to protect the kingdom.

Story prompt #7:

After a hero saves the world, he becomes corrupt and a new hero, one of the original “sidekicks” must take the stage. This is your protagonist.

Story prompt #8:

Memories act as the fuel for magic, with “shards” of memories formed by removing those memories from human minds. This is commonly done to criminals to make them forget what turned them to crime. Your protagonist oversees this process in the prisons, but questions whether it is ethical.

Story prompt #9:

Your protagonist is a near-immortal magical being who is paroled after decades in prison. The conditions of the parole? To capture one of the most notorious villains the world has ever known. Romantasy writers may see an opportunity here.

Story prompt #10:

Your protagonist is a small-town sheriff hiding magical abilities who must lead that town through the coming apocalypse.

General fiction writing prompts

If you write science fiction, modern fiction, romance, or historical fiction, any one of these prompts may be useful, as you can use them throughout various time periods and settings.

Story prompt #11:

A young person leaves home to save a family member who has been taken as a prisoner of war.

Story prompt #12:

After the death of a beloved parent, the protagonist discovers a journal that shows that the remaining parent may have been the cause. This sets the protagonist on a path of discovery and revenge.

Story prompt #13:

The solitary protagonist stands as the only remaining holdout against a tyrannical invading force that is systematically razing the country to the ground.

Story prompt #14:

The protagonist is an ex-soldier who becomes the unexpected guardian of an orphaned child with a mysterious past.

Story prompt #15:

Your protagonist was mistreated as a child and has made a vow to never put up with such mistreatment again without repaying tenfold. This vow turns out to be difficult to keep when the protagonist is sent to a particularly competitive academy and begins a long journey to the top, much to the fury of other class members.

Story prompt #16:

After a war, the protagonist makes a life mission out of seeking closure for the families of those who were missing in action.

Story prompt #17:

The protagonist is a former singer who has fallen from grace. While the character would do anything for a second chance, a world-changing event makes survival a top priority.

Final thoughts

Next week’s post will offer many more places you can go to find ideas for your next story. If you’re interested, subscribe and give this post a like. Also, let me know in the comments if you decided to go with any of these prompts. I’d love to hear about your story. In the meantime, enjoy Loyalty Fallen!