This week, I decided to follow a theme of self-reflection. Each story prompt will have the characters reflecting on some aspect of themselves. This is a phenomenal way to write about yourself in a fun, fictional setting!
If you’re hesitant to write about personal experiences, check out my short story series Empath and Apath, Becoming a Bard, and The Cursed Prince, where I explore the struggles in my life every Sharing Sunday. If you still don’t want to write about your struggles, I encourage you to use the writing prompts as a fun way to explore character self-reflection instead.
In addition to my website, you can find all my daily writing prompts on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook!
Writing Prompts
- Science Fiction (meticulous): Captain Adrian Lee stands at the helm of the spaceship and methodically reviews every readout and sensor alert. Lee can hear his crew grumbling about his thoroughness when he notices a strange light on the console he hasn’t seen before. Many of his crew believe it to be nothing more than a sensor malfunction, but Captain Lee remains unnerved.
- Thriller (control): Investigator Rachel manages a tense hostage situation from a makeshift command center with her new partner, Gerald. Gerald’s frustration mounts as Rachel makes more and more executive decisions, but Rachel refuses to loosen her reins. She can’t shake the feeling that something is off.
- Animal POV (raccoon, curiosity): Rocky investigated a shadowy cave hidden beneath overgrown vines, his keen nose twitching with curiosity. Rocky had been warned against going this far before but knew he must sustain his family through the harsh winter. As he rummaged through the darkness, he couldn’t help but feel that he was on the right track to something grand.
- Romance (independence): Julia tried talking to Liam about his aloofness, but once again, he was heading for the door. Their remote retreat was not going as planned; instead of growing closer, Liam kept finding ways to do their planned couple’s activities alone. Sighing, Julia resigned herself to a quiet night in, when suddenly, the storm outside cut off all the power. Julia froze, but Liam quickly returned to the room. Calmly, he handed her a flashlight and reassured her that they would be all right. Strangely, despite usually feeling distant from Liam, Julia felt a sudden closeness.
- Mystery (skepticism): Detective Clara scrutinized the cluttered, dimly lit interrogation room. Her colleagues were chatting dismissively about the seemingly straightforward case, but to Clara, the evidence did not seem to fit. When reviewing the evidence for the dozenth time, she came across one line that she couldn’t let go: The witness was wearing a blue cardigan.
- Fantasy (stubborn): Dwarf Bronn toiled in the treacherous mountains, his hammer ringing against the stone. The rugged landscape was fraught with danger, from unstable rock formations to hidden crevices, but Bronn was determined to make the dig a success. His resolve was shaken when a rumbling echoed through the mine, revealing a group of trapped miners. While others abandoned the site, claiming it was too unstable, Bronn’s stubbornness wouldn’t let him walk away—not from the project, and certainly not from the miners who needed rescue.
- General (low social battery): Franklin stared at his packed calendar, wondering which event he could cancel. His friends often called him a recluse because he preferred solitude over socializing. He didn’t want to be labeled that way, but he felt more at peace on days when he had time to himself. Was it really so wrong to need space to recharge?
My favorite prompt of the week:
Happy writing!
B.R. Quinn
B.R. Quinn 