25 Creative Writing Prompts for Adults

I understand the frustration that is often felt when inspiration is lacking. There have been countless times I have stared at a blank page not knowing where or how to start my next story.

However, sometimes inspiration is found in the simplest things. A song on the radio or a random picture on the wall might spark an idea, and, from there, a story blossoms. That is why I believe prompts are an excellent way to ignite your creativity. You don’t have to start your story from scratch.

Below, I have written 25 Creative Writing Prompts for adults in the categories of romance, fantasy, and new adult. I hope you will enjoy these prompts and that one of them inspires your next story!

Romance Writing Prompts for Adults

The romance genre is characterized by a central storyline where two characters fall in love. This genre is very versatile and can range from a slow burner to a hot fiery story. There are many subgenres of romance you can choose to write about including Erotica, Fantasy romance, historical romance, paranormal romance, romantic comedy, etc.

• Stay with me: Your character is bored with their life and decides to travel. So, they quit their job and hop and the next flight for the adventure of a lifetime. During their travels, they visit a lovely town and decide to relocate there permanently. They meet someone new there and start dating them. Your protagonist ends up falling in love with this person but is devastated to learn that they are leaving town soon because they are unsatisfied with their life there. Will love be enough to keep these two characters together or will their differing goals tear them apart?
• Freedom comes at a Price: Write about a dystopian world where young women are traded off and sold to the highest bidder. Against her own will, your protagonist is sold to a man who intends to find a wife for his son.  This young woman wants nothing more than to be free, but her freedom comes at a price.  If she refuses this offer,  she can never be married again.  However, if she does marry, she can no longer travel alone, she cannot own any property and her identity is forever bound to her husband. Her decision is made more complicated when she falls in love with the young man that she has to marry.  Will your protagonist choose Love or her freedom?
• Your insecurities: Write about a woman who meets a man at an Art Cafe. They get to know each other and quickly discover that they have a lot in common. The man in question is an artist that specializes in drawing people with disabilities, scars, and any other abnormalities.  As these two characters get to know each other,  they fall for one another. The woman discovers that he has a lot of insecurities about the scars that cover his body. These insecurities stop him from getting too close/intimate with other people. Will this couple be able to overcome this hurdle? 
• A night to remember: Your protagonist goes out to the bar with her friends and dances with a stranger. She ends up having a one-night stand with this person. The next day, she goes to work with a hangover and bumps into the stranger she had slept with. She discovers that this person is now her new co-worker. Considering their history, how will these two navigate their relationship at work? 
• High and low tides: Write about two characters who have been in a long-term relationship for a couple of years. So far, their relationship has been easygoing. However, when one character goes through a tragic life event and the other struggles to deal with feelings they are developing for someone else,  the couple’s relationship becomes tumultuous. Will this couple be able to overcome these obstacles? 
• When the sun goes down: Write about a character who finds themselves lost during their vacation. They have no phone service and no way of getting back to their hotel. Thankfully they eventually meet another tourist who knows how to get back to the hotel. These two characters end up spending the whole day together and when they return to the hotel, the sun has already gone down.  
• Starting over: Write about a woman who’s moving to a completely new city after a failed marriage. This character is bisexual but has mostly dated men. After settling in, your protagonist decides that she wants to start dating women. 
• One last time: Your character has to travel back to their hometown for a business trip. During their trip, they encounter an ex-lover that they haven’t seen in 10 years. These two characters end up having a few drinks at a local bar and talking about their past relationship and why it failed. They both still have feelings for each other but knowing that they live completely different lives in different cities, they know that pursuing a relationship again is impossible. However, because your protagonist is staying in town for a couple of weeks, they decide to give their relationship a go one last time. 
• A wedding to remember: Your protagonist is invited to a wedding. Although she isn’t close to the bride or the groom, she does know a couple of people that are attending. On the day of the wedding, she decides to meet up with some acquaintances beforehand so that they may go to this event together. The wedding itself ends up being a disaster. The bride got cold feet and the groom was in shambles. After the fact, your protagonist ends up going to a bar with the people she came to the wedding with, and she ends up developing a connection with someone. 
• High school sweethearts: Write about a woman who decides to apply for a teaching role at the high school she used to go to. During her first day, she bumps into one of her coworkers and realizes that he’s actually someone she used to go to high school with. Back in the day, she had a huge crush on this guy but never found the courage to say anything. Now that she’s older and more confident, will she find the courage to make her move?

Fantasy Writing Prompts for Adults

When writing a story within the fantasy genre, the possibilities are endless. A fantasy story is typically set in a fictional world where the impossible becomes possible. Your creativity and imagination are your best assets. Note that there are also many subgenres of fantasy you can choose from including fantasy romance, historical fantasy, dystopian fantasy, grimdark fantasy, etc. 

• Lost Magic: Write about a man who, one day,  mysteriously acquires powers. He quickly becomes addicted to the powers he now possesses because they give him a renewed sense of purpose and a boost in self-esteem. However, a couple of weeks pass by and slowly his powers begin to fade. Your character finds himself desperately trying to hold on to them but they eventually completely fade away. Your character spirals into madness whilst trying everything and anything to get his powers back. 
• A Dark Power: Write a story about a little town haunted by a dark spirit. Every night, this spirit goes around town and chooses a host to do its bidding. When a victim has been chosen, the spirit will kill someone close to the host. The inhabitants must decide whether to kill the host or let them murder one of their loved ones. 
• The City of Blood: Your character is living in a city ravaged by war. The city is divided into three separate factions. The people from each faction are not allowed to communicate with opposing factions. If someone is caught breaking this rule, they are subject to a public execution. Your protagonist, who has powers, falls in love with someone from a different faction. 
• Sinister twins: Write about a set of twins who were born in a laboratory. They were created by scientists who were experimenting with the idea of manufacturing a superior race of humans. During their childhood, the twins were never shown any affection or love. They ended up trauma bonding with one another and became highly codependent. Each time one twin starts developing a friendship/relationship with another person, the other twin would get jealous and murder them in a gruesome way. 
• My crazy Neighbor: Your character just moved into a new town. One day she meets her next-door neighbor and they quickly become friends. Her neighbor invites her to have lunch with them at their place. However, whilst searching for the bathroom, your protagonist stumbles across the bedroom which is covered in blood. To make matters worse there are chains on the floor and claw marks on the wall. What dark secrets is this neighbor hiding?
• A debt to be paid: Write a story about a theft who was wrongly accused of murder. He was set up by the people he trusted most. After spending some years in prison, he is released on parole. Your character decides to take his revenge on the people that betrayed him. So, he pays a visit to a scientist who is known to have conducted crazy experiments that have enhanced the physical abilities of his test subjects. With his new abilities, your character starts tracking down his future victims.
• Chained lovers: Write about a couple who went on vacation in a foreign country. During their stay, they were kidnapped by a strange group of people and forced to participate in some kind of ritual. After a couple of days, they were released unharmed. This experience scarred them both and they broke up shortly after. A couple of years later, they both start experiencing weird sensations and they find out that they are somehow linked to one another.                                                                                                  
• A cursed muse: Write your story about a beautiful model who has had her portrait drawn by many artists. Because of her unique features, she has been the muse of many painters and sketch artists. However, when someone buys a portrait featuring her and brings it into their home, that person goes mad after a couple of weeks. 
• Bruised conscience: Your protagonist has made some terrible choices in their past which they regret immensely. They are given the chance to erase their memory and to start a completely new life unbothered by the mistakes of their past. Will your character choose to erase all of their memories or will they choose to keep them and face their own demons? 
• He is my shadow: Your protagonist is dating a new guy. At first, everything seemed to be going perfectly. He was funny, smart, and attractive. As time went on, he became obsessed with your character. His behavior started to creep her out, so she blocked him and started avoiding all the places he would usually go to. However, unbeknownst to her, he has special abilities including mind reading and invisibility powers making it easy for him to track her down. 

New Adult Writing Prompts

New adult fiction typically features protagonists in their 20s. This genre is considered similar to the YA genre but is marketed towards a slightly older audience. This genre focuses on issues that many deals with when entering adulthood. This includes moving out for the first time, discovering new career paths, developing intimate relationships, exploring one’s sexuality, etc. 

• My first relationship: Write about a protagonist experiencing their first ever relationship in their 20s. They have never witnessed what a healthy relationship dynamic looks like hence, they don’t know how to set boundaries with their partner. Write about your character slowly developing the courage to express their wants and needs within their relationship as well as unlearning some of their own toxic habits. 
• A new me: Write your story about a character who has had a difficult childhood and made many bad decisions during their teen years. However, now that they are becoming a young adult, they want to turn their life around. 
• A dream life: Write about a young woman who grew up in poverty and is determined to live the lavish lifestyle she has always dreamed of. However, she decides to go about obtaining success through shady methods that get her in trouble all of the time. 
• Wasted time: Your protagonist has spent most of their late teens and early adult years in a long-term relationship that no longer fulfills them. Because of their extreme fear of being alone, they have avoided breaking up with their partner even though they have fallen out of love with them. 
• Never have I ever: Write your story about a young adult who is struggling to figure out their sexuality. They are about to enter their first ever relationship with someone they really like but they feel no sexual desire for. Later on, they come to the realization that they might be asexual. Considering that your character had no previous knowledge of what it meant to be asexual, how will your character navigate their relationship?

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