In a world where imagination runs wild and reality often blurs with the fantastical, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of stepping into an entirely new realm—one filled with magic, mystery, and unimaginable adventures. Whether you’re looking to craft the next great epic, unravel dark secrets, or dive into a world where myths come to life, fantasy writing has a unique way of pulling you in.
But sometimes, even the most seasoned writers need a spark of inspiration. That’s where a perfect writing prompt comes into play. Imagine this: a forgotten kingdom rising from the ashes, a curse that haunts an entire city, or a god who refuses to sleep. These ideas are not just stories waiting to be told—they’re worlds waiting to be discovered. Ready to explore? Let’s dive into a collection of captivating fantasy writing prompts that will fuel your creativity and unlock new doors to extraordinary tales.
1. Epic Fantasy Writing Prompts
The Last Ember of the Worldforge
Long ago, the gods forged the world on an anvil of cosmic fire, but over time, the Worldforge has dimmed, and now only a single ember remains. It is said that whoever possesses this ember will have the power to reshape reality. When a war-torn kingdom’s disgraced blacksmith accidentally discovers the ember hidden in a cursed battlefield, powerful rulers, ancient creatures, and forgotten deities awaken to claim it. How will they wield such power, and what secrets does the ember hold?
The Curse of the Starborne King
Every five hundred years, a celestial event grants a mortal the ability to rewrite fate. King Orlath was chosen, but when he defied destiny to save his dying son, the world fractured, splitting reality into mirrored realms. Now, an aging sorceress who remembers the original timeline seeks a hero who can undo the Starborne King’s reckless wish. But what if the new world is better than the old one?
2. Dark Fantasy Writing Prompts
The Plague Choir
A kingdom has been cursed by the voices of the dead. Every night, mournful singing echoes from the city walls, and those who listen too long become part of the melody, their bodies rotting while their spirits sing forever. When a deaf warrior and an exiled necromancer uncover the origins of the Plague Choir, they realize the curse was not an accident—it was a warning. Something far worse is about to awaken.
The Mirrorblade Pact
A young assassin is given a sentient dagger that allows them to kill without consequence—the soul of their victim vanishes as if they never existed. However, with each use, the dagger whispers secrets about a forgotten war between gods and mortals. When the assassin discovers that one of their erased victims was meant to become a god, they must decide whether to restore the lost soul… or continue wielding the power of oblivion.
The Feast of the Hollow King
Every ten years, a grand feast is held in the capital, where the ruler invites every citizen to partake in a grand banquet. But what the people don’t realize is that the feast itself is a sacrifice—the king is consuming their memories, erasing pieces of their lives to sustain his immortality. When a young woman discovers she has no past beyond the last feast, she must uncover the truth before the next one begins.
The Well of Forgotten Names
A cursed well lies in the heart of the oldest forest, where people go to cast away names they wish to forget. But names hold power, and the more names are thrown into the well, the stronger it becomes. One day, the well speaks—whispering all the lost names back into the world. But not all of them belong to the living.
3. Urban Fantasy Writing Prompts
The City of Borrowed Days
In an underground part of the city, there’s a hidden shop that trades in time. Need an extra year? Trade a memory. Want a decade? Give up something deeper. But when a struggling journalist discovers that the city’s most powerful elites have been hoarding stolen years from unsuspecting citizens, they must choose—expose the truth and risk erasing themselves from history, or strike a bargain that could rewrite their own fate.
The Locksmith’s Key
A street magician in New York has a secret—his “tricks” are real magic. One day, a stranger hands him an old iron key and tells him, “It unlocks the door between worlds.” The magician laughs it off—until he finds a door where there wasn’t one before. When he steps through, he enters a version of his city where myths roam freely, and something monstrous is hunting him down for stealing the key.
The Underground Auction
Every year, in a city hidden beneath the real world, an auction is held where the wealthy bid on intangible things—courage, love, years of life, even entire destinies. A struggling artist accidentally stumbles into this auction when they are mistakenly sold as an “item.” Now, they must find out who placed them on the list… and why someone is willing to pay a fortune for them.
The Memory Collectors
In a neon-lit metropolis, there are people who collect lost memories—trading them like currency. Some pay to forget painful moments, while others purchase stolen memories for knowledge and power. When a detective investigating a high-profile case suddenly finds gaps in their own memory, they realize someone has been erasing their past, one piece at a time.
4. Mythic & Folklore-Inspired Fantasy Writing Prompts
The Tale of the First Shadow
Every culture has myths about where shadows come from, but one legend tells of a time when there were none. The first shadow ever cast was not an absence of light but a living thing, trapped beneath the feet of humanity. Now, an ancient order of storytellers warns that the First Shadow has returned, seeking vengeance on those who once imprisoned it. Only a descendant of the first lightbearer can stop it—but that bloodline was thought to be extinct.
The Moonstone Bride
Every century, the moon chooses a bride. The chosen one is taken to the celestial palace, never to be seen again. Some say it is an honor, while others whisper that it is a terrible sacrifice. When the latest bride is chosen, her childhood friend—a scholar obsessed with unraveling the mystery—vows to follow her. But what he finds on the other side of the sky defies every myth ever told.
The River of Unspoken Promises
In a distant land, there is a river that only appears under the full moon. Those who drink from its waters are bound to fulfill any promise they have ever made. A former thief, now a nobleman, finds himself cursed after accidentally consuming the river’s water. As old oaths come back to haunt him, he must track down the people he once deceived—before his broken promises take his life.
The Weaver of the Sky
According to legend, the stars are woven into place by an unseen entity. When a star falls from the sky, a young astronomer finds a golden thread where it once was. As they pull at it, they begin unraveling the constellations—revealing the true history of their world, and the hidden war between the weaver and the one who seeks to cut the threads.
5. Portal Fantasy Writing Prompts
The Atlas of Forgotten Paths
A cartographer discovers an ancient map that shows roads and places that no longer exist. When they trace the ink with their finger, a forgotten path opens beneath their feet, transporting them to a world untouched by time. However, someone—or something—has been waiting for a traveler to arrive, and now the cartographer must complete a journey that was abandoned centuries ago.
The Book That Reads You
A struggling writer finds a book with no title and no author. When they open it, the pages begin to rewrite themselves with their own memories. As they read, they realize the book is showing them a path to another world—a world where their story has already been written, and their fate is sealed. But when they try to change the ending, the book starts writing back.
The Clockwork Gate
A forgotten subway station holds an ancient mechanism—an iron gate that opens once every hundred years to another world. When a homeless veteran accidentally activates the gate, they find themselves in a city of living machines, where time is currency and the laws of physics are rewritten daily. But the gate won’t stay open forever, and the only way back may be locked behind a puzzle with no solution.
The Door of Vanishing Echoes
A professor specializing in ancient languages discovers an abandoned door deep beneath their university. It has no handle, no keyhole, only a phrase written in a language that shouldn’t exist. When they speak the words aloud, the door opens—not into another world, but into a version of their own world where they never existed. Now, they must find out why the door was hidden… and who built it to keep them out.
6. Magical Realism Writing Prompts
The House That Remembers
An old house on the outskirts of town has a peculiar trait—it rearranges itself every night. Doors appear where none existed before, forgotten rooms emerge, and sometimes, the house whispers secrets of the past. When a woman inherits the house after her grandmother’s death, she discovers that it is trying to show her something—a memory erased from history that could change everything she thought she knew about her family.
The Unfinished Symphony
A composer has spent decades trying to complete a symphony that seems impossible to finish. One night, a mysterious stranger appears at his door, claiming to have heard the completed version… in another reality. To hear it for himself, the composer must journey into a world where music shapes the very fabric of existence. But if he listens too long, will he ever return to his own world?
The Postman of Forgotten Letters
A small-town postman begins receiving letters that were never sent. They describe events that never happened, people who never lived, and tragedies that never came to pass. At first, he dismisses them as pranks—until he starts recognizing the names. Each letter holds a choice: send it to its intended recipient, or keep it secret and change fate itself.
The House of Living Paintings
An artist inherits a mansion where every painting comes to life at night. Some whisper secrets, some show visions of the past, but one—an unfinished portrait—begins to paint itself. As the artist watches, they realize the portrait is of them… but in a life they don’t remember.
7. Sci-Fantasy Writing Prompts
The Celestial Archives
Deep in the void, there is a library that holds the memories of every civilization that has ever lived. But the library is dying, and its knowledge is fading into nothingness. When an explorer receives a distress signal from the archives, they must travel to the heart of the universe to uncover why the knowledge of the cosmos is disappearing—and who is stealing it.
The Starborn Oracle
In a distant future where magic and technology coexist, a young engineer discovers that her DNA contains an ancient spell—one that allows her to communicate with long-dead celestial beings. But when she accidentally activates the spell, she receives a prophecy: “The stars are not where they should be.” As reality begins to shift, she must unravel the secret hidden in the constellations before the universe itself collapses.
The Algorithm of Dreams
A scientist discovers an ancient script hidden within the DNA of all living things. When they decode it, they realize it’s not just genetic data—it’s a language, a message left behind by an unknown intelligence. But when they speak the words aloud, reality itself begins to change, and memories of another universe start bleeding into their mind.
The Planet of Forgotten Gods
An interstellar archaeologist uncovers an abandoned planet filled with ruined temples. Each one is dedicated to a god that no longer exists. As they decipher the inscriptions, they realize that the gods were not forgotten—they were erased. But why? And who was powerful enough to destroy a god?
8. High Fantasy Writing Prompts
The Kingdom That Never Was
A powerful curse erased an entire kingdom from history overnight—its people, its cities, even its name. Only one person remembers it ever existed: a wandering bard whose songs tell of a place no one else recalls. When a curious scholar starts digging into the bard’s past, they uncover evidence that the kingdom still exists—but in another timeline, waiting for someone to bring it back.
The God Who Refused to Sleep
According to legend, the gods must sleep for a thousand years between cycles, allowing the world to evolve naturally. But one god refused to slumber. Now, the balance of magic is collapsing, and the world is unraveling at the seams. A reluctant hero must embark on a journey to find the sleepless god and convince them to finally rest… but what happens when a deity refuses to close their eyes?
As you embark on your writing journey, remember that the only limit to your creativity is your imagination. Whether you choose to dive into a dark, epic, or mythic fantasy world, these prompts are just the beginning of a thrilling adventure you get to shape. Every character, every plot twist, and every setting is yours to create, and with each stroke of your pen, you have the power to bring something new to life. So, take a deep breath, step into that world, and let your imagination lead the way. The next great fantasy story is waiting for you—now all you need to do is start writing. Let the magic unfold!