Looking for Novel Ideas? 30 Prompts to Spark Your Next Story

Welcome back to the blog! ✒️ This week we're diving into the difficult and exhausting world of story creation! Whether you are having trouble plotting your first novel or seeking some fresh new ideas for your next masterpiece, I've got you covered.

Together, we'll explore 30 story starter ideas to ignite your creative spark. So, grab your favourite beverage, settle into your coziest chair, and let's get started! 🐸

Every epic tale starts with just a spark of inspiration. Here are some story ideas to fan those creative flames:

1. Society has been living on floating islands for centuries after a global flood. A young cartographer sets out to rediscover submerged cities and the secrets they hold.
2. An orphaned teen uncovers the secrets of transmutation and immortality after becoming an apprentice to a mysterious alchemist. They must struggle with the ethics and morality this power holds.
3. A corporation is hunting individuals who can manipulate dreams, aiming to exploit their powers forcefully for commercial gain.
4. For exactly one week every year, the sun disappears. What happens when this time, it doesn't return?
5. One night, a train arrives full of passengers who disappeared over a decade ago.
6. Scientists have found a way to eliminate undesirable traits in unborn children. This leads to unforeseen consequences for the next generation.
7. A woman who has had her painful memories erased fights to regain them when her husband mysteriously dies, and she was the key witness needed to solve it.
8. Special agents are tasked to enter people's dreams to extract secrets. What do they do when they encounter a target whose subconscious fights back?
9. A private investigator solves crimes by interviewing the dead when he discovers the ability to communicate with ghosts.
10. A love story being pieced together across centuries when two souls find each other repeatedly in different lifetimes.
11. Dream assassins are tasked with fighting nightmares disturbing people's sleep.
12. A man wakes up in a different body each day, and each body is connected to a crime he must solve.
13. A retired battlemage, weary of war, opens a tea shop in a rough-and-tumble town, offering enchanted brews that soothe even the rowdiest of mercenaries.
14. When it's discovered that mermaid scales have magical properties, merchants and sailors begin to hunt them for profit. Pirates have always had a soft spot for mermaids as they ward off sirens and other sea monsters. Pirates become the protectors of mermaids.
15. A young farmhand discovers a hidden doorway in the barn leading to a world of magic and danger. Now, they must navigate this new realm to find their lost sibling.

16. A necromancer raises an army of the dead to reclaim her stolen throne only to find that the spirits she commands have their own sinister agendas. Will she control the darkness, or will it control her?
17. A village sacrifices one child every decade to appease the forest spirits, ensuring a bountiful harvest. When the protagonist's sister is chosen, they venture into the haunted woods to uncover the truth behind the ancient pact.
18. The city heart is a giant clockwork mechanism, and when it starts to malfunction, a young mechanic must find the solution, before it's too late.
19. Hidden within a back alley, a market sells potions that can change lives in an instant.
20. A huge and ancient dragon loses her clutch of eggs. She decides to adopt an office building full of employees as her children. But to keep them safe, she doesn't want to let any of them leave.
21. In a world where dragons are real and considered extinct, you find a dragon egg on a camping trip. With the dragon hunters closing in, you must protect the hatchling and find its kin.
22. The year is 2020. The first astronauts have landed on Mars. They find a cave with a single human skeleton and four words written on the wall.
23. You begin to realise that your reflection is no longer appearing in mirrors.
24. Your best friend tells you that she feels like someone's watching her. The next day she goes missing.
25. A stranger texts a number they got from the bar, but the fake number given was yours. You start texting each other regularly and find yourself falling for them.
26. Desperate for cash, a med student signs up to be a nude model for a retired women's art club.
27. You're a mail-order bride arriving at her new home for the first time.
28. After Lucifer was kicked out of heaven, he decided to make his own paradise. Both compete to have the best afterlife. Sadly, you lived a sin-free party. You spend your time trying to get kicked out so you can go to hell.
29. A murder mystery where every character believes themself responsible for the death, and tries to cover it up.
30. Every baby is taken away by the government and returned when they are ten years old. They never remember what happened in those years, but they always recognise their parents. You, however, remember everything. And those aren't your parents.

Starting a new novel can always feel daunting, especially when you're struggling with ideas. But with the right spark of inspiration, your next great story is just a prompt away. Remember, every great novel began as a simple idea, just like these. Now it's your turn to take these little creative sparks and fan them into the flames of your next literary adventure. So pick up that pen, open that laptop, and lets get writing!

Next week will be the end of March, which means it will be time for our Monthly Book Review! The Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is the book I'm reading this month, and I've only just hit halfway. I am stressing. Time to roll up my sleeves and lock myself away with a warm cup of tea and a massive 'do not disturb' sign. See you next week!

✍️ Hop to it and keep writing! 🐸 - Krystal