As writers, we know the struggle is real when it comes to getting inspired for our next creative project. Those blank pages can seem daunting, and it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. But fear not – creativity doesn’t have to be hard. There are plenty of prompts, triggers, and ideas out there to help kickstart your imagination.

In this post, we’ll share exciting fictional writing ideas to breathe new life into your current or upcoming writing projects. Whether you’re working on a short story, novel, or screenplay, we hope at least one of these sparks that neural creativity and gets those creative juices flowing again.

Fictional Writing Ideas for Your Next Creative Project

Start With a Dream

We all have weird, vivid dreams that leave us scratching our heads. But dreams can also be treasure troves of creative prompts just waiting to be mined. Try taking a recent dream you had and building a story around it. What symbols or scenarios from your dream world could you develop into fictional characters, plots, or settings? Dreams are nature’s way of stimulating our imagination – so let your sleeping mind inspire your waking creative work.

Twist a Fairy Tale

Take one of your favorite classic fairy tales like Cinderella, Snow White, or Little Red Riding Hood and give it a modern or subversive spin. Change the setting, add unexpected twists, subvert tropes, or alter the characteristics of familiar characters. Playing with established folklore is a fun exercise that challenges you to reimagine a familiar format in unexpected ways.

What If? Scenarios

Start brainstorming “What if?” scenarios by posing hypothetical questions and building story worlds around them. What if dogs could talk? What if people could read minds? What if humanity made contact with aliens? The possibilities are endless, so let your curiosity guide you toward intriguing hypothetical concepts worth exploring through fiction.

Music as Inspiration

Put together a writing playlist filled with songs that provoke different emotions, imagery, or ideas. Then, write short vignettes or passages of fiction directly inspired by selected songs. Musical storytelling can act as a springboard for your own narratives. Artists like Amanda Palmer have even written whole novels this way.

Social Issues as Storylines

Tap into socially relevant issues and turn them into fictional narratives. Explore how themes like racial justice, climate change, healthcare, aging populations, or technology could play out in imagined communities or societies. Fiction is a powerful medium for critiquing real-world problems through innovative storytelling.

Historical Fiction

Historical fiction has the remarkable ability to transport readers to another era by setting stories in the past. Therefore, add vivid descriptions of historical settings, cultures, and events to take the readers back to the bygone era, allowing them to experience life as it was lived in different periods of history.

Conduct research to bring historical periods alive through the lens of memorable characters. Any time period from Antiquity to the 20th century holds untapped potential. You could even take a real historical figure and craft a fictionalized account of their life.

Let associations, questions, and details flow freely without self-editing at first

Isolation as Inspiration

How would different types of isolation impact characters? You could place individuals in isolated environments like a deserted island, arctic research station, distant planet, or pandemic lockdown. Explore how psychology changes when people are cut off from society. Limited settings provide fertile ground for character-driven plotlines.

Composite Characters

Draw inspiration from people you know by combining traits, backstories, and characteristics of real individuals into new “composite” characters. Take what you love most about friends, family members, coworkers, or public figures and synthesize them into an original persona for your story. Composites feel authentic since they contain real-life details.

Location, Location, Location

Look to unique, evocative places for story inspiration. Catalog photos of far-flung destinations or undeveloped lands, then imagine scenarios that could unfold in these distinctive settings. The atmosphere of a place has a big impact on narrative, so turn your virtual travels into fictional expeditions.

Character Concepts

Instead of starting with plots, launch your next project from the outside in by developing arresting character concepts. Who are they, what do they want, what fears or flaws drive them, and how will they change by the end? Richly envisioning protagonists and antagonists will help propel your creative progress from there.

What-If Relationships

Imagine scenarios centered around alternative types of relationships between characters. What if a parent fell in love with their child’s friend? What if coworkers in different departments started an office romance? What if long-lost twins reunited as adults? Exploring unconventional relationships can lead to complex, emotionally-driven stories.

Generational Conflicts

Examine tensions that can arise between different generations. Interview friends and family about their experiences with parents, grandparents, or children. Then, craft fictional tales portraying clashing values, communication gaps, or cultural shifts between age groups over time. Intergenerational themes offer depth and timeliness.

Everyday Inspiration

Pay attention to snippets of real conversations, news headlines, social media posts, or overheard snippets that intrigue you. Photos from your camera roll could also provide sparks. Your daily life is full of little details ripe for refashioning into memorable characters, plot points, or settings. Micro-moments of inspiration are everywhere if we look.

Current Events

Keep an eye on current societal changes and use them to envision possible futures. What could America look like in 2050? How might renewable technology and green policies affect communities worldwide by 2100? Turn factual issues like climate change, political divides, or technological progress into speculative stories. Near-future fiction feels grounded yet imaginative.

With any of these literary launching pads, the key is to let associations, questions, and details flow freely without self-editing at first. Jot down anything that comes to mind, no matter how scattered, and trust the process of discovery writing. Over time, your notes will coalesce naturally into premises, dialogue, or scenes worth fleshing out. And who knows – one of those scattershot ideas could become your next bestselling book!

Charles Dennis’ novel Balm of Angels is the perfect page-turner to spark your creativity

Charles Dennis’ Balm of Angels Is the Latest Fiction Marvel

Now it’s your turn to ignite that creative spark. Wherever your writing travels, we wish you the very best on your creative journey.

Are you looking to escape into an immersive work of fiction yourself? Then, be sure to check out Charles Dennis’ novel Balm of Angels. It’s the perfect page-turner to spark your creativity or provide a welcome break from the stresses of daily life. Order your copy today!