50 Arthurian Myths and Legends Writing Prompts

50 Arthurian Myths and Legends Writing Prompts offers a bounty of story ideas and perspectives rooted in beloved medieval tales. The list spans Arthur’s world, from swords, sorcery, and knighthood to romance and tragedy. With 50 unique lenses to approach Camelot and its champions, these prompts invite writers to reimagine legends or dive deeper into canonical tales.

The wide range showcases the breadth of material available within Arthuriana. Prompts cover major characters like Arthur, Merlin, Lancelot, and Guinevere while also exploring lesser known players. Writers can adopt the viewpoint of Excalibur, a peasant in Camelot, or the soul of dying Arthur himself. Other prompts emphasize values or environments intrinsic to mythic Britain, like tourneys, mystical quests, codes of chivalry, and clashes between magic and religion. Several focus on pivotal relationship dynamics that shaped King Arthur’s rule and ultimately led to its collapse.

With so many untold stories and unexamined perspectives yet lingering around Camelot’s spires, these prompts offer fertile ground for reinvention. Whether dramatizing intimate moments or epic battles, rediscovering old tales or pioneering new ones, writers have centuries of legends to draw from. Like the sprawling mythical Matter of Britain, prompts promise doorways to craft fresh journeys for both characters and readers where chivalry, courage, romance and betrayal still hold sway. All invite writers to breach broiling points of history and human drama.

Here are 50 Arthurian Myths and Legends Writing Prompts

1. Tell the story of Arthur pulling the sword from the stone from the perspective of the sword.
2. Write a dialogue between Merlin and Morgan le Fay debating the use of magic.
3. Describe a day in the life of a knight of the Round Table.
4. Write about what inspired the Lady of the Lake to give Excalibur to Arthur.
5. Tell the story of Tristan and Isolde from Isolde’s perspective.
6. Pick two knights of the Round Table and write about the friendship between them.
7. Write a story explaining how Lancelot came to be such a gifted knight.
8. Describe Guinevere’s thoughts and feelings on her wedding day.
9. Tell the tale of Arthur’s conception from Uther’s perspective.
10. Write about Gawain’s inner thoughts during the “beheading game” with the Green Knight.
11. Retell a tournament day in Camelot from the perspective of a spectator.
12. Describe an average feast night at Camelot.
13. Pick a quest the Knights of the Round Table went on and tell that story.
14. Write a dialogue between Arthur and Guinevere when he discovered her affair.
15. Describe Excalibur’s feelings the first time Arthur used it in battle.
16. Tell the story of the founding of Camelot from Merlin’s perspective.
17. Write about Gawain’s squireship as a young man training to be a knight.
18. Describe what Queen Morgause was thinking when she plotted against Arthur.
19. Tell the story of the sword in the stone from a knight hopeful’s perspective.
20. Write about Guinevere’s feelings when Lancelot dies.
21. Describe Arthur’s thoughts when he realizes Mordred is his son and destined to kill him.
22. Retell Arthur’s last battle from his horse’s perspective.
23. Write dialogue between Arthur and Merlin’s ghost after Arthur dies.
24. Tell Percival’s tale of his quest for the Holy Grail.
25. Write about Gawain’s feelings upon realizing he failed to uphold the code of chivalry.
26. Describe Camelot’s atmosphere from the viewpoint of a peasant.
27. Tell the story of Sir Pellinore’s neverending hunt for the Questing Beast.
28. Describe Excalibur as sentient and narrate key moments from the sword’s perspective.
29. Write dialogue between Queen Guinevere and Queen Igraine, Arthur’s mother.
30. Tell Morgan Le Fay’s life story, chronicling her turn from healer to villain.
31. Rewrite a battle scene focusing on the experience of a foot soldier rather than royalty.
32. Narrate Merlin’s childhood before he went to Camelot.
33. Describe King Arthur’s death from the viewpoint of his soul looking down.
34. Write about Queen Morgause’s experience mothering Mordred.
35. Tell about Elaine’s feelings for Lancelot and nursing him back to health.
36. Write a tale of chivalry about one of Arthur’s lesser-known knights.
37. Compose Gawain’s poem delineating the virtuous codes knights must follow.
38. Construct dialogue between Guinevere and Igraine about ruling as Queen.
39. Describe Camelot from the perspective of a visiting dignitary.
40. Tell the story of Arthur and Excalibur’s first battle from the sword’s viewpoint.
41. Rewrite Malory’s “Le Morte d’Arthur” from Nimue’s (Lady of the Lake) perspective.
42. Report on tournament events as a sports broadcaster calling the action.
43. Compose Lancelot’s thoughts as he kneels before the Holy Grail.
44. Construct Merlin’s rules of magic for apprentice mages at Camelot.
45. Transcribe Guinevere’s journal entries in the week before her wedding to Arthur.
46. Draft dialogue between Arthur and Merlin about uniting Britain’s kingdoms.
47. Chronicle the tale of Gawain’s ghost haunting Camelot after his death.
48. Outline Mordred’s speech trying to win support against Arthur.
49. Describe Excalibur’s capabilities and limitations as a magical sword.
50. Compose lyrics for a bard’s song praising Arthur’s most noble knights.

And so these 50 writing prompts harvest the best elements of Arthurian myths – the virtuous ideals alongside the gnarled betrayals, the mysticism intersecting Christian faith, the valor of knights clashing with human frailties. Each prompt presents a portal into reimagining Camelot and those inhabiting this crystallization of medieval ideals.

While some focus on retelling iconic moments, many prompts offer unexpected perspectives, bringing marginalized characters or inanimate objects to the forefront. What personal truths might the sword Excalibur reveal if given a voice? How might the peasant class view the nobility? The range suggests writers can stretch the bounds of tradition even while mining a canonical wellspring.

In the end, these prompts articulate the vitality pulsing through legendary Arthurian myths begging for modern resurrection. Whether told as epic saga, intimate personal trial, or commentary on the human condition, chances to overlay modern complexities atop a medieval canvas abound. For established authors or aspiring wordsmiths alike, stories ready to be transfused with the grime and grandeur of lived experience await. Heed the call then to reincarnate myth! Let these prompts guide keen writing hands to reinfuse the Matter of Britain with the joys, sorrows and quandaries of contemporary souls. If you enjoyed these writing prompts, we have many more on our site.