100 Greatest Fantasy Writing Prompts of All Time

100 Greatest Fantasy Writing Prompts of All Time

Are you ready to craft epic tales of magic, adventure, and fantastical realms? Whether you’re a seasoned novelist or an aspiring writer, finding the spark of inspiration to launch your next great story can sometimes be a challenge. Fear not, for we’ve curated The 100 Greatest Fantasy Writing Prompts of All Time, designed to fuel your creativity and take your storytelling to new heights. This treasure trove of prompts, inspired by beloved classics and timeless tropes, will help you overcome writer’s block, expand your world-building skills, and create characters and narratives that captivate and enthrall.

Within this list, you’ll discover scenarios that push the boundaries of conventional fantasy writing. Explore the “One Ring” dilemma that challenges the corruptive nature of power, or delve into the “Child of Prophecy” subversion that questions the role of destiny in shaping a hero’s fate. With prompts inspired by legendary works like The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and Le Morte d’Arthur, this list weaves together iconic themes and fresh twists to spark your imagination and help you craft unforgettable stories.

This isn’t just a random assortment of writing ideas; each prompt is carefully crafted to evoke vivid imagery and deep thought. You might find yourself navigating the “Labyrinth of the Fae,” where forgotten purposes resurface, or embarking on a journey through the “Eternal Time Loop War,” where the very fabric of reality is at stake. Whether you’re imagining the last embers of “Dying Magic” or confronting an “Artificial God” that challenges the nature of divinity itself, these prompts are designed to inspire you to think outside the box and develop rich, complex worlds.

Whether you’re looking to explore new ideas, overcome writer’s block, or refine your world-building and character development, this list will provide the perfect starting point. Each of these 100 fantasy writing prompts is a seed, waiting to blossom into a sprawling epic, a poignant short story, or a compelling character study. From high-stakes adventures to intimate character journeys, the possibilities are endless. Grab your pen, fire up your keyboard, and get ready to embark on a journey through realms of infinite potential—your next great fantasy masterpiece is just a prompt away!

What Makes These the Greatest Fantasy Writing Prompts?

You might be wondering what elevates these particular fantasy writing prompts above the countless others available online. The answer lies in their carefully crafted elements that combine proven storytelling foundations with unique twists that challenge writers to think beyond conventional fantasy tropes.

Deep Moral Dilemmas and Philosophical Questions

Unlike basic writing prompts that might simply suggest “write about a dragon” or “create a magical kingdom,” each prompt in this collection presents a complex moral dilemma or philosophical question at its core. The “One Ring” dilemma doesn’t just ask you to write about a powerful artifact—it forces you to confront how power corrupts and creates a shadow version of yourself in the process. These ethical dimensions create stories with lasting impact and resonance with readers who crave meaningful narratives beneath the fantasy veneer.

Inspired by Timeless Classics, Yet Uniquely Original

While these prompts draw inspiration from beloved works like The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and Harry Potter, they don’t simply rehash familiar territory. Instead, they identify what made these stories transcendent—the themes of power, identity, destiny, and moral choice—and reframe them in fresh scenarios that avoid direct imitation. This balance of familiar and novel elements provides the perfect creative foundation: recognizable enough to connect with readers, yet original enough to avoid feeling derivative.

Designed for Narrative Complexity

Each prompt contains multiple layers that support rich storytelling. Take the “Eternal Time Loop War” scenario—it combines elements of time manipulation, forgotten memories, cyclical history, and the question of whether violence can ever truly end violence. This multilayered approach ensures that writers can explore various threads within a single prompt, developing complex plots that evolve in unexpected directions rather than following predictable paths.

Character-Centric Conflicts

The greatest fantasy stories are ultimately about people (or beings) facing extraordinary circumstances that reveal their true nature. These prompts prioritize character development by placing protagonists in situations that force difficult choices and personal growth. The “Reluctant Chosen One” prompt, for instance, doesn’t just present an external conflict about prophecy; it creates an identity crisis that challenges the protagonist’s entire self-conception and forces them to define themselves beyond the labels others have assigned.

World-Building Foundations With Room to Grow

Elite fantasy writing requires immersive world-building, and these prompts provide solid conceptual foundations while leaving ample space for your creative expansion. The “Moon’s Secret” prompt establishes a world where the moon’s disappearance affects magic, but leaves the magical system, societal structures, and countless other details for you to develop. This perfect balance of structure and freedom helps writers overcome the paralysis that can come from facing a completely blank page.

Subversion of Expected Tropes

Many prompts deliberately invert or challenge fantasy conventions that have become predictable. The “Reversed Fairy Tale” prompt flips the script on monster-slaying narratives, while the “False Chosen One” upends the predictable hero’s journey. These subversions encourage writers to question assumptions about the genre and create stories that surprise even veteran fantasy readers who think they’ve seen it all.

Cross-Genre Flexibility

While firmly rooted in fantasy, these prompts incorporate elements from adjacent genres like horror (“Beast Beneath Your Skin”), mystery (“Kingdom That Never Was”), and philosophical science fiction (“Artificial God”). This cross-pollination creates fertile ground for writers interested in hybrid genres and prevents stories from feeling formulaic or constrained by rigid fantasy conventions.

Psychological Depth and Internal Conflict

The most memorable fantasy stories balance external adventures with internal journeys. These prompts are specifically designed to create psychological complexity, often through mechanisms like doppelgängers, forgotten memories, or moral temptations that externalize internal conflicts. The “Doppelgänger’s Revenge” prompt, for example, creates a literal manifestation of the questions “Who am I really?” and “Could someone else live my life better than I do?”—questions that resonate on profound psychological levels.

Tested for Inspirational Potency

Each prompt in this collection has been evaluated for its ability to generate immediate creative responses across different writing styles and experience levels. We’ve selected prompts that consistently spark multiple story directions rather than leading writers down a single predictable path. This “inspirational potency” ensures that no matter your preferred writing style or fantasy sub-genre, you’ll find prompts that ignite your imagination and sustain your creative energy throughout the writing process.

Whether you’re drafting your first fantasy story or your fiftieth, these prompts provide the perfect balance of guidance and freedom, familiar touchstones and innovative concepts, external conflicts and internal struggles. They represent the distilled essence of what makes fantasy storytelling powerful: the ability to explore profound human questions through the limitless lens of imagination.

The 100 Greatest Fantasy Writing Prompts of All Time:

 

1. The “One Ring” Dilemma (The Lord of the Rings) – You discover an artifact of immense power that grants its wielder ultimate control over reality. However, every time you use it, a shadow version of yourself grows stronger in a parallel world. How do you wield—or destroy—this power before your dark self takes over?
2. The “Dragon Queen’s Choice” (Game of Thrones) – You are the last ruler of a dying kingdom, and an ancient prophecy claims that bonding with a dragon will either save your people or doom them to eternal war. When you finally find the dragon, it speaks—telling you the prophecy is a lie. Do you trust the creature, or the history written by your ancestors?
3. The “Child of Prophecy” Subversion (Harry Potter) – You were raised to believe you were the chosen one, destined to defeat an ancient evil. But on the eve of battle, the villain reveals a shocking truth: the prophecy was a fabrication, designed to manipulate you. What do you do now?
4. The “Endless Winter” (The Chronicles of Narnia) – A land has been trapped in an eternal winter for centuries, ruled by a tyrant who forbids the sun from rising. One day, the ice cracks, and a long-lost deity awakens beneath the frozen sea. Will you awaken the god of summer, or is there a darker reason why the winter must never end?
5. The “Dying Magic” Crisis (The Wheel of Time) – The world’s magic is fading, and with it, the memories of those who have used it. Your mentor, once a powerful sorcerer, is now a mere shadow of himself. But before he forgets everything, he entrusts you with a secret that could restore magic—or erase it forever.
6. The “Labyrinth of the Fae” (Pan’s Labyrinth) – As a child, you were lured into a magical realm but escaped before you could fulfill your “true purpose.” Now, years later, the creatures from that world have returned to drag you back. But this time, you’re not the same innocent child they once manipulated.
7. The “Cursed Pirate Crew” (Pirates of the Caribbean) – You inherit an old ship and discover that its ghostly crew is bound by a centuries-old curse. To break it, you must retrieve a lost treasure—but the moment you set sail, you begin transforming into something… not quite human.
8. The “Summoned Hero Twist” (The Witcher) – You are summoned from your world into a medieval kingdom to be its savior. However, upon arrival, you realize you were called not to save them—but to be hunted. Why? And how will you escape?
9. The “Reversed Fairy Tale” (Shrek) – In your kingdom, “monsters” and “heroes” have switched roles—ogres are noble warriors, while knights are ruthless invaders. When you, an ordinary peasant, are mistaken for a legendary monster-slayer, you must decide whether to uphold the lie or join the so-called villains.
10. The “Eternal Time Loop War” (Dark & The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask) – You have fought in the same war for a thousand lifetimes, dying and being reborn without memory of your past selves. One day, an enemy soldier recognizes you from a past life and reveals the terrifying truth: the war itself is the spell keeping you trapped. How do you break the cycle?
11. The “Forgotten God” (American Gods) – You encounter an old, homeless man who claims to be a forgotten deity. When you dismiss him, he places a curse on you—you will slowly vanish from existence unless you help him regain his lost followers.
12. The “Portal That Shouldn’t Exist” (Stargate) – Deep in the mountains, you find an ancient portal leading to another world. But when you step through, the people there recognize you… and call you by a name you don’t remember.
13. The “Bargain with Death” (The Sandman) – You make a deal with Death to extend your life for 100 years, but with one condition: every decade, you must give up one of your five senses. How do you navigate a world that is slowly fading away from you?
14. The “Living Sword’s Curse” (Elric of Melniboné) – You wield a legendary sword that grows more powerful with each life it takes—but every soul it consumes whispers in your dreams, begging to be set free. One night, a spirit offers you a way to break the curse, but it will cost you everything.
15. The “Cosmic Library” (The Name of the Wind / The Magicians) – You stumble upon a hidden library that contains every book ever written, including those that haven’t been written yet. When you read your own future, you find a book describing your death in gruesome detail. Do you try to rewrite fate?
16. The “Undying King” (The Green Knight) – A ruler has lived for a thousand years, kept alive by a powerful enchantment. You are sent to assassinate him—but upon meeting him, he begs you to succeed where all others have failed. The secret to his immortality is darker than you imagined.
17. The “Forbidden Spell That Rewrites Reality” (The Dresden Files) – You find a spell that allows you to change a single event in history. But the moment you cast it, you realize someone else has already used it—because now, the world around you is entirely different.
18. The “Kingdom of the Sleeping Dead” (Sleeping Beauty / The Witcher) – A kingdom has been frozen in sleep for a century, cursed by a vengeful sorcerer. But when you break the spell, the people do not wake up as they once were. Something else has taken their place.
19. The “Artificial God” (Mistborn / Fullmetal Alchemist) – The gods of your world do not exist—they were created long ago by alchemists seeking control. When you uncover this secret, the current rulers demand your silence… or your soul.
20. The “Endless Labyrinth” (Labyrinth / House of Leaves) – While searching for a missing loved one, you enter a mysterious labyrinth that shifts and changes around you. The deeper you go, the more you forget—until you can no longer recall who you were searching for in the first place.
21. The “Cursed Hero” (Percy Jackson & the Olympians) – You were granted divine powers as a child, but every time you use them, a piece of your humanity is stripped away. Now, you’re on the verge of becoming a god—but gods cannot feel love, regret, or sorrow. Will you give up your power before it’s too late?
22. The “Wishing Well’s Price” (The Monkey’s Paw / Stardust) – Deep in an enchanted forest, there’s a well that grants any wish—but every wish comes with a consequence. You just made a wish in desperation… and now reality is unraveling in ways you never expected.
23. The “Time-Warping Villain” (Doctor Who / The Dark Tower) – The villain you are hunting is always one step ahead. Then you discover why—they have been reliving the same week over and over, perfecting their escape. How do you stop someone who has already beaten you a hundred times before?
24. The “Castle in the Sky” (Howl’s Moving Castle / Laputa) – An ancient floating castle appears above your kingdom, its massive shadow blotting out the sun. No one knows where it came from or why it has returned after centuries. When you climb aboard, you find it… fully inhabited, as if no time has passed at all.
25. The “Doppelgänger’s Revenge” (Coraline / The Prince and the Pauper) – One day, you wake up to find that someone who looks exactly like you has taken over your life. Everyone believes they are you—even your closest friends and family. The worst part? They seem to be doing a better job at living your life than you ever did.
26. The “Gods Have Fallen” (Good Omens / American Gods) – One by one, the gods are vanishing from existence, their temples crumbling overnight. When you investigate, you find a single mortal responsible—someone who has discovered the secret to unmaking deities. But why are they doing it, and what happens when the last god falls?
27. The “Book That Writes Reality” (Inkheart / The Neverending Story) – You find an ancient book that allows you to rewrite the world around you. But as you write, you begin to realize someone else is editing your story from the other side of the page.
28. The “Eternal Dream Prison” (Inception / Sandman) – You wake up one day and realize that you haven’t truly been awake for years. You have been trapped in a dream world controlled by an unknown entity. Every time you try to escape, reality resets—how do you break free?
29. The “Monster Beneath the City” (The Lies of Locke Lamora / Neverwhere) – Beneath your bustling city, an ancient creature sleeps, its dreams fueling the magic of the world. But now, something has disturbed it, and reality itself is beginning to fracture. You are the only one who hears its whispers—what is it asking of you?
30. The “Immortal Rival” (The Prestige / Highlander) – You have spent centuries hunting down your immortal enemy, only to discover they have given up on the war and now live a quiet life. But when you confront them, they warn you—something even older and more dangerous is coming for both of you.
31. The “Reluctant Chosen One” (The Matrix / The Wheel of Time) – You’ve spent your entire life being told you are the prophesied savior. But on the eve of your supposed destiny, another person appears, claiming they are the true chosen one—and they have proof.
32. The “Sunken Kingdom’s Return” (Atlantis / The Silmarillion) – An ancient kingdom lost beneath the sea for millennia suddenly rises from the depths. Its people have not aged a day, and they claim the world above is rightfully theirs. Are they saviors, conquerors, or something far worse?
33. The “Moon’s Secret” (Avatar: The Last Airbender / Princess Mononoke) – The moon has always been full, shining night after night. Then, one evening, it disappears completely—and with it, all magic in the world. You are one of the last people who still remembers that it was ever there at all.
34. The “Living Map” (Treasure Planet / One Piece) – A mysterious tattoo appears on your skin, shifting and changing as if it were a living map. It leads to something hidden, something powerful—but you’re not the only one who has the map, and the others will do anything to claim it first.
35. The “Rewritten History” (The Poppy War / Arcane) – One day, the history books change overnight. The wars that shaped your world never happened, your nation was never founded, and your people never existed. You are the only person who remembers the way things used to be.
36. The “Endless Tower” (Tower of God / Dark Souls) – A tower stands at the edge of the world, its peak hidden beyond the clouds. Legends say no one has ever reached the top. When you enter, you find that time itself is different inside—every floor is a lifetime, and leaving means forgetting everything you’ve learned.
37. The “Star That Spoke” (Stardust / The Little Prince) – One night, a star falls from the sky. When you find it, it is not a rock, but a person—weak, dying, and speaking in a language that you somehow understand. They beg you to help them return home before something even worse falls from the heavens.
38. The “Blood Price” (The Broken Empire / The First Law) – In your kingdom, magic is powerful but costly—it requires a blood sacrifice. Most mages use animals or willing volunteers. Then, one day, you discover a secret: every spell you’ve ever cast has unknowingly taken years off your own life.
39. The “Mirror War” (Alice Through the Looking Glass / The Magicians) – For centuries, your world has been at war with its perfect reflection. Every victory on one side means a loss on the other. Then, one day, you stumble through the mirror and realize the truth—your world is the evil one.
40. The “Beast Beneath Your Skin” (Jekyll & Hyde / Attack on Titan) – You have always been ordinary, until one day you wake up with memories that are not your own—memories of hunting under the moonlight. As your body begins to change, you realize the truth: you have not always been human.
41. The “City That Dreams” (Neverwhere / The Night Circus) – There is a city that only exists when you sleep. By day, you forget it entirely, but each night, you return, living another life. One morning, you wake up to find a stranger from that city standing in your real-world bedroom.
42. The “Lonely Immortal” (The Man from Earth / The Last Unicorn) – You have lived for thousands of years, watching empires rise and fall. One day, you meet another immortal—someone who remembers the world even before you were born. But they have no interest in friendship; they are hunting you for a crime you don’t remember committing.
43. The “Fallen Star’s Bargain” (Good Omens / Stardust) – A powerful celestial being falls from the sky and lands at your feet, weak and dying. They offer you their last bit of magic in exchange for a promise—but once they are gone, you realize that promise is impossible to keep.
44. The “Season of the Dead” (Game of Thrones / The Witcher) – Every hundred years, a strange winter sweeps across the land, and with it, the dead rise to walk again. But this year, they are not mindless monsters—they remember their lives, their loves, and the people who killed them.
45. The “Living Ship” (Treasure Planet / Farscape) – You discover an ancient ship unlike any other—it’s alive, sentient, and desperate to escape its captors. It promises you adventure beyond the stars, but something is hunting it, and now, it’s hunting you too.
46. The “Eclipse That Never Ends” (Berserk / The Broken Empire) – One day, the sun is swallowed by darkness. The eclipse does not pass. As the days stretch into weeks, shadows begin to move in ways they shouldn’t—and people start to disappear.
47. The “Orphan of the Gods” (Circe / The Lightning Thief) – The gods have long since abandoned the mortal world, fading into myth. But one day, you wake up with divine blood in your veins, abilities you cannot control, and a single message scrawled on your door: “They are coming for you.”
48. The “Music of Creation” (The Name of the Wind / The Silmarillion) – It is said that the world was once sung into existence. You are the last person alive who can still hear that song. When you hum a single note, the earth trembles. When you sing a verse, the stars flicker. But something else is listening, and it does not want you to finish the song.
49. The “Beast’s Final Keeper” (Beauty and the Beast / The Shadow of the Gods) – For centuries, a monstrous creature has been sealed beneath your kingdom, locked away by powerful magic. Every generation, one person is chosen to stand guard and ensure it never escapes. Now, it is your turn. But on your first night, the beast whispers a name you recognize—your own.
50. The “End of the Magic Age” (The Wheel of Time / The Dark Tower) – Magic is fading from the world, and with it, the creatures that once ruled the land. You are the last of your kind, a being sustained only by magic itself. As the last embers of power flicker out, you must decide—fade with the old world, or destroy what remains of the new one?
51. The “Hollow Crown” (The Lord of the Rings / The Once and Future King) – The greatest ruler in history left behind a legendary crown, said to grant wisdom, power, and the right to rule. You have just found it—but when you place it on your head, you hear a voice whisper: You are not worthy.
52. The “Unfinished Spell” (Harry Potter / The Dresden Files) – A powerful wizard vanished centuries ago, leaving behind a spell so complex that no one has ever been able to complete it. Now, by accident or fate, you have uttered the final words. The world shudders—and something long dormant begins to stir.
53. The “Forgotten Fellowship” (The Lord of the Rings / The Witcher) – The prophecy spoke of a group of heroes destined to defeat a great evil. But the war was won long ago, and now the heroes are scattered, lost, or dead. Then one day, the darkness returns—and you are the only one left to find the others before it’s too late.
54. The “False Chosen One” (The Wheel of Time / Mistborn) – A great prophecy has shaped the world for centuries, promising a hero who will save or doom all. That hero was supposed to be you—until the real chosen one arrives, claiming you are nothing but a decoy meant to draw out the enemy.
55. The “Tame the Dragon” (Eragon / How to Train Your Dragon) – A dragon has terrorized the land for generations. Every warrior sent to slay it has perished. Instead of fighting it, you choose a different path—you will tame it. But the dragon has its own plans for you.
56. The “Library of the Forgotten” (The Name of the Wind / The Shadow of the Wind) – There is a hidden library that contains every book that was ever lost, burned, or unwritten. When you stumble inside, you find a book with your name on the cover—a book that tells the story of your life. And the final chapter is blank.
57. The “Clockwork Curse” (His Dark Materials / The Golden Compass) – A mysterious clockmaker gifts you a mechanical device unlike anything you’ve ever seen. At first, it seems harmless. But as the days pass, you begin to change—your thoughts become colder, your heart beats slower, and you realize you are becoming a machine.
58. The “Ship of the Damned” (Pirates of the Caribbean / Peter Pan) – A ghostly ship appears only once a century, sailing across the night sky. The legends say that anyone who boards it is never seen again. But when it appears before you, the crew begs you for help—they are cursed to sail forever unless someone finds the key to their freedom.
59. The “Last Door” (The Magicians / The Chronicles of Narnia) – You have spent years searching for a doorway to another world. When you finally find one, it is locked, covered in warnings, and untouched for centuries. No one knows what lies beyond. And you are the first person foolish enough to knock.
60. The “Kingdom That Never Was” (A Song of Ice and Fire / The Silmarillion) – A ruined castle stands in the middle of an empty wasteland. No records of it exist, no maps show its location, and no one remembers it ever being built. But when you enter its halls, you see faded paintings—of you, wearing a crown you have never seen before.
61. The “Cursed Swordsman” (The Witcher / Elric of Melniboné) – Your sword is legendary, a weapon of untold power. But every time you draw it, it whispers to you, demanding blood. One day, you discover that if you don’t use it soon, it will turn against you.
62. The “Sleeping City” (The Hobbit / The Sandman) – An entire city stands frozen in time, its people locked in an enchanted sleep for a thousand years. When you arrive, you find that the moment you step inside, you are the only one who starts aging again.
63. The “Echoes of the Fallen” (The Stormlight Archive / The Wheel of Time) – Whenever you sleep, you see flashes of the past—battles fought, victories won, worlds destroyed. But one night, you realize the visions aren’t just memories. They’re warnings, showing you a war that is about to begin again.
64. The “Dragon’s Debt” (The Hobbit / Game of Thrones) – You stole something from a dragon long ago. You thought you got away with it—until the dragon tracks you down, not to kill you, but to demand your help. In return, it offers you something more valuable than gold: a secret that could change the world.
65. The “Immortal’s Bargain” (Piranesi / The Picture of Dorian Gray) – You meet a mysterious figure who claims they have lived forever. They offer you immortality, but in exchange, you must take their place in a world of endless halls, where time flows differently and doors lead to places that should not exist.
66. The “Blood Moon Pact” (The Broken Empire / The Night Watch) – Once every hundred years, on the night of the blood moon, a contract must be fulfilled between humans and the ancient creatures that dwell beneath the earth. This time, the chosen sacrifice refuses to go willingly—and the monsters are coming to claim what is theirs.
67. The “Haunted Crown” (The Lord of the Rings / A Song of Ice and Fire) – The king’s crown is said to grant wisdom and power, but only to those strong enough to bear its curse. You place it on your head—and instantly hear the voices of every ruler who has worn it before you, whispering their regrets, their failures, and their unfinished wars.
68. The “Undying War” (The First Law / The Malazan Book of the Fallen) – Two ancient armies have been fighting for centuries, locked in an eternal battle where no one truly dies. If a soldier falls, they awaken the next day, forced to fight again. You are the first warrior in history to not return after death. The question is—why?
69. The “Beast Beneath the Mountain” (Attack on Titan / The Silmarillion) – Your ancestors built their city atop a mountain, believing it was sacred ground. One day, the earth begins to shake, and cracks form beneath your feet. What lies below is not a mountain at all—but something ancient, sleeping, and hungry.
70. The “Lantern Bearer’s Path” (His Dark Materials / The Green Knight) – In your village, there is a tradition: each generation, one person must take the sacred lantern and walk into the dark woods, never to return. The night before you are chosen, you meet someone who once took the lantern—and lived to tell the tale.
71. The “Blade in the Stone” (Le Morte d’Arthur / The Once and Future King) – A sword is embedded in stone, waiting for the rightful heir to claim it. But when you pull it free, the blade shatters. Now, you must uncover why the sword rejected you—and what dark secret the kingdom has buried for centuries.
72. The “Crown of Beasts” (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe / The Jungle Book) – In a land where animals rule and humans are seen as mere myths, you are discovered and declared the lost heir to a throne you never knew existed. But in order to rule, you must prove your worth to creatures that see you as little more than a legend.
73. The “Silver Knight’s Oath” (Le Morte d’Arthur / The Witcher) – You are sworn to a sacred code, bound by honor and duty. But one night, you uncover a terrible truth: the noble order you serve is built on a lie. Breaking your oath will cost you everything—keeping it will cost you your soul.
74. The “Ghost Ship’s Captain” (Pirates of the Caribbean / The Flying Dutchman) – You awaken to find yourself aboard a ship that sails through mist and shadow. The crew is made of lost souls, and the previous captain has vanished. The ship will not stop moving until it finds a new master. You.
75. The “Eternal Duel” (Highlander / The Green Knight) – Every century, two warriors are chosen to fight. The winner gains immortality for another hundred years, while the loser fades from history, forgotten forever. This time, you are one of the chosen—but your opponent is someone you once loved.
76. The “Sunken Cathedral” (Atlantis / The Silmarillion) – Deep beneath the ocean, an ancient cathedral still glows with light. It is said that within its halls, time stands still and the dead can be heard singing. When you enter, the voices whisper your name, as if they have been waiting for you.
77. The “Knight’s Last Task” (Le Morte d’Arthur / The Prydain Chronicles) – You are the last knight of a fallen kingdom, the only survivor of a battle long lost. Your final duty is to deliver your king’s sword to a hidden sanctuary. But something follows you on your journey—something that does not want the blade to reach its destination.
78. The “Market of Memories” (Howl’s Moving Castle / Spirited Away) – There is a marketplace that appears only once every hundred years, where memories can be bought and sold. You trade away a painful memory to gain knowledge, only to realize that the memory you lost contained something vital—something that someone else now owns.
79. The “Knight of the Mirror” (Le Morte d’Arthur / The Magicians) – You are summoned to a duel by a mysterious knight who never removes their helm. When you finally strike them down and lift their visor, you see your own face staring back at you.
80. The “Twilight Throne” (The Lord of the Rings / A Song of Ice and Fire) – The throne of your kingdom has sat empty for centuries, with no ruler strong enough to claim it. The legends say that whoever sits upon it will rule until the end of time. But there is a reason no one has dared to try—the last ruler still sits there, unmoving, their eyes watching… and waiting.
81. The “Dagger of Betrayal” (Le Morte d’Arthur / Macbeth) – A dagger is said to reveal traitors—when placed in their hand, it burns with cold fire. When the king orders you to test it, the blade ignites in your grasp, though you have sworn no betrayal. Now, you must uncover who has framed you before the executioner arrives.
82. The “Lantern of the Lost” (The Brothers Grimm / The Night Circus) – A traveling magician offers you an enchanted lantern that can find anything you have ever lost. But when you light it, it does not show you an object—it shows you a person from your past that you do not remember, weeping in the dark.
83. The “Hollow Knight” (Le Morte d’Arthur / Dark Souls) – A legendary knight, clad in shining armor, has stood guard over the kingdom for generations. When you remove their helmet, you find nothing inside but swirling mist and whispers of forgotten vows. The armor moves—and turns toward you, awaiting orders.
84. The “Ashen Crown” (The Witcher / The Wheel of Time) – A prophecy foretold a great ruler who would unite the land. A thousand years later, the chosen one never came. Instead, the crown was left behind, gathering dust. When you place it on your head, the land begins to tremble—as if history itself is waking up.
85. The “Curse of the Sleeping Knights” (Le Morte d’Arthur / The Once and Future King) – Deep within a hidden cave, a circle of knights sleeps in stone. The legends say that when the kingdom is in its darkest hour, they will rise again. But when you touch one, their eyes snap open, and they whisper, You’re too late.
86. The “Mirror War” (The Magicians / The Chronicles of Narnia) – Every mirror is a doorway to another world. Most stay closed. But one day, you catch your reflection moving on its own—reaching for a sword, as if preparing for battle. Then the glass begins to crack, and something steps through.
87. The “Feast of the Fae” (A Midsummer Night’s Dream / The Cruel Prince) – Once a year, the fae invite a single mortal to dine at their court. No one knows what happens to those who accept. This time, the invitation has come to you, sealed with a drop of golden honey and the scent of wildflowers.
88. The “Serpent and the Grail” (Le Morte d’Arthur / Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) – A chalice said to grant eternal life rests deep within a hidden temple. But as you approach, you hear a voice—hissing, ancient, amused. You are not the first to seek the Grail, it says. And you will not be the last to fail.
89. The “Sword Without a Master” (Le Morte d’Arthur / The Broken Empire) – A sword with no wielder is more dangerous than a king without a throne. This blade has passed through a hundred hands, each owner meeting a tragic fate. When it lands in your possession, you realize why—because the sword itself is searching for someone.
90. The “Eclipsed Kingdom” (The Lord of the Rings / The Silmarillion) – A kingdom vanished the day of a great eclipse, swallowed into legend. Centuries later, a second eclipse is coming, and scholars believe the lost city will return. But no one knows whether its people will come back as friends… or conquerors.
91. The “Witch’s Paradox” (The Witcher / The Golden Compass) – A powerful witch offers you a gift: the ability to change a single event in your past. But the moment you accept, you realize something is wrong—the world begins to unravel around you, and you must find a way to fix the damage before time collapses in on itself.
92. The “Timekeeper’s Daughter” (The Time Traveler’s Wife / The Chronicles of Narnia) – As the daughter of the legendary Timekeeper, you have inherited the power to pause time. But when you use it to save someone you love, you realize the cost is far greater than you expected. Time itself begins to rebel against you.
93. The “Dreamless King” (The Kingkiller Chronicle / The Name of the Wind) – The king has not slept in decades. It is said that in his dreams, the fate of the world is written. But when you are summoned to his court, you discover that the king’s dreams have stopped—and with them, the balance of the world begins to collapse.
94. The “Silver Forest” (The Lord of the Rings / The Shannara Chronicles) – A forest of silver trees stands untouched by time. Legends say that whoever enters will see the future. But when you step into the forest, you realize that the future you see is not just of your world—it’s the fall of all kingdoms.
95. The “Dragon’s Prophecy” (The Inheritance Cycle / Game of Thrones) – A dragon has spoken of the fall of the last kingdom, but it is not your kingdom—it is the one ruled by the one who betrayed you. Now, you must decide whether to fulfill the prophecy or find a way to stop the dragon’s plan before all is lost.
96. The “Frostfallen Prince” (The Witcher / Frozen) – A prince cursed by an ancient spell can never feel warmth. He wanders the land, searching for a way to break the curse, but with every step, the ice around him grows stronger. Will the heart of another be enough to break the enchantment? Or will he be lost to the cold forever?
97. The “Mirror King’s War” (Le Morte d’Arthur / The Sword in the Stone) – A powerful king has conquered the land, but he has no reflection. Every time he passes a mirror, he sees only darkness, a void. One night, you discover the truth: his kingdom is ruled by a mirror version of himself, and it wants the real king’s soul.
98. The “Forgotten King’s Return” (The Lord of the Rings / The Silmarillion) – The king who once ruled over your land has been forgotten by all. But you have uncovered an ancient text that reveals his true identity—he is still alive, in hiding, waiting for the right moment to return. And now, that moment has come.
99. The “Tear of the Moon” (A Song of Ice and Fire / The Broken Earth) – Once every thousand years, the moon weeps a tear that holds the power to change the tides of destiny. You are the last to find it, but someone else has already claimed it for their own purposes. Will you be able to steal it back, or will the world be reshaped according to their will?
100. The “Fate of the Gods” (The Norse Mythology / Percy Jackson) – The gods have turned their backs on humanity, leaving the world to fall into chaos. But when one of them appears before you, they offer you a choice: help them regain their power and restore balance, or let the world crumble and rise again, reshaped in their image.

Your Epic Journey Awaits: Unleash Your Fantasy Writing Potential Today

You’ve now explored the depths of our meticulously curated collection of the 100 Greatest Fantasy Writing Prompts of All Time. These prompts, inspired by the timeless narratives that have shaped the genre, are more than just starting points; they are gateways to worlds yet to be discovered, characters waiting to be born, and stories yearning to be told. Whether you’re grappling with writer’s block, seeking to refine your fantasy world-building, or simply eager to embark on a new creative adventure, this list is your catalyst.

Remember, the true magic of fantasy lies not just in the grand battles and mystical creatures, but in the exploration of profound human truths through the lens of the extraordinary. These prompts are designed to challenge you, to inspire you, and to empower you to craft narratives that resonate deeply with your readers. So, seize the moment. Let these fantasy story ideas spark your imagination and fuel your passion.

Don’t let these writing prompts remain dormant. Choose one, or several, and begin your journey into the realm of limitless possibilities. Share your creations, experiment with different styles, and most importantly, enjoy the process of bringing your fantastical visions to life. If you’re looking for more fantasy writing inspiration or writing tips, explore the resources available on EveryWriter’s Resource. Your next great fantasy masterpiece is within reach – start writing today!