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Writing Prompts

62+ Epic Fantasy Writing Prompts to Fuel Your Creative Journey

Are you ready to embark on a thrilling journey through realms of magic , heroism, and wonder? Our collection of 62+ epic fantasy writing prompts is designed to spark your creativity and transport you to fantastical worlds where anything is possible. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, these prompts will provide the inspiration you need to craft tales of epic adventures , mythical creatures, and legendary heroes.

Writing a good epic fantasy story involves more than just an exciting plot; it requires a deep and immersive world, well-developed characters , and a sense of wonder that captivates readers. Begin by creating a detailed setting that feels alive and real, with its own history, culture, and rules of magic . Populate this world with complex characters who have clear motivations and undergo meaningful growth. Finally, weave a plot that challenges your characters, keeping readers on the edge of their seats with twists and turns . With these elements in place, your epic fantasy tale will not only entertain but also resonate deeply with your audience.

62+ Epic Fantasy Writing Prompts

Explore our selection of 62+ epic fantasy writing prompts, crafted to inspire your next grand adventure. Each prompt is designed to help you build immersive worlds and unforgettable stories.

A prince discovers he has the ability to communicate with ancient dragons, but using this power brings a dark curse upon his kingdom.
In a world where magic is tied to gemstones, a miner uncovers a gem that grants her unimaginable power but also attracts dangerous enemies.
A warrior from a fallen kingdom seeks revenge on the sorcerer who betrayed his people, discovering a forgotten prophecy that may change his fate.
A young witch must master her chaotic powers to stop a war between rival magical factions, but her greatest enemy may be her own fears.
The last of the elven race embarks on a quest to find a mythical tree that could restore their people, facing trials that test her resolve and spirit.
In a land where shadows can come to life, a thief accidentally steals the shadow of a legendary hero and must use it to fight a rising darkness.
A magical artifact grants its wielder immense power but at the cost of slowly turning them into stone; a reluctant hero must decide whether to use it to save their world.
A ship captain discovers an ancient map leading to a floating island in the sky, rumored to be the resting place of a lost god.
A kingdom’s only hope against an invading army is a long-lost heir who was raised in secret by a rival clan; they must unite their people before it’s too late.
A wizard’s apprentice accidentally opens a portal to another realm, unleashing creatures of myth and legend into the world.
A princess cursed to turn into a wolf every full moon must navigate political intrigue and romance while searching for a cure.
In a world where stars grant wishes, a fallen star chooses a young blacksmith to fulfill its last wish, setting off an adventure that spans realms.
A forgotten deity awakens in the modern world and recruits a cynical teenager to help them regain their lost powers and stop an ancient evil.
An ancient forest, rumored to be alive, chooses a young orphan as its guardian to protect it from encroaching dark forces.
A bard discovers that the songs of his ancestors can summon legendary heroes, and must use this power to defend his homeland from an otherworldly invasion.
A sorceress who can manipulate time must prevent a catastrophic event by reliving the same day over and over, each time with new challenges.
A humble farmer finds an enchanted sword that speaks to them, revealing they are the chosen one to lead a rebellion against a tyrant king.
A group of adventurers stumbles upon an ancient tomb, awakening a slumbering dragon and uncovering a prophecy that ties their fates together.
In a kingdom where seasons are controlled by magical beings, the Winter Queen goes missing, causing chaos and threatening eternal winter.
A knight who has never known defeat faces their greatest challenge when they are tasked with capturing a rogue mage who can bend reality.
A child born with the mark of an ancient dragon must uncover the truth about their lineage and prevent a war between dragons and humans.
A realm where dreams are real is in danger of being consumed by nightmares; only a dreamwalker can save it by facing their deepest fears.
A sorcerer seeking immortality must find the three lost pieces of his soul, each guarded by a different mythical creature.
A young scholar discovers a hidden library that contains the world’s lost magic and must protect it from those who would exploit its power.
A hero awakens from a century-long slumber to find the world drastically changed and must reunite with old allies to stop a new threat.
In a land where music is magic, a mute girl discovers she can create powerful spells through her paintings.
A blacksmith’s daughter inherits a mysterious amulet that grants her the ability to forge weapons of unparalleled power, drawing the attention of dark forces.
A disgraced knight is given a chance at redemption when tasked with protecting a royal heir who has the power to heal the land.
A magical storm sweeps across the land, bestowing random people with extraordinary abilities; a group of these individuals must band together to stop a growing evil.
A warrior and a sorcerer, bound by an ancient curse, must learn to work together to defeat a powerful necromancer threatening their world.
A nomadic tribe discovers a hidden city beneath the desert sands, guarded by a timeless guardian who holds the key to their past and future.
A prince must ally with a pirate queen to retrieve a stolen artifact that could either save or doom their world.
A young druid must navigate political intrigue and natural disasters to unite warring factions and restore balance to the land.
A legendary hero returns from the dead with no memory of their past life, only to find their homeland in ruins and a new evil rising.
A mage’s apprentice accidentally binds themselves to a powerful spirit and must learn to control this new power while avoiding those who seek to exploit it.
In a world where every lie creates a shadowy double, a truthseeker must unravel a web of deceit to uncover a hidden threat.
A prince and a pauper discover they are twins separated at birth, each with a destiny that could change the fate of their kingdom.
A cursed knight must gather a band of misfits to retrieve a magical artifact that can lift their curse and stop an impending apocalypse.
A healer with the power to bring back the dead must decide whom to save in a war-torn land, knowing each resurrection takes a piece of their soul.
An ancient prophecy foretells the rise of a hero with the blood of both elves and humans; a half-elf must embrace their dual heritage to fulfill it.
A scholar deciphers an ancient language that awakens elemental spirits, and must prevent them from destroying the world.
A kingdom’s fate rests on the shoulders of a young girl who can speak to animals, as she uncovers a plot to overthrow the king.
A legendary beast awakens every thousand years to choose a new guardian; this time, it selects an unlikely candidate with a hidden past.
A mage who lost their powers in a magical duel must embark on a quest to regain them and prevent a rival from unleashing an ancient evil.
A knight is sent on a quest to retrieve a holy relic, only to discover the relic is tied to their own mysterious past.
A powerful sorceress must protect a young prince who has the ability to end all magic in the world.
A group of rebels discovers an ancient machine that can turn thoughts into reality, but its use comes with a terrible price.
A young woman discovers she is the reincarnation of a legendary hero and must reclaim her past life’s memories to defeat a rising darkness.
A kingdom’s fate depends on a mystical flower that blooms once a century; a band of unlikely heroes must protect it from dark forces.
A cursed musician can only break his curse by performing a song of pure magic, a task that seems impossible until he meets a mysterious muse.
A warrior discovers a hidden realm where time flows differently, and must use this to their advantage to stop an impending invasion.
A sorcerer who can control the weather must find a way to stop a series of unnatural storms threatening to destroy their world.
In a land where the stars dictate one’s destiny, a young noble defies her fate and sets out to change the stars’ course.
A child born under a blood moon is prophesied to either save or destroy their kingdom; as they grow, they must choose their path.
A young mage must travel to the center of a forbidden forest to retrieve a lost spellbook, encountering mythical creatures and ancient magic along the way.
A prince and a sorceress must join forces to prevent a dark ritual that could plunge their world into eternal night.
A mysterious plague sweeps through a kingdom, and only a healer with forbidden knowledge can find the cure.
A warrior with the ability to control shadows must protect their kingdom from an army of light-wielding invaders.
A young alchemist discovers a potion that grants eternal life, but using it comes with unforeseen consequences that could doom the world.
A princess with the power to communicate with the dead must solve the mystery of her parents’ murder to save her kingdom.
A legendary warrior returns from the dead to guide a young hero in their quest to stop an ancient evil from rising again.
A blacksmith’s apprentice discovers a hidden talent for magic and must use it to forge a weapon capable of defeating an immortal sorcerer.
In a world where dreams hold power, a dreamweaver must navigate a realm of nightmares to save their loved ones.
A prince cursed to live as a beast must find true love to break the spell, but time is running out as his kingdom faces a dire threat.
A young woman discovers she is the last of a line of dragon riders and must reclaim her heritage to stop a war between dragons and humans.

Interested in more epic fantasy prompts? Check out our book on Amazon, “1, 000 Fantasy Writing Prompts” by Imagine Forest (Amazon Affiliate Link):

Summary

We hope these 65 epic fantasy writing prompts have sparked your imagination and inspired you to dive into new and exciting worlds. Whether you’ve crafted a complete story or just started exploring an idea, we’d love to hear about your creative journey. Share your thoughts, questions, or even snippets of your work in the comments below.

Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.

10 Writing Prompts about dogs for kids _imagine forest

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Fantasy writing prompts: 200+ ideas to create magic

Post author By Jordan
4 Comments on Fantasy writing prompts: 200+ ideas to create magic

Looking for ideas to write epic or dark fantasy, academic (school-set) fantasy or the comic variety? Find 200-plus fantasy-writing prompts below for writing flash fiction, short stories or something longer

Fantasy writing prompt categories

Looking for ideas to write epic or dark fantasy, academic (school-set) fantasy or the comic variety? Here are 200 fantasy story ideas to help your readers escape from everyday life. A creative writing prompt can be fun to do and can spark a new novel into being, or help you overcome any common storytelling challenges you may be faced with.

So, let’s get those creative juices flowing! Find the 200-plus fantasy writing plot ideas and prompts below for writing flash fiction, short stories or something longer:

Use the table of contents below to jump to one of twenty fantasy writing prompt categories:

Magical discovery
Magical laws and rules

Magical objects and talismans

Spells, rituals and potions
Magic in the real (primary) world

Magical alternative worlds

Fantastical or mythical creatures, curses and forbidden magic, prophecies and legends, witches and wizards, magic schools and teachings, enchanted and other magical places, time travel and other magical transport, swords and sorcery, riddles and trials, alchemy and transformation, unique cultures and societies, morally grey magic, magic’s constraints, heroic vs destructive fantasy characters.

Explore the fantasy writing prompts below and get more insights into writing fantasy in our complete fantasy guide and hub .

Fantasy writing prompts on magical discovery

Magic takes many forms in fantasy literature, from spells, sorcery and enchantment to teleportation, telekinesis, and more.

Use these fantasy writing prompts to come up with scenes , story ideas, flash fiction exercises – whatever you want.

Write a story where a person discovers they have magic powers only for a specific day each year (or once-off). What is the significance of this day? Why does it unlock their ability?
The most famous witch, wizard or mage in the world discovers a new power that spells disaster. Write a comic fantasy (or dramatic/tragic take) on this scenario.
A fledgling novice in spell craft discovers a place that amplifies the potency of their powers. Write a story exploring this place – how they use it, its origins, the significance of the discovery.
Write a story in which a student accidentally turns their class into [insert objects/animals/transformation] and explore the ensuing chaos and restoration of order.
Write a story in which a librarian discovers a book with magical properties in the stacks. What is the book and what does it empower them to change or do?
During a camping trip, a group of friends discovers magical powers that change their lives forever. Write their story.
Write a story about an overworked [insert profession here] who discovers they can become invisible at will (and the help and hindrance this brings].
A baker/chef/jeweler/florist/funeral home operator discovers their wares/services have magical properties or powers. Explore the consequences.
Write a story in which a lawyer discovers magical abilities that aid them in court unbeknownst to tough judges and juries.
A child discovers they can breathe underwater and so they explore sunken ships around their coastal town as they get older, until they make a troubling discovery. Write their story.

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Prompts on magical laws and rules

In many fantasy stories and novels, magic has costs, rules, laws like our physics.

Explore these fantasy writing prompts on magical laws and rules for ideas and story starters:

Write a story where a child discovers they have healing powers, yet they come with a terrible price. This means they must choose treatment recipients carefully. What are their criteria?
Write a story where a character is ostracized from their magical community for using forbidden magic and joins a band of misfits.
Write a story about a rule-keeper in a magical world who harbors a secret about their own potentially ruinous rule-breaking.
Write a story where a new bill has been passed outlawing magic, and the unlikely group of magic-doers who band together to see it overturned.
Write a story set in a world where there are five laws shapeshifters have to abide by, and the protagonist breaks all five with dire consequences.
Tell a story about a world in which magic is allowed under three, non-negotiable conditions. What are they?
Write about a magical world where a law forbids magicians from using their craft for personal gain, and a loophole the protagonist exploits.
There is a cut-off age after which people in a magical world cannot awaken/unlock their magical powers. Write a story about a character rapidly approaching this cut-off, and something they urgently need magic to achieve.
Using magic to alter someone’s appearance is a high-risk, illegal procedure. Write a story where someone is disfigured by magic gone wrong, and the ways this affects their life. How do they struggle or triumph?
Write a story about a rebel who creates a new spell that has never been used before, and the unforeseen consequences that result.

Fantasy literature is a warehouse of talismans, rings, and other magical objects.

Explore 10 fun fantasy writing prompts incorporating enchanted or otherwise magical objects:

Write a story about a magical pendant and three generations of women who hand it down (with the same caution).
An antiques dealer unknowingly sells a young couple a cursed object. Write a story about how the item leads to precarious situations.
Write a story in which a protagonist hangs a protective ward above their front door, and the hell that breaks loose when it is stolen (try a dark fantasy tone/mood).
Write a story about a magical compass-like device that instead of showing north shows where to find [blank].
Write a story about a key, the origins of which the protagonist doesn’t know until several pieces of a magical puzzle fall into place.
Write a story about a jeweler who makes magical talismans, the essential component they run out of, and an intrepid quest to obtain more.
A candle burns indefinitely and cannot be extinguished, until [insert event], which will signal [insert prophecy fulfilled]. Write the full story.
A hat gives its wearer the magical ability to summon tulpas (clones) of others do their bidding. What happens when the hat falls into the possession of destructive figure?
A ring that casts a protective shield around its wearer falters at a pivotal moment with serious consequences. Write the full story.
Children spying on a visiting relative find a curious geometric object on their nightstand. It creates a portal to a terrifying other world. Write the story.

Spells, rituals and potion

Fantastical stories are full of rites and tinctures, magic spoken and decanted.

Use the following ten prompts to explore weaving magic in stories and resulting mysteries:

Write a story where the protagonist gets the ingredients for an important spell wrong (and the havoc that ensues).
A graduating class of mages must perform a ritual according to exact instructions to seal and fully realize their magic. Write a story about a class whose ceremony is disrupted, and the consequences in each of their lives due to not completing the necessary rites.
An age-reversal spell as an unforeseen side effect. Write the full story.
A forbidden spell lands a young magician in hot water (but attracts the attention of a group of magic rule-breakers who see a use for the protagonist in fulfilling their aims).
A potion testing causes dramatic changes in a magician’s apprentice’s personality with troubling or hilarious consequences. Write the full story.
A spell that is meant to bring a positive change to a town has the opposite effect. Explore the turning point and fallout.
A magical system uses spells requiring [insert ability]. Write a story about a differently abled magician and the trials they face as they excel and overcome despite their peers’ advantages.
Write a story about a powerful sleeping spell and the criminal who uses it.
A truth spell backfires making the recipient reveal an uncomfortable truth that cannot be ignored. Write this story.
A group of friends discovers a ritual that lets them swap bodies. Explore the hilarity or disaster that ensues.

Magic in the real/primary world

‘Primary’ world fantasy stories situate magic in protagonists’ home settings (such as Earth). For example, in urban fantasy, magic unfolds in modern, regular cityscapes. Tweet This

Explore ten fantasy writing prompts for stories set in primary worlds:

A young adult stumbles across a park in their city that they never knew existed where they have a mysterious conversation. It’s an abandoned lot when they next return. Write the story.
A deep-sea diving expedition finds a magical world in the lowest sea trenches which changes everything they thought they knew (and inhabitants alert them to a pressing danger). Write the story.
A barista in a small town’s favorite coffee shop discovers they can grant wishes like a genie. Write their story.
A supercell storm has something mysterious at the root of the updraft its creating. Write about the magical phenomena behind the event.
Tourists visiting a desert landmark uncover an ancient magic far more dangerous than the tropes of mummies’ curses they’ve heard. Write the story.
An evasive stray [insert domesticated animal] in [insert city] may have magical powers (or it could just be freaky happenstance). Write the story.
A mysterious graffiti artist becomes active in a bustling city, and wherever they strike, strange beings start appearing. Write the story.
An urban planner comes up against an opposing magical force in a city that makes executing their plans a nightmare. Tell the story.
A mysterious train with an unfamiliar number appears in a city’s underground system, somehow avoiding causing collisions. Write a story about the inter-dimensional beings who use this line.
A writer discovers a typewriter in garage sale in their hood that brings to life whatever they write about with tragic/funny consequences.

Secondary or alternative worlds in fantasy fiction transport characters (and readers) to mythical lands.

Try 10 fantasy story prompts to explore portals and other magical passages:

Catching the wrong bus by accident leads a middle-schooler to a school that resembles their own but is located in a secondary magical world, perhaps with magical creatures. Write the story.
A protagonist has recurring dreams where they hear a haunting piece of music. They hear the music in the real world right before stumbling into another magical one. Explore the music’s origins.
Write a story in which a protagonist must choose between passing through a one-way portal to another world to right a wrong and seeing their friends and family again.
Explore an invented fantasy world where there is no land and people have adapted to entirely aquatic life (and the myths they have about when there was land).
Write a story where a secondary world has become inhabitable, and people live in settlements in the sky in the hope of returning to land one day.
Write a story where planets are connected via a similar type of portal. Only a select few know of the portals and may pass through them. Some do good while others are more destructive.
A character stumbles across a world where books and writing are taboo and have all (or almost all) been destroyed. What are the results?
Write a fantasy story where the protagonist finds a secondary world where people can manipulate the weather, light, or other physical processes using magic.
Write about a secondary world in which climate catastrophe has led to magical solutions for acquiring scarce resources or living in inhospitable terrain.
Explore a city built on giant, roaming beast in another world, and what characters find when they venture beyond this known world.

Fantastical, mythical creatures abound in fantasy and its subgenres .

Explore fantasy writing prompts for venturing into the wild:

Write a fantasy story about a phoenix-like creature that is reborn when it dies and the rare abilities being present during this process bestows.
The inhabitants of a world where magic is dying out have heard of a mythical creature which they think will be the solution or salve. Tell this story.
Write a story about a mythical creature that is rumored to exist, a character determined to find it, and the magic (or is it happenstance?) that surrounds their hunt.
Write a story in which three mythical beasts appoint humans who live in three regions as their guardians, bestowing magic, and the conflict this scenario leads to.
A small village is terrorized by a mythical creature that is rumored to dwell in the peaks of a tall mountain. There is a famed magician who is rumored to have tamed one. Write the story.
A character is transformed into a mythical creature and must survive hostility from their community who mistakenly believe they are the creature behind their own disappearance. Write the story
Write a story where a character develops the ability to communicate with animals who issue a grave warning.
A family adopts a pet not realizing it is a mythical creature with magical powers. Write their story.
A dragon slumbering beneath a populous city awakes after centuries of sleep. What happens next?
A hunter befriends a magical, mythical creature while out on the hunt. They confront a shared foe. Write their story.

Curses and forbidden magic in fantasy literature often create renegade shadows and other troubles.

Try your hand at ten fantasy writing prompts on illicit and underground magic:

Write a story about an apothecary who brews potions promising transformation and prosperity (but doesn’t warn patrons of their true price).
A character is cursed to be unable to venture beyond a restricted area. Write about the unlikely ally who stumbles across them and how they help lift the curse.
A forbidden spell can grant a wish yet requires an enormous sacrifice. Write a story about its user.
A child is cursed to be aged during the day and their true age at night. Write this story.
A townsperson’s unkindness to a stranger brings a tide of unceasing misfortune to a town. Explore how and why the curse resolves.
A curse on a leader means they experience the suffering of every individual in their kingdom as if it were their own. Write their story.
A forbidden book of spells falls into the wrong hands. Write a story in which three spells cause increasingly worse consequences.
A character uses forbidden magic to impress someone. Write about the evil they unleash unwittingly on the world.
A forbidden magic that enables a young girl to enter others’ dreams leaves her with a moral dilemma when it means she could stop bad events. Write the story.
A community exiles a magician right before realizing they are the only one with the power to overcome a major threat. Write the story.

Fantasy and fairy tales alike are full of prophecies and legends, tales of deeds past and future.

Play with ten fantasy writing prompts on the clairvoyant and long-rumored:

A prophecy foretells a true leader will be ascendant when [insert trial] is fulfilled. Write the story of a child who fulfils the prophecy and what happens next.
A prophet is treated by their community as crazy and ostracized, but they are dumbfounded when magical events give veracity to their claims. Write the story.
A prophecy predicts a leader will fall in a battle where the odds are vastly in their favor. Write the story of their defeat and the fantastical circumstances surrounding it.
Legend tells of a strange house deep in the woods. Write about the character who sets off to find it and the magical events that transpire.
A protagonist is prophesied to reunite three warring kingdoms. Tell their story and how they achieve this unlikely feat.
A mistranslated prophecy leads to the formation of a dangerous magical cult. Write about the individual who unmasks the true, original meaning.
A legend about the past or origin of a people turns out to have been a prediction of their future. Tell this story.
A legend tells of a secret city, protected by magic, which holds a valuable solution to a major crisis in the main character’s homeland. Write about their quest to the mythical place.
A direct descendent of a legendary magical hero struggles to live up to their name with their non-magical life (until something happens which changes everything).
Write a story about a legend, the repetition of which feeds a powerful magic (or magical being), unbeknown to the tellers. What happens when they stop sharing the legend? Write that story.

From the beloved ‘Worst Witch’ series to modern tales of broomsticks and black cats, witches and wizards are fantasy favorites.

Try these ten fantasy writing prompts for a cackle:

A society of diabolical wizards/witches disguises themselves as social media influencers and encourage a dangerous new trend that feeds their powers.
A witch invents a new type of magical broomstick that solves a huge issue for witches and wizards everywhere, then her business associate steals her prototype to pass off as their own. Tell the story.
A witch or wizard’s familiar (e.g. a cat) has a secret they don’t know about to start. The revelation of said secret impacts their future. Write the story.
Write a story where a home-schooled witch and wizard must overcome initial awkwardness and antipathy to overcome a common enemy.
A witch wants to train the next generation of magical leaders but faces many kinds of opposition along the way. Write their story.
A wizard left unable to speak in an accident must find a novel way to cast spells. Write their story.
A renowned wizard or witch starts a magic school but everything goes wrong in an endless farce. Write this fantasy comedy of errors.
A wizard is hopeless at the exact kind of magic their reputation rides on, secretly outsourcing. Write about what happens when their illusion crumbles.
Write a story where a disgraced witch or wizard must restore their reputation by completing a nigh-impossible trial.
A witch or wizard develops a potion granting immortality. They must take a chance on dying to test if it works, though. Write their story.

Fantasy quote - why writers are like magicians

Magic schools are a big part of so-called ‘academic fantasies’.

Here are ten prompts to make school rule with wish and wonder (or find the frustrations in fantastical education):

Write a story in which a magical school closes for business due to a scandal (and the tricky path to its reopening).
A magical college runs out of funding. Tell the story of the magical ways it fundraises and is saved so that it may stay open.
A magic school is run by a college of mages and witches instead of a lone principal. Write a story of the tricky politics and dynamics that result.
A school for magic has its license taken away by a governing body’s pencil pushers on a technicality. Write about the magic teacher who fights to be able to teach their students and their student relationships.
Write a story about a magic school for seniors who discover abilities late in life.
Write a story about the ‘in’ group and the outsider misfits in a magic school and their conflicts and eventual truce.
A magical academy hides a dark secret nobody wants to acknowledge. Write about the intrepid student who exposes it and the consequences.
A magic school makes students swear by seven (surprising) tenets. what are they? Write this story.
A magic school that abides by tradition competes with a disruptive new school that upends the old order. Write about a group of students from each school who compete in inter-school events.
A magic school runs a foreign exchange program that makes students aware of the very different ways magic is practiced around the world. Write about two students who swap and their experiences.

Enchanted forests, castles and other magical settings in fantasy are full of secrets and wonder.

Explore ten fantasy story starters below that integrate setting into the magic:

Write a story about an enchanted bookshop that helps patrons find the exact book they need for powerful transformation.
An enchanted lake grants those who swim in it the ability to pause time. Write the story about three swimmers who use their power to very different ends.
Write about a café where every order is served with a secret side of magical good luck, until the barista loses their mojo, and each order brings misfortune.
Write about a graveyard enchanted to resurrect the departed buried in its bounds on a future date – the story starts at ten to midnight as the date approaches.
An enchanted post office sends people not mail but individual magical abilities when they turn thirteen. Write this story.
An enchanted hotel makes patrons dream their greatest regrets (and find peace in the process). Tell this story.
Write about an enchanted place a character remembers from childhood and revisits to find it in the grip of a curse instead.
Write about a river that flows in reverse and a magical ferry on it that takes passengers back in time.
A group of travelers stumble upon an island where dreams and nightmares come true that is under the spell of a powerful sorcerer. Write this story.
Write about an enchanted club where dancers get lost in the music, literally.

How will characters get around in your next fantasy story? Magic school buses, hippogriffs, something else?

Explore ten fantasy writing prompts and get aboard the inspiration train:

Write a story about a magical ship and the equally magical sea it traverses.
Write a story where a travel back (or forward) in time yields unintended, troublesome consequences.
Write about the magical transport system in an underwater city and the anecdotes of its oldest driver.
Write about a character whose magic weakens fractionally with every step, and the choices they must make between freedom and movement.
Write a story about a magical submarine that can travel through sea and land and its ragtag crew.
Write a story about a commercial flight that never landed and the magical destination its passengers reached instead.
Write a fantasy story in which horses are not transportation but serve another, unexpected purpose.
Write a story about a magician who can only travel through dreams and is trapped within a single block unless they find a dreamer.
Write about a person who discovers a magic library where every book is a portal to a different world.
A character is cursed to be a message in a bottle, until someone finds it and reads the note inside. Write about their travels and transformation back (and who they meet in the process).

Swords and sorcery are staples of fantasy fiction, particularly the epic fantasy subgenre.

Try your hand at ten fantasy prompts for swordplay and conjuring epic worlds:

Write a story in which a knight must face off against a dangerous magic with only their physical skills and wits.
Write a story about a magical sword, the secret property of which is the incapability to cause mortal injury.
Write a story about a sword that possesses its wielder, making them do its bidding.
A magical assassin crafts a blade from her own shadow that is faster than any other, at a terrible price. Write her story.
Write a story about a sorcerer who wishes they were a knight and resents having to use magic but slowly gains appreciation of it.
Siblings are destined to become a mage and a warrior, but swap roles and identities to stop a dangerous threat. Tell their story.
Write about a sword which heals instead of harms, and three rival factions desperate to attain it.
A swordsperson is gifted a magical blade that can transform into almost any object. Write the story of its loss and recovery.
Write a story about a duel between sword-wielders whose swords have powerful sorceries amplifying their power, and the path to their final confrontation.
Write about a blacksmith who makes magical swords, and the one weapon they wish they’d never made.

Riddles and trials go back to many myths and legends. Think Oedipus and the sphinx, or the twelve tasks of Hercules.

Try fantasy writing prompts to tell stories where riddles and trials play a prominent part:

Write a story in which the main character must solve a riddle that requires them to go to three different regions for each of the three-part answers.
A magic initiate must undergo five trials of increasing complexity before they are permitted to use their powers. Write their story.
A leader sets a riddle for their successor, believing nobody will crack it, yet a challenger solves it via magical means. Tell this story.
Write about a secondary fantasy world where disputes are settled by solving riddles or trials instead of other means.
A legendary healing item or weapon may only be retrieved upon solving a riddle that requires great learning. Write about a character who spends their life training for its retrieval.
Write about a band of adventurers and the shared and individual trials they face, only to learn that magic was not what they thought it was.
A book of riddles turns out to be a book of spells where saying the riddle aloud conjures things, unbeknown to the reader. Write the story of the one who finds it.
A group of powerful magicians seeks someone to recruit to their order, but first they must solve a series of confounding riddles. Tell the story.
Write a story about a thief who must solve a riddle to remove the magical protections where an important but dangerous artifact lies.
Write about a physical puzzle, the solving of which unleashes a dark magic into the world.

Transmuting one material into another or physical transformation are ancient traditions of myth- and legend-making.

Here are ten prompts to explore on magical metamorphoses:

Write a story about a transfiguration spell that goes wrong, and the hybrid form the caster must now live with.
An alchemist can make their own gold, but their greed leads to a serious conflict. Write the story.
A sorcerer curses their nemesis to transform into something undesirable, but a mistake gives the other a totally unfair new advantage.
Write a story where a character turns into an object by day and is only free at night, and the consequences of this recurring magical transformation.
Write a story about a character who can meld forms with their pet and the adventures they have.
At transfiguration school, a novice accidentally turns their best friend into an annoying animal. Write about their journey to transform back.
A character finds a pair of glasses that shows things’ true form, and makes some startling discoveries. Write their story.
Write a story about a jealous sibling who uses magic to swap bodies with their talented, popular sibling.
Write about a mirror that turns anyone who looks in it into their worst fear.
Write about a magic garden whose plans have transformative properties (but that can only be found under certain conditions).

One part of fantasy world-building (especially if you are creating secondary worlds or writing epic fantasy) is coming up with unique cultures and societies.

Try these ten fantasy writing prompts to explore differences and similarities between peoples:

Write about a character who travels to another land on an important quest (and the surprising discoveries they make about how magic practice differs from home).
Write about a fantasy society in which magic is intrinsically linked to music-making.
In a magical kingdom, magical ability determines rank and status. Write about a character who travels from this setting to a place where all magic is taboo.
In a secondary world’s social system, magic has made gender divisions (though not anatomical sex) obsolete. Write about an Earth’s resident’s learning from their travels there.
Write about a magical society that values silence above all things, and the chatterbox main character who must make their way there.
Write about a society where magic has a demerit system and a person’s powers are taken away through a communal ritual after three strikes.
Write about a civilization of elementals who work together to maintain balance, and the interloping main character who upsets said balance.
Write about a magical society where spoken words manifest into physical form, and the dangers (real or perceived) of an ignorant outsider’s speech.
A society living on a secondary world has no nouns. Write about a main character who travels there and how they learn to communicate.
Write about a subterranean society in a fantasy world and the myths that it holds and shares about the land above.

Dark spells, curses and other morally grey uses of magic remind us that power has very different effect according to intention and ethics.

Explore ten prompts for writing stories where magic creates moral quandaries and conundrums:

A magician finds an elixir capable of solving a global health crisis. The only problem? Several ingredients are profane or taboo. Write their story.
A mage attempts to use time travel to correct magical mistakes, but only compounds the problem. Tell their story.
Write a story where a character uses magic to clone themselves, but issues of responsibility arise when the clones start creating clones.
A witch has the power to control dreams, but little power to control the realities altered dreams bring about. Explore their story.
A wizard creates a magical apprentice, only for the apprentice to grow worryingly beyond their power and capacity for control.
Write a story in which a character who is able to switch bodies with others at will leaves a trail of complications and misunderstandings.
Write a story about a use of magic for business success that exploits and ends up harming the inhabitants of a small town.
A character who discovers the ability to grant wishes notices how their associates come to rely on them so much they lose their individual power and capability. Explore what they decide to do.
A mage discovers the ability to resurrect extinct animals, yet their experiments threaten a delicate ecosystem. Explore this story idea.
Write a story where a magic-doer uses their powers to punish wrongdoers, but their vision of right and wrong becomes increasingly distorted.

In any fantasy story, magic isn’t a cure-all to everything. Mortality and other risks and conflicts still exist.

Explore ten fantasy writing prompts that factor in the idea of a limit:

Write a story in which a character can only use magic under certain special conditions (such as a preparatory spell or in a certain biome).
Write a story where a character can heal others but acquires a reduced version of their wounds or sickness through magical transfer.
A character’s magic has a small, accumulative, irreversible cost every time they use it. Explore the implications of this.
Write a story where the protagonist can become invisible, but with each use the effect becomes more permanent and they grow translucent.
Write a story where a character can conjure fire but cannot put out any flame without it causing self-injury.
A character is only able to attend magic school if they deceive those closest to them. Write their story.
Write about a world where every time a person uses magic, deadly creatures from another dimension are summoned irrevocably.
Write a story where using magic drains color from the world.
A novice magician can only use spells within a curfew-related period, yet major trouble strikes outside active magical hours.
Write a story where any spell may only be used once before it becomes ineffective.

The fantasy genre is full of heroes and villains – white witches, rapscallion ring-bearers.

Try these ten fantasy writing prompts to explore opposite poles of good and evil:

Write a story where the heroic fantasy protagonist evolves to become a sequel’s villain due to the suffering they undergo.
Write a story from the perspective of the villain who uses dark magic, and explore the good they wrongfully believe they’re doing.
An antagonist steals a magician’s abilities and they strive to get them back, only to learn they now function more dangerously than ever.
Write a fantasy story about a hero and villain who started out as childhood friends and how their choices led them down different paths.
Write a fantasy story where magic gone wrong causes the hero and villain to swap bodies or other features.
A hero discovers their mentor has secretly been in cahoots with the villain. Write the story of betrayal and the resulting conflict.
Write a fantasy story about a hero who discovers they were cursed or otherwise manipulated to do wrong, and the conflict they can’t avoid to get their true self back.
Write a story about a retired fantasy hero who must get back into action due to a new or reawakened foe.
Write a comic fantasy about a hero who goes on a grand adventure, but like Don Quixote, the magic is mostly in their mind.
Write a story where a villain is more popular than the hero due to charisma or powers of persuasion, and the hero must stand alone.

🗣️ Which is your favorite fantasy writing prompt of all the above? Have your own to contribute? Share it in the comments!

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Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town.

4 replies on “Fantasy writing prompts: 200+ ideas to create magic”

200 ideas and 7 ideas about how to use the ideas?! This is delicious. Now I have a Craft Challenge reference (with my personal twist, of course). As for my novel, I usually need more help with filters than ideas 😁 But these are like tiny idea-island getaways. Thanks!

Thank you for sharing your feedback, Margriet (I like the idea of ‘idea-island getaways’) 🙂

Got an idea:

A young knight is considered a champion among his/her people, but the sacrifices he/ she made to achieve the title have stained his/ her good name and he/ she feels like anything but a champion.

Great ideas on here and these will make for some interesting stories.

Hi FreeFly, I love this idea. Thank you for sharing it and for your feedback!