AI Story Generator Prompts

Generate 5 original high-concept story premises for [GENRE]:

For each premise provide:
1. The one-sentence logline (X meets Y in a world where Z)
2. The central conflict (what does the protagonist want vs. what stands in the way?)
3. The emotional core (what universal human experience does this story explore?)
4. The unique hook (what makes this story unlike anything readers have seen?)
5. Potential title (evocative and memorable)

Constraints:
- Each premise should be distinct in tone and setting
- At least one should have a twist on a familiar premise
- At least one should be set in an unexpected time period or location
- Avoid clichés unless subverting them deliberately

Genre: [FANTASY / SCI-FI / THRILLER / ROMANCE / LITERARY FICTION / HORROR / etc.]

Write 5 different opening paragraphs for a story with this premise:
[DESCRIBE YOUR STORY PREMISE IN 2-3 SENTENCES]

Each opening should use a different technique:
1. In medias res — drop us into the middle of action
2. Character voice — establish a distinctive first-person narrator immediately
3. World-building hook — make the world so strange or compelling we must know more
4. Atmospheric — mood and setting before plot
5. Philosophical — an observation or question that frames the whole story

For each opening, write 100-150 words and note:
- What technique is used and why it works for this story
- What question it plants in the reader's mind
- The emotional tone it establishes

Create a story concept that combines these two genres in an unexpected way:
Genre 1: [GENRE A — e.g., "cosy mystery"]
Genre 2: [GENRE B — e.g., "solarpunk sci-fi"]

Generate a concept that:
1. Takes the core pleasures of Genre A seriously (what readers love about it)
2. Takes the core pleasures of Genre B seriously (what readers love about it)
3. Creates a setting or premise where both genres feel organic — not forced
4. Introduces a protagonist who belongs in both worlds
5. Identifies the central conflict that can only happen at this genre intersection

Deliver:
- Story title and 50-word pitch
- 3-paragraph synopsis covering beginning, middle, and end
- The tone/voice recommendation
- Comparable works (books or films) for readers to understand the feel

Create a comprehensive character profile for my story:

Story context: [GENRE AND BRIEF PREMISE]
Character role: [PROTAGONIST / ANTAGONIST / SUPPORTING CHARACTER]
Gender, age, approximate appearance: [OPTIONAL — LEAVE BLANK FOR AI TO DECIDE]

Generate a complete character profile covering:
1. Name and its significance or backstory
2. Core desire (what they want more than anything)
3. Core fear (what they are most afraid of)
4. Fatal flaw (the weakness that will create the central conflict)
5. Backstory (the formative events that created this person — focus on wounds and turning points)
6. Contradictions (the tensions within this character that make them interesting)
7. Relationships (key people in their life and the dynamic with each)
8. Voice and speech patterns (how they talk, distinctive phrases, what they never say)
9. Arc potential (how should this character change by the story's end?)
10. Dark secret (something they have never told anyone)

Create a villain/antagonist for my story who is genuinely compelling:
Genre: [GENRE]
Story theme: [WHAT YOUR STORY IS ABOUT THEMATICALLY]
Protagonist: [BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF YOUR MAIN CHARACTER]

The villain should:
1. Have a coherent worldview — their actions make sense from their own perspective
2. Share something in common with the protagonist (a mirror or dark reflection)
3. Have understandable motivations even if their methods are wrong
4. Represent the thematic "argument" opposite to the protagonist's

Provide:
- Character name and role in the story
- Core belief that drives all their actions
- Origin story: what happened to make them this way?
- Their "lie" — the false belief at the heart of their villainy
- Why they believe they are the hero of their own story
- Three scenes that would show their full complexity to the reader

Plan a complete character arc for [CHARACTER NAME] across my story:
Genre and length: [GENRE] — [NOVEL / SHORT STORY / SERIES]
Current state at story start: [WHO IS THIS CHARACTER NOW — BELIEFS, FLAWS, WOUNDS]
Desired state at story end: [WHO SHOULD THEY BECOME]
Key theme: [WHAT DOES THIS ARC ILLUSTRATE THEMATICALLY]

Map the arc with these beats:
1. Opening state: who they are, what they believe, what they are hiding from
2. The inciting wound: what past trauma or wound drives current behaviour
3. First crack: the moment their worldview is first challenged
4. Midpoint shift: what forces them to confront their truth at the story's middle
5. Dark night of the soul: their lowest point and what it costs them
6. Breakthrough: the moment of genuine internal change
7. New state: who they are at the end — what has changed and what remains the same

Create a three-act story outline for:
Premise: [YOUR STORY CONCEPT]
Protagonist: [BRIEF CHARACTER DESCRIPTION]
Genre: [GENRE]
Theme: [WHAT THE STORY IS ABOUT AT ITS CORE]

Outline with story beats:
ACT ONE (Setup — 25% of story):
- Opening image and world establishment
- Protagonist introduction in their ordinary world
- Inciting incident (what disrupts the ordinary)
- Protagonist's refusal or hesitation
- First plot point: the point of no return

ACT TWO (Confrontation — 50% of story):
- New world/situation — protagonist is out of their element
- Rising complications and escalating stakes
- Midpoint reversal (something changes the game)
- All is lost moment — the worst thing happens
- Dark night of the soul

ACT THREE (Resolution — 25% of story):
- The breakthrough — protagonist finds their solution
- Climax — the final confrontation
- Resolution — aftermath and new equilibrium
- Closing image (mirror or contrast to opening)

Design an escalating conflict sequence for my story:
Story premise: [DESCRIBE YOUR STORY]
Protagonist's goal: [WHAT THEY WANT]
Main obstacle: [WHO OR WHAT STANDS IN THEIR WAY]
Genre: [GENRE]

Create a 10-step conflict escalation:
Steps 1-3: LOW STAKES — early obstacles that introduce conflict but feel manageable
Steps 4-6: MEDIUM STAKES — obstacles that force real sacrifice and difficult choices
Steps 7-8: HIGH STAKES — the protagonist loses something they cannot get back
Step 9: CRISIS — the worst possible moment, everything seems lost
Step 10: RESOLUTION — how the conflict is finally resolved (victory, defeat, or bittersweet)

For each step: describe the specific obstacle, what it costs the protagonist, and how it raises the stakes for the next step.

Design 2-3 subplots that weave with my main story:
Main plot: [DESCRIBE YOUR MAIN STORY IN 2-3 SENTENCES]
Main character: [BRIEF DESCRIPTION]
Theme: [STORY'S CENTRAL THEME]

For each subplot:
1. Introduce a subplot involving [secondary character, relationship, or parallel situation]
2. Explain how it connects to the main theme (should comment on or complicate the theme)
3. Map 4 key subplot beats that intersect with the main plot
4. Describe how the subplot resolves — ideally in a way that amplifies the main plot's climax
5. Explain what this subplot reveals about the protagonist that the main plot cannot show

Ensure subplots do not overshadow the main plot but enrich it meaningfully.

Build a detailed fantasy world for my story:
Story type: [EPIC FANTASY / DARK FANTASY / PORTAL FANTASY / LOW FANTASY]
Tone: [GRIMDARK / HOPEFUL / WHIMSICAL / MYTHIC]
Inspirations: [LIST ANY REAL-WORLD CULTURES, MYTHOLOGIES, OR WORLDS THAT INSPIRE YOU]

Design the world across these dimensions:
1. Geography: the physical landscape (continents, climate zones, notable landmarks)
2. History: 3-4 key historical events that shaped the current world
3. Power structures: who rules and how (political systems, factions, conflicts)
4. Magic system: how magic works, its rules, costs, and who can use it
5. Culture and society: how ordinary people live, social hierarchies, beliefs
6. Religion and mythology: what people believe and worship, creation myths
7. Economy: how trade works, what is scarce, what is valuable
8. The central conflict of this world: the tension that your story emerges from

Write a vivid atmospheric description of [SETTING NAME]:
Setting type: [CITY / VILLAGE / FOREST / SPACE STATION / UNDERWATER KINGDOM / etc.]
Mood: [THREATENING / MYSTERIOUS / WELCOMING / DECAYING / ELECTRIC / SACRED]
Time of day: [DAWN / MIDDAY / DUSK / NIGHT]
Season or weather: [SPECIFY]
POV character's emotional state: [HOW ARE THEY FEELING AS THEY ENTER THIS SPACE]

Write a 200-300 word setting description that:
- Engages all 5 senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste where relevant)
- Reveals something about the world beyond just physical description
- Reflects the POV character's emotional state through selective detail
- Plants 1-2 intriguing details that could become plot-relevant later
- Uses specific nouns (not "a tree" — "a gnarled oak") and active, unusual verbs

Design a science fiction world for my story:
Sub-genre: [SPACE OPERA / CYBERPUNK / SOLARPUNK / HARD SCI-FI / DYSTOPIA / BIOPUNK]
Time period: [NEAR FUTURE / FAR FUTURE / ALTERNATE HISTORY]
Central technology: [WHAT TECHNOLOGY DEFINES THIS WORLD]

Build the world across these elements:
1. The central technological development and its social consequences
2. Political landscape: what governments, corporations, or factions hold power?
3. Social stratification: who benefits from the technology and who is left behind?
4. Daily life for ordinary people (not the heroes — what is Tuesday like?)
5. The central crisis or tension threatening this world
6. The specific place(s) where the story takes place (with distinct atmosphere)
7. One element that makes this world feel lived-in and specific
8. The unique threat or wonder this world offers that no other setting provides

Write a dialogue scene between two characters where what they say is not what they mean:

Characters:
Character A: [NAME, ROLE, EMOTIONAL STATE IN THIS SCENE]
Character B: [NAME, ROLE, EMOTIONAL STATE IN THIS SCENE]

What they really want from this conversation:
Character A really wants: [TRUE WANT]
Character B really wants: [TRUE WANT]

Topic they are ostensibly discussing: [SURFACE TOPIC — e.g., "planning a dinner party"]
The real tension: [WHAT THIS CONVERSATION IS ACTUALLY ABOUT]

Write a 300-400 word dialogue scene where:
- Neither character says what they really feel
- The subtext is readable but not stated
- At least one beat of near-confession that is deflected
- The scene ends without the real issue resolved
- Each character has a distinct voice (different vocabulary, sentence length, emotional register)

Develop a distinctive narrative voice for my story's protagonist:
Character: [BRIEF DESCRIPTION — age, background, personality, worldview]
Genre: [GENRE]
Tense: [PAST / PRESENT]
Person: [FIRST PERSON / THIRD PERSON LIMITED / THIRD OMNISCIENT]
Tone: [DARKLY HUMOROUS / LYRICAL / MATTER-OF-FACT / UNRELIABLE / EARNEST]

Write three 150-word sample passages of this voice:
1. Describing an ordinary, mundane moment (morning routine or commute)
2. Describing something beautiful or emotionally moving
3. Describing something frightening or confusing

For each: highlight specific word choices, sentence structures, and rhythms that define this voice
After the three passages, provide a "voice guide" — 5 rules for maintaining this voice consistently

Write an argument scene that reveals character:
Who is arguing: [CHARACTER A] vs. [CHARACTER B]
Relationship: [HOW THEY KNOW EACH OTHER]
Surface cause of argument: [WHAT THE ARGUMENT IS OSTENSIBLY ABOUT]
Deeper cause: [THE REAL ISSUE UNDERNEATH]
What each character reveals under pressure:
- Character A reveals: [A TRUTH OR FLAW OR FEAR]
- Character B reveals: [A TRUTH OR FLAW OR FEAR]
Stakes: [WHAT IS AT RISK IF THIS ARGUMENT GOES BADLY]

Write a 400-500 word argument scene where:
- The argument escalates in 3 stages (simmering, open conflict, breaking point)
- Each character says something they cannot take back
- The scene ends in a way that changes their relationship permanently
- Physical action and setting detail ground the emotional intensity

Write a thriller scene that builds dread and tension:
Setting: [WHERE THIS SCENE TAKES PLACE]
Protagonist: [WHO WE FOLLOW]
Threat: [WHAT THE PROTAGONIST FEARS IS HAPPENING]
What the protagonist knows: [LIMITED INFORMATION THEY HAVE]
What we (the reader) suspect: [THE BROADER THREATENING PICTURE]

Write a 400-word scene that:
- Starts in apparent safety that slowly feels wrong
- Uses physical sensations to build dread (cold, sounds, smells)
- Employs pacing — short urgent sentences as tension rises
- Includes one moment of false relief that makes things worse
- Ends on a cliffhanger or revelation that escalates the threat
- Uses what is NOT shown as much as what is shown

Avoid: gore for shock value, stating emotions outright ("she felt afraid") — show them instead.

Write a romantic tension scene between two characters who have not yet admitted their feelings:
Character 1: [NAME, BRIEF DESCRIPTION]
Character 2: [NAME, BRIEF DESCRIPTION]
Relationship status: [HOW THEY KNOW EACH OTHER — rivals, friends, strangers, exes]
Setting: [WHERE THIS SCENE TAKES PLACE]
The obstacle preventing them from acting on their feelings: [WHAT KEEPS THEM APART]

Write a 350-400 word scene with:
- Charged physical awareness (every small movement noticed)
- A moment of almost-confession that is interrupted or redirected
- Conflicting internal monologue (what they want vs. what they allow themselves to show)
- Environmental or incidental mirroring (setting reflects internal state)
- A closing image or beat that leaves both characters — and the reader — wanting more

Tone: [SLOW BURN / PLAYFUL BANTER / ANGSTY / SWEET]

Write a quiet, literary fiction scene focused on interiority and observation:
Character: [WHO WE FOLLOW]
Setting: [AN ORDINARY PLACE — kitchen, waiting room, garden, bus stop]
Surface activity: [WHAT THEY ARE PHYSICALLY DOING — mundane task]
Internal experience: [WHAT THEY ARE THINKING OR FEELING BENEATH THE SURFACE]
Theme the scene should quietly explore: [E.g., "the passage of time", "loneliness in family", "small freedoms"]

Write a 300-350 word scene where:
- Nothing dramatic happens externally
- The prose does the emotional heavy lifting
- Specific, sensory detail grounds abstract feeling
- One small, precise observation illuminates something universal
- The ending contains an unspoken realisation rather than a plot turn
Style: evocative, spare, precise — influences: Raymond Carver, Alice Munro, Kazuo Ishiguro