The Main Character

These are just suggestions and ideas on where to start with a story of your own. You can pick a piece of a prompt, an entire one, combine prompts with others you like, or create something else entirely with ideas leading in another direction!

Please share your ideas with others in the community as this project is better shared than separate. Another person could inspire your next greatest story!

The format that these stories is also up to you.

• Written
• Painted
• Sculpted
• Video
• Photographed
• Drawn
• Podcast
• Acted
• Puppeteered
• Sketch
• Play
• Script
• Animated
• etc. etc.

The length of the stories you tell is also in your control! They can be a few sentences long or span pages/hours long. The size they are depends on how long it takes to convey your story.

Natural disasters are the planet's allergies.

A character with memory loss recounting an event that happened to them
   Can this person's perspective be trusted with the audience? 

The first and the last sentence of the story is the same.
   What happens in between?
   Is the character's attitude the same?
   Does the tone/genre shift?

You are a child's imaginary friend.

A story that takes place upside down.
   Is the story written from end to start?
   Is it by a character hanging upside down?

If you put a special mixture on your eyelids before you go to sleep, you will dream of how you will die.

Two mind readers are in a mind reading loop with each other.

Children are the leaders of the planet until they turn eighteen.
   How do the adults feel about their leaders?
   What does a recently eighteen-year-old do when they lose power?
   Childhood illusion blinds you to the actual function of the world.
   Can you voice your opinion to the leaders?

Retail stores constantly revolving, moving in and out of shopping centres.

God/s is facing burnout from looking after millions of people. 
   Does this being delegate power to ease their own stress?
   What slips through the cracks?
   Does the world continue functioning?
   How does this being rest and recover?

Animals and/or plants looking up to a higher power like we do with God/s.
   How do they worship?
   What beliefs are ingrained in them?
   Who opposes their beliefs?

Pick a song or a movie or a game or a book or anything that inspires you to create a story.

A story with multiple versions with translations.
   Different languages to English.
   Morse code stories to English.
   English to another lanuage. 
   Non-English to Non-English - note that this will be more difficult to appeal to a wider audience. 

Go people watching and make a story that mirrors that person's perceived life.
   What is their body language like?
   Where are they going? Are they rushing or taking their time?
   Who is with them?
   What are they wearing to present themselves to the world? Is it business classy, street style, branded clothing?

Watch a nature documentary about an animal and try to embody that creature as much as possible. 

Form a story with large concepts, not beings as a main character.
   The meaning of life and its significance as humans seek an ultimate answer.
   Time and the movement of time.
   Memories that represent pieces of the past.
   Accessing memories of other people.
   Control and its different forms.
   Dreams and daydreaming as an integral element of life.
   Humanity.
   Money and its value in buying goods and services.

Animals/plants/aliens/etc having careers and hobbies like humans.
   Comedians, doctors, psychologists, gamers, directors, actors, singers, sports players, garbage disposal, video game developers, animators, writers, explorers, chess players, etc, etc. 

Like the prompts so far? Write your story into us!

Chicken and the egg style of storytelling where either can come first.

Create a story from the perspective of someone who has not been alive for many years. 
   A period piece from the 1800s, 1400s, 7 million years ago, the beginning of time, or any time in between. 

"I knew I would regret it if I didn't say anything now."

"I saw it all happen."

Create a reflection of morning, afternoon and night.
   Are they characters who share traits with different times of the day?
   Does the character/s travel through land where time passes from day to night?
   What emotion does each of these times mean for the character?

Make a story that highlights the use of illusions.

Write about Christmas Past, Present and Future/To Come.

Create a creature that is based on a animal you love combined with an animal you hate.
   Can your character learn to love this new creature?
   Does fear ruin a good animal for the character?
   How rare or common are they to find?

Write 26 line story, with each line starting with a letter of the alphabet.
   You could challenge yourself by starting the next word with the last letter of the previous word.
   Is it a singular story where events happen in sequence or each line stands alone?

It was the trip of a lifetime, but...

A character trying to find and unlock a padlock in the dark.

The hero hangs up the phone as the villain is trying to explain their evil schemes. 
   Does the villain try to call them back?
   Why is the villain stalling and explaining their work to someone trying to stop them?
   Can the hero figure out their plans without being told?

Make a story of a child overhearing their parents in another room.

Have two stories occur simultaneously from two seperate genres.
   For example, a romantic story that is happening while a scientific research team are mining under the restaurant they attend.

The dead are being revived and now they want to cling to death.
   Who is summoning them back?
   How do they stay dead?
   What is the reaction from those alive?

After death you continue working as you once did.
   Who is continuing to revolutionise the world?
   What films/music/stories/etc have been written in your absence?
   Does your character enjoy the work they did and continue?

"I love you but your powers are too strong. They scare me."

Create a story based on imfamous characters of stories already public.
   Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Cinderella, Snow White, Pinocchio, Alien, Terminator, Resident Evil, Pikachu, Mario, Luigi, Doom, Quake, etc.
   How is your version similar/different to the original source material?

Use foreshadowing to set up a later reveal in your story.

The front door of your house describes your routine each day.

A character travels to another planet and they describe the Earth as a single time zone, compared to their own lands.

Your character receives an urgent alert from a parallel version of themselves.
   Do you help them?
   How do you help?
   What danger are they in?
   Is there anyone else who can help them?

"What's it like to be awake while everyone else sleeps?"

One of the gods that was contracted to create the world took short cuts and/or went over budget.
   What issues go wrong?
   Who is in charge of fixing their mistakes?

A character mirrors a holiday, beyond just their name.

You’ve been listed as an alibi for your friend who’s been arrested, but you weren’t with them at the time.
   Do you cover for them?
   Are you still currently friends?
   Is this the first time they've mentioned you in an alibi?

Create a world where the character is good at everything they do, no matter how hard they try to suck at it.

“I can’t believe you told them my secret…now I have to disappear again.”

"To forgive is one thing, but I will never forget."