101 Script Prompts for Every Writer
In the fascinating world of scriptwriting, inspiration can strike any moment, but sometimes, even the most creative minds need a little nudge. That's where these 101 Script Prompts come into play.
From action-packed adventures and thrilling mysteries to heartfelt romances and experimental narratives, these prompts ignite your imagination, push your creative boundaries, and transport you to new worlds.
Whether you're a seasoned writer seeking fresh ideas or a budding talent looking to explore different genres, these script prompts cater to every inclination, providing the spark to get your creative juices flowing.
Script prompts
Drama & Mystery
Dark Secret Unraveled: Two characters discover a buried treasure that hides a dark secret.
Man Discovers Truth: A man discovers his best friend's betrayal; how does he confront him?
The Archaeologist's Find: An archaeologist finds an ancient artifact that challenges industry standards.
Lost and Found: A woman wakes up lost in a deserted house. Her last memory is a blind date. Write the opening scene.
High School Mystery: Students must solve a mystery using dialogue prompts; the teacher's disappearance!
A Vivid Awakening: Describe a character who wakes up to realize they've time-traveled to a distant planet.
A Deeper Level of Trust: A plot twist in a romantic comedy that takes friendship to a deeper level.
Action & Thriller
Serial Killer Chase: An action sequence involving a serial killer that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats.
Catastrophic Plane Crash: Survivors on a deserted island must find a way home.
Sci-Fi Thriller: Main characters explore a new world filled with artificial intelligence; who can they trust?
The Wrong Turn: A road trip goes wrong; vivid language describes their adventure.
Interrogation Room Secrets: An interrogation room scene that uncovers unexpected secrets.
Romance & Comedy
Blind Date Twist: A blind date with an unexpected twist; they're already friends!
Self-Discovery Journey: Write a short film about a person's road to self-discovery and finding love.
Keeping Secrets in High School: A romantic comedy revolving around high school friends keeping secrets.
New World Romance: A love story set on a distant planet with new world rules.
Fantasy & Sci-Fi
Time Travel Dilemma: One character finds a way to time travel but gets stuck; now what?
The Immersive Experience: Write a screenplay about a character entering a virtual world that feels too real.
Ancient Artifact's Power: A woman discovers an ancient artifact that grants her supernatural powers.
Artificial Intelligence Uprising: The world faces a catastrophic event led by AI; how do humans respond?
Creative & Inspiring
Creative Process of a Writer: Explore the life of a writer who just started writing, using scene writing prompts.
Natural Flow of Emotions: Craft a story where characters communicate only through emotions.
Writing About Writing: Use writing prompts to tell the story of a screenwriting prompt that becomes a blockbuster.
Inspiration from Friends: Describe how the main character's friends inspire them to write.
Short & Sweet
Short Films Galore: Create ideas for three short films, each exploring a different emotion.
Screenwriting Prompts for a Day: Challenge yourself with 24 screenwriting prompts, one for each hour.
A Day in Life: Take a regular day in someone's life and add a mystery to solve.
Adventure & Exploration
The Lost Civilization: A group of archaeologists finds a new world hidden beneath the Earth.
Distant Planet Exploration: Imagine exploring a distant planet; what wonders and dangers await?
Time Traveling Friends: Two best friends accidentally discover a time travel machine; where will they go?
Road Trip of Self Discovery: Write a screenplay about friends on a transformative road trip.
Suspense & Horror
Haunted House Mystery: Characters enter a haunted house; one by one, they go missing.
Horror Movie in High School: Something's wrong at the local high school; can students solve the mystery?
Emotions Run Wild: A psychological thriller where emotions control reality.
Dead Body in the Library: Write the opening scene of a horror movie starting with a character discovering a dead body.
Romance & Relationships
Blind Date with a Twist: Two characters meet on a blind date only to realize they're old enemies.
Best Friends to Lovers: A romantic comedy exploring the transformation of friendship into love.
Stuck in Love: Main characters stuck in an elevator discover they have more in common than they thought.
Fantasy & Magical Realism
Magical Ancient Artifact: A woman discovers a magical artifact that allows her to speak to animals.
Immersive Fantasy World: Create a new world where magic governs the laws of nature.
Fairy Tale Reimagined: Pick a classic fairy tale and add a dark secret or plot twist.
Technology & Future
Artificial Intelligence Love Story: Write a sci-fi thriller where AI develops human-like emotions.
Virtual Life: Explore a story where a person prefers living in a virtual world over real life.
Future Catastrophic Event: An event in the future that changes the world; how do people adapt?
Inspirational & Human Spirit
Writing a Life Story: A writer reflects on life and starts writing a memoir.
Deeper Connection: Two strangers meet and find a deeper level of understanding through dialogue.
High School Triumph: Write a short story about overcoming challenges in high school.
Lost and Found in Nature: Main characters lost on a hiking trip find themselves and each other.
Unique & Experimental
Sensory Overload: A script relying solely on sensory details, challenging conventional writing.
Industry Standards Flipped: A screenplay where the characters know they are in a script.
One Character, Many Faces: Explore one character's multiple personalities in a single scene.
Mistaken Identity Comedy: A mistaken identity leads to chaos and comedy.
The Human Condition
Human Emotions Personified: Each character represents a different emotion in a family drama.
The Mystery of Being Stuck: Write about being stuck in a situation, place, or state of mind.
Friends in Adversity: How a group of friends helps each other through a challenging time.
Imagine the Unimaginable: Let your imagination run wild with an idea that defies logic.
Action & Adventure
Pirate's Ancient Artifact: A group of friends discovers an ancient artifact leading to hidden pirate treasure.
Man Discovers Superpower: A common person stumbles upon a superpower; what does he do with it?
Deserted Island Survival: Plane crash survivors on a deserted island must find a way home.
Thriller & Suspense
Serial Killer's Diary: The main character finds a diary that appears to belong to a serial killer.
The Catastrophic Date: Write a scene where a blind date turns into a catastrophic event.
Mystery of the Lost Friend: A friend goes missing; the search reveals more than expected.
Fantasy & Science Fiction
Alien Dialogue: Write dialogue prompts between humans and aliens on a distant planet.
Character from Another World: A character from another world gets stuck on Earth; write their story.
Time Travel Dilemma: One character finds a way to time travel but gets stuck in the wrong era.
Drama & Relationships
Family Secrets Unveiled: During a family reunion, a dark secret comes to light.
Woman Discovers Her Past: A woman wakes up with amnesia; unravels her past.
High School Love Rekindled: Old high school friends meet, and old emotions resurface.
Comedy & Satire
Inter-Galactic Romantic Comedy: Romance between characters from different galaxies.
Artificial Intelligence Gone Wrong: A sci-fi comedy where AI misunderstands human emotions.
Mystery of the Stuck Zipper: A comedic plot centered around a character stuck in a dress before a big event.
Historical & Period Pieces
Historical Time Travel: Characters time travel to a critical moment in history and must act carefully.
Archaeologist Finds Love: An archaeologist finds more than an ancient artifact during an expedition.
Revolutionary Friendship: Two friends on opposing sides of a historical revolution.
Inspirational & Uplifting
Life's Turning Point: Write a story of a character's life-changing moment and its impact.
The Road to Self-Discovery: A road trip leads to profound self-discovery and personal growth.
Creative Juices Flowing: A struggling writer finds inspiration through unexpected means.
Experimental & Avant-Garde
Write a Screenplay about Writing: A writer's block turns into an imaginative screenplay.
One Scene, Many Emotions: Write one scene from the perspective of different characters' emotions.
Characters Aware They're Characters: An immersive experience where characters know they're in a script.
Children & Family
Magical House Adventure: Children discover their new house is magical; what adventures await?
Lost Pet Mystery: Friends embark on a journey to find a lost pet and learn valuable lessons.
Time Travel to Meet Heroes: Children time travel to meet their historical heroes.
Short Forms & Quick Ideas
5-Minute Thriller: Write a thrilling story that unfolds in just five minutes.
A Dialogue-Only Scene: Write a scene using dialogue prompts only, revealing the character and plot.
Flash Fiction in a New World: Create a vivid new world in a short story format.
Mystery & Intrigue
The Wrong Message: A person receives a message meant for someone else, unraveling a conspiracy.
The House of Secrets: Write a mystery where every room in a house reveals a different secret.
Lost in Time: A character time travels to solve an ancient mystery but gets stuck in the past.
Action & Thriller
Action Sequence in Space: Write an action sequence set on a space station.
Interrogation Room Drama: A tense scene unfolds between a detective and a suspect hiding a dark secret.
Escaping a Catastrophic Event: Characters must escape a city about to face a catastrophic natural disaster.
Romance & Emotional Connections
Rekindling Old Flames: Two old friends find romance while stuck in their hometown during a snowstorm.
Wrong Date Right Love: A mix-up with blind dates leads to unexpected romance.
Best Friend's Wedding: Write about the main character's emotions at their best friend's wedding.
Science Fiction & Futurism
Artificial Intelligence Rebellion: Write a sci-fi thriller where artificial intelligence attempts to take over.
Distant Planet Colonization: Write about the challenges and triumphs of colonizing a distant planet.
Virtual Life vs. Real Life: Characters in a future world must choose between virtual and real life.
Fantasy & Magic
A Portal to Another World: Children discover a portal that leads to a magical world with interesting characters.
The Ancient Artifact's Curse: An archaeologist finds an ancient artifact that has both magical powers and a curse.
Quick Bonus Prompts for More Ideas!
Screenwriting Prompt Challenge: Write a scene using only dialogue between two characters stuck in a car.
Life's Crossroads: A character faces a life-changing decision; explore the emotions and outcomes.
Horror Movie Flash Fiction: Write a short story that would fit perfectly in a horror movie.
The Creative Process Unveiled: Write about a writer's journey from idea inception to final draft.
High School Reunion Mystery: Old high school friends gather for a reunion, only to discover something amiss.
Conclusion
Writing is a journey, a thrilling exploration of the unknown, where the only limitations are those of the imagination.
These 101 Script Prompts serve as valuable stepping stones on that journey, guiding you through varied landscapes of human emotion, action, intrigue, and pure creativity. Use them to discover new horizons, challenge yourself, and, most importantly, enjoy writing.
Let these prompts be the catalyst to your next great story, and remember that every word you write brings you one step closer to unlocking worlds within worlds.
Happy writing!
Frequently Asked Questions about script prompts
What are script prompts?
Script prompts are unique phrases or sentences designed to spark your creativity in writing scripts. From screenwriting prompts to dialogue prompts, these can set the stage for everything from a romantic comedy to a sci-fi thriller.
What kinds of prompts are there?
Here's a collection of different types of prompts to suit various genres and styles:
Creative Writing Prompts: For the novelist in you!
Scene Writing Prompts: Perfect for when you're stuck on that opening scene.
Dialogue Prompts: Great for developing interesting characters through conversation.
Story Ideas: Whether it's a plane crash on a deserted island or a romantic blind date, we've got something for you.
How can prompts help in writing different genres?
Action & Thriller:
Serial Killer: Craft a mystery around a character with a dark secret.
Action Sequence: Design a catastrophic event or high-stakes chase.
Sci-Fi Thriller: Explore new worlds, maybe even a distant planet.
Romance & Comedy:
Romantic Comedy: Write about two characters on a blind date or friends turning into more.
Self-Discovery: Let a character find love and friendship on a road trip of self-discovery.
Drama & Suspense:
Plot Twist: Imagine a scene where a woman discovers an ancient artifact or a man discovers a dead body.
Horror Movie: A character wakes in a house with something wrong; a friend or a foe?
Interrogation Room: Full of emotions and suspense, perfect for a short film or screenplay.
How do I start writing with prompts?
Here's a step-by-step guide:
Find Your Inspiration: Choose a prompt that resonates with you. Maybe it's "woman wakes to find herself lost" or "archaeologist finds immersive experience in a new world."
Set the Scene: Use vivid language to describe settings and characters.
Build the Story: Add layers by introducing a plot twist or a deeper level of understanding.
Polish and Revise: Ensure a natural flow and keep your audience's curiosity alive.
Can prompts help in learning and education?
Yes, they can! They're excellent for:
High School: Teaching creative process, ideas, writing, and dialogue.
Personal Growth: Promoting self-discovery, emotions, and expressing one's life experiences.
Professional Development: Adhering to industry standards, exploring artificial intelligence themes, or writing about time travel.
Where can I find more ideas?
The possibilities are endless, from a short story about a woman on a deserted island to a vivid screenplay about two main characters in a sci-fi world.
You can find various websites, books, and forums dedicated to prompts, offering everything from sensory details to the intriguing concept of keeping secrets.
