What this tool does
Every prompt combines three story ingredients - a character, something they want, and something in the way - because a character with a goal and an obstacle is already a story. With 40 characters, 30 goals, and 30 complications, there are 36,000 possible premises.
How the randomness works
Each of the three slots is drawn independently and fairly from its curated list, so common and uncommon combinations appear at exactly the odds you'd expect. The fun is in the collisions: the retired detective who must plan a surprise party, the lighthouse keeper following a map that's wrong in exactly one place.
Read more about fairness and receipts on RandomEveryth.ing.
When to use it
- Daily writing practice and warm-ups
- Creative writing classrooms and clubs
- Breaking through writer's block with an outside idea
- Flash fiction and timed writing challenges
Frequently asked questions
- Can I use these prompts commercially?
- Yes. Prompts are ideas, and what you write from them is entirely yours.
- The prompt doesn't fit my genre. Now what?
- Translate it. “A ferry captain must return a borrowed item” works as fantasy, sci-fi, or romance - the skeleton of character, goal, and complication is genre-proof.
- Can I generate several at once?
- Yes, up to ten - useful for letting a class or group pick their favorite.