500 Word Snatch Prompts (2014 Archive)

Posted by VW Admin on Feb 18, 2015 in #500WS | Comments Off

Your protagonist finds a mysterious box in the attic.
One of your characters catches a strange virus and has to be hospitalized.
It snows heavily and your character’s pet goes missing.
Your protagonist spends an afternoon at the local cemetery wandering around the old gravestones.
Your protagonist meets up with an old school friend.
Your protagonist can’t find his/her car keys and is subsequently late for work.
Your protagonist finds an old love letter addressed to his/her significant other.
5 years ago, your protagonist’s partner stepped out to buy a packet of cigarettes, but he never returned.
Your protagonist arrives home to find his front door lying open…
After the funeral she placed her brother’s ashes on a shelf, but a draft from an open door knocked the urn to the ground where it is smashed.
Your protagonist hears a woman screaming outside his/her window at 4am.
Your protagonist witnesses a disability hate crime. What does he/she do?
Your protagonist decides to take up Latin dancing…
One of your characters takes an intoxicated woman he hardly knows on a midnight boat ride. Disaster strikes.
One of your characters is a kleptomaniac.
Your protagonist takes a much needed break at a secluded mountain cabin. The generator breaks during the first night.
Your main character suspects he is being poisoned.
Your protagonist spots his/her significant other in the arms of another. What does he/she do?
Someone is following your character…
One of your characters finds a baby basket on his doorstep as he steps out to take the dog for a walk.
One of your characters dies in a road traffic accident.
Digging in your garden you find a human skull.
And you thought faeries didn’t exist…
Your protagonist has been arrested for something he didn’t do, yet someone has evidence that suggests he committed the crime.
It’s 2459 and we are controlled by machines…
They said their goodbyes, held on to each other and waited for the asteroid to hit…
Your protagonist wakes up with a start and finds the house engulfed in smoke.
The man put his hands around your throat and said in a whisper. “tonight you die….”
On waking you find a strange man in the bed next to you. More disconcerting, however, is the fact you have no idea who you are….
She was half asleep when she looked in the mirror, but she could have sworn her reflection’s movements were slower than hers.
Your protagonist rescues a deer stuck on a frozen lake.
The forest seemed to become more sinister with every passing minute…
After the soldiers came…
They sat together and watched the sun rise over the hill…
After the hunt they feasted.
Your protagonist arrives home to find his house has been burgled.
If you had three wishes what would they be?
He was short in stature, but he could pack a punch.
Who’s been sitting in my chair?
She had to kiss many frogs before she found her prince.
Where am I?
The car engine stalled on the tracks just as he heard the train approaching.
He heard a loud crack as the lightning struck the tree.
Your protagonist is an agoraphobic. How does he deal with an intruder in his home?
It seemed the eyes in the painting followed him wherever he walked.
There were no survivors. An empty silence filled the streets.
He entered the time machine and set it to the year…
Interview your protagonist and use the answers to grow your story.
Just as she was about to fall asleep she heard a small voice in her left ear… but the room was empty.
Your protagonist meets a mysterious tramp who seems to have the answer…
He was surprised to find a door at the bottom of the tree trunk.
He twisted her arm behind her back and held the knife to her throat.
The explosion shook the foundations of the tiny chapel.
As the clock struck midnight two tiny eyes appeared at the doll’s house window.
The old woman was not amused.
She had a voice that could cut glass.
Your protagonist gets into a bar room fight.
It was almost as if he could read her mind.
Your protagonist gets drunk and reveals a secret.
Your protagonist rescues a kitten from a drain.
As he looked at his reflection in the shop window he noticed the same man trailing behind him.
Lying on my back I look up at the clouds and watch them form shapes and spread across the sky – I see her face in every cloud…
The old man sat on the same seat, in the same diner, at the same time, every day. This was where he had first met Dolores.
He spent the morning planning the romantic getaway, making sure everything would be perfect for her. His wife didn’t suspect a thing.
She opened her eyes slowly and tried to sit up but a large padded object prevented her from moving. It was pitch black and deathly silent. She could smell earth, damp earth…
Your protagonist tells a lie and is caught out by his boss.
She feels another sudden pain in her abdomen, this time more powerful than the previous episodes. How is she going to explain this to everyone? Within a few hours she is going to be holding a newborn, and no one – including her – had a clue.
He held her paw until the very end and sat with her for hours after she’d passed.
Two old friends meet. It has been years since they last saw one another. One is secretly in love. Do they reveal the secret?
Your protagonist’s coworker is envious of his success. He begins to plan his demise. How does he carry it out?
A minor character in your story is prematurely declared dead and is lying in the city morgue. What happens next?
You’ve been given an invisibility cloak for a day. How will you spend your day?
Write a full character profile for all your main characters.
Write a short prelude to your novel.
Your plane crashes into a frozen wasteland. There are few survivors.
During an hypnosis session you discover you were once a Native American living in Alaska in the 1700s. Describe your daily life.
You’re shipwrecked on a deserted island. How do you survive?
Your protagonist meets a mysterious stranger but feels they’ve met somewhere before.
One of your characters has a special gift. What is it and does he use it for good or bad?
Take to Google and find pictures for all your main characters. Use these to help you develop their profiles.
Your protagonist discovers a body while taking a walk along the beach.
One of your characters gets lost on a two-day trek and nearly dies.
Interview your main characters to gain a greater understanding of their motives.
One of your characters gets stopped by the police and a violent struggle ensues…
Your main character watches the sunset with an old love. What happens next?
Consider creating a playlist for your novel.
Your protagonist is involved in a serious road accident.
You wake up in a strange room. What happens next?
Your protagonist breaks his leg during a 2-day mountaineering expedition. How does he survive the ordeal?
Your character dives for pearls and finds a mysterious object instead.
Searching the local Hall of Records your protagonist finds something mysterious about an old relation. What is it?
One of your characters gets stung by a bee and ends up in hospital.
Ask a friend to interview you about your protagonist. You’ll be surprised at how much you learn.
Your protagonist’s dog digs up an old gold locket in the garden. Your character is shocked when he opens it up. Why?
You’re awoken suddenly by the sound of fingernails scraping across the window.
Your protagonist discovers he has a twin.
Your character suspects someone has been tampering with his brakes…
How well do you know your characters? Draw up a brief character profile for each of your main characters. Use bullet points and be succinct.
What does your character really want?
Who does your character most admire?
Does your character show growth throughout your story? How?
The victim reveals the answer on the mortuary slab when he opens his mouth to speak….
In the garden it was night-dark and yet it was only early afternoon.
Her hand shook as she hit redial.
She woke up and sighed sadly… it was just a dream.
She heard quiet breathing behind her and realized she was not alone.
He looked at the tubes and wires and cried silently. How was this fair?
He ducked just in time as the china plate sailed past him and hit the wall.
If you had the power to stop time, what would you do?
Notebooks are an important part of the writer’s tool kit. Spend some time picking out the best one for you, then write down your goals for the coming month.
Use the following words in a 15 minute Writer’s Dash: smuggler, sea, death
You wake up and realise you have somehow lost 5 years of your life and remember nothing. What happens next?
Your protagonist gets lost in an ancient forest and meets the most unusual creature. What is it?
The old clock stopped at the exact moment of…
Someone who died 2 years ago passes you in a car. What do you do next?
Your protagonist finds himself in a potentially dangerous situation. How does he manage to escape?
Visit a local cafe and observe; write a character sketch on two people.
Use the following words in a 15 minute Writer’s Dash: cobbler, debt, prison
If you had your own time machine, where and when would you go?
Think back to when you were aged 5, 10, 15 and 20. Write down the word that most described you at each age. Now, write the opposite word for each description. Use these words to make two character sketches for a future work.
Look out of your window and describe what you see; imagine the sounds and smells and how things might feel to touch. Use this paragraph as the basis for a short story.
Open up a drawer and take out the first three items you touch. Write a short story or poem using these three items.
Your protagonist spends a week in an old mansion. He discovers some fascinating secrets.
Your character believes he is the reincarnation of…
Use the following words in a 15 minute Writer’s Dash: river, flood, rescue
Your protagonist has to make a tough decision.
Your protagonist gets arrested. Did he do it?
Valley of the Kings (1922): curse, poison, death, revenge
Use the following words in a 30 minute Writer’s Dash: beach, battle, sacrifice
Look out of your window and list the first 5 things you see. Use these words as inspiration for a short story or poem.
Your character has a special power. What is it?
Use the following words in a 15 minute Writer’s Dash: umbrella, fly, rescue
Your protagonist bumps into an old school friend at a wedding.
Your protagonist collapses at work and is rushed to hospital.
Whitechapel (1888): stalk, terror, love
Use the following words in a 30 minute Writer’s Dash: vampire, dance, enchant
Place, Person, Object: A chapel in Las Vegas, a police officer, a 17th Century Bible
Use this line of dialogue: “But I’m allergic to peanuts…”
Use the following in your story: a black stallion, a bucket with a hole in it and a diamond ring
A character in your story escapes from a maximum security prison and hides in an old, rundown theatre.
A shy wallflower becomes a prima ballerina and overcomes her greatest fear.
Use the following in your story: a suitcase, a locket and a prison cell
Use the following in your story: an android, an iceberg and a geisha
Place, Person, Object: A cabin near the Swiss Alps, a newborn, a silver thimble
Use this line of dialogue in your story: “You have two cracked ribs, whiplash and a slight concussion. Guess you’ll be avoiding the carousel in future.”
Use the following in your story: a blind donkey, a scarecrow and a rubber duck
The eyeless doll was found hanging from the rafters.
Write a story using the following title – ‘Madam Buckeye and the Kleptomaniac Robot’
Siclit Fiction Prod – Place: Mars, Year: 3560 – trail, magnificent, brutally, alien
Piclit: Use this picture to inspire a short story or poem.
Place, Person, Object: A coffin in Transylvania, a publican, a red rose
Scully knew that if he didn’t use the stake now, he wouldn’t get the chance again.
Use the following in your story: a yellow cab, a stray dog and an umbrella
Use the following dialogue in your story: “I’m going to make your life a living hell.”
Write a story using the following title – ‘It Never Rains but it Pours’
Use the following words to help inspire a short story or poem: brood, dulcet, ripple, vestigial
Use the following words to help inspire a short story or poem: bucolic, dalliance, pastiche
Place, Person, Object: The Titanic, a musician, a love letter
“If anything happens to me, I want you to be the one to tell her…”
Use the following in your story: a red telephone box, an aging clown and a broken watch
Use the following dialogue in your story: “You’re in the army now.”
Write a story using the following title – ‘A Beautiful Thing is Never Perfect’
Place, Person, Object: A gondola. a widow, a handgun
Use the following words to help inspire a short story or poem: mondegreen, murmurous, halcyon
Place, Person, Object: A castle, a fool, a spinning wheel
“Fasten your seat belts; it’s going to be a bumpy ride.”
Use the following in your story: a watering can, a skull and a broken promise
Use the following dialogue in your story: “Happiness is upgraded when shared.”
Write a story using the following title: ‘Giving Up the Ghost’
Place, Person, Object: a forest, a liar, a broken wheelbarrow
Place, Person, Object: a circus, a clown, a cracked mirror
Place, Person, Object: A crypt, a thief, a silver dagger
“Close your eyes and hold your breath, it will be all over in a minute.”
Use the following in your story: a train track, a child’s toy, a watcher in the woods
Use the following dialogue in your story: “Where were you at the time of Mrs. Armitage’s death?”
Write a story with the following title: ‘ Dead Men Tell No Tales’
Siclit Fiction Prod – Tolpuddle,1834: revolt, condemned, swiftly, martyr
Piclit: Use the following picture to inspire a short story or poem.
Place, Person, Object: Utopia, a scientist, a probe
“Be the architect of your own future.”
Use the following in your story: a force field, a steam-powered bicycle, a monocle
Use the following dialogue in your story: “If you desire revenge, dig two graves”
Write a story with the following title: ‘ A Short Madness’
Place, Person, Object: a garden, a detective, a human foot
Use the following line in your story: “Every garden will have some weeds.”
Use the following in your story: an old unexploded bomb, a pitch fork, an army of gardeners
Use the following dialogue in your story: “Every ass loves to hear himself bray”
Write a story with the following title: ‘ The Calm Before the Storm’
Place, Person, Object: an underwater cavern, a thief, a treasure chest
Use the following line in your story: “He found himself at the right place, but at the wrong time”
Use the following in your story: a virus, a lone scientist, a school
Use the following dialogue in your story: “If you lie down with the dogs, you’ll get up with fleas.”
Write a story with the following title: ‘ No Sleep, No Dreams’
Use the following picture as inspiration for a short story or poem.
Use the following picture as inspiration for a short story or poem.
Place, Person, Object: a circus, a priest, an empty crib
Use the following line in your story: “Then bloom where you’re planted!”
Use the following in your story: a decrepit London bus, a precocious child, a flash flood
Use the following dialogue in your story: “Since you can’t get what you like, how about liking what you get?”
Write a story with the following title: ‘ Curiosity Killed the Cat’
Use the following picture as inspiration for a short story, poem or to further your WIP.
Use the following picture as inspiration for a short story, poem or to further your WIP.
Place, Person, Object: a graveyard, an orphan, a broken brooch
Use the following line in your story: And so he sent a thief to catch the thief.
Use the following in your story: a wagon, an old curmudgeon, and a tin whistle
Use the following dialogue in your story: “Go ahead, keep climbing those molehills and continue in your life of mediocrity!”
Write a story with the following title: Better Left Unsaid
New York, 2189: escape, steaming, underground, shelter
Use the following picture as inspiration for a short story, poem or to further your WIP.
Place, Person, Object: a friary, a spy, a stolen rosary
Use the following line in your story: “Is there something you want to tell me?”
Use the following in your story: a model airplane, a love letter, an embarrassed father
Use the following picture as inspiration for a short story, poem or to further your WIP.
Place, Person, Object: a farm, a princess, a stolen kiss
Use the following dialogue in your story: “I think the room is bugged!”
Use the following in your story: a French chateau, a long-lost lover, an unexploded bomb
Use the following line in your story: Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without one.
Write a story using the following title: Never Say Never
Use the following picture as inspiration for a short story, poem or to further your WIP.
Memoir Prod: Describe a time when you intentionally hurt someone.
Place, Person, Object: a corn field, a soldier, a rusty robot
Use the following dialogue in your story: “Don’t jump!”
Use the following in your story: a space station, a waif, a tin can
Use the following line in your story: Don’t gild the lily.
Memoir Prod: Describe your earliest memory.
Use the following picture as inspiration for a short story, poem or to further your WIP.
Your protagonist unearths a dark family secret.
Place, Person, Object: an attic, a widow, an old doll
Use the following dialogue in your story: “Man the pumps!”
Use the following in your story: a rundown hotel, a sinister tenant, a missing key
Use the following line in your story: Silence is sometimes the answer.
Memoir Prod: Words should be weighed not counted.
Use the following picture as inspiration for a short story, poem or to further your WIP.
Siclit Fiction Prod: Planet Earth (4587): feast, tasteless, sickly, dome
Place, Person, Object: a beach, a realtor, a crashed plane
Use the following dialogue in your story: “Deeds are fruits; words are leaves.”
Use the following in your story: a suburban yard, a grumpy neighbor, a cat that refuses to go home
Use the following line in your story: The fall of a leaf is a whisper to the living.
Poetry Prod: Poetry moves heaven and earth.
Use the following picture as inspiration for a short story, poem or to further your WIP.
Siclit Fiction Prod: London Zoo (2014): escape, dangerous, boldly, teen
Place, Person, Object: Caribbean, pirate, gold bullion
Use the following line in your story: The devil dances in empty pockets.
Use the following in your story: a gas mask, a starry night and a drunk fighter pilot
Use the following dialogue in your story: “Don’t go looking for trouble…”
Journaling Prod: What element of nature would you say best represents you as a writer?
Use the following picture as inspiration for a short story, poem or to further your WIP.
Use the following picture as inspiration for a short story, poem or to further you WIP.
Place, Person, Object: fjord, Viking, oar
Use the following line in your story: “Take what you need, then leave!”
Use the following in your story: a toy gun, a clown, a dilapidated motel
Use the following line in your story: “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…”
Journaling Prod: “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” Pablo Picasso
Use the following words in your story: paraphernalia, dinosaur, rescue
Use the following picture as inspiration for your short story, poem or WIP.
Place, Person, Object: snow-covered valley, midwife, Wellington boots
Use the following line in your story: “Some find it easier to fight for their principles than to live up to them.”
Use the following in your story: an evil scarecrow, an amusement park ride, a bearded lady
Use the following line in your story: “Ain’t no pot so crooked, you can’t find a lid to fit.”
Journaling Prod: “You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.” Friedrich Nietzsche
Use the following words in your story: desultory, murmurous, serendipity
Place, Person, Object: cornfield, little green man, spaceship
Use the following words in your story: death, ballerina, mausoleum, eerie, dance
Journaling Prod: “Of all ghosts the ghosts of our old loves are the worst.” Arthur Conan Doyle
Use the following line in your story: “Even a sheet of paper has two sides.”
Use the following words in your story: trance, ignis fatuus, missing time, Kelpie
Place, Person, Object: forest, dryad, mushroom ring
Use the following words in your story: “Whatever you do, don’t cut the red wire!”
Journaling Prod: What would you change if you had the ability to travel through time?
Use this famous line as inspiration for a short story or poem: “Do not be like the cat who wanted to fish but was afraid to get his paws wet.” William Shakespeare
Use the following words in your story: fireworks, bitter, diary, unforeseen
Place, Person, Object: cart, rag-and-bone-man, old mannequin
Use the following words in your story: scarlet, ocean, purge
Journaling Prod What defines your worth?
Use this famous line as inspiration for a short story or poem “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened” Dr. Seuss
Use the following words in your story: sanctum, dark forest, rebirth
Use the following picture to inspire you.
Place, Person, Object: A cave, a faun, gold ore
Look out of your window and list the first 3 things you see. Use these words as inspiration for a short story or poem.
Your character has a special power. What is it?
Use the following words in a 15 minute writer’s dash: race, recumbent, rescue
Your protagonist bumps into an old school enemy on the tube.
Your protagonist collapses in the garden and is rushed to hospital.
Use the following words in a 15 minute writer’s dash: stalk, terror, love
Use the following picture for inspiration.
Place, Person, Object: London, beggar, matchbox
Your character has a recurring dream. Describe it. What does it mean?
Use the following words in a 15 minute writer’s dash: seed, scatter, misery
Use the following picture to inspire you.
Use the following famous quote to inspire a short story or poem: “Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye…it also includes the inner pictures of the soul.” Edvard Munch
Journaling Prod: If you were a musical instrument, what would you be and why?
Use the following dialogue in your story: “Confession is good for the soul.”
Go for a walk and get some fresh air. Take a photograph and choose three things in the picture as inspiration for a story.
Your character is forced to tell a lie. What are the consequences?
Use the following words in a 15 minute writer’s dash: lagoon, languor, lilt
Use the following picture to inspire you.
Use the following famous quote to inspire a short story or poem: “Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone” Pablo Picasso
Journaling Prod: If you were a season, what would you be and why?
Use the following dialogue in your story: “A true soldier does not admit defeat before the battle.”
Open up a dictionary and point to three random words. Use these three words as the basis for a short Christmas story.
Your character finds a rusted box in the attic. He opens it to discover…
When she awoke she couldn’t remember her name…
Use the following picture to inspire you.
Use the following famous quote to inspire a short story or poem: “You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” Dr. Seuss
Journaling Prod: If you were a weapon, what would you be and why?
Use the following dialogue in your story: “Nothing is as burdensome as a secret.”
Open up a newspaper and choose one news piece. Use it as inspiration for a short story.
Your character is sent an anonymous letter with threatening undertones.
Use the following words to inspire a poem or short story: tidal, love, mourn
Use the following picture to inspire you.
Use the following famous quote to inspire a short story or poem: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” Oscar Wilde
Journaling Prod: Reflect on the path you have taken this year. Would you do anything differently?
Use the following words to inspire a poem or short story: dance, burn, leave
Go for a leisurely walk and photograph your surroundings. Use the pictures as inspiration for a short story.
Fiction Prod: “When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things – not the great occasions – give off the greatest glow of happiness.” Bob Hope
Use the following words to inspire a poem or short story: tidings, hallow, incandescent
Poetry Prod: “Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” Norman Vincent Peale
Use the following picture to inspire a poem, short story or non-fiction piece.
Journaling Prod: “Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.” Laura Ingalls Wilder
Your protagonist finds himself in a tricky situation in an unfamiliar neighborhood.
Your protagonist catches his wife in a compromising position.
Fiction Prod: You were cryogenically frozen for the past 30 years and everything you thought you experienced was simply a brain program.
Use the following words to inspire a poem or short story: fusion, flame, fertile
Poetry Prod: “One eye sees, the other feels.” Paul Klee
Use the following famous quote to inspire a short story: “You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.” Friedrich Nietzsche
Journaling Prod: Sometimes when I’m alone I cry…
Use the following picture as inspiration for a short story or poem.
Your protagonist gets stuck in a snowstorm in a car with a person he dislikes. What transpires?
Fiction Prod: You are kidnapped by a gang of organ thieves.
Use the following words to inspire a poem or short story: arboreal, angel, fall
Turn on the radio and use the first thing you hear to inspire a poem or short story.
Poetry Prod: “There is no exquisite beauty…without some strangeness in the proportion.”
Journaling Prod: What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
Use the following picture as inspiration for a short story or poem.
Poetry Prod: “We dance for laughter, we dance for tears, we dance for madness, we dance for fears, we dance for hopes, we dance for screams, we are the dancers, we create the dreams.” Albert Einstein
Fiction Prod: A catastrophic solar flare leaves the nation without power for six months.
Use the following words to inspire a poem or short story: frozen, fever, float
Write a modern fairy tale using a traditional tale as inspiration. Write from the perspective of the villain.
Fiction Prod: Write about a childhood memory that still haunts you.
Journaling Prod: Who would you most like to meet and why?
Use the following picture as inspiration for a short story or poem.
Poetry Prod: “The heart was made to be broken.” Oscar Wilde
Fiction Prod: Write a modern fairy tale using a traditional tale as inspiration. Write from the perspective of the victim.
Use the following words to inspire a poem or short story: injure, kiss, bridge
Fiction Prod: “As the day lengthens, the cold strengthens.” E. Pelham
Pick up a book and turn to page 81 – use the first or last sentence as inspiration for a short story.
Journaling Prod: “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Pablo Picasso
Use the following picture as inspiration for a short story or poem.
Sci-Fi Fiction Prod: “Everything you can imagine is real.” Pablo Picasso
Poetry Prod: “A painter should begin every canvas with a wash of black, because all things in nature are dark except where exposed by the light.” Leonardo da Vinci
Use the following words to inspire a poem or short story: planet, birth, sock
Use the following picture as inspiration for a short story or poem.
Journaling Prod: If you were a colour which one would you be and why?
Pick up a book and turn to page 14 – use the first or last sentence as inspiration for a short story.
Use the following words to inspire a short story or poem: intergalactic, pirate, halo

500 Word Snatch Prompts (2014 Archive)

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