I’ve done storytelling exercises where each person or group gets the same prompt—like a word, a starting sentence, or an object—and then has to write a story based on that prompt. At the end, everyone shares their stories, and it’s fun to see how different they are! You have your own ideas and experiences that will make your stories one-of-a-kind, even if you start in the same place as someone else.

Coming up with your own story can be really hard, but here are some ways to spark your imagination if you’re stuck. You can make up your own characters (click here if you want some help) or take a page from the Worm Squad’s book and make yourself the hero!

1. Sentence starters

Sometimes a good first sentence is all you need to get going! Where do you think these stories go next?

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2. Plot concepts

These prompts offer suggestions for something that happens in your story. What do you think your character would do in these situations?

•Your character is alone on a dark and stormy night.

•Your character is exploring a mansion and finds a secret passage.

•Your character receives a mysterious letter in the mail.

•It’s your character’s first day at a new school or job.

•Your character opens a drawer and finds something unexpected.

•Your character meets one of your favorite book or movie characters.

•Your character wakes up and suddenly can see the future.

•Your character is just about to have dinner when the phone rings.

•Your character is supposed to meet a friend, but they don’t show up.

•Your character is riding in the car, but they don’t recognize where they’re going.

•It’s your character’s birthday and they have something special planned.

•The dream that your character had last night seems to be coming true.

•While on a scavenger hunt, your character finds something valuable.

•Your character finds themselves 100 years in the past or future.

•Your character has to do something that they don’t want to do.

3. Combining pieces

Some stories are created by figuring out how different things could go together. Pick one of these groups and try to write a story that uses all three things!

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4. Mixing genres

What would happen if elves and gnomes started exploring the stars? What if cowboys went into a haunted house? Some stories take two different styles and mash them together to create something new. Here are a few different genres that you can play with:

•Adventure: These exciting stories are usually about quests, battles, chases, and exploration.

•Fantasy: These are stories about kingdoms and mythical lands. They might even include creatures like dragons, fairies, dwarfs, or ogres!

•Historical fiction: These are fictional stories that are set during real historical events. They may or may not include famous historical figures.

•Horror: These spooky stories can be set in old ghost towns or haunted houses where unexplainable things happen.

•Mystery: These stories have some kind of puzzle to be solved, and readers collect clues along the way.

•Realistic fiction: This type of story takes place in the real world, but the people and events are made up.

•Romance: Love stories come in all forms! Sometimes characters know that they want to be together, and sometimes they start out hating each other.

•Science fiction: Sometimes sci-fi means traveling through space and visiting other planets, and other times it means surviving in a barren land.

5. Story generator

I have to admit, I love these things. I can never resist finding out what I get! I designed these prompts so that they should give you a different story idea every day—if you don’t like what it gives you, you can always try again!