40 Adventure Writing Prompts and Story Ideas
Adventurers are those awesome people who aren’t afraid to get out there and do the wild, awesome things most of us would only daydream about.
Whether we’re actually living those adventures or writing about them, sometimes finding inspiration can be a challenge.
That’s why having a good list of ideas to jumpstart your writing can be a lifesaver.
And where you do you find such ideas?
Right here below.
40 Adventure Writing Prompts and Story Ideas
The Mysterious Map: A young historian stumbles upon a map that is believed to be the long-lost treasure map of a famous pirate, said to hold a gem that can heal any ailment. The map has an uncrackable code written in an ancient language. The prompt will follow the historian’s journey as they decode the map and embark on the adventure, unearthing secrets about the past while navigating through dangerous terrains and encounters with treasure hunters. The main focus is on the historian’s journey of decoding the map and the obstacles they face.
Pandora’s Solar System: Humanity has discovered a new solar system eerily similar to ours, but with a warning inscribed on the only gateway that leads to it. This prompt involves the team of brave astronauts who, against all odds, decide to explore this new solar system. Their adventure ensues as they discover strange planets, alien species, and a powerful force that may determine the fate of their own solar system. Focus on the exploration of the new solar system and the strange occurrences within it.
Time Traveling Detective: A detective in the 21st century stumbles upon a vintage pocket watch that unexpectedly sends him back in time. He finds himself in the middle of an unsolved murder mystery from the 19th century. The adventure begins when the detective decides to solve the mystery while finding a way back home, creating a ripple effect in the timeline. Emphasize the detective’s struggle to maintain the timeline integrity while solving the historical mystery.
The Lost Civilization: An archeologist finds evidence of an advanced civilization that vanished without a trace thousands of years ago. Following clues and ancient texts, the archeologist embarks on an adventure to unearth the truth about this civilization, unveiling secrets that are more profound and shocking than anyone could ever imagine. The central plot revolves around the discovery and exploration of the lost civilization.
Survival on the Abandoned Island: A storm wrecks a luxury cruise ship, and the survivors find themselves stranded on an island that’s believed to be abandoned. However, they soon discover clues hinting that they are not alone. Their struggle for survival, unraveling the island’s mysteries, and the fight to escape forms the crux of the story. The primary focus is on the survivors’ struggle and the secrets of the island.
Race Against the Apocalypse: A mysterious celestial object is hurtling towards Earth, threatening to cause an apocalypse. A team of scientists and astronauts embark on an adventure in space to avert the catastrophe. As they race against time, they encounter unforeseen challenges and revelations that change their understanding of the universe. The main focus is the team’s quest to save Earth and the challenges they face.
The Inexplicable Disappearances: In a small quiet town, people start disappearing without a trace. A young journalist decides to investigate, plunging into an adventure filled with unexpected turns, eerie encounters, and dark secrets lurking in the town’s past. The story revolves around the journalist’s investigation into the mysterious disappearances and the town’s hidden secrets.
Into the Abyss: A renowned deep-sea explorer receives information about a never-before-seen creature lurking in the darkest depths of the ocean. Intrigued and driven by the desire to document this creature, the explorer embarks on a perilous journey into the abyss, uncovering wonders and horrors in the uncharted territories of the sea. The main plot centers around the exploration of the ocean’s depths and the discovery of the mysterious creature.
The Last Library: In a future where all information is digitized, an old, forgotten library is discovered. Within it, a young researcher finds a hidden message implying the existence of a book that grants immense wisdom. The story revolves around their quest to find this legendary book, leading them to long-forgotten places and confronting dangerous adversaries who also want the book’s power. The key focus is the search for the mystical book and the adversities faced.
The Ghost Train: An engineer with a love for old machinery comes across blueprints of a 19th-century train, notorious for its mysterious disappearance. Fascinated, he rebuilds the train and unintentionally sets off a journey through time and space. The story is centered around the adventure on this temporal train, the places, and epochs it travels to.
The Mountain’s Whisper: A mountaineer hears a strange, mystical whisper coming from an unexplored mountain in the Himalayas. The whisper hints at an ancient secret hidden at the peak. Overcoming extreme weather conditions, treacherous terrains, and their own internal fears, the mountaineer’s quest to reach the peak forms the story’s crux. The mountaineer’s quest and the secret hidden on the mountain should be emphasized.
The Forgotten Soldier: After WWII, a soldier with amnesia finds himself in a town that doesn’t exist on any map. The soldier embarks on a journey to reclaim his lost memories, unravelling the enigmatic past of the town, and confronting an old enemy. The soldier’s journey of reclaiming his past and the mysterious town’s history form the core of the plot.
Desert Mirage: While on a scientific expedition in the Sahara desert, a group of researchers find an oasis with a vibrant ecosystem unlike any other. Upon exploration, they stumble upon hidden ruins, hinting at a civilization with advanced technology. Their journey to decipher the civilization’s remnants and the desert’s secrets is the story’s primary focus.
The Polar Anomaly: An anomaly detected at the South Pole leads a team of scientists and explorers on an icy adventure. They discover an entrance to a massive, prehistoric underground ecosystem preserved in time. With dangers lurking around every corner, the team must unravel the ecosystem’s mysteries while surviving its harsh conditions. Highlight the exploration of the prehistoric ecosystem and the survival challenges.
The Lost Composer: A musicologist discovers a cryptic melody from a long-lost composer said to open a doorway to another realm. Intrigued, they reconstruct the melody and unexpectedly trigger a journey into a world where music and sound govern everything. The main focus is the journey through the mystical musical world and the musicologist’s endeavor to return home.
The Codex of Life: In a world where genetic engineering is common, a brilliant scientist discovers a hidden “codex” within human DNA that has the potential to unlock extraordinary abilities. The scientist becomes a target of multiple factions wanting to exploit the codex, leading them on a dangerous adventure. The pursuit of the scientist and the exploitation of the DNA codex form the main plotline.
The Beast of the Forest: In a tranquil village located near an old forest, sightings of a mysterious creature begin to stir panic. A courageous villager, well-versed in the forest’s ways, embarks on a journey to confront the creature, only to discover an ancient secret of the forest and the village. The villager’s quest and the connection between the creature, the forest, and the village are the central aspects of this prompt.
Alien Artifacts: A pair of adventurous archaeologists unearth alien artifacts believed to be left by extraterrestrials centuries ago. These artifacts contain clues leading to an advanced civilization in a remote galaxy. The archaeologists set off on a space adventure, encountering new planets, species, and the truth behind the mysterious artifacts. Focus on the journey through space and the revelation brought by the artifacts.
The Invisible City: Amid the hustle and bustle of New York City, a man starts seeing glimpses of an ancient, invisible city overlapping the modern one. The man embarks on a thrilling adventure to reveal the invisible city’s existence, gradually unveiling a forgotten part of human history and a looming threat. The unveiling of the invisible city and its connection with human history is the key element.
The Wandering Island: Legends speak of a wandering island that appears every hundred years. A seasoned sailor, after years of searching, finally locates the island. The sailor’s exploration of the island, discovering its peculiar inhabitants, and a secret that could change the world forms the crux of the story. The sailor’s exploration and the island’s secret are the main elements of the plot.
The Underworld Heist: An infamous thief is hired to steal a priceless artifact kept in the underworld. To retrieve the artifact, the thief has to navigate through a labyrinth filled with deadly traps and mythical creatures. The adventure lies in the thief’s journey through the underworld and their quest to steal the artifact.
The Shifting Sands: A vast desert known for its changing landscape hides a city of gold. An ambitious explorer, armed with ancient clues, embarks on an arduous journey through the shifting sands to find the city, uncovering a tale of a forgotten era. The explorer’s journey and the discovery of the golden city is the main plot.
The Broken Time Machine: A faulty time machine sends a scientist to a hostile, futuristic world where civilization has crumbled. Struggling to repair the time machine while surviving the harsh new world, the scientist unravels the events that led to civilization’s fall. The scientist’s survival and the revelation of civilization’s downfall form the main plot.
The Forbidden Expedition: An explorer receives a diary from an unknown sender, detailing an expedition to a forbidden land that no one has returned from. Driven by curiosity, the explorer decides to venture into the unknown, uncovering the diary’s secrets and the forbidden land’s shocking truth. The expedition to the forbidden land and its shocking truth is the central focus.
The Lighthouse Keeper’s Diary: A retired detective inherits a lighthouse and finds the former keeper’s diary full of unsolved mysteries related to ship disappearances. Compelled to solve these mysteries, the detective embarks on an adventurous journey revealing a series of unexplained phenomena and dangerous secrets hidden beneath the sea. The detective’s quest and the unraveling of the maritime mysteries form the main plot.
The Lost Voyager: A spacecraft presumed lost in a wormhole decades ago mysteriously reappears, devoid of any crew. A team of astronauts and scientists embark on a mission to investigate the ghost ship, leading them on a path of cosmic anomalies, alien encounters, and a chilling revelation about the missing crew. Focus on the exploration of the ghost ship and the uncovering of its chilling past.
The Orb of Eternity: A historian specializing in ancient mythology comes across a legend about an “Orb of Eternity” that can manipulate time. Driven by curiosity, they set off on a thrilling adventure across different continents to find the orb, battling against an occult society that seeks to misuse its power. The historian’s pursuit of the orb and the conflicts against the occult society form the key plot.
The Maze of Mirrors: An amusement park’s mirror maze turns out to be a gateway to parallel universes. A group of friends unwittingly step into it and embark on an adventure through parallel realities, each presenting unique challenges and dangers, as they struggle to find their way back home. The main plot centers around navigating the parallel universes and the attempt to return home.
The Sea Serpent’s Lair: An experienced diver hears a local tale about a sea serpent guarding a legendary treasure at the bottom of the sea. Driven by a mix of curiosity and greed, the diver embarks on a dangerous adventure, confronting sea monsters, surviving underwater disasters, and discovering an undersea civilization. The diver’s journey to the sea’s depth and the encounter with the undersea world form the core of the plot.
The Crystal Forest: In a world where nature has been largely replaced by technology, a hiker discovers a hidden forest made entirely of crystals. Upon entering, the hiker is transported to a realm where nature and magic coexist. The story revolves around the exploration of this magical realm and the hiker’s quest to return to the real world.
The City Beneath: During a subway construction project, workers unearth the entrance to an underground city. A team of archaeologists descends into the city, encountering ancient traps, unknown creatures, and a civilization that was supposed to be a myth. The exploration of the underground city and the revelations about the mythical civilization form the main plot.
The Spectral Island: A paranormal investigator hears about an island that only appears under the full moon. Intrigued, they visit the island, only to discover that it’s populated by spirits reliving their past. The investigator’s interactions with these spirits and the uncovering of their stories form the crux of the story. The focus is on the exploration of the spectral island and the stories of its ghostly inhabitants.
The Whispers of the Wind: In a desolate town, the wind carries inexplicable whispers. A curious traveler with the ability to comprehend these whispers learns they are clues to a hidden realm. Their adventure involves deciphering these messages and navigating through a series of trials to reach the realm, uncovering the town’s forgotten heritage. The focus is on deciphering the whispers and discovering the hidden realm.
The Vanishing Circus: A journalist investigates a traveling circus that allegedly vanishes without a trace after each performance. Their pursuit of truth propels them into a world of magic and illusions, encountering strange performers, unusual creatures, and a plot bigger than they could imagine. The main plot centers around the exploration of the magical circus and the unraveling mystery behind its existence.
The Stellar Key: An astrophysicist intercepts an alien signal containing blueprints for a mysterious device – the Stellar Key. When built, the key opens portals to other galaxies. The astrophysicist’s journey through these galaxies, the civilizations they discover, and the power struggles over the key form the core of the story. The main focus is on the intergalactic exploration and the implications of the Stellar Key.
The Phantom Ship: An ancient shipwreck is found to carry the ghost of a sailor who is trapped in a locket. A marine archaeologist who touches the locket is compelled to fulfill the sailor’s unfinished mission, leading them on an adventure filled with pirates, storms, and a legendary treasure. The archaeologist’s quest to complete the sailor’s mission forms the key element of the story.
The Secret Garden: A horticulturist inherits an old mansion with a secret garden. When they enter the garden, they find themselves in different eras depending on the flowers they touch. Their journey through time, the historical events they witness, and their effort to return to their own time form the central plot. The main plot revolves around the travels through different eras and the effort to return to the present.
The Cave of Shadows: A spelunker discovers a cave system never seen by human eyes. Inside, they encounter strange shadow creatures and an entire ecosystem untouched by the sun. Their survival and exploration of this dark world, and its impact on the world above, are the primary focus of the plot. Focus on the exploration and survival within the mysterious cave system.
The Watchmaker’s Clock: A clockmaker constructs a clock based on a design found in a centuries-old manuscript. The clock has the power to manipulate time in a small radius. The adventures ensuing from the consequences of altering time and the struggle to restore it form the story’s crux. The manipulation of time and its consequences form the main plot.
The Forgotten Colony: On Mars, a team of astronauts stumbles upon a hidden and abandoned colony. As they explore the colony, they uncover the chilling fate of the colonists and a threat that could endanger Earth. The exploration of the Martian colony and the revelation of its fate and potential threat is the central focus.
