35 Conflict Writing Prompts
Hey there, story lovers!
Buckle up, because we’re about to talk conflict – the lifeblood of any juicy tale.
This stuff is what gets characters scrambling, throws them curveballs, and keeps you glued to the page. It can be a battle within themselves, a fight with the world around them, or a clash of personalities (think grumpy vs sunshine!).
For us writers, conflict is the magic key to unlocking an awesome story.
Given below are prompts that are designed to set your imagination on fire with all things conflict-related.
Let’s jump in and get this drama rolling!
Conflict Writing Prompts
Love Across Borders: In a world marked by strict borders and immigration policies, two individuals from vastly different backgrounds fall deeply in love. Their journey becomes a test of their commitment to each other and how far they would go to be together. Challenges of cultural differences, bureaucratic red tape, and societal pressures intensify their struggles.
The Forgotten Pact: Decades ago, two best friends made a pact that if neither were married by the age of 40, they’d marry each other. Now, on the eve of their 40th birthdays, one friend has become a high-profile celebrity, while the other leads a humble life. The less-famous friend decides to bring up the pact, causing both to reevaluate their priorities, feelings, and the true meaning of their bond.
Ethical Dilemmas in the Lab: A young scientist on the brink of a revolutionary discovery learns that her research might have been built on unethical foundations. She must wrestle with the choice of coming forward and jeopardizing her career or keeping quiet to potentially benefit humanity but at a great personal moral cost.
Two Lives Intertwined: After an accident, two strangers discover they’ve gained a mysterious link: every time one feels pain, the other feels it too. As they navigate their own lives, they must find ways to communicate, cooperate, and understand this unexpected connection. This bond changes their perspectives on relationships, personal struggles, and their own identities.
Past Betrayals in a Small Town: A woman returns to her hometown after two decades to care for her ailing mother. However, her return stirs up old resentments, as she had publicly exposed deep-rooted corruption in the town’s leadership in her youth. As she confronts her past, she must decide if she will reengage in the fight for justice or prioritize her family’s safety and peace.
A Life’s Worth: After a catastrophic event, resources become scarce, and a community establishes a controversial system that determines who receives aid based on their past contributions and potential future worth. A mother fights against the system when her young, differently-abled child is deemed “non-essential.” In her journey, she challenges societal values and the concept of one’s worth.
Truth in Journalism: An investigative journalist stumbles upon information that could be the biggest scoop of his career, exposing a major politician’s illicit activities. However, the source of this information is a close family member of the journalist, revealing it could destroy their relationship and potentially put them in danger. The journalist faces a moral quandary: pursue the story at all costs or protect his loved ones.
Returning to the Field: After suffering a traumatic injury on the battlefield, a veteran soldier is offered an opportunity to return to the field in a leadership role. However, the vivid memories of the trauma conflict with his deep sense of duty. As he grapples with PTSD, he must determine whether his passion to serve outweighs the mental and emotional toll of revisiting the frontlines.
Whistleblower’s Regret: A young software developer discovers a hidden function in the app she’s working on, which invades user privacy for monetary gain. She blows the whistle on her own company, but instead of gratitude, she faces backlash and ostracization from colleagues and friends. The story revolves around her fight for justice versus the price of integrity in the modern tech world.
Artistic Integrity vs. Commercial Success: An emerging artist is offered a lucrative contract, but it requires compromising on her art’s message and style. While she struggles with the decision, she is met with disdain from her purist peers and pressure from others who emphasize the financial security this could bring.
A Child’s Plea: A child from a divorced family is asked to choose which parent they want to live with. The weight of the decision becomes overwhelming as the child witnesses the desperate actions of both parents trying to win their favor. In this emotionally charged situation, the child learns about manipulation, true intentions, and self-worth.
Educational Divide: In a community where modern education is frowned upon, a local teacher secretly provides lessons to a group of eager children. When the secret school is discovered, the teacher faces the wrath of tradition-bound elders who believe they are corrupting the youth. The story delves into the power struggles between tradition and progress.
Lost and Found Identity: After taking a DNA test, a woman discovers she has no genetic relation to her family. Confronting her parents, she learns a secret they’ve kept about her adoption. She embarks on a quest to find her biological roots, balancing the turmoil of betrayal with the longing for belonging.
Patient Zero’s Guilt: A man becomes the unintentional first carrier of a contagious disease in his city. As the disease spreads and panic ensues, he becomes aware of his role in the outbreak. Struggling with overwhelming guilt and the weight of being patient zero, he decides whether to come forward and face potential blame or live with the internal torment.
Changing Traditions: The matriarch of a family insists on continuing a long-standing but controversial family tradition for her granddaughter’s upcoming wedding. As younger family members argue for change, citing the outdated and potentially harmful nature of the custom, tensions rise. The story revolves around the collision of generational beliefs and the evolution of culture.
Rebirth of a Ghost Town: A dilapidated town, once vibrant but now abandoned due to economic decline, catches the interest of a wealthy entrepreneur. He has visions of turning it into a prime tourist attraction, but this means displacing the few remaining residents. As the community faces the prospect of revitalization, they grapple with the loss of their history versus the promise of prosperity.
Echoes of the Past: During a renovation, a family stumbles upon a series of letters hidden within the walls of their ancestral home. The letters reveal a forbidden romance and a mystery that was never resolved. As they delve deeper, they find that the events of the past eerily mirror their current lives, leading to an exploration of fate, reincarnation, and unresolved trauma.
Guardians of the Forest: An ancient forest is under threat from logging companies. Hidden within this forest is a tribe that has had no contact with the outside world. A documentary filmmaker learns of their existence and is torn between exposing their story to protect the forest and respecting their isolation from modern civilization.
Tangled Web of Fame: A popular online influencer’s identity gets stolen, leading to a series of scandals that were not of her own making. As she struggles to reclaim her identity, she faces not only the impersonator but also her own inner conflicts about authenticity and the toll of living a public life.
Solar Flare Crisis: Scientists predict a massive solar flare that could wipe out all electronic devices on Earth for an unknown duration. As society scrambles to prepare, the story focuses on a community that becomes deeply divided on how to allocate resources and power, leading to a debate between individual survival and collective responsibility.
Debts Beyond Money: After helping a stranger in a foreign country, a man is told that he now holds a ‘life debt’ and is honor-bound to assist this stranger in a future time of need. Years later, the stranger reappears, seeking a morally ambiguous favor. The man is now caught between a clash of cultural honor codes and his own ethical compass.
From the Stars: An alien crash lands in a remote village, its intentions unclear. While some villagers see it as a god or savior figure, others believe it’s a harbinger of doom. As the world catches wind of its existence, the village becomes ground zero for a global power struggle, highlighting humanity’s fear of the unknown and the lengths they’ll go to control or destroy it.
Legacy of the Pen: A revered author’s final manuscript is found posthumously. However, the content is controversial and potentially damaging to many powerful figures. The author’s family is split: some want to publish and honor the author’s fearless spirit of truth-telling, while others fear retribution and want to protect the family’s reputation. The story delves into the dilemma of truth versus safety, and the weight of a writer’s legacy.
The Weight of Immortality: A scientist stumbles upon a formula that halts aging, essentially granting immortality. As news leaks, society divides into those wanting eternal life and those who see it as an affront to the natural order. Amidst the chaos, the scientist grapples with the moral implications of playing god and the societal upheaval their discovery may bring.
The Refugee Mayor: A refugee, after years of integrating into a new country, runs for mayor in a small town. As election day approaches, the town is divided between those inspired by his resilience and those who harbor deep-seated prejudices. The campaign becomes a reflection of larger societal attitudes towards immigration, identity, and acceptance.
Heirloom’s Secret: A family heirloom passed down through generations is found to be an artifact of significant historical and financial value. However, its provenance suggests it was likely stolen. The current generation faces a dilemma: cash in on their ancestor’s misdeeds or return the artifact to its rightful origin, losing their heritage in the process.
Virtual Prison: In a future where overpopulation threatens societal stability, a new form of prison is developed: a virtual reality where time seems to move at a fraction of its normal pace. A man sentenced to ten years in this prison experiences what feels like centuries. Upon release, he has to reintegrate into a society he feels estranged from and grapple with the psychological toll of extended isolation.
Cultivating Rebellion: In a city where all forms of plant life are banned due to a past catastrophe, a young rebel discovers seeds and starts cultivating a secret garden. As the plants grow, so does a movement to reintroduce nature into the urban landscape, leading to a struggle between control, fear of the past, and the innate human connection to nature.
Voices from the Deep: A marine biologist recording deep-sea sounds captures a mysterious and seemingly intelligent signal from the abyss. As the world debates whether it’s a new form of marine life, a hoax, or even extraterrestrial, a multi-national race begins to claim and exploit the depths, bringing geopolitical tensions to the forefront.
Shadow of the Prodigy: An exceptionally talented child prodigy rises to global fame, but as she matures, she wants to shed her image and explore other passions. As she tries to pivot, she faces resistance from a public and industry that want to keep her in a predefined box. The story tackles the constraints of fame and the struggle for self-identity amidst overwhelming expectations.
Unseen Guardian: After a near-death experience, a man becomes aware of an unseen entity that protects him from harm. As he avoids one disaster after another, he begins to question if this guardian is truly a blessing or if it’s manipulating events for its own unknown purpose. He must decide whether to trust this mysterious force or find a way to free himself from its grasp.
The Mind’s Odyssey: After participating in a neurological study, a woman finds she can vividly experience her ancestral memories. As she delves deeper, she becomes emotionally entangled in the past, particularly in the life of an ancestor facing profound moral dilemmas during wartime. As the boundaries between past and present blur, she struggles to balance the lessons of history with the demands of her current life.
Echoing Melodies: In a bustling city, a street musician plays a tune that unknowingly resonates with the heartbeat of the city. People from diverse backgrounds find themselves inexplicably drawn to it, leading to unexpected connections and a shared sense of community. However, as its popularity grows, corporate entities aim to commercialize it, leading to a fight over the soul of music and the power of authentic human connection.
The Last Library: In a dystopian future where digital information reigns supreme and physical books are deemed obsolete, the last known library faces demolition. A ragtag group of scholars, historians, and book lovers rally to save it, unearthing forbidden texts that challenge the accepted version of history. They must decide whether to safeguard the truths of the past or risk everything to bring them to light.
Parallel Lives: A cosmic event temporarily merges two parallel universes. Two versions of the same person – one from a world where they followed their dreams, and one from a world where they succumbed to societal pressures – meet. Confronted with the life they could’ve had, they grapple with regret, envy, and the concept of destiny versus choice. When the universes start to unmerge, they must decide which life, if any, is truly fulfilling.
