40 Fairy Tale Writing Prompts

Fairy tales are awesome, right?

They take you to amazing places with dragons, heroes, and magic. But how cool would it be to write your own fairy tale?

Whether you write all the time or are just starting out, a little inspiration helps.

Here are some ideas to get your imagination rolling!

Remember, your words have power – use them to create a story that’ll be loved forever!

40 Fairy Tale Writing Prompts

1. Imagine a world where humans live harmoniously with mermaids in a hidden kingdom under the sea. The mermaids have a unique power to give some humans the ability to breathe underwater. The king’s daughter, a human, unexpectedly develops the ability to breathe underwater and ventures into the unknown world, leading to a conflict between humans and mermaids.
   
   
2. There is a young musician who possesses an enchanted musical instrument. Whenever he plays it, he can influence the emotions of people, causing joy, sorrow, anger, or calmness. The musician needs to decide how and when to use this power, especially when he is asked to play it for a power-hungry king who could exploit the instrument for his benefit.
   
   
3. There exists a forest that can whisper. Not everyone can hear it, but a young girl can. The whispers guide her to a secret pathway leading to an ancient creature trapped for centuries. The girl must use her bravery and wit to decide if she should set the creature free or not, knowing that it can cause a great imbalance in the magical world.
   
   
4. A prince has been cursed to shapeshift into a common animal during the day and return to his human form at night. He can break the curse only when someone recognizes him in his animal form and loves him for who he truly is. In this tale, explore the prince’s journey to find true love while grappling with the challenges of his dual existence.
   
   
5. In a kingdom suffering from a continuous winter, a prophecy foretells that an everblooming flower can bring back the lost seasons. A brave young villager embarks on a quest to find this miraculous flower, but to make it bloom, they need to understand and experience each season truly.
   
   
6. There’s a clock that controls time, and it falls into the hands of a poor farmer. However, each time he tries to change the past, he realizes that the future also alters, often not in the way he intended. He must learn the lesson of accepting his past and making the best out of his present.
   
   
7. A forbidden book of spells, believed to have been lost, resurfaces in a small village library. A curious librarian stumbles upon it and accidentally summons an ancient, forgotten entity. Now, the librarian has to use the spells from the book to send back the entity while keeping the village safe from its chaos.
   
   
8. A princess is cursed to be unseen by all living creatures. Only a blind beggar can sense her presence. The story revolves around how their friendship blossoms, with the beggar helping the princess break her curse, and the princess helping the beggar find his self-worth.
   
   
9. In a world where your shadow is a living, sentient representation of your spirit, imagine a situation where a kind-hearted princess’s shadow turns rebellious and starts doing mischievous things. The twist is that the princess will be held accountable for her shadow’s deeds. She must find a way to reconcile with her shadow and restore harmony.
   
   
10. A mountain that cries tears of precious gems, once a year, has stopped crying, leading to despair in a kingdom that relied on the gems for its wealth. A humble miner’s son takes it upon himself to embark on a perilous journey, aiming to find out the reason behind the mountain’s sorrow and hopefully make it cry again.
    
    
11. The heart of the enchanted forest, a millennia-old magical tree, has started to wilt. A young girl who can communicate with plants and animals takes the responsibility of saving the tree. She discovers that the tree needs pure emotions to survive, so she must evoke real feelings of love, empathy, and bravery within her fellow villagers to restore the tree’s health.
    
    
12. In a land where people rely on a magical entity, known as the Dreamweaver, to provide them with sweet dreams, the entity suddenly disappears. This results in people having nightmares, leading to fear and chaos. A young boy, who dreams differently from others, is chosen to find the Dreamweaver and restore peace in the realm.
    
    
13. A mirror that reveals the true nature of anyone who looks into it has been forgotten for centuries. It is rediscovered by a deceitful king who wishes to use it for his advantage. A palace maid stumbles upon the king’s plot and decides to expose the king using the mirror of truth in front of the whole kingdom.
    
    
14. Dragons have disappeared, and with them, their ancient language. When the last known dragon egg hatches in the presence of a mute girl, she finds herself able to communicate with the dragon. Their bond becomes their strength, as they strive to reintroduce dragons to the world and revive the forgotten language.
    
    
15. In a universe where stars are actually sentient creatures, a young shepherd is tasked with guiding them across the cosmic pasture. When a star mysteriously vanishes, it’s the shepherd’s job to find and return the star to its rightful place before the constellation it belongs to crumbles into chaos.
    
    
16. Every night, the Moon weeps, and its tears turn into magical moonstones on Earth. One day, the Moon stops crying, and no more moonstones fall. A star-gazer’s son, who has always felt a deep connection with the Moon, embarks on a magical journey to find out why the Moon stopped crying and to bring back the magic of the moonstones.
    
    
17. In a world divided by a vast chasm, there’s a bridge only visible to those who truly trust in its existence. When a massive storm threatens both sides of the chasm, a skeptical young woman is the only one brave enough to attempt crossing. She must overcome her doubts and believe in the unseen to reunite the two lands and save her people.
    
    
18. Each year, the prince of the Wind Kingdom and the princess of the Earth Kingdom perform a dance to ensure the harmony of seasons. This year, however, the prince has lost his ability to dance. The princess must enter the Wind Kingdom and help the prince find his rhythm again to ensure the balance of nature.
    
    
19. A wandering castle appears at a different location each day at dawn. One morning, it appears near a poor village, and a courageous orphan decides to explore it. Inside, they encounter various enchanted rooms and magical beings, learning the castle is seeking a worthy ruler.
    
    
20. Born to the Sun and the Moon, a child has the ability to control both day and night. When darkness envelops the world due to a celestial dispute, the child, with a heart divided between their parents, must mediate between the Sun and the Moon to restore balance.
    
    
21. In the middle of the world lies a sea where all forgotten memories gather. A young sailor, searching for his lost past, embarks on a journey to this sea. As he sails, he begins to retrieve his forgotten memories, learning that some memories were lost for a reason.
    
    
22. A secluded garden experiences eternal spring, providing the kingdom with a continuous supply of food and flowers. However, when the princess accidentally picks a sacred flower, the garden plunges into an endless winter. The princess must restore the garden by making a personal sacrifice.
    
    
23. A mystical creature steals dreams from children, leaving them joyless and without imagination. A young girl who still has her dreams embarks on a quest to the creature’s lair. She has to recover the stolen dreams and confront the creature, finding out its true intentions.
    
    
24. Deep within a forest stands a tree that echoes the last words of anyone who dies in the kingdom. A young prince hears his name echoing from the tree and sets off to uncover the mystery. He must discover why his name echoes and what it means for his destiny.
    
    
25. A star has fallen from the sky, and with it, night has become incomplete. An elderly astronomer and his apprentice set off on an adventure to find the star. In their journey, they encounter various challenges and discover that finding the lost star requires more than just knowledge of the skies.
    
    
26. In a kingdom made entirely of glass, a prince is born without the ability to turn transparent, a characteristic feature of his people. He embarks on a journey to find a legendary crystal that can grant his wish. The prince learns that being different is not a weakness, but a strength that can save his kingdom from an impending disaster.
    
    
27. There’s a magical bird that flies into the dreams of children, guiding them through nightmares. One night, the bird appears in a child’s dream, asking for help to combat a dark force. The child must travel into the realm of dreams to help the guardian and ensure that nightmares do not become reality.
    
    
28. A mystical fountain exists that gives people the emotion they lack when they drink from it. A queen, unable to feel joy, drinks from it but instead feels immense sorrow. She sets out on a quest to understand why the fountain did not grant her joy, learning about the importance of experiencing all emotions.
    
    
29. In a towering library that reaches the skies, each floor represents a different era. A young scholar discovers that the topmost floor, representing the future, is slowly crumbling. She must descend back through the eras to find the knowledge needed to repair the future.
    
    
30. A labyrinth mirrors one’s deepest fears. A brave knight enters the labyrinth to save his beloved from a wicked sorcerer, only to confront his own fears. He must conquer his inner demons before he can rescue his beloved.
    
    
31. A magician can bring his paintings to life with a single touch. When his masterpiece – a serene landscape – turns into a dangerous, living world, he must enter his own creation to reverse the magic.
    
    
32. The Moon sings a lullaby each night that ensures peaceful sleep for all. One night, the lullaby turns into a haunting melody, causing unrest and nightmares. A deaf boy who can feel the vibrations of the Moon’s songs must journey to the Moon to restore its soothing lullaby.
    
    
33. Four siblings represent the four seasons. When they quarrel, the world experiences severe weather imbalances. The eldest sibling must resolve the dispute and restore the natural flow of seasons.
    
    
34. In a world where silence has been lost, a king can hear every echo. Overwhelmed by the incessant echoes, he isolates himself in a soundproof palace. A mute girl is the only one who can help the king find the long-lost silence.
    
    
35. A blind gardener cultivates a garden that only he can see. When a drought strikes, he’s the only one who can save the plants. Through his senses, he must help others see the garden’s beauty and worth.
    
    
36. The sea sings a song every dawn and dusk that maintains harmony in the world. When it stops singing, a fisherman’s daughter with a beautiful voice must find the lost song to bring harmony back.
    
    
37. In a city where everyone can control time, a boy is born who lives in real-time. He sees the chaos caused by constant time manipulation and must convince his people to live in the present.
    
    
38. A wizard controls the winds, maintaining global wind patterns. When he grows old and weak, he must find a worthy successor among the carefree villagers, teaching them the importance of balance in nature and their role in maintaining it.
    
    
39. A curious girl discovers a forbidden door in her grandmother’s house, leading to different realms. When she accidentally releases a darkness into her world, she must venture through the realms to find a way to contain the darkness.
    
    
40. A bell rings every year to commemorate a great hero, but this year it remains silent. A young blacksmith, descended from the bell’s original maker, embarks on a journey to discover why the bell didn’t ring and how he can restore its sound.