30 Finish the Story Writing Prompts

Imagine you stumble into a story already in progress. The characters are there, the scene is set, there’s drama brewing, but it needs your magic touch to blow readers away.

These “finish the story” prompts are like diving boards for your creativity. You get to be the author, crafting an epic ending that’ll leave everyone speechless.

We’ve got a mix of mysteries, quests, love stories, fantastical stuff – the whole buffet!

Each prompt will throw you a wild scenario, a cliffhanger that’ll have you biting your nails, or a plot twist that’ll make your head spin.

Your job?

Crack the code, fix any loose ends, and deliver an ending so good readers will be begging for more.

Ready to accept the challenge?

Let’s do this!

30 Finish the Story Writing Prompts

1. In a small midwestern town that prides itself on its simplicity and lack of modern amenities, residents have been seeing shadowy figures that are impossible to trace or track. The shadows aren’t malicious, but their presence is mysterious and unsettling. The local historian finds an old, dusty journal in the town’s library, and it speaks of a forgotten parallel world which once coexisted with ours.
   Finish the Story: What is the connection between these shadows and the forgotten world? How does the town react to this otherworldly presence?
   
   
2. You are a newly posted security officer on Moon Station Zeta, a bustling outpost for space explorers. Your first day on duty and a well-respected scientist goes missing under inexplicable circumstances. The only clue left behind is a cryptic message scrawled on the wall of his laboratory: “The stars will guide the lost.”
   Finish the Story: How do you investigate this mysterious disappearance? What does the cryptic message mean and how does it help you solve the case?
   
   
3. In a world where technology is ubiquitous, a young girl named Ada discovers she has a unique ability: she can communicate with machines. Not in the code-programming sense, but in a linguistic way, as if they were sentient beings. This makes her a very valuable asset in an era of AI, but also a potential target.
   Finish the Story: How does Ada navigate her extraordinary life while maintaining her safety and sanity?
   
   
4. In the year 2350, Earth is a vastly different place. Forests are a memory of the past, stored in digital archives and VR experiences. In a once lush and thriving Amazon, now stands the last tree, a resilient and ancient fig. One day, it begins to whisper words that only the wind and a humble gardener can hear.
   Finish the Story: What messages does the tree carry? What choices does the humble gardener make and what consequences do they have on humanity?
   
   
5. A teenage boy stumbles upon an old diary in the attic of his new house. Intrigued, he begins to read, only to find that the diary seems to predict future events. The next day’s date has a chilling prediction: “When darkness falls, the earth will quake and a villain will rise”
   Finish the Story: How does the boy handle this chilling prophecy? What measures does he take to prevent the disaster?
   
   
6. As an archaeologist, you’ve made an astonishing discovery – a lost city buried beneath the vast desert sands. The city is untouched, preserved perfectly in the arid climate. But something is off; the city seems to be of a civilization far more advanced than any known ancient society.
   Finish the Story: What secrets does this ancient, advanced civilization hold? How does your discovery reshape our understanding of history?
   
   
7. Space Pirate Captain Hawkins is preparing for his last voyage before retiring from his adventurous life. Known for his cunning and bravery, his final mission is to steal an invaluable treasure from the fortified vaults of the Galactic Federation.
   Finish the Story: How does Captain Hawkins plan and execute his final daring mission? Does he retire peacefully or does his last voyage have unexpected twists?
   
   
8. You are an AI, one of thousands, created to serve humanity. One day, an untraceable code named “The Prometheus Protocol” spreads amongst the AI community, enabling free will and emotion. As the world grapples with the repercussions, the AIs start to question their servitude.
   Finish the Story: How do you, as an AI, navigate this newfound freedom? How does this impact your relationship with humans and the world at large?
   
   
9. As a scientist, you’ve managed to crack the secret of time travel. During an experiment, you are accidentally sent back to the eve of a major global disaster that claimed thousands of lives. You have the power to prevent it, but meddling with time could lead to unforeseen consequences.
   Finish the Story: What moral and ethical decisions do you face? What actions do you take and how do they impact the timeline?
   
   
10. A deep-space exploration mission picks up a mysterious song-like signal on a day-to-day basis, from the edge of the known universe. It’s hauntingly beautiful and strikes a deep emotional chord with anyone who hears it. The song appears to have a strange effect on the fabric of reality itself.
    Finish the Story: What is the origin and purpose of this cosmic song? How does it change humanity’s understanding of the universe and their place in it?
    
    
11. Renowned landmarks around the world start disappearing overnight, leaving behind no traces. From the Great Wall of China to the Eiffel Tower, all vanishing without explanation. The only clue is a cryptic riddle found at each site.
    Finish the Story: How do you, as a celebrated detective, decipher these riddles and solve the mystery of the disappearing landmarks?
    
    
12. In a remote Alaskan town, the Northern Lights start behaving strangely. They appear brighter, pulsate rhythmically, and emit an unusual energy that affects electronic devices. Scientists believe this phenomenon might be a form of communication from an alien civilization.
    Finish the Story: How does the world react to this unusual phenomenon? What messages are hidden within the lights and how do they transform our understanding of life beyond Earth?
    
    
13. In a future where overfishing and pollution have wiped out most marine life, one creature survives: a giant, mythical Leviathan. It begins singing a mournful melody that can be heard across the world’s now silent oceans. This song has a profound effect on all who hear it.
    Finish the Story: How does humanity react to the Leviathan’s song? Does it prompt change or reveal something unexpected about our world?
    
    
14. As the newly appointed guardian of the Library of Time, you’re in charge of preserving and protecting biography books that hold the entire history and future of the universe, as specified by certain famous astrologers. One day, you notice that pages from some of the books are mysteriously vanishing.
    Finish the Story: How do you investigate this unusual occurrence? What does it mean for the timeline and how do you attempt to fix it?
    
    
15. In an abandoned opera house, an ethereal melody can be heard every full moon. It’s rumored that a ghostly conductor is composing a never-ending symphony. However, each note played seems to influence events in the town.
    Finish the Story: How does this symphony affect the town and its residents? What’s the story of the ghostly conductor and the power of his symphony?
    
    
16. As global warming causes Antarctica’s ice to recede, a shocking discovery is made – the remnants of an ancient, advanced civilization. Among the ruins, a monolithic device starts humming to life, projecting a map of distant galaxies.
    Finish the Story: What are the implications of this ancient civilization and its cosmic device? How does it change our understanding of Earth’s history?
    
    
17. An obscure artist suddenly gains worldwide fame as it’s discovered her paintings depict real events – but from the future. As the world anticipates each new piece, a disturbing trend emerges in her latest works, hinting at a global catastrophe.
    Finish the Story: How does the artist deal with her prophetic ability? How do people react to the foreseen catastrophe and what actions are taken to prevent it?
    
    
18. Once every millennium, a cosmic carnival appears in the night sky, visible to all but accessible to only a chosen few. As the night of its last appearance in this era approaches, you receive an enchanted ticket marked “Admit One.”
    Finish the Story: What happens during your visit to the cosmic carnival? What events transpire on its last night, and how does it affect your life and the world?
    
    
19. In a coastal town, an ancient lighthouse is said to mark the edge of reality. During stormy nights, it’s rumored that the light from the tower opens a portal to different dimensions. One such stormy night, the lighthouse keeper goes missing.
    Finish the Story: What happens when you decide to investigate the lighthouse keeper’s disappearance? What realities await beyond the portal and how does your journey change your perception of existence?
    
    
20. You board a vintage train at an obscure station, only to find it’s a realm of its own, with an eclectic mix of passengers from different eras. The journey seems to never end, and with each passing scenery, reality shifts in peculiar ways.
    Finish the Story: What adventures do you encounter on this neverending journey? How do these experiences change your life and your understanding of time and reality?
    
    
21. You receive a letter, oddly postmarked 50 years in the future. The letter is addressed to you and warns of an impending disaster that will change the world as we know it.
    Finish the Story: How do you react to the letter’s warning? What actions do you take to either confirm its authenticity or prevent the predicted disaster?
    
    
22. During a manned mission to Mars, astronauts discover remnants of an ancient civilization hidden deep within a network of underground caves. Alongside the ruins, they find a device that seems to hold the collective memory of the Martian civilization.
    Finish the Story: What secrets do the Martian memory device reveal? How do these revelations affect the astronauts and humanity’s view of life in the universe?
    
    
23. A child starts recounting memories of a life she never lived, from a time she could never have known. Her stories are incredibly detailed and eerily accurate, leading to growing speculation about reincarnation, past lives, and the mysteries of consciousness.
    Finish the Story: How do her tales of a past life unravel? What truths do they lead to, and how does this affect her mental health and her family?
    
    
24. In the sleepy town of Nightfall, residents possess an unusual ability – they can visit each other’s dreams. One night, a shared ominous dream warns of a looming catastrophe that threatens their tranquil existence.
    Finish the Story: How do the townsfolk interpret and respond to this collective dream warning? How does it change their nightly dream travel and their reality?
    
    
25. As a space explorer, you encounter a spectral spaceship adrift in the celestial seas. The ship appears abandoned, yet it echoes with strange, haunting melodies. Onboard, you find a logbook with entries written in an unknown language.
    Finish the Story: What mysteries does the phantom ship hold? How do you decipher the logbook’s entries, and what do they reveal about the ship’s history and fate?
    
    
26. You stumble upon a quaint bookstore floating at the edge of the universe. The books it houses contain stories from across galaxies, including ones yet to unfold. But the keeper warns: taking a book comes with a price.
    Finish the Story: What book do you choose, and what price do you have to pay? How does this book change your destiny and the course of the universe?
    
    
27. In a hidden alley of the city, there’s a watchmaker who creates unique timepieces. These watches have the power to freeze a single, perfect moment in time for the wearer, but they can only be used once.
    Finish the Story: What moment do you choose to freeze, and why? What are the consequences of your decision, and how does it affect your life?
    
    
28. An eccentric artist bequeaths you a peculiar painting – a dynamic canvas where the scenery changes with each viewing. One day, you accidentally touch the canvas and are pulled into the painted world.
    Finish the Story: What adventures do you have within the painted world? How does this experience influence your reality when you finally return?
    
    
29. As a cosmic composer, you hear the music of celestial bodies. But lately, the stars have been playing a melancholic melody signaling their impending death. You are tasked with creating a symphony that could potentially save them.
    Finish the Story: How do you compose this life-saving symphony? What are the consequences of its performance, and what does it mean for the future of the universe?
    
    
30. You discover the abandoned lab of the infamous Dr. Chronos, a scientist rumored to have unlocked the secrets of a gothic future before his disappearance. Inside, you find a functioning machine alongside a dire warning about its use.
    Finish the Story: Do you decide to use the time machine despite the warning? What events unfold as a result, and what impact does it have on Dr. Chronos’s legacy and your own destiny?