Reading fiction offers us an escape to imaginary lives, locations, and situations. The thrill of learning about a new world and all that’s within it is an adventure in itself.
This is why adventure fiction is one of the biggest genres in literature and film. The unknown lures you deeper into a story until you realize you’re already at the end.
Adventure Writing Prompts
With so much adventure material already out there, it’s hard to decide where you want to start writing. There’s a story inside of you but you aren’t sure how to let it out.
The adventure writing prompts below can be of help. Use them as inspiration in creating an adventure story that’s fresh, exciting, and most of all, entertaining.
1. While snorkeling, you notice something glinting on the ocean bed. It’s a bottle with a very interesting message inside.
2. On her deathbed, the family matriarch organizes an elaborate hunt. Whoever finished first will inherit her fortune.
3. You and your siblings explore your new home and find a diary beneath the stairs. Inside is a map of the nearby forest, with an ‘X’ drawn on one spot.
4. There’s a door in the library that’s always locked. One day you find it open by just a crack. A glimpse inside reveals a jungle. You are in the middle of the city.
5. A scientist tries to build the first self-learning android. She returns the next day to find it missing and a note scribbled on the table.
6. You are shipwrecked on an island that ins’t featured on any map. During your second week, you discover a ship approaching the island. Your instincts scream danger.
7. Your father mistakenly leaves his lab door open. Curious about what’s inside, you enter and accidentally trigger a piece of equipment. Next thing you know, you’re the size of an ant.
8. Your captain suddenly takes the crew on a mysterious voyage. It’s only when you are in the middle of the ocean that he reveals where you’re going.
9. Your friend disappears after leaving a cryptic message. You set out to find him based on the clues he’s left behind.
10. You’ve been adventuring all your life. Now it’s time for one last quest—death.
11. Atlantis reveals itself to the world. You’re chosen to be one of the first to visit this country.
12. It’s Christmas Eve. All you ever wished for was a ride in Santa’s sleigh. You hear a thump on the rooftop.
13. You were always told not to enter the cave at the base of the mountain. But now that you’re an adult, your parents say it’s time to claim your inheritance inside.
14. As an experienced hunter, you are excited to receive an invitation to an exclusive hunt. The only caveat is that those who join can only use primitive weaponry and gear.
15. The world has ended. You and your parents have lived in isolation for years. Now that they’re dead, you’re about to set off and explore the broken world outside.
16. An extinct animal resurfaces in the Amazon forest. It’s your job to track it down and protect it from poachers.
17. A ship capsizes in the middle of the ocean. Some survivors are able to build a makeshift raft. With no equipment and limited supplies, they must find their way to salvation.
18. A woman sits on a park bench, enjoying the morning sun. Her dog suddenly comes over with a strange new friend in tow.
19. You begin receiving texts with strange instructions. One day, you decide to follow a fairly normal one. The result is extraordinary.
20. A tech company is offering its newest virtual technology service. You can now experience an accurate and completely immersive rendering of your favorite fictional world.
21. After an accident, you gain the ability to see ghosts. One of them has an incredible, unfinished story that you help them complete.
22. You encounter an alien who is interested in experiencing earthly life. You agree to swap bodies for a year, as long as you can experience their own world.
23. A time traveler goes back to the past. They witness how the dinosaurs died in a way that’s far from what modern scientists believe happened.
24. A librarian finds a book that isn’t listed on the register. She opens it and is sucked into the story contained within.
25. Tired of immortality, an angel opts to become human for a year.
26. It’s 200 years into the future. Most humans are confined within cities of metal and concrete. Tired of the noise and pollution, a family decides to rediscover the world outside their city.
27. Drunk from an office party, you stumble home and find yourself in the land of Faerie.
28. After dying, death takes you as his assistant and teaches you all there is about guiding the departed.
29. You learn about an uncle who was cast out of the family years ago. You reach out to him and learn the real reason why he was banished.
30. After years of anger, a mother and daughter begin to reconcile. They decide to bond by going on a cross-country roadtrip.
31. A convict escapes prison and disappears. He leaves behind supposed evidence of his innocence. Intrigued, you reopen his case.
32. A spaceship malfunctions and gets stranded in space. The crew decides to land on a nearby, unexplored, and possibly hostile planet.
33. Sometimes the nearby pond reflects an image of another world. Taking a deep breath, you step into the shimmering water.
34. Your family has always had a lot of weird, specific traditions and superstitions. Today, you learn why.
35. You visit your brother’s grave. You find a letter perched atop the headstone. It’s addressed to you and written by your brother.
Writing Adventure
No matter the genre, there’s always the thrill of the unknown and the itch to discover it in every story. Having this sense of adventure just makes a narrative come alive more.
Fantasy has heroes that go on world-altering quests. Science fiction explores uncharted space. Horror reveals what exists in the dark. Even slice-of life-stories show you how characters discover the world around them.
The goal is to feed your reader’s imagination with vivid, adrenaline-pumping images. Successful adventure stories make readers feel as if they’ve experienced events firsthand.
Use the prompts above as a springboard for your next work. No matter direction you take them in, what matters is that you get that creative process going again.
Did you find this post useful? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
